Lady Hope of Middle Earth

Chapter 9: The Mines of Moria

Hope's POV:

"Are you ok?" I hear a voice behind me ask. I turn to see Aragorn. I smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit  shaken up is all." I assure him. He nods. "You're very good with them you know." I look towards the Hobbits as they marvel at the sight of the magical ball of light.

"I guess I am, it's weird." I say. "Why?" He asks. "Well, I've never really had any experience with children. Like ever. Not saying they are children, but they are childlike in a sense that is refreshing and much needed in times like these." I say. "Aye, they are." He says.

I go to look around when I realize that it is still too dark. "Post tenebras spero lucem." I mutter once more. Another ball forms in my hands. "That seems to be a pretty easy spell for you." He notices. I nod.

"When I was just learning how to do magic I was going through a phase where I was afraid of the dark. My Aunt Freya taught me this. It was my first spell. That and the comfort one I did earlier by the lake." I explain. "You speak very highly of your Aunt. Were you two close?" He asks.

I smile and nod. "Yeah. She and my mom raised me when my dad could'nt be there. She taught me most everything I know about magic." "Do you miss her?" He asks. "Everyday." I answer truthfully. Suddenly I hear Gandalf speak from up ahead of us.

"The wealth of Moria does not lie in gold or jewels, but in Mithril." He says. He aims his staff down towards the chasm below and my eyes widen to see the a bright light emitting from the light reflecting off of the Mithril. It's beautiful.

"Bilbo has a set of Mithril rings that Thorin gave him." Gandalf adds. Thorin? "Oh, such a Kingly gift." Gimli announces. "Yes, I never told him, but the worth is more than the very Shire." Gandalf says. The Hobbit's eyes widen at this news. From then on out we walk silently.

That is, until we reach a crossroads. Gandalf doesn't remember the way so we all stop for a break. I sit with Sam and Frodo. "I haven't spoken to you much Frodo, how are you feeling?" I ask the Ring bearer. He looks up at me.

"I feel the pull of the Ring. I feel it's power growing as we grow closer to Mordor. It's frightening." He reveals. I smile sadly. "It's a hard burden to bear. Being the one with everyone's fate riding on your back. I know that feeling all too well." I say. "You do?" He asks, curious.

I nod, with that I launch into the story of how I got here, leaving out the fact that I jumped worlds and that I'm a tribrid. I wonder if I'll have to expose myself to the Fellowship. I mean, with the way the journey is going so far I won't have to, but you never know.

"I'm glad I'm not along in this feeling. And Hope, you are defiantly not a cosmic mistake. Your life does have purpose. I just know it." He tells me. I smile and pull him into a hug. Suddenly he stiffens and pulls away. "I have to tell Gandalf something."

With that he walks over to the old wizard, leaving me confused. I just shrug it off. With that I'm left to myself. To my own thoughts. This is never a good thing. I  start thinking about our journey so far. It's been too quiet.

Usually things like this go south quickly, but no we're over a month in and nothing. I still think that whatever Gandalf fears is down here is more than Goblins. They wouldn't spook him so bad. I just hope we can defeat whatever it is.

Preferably without the loss of anyone else that I care about. I can't lose anymore. I just can't. "Oh, it's that way." Gandalf announces. Everyone looks over at him. "He's remembered." Merry says, happily, standing to him feet.

"No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here. When in doubt, follow your nose." He says. I smile and sniff the air. He's right. Less foul. With that we continue our trek. We finally come to a place where it is open and not tight.

"Behold, the realm of the great dwarf city Khazad-dûm." He Gandalf says, using his staff to illuminate the room. Aragorn grabs the ball I made from Pippin and he and I raise them to get better light. It's amazing in here, but there is still then horrible sense of death.

I'll just be happy to get out of this mine. It reminds me too much of the darkness of Malivore. We walk down the enormous hallways when suddenly Gimli runs off, running towards an open door with more dead dwarves around it. "Gimli!" Gandalf calls.

He ignores him and runs into the room. All of us quickly follow after him. We find him kneeling and weeping in front of what looks like a coffin. "Here lies Balin, Lord of Moria." Gandalf translates. I look down at the crying dwarf sadly. This is his cousin.

"He is dead, it is as I feared." Gandalf mutters. He walks over to Pippin and hands the Hobbit his hat and staff. He then leads down and grab an old book from one of the skeletons. I stand between Aragorn and Legolas. "We must move on. We cannot linger." Legolas tells us.

Aragorn nods in agreement. Gandalf then starts reading aloud a from the book. It's an account of how the destruction of the dwarves came it be. Quite horrible actually. "They are coming." Gandalf finishes. My eyes widen. I've never actually been in an actual fight.

I look immediately towards Aragorn for comfort. He sees my fear and grabs my hand in his. "I will not let anything happen to you." He says. I nod, a grateful look in my eyes. I'm scared and that in itself scares me.

Back in my world I'm known for being fearless, but here in this world there is so much I do not know about and it terrifies me. Suddenly there is a loud clattering sound as Pippin knocks a skeleton in to a well. My eyes widen at the loud noise. Everyone freezes, but nothing happens.

"Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity." Gandalf snaps once everyone relaxes. I see the regret in Pippin's eyes. I feel bad for him. Suddenly I hear the sound of drums in the distance. Crap. Aragorn squeezes my hand one more time before letting go.

I look over to where Sam and Frodo are and I see Frodo unsheathe his sword. It's glowing blue. "Orcs." Legolas sneers. My eyes widen. We're doomed.