Of Futures Past (Legolas)

10

The journey continued smoothly for some time after that, though the Fellowship remained very wary and there were not so many lighthearted moments as the training of the hobbits.

Alana contented herself with checking the future every few minutes, seeing only the same scene over and over again of them continuing to walk past various scenery with no tampering.

Soon the Misty Mountains were in view, and as they approached, Alana felt her apprehension growing at the new path they had chosen as the passage south was being watched. Flashes of her memories of the Redhorn pass, only travelled once in her youth, barely 100 years old, filled her mind—being captured by orcs, along with her mother and aunt Celebrian, and watching them be defiled by them in order to protect her, then watching her mother killed in the battle for their freedom when Elladan and Elrohir came to rescue them. Alana hastily pushed the thoughts down and tried to focus on the future.

The Fellowship continued onwards and Alana kept her worries to herself, until Legolas stepped back from his place next to Aragorn to speak with her.

"Are you nervous?" He asked, gazing at the mountain.

Alana clenched her fists, glaring at him. "What are you talking about? Why would I be nervous?"

Legolas continued looking straight ahead, slightly having expected that answer. "I do not doubt you, I simply wondered because of what happened last time you took this Path."

Alana froze with her mouth open, before continuing to walk so she would not hold them up. "How do you know of that?"

Legolas looked at her strangely. "You told me. Do you not remember?"

"I most certainly did not!" Alana rebutted, face somewhat horrified. 

"I suppose you were quite inebriated, but I did not think you were so drunk you would have forgotten." Legolas said, something akin to disappointment on his face.

Alana's brain was frozen and she could not seem to form any sentences. "I... thought it was some random guard. I did not think it was you." At this point, Alana was thoroughly distracted from memories of her mother and trying to make sense of her drunken memories from the Feast of Starlight sixty years prior. "I do remember the night itself, though, I think. I can remember this conversation at least."

Legolas nodded, his face somewhat troubled. 

Alana continued in silence for a few moments, before remembering what he had asked. "Thank you for asking. I am not happy to take this pass, but it will not be the same this time, that much I know."

"None of us would let that happen, and we are all strong fighters." Legolas said.

Alana nodded, slightly more at ease both from the distraction and reassurance. 

The looming mountains grew ever closer and soon they were beginning the climb. Once they reached the mountain, Alana nervously checked the future and, once more, found it strange and slightly distorted.

"Be on your guard! My foresight is being tampered with, so something is coming!" Alana yelled so the whole Fellowship would hear.

The others remained silent but their eyes screamed their focus and fear. 

As they walked onwards, it began to snow, quickly becoming a full storm. While the others trudged through the snow nearly as tall as the hobbits, Legolas and Alana simply walked on top of it at the front of the group. Alana frowned at Legolas's perfect steps, leaving no footsteps, while she left imprints a centimeter deep due to her non elven father.

Alana was focusing only on each step, standing just behind Legolas, when she heard Aragorn yell, "Frodo!"

When she turned around, she found Frodo being helped up by Aragorn and searching for something in the snow. Boromir then held up the chain with the ring.

Boromir was staring at the ring intently, entrance by its power. "It is a strange fate we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing... such a little thing."

"Boromir." Aragorn interrupted. "Give the ring to Frodo."

Boromir handed the ring to Frodo, ruffling his hair in an attempt to hide his discomfort. "As you wish. I care not."

They continued to climb and the snow only worsened. "Gandalf, we will all be buried in this snow." Alana said, her visions no longer blurry. "My visions are getting clearer."

"There is a fell voice in the air." Legolas said some seconds later.

"It's Saruman!" Gandalf yelled. 

Of course, Saruman is one of the only beings strong enough to blur Alana's visions, especially bearing ill intent towards them.

Soon after Gandalf's realization, the first avalanche fell, narrowly missing the Fellowship.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain! Gandalf, we must turn back!" Aragorn yelled.

"No!" Gandalf replied, then began chanting a counter spell to lessen the storm. "Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho i 'ruith! (Sleep Caradhras, be still, lie still, hold your wrath!)"

But Saruman continued his own chanting and lightning struck the tip of Caradhras, sending a second avalanche towards the Fellowship.

Legolas swiftly grabbed Alana and pushed her against the rock face, cradling her head with one hand and covering her with his body as best he could. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around him, bracing herself for the impact and using some magic to repel the snow away.

When the avalanche finished, Legolas's head remained above the snow, which was significantly less deep around them than elsewhere due to Alana's magic, but she remained buried. Legolas quickly moved the snow away from her face so she could breathe, which she did with a loud gasp.

As the rest of the Fellowship dug themselves out of the snow, Alana couldn't make herself let go of Legolas just yet, for the fear and adrenaline from the avalanche were still racing through her heart.

"Are you alright, Alana?" Legolas asked, the hand on her head brushing away the snowy hair in her face.

Alana nodded shakily. "Yes, a few more seconds is all I need. Thank you, Legolas."

Legolas was staring down at her in shock as she continued to hold onto him some moments more, before letting go and shaking herself free of snow as best she could.

"We must get off the mountain! Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the west road to my city!" Boromir yelled.

"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isenguard!" Aragorn replied. Their voices were scarcely heard over the wind of the storm.

Gimli then threw in his own alternative. "If we cannot pass over a mountain, let us go under it. Let us go through the mines of Moria."

Alana felt a spike of fear at the name, but reassured herself that there were many possibilities for them all to survive in the mines.

Grimly, Gandalf said, "Let the Ring-bearer decide." It was evident he knew as well as Alana did what dwelt in the mines.

"We will go through the mines." Frodo announced.

"So be it." Gandalf muttered.