The Odyssey of the daughter of the forest

Chapter 13 : In The Deep Of The Moria

'' We now have but one choice. We must face the long dark of Moria'' Gandalf announced, illuminating the top of his wizard staff.

He walked in front of the fellowship and led the group. The elves, then Gimli, the hobbits and finally Aragorn and Boromir followed.

'' Be on your guards. There are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world. Quietly now, it is a four day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed... '' he added.

They all followed the wizard, even if his speech was not very auspicious. Tauriel kept her bow in her hand, not really comfortable in a place where she could not see the sky above her head. In particular if there were more dangerous things than orcs there. She noticed that Legolas had kept his bow in his hand too, and Aragorn had his hand on his sword.

They went up a stair, the first one of a long series. Dwarves skeletons were still lying in the ground. The fellowship entered a big hall, so high that it seemed to them that there was no ceiling. They made their way through many other halls, as big as the first one. After few hours in the obscurity, and after many other stairs, the ten companions arrived in a narrow path, with scales and buckets hanging on the rocky wall. Tauriel, even without light, saw, with her elvish capacities, that the walls were shining with a pale sliver light. Gandalf stopped walking for a second, and put his hand on the wall, that was reflecting his staff's light.

'' The wealth of Moria was not in gold,or in jewels,but in mithril''he explained to the all fellowship.

He lightened the precipice with his staff, and they all watched it admiralty. Thousands of little stars were shining on the walls, dazzling them. Tauriel was captivated by the beauty and the sharpness of this place, yet so dark. Gandalf resumed his walk, putting an end to their admiration.

'' Bilbo had a shirt of mithril rings that Thorin gave him'' Gandalf said, smiling.

''Oh ! That was a kindly gift ! ''Gimli told him, behind Tauriel.

''Yes, I never told him but its worth was greater than the value of the Shire '' the wizard added.

They made their way through the darkness of the Mines. Tauriel felt like someone who watching her, but she did not say anything, to not afraid the hobbits. And, if she felt something, she was probably not the only one. A day passed, then a second. Tauriel, knowing perfectly she could not sleep, was sharing guards duty with Legolas, who was in the same situation than her. The elves were looking after their companions during their sleep, talking hours in elvish language until they wake up.

During the second night in the Mines, while the both elves were still awake, a strange noise has been heard, somewhere behind them. The red-hair elf stood up, her hand on her daggers, and headed to the noise direction. Standing on the little headland, she saw a white shape moving the shadow, a hundred of meters from there. His blue eyes were shining in the obscurity. She recognized him without difficulty.

'' Gollum'' she whispered.

Legolas stood up too, and came to her sides, his stare fixed on the creature that was slowly walking in the darkness.

''I saw him just before we stopped here for the night. Gandalf asked me to not announce it to the fellowship, to not afraid the hobbits. ''

If the rest of the fellowship would learn that this creature was following them, it would without doubt create panic. It was better to do not say anything about this.

The beast was still advancing in the shadow, jumping from rocks to rocks happily. His animale comportment, with the ring desire, had taken away the last part of his hobbit's soul.