A Change in the Story

8- The Mines of Moria

...

I couldn't see much, so my hearing was, even more, sharper now. I walked in the direction I knew Legolas and Aragorn to have landed, but I froze, two steps in when I stepped on something. Slowly, my eyes got accustomed to the lighting, and in horror, I gave a little yelp, jumping back, only to land on something else.

"Avriel?" I heard a voice call.

"There are-" I paused, taking a deep breath.

"This is no mine!" Boromir suddenly exclaimed, also realizing what I had seen.

"Bones," I said in a whisper.

"It's a tomb!" Boromir finished.

At this, Gimli let out a cry of distress, but I turned my attention to Legolas, who was kneeling over a skeleton.

"What are you-" I started, but stopped myself once I saw the arrow he pulled out of the dead.

"Goblins," He muttered, and his was the last word uttered before a horror-filled silence.

Gandalf soon had lit his staff and was walking at the front of the company, and I soon joined the back with Aragorn and Legolas, who had wasted five perfectly good arrows on a water beast, and he sure did regret it. The darkness around us made me feel uneasy, but all the same, they were mines.

"Let us sit and rest and have something to eat, here on the landing, since we can't find a dining room!" Frodo soon exclaimed as everyone agreed wearily.

"Yes, it is a four-day journey to the other side," Gandalf began.

"Let us hope our presence will go unnoticed," He muttered uneasily.

We sat on some steps nearby and ate and talked. After only a brief rest, we went on again, wanting to get out of the dark mines as quickly as possible. Boromir and Aragorn remained the last two in the file this time, so I walked behind Frodo, and Legolas went behind me. Soon, the passage began to descend, and it steadily grew hot.

This went on for a long time, and no one spoke often, when we did, it was in rushed whispers. There was no sound near, except the sound of our own feet. Suddenly we came to a stop, where there were three possible passages we could take.

"I have no memory of this place at all!" Gandalf exclaimed.

We soon decided to rest for the night, or so we thought. It always seemed to be night in the mines. We found an empty chamber and entered it carefully, all following behind Gandalf, whose staff shone in the darkness. Soon, we were all safely inside, and ready for a quick rest, but as usual, I could not even close my eyes. It was Pippin's turn to watch on this night, but I swiftly got up and replaced him quietly, making him thank me a hundred times and rush off to rest.

I sat by the door for what seemed like hours before I heard very faint knocks.

Tap-tap. Tap-tap.

This only went on for under a minute though, and the noises came from far off. Those were the only reasons I did not worry.

Suddenly, I heard shuffling behind me, and I tightened my grip on my bow.

"What do you think made those far-off noises?" I heard Legolas whisper as he walked towards the door and also sat down quietly.

"I am not sure," I said, in a sigh of relief that it was only him, and not the creator of those noisy taps.

"They were far off," I whispered back, relaxing my grip on my bow.

We sat there in silence for a minute or two before Legolas sighed lightly and spoke.