The Outside Reality

Chapter 12: Khazad-dûm

"Then let us go! Let us see the halls of Durin, or whatever may wait there!" Gimili says with pride. 

        "Your lack of worry encourages me," says Gandalf. "Let us find the doors to Khazad-dûm together. I have passed through Moria once, travelling through the ruins of dwarves. I was look for Thrain, son of Thror after he was lost." he pauses and mutters, "though I'd must admit that it was not an expirence that I would like to repeat." He speaks up, "Let us head down this mountain. Caradhras has defeated us. Who will come with us to Moria?"

Aragorn is the first to respond. "I will."

Boromir is the next, "For the safety of these lands, I will accompany you as well."

I nod my head, and say, "Wouldn't dream of missing it."

Sam and the Hobbits also agree, "I won't be leavin' Mr. Frodo's side any time soon." Sam says.

Lastly Legolas says, "I will not abandon such a nobel quest due to a mountain. I will come along as well." 

Gandalf nods, "The fellowship is still together. Now let's go, down to Moria."

"How far till we get to Moria?" I ask as we head down the mountain.

"On the south-west side of Caradhras, there is a door, some fifteen miles away. That, is our destination."

"Hailey." Sam comes up from behind me. "Aren't ya worried enev a bit about goin' into Moria?" I shake my head. "Oh. Well, my hearts in my toes. Ahh," he sighs, "I'm no good at all, gettin' all nervous about a mine."
I laugh, "Sam, Sam, Sam. You have every right to be nervous. And, if you weren't here, we wouldn't be having such good eating as we have been. You are just fine, and don't let anybody tell you otherwise."

He looks at me, and smiles, "thank you for that, Hailey."

I smile, and walk ahead. Boromir slows down some, and walks in stride with me. "You shouldn't be encouraging him like that. He's-"

"He is just fine, Boromir. Just because you don't think he isn't ready to jump in and risk his life, which he is, by the way, doesn't mean he doesn't have a place. If someone doesn't have a place here." I pause. "It's me."

Legolas runs up to us, "Don't say that. You fit in just as well as the rest of us." He looks at me, "Even if you don't see it, the rest of us do." He pats my shoulder, "You'll find out for yourself sometime." Legolas smiles at me, then walks up and joins Aragorn. 

The Fellowship walks in silence for a long time, focusing on travelling as quickly as we could to Moria. It is Gandalf who breaks the silence, "We almost there. Be careful, wolves are around this place." 

We walk up to a large wall of stone. "This is it," cries Gimli, "This is where the doors into Moria lie!"

Merry gives the rock wall a confused look, "Then where are they? The doors, I mean..."

"Dwarvish doors are invisible when closed, Meridoc. Sometimes, their own masters cannot find them, if their secrets are forgotten." Gandalf says, scanning the wall.

Legolas leans closer to me, whispering, "Why doesn't that surprise me?" 

I laugh, and hit him on the arm, "Give him a break, Legolas. But... you have a point." This made Legolas laugh, and I joined him. Gimli gave us a questioning look, and we tried to hold in our laughter, failing miserably. 

        It isn't intil dark that we see the doors. The were in between two great trees, and there was something written on them. "The doors of Durin, Lorg of Moria. Speak friend, and enter." Gandalf reads.

"Well, what does it mean by that?" Pippen asks

Gandalf looks at him, "Why it's quite simple, Master Took. If you're a friend, you speak the password and the doors will open." He puts his hands against the stone, "Naur an edraith ammen! Naur dan i ngaurhoth!" He steps back, perplexed. "Why...." He steps back and puts his staff against the door this time, "Ando  Eldarinwa... a lasta quettanya. Fenda Casarniwa." He steps back again, this time sitting on a rock. 

"Well now what?" I whisper to Legolas.

He stared at Gandalf, whose head was in his hands. "We sit, and wait." 

It isn't long before Merry gets bored, and picks up stones, throwing them with all his might into the water. "Come on," he said to Pippen, "It make ya feel better."

Pippen picked up his own stone, but I caught his hand before he could release it. "I wouldn't disturb the water..." They look back at me, confused. "There's something that doesn't seem quite right about this lake."

I see Merry walk up to the doors, contemplating something. He looks at Gandalf, to the doors, the back at Gandalf. "I think it is a riddle, 'speak friend, and enter.'..." He pauses, "What is the elvish word for friend?"

Gandalf looks at the doors, "Mellon." To my surprise, the doors open. "It seems you Merry, of all people, was on the right track!" He claps the hobbit on the back and walks in, being followed by the rest of the fellowship. 

Suddenly, I hear Frodo cry out, making me whip around. I see a tentacle around his ankle, pulling him towards the lake. "FRODO!!" I cry, running to chop off the thing grabbing him. He scrambles up, only to be caught by another. I'm about to cut that one too, but I feel something wrap around my ankle, and pulls me up into the air. Frodo and I are soon in the water, being pulled the mouth of a....kraken type creature? I scream, and try to slash at the beast with my sword. I see Frodo fall, and dragged out of the water by Aragorn. "HELP!" I scream, now only  feet from the mouth of the beast, the stench of death overwhelming me. 

I see Legolas run up, two arrows on his bow, ready to fire. He shoots the Kraken in between the eyes, and it shrieks in pain, dropping me. I fall into the water, but is almost instantly picked up by Legolas, running me out of the water, and into Moria. The beast attacks the rocks above the door, creating an avalanche that is trapping us inside. Leaving us and pitch dark, all I feel are hands running up and down my arms, trying to warm my shivering body. Gandalf blows into his staff, and a light appears. I turn, seeing Legolas drop his arms.

He looks at me, concerned. "You're sure you're okay?" 

"Yes, Legolas," I force a smile, "thank you for worrying." 

"Welcome, master elf, to the Halls of Khazad-dûm. Here, you will enjoy the fabelled hospitalities of the dwarves." Gimli shakes his head. "And they call it a mine. A mine!"

Boromir shakes his head, "This isn't a mine.... it's a tomb!"

I look up the stairs ahead of us, and sure enough, there are skeletons everywhere. "NOOOO!!!!" Gimli cries, running over to a body, picking it up. "NOOO!" He cries again. 

I walk over to him, and put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry" I murmur.

Legolas runs over to one of the many corpeses, pulling the arrow from it's chest. "Goblins!" he says, throwing the arrow down. 

Gandalf grimaces. "We have but one choice," he says, looking at the blocked entrance, "We must face the dark, dank halls of Moria."