My breath left clouds of mist in the cold air of the Caradhras. We had been at an altitude where there was already snow for a few hours. I just kept on walking, I wasn't cold, as there was a fire burning inside me. But the same could not be said of the hobbits. Their bare feet were not used to snow. Frodo slipped on a sheet of ice and rolled backwards a little down the slope.
"Frodo!" Aragorn stopped the hobbit's fall, who immediately groped for the ring and became quite panicked when he did not find it.
My gaze wandered to Boromir, who held the Ring in his hand. Slowly I reached for my sword hilt, I didn't want to hurt Boromir in any way, but the ring had more effect on some than others.
Aragorn also put his hand on his sword "Boromir return the ring to Frodo!"
Boromir stared at the piece of metal as if hypnotised "To think we're all going so mad over such a little thing." he muttered more to himself than to us.
"Boromir." I called after him a little louder, but gripped my sword tighter, ready to pull it out.
The man looked to me and grinned a little "Well, as you say." he walked over to Frodo and handed him back the ring "I don't care." he tousled Frodo's hair.
I exhaled in relief and let go of my sword. For Boromir not caring about the Ring was a lie he did not even believe himself. Hastily Frodo put the Ring back on his neck and went on his way. I decided not to let Boromir out of my sight from now on.
We came to a narrow mountain pass as a storm was brewing above us. I pulled my hood deep into my face as more and more snow fell from the sky, reducing our visibility to a minimum. Aragorn and Boromir each took two hobbits and carried them through the high snow, which Legolas and I simply ran over.
Legolas walked a little to the edge and made his "I hear something" face "There are cruel voices in the air."
I pricked up my ears and now I too could hear a sort of sing song.
Gandalf's whole bard was covered in snow and he waded through the knee deep snow "It's Saruman!" he roared over the storm.
A few chunks of rock crumbled off and plunged down in front of us. Aragorn heaved himself another step forward with the Hobbits "He is trying to bring down the mountain." urgently he looked at the wizard "Gandalf we must turn back."
"No!" roared back Gandalf stubborn as he was and stepped slightly out of his cover. He shouted some magic phrase into the wind, but he stood no chance against the supreme wizard.
With a crash, lightning struck overhead. Masses of snow came loose. "Take cover!" I shouted and was buried under snow the very next moment. I struggled for breath and tried to get my bearings somehow. I let my hands warm and melt my way to the surface. I spotted Gimli's red mop of hair and with a jerk I pulled it out of the snow. Legolas literally jumped out of the snow.
"We must get off this mountain!" roared Boromir "Let's go to Rohan and then fight our way from the Westfold to my home town."
Bringing the Ring near so many people was not a good idea.
Aragorn seemed to be of the same opinion, he just gallantly hid his real reasons behind another reason that wasn't entirely wrong either "The Gate of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard." he contradicted Boromir.
"We cannot cross the mountain." Gimli shook the snow from his bard "But we can pass under it, let us go the way through the mines of Moria." Gandalf didn't look like he was going to make a decision anytime soon, I just hoped we wouldn't go through the mines, no matter how dangerous it was on this mountain, it was even more dangerous in the mines.
"Let the Ringbearer decide." Gandalf gave the decision to Frodo.
We could stay here no longer, the Hobbits were already half frozen.
Boromir looked at Merrin and Pippin who were pale and shivering with cold "We cannot stay here, it will be the death of the Hobbits."
Frodo seemed to be thinking animatedly "We will go through the mines."
I looked at Gandalf reproachfully, now that was what we got for letting the unknowing Hobbit decide. But what else could we do?
"So it is decided, the mines it shall be!" Gandalf had pulled a metre-high mask in front of his face, for just like me he knew what lurked down there.
Gimli seemed to be the only one who was really excited. As quickly as the snowstorm allowed us, we descended back into the valley. I dropped back a little to Legolas and looked at Gimli, who was full of anticipation telling the hobbits about the mines. What Gimli didn't know, we hadn't heard from Balin and Nori in years. "I have a bad feeling." I looked at the entrance that was just becoming visible under the moonlight. Legolas raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Aragorn unsaddled our horse "The mines are no place for a horse, not even for brave Lutz." he gave the horse a pat on the butt and it ran off. "Don't worry." Aragorn had caught Sam's worried look "he knows the way home."
I walked over to Gandalf who was standing outside the entrance just translating from Elvish "Speak friend and enter."
"And what does that mean?" Merrin threw another stone into the river and looked questioningly at the wizard.
Gandalf pushed his hat back a little "Well if you are a friend then you must say the solution word and you can enter."
I shook my head and grinned "No Gandalf, you are very often right, but not this time." I stepped outside the gates "Mellon!" I spoke the Elvish word for friend. With a creak the door opened and gave way to the mines. Cautiously we entered them.
"Now Mister Elf." Gimli looked provocatively at Legolas "now you will know the hospitality of the dwarves. Roaring fires, malt beer and roasted meat."
While Gimli was still raving I let two fireballs form in my hands to get some light.
I gasped as I looked around "This isn't a mine anymore Gimli." I looked around in horror, skeletons of dwarves lay everywhere "This is a grave."
Gimli's face contorted in anger and pain "No." he ran to one of the skeletons "No!" he roared, it echoed throughout the mines.
Boromir looked around paranoid "We should never have come here." Legolas knelt down to a skeleton and plucked out an arrow, I knew whose work this all was even without the arrows "Goblins." The Elf shouted, drawing his bow in case any suddenly leapt out of the corner. Aragorn and Boromir also drew their weapons.
"Everyone out!" Gandalf held his staff at the ready "Now."
"Aragorn!" suddenly sounded Frodo's panicked scream. I whirled around. A huge tentacle held the hobbit and the others hacked at it with their swords.
Immediately Boromir and Aragorn ran towards the tentacles, which were now attacking the other hobbits too. While still running I drew my sword and together with the two humans chopped off the tentacles. The water looked like it was boiling as the creature writhed and tossed. Boromir caught Frodo, who had fallen from a height of five metres.
"Legolas, cover!" roared I, and in one fluid motion cut off two tentacles at once. An arrow came flying and lodged in the creature's eye, which it acknowledged with a screech.
"Into the mine go!" I heard Gandalf yell. I took to my heels and ran. Legolas pushed the three other hobbits into the mine.
"Come on, faster!" I urged the two humans in front of me. Standing just inside the entrance, I stopped, stretched my hands out horizontally and jerked them above my head with a scream. A wave of fire rose from the ground and enveloped the creature. The ground began to shake, stones came loose from the entrance. I felt someone grab me and pull me out of the danger zone. Not a second too soon, because where I had been standing a moment ago was now nothing but a pile of stones.
"Thank you." i turned to my rescuer, it was Aragorn, i nodded gratefully to him.
"I think all of Erebor would be after me if I let you die." he grinned. But then immediately became serious again. For the cairn had trapped us in the mine.
Gandalf produced some light with his staff "Now we must take on the long darkness of Moria after all." he led the way, as he was probably the only one of us who could lead us safely through the mines.
I kept my hand firmly on my sword hilt "We can only hope our presence goes unnoticed."
Catching Boromir's questioning look I rolled my eyes "There are far more dangerous things in the dark than orcs." with those words I followed Gandalf into the first tunnel.