"Ah! The walls of Moria! Dwarf doors are invisible when closed." Gimli called with pride as they walked by a wall of stone by a lake.
"Yes, Gimli. Their own masters cannot find them, if their secrets are forgotten." Gandalf nodded with a slight smile.
"Why doesn't that surprise me..." Legolas mumbled and Durion sent the other elf a disapproving glance.
"Ah, now let me see.... Ithildin. It mirrors only starlight and moonlight." As he said so, the clouds in the sky parted and the moon shone upon the hidden door. The glow it emitted reminded Durion of his own runes. Oh how he missed them. "It reads 'The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria, Speak Friend and Enter'. And underneath small and faint is written 'I, Narvi, made them. Celebrimbor of Hollin drew these signs.'" Gandalf smiled and looked back at Durion, as did the rest of the company.
"Celebrimbor drew these?" Sighed Durion and ran his fingers over the letters. "Do you suppose it's another mechanism triggered by blood?" He turned to Gandalf.
"No, I don't think so."
"What do you suppose that means then?" Merry asked and gestured towards the main text.
"Oh it's quite simple. If you are a friend, you speak the password and the doors will open." Gandalf shrugged and ominously stood in front of the door. "Gate of the Elves, open now for me! Doorway of the Dwarf-folk, listen to the word of my tongue."
"...Nothing's happening." Pippin said and Gandalf rolled his eyes.
"I once knew every spell in all the tongues of elves, men and orcs."
"What're you going to do then?"
"Knock your head against these doors Peregrin Took! And if that does not shatter them and I'm allowed a little peace from foolish questions. I will try to find the opening words. Gate of Elves listen to my word, Threshold of Dwarves." Nothing seemed to work, so as the wizard tried to open the door, the rest of the fellowship spread around the wall. Durion walked over to the treeline and gently moved the mask on his face up and down, doing his best to stop the uncomfortable tension around the scar. The cold of the Pass hadn't done the scar any favors, and it's been bothering him ever since.
"Does it hurt?" Legolas spoke from behind him.
"No, no. It's... it's alright." Durion lied and instantly knew that Legolas didn't buy it.
"What can I do to help?" The prince's worried eyes searched for any hint of pain on the other's face. Durion looked at Legolas and felt the warmth seeping through the bond. He wanted to bask in it.
"...You can-"
"It's a riddle." Frodo suddenly spoke up and gained everyone's attention. "Speak friend and enter. What's the elvish word for friend?"
"Mellon." Gandalf said and the door rumbled. Gimli laughed and victoriously looked at Legolas and Durion.
"Soon Masters Elves, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the dwarves. Roaring fires! Malt Beer! Red Meat off the bone!" The warriors of the Fellowship led the way inside, their eyes taking a moment to adjust to the darkness. "This my friend is the home of my cousin Balin. And they call it a mine. A mine!" Gimli laughs, but the rest of them pales as they now see the skeletons littering the floor. All of them wearing typically dwarven armor.
"This isn't a mine, it's a tomb." Gasped Boromir and stumbled back, eyes fearfully searching further down the hall.
"No. No!" Gimli cried and rushed from one skeleton to another. Legolas pulled an arrow from one of them and examined it.
"Goblins." He hissed and threw it away in disgust.
"We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here. Now get out of here! Get out!" Boromir urged the hobbits.
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In the Ruins//Legolas
FanfictionDurion's heritage is painted in mystery. Being the last elf born in the Second Age, with his mother dead and his caregivers nowhere to be found, he battles with what his future holds in store for him. What reason would a mother have for naming her c...
