Bound (A Lord of the Rings Fanfic)

Chapter 6

Cassie POV

I lie quietly pretending not to have heard the conversations between Jess, Legolas and Boromir. She has two guys pining after her but there she is lying on the floor absolutely confused. The girl is probably the smartest girl I have ever met but her knowledge on romance is the size of a peanut-scratch that-a grain of sand is a better comparison. I force myself to breath and think.

A thought strikes me and I can't help but have a devilish smile plaster itself on my face. She needs help, and well as a good friend, I am going to of course do that. Not that I have had more experience than her (unless you count those raunchy novels I came across when I was looking through my mom's closet) but seeing her suitors and her fumbling around is almost too painful to bare.

*Time Skip*

We enter a cave filled with old ropes and ancient ladders. A shiny substance draws Gandalf's attention. I look over the edge as Gandalf illuminates what appears to be the never ending depth of the mine. A blue ethereal glow radiates off the surface of the walls and my breath catches, it is beautiful.

"The wealth of Moria was not in gold or jewels but mithril," Gandalf explains as he traces his fingers over the walls.

I notice how empty everything is, like we are completely alone. Unfortunately, there is an ominous feeling that tells me otherwise. A feeling that reminds me that I should find time to speak to Gandalf, alone.

"Bilbo had a shirt of mithril rings that Thorin gave him." Gandalf murmurs, deep in his memory.

"Oh, that was a kingly gift." Gimli nods his head in appreciation.

"Yes. I never told him, but its worth was greater than the value of the Shire." With a hint of mirth in his voice Gandalf smiles and continues walking.

I turn around to see Frodo's eyes widen and I force myself to contain my laughter.

We continue along for another hour before we reach the bottom of a stair case. I am not fond of stairs; they put unwanted wear on my joints. Jess doesn't look to happy about climbing either, but we keep our complaints to ourselves.

"Have you made your choice yet?" I probe Jess as we labour climbing very steep stairs.

Confusion then realization dance across her face. "I don't know. . .they're both. . . nice."

"Come on, Jess. You have to like one more than the other. Though, I have to say it's different seeing you act all cute and blushy." She aims a rueful glare at me and tries to mount the stairs faster but slips instead.

I reach out to grab her at the same time Boromir's hand latches on her arm, steadying her. An electric buzz shoots through my arms and spreads through my system as my hand brushes past his; flashes of a battle flood my mind - the last scene predicting Boromir's death. The urge to vomit swells and I quickly release my hold on Jess. I march up the stairs with newfound determination, talking to Gandalf is imperative.

The higher we climb the more sinister the atmosphere becomes. Dwarven corpses are strewn everywhere and the goblin graffiti on the walls are written with. . . dwarf blood. I am cautious not to touch anything. I don't want anything to trigger a vision on what happened here. At the top of the stairs the path splits into three tunnels, all equally daunting.

"I have no memory of this place." Gandalf frowns as he considers each tunnel carefully, hoping to remember the way we seek. It looks like we aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

*Time Skip*

Gandalf sits on a rock facing the fork of the three tunnels, concentration etched on his face. He smiles as I take a seat next to him.