These Lovely Scars (Lord of the Rings Fanfic)

Drums in the Deep

I am shaken awake by someone. To my surprise, I find that I have not woken up cold and shivering like I have the past few days, but rather warm. Deliciously warm. It feels so good that it's hard to wake up.

Something moves behind me. Someone.

Now I'm awake. I blush violently and quickly jump away. Legolas and I had fallen asleep in each others' arms, and Merry and Pippin (who had presumably woken us up) stand in front of us, giggling wildly. "Good morning, lovebir - "

"Good morning Merry, Pippin." I cut them off midsentence before they can say something embarrasing. Picking up my weapons and fastening my red cloak, I will the flush in my cheeks to go down.

"Quel amrum, Adrianne (good morning, Adrianne)," Legolas says, coming to help me fasten my quiver of arrows to the strap on my back. His light touch on my back is not making it any easier for me get rid of the blush on my face.

"Quel amrum a'lle, Legolas (good morning to you, Legolas)," I say, giving him a grateful smile. Merry and Pippin giggle. They must think we're exchanging feelings of love for each other in elvish. I sigh.

• ⧫ • ⧫ •

Walking, walking, more walking.

Even so, I can't say that this is awful. I mean, it's much better than sitting in Rivendell and staring at waterfalls for an entire day. At least I feel like I am getting things done. Every step is one step closer to Mordor.

After, haha, more walking (who would guess, right?) the walls do not feel so close to us. We must have reached a more open space. It seems that we have been walking through narrow tunnel after narrow tunnel all day.

There is an unanticipated clamour from up front, and to my own surprise, I immediately draw my sword. Somehow, it has become a reflex to any loud, sudden noises on this quest. "Sorry," I hear Gandalf's voice. "I tripped over some rubble. Let me risk a little more light." Slowly, his staff begins to dimly glow, until it grows to a strong source of light. I look back behind me, and am only half surprised to find that the others behind me had the same instinct as me - to draw their weapons to the sudden sound. Gimli gasps, and i follow his upturned gaze to the great hall around me. We are standing in a giant, stone hall with tall pillars and arched ceilings. "Behold, the great realm and dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf." Gandalf says. It is like nothing I have ever seen before.

After a few minutes of gazing in awe, we move on. As we walk through the hall, I notice that there are several chambers on each side of the hall. One of them is open, and a tiny ray of sunlight shines through a crack in the wall, illuminating a large tomb in the centre of the chamber. In my opinion, it looks like nothing more than old ruins and forgotten memories, best left untouched. But gimli cries out. "Gimli!" Gandalf calls out sternly, but there is also a hint of concern in his voice. Gimli diverts the course and runs into the chamber, leaving the rest of us with nothing to do but follow him.

More bodies and weapons are littered in this chamber than in any other places we've been so far. Gimli has stopped and is kneeling by a crypt, sobbing. We all draw closer, unsure of what to make of this. Aragorn puts a hand on the dwarf's shoulder reassuringly, and Gandalf stepps closer to the tomb. There are characters engraved onto the white surface, but I cannot translate it because it is in dwarvish. " 'Here lies Balin," Gandalf reads, translating the words written on the tomb, "Son of Fundin, Lord in Moria.' He is dead then. It is as I feared." I don't know who Balin is, but I can assume he is someone Gimli once knew. I feel a pang of sadness for him.

Gandalf moves to the other sie of the tomb and hands his hat and staff to Pippin, who looks honoured to hold his posessions for him. He bends down and picks up an old, dusty book, having to move away the skeletal hand of the dead dwarf holding it in the process. He picks up the book and opens it, blowing away the dust from the yellow pages. I catch a glimpse of the bloodstained paper and shiver.

Beside me, Legolas tenses up. He senses something. "We must move on," He whispers to Aragorn. "We cannot linger." Aragorn nods in agreement, concern for future matters clear in his eyes.

"They have taken the bridge and the second hall," Gandalf reads from the old book. Gimli stops sobbing and looks up at him. I begin to feel uneasy. "We have barred the gates, but cannot hold them for long, The ground shakes." Pippin has begun to back away from the conversation and taken to exploring the room around him. I frown a bit. It might be better for him to stay close to the fellowship. "Drums...drums in the deep. We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark." The others, along with myself, have begun to glance around uncomfortably. I find myself moving closer and closer to Legolas and Aragorn. "We cannot get out." The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. "They are coming."

CRASH! CLANG! CLANK!

We jump synchronized in fright. Pippin looks at us guiltily as a series of crashes echoes through all of Moria. He knocked a corpse into a well in the corner of the room. I flinch with every crash. If there is anything still lurking around in these old mines, they will surely find us now.

Gandalf is enraged. He slams the book closed and drops it to the floor carelessly. "FOOL OF A TOOK! Next time thow yourself in and rid us of your stupidity!" He snatches his hat and staff from Pippin's hands and turns away. We are all uncomfortably silent.

Then we hear it.

Drums, drums in the deep. They are coming.

Hello! Thanks so much for reading this...sorry if it was a little boring. The next chapter will be much better! Please comment if you have any feedback, and vote if you like it!

XOXO ivyk4t