Eternally Bond

Moria

6. Moria

The frosty coat of snow lay still for several moments until Legolas suddenly broke through it and breathed the fresh air. He crawled out from the snow easily and looked around him at the untouched white mass.

From near where he had crawled out did Gandalf and Arwen soon dig themselves out as well, brushing snow from themselves as they crawled out. Gandalf breathed heavily and watched the snow anxiously until Aragorn broke the surface with Frodo and Sam. Legolas hurried over to help Boromir as he too appeared with Pippin and Merry in his safe grasp. Last, but not least, Gimli broke the surface with the pony Bill and Legolas hurried to help him too.

The cold wind whipped at the already frozen fellowship and the snow seemed to come down even harder than before. Only Arwen and Legolas remained unaffected by the cold while the others were trying to keep from shivering, especially so the small hobbits. Their skins were turning a pale blue tint and their lips were slowly draining from all color. Arwen crawled over to Aragorn to help ease his load, she lifted Sam from his grasp as he smiled thankfully. Aragorn held the shivering Frodo closer and tried to warm him.

"We must get off these mountains!" Boromir shouted over the foul wind as Legolas lifted Merry from his grasp to help ease his burden as well. Boromir continued, "We should make for the gap of Rohan and then take the west road to my city!"

"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" Aragorn shouted back.

"If we stay here we will only succumb to the bitter cold! We cannot remain!" Arwen argued. "Where do we go?"

"If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it," Gimli suggested, brushing snow from his red beard. "Let us go through the mines of Moria."

From his location at the front, Gandalf's face fell and he hesitated to comment. He did not trust the mines, they weren't safe. The dwarves had delved the tunnels to greedily and in the dark had awoken things that ought not have been awoken.

"Let the ring bearer decide," the wizard finally said in a slow, solemn voice. Frodo's head whipped up in Gandalf's direction, the decision now lay in the hobbit's hands. "Frodo?"

Frodo looked once more at the wizard and noticed his scared hesitation. He did not want to go through the mines for untold reasons. The hobbit knew, however, what he had to do; he could not let his friends die up here.

"We will go through the mines," Frodo decided and saw Gandalf's sadness.

"So be it," the wizard said gravely.

--

The road downhill proved to be easier than the road uphill. But still the snow was hard to struggle through and both Boromir and Aragorn had a few problems with keeping their balance without falling with their added weight of a hobbit. Boromir could feel Pippin's teeth clatter and he did his best to warm the young hobbit.

"It's not much further, Peregrin," Boromir promised. "Don't give in to the cold just yet."

The other three hobbits were shivering uncontrollably as well, their small size made the cold bite them the hardest.

"How much further?" Boromir shouted to Gimli, who still was walking at the end with Bill.

"Only a few hours!" the dwarf encouraged in a cheerful tone.

"Ah, the mines of Moria," Gimli continued and called to Arwen who walked in front of him with Sam in her arms, "You will find, milady, that Moria is a very generous place. Even to elves."

"So I am told, master Gimli," said Arwen amused. Legolas who walked in front chuckled. Upon hearing this, Gimli huffed indignantly and refused to talk to either elf for a long while.