There Is No Time For Fear (Aragorn x oc)

four

Aragorn POV

"I've no memory of this place." Gandalf announces. We've reached a split in the pathway we have been following.

"Are we lost?" Pippin asks.

"No" Merry says confidently

"I think we are."

"Ssh!" Sam holds a finger to his lips. "Gandalf's thinking."

I look around the room. Boromir and the hobbits look exhausted, as I'm sure I do. Legolas seems slightly worn down. Iston sits the furthest from me. He looks completely different with his hair down. Less formal. It seems to fit him better. 

I catch myself staring and look down at my hands.

"Are cin okaui (Are you okay)?" I hear Legolas ask him.

"Im am tríw (I am fine)." Iston answers.

"Im ceri- ú- believe cin (I do not believe you)."

"Physicallui, im am tríw. Haer i, im ceri- ú- know.( Physically, I am fine. Beyond that, I do not know)."

Legolas seems to take this answer as final and I notice the other conversations that fill the room. I look around. Same hands Pippin some food. He offers some to everyone else. I politely accept. Iston reaches behind his head to put his hair back in place. He stands and walks to join Gandalf. They point and gesture at each path. After a moment though they turn to speak to each other and it is clear to me that they are no longer speaking about the paths but something else.

"Why do you watch him?" Legolas asks. I turn to look at him. I did not realize he would notice.

"I don't know." I look away from him and at Legolas.

"Are you sure? Because I think you know, as well as I, why you watch him."

I do know. And I have known, somewhere deep in my mind, since he touched my hand when we had to hide up on that hill. But I don't have time for that right now.

"Oh! It's that way." Gandalf says suddenly and points down one of the paths.

"He's remembered!" Merry says jumping up.

"No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here. If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose."

We all gather our bags and follow Gandalf out and down the path. We step out into a huge room held up by tall, ornate pillars. I cannot see the other side.

"Let me risk a little more light" Gandalf says and holds up his staff." Behold the great realm and dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf."

"There's an eye-opener and no mistake." Sam says in amazement.

We continue through the room. It truly is magnificent that this was all built by the hands of dwarves.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Gimli dash off towards a room.

"Gimli!" We all race to follow him.

"Nooo!" The dwarf groans with sadness leaning against the tomb resting in the center of the room.

Gandalf walks up to the tomb and points at the words inscribed on the tomb.

"Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria. He is dead then. It's as I feared."

Iston bends down and gently pulls a large book from the hands of the skeleton resting against the tomb.

"We must move on, we cannot linger." Legolas says, worried.

"They have taken the Bridge and the second hall. We have barred the gates, but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums, drums in the deep. We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out. They are coming." Iston reads from the book. He closes it and we all look at one another.