Even if the ring overpowers all

Chapter four: The pass of Caradhas

The birds circled back and flew away in large numbers. As their foul squawks filled the air you dared to peek out from under the boulder. The sky was almost black with birds, and you worried for a moment; but breathed a soft sigh of relief when they headed in the opposite direction. 

After they had gone, you all began to stand up. Legolas stood up first, holding out a hand to help you up. You took it gratefully, and; blinded by the sunlight, you stand up. 

"Spies of Saruman," Gandalf concludes. "The passage South has been washed. We must take the pass of Caradhas."

Everyone looks at the mountain, unsure if his decision was wise. But nonetheless, you all begin the long climb up the snowy mountain. 

About two hours later...

You all walking through the snow, you beside Legolas and Aragorn guarding Frodo just behind you. Suddenly you hear a yelp and you turn around just in time to see Frodo tumble backwards into the snow. Aragorn catches him with open arms, but just as the little hobbit struggles to his feet, you notice that The Ring had fallen off his neck. 

It was lying in the snow, only inches away from you. Frodo brushes the ice and snow off his coat and stares at you with anxious eyes. Bending down, you pick it up and stare at the little shiny band of gold, glinting in the sunlight and reflecting off the snow. 

It whispers to you, and taken off your guard, you listen to it. 

"Amber!" Legolas strides over to you. 

"Give the Ring back to Frodo!" Aragorn chimes in. 

You stare at the elven prince with cold, uncaring eyes. You can tell he is uncomfortable, but he reaches for the One Ring to hand it back to Frodo. 

You whip out your sword and hold it to his neck, threatening to kill him. You hear him breathe a sharp intake of air as he takes it all in. 

He stares at you, and you stare at him, both of you narrowing your eyes. Legolas reacts fast and pushes back the sword from his neck and lunges into a kiss, crashing his lips against yours. You are so shocked that your grip on your sword loosens and it drops into the snow; along with the ring. 

Aragorn takes the chance he had been waiting for and grabs the ring; then he hands it back to Frodo and the hobbit places it back on his neck, sighing as the ring is safe back in his grasp once again. 

When Legolas finally pulls away, you are snapped out of the trance of evil magic the ring had over you and snapped into a love trance with this handsome elven prince that you've taken a fancy to. 

 When you continue on the walk, hardly daring to walk a little closer to Legolas than necessary, you don't even know that the ring is out of your grasp. 

It's freezing, snow, ice and hail raining down on you faster than you can think. Legolas is walking casually in front of you, his brown shoes leaving no prints on the snow as it is pouring so hard it cover them up as he walks. 

Gandalf is buried waist deep in the snow, struggling to continue; as are the others. His staff helps him along as he finds safe paths through the snow for the rest of the Fellowship behind him. You wrap your coat tighter around you and brush the snow out of your hair and eyes. 

"There is a foul voice on the air," Legolas said, looking into the whirl of snow and wind. 

"It's..." someone started. 

"Saruman!" Gandalf yelled. He leans inward, touching the mountain. Suddenly a large amount of rocks and boulders come tumbling down and crash into the snow just in front of you, most of them falling down the slope into the mist below. 

Thankfully none of the others were hurt, but you could see all the hobbits shivering and burrowing farther into their coats. 

"He's trying to bring down the mountain," Aragorn said. "We must turn back!"

Gandalf shook his head. "No!"

He turns and stands up, facing outwards this time, and starts chanting spells, clearly trying to stop Saruman. You watch, unimpressed. 

Then you look up to see a lightning bolt zap the top of the mountain and bring down an avalanche of snow on you all. 

Legolas pulls Gandalf back just in time and you press yourself against the side of the mountain, leaning in as much as you can. You close your eyes, praying to the Valar for him to spare you and your friends. When you open them, you find yourself buried in white powder, pressing you down and stopping you from getting up. 

Legolas emerges first, then you next. Legolas helps unbury Sam and Aragorn, then Frodo. Boromir gets up with Merry and Pippin and yells to Gandalf, "We must get off the mountain and make for the gap of Rohan or take the road to my city!"

"The gap of Rohan take us to close to Isengard," Aragorn argues. 

"What do we do?" You yell. "Where do we go?"

"Let us leave," Gimli suggested. "Let us go to the Mines of Moria."

Everyone is silent while Gandalf ponders this. A look passes over his face, as if he knows a dark secret. But then he says, "Let the ring bearer decide." 

Frodo look at Gandalf, clutching his chest. Boromir takes one look at the hobbits and says, "We cannot stay here! This will be the death of the hobbits!"

Frodo looks at his friends, then makes a choice. "We will go through the Mines," he says slowly, unsure. 

"So be it." Gandalf said, almost as if he was disappointed. 

Legolas looks at you and makes a gesture with his hands, one saying that he wants to talk.

Struggling over to the elven prince, you stand to next to him and whisper, "What?"

He looks at you. "Dwarves. We are going to be dealing with dwarves here."

"Oh..." you sigh. "I think we'll survive. You're the Prince of Mirkwood. They would not dare hurt you. It will be alright, Legolas. Let us go, and see what awaits us."

He nods. "You are right, Amber."

Even though you have a bad feeling about this...you try to ignore it, but can't shake off the feeling that something bad is going to happen. Then you remember. The Balrog.

A demon of Earth and fire, one so dangerous no man can defeat it. Didn't the elves in Rivendell used to say one lived in the Mines? Oh well. If one did, you can't convince the others to go back now. (And they probably won't even listen to you anyway)

So you walk back in the direction from where you came, following the others. You don't really know what you're walking into, but all that you do know is that you're heading straight into danger...and dragging Legolas right along with you.