A Half Elf's Love

Ice in the Blood

(Elladan POV)

This mountain was going to be the death of all of us. We were only a day in, and I was feeling a chill in my spine. Delia was constantly glancing around. She was fearful of this place. She also kept glancing at me. She looked so worried I would not be beside her. I remembered the vision she had back in Imladris. She had told me not to wander near snowy cliffs. Something bad was going to happen on this mountain. It was in its very core. As we walked, Merry and Pippin began to throw snowballs, and Frodo rolled down the hill. Aragorn caught him, and Frodo suddenly reached for his neck. I watched the sun glint off the Ring as it laid in the snow. The gold was beautiful yet evil. I rubbed my head, pushing away any thoughts about it. Boromir walked towards the small thing, picking it up from the snow. He spoke softly, almost inaudible to most.

"It is a strange fate we should suffer so much fear and doubt...over so small a thing. Such a little thing." Aragorn, still holding onto Frodo let out a shout.

"Boromir!" The man in question looked up, his eyes shifting a little. "Give the Ring to Frodo." Boromir walked slowly to them, eventually dropping the Ring into Frodo's hand.

"As you wish...I care not." Boromir tousled Frodo's hair, walking off. That night, we all sat huddled around a makeshift fire. Delia sat beside me, her gaze quickly flitting to the snow that had begun to fall. We all sat in a fearful silence. A howl broke that silence. Followed by another, then another. Legolas quickly stomped out the fire, drawing his bow. I stood, grabbing two daggers. Aragorn took his sword, the hobbits huddled together under a cliff, Gandalf held his sword and staff, Gimli his dual axes, Boromir his sword and shield, and Deliadis a short sword. Legolas let out a shout, firing his arrow.

"Droegs! Droegs am!" (Wolves! Wolves above!) I looked up, watching as an entire wolf pack landed in the snow. Everything was a blur, and I whirled my blades around, protecting the hobbits and myself at the same time. I looked up at one point to see Delia stabbing a wolf in its chest, only for one to creep behind her. I screamed out her name, throwing a knife at the wolf.

"Deliadis!" Her head turned as the knife hit the wolf. She looked at me with wide eyes, holding her sword tightly. She continued to fight but I could still see the fear in her eyes. To have a brush with death that close was horrifying. My heart pounded as I thought of her dead. The woman I loved, dead. I swayed a little, my legs growing weak at the thought. Once the fight was over, I ran over, hugging Delia. She wrapped her arms around me too, clutching my hair. Her breaths were labored, but she was alive. She finally let go of me so she could hug Aragorn. She stayed beside her brother the rest of the night, and I felt a little jealous. I tried to stop the feeling from rising, but watching her hug her brother made me jealous. I wanted her beside me. I wanted to hold her and care for her, to protect her from the troubles of this world. As the sun rose, the snow was falling harder and harder. We eventually ended up on a cliffside. Delia was practically clinging to my side, terrified of something. Legolas led us forward, eventually shouting over the winds to Gandalf.

"There is a fell voice on the air!" Gandalf shouted back, his voice absolutely filled with rage.

"It's Saruman!" A rock slab suddenly fell into us, bring snow with it. I dodged the rocks, but Delia was clinging onto me for dear life. Aragorn shouted over the winds, shielding Frodo and Sam.

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

"No!" I watched as he stepped out of the snow, chanting loudly in the wind. "Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho i 'ruith!" (Sleep, Caradhras, be still, lie still, hold your wrath!) Lightening cracked. Deliadis pulled me back harshly, pinning me against the rock face. I watched as a massive rock crashed where we had been. Deliadis was panting while holding me against the wall. Snow crashed in, burying us under freezing water. Deliadis finally stopped pushing me against the rock, eventually curling up against my chest, trying to gain any warmth from me she could. She felt like ice. Her teeth were chattering. I held her in my arms, climbing out of the snow. I broke through the snow the same time as Legolas. Boromir shouted over the wind and snow, trying to pull Merry and Pippin out of the snow.

"We must get off the mountain! Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the west road to my city!" Aragorn shouted back, hoisting Sam and Frodo out.

"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" Gimli finally joined in, shouting loudly.

"If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it! Let us go through the mines of Moria!" Gandalf shouted grimly after a brief moment of silence.

"Let the Ring bearer decide!" Boromir shouted back, his voiced filled with fear.

"We cannot stay here! This will be the death of the Hobbits!" I looked down at Delia, finding her eyes half shut, and her lips a faded shade of blue. She was shivering and her breathing was shallow. She was hypothermic. I shouted over the wind, holding Deliadis closer to my chest.

"Gandalf! Deliadis is dying! The hobbits must be as well!" He cast worried glances between us all, turning his attention to Frodo.

"Frodo?" Frodo spoke, his voice confident and my heart dropped.

"We will go through the mines."