I See in Moonlight

Moria and the Golden Woods

~ *~* ~ *~* ~ *~* ~ *~* ~ *~* CHAPTER VI *~* ~ *~* ~ *~* ~ *~* ~ *~* ~

They were sitting outside the closed doors of Moria, Gandalf puffing on his pipe furiously as he wracked his ancient mind for the answer to the riddle on the door. At least it sounded like a riddle to Harry, but he didn't offer his opinion until it was asked for. Aragorn already scolded Merry and Pippin for throwing rocks into the still lake, a lake that Harry sensed was full of malice and hunger. Boromir was making torches for them to use in case it was dark in the mine as Sam sat beside Harry, describing everything for him.

"Hold on!" Frodo suddenly gasped, everyone turned to him and Harry blinked as he saw the moon white writing of the doors in his mind. "Speak 'friend!' It's telling us to say the word friend! But in Elvish! Think about it, the Elves and Dwarves were friends once upon a time! What's the Elvish word for friend!?"

"Mellon." almost every one of the tall folk said at once, the doors suddenly forming and opening up.

Gimli gave a happy shout and walked right in as the others hurried to follow. Boromir was the second one in, holding one of the torches above his head and he froze when the dancing flames revealed the horrible secret kept in the dark.

"This is no mine!" He gasped out and the others raised their own torches and gasped, Gimli gave a strangled cry as well. "T'is a tomb!"

"Quickly, we must leave, we'll find another way!" Gandalf ordered, his voice hard and sorrowful.

Gimli didn't hear or didn't listen because he knelt by a Dwarf corpse and began to search the leathers for a family crest, still crying softly. Sam was holding Harry's hand, not sure if the magic that Harry used would help him see underground. Harry on the other hand, could see the dead showing up as near black forms in his vision. He carefully knelt by one and pulled an arrow from it as Legolas did something similar. It took them only a moment and a horror filled look of realization crossed their faces.

"Orc Arrows." they stated at the same time, Legolas looking at Harry as Harry seemed to look at his stomach from his kneeling position.

"Hurry!" Gandalf barked, grabbing Gimli and with strength one did not think the old wizard possessed, yanked him up to his feet and back out of the mine only for them to freeze as whatever had been living in the lake now loomed silent and deadly over them.

"..." Harry looked around and sighed. "Big ugly monster?"

"Yep." Pippin answered.

"About to eat us?"

"Uh-huh..." Pippin again voiced.

"...." Harry sighed again. "Bring it on."

He whipped out his wand and three protection runes, he threw them around their group and activated them while at the same time casting a Ballista Spell, a ball of red magic forming above them and began raining arrows down onto the creature, which roared and screamed in pain, its tentacles flailing about.

The others seemed to come back to life then and joined in. Arrows were fired, swords and axes hacked away at the limbs, they were smacked about when someone stepped too far from the protection that Harry set up. One such time, a tentacle caught hold of Frodo and Sam's roar told them that the Alpha was pissed. Those who have never seen an Alpha rage period, the sight was something to behold, to those who never saw it in a Hobbit, it was like watching something pure and innocent suddenly turn into a feral demon!

Sam had basically 'wolfed' out. Gone was the sweet mild mannered Alpha, gone were the soft bluish gray eyes. In their place was the blood red of the Alphas, his teeth normally small and white, were now razor sharp as foam dared to start building at the corners of his mouth. His round chubby face took a more lupine look to it as short blunt nails were replaced with long black claws, what most mistook as fat was actually impressive muscles and they were straining against the threads of his clothing, almost tearing through them as he roared once more.