The Days of Old (LOTR- Book One)

Chapter 9: A Journey in the Dark

Chapter 9: A Journey in the Dark

I grabbed either side of my hair at my temples and french braided in away from my face and braided the rest of the strands normally revealing two long braided strands on either side of my face. I sat down on a rock and stared up at the stars that poked through the thin clouds, Legolas threw his bow down and sat down beside me, staring over at Gandalf as he recited different spells to the doors.

I wrapped her dark green cloak around me to shield out the cold as I looked over at Legolas, "I would be alright if we didn't go in there." I spoke quietly so the dwarf could not hear me as I peered past Legolas at Gandalf, "As would I," He nodded, "There is a darkness held over this place, I do not like it." His bright blue eyes stared into hers.

Large plunks of something hitting the water made me jump, "There is something down there." I breathed and motioned towards the black pool, "Why would the Sirannon be dammed anyway?" I brought my gaze back to Legolas who shrugged at my question. "I was wondering the same," He sighed, "The river being dammed is the only way this lake exists." He continued, "Would orcs do this?" He asked, I narrowed my eyes and shrugged. "Perhaps," I sighed.

I pushed off the rock and walked past the hobbits who were quickly stopped from throwing the rocks by Aragorn who had the same feeling as the others and to Gandalf who had now plopped himself on a log beside Frodo. The lake bubbled and large ripples flowed through it, Aragorn and Boromir were watching it warily.

I sat down beside Gandalf and smiled reassuringly, "You always get it." I laughed, Gandalf scoffed as he murmured in elvish, I glanced up at the words and narrowed her eyes. "It's a riddle!" I popped up, Frodo jumped up at the same time. "Speak, friend, and enter!" Frodo smiled brightly. "What's the elvish word for friend?" He asked quickly.

"Mellon." Gandalf said slowly, a large crack made the others jump and jog over to the door. Gandalf laughed heartily and stood up off the log, a crack in the doors suddenly appeared and they swung open revealing a black room, Gandalf walked in front and was followed by the others. 

I jogged back to the rock I had been resting on and grabbed my bow off the ground but paused when the water began to slosh loudly, I jumped when she heard Gimli's screams echo out from the room and began to sprint that way.

A sticky tentacle crept quickly out of the water and wrapped around Frodo's ankle. "Frodo!" I screamed and pulled an arrow out of my quiver and pulled the string against her cheek, Frodo shrieked in horror, the other hobbits called for help and Sam cut the tentacle so it released Frodo's leg.

Ten times more tentacles exploded out of the water and knocked me back as they reached for Frodo, I shook my head and stood up as quick as I could. The water suddenly sunk and out of the vortex the water created an enormous creature emerged, Aragorn, Legolas and Boromir charged out of the room and into the water.

Legolas loosed an arrow into one of the tentacle which flinched and released Frodo's mouth, Aragorn and Boromir chopped at the tentacles. A deep growl came from the creature as it opened it's tooth-filled mouth and help Frodo over it, Boromir completely chopped off one of the tentacles and the creature yelled out in agony and shut it's mouth, Aragorn chopped off another tentacle which caused it to released Frodo who was caught by Boromir.

"Into the Mines!" Gandalf yelled out and ran back into the room, Aragorn and Boromir sprinted towards the others with the creature close behind, "Anairë!" Boromir yelled out as they tried to outrun the creature, I cocked an arrow and quickly loosed it into the creatures eye causing it to jump back and leaving time for them to run into the mines.

The creature crawled out of the water and against the rock, the doors collapsed and rocks fell over the exit and every stream of light was blotted out and the only sounds were the panting of Aragorn, Boromir and Frodo. 

"We now have but one choice." Gandalf said gravely as he pounded his staff on the ground and a bright light emanated from the crystal on the top, "We must face the long dark of Moria, be on your guard. There are darker and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world." He said as he passed us, Legolas looked over at me with worry. "I'm fine," I mouthed and followed Gandalf through the mine, bodies of dwarves littered the ground and the stairs up into the rest of Moria.

"Quietly now, it's a four day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed." He whispered as they walked up the stairs and in silence through the narrow and high passages the winded around.

I stood close to Legolas, shivering at the cold air that was up high in the Mines, even her cloak would not warm me from the frigid water I had been soaked in when fighting the Watcher. my eyes flickered to a bright silver that ran in veins through the walls that reflected brightly from Gandalf's staff, he paused and ran his finger-tips over the veins.

"Mithril!" He turned to the rest of the group who raised their eyebrows, except Gimli. "The wealth of Moria was not of gold or jewels, but mithril." He peered over the side and brightened his staff, revealing a bottomless chasm that reflected bright against the black that engulfed it, the groups eyes widened.

"Bilbo had a shirt of Mithril rings that Thorin gave him," Gandalf said as he continued down the narrow path, "Oh! That was a kingly gift!" Gimli piped up, "Yes!" Gandalf agreed, "I never told him.. But it's worth was greater than the value of the Shire." Gandalf chuckled.

The group crawled up a set of extremely steep stairs and up another set of normal stairs into an open area that split off into three different paths, Gandalf looked at each doorway carefully and paused. "I have no memory of this place." He said slowly.

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