These Lovely Scars (Lord of the Rings Fanfic)

Our Dark Path

A scream escapes from my throat, but I do not call for help. I don't like playing the victim. As the tentacle pulls me out of the room and I hang suspended in the air above the dark waters, I struggle to reach the hilt of my sword. I can see it out of the corner of my eye. Black obsidian and dots of rubies glint just out of my reach. The tentacle-monster's grip is too strong. I can't reach it. I can't move.

A large, monstrous face begins to emerge from the water. It is some sort of kraken-like monster, but with four rows of black beady eyes and a mouth of razor teeth. I look up desperately, unable to stare death in the face.

The kraken-like creature swings its tentacles around wildly, which is not in favour of Frodo and I. I catch glimpses of him here and there, a few times we swing by each other. I hang almost still in the air for one moment, and I have time to see what the fellowship is doing. And why they're not over here saving our butts.

Okay, I guess they're doing their best. Gandalf stays inside the cave with the three hobbits, protecting them from being dragged out also. Gimli stands at the black shores, hacking violently at a slimy tentacle with his axe. Not much help, considering Frodo and I are all the way up here. Look at me, I feel so helpless. I literally can't do anything except for hover here uselessly, unable to move, and just watch and criticize the fellowship as they try to save us. It's awful.

An arrow whizzes by my cheek and hots the cave wall. Miss. That must have been Aragon. He's a much better swordsman than an archer. Another arrow (different shaft, different user) flies by and lodges itself into the tentacle holding me. Okay, it must've been Legolas. Two more arrows, and then the tentacle releases its grip on me with a harsh cry of pain from the kraken-thing, and I am thrown in the direction of the shore.

I am falling from the sky, about to crash to the ground, yet I find myself unable to scream. It seems like such a damsel in distress thing to do.

But...I kind of do need someone to catch me.

Legolas is there, and my body slams into his. He stumbles back from the impact, but doesn't fall. "Thanks," I breathe out as he sets me down, takes my hand, and we begin to run. Aragon now has Frodo in his arms, and they follow us towards the entrance to the mines. The creature climbs out of the water, its tentacles grasping the cave walls outside as it lifts its enormous body out of the water, and follows us in per suit.

We are all safely inside the cave. Well, not exactly safe, but better off than we would be outside. We stand our ground, weapons drawn and ready to face the water creature.

But it destroys itself for us. It's body crashed into the stone entrance, and the weathered rock crumbles and tumbles down, smashing the creature. A tentacle reaches out towards us, but then falls limo to the ground, lifeless.

Merry and Pippin cheer.

"This is not a celebratory victory, young hobbits," Gandalf says grimly, discouraging their cheers. He points the tip of his illuminated staff towards the rubble heap of tentacles and crumbled rock. "We have now way out. There is no other choice. We must go through the Mines."

• ⧫ • ⧫ •

"We must face the long and dark of Moria," Gandalf says as we follow him through the dark, long abandoned halls. "Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world." Merry and Pippin are chatting vivaciously from the back of the line, and Gandalf turns to look at them. "Quietly now. It is a four day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unoticed."

Time passes in the dark much slower than it does with light. The dim glow from Gandalf's staff is the only light source avaliabe to us. We walk for many hours, through large halls, narrow passageways, and up steep stairs. Age shows on the mines; some stairs dissolve to dust when stepped on, and the whole place has an overall feel of decay and slowly withering away. It doesn't help that many areas are littered with dwarf bodies.