Moonbreeze (Legolas x OC)

Part 8

Her grandfather told her many stories about the Mines, mainly about the dwarves that resided there and the great halls in the time where he traded with them.

Eregion, where he resided, where he made his home, was not that from the Mines of Moria and the two cities leaned heavily on each other for trade. But that was all in a different age, when Elves and Dwarves were still civil towards each other.

Stepping inside, it is nothing like she imagined it though. It is so dark, like light never existed. And it's damp and cold. It holds no feeling of welcome.

"Soon master Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the dwarves. Roaring fires! Malt Beer! Red Meat off the bone!" she can hear Gimli tell Legolas. "This my friend is the home of my cousin Balin and they call it a mine! A mine!" he says indignantly.

"This isn't a mine, it's a tomb." Boromir gasps as Gandalf lights up the path ahead. Dwarven skeletons are littering the ground, pierced with arrows. Everyone is horrified with what they see.

"Nooo!" Gimli moans, shocked to see his kin like this.

Legolas pulls an arrow from one of the corpses, his face scrunching up with distaste. "Goblins." he spits. And as if in unison, they all pull out their weapons.

"We make for the gap of Rohan! We should never have come here." Boromir states and all seem to agree to leave the death trap before them. "Now get out of here! Get out!" he urges, causing them all to back out.

A sudden tug on Ithilae's sleeve makes her whip around just in time to see Frodo fall. Her hand automatically goes to clasp around his, but he slips from her grasp as he is literally dragged out of the Mines by a disgusting tentacle. Its source sprouts from the lake.

"Strider!" calls Sam as his master is dragged further away. He cuts at the tentacle like a maniac, freeing him. Merry and Pippin quickly take this chance to drag Frodo away from it.

The single cut tentacle withdraws, only to be replaced with many more. They come at them from all sides, but their main focus seems to be Frodo for some reason.

Ithilae jumps in the way of them as they reach for him, cutting at them as they try to get past her. That is until one comes swing towards her hard, catching her in the midriff and tossing her away. She just barely manages to flip herself so she can use the momentum to roll back on her feet instead of smacking against the stone, though she is left winded for a moment.

When she's up, she sees that the creature has gotten a hold of Frodo once more and is dangling him above the water where its body finally emerges. Its giant maw is opening up to swallow the scared hobbit whole.

As Legolas fires at it from a distance, Boromir and Aragorn cooperate to free Frodo. Boromir catches him after Aragorn cuts the tentacle holding him and they rush back to the mines on Gandalf's insistence.

Ithilae runs after the rest of the group, hacking through one tentacle that tries to stop her in her path before rushing passed Legolas who holds the creature at bay before everyone is back inside.

The enraged creature crawls from the water, dead set on getting to them. It slams into the posts of the entrance, making them crack. Its tentacles force more pressure on them and finally the stone gives way, crumbling.

They have gotten away from it, but sadly it has shut them inside the Mines, the very place they wanted to avoid just a moment earlier.

Gandalf lights his staff again, casting a pale light onto the grim faces of the fellowship. "We now have but one choice, we must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard, there are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world." he warns as he turns on his heel and sets off up a staircase.

"Quietly now, it's a four day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed." he says over his shoulder as they all file behind him.

Ithilae rubs her midriff absentmindedly as she follows behind the wizard. The blow that creature delivered her has left a dull pain on her muscles and ribs. She is sure it left a bruise.

"Are you alright?" Legolas suddenly asks from behind her, making her drop her hand at her side.

"I'll be fine." she states simply.

She can hear him sigh audibly. "That is not quite what I asked."

"There is no need to concern yourself over me." she follows up. "Does that satisfy your qualms?"

He says no more for the moment as he merely shakes his head behind her. Aragorn lightly pats him on the shoulder as he identifies the light frustration in his friend. He's had dealings with the elleth before and can relate.

Meanwhile, Ithilae can just feel the disapproving vibes from her grandfather for not being more courteous towards the Prince. But she cannot care for the matter.

They pass through many passages, take many staircases and cross just as many bridges. There seems to come no end to it.

"The wealth of Moria is not in gold, or jewels, but Mithril." Gandalf explains as they reach a deep cavern. The walls are lines with silvery veins that shimmer in the light of his staff. "Bilbo had a shirt of mithril rings that Thorin gave him." he tells them, revering to the elderly hobbit that resided in Rivendell before their departure; Frodo's adoptive uncle.

"Ah, that was a Kingly gift." Gimli states, very impressed.

Gandalf hums in agreement. "Yes. I never told him, but its worth was greater than the value of The Shire!" he explains, making Frodo look astounded before readjusting his shirt. He catches Ithilae's eye as he does so and he's sure she noticed, but is relieved when she only quirks her brow in amusement before turning away without a word.

She then quickly snaps her hand out as Pippin slips on the stairs, nearly falling down the deep pit dug next to them. Shaking, he latches onto the back of her tunic for the rest of the way down the stairs.

They continue to travel, day and night blending into each other, until they reach a junction. Three doorways are set before them. Gandalf glances around, puzzlement clear on his face. "I've no memory of this place." he mutters to himself.

"Are we lost?" Pippin asks bluntly, which Merry quickly denies. "I think we are." Pippin states.

"Ssh! Gandalf's thinking." Sam berates them. But it is true; they are lost. None of them know the way from here, not even Celebrimbor. Things have changed too much from the time he had visited.

Gandalf sits himself down, needing time to contemplate and they all take this cue to have a rest. It seems they will not be going anywhere anytime soon.