to love someone else

Chapter 9: moria

And so the Fellowship went back. Night was drawing on as they were headed for the western Door of Moria. It was supposed to be situated near a lake by the side of the mountain. It took them quite some time to even find a path to it to begin with. Once they reached the said lake, Aerin felt a sort of dark feeling creep into her bones. The lake was dark - it looked dark - and it was dreadfully still. Everything was still and awfully quiet, almost impossibly quiet. After what they had experienced higher up the mountain, silence seemed too odd.

''I sense malice in this place,'' Legolas said as they were approaching, ''I do not like it.''

''Ahh! The walls... of Moria,'' Gimli said in awe, gazing at the mountain side.

''Dwarf doors are invisible when closed,'' he added, before he started knocking his axe against the stone trying to find the door. Everyone started feeling up the rocky surface looking for any sort of clue as to where the entrance might be. All Aerin felt against her hands was rock, and nothing ever changed no matter how many times she traced her fingers in different directions. She had no idea what those Dwarves meant to achieve, but she certainly saw no door anywhere near. ''Invisible, you say,'' Aerin said. ''Yes!'' Gandalf answered instead. ''Their own masters cannot find them, if their secrets are forgotten.''

''Why doesn't that surprise me?'' Legolas remarked, to which Gimli just grumbled in protest and annoyance and just plain dislike of the Elf. Aerin suppressed a chuckle; it amused her how quickly the Elf could anger the Dwarf and vice versa.

Any bad feelings Aerin had harboured for the Dwarf had started dissipating and that is another trait of hers - she rarely holds grudges and she stops being angry rather quickly. Unless, of course, the deed is too terrible and just unforgivable. Legolas and Gimli, on the other hand, were now still the same as they were back home in Rivendell. Aerin wondered if that would continue, for the constant bickering would surely become nothing but annoying. After about an hour's search and helpless touching of the walls of the mountain, Gandalf had finally found the Door. He approached a rock between two trees, and ran his hand over the cliff face and they all simply knew. ''Now... let's see... Ithildin...'' he mumbled to himself as he ran his hand over the rock. ''It mirrors only starlight... and moonlight...''

The Fellowship all watched intently trying to figure out what he meant. But soon enough the Moon came to their aid as it appeared through the clouds. Shining down upon them, it made the silver lines on the Door grow bright. The Door revealed itself to them, outlined with silvery light.

''What does it say?'' Aerin asked. ''It reads: ''The Doors of Durin — Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter.'''' responded Gandalf. ''What do you suppose that means?'' asked Merry. ''Oh, it's quite simple. If you are a friend, you speak the password, and the doors will open'' said Gandalf. ''Annon Edhellen, edro hi ammen!''

''Aerin, what does that mean?'' Pippin asked in a whisper. ''It means: Gate of the Elves, open now for me.'' she said as she crouched down to answer the hobbit's question. ''Oh. It sounds so beautiful,'' Pippin commented, ''Once all this is over, maybe you could teach me some.'' ''I could teach you if you'd like,'' Aerin offered with a smile, ''We'll have time on our way.''

''How do you say... Thank you?'' Pippin asked. ''Hannon le.''

''Hannon le, then, Aerin'' Pippin said politely and gave her an appropriate smile which she returned. Aerin could not quite believe that for a moment there she felt excitement and happiness, even before the very entrance to the mines of Moria.

In the mean time, Gandalf kept talking to the door and Aerin kept silently translating to Pippin and Merry but nothing was happening. The Door remained closed. ''Nothing's happening'' Pippin stated the obvious to which Gandalf responded with an annoyed glare. He then proceeded to helplessly push on the doors, but they remained closed nevertheless. ''I once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elves... Men... and Orcs'' he said. ''What are you going to do, then?'' asked Pippin. ''Knock your head against these doors, Peregrin Took! And if that does not shatter them, and I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions, I will try to find the opening words'' Gandalf said and Aerin was torn between wanting to laugh and feeling bad for the hobbit. So she ruffled his hair once, hoping to comfort him.

...

"Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone!" Gimli shouted happily as they waled further into the mines of Moria. The vast jagged rock under the crafted tread of Legolas' boots was silent and unforgiving. There was no song here. Not in the rough walls beneath his hand. Not in the vaulted ceilings or low arches. Nor even in the remaining threads of mithril that spun circuitously throughout all of them.

"Legolas."

A hand brushed his shoulder. He pivoted on the balls of his feet with wide open eyes, only to have Aerin halt his momentum with a fervent clutch to his biceps. "Legolas," she repeated, wistfully soft. "Breathe, my friend. Please. It seems you have ceased to do so since we entered this place."

"I am breathing," said Legolas.

Guardedly, Aerin moved callused fingers up to grip the base of her neck, the dry warmth of her skin culling the rumble of cold Legolas had gathered in stiff awareness near the top of his spine. "You lie. You look to be a statue – particularly when your chest stops moving just so. It is why I came over. You are frightening the hobbits."

"They are not children, Aerin."

"Nay, but they are not yet accustomed to such a journey, nor such a sight." "They have shown as much courage along this road as any of us. I am not frightening the hobbits." Legolas retorted. "Then you are frightening Boromir." Legolas rolled his eyes before he glanced across Aerin's shoulder to see Boromir lift his head and look at Aerin's askance. Aerin followed his gaze and sighed. "Fine then, you are frightening me." She dipped her voice to nearly a whisper, settling elbows on knees and cleaving to a more serious tone. "Will you not tell me what troubles you? You have not slept, nor barely closed your eyes to blink since we entered this place."

Legolas bowed his head, swallowing an answer he did not yet have to give. Vacillating a portion of air into a deeper part of his lungs, he closed his eyes once more, reflecting on the abyss below his feet... and there it was. The waiting dark. All black behind his eyelids except for the tremor at the far reaches of his senses, rising like a shiver through his toes. Quiet. Quiet. Quiet. And then the crackle – lightning in a whisper – from the tips of his ears to his fingertips and back again.

"Legolas?" Aerin asked again placing her hand gently onto his shoulder again. He blinked, focusing momentarily on the furrowed plane of Aerin's forehead. "There is evil here," he ultimately said, the coarse edge of the unknown chaffing the back of his throat. "Something elves ought to fear, though I know not what it is."

"What do your senses tell you?"

Shaking himself, he spoke. "I fear what the greed of the dwarves may have dragged forth and opened space for in this place." "Greed!" a barrel-toned voice invaded. Legolas and Aerin turned to see Gimli standing nearby, stout and angry. "Greed of the dwarves you speak of. With the treasure hoards reputedly held by your father, you have the nerve to call the dwarves greedy!"

Legolas rose and Aerin with him, putting a preemptive hand to his chest. Legolas ignored it, though held in stasis the spring of his muscles. "Reputedly," he repeated coldly. "Do not mix old tales with current rumours and believe you know my king, nor my people." "Are you attempting to tell me that once your father heard the dragon Smaug was dead he did not set out at once to examine what portion of the treasure might be positioned for Mirkwood?"

"For Mirkwood," Legolas echoed strongly. "Which mission was set aside for the aid and rebuilding of Esgaroth the moment we heard what dire circumstances had befallen the people there." "Which friends of yours your people then aided in laying siege against my people for the greed of that same treasure." "Not for treasure! And not for greed! For the compensation of the destruction wrought forth by what lay under that mountain and was brought to wrath by– " "Aye, and your father was indeed well compensated when all was said and done, wasn't he?"

Legolas felt his teeth lock, a skein of emotions tangling under his ribcage. "You say this when your own father was part of a company who quested at length – inciting destruction and shunning the consequences to all around them – for a jewel." "Not just a jewel to him that sought it! And it was not exactly as you say. But what could an elf understand of such things? An elf whose father imprisons innocent visitors for fear of protecting his own stores. To an elf a jewel is likely just that – a jewel  in the way they think of treasure."

"Peace!" interrupted Gandalf. "Peace. Legolas. Gimli. Please. Perhaps you forget," he continued gently. "I carried a role in those events as well." I am frightening the hobbits, Legolas thought. He caught eyes with Aerin and let the cloud of that grief appear in his expression—though only for a moment—before he shuttered it away.