When Fate Strikes

Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - The Mines of Moria

"The wealth of Moria was not in gold, or jewels, but mithril." Gandalf's light shone down into a giant cavern that glittered with the silver colour of mithril. I looked back to where we had come from, but all I could see was darkness. We had been journeying for a few hours, I presume, however it is difficult to keep track of the time in this place where there is no sun or stars to tell the time from.

Merry's foot almost slid off the ledge and Pippin grabbed him too make sure he was ok. Gandalf's light dimmed, making anything 10 metres away from his staff difficult to see.

"Bilbo had a set of mithril rings that Thorin gave him." Commented Gandalf.

"Oh! That was a kingly gift!" Exclaimed Gimli. He's right, mithril is very rare, and therefore extremely expensive.

"I never told him, but it's worth is greater than the value of The Shire." Gandalf said. I internally nodded, that sounds about right. Pippin gasped next to me.

We reached a staircase of stone that went up so steeply that it seemed as if we were walking straight upwards. Merry sighed and Pippin gulped. Eryn placed a reassuring hand on Pip's shoulder and we started to follow them up the stairs. The stones were wet and slippery and I knew that someone could fall very easily, so I ensured to stay not too close to Eryn.

There was an uneasy silence as I clambered up the last few steps. I'm so relieved to finally make it to the top! There was a few trips and tumbles as we climbed the steep steps, but so far everyone was alright with nothing to show for it but a few cuts and bruises. I was the last one up the steps and I looked at what we were waiting for. There were three pathways that we can take.

I looked at Gandalf, expecting him to remember which one we're meant to go, but my hopes were dashed when he finally spoke up.

"I have no memory of this place."

*****

We all took the time (whilst Gandalf was trying to remember which way to go) to have a break and a rest. Aragorn sat with Boromir on the last of the steps to make sure that no one fell down them. Legolas stood behind them, Gimli next to them. Sam sat with Merry and Pippin, with Frodo on his own atop a rock. Eryn and I settled down on a rock above Merry and Pippin. I sighed. Everything was silent. Everything but Pippin.

"Merry?" he whispered.

"What?"

"I'm hungry." Pippin and Merry were speaking so softly and yet everyone could still hear them. Frodo walked over to Gandalf and started to talk. Eryn and I, being the nearest to them, were the only ones who could hear them.

"Something's down there." Frodo said.

"It's Gollum." Gandalf said. How did he know this?

"Gollum!" exclaimed Frodo. Eryn and I exchanged a look.

"He's been following us for three days." I hope Gandalf has a reasonable excuse as to why he hasn't told us this yet. We've been wandering in the gloomy dark in Moria with a retched creature following us and Gandalf hadn't told us! He must pose Gollum as no threat of all. But he is. He can lead the enemy to Frodo and the Ring.

"We should have been warned." I whisper to Eryn, as quiet as possible, and in Elvish. Eryn shrugged and we returned our attentions to the conversation behind us.

"He escaped the dungeons of Barad-dur?" asked Frodo.

"Escaped, or set loose?" Gandalf said, sending shivers up my spine. This is what I feared. "The Ring has drawn him here. He will never be rid of his need for it. He hates and loves the Ring, just as he hates and loves himself. Smeagol's life was a sad story." Smeagol? Who's Smeagol? Frodo must've been confused too.