A Change in the Story

5- The Ill Will of Caradhras

...

Gandalf was in front, and Aragorn was with him. The others were in file behind them, and the elves came last. I mean myself, and Legolas, the rearguard. We heard the most, saw the most, and moved the quietest, so that was our assigned position.

The first part of our journey was hard and dreary, at least for the hobbits. It was sure cold, windy, and slippery for Pippin who was right in front of me, but I could handle it. Sure, it was a bit on the challenging side, but we pulled along. We slept during the middle of the day, and most of the time, it was uneasy sleep. Whenever I couldn't sleep I took the watch for whoever's turn it was, and that was that. Out of all of us, elves sleep the least, so Legolas and I always offered to watch, and rarely were we both asleep at the same time.

Steadily, the mountains came into view, and the paths were few and winding, making my job way stressful because of the stumbling hobbits in front of me. I could help Pippin when he slipped up, but to the rest, I whispered warnings when they were about to slip up. The wind slowly soon fell, and the sun came out, making our journey a little easier.

"We have done well," Gandalf said once we reached the borders of Eregion, as it was once called, or Hollin, nowadays.

Here I could hear the whispers as I had passed through Eregion before, but my company chatted on about dwarves, Moria, Khazad-Dum, the Misty Mountains, and more, until one particular subject caught my attention.

"I think we will rest here, not only today but tonight as well. There is a wholesome air about Hollin. Much evil must befall a country before it wholly forgets the Elves, if once they dwelt there," Gandalf said, catching my attention.

"That is true," I started.

"Eregion was a realm of the Ñoldorin elves during the Second Age, and it was once ruled by Lady Galadriel and her husband, Celeborn. It was a rare elven kingdom," I spoke, thinking about all of the different times I had passed by here in my lifetime.

"The Elves of this land were of a race strange to us of the silvan folk," Legolas started.

"And the trees and the grass do not now remember them. Only we hear the stones lament them: deep they delved us, fair they wrought us, high they built us; but they are gone. They are gone," He trailed off.

"They sought the Havens long ago," I finished.

...

That night was one of the rare occasions on which both elves of our fellowship were asleep. Sam had his first watch tonight, and Aragorn seemed restless, so he stayed up with him, leaving me to catch up on some sleep.

I didn't know how long I had been sleeping until I heard Aragorn speak, and at first, I thought it was a dream.

"Regiments of black crows are flying over all the land between the Mountains and the Greyflood," He said.

"They have passed over Hollin. They are not natives here, they are crebain out of Fangorn and Dunland. I do not know what they are about: possibly there is some trouble away south from which they are fleeing, but I think they are spying out the land. I have also glimpsed many hawks flying high up in the sky. I think we ought to move again this evening. Hollin is no longer wholesome for us. It is being watched," He finished.

I instantly opened my eyes, and saw the back of Pippin's head, asleep, in the spot next to me.

"In that case so is the Redhorn Gate," Gandalf sighed.

"How we can get over that without being seen, I cannot imagine. But we will think of that when we must. As for moving as soon as it is dark, I am afraid that you are right,"