Daughter of the Ainur - Aragorn love story

4

"The evening star is the most beautiful of all stars"

We all stare into the black hole before us. No burning fires or singing dwarves. This isn't right.. But Gimli doesn't seem to notice. He is the first one to step forward. 'Soon, Master Elf, you will enjoy the Fabled hospitality of the Dwarves; roaring fires, malt beer, red meat off the bone! This, my friend, is the home of my cousin Balin ... And they call this a mine' He snorts. 'A mine!' We follow Gimli into Moria. Mithrandir's staff lights the chamber up. I gasp in horror, dwarf skeletons lay everywhere. Not only soldiers, but also women and children. The men are pierced with arrows from an ancient battle a long time ago. Or so it seems. 'This is nog mine! It's a tomb!' Boromir grimly shouts, stepping backwards. I look to Legolas, who stares at the dead men before our feet. Gimli stands still before a fallen kinsman. 'Oh ... no ... no ... no...!' He cries out. I put my hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him. We don't speak, the sight before us is too much. Legolas pulls a crude arrow out of a skeleton. 'Goblins' He mutters angry. Suddenly everyone around me draws their swords and back away, towards the entrance. I get my bow and pull an arrow out of my quiver and walk back. 'We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here!' Boromir shouts towards us, standing with one foot outside. Frodo and Sam are already outside and the rest of us is heading towards the entrance. But I have to look, all those women and children. Dead. There was no way out, the door was shut. I jump a bit when I feel a warm hand on my shoulder. Aragorn. 'Eleniel tolo' (come)

I nod and turn my back towards the dead dwarves. 'Aragorn!' Frodo yells suddenly in fear. I hear the splashing of water. With one look to each other, we run outside, seeing Frodo hanging above the lake, a tentacle wrapped around his ankle. Boromir is already hacking the limbs of the beast to save Frodo. 'Legolas! Eleniel! Hado i philinn!'(fire the arrows!' Aragorn yells at us before rushing into the water. 'Leithio i philinn Eleniel!' (lose your arrows) I do what I am told, shooting arrow after arrow on the tentacles when they ripple out of the lake. The beast tries to catch other members so I fire faster. Aragorn has saved Frodo from the tentacle, pulling him towards the shore.

'Into the mines!' Mithrandir yells, guiding us with his staff lightning. The hobbits and Gimli stumble inside and I release arrow after arrow. But it seems that the beast only gets angrier. 'Legolas!' Boromir yells at him, pointing towards the creatures head. Legolas does so and when the arrow hits the beast its head, Boromir and Aragorn can race out of the water. Again Aragorn is beside me and grabs my wrist, taking me with him inside the dark of Moria.

Just in time because the large arms of the beast seize the large doors and with a shattering echo, the creature rips the doors away, creating a rock slide that crashes down the cliff face and within seconds we are sealed from the outside world. All is can see in blackness, but only the warm hand of Aragorn around my trembling wrist keeps me sane. Again a light rises from Mithrandir's staff and a creepy glow is thrown over the chamber we all stand in. 'Now we have but one choice ... we must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard ... there are older and fouler things than the Orcs in the deep places of the world' Mithrandir warns us before turning and leading us through Moria. 'Quietly, now. It's a four day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence will go unnoticed' Mithrandir adds.

We walk in silent through Moria, looking in awe at the carved out pillars and corridors. We enter a chamber with old ropes and ancient ladders. Mithrandir touches a shining substance on the wall. 'The wealth of Moria was not in gold or jewels but mithril' He tells us and continues his walking. Silently we follow the old wizard through Moria. 'Bilbo had a shirt of mithril rings that Thorin gave him' Mithrandir speaks again. 

Thorin? I heard that name before

'Oh, that was a kingly gift' Gimli replies to Mithrandir. 'Yes. I never told him, but it's worth was greater than the value of the Shire!' I the corner of my eye I see Frodo's eyes widen. I chuckle a bit, Mithrandir is always unpredictable, he does and says what he pleases. But after all he is a wizard. Pippin and Merry walk beside me, they stare in amazement to the wonders of Moria. But when we enter another chamber, we all stop.