Unexpectedly turned into a cat, Kat falls into Middle-earth with the mission to prevent a death. In a feline form she can only communicate with the elf Legolas - and that he is such an attractive specimen is certainly not helpful...
A humorous (but...
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Howling of Wargs, by Monztre
"It would seem that you have no useful skill or talent whatsoever," he said. "Have you thought of going into teaching?"
― Terry Pratchett, Mort
6. Big Bad Warg
It was late evening when the Fellowship finally stopped to rest. They were too tired to walk anymore that night, but where should they go tomorrow? A heated discussion followed, while they ate another cold meal and had a few more drops of Miruvor.
Legolas kindly translated for Kat. The question was; since the mountain was closed to them, should they take another way or give up and return to Rivendell with the Ring? The drooping hobbits looked up hopefully when Rivendell was mentioned, but Gandalf explained that this alternative would only lead to Sauron besieging and destroying that realm and taking back what he once forged, and with the One Ring on his finger he would be invincible.
"Then we must go on, if there is a way," said Frodo with a sigh. He and his friends seemed so cast down that Kat wished she had had arms to hug them with, but as usual she had to resort to rubbing her body against their legs.
Gandalf said there was a way, actually, one that Aragorn had been against until they at least tried the Caradhras route. "The road I speak of leads to Moria."
Hearing that name made everyone except Gimli and Kat look horrified.
What? What is Moria?
A dwarf mine. Tunnels through the mountains. Legolas shuddered.
The discussion continued. Aragorn confirmed that he absolutely did not want to go into Moria for there might be no way out of it, and Boromir agreed, suggesting they instead follow the mountain range south until the Gap of Rohan where they could pass through. He had come that way from Gondor to Rivendell last autumn and the horse lords had been friendly. Or they could go even further south and follow the coast to Mordor.
Gandalf firmly disagreed. The Rohan route would take them too close to the evil wizard Saruman's tower, and walking down to the sea could take a year or more. They were being watched now and had to use less known roads. They ought to go where nobody expected them – not over or around the mountains, but under them.
Boromir protested that they could not know what the Enemy expected – what if Moria proved to be a trap? They might as well knock on the gates to the Dark Tower itself then.
Gandalf was becoming annoyed now. The Dark Tower of Mordor was nothing like Moria! He had been to Sauron's old fortress in Mirkwood; he had seen the Enemy's dungeons there and knew what he was capable of. Entering the Dark Tower was certain death, but in the Mines of Moria they still had a chance. He would not lead them there if he did not believe it safe. Yes, there could be orcs inside, but not very likely because most of them had been killed in the Battle of Five Armies years ago. It was more probable the dwarves still lived there.
