The White Armoured Shifter. [The Hobbit FF-ThorinxOcxAragorn Love Story]

10. Into the Mines.

Third person's point of view.

The Fellowship passes south, along the misty shadow of an aqueduct's ruins. Aryn is back in her human form and is on edge, there's something watching them and it's bothering her, but she doesn't want to frighten the Hobbits and so she says nothing, but a quick look to Aragorn and she knows he can sense what's in the water, Legolas coming up beside her also knows by the way he tells her with his hand on her shoulder before pushing on,

"Frodo, come and help an old man." Gandalf called near the front, "How is your shoulder?" Gandalf asked when Frodo held onto Gandalf, "Better than it was." he said back, though it still twinged in pain when he moved a certain way, "And the Ring?" Gandalf asked next while Frodo didn't answer,  "You feel its power growing, don't you? I've felt it too. You must be careful now. Evil will be drawn to you from outside the Fellowship. And, I fear, from within." Gandalf said,

"Who then do I trust?" the blue-eyed hobbit asked, "You must trust yourself. Trust your own strengths." Gandalf said looking down at the small halfling, "What do you mean?" Frodo asked confused, "There are many powers in this world, for Good or for Evil. Some are greater than I am. And against some, I have not yet been tested." he adds, "The Walls... of Moria!" Gimli called getting everyone's attention.

The Fellowship stands and looks upon a vast cliff face. "Dwarf doors are invisible when closed," Gimli said as he knocked his axe against a rock. The Fellowship moves along the wall, searching for a door. "Yes, Gimli, their own masters cannot find them, if their secrets are forgotten." Gandalf added, "Why doesn't that surprise me?" Legolas said to which Ayrn nudged him and gave him an unimpressed look to which he shrugged and smirked slightly.

Gimli grumbled but didn't say anything. A foot splashes into shallow water. Frodo gasps, pulling his leg back looking out at the water he gets a chill down his spine, not liking the feeling he moved over to Ayrn and held close to her as a little child would. Looking down at him, smile smiled and patted his shoulder reassuringly. A great pool sits beside the rock face. Gandalf approaches the rock between two trees and runs his hand over the cliff face. 

"Now... let's see. Ithildin —" Gandalf says as he beneath his hand run spidery silver lines, faint beneath the dirt. "It mirrors only starlight... and moonlight." he says as he looks up at the black night sky, the moon appears. The silver lines grow bright, outling a door formed of two columns beneath an arch, with a star in the center. "It reads 'The Doors of Durin — Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter.'" Gandalf says reading the door, 

"What do you suppose that means?" Merry calls curiously, "Oh, it's quite simple. If you are a friend, you speak the password, and the doors will open." Gandalf answers, "Annon Edhellen, edro hi ammen!" (Gate of the Elves, open now for me!) The Doors remain closed. Aryn had to fight a bought of laughter, then it was Legolas' turn to nudge her, "Fennas Nogothrim, lasto beth lammen." (Doorway of the Dwarf-folk, listen to the word of my tongue.)

"Nothing's happening." Pippin said up at Aryn and Legolas who both smirked at him, Gandalf glances at him and looked slightly annoyed. He begins to push on the doors, but they remain fast. "I once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elves... Men... and Orcs." Gandalf said while reading over the doors, Aryn just waited she knew the password it was quite simple, much simpler than what Gandalf made it out to be. 

"What are you going to do, then?" Pippin asked naively curious, "Knock your head against these doors, Peregrin Took! And if that does not shatter them, and I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions, I will try to find the opening words." Pippin looks down bashfully and Aryn patted his head, as time passed the rest of the Fellowship is seated around the doors near the lake. 

"Ando Eldarinwa... a lasta quettanya, Fenda Casarinwa..." (Gate of Elves... listen to my word, Threshold of Dwarves...) Gandalf mumbles to himself as he thinks, Aragorn finishes off unhitching the pony's bridle, "The Mines are no place for a pony, even one so brave as Bill." Sam having been helping him, is saddened by the pony's departure, "Buh-bye Bill." Sam said patting the pony one last time,

"Go on, Bill, go on. Don't worry Sam, he knows the way home." Aragorn promises as Bill clip-clops down the shore through the night. Merry begins to throw stones into the water. Pippin follows suit, but Aragorn stops him. "Do not disturb the water." he warns and they move back to sit down near Boromir, "Oh, it's useless!" Gandalf grunts as he drops his staff and sits down beside Frodo, pulling off his hat.

Meanwhile, Aragorn, Ayrn and Boromir watch as a ripple runs through the water. Frodo stands up and looks at the writing on the gateway. "It's a riddle," he says as he reads the writing, the water continues to ripple. The rest of the Fellowship watches. "Speak 'friend' and enter. What's the Elvish word for friend?" The water shivers again. "Mellon," Ayrn calls and the door slowly swing open, rumbling deeply. The Fellowship enters Moria.

Gandalf places a crystal into the top of his staff; Aragorn and Ayrn follow last, casting a last glance at the water. Moonlight floods into a shadowy chamber. "Soon, Master Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves! Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone. This, my friend, is the home of my cousin, Balin." Gimli boasts Gandalf brings his hand around his staff, blowing upon the crystal. It glows.

"And they call it a mine. A mine!" Gimli cheers, but Boromir notices the floor, "This is no mine, it's a tomb!" Light reveals rotted, broken and battered forms strewn about, casting long shadows across the room. "Oh! No! Noooo!" Gimli cries, Legolas pulls out an arrow from the body of a fallen Dwarf, examines it and casts it away in disgust. "Goblins!" he hisses, Aragorn, Ayrn and Boromir draw out their swords. 

Legolas fits an arrow to his bow. "We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here." Boromir whines, the four Hobbits are backing toward the door. Something stirs in the water behind them. "Now get out of here, get out!" Boromir shouts, the company starts for the door. Suddenly, Frodo is grabbed from behind and pulled off his feet by a long, snaking tentacle. The other three hobbits call after him, "Frodo!"

"Strider!" Sam roars, "Help!" Frodo cries trying to grab at anything to help him while Sam hacks at the tentacle, "Get off him! Strider!" Sam called again, while Frodo cries for Ayrn, "Ayrn!" the Hobbits clutch at Frodo, attempting to keep him away from the water as more tentacles wrap around him. The watching creature at the gate releases Frodo and feigns disappearance under the waters. 

Suddenly, many tentacles come out of the water, slapping the other Hobbits aside and grabbing Frodo around the leg. He is pulled out over into the air. "Frodo!" Merry shouts, Legolas runs out onto the shore and shoots. His arrow pierces a tentacle wrapping itself over Frodo's face. "Strider!" Frodo calls again, Ayrn is already in the water and is slicing at the tentacles, "Yaghh!" Aragorn shouts as he swings his sword cutting anything slimy and grey, 

Boromir and Aragorn rush to the water and attack the beast. It flings Frodo wildly in the air. Despite the Fellowship's efforts, the Hobbit is lowered towards a gaping maw in the water, ringed by fangs, set in a gilled face. Aragorn slices through the tentacle holding Frodo, who falls into Ayrn's arms. "Into the Mines!" Gandalf roars, "Legolas!" Boromir shouts getting the elf to cover their escape. 

Aragorn, Ayrn and Boromir retreat. Ayrn runs for the gates with Frodo as a huge tentacle uncoils a hand-like appendage, snaking after them. Legolas takes aim. "Into the cave!" Aragorn shouts while Legolas shoots. His arrow hits the beast's right eye, and it recoils with a roar. "Run!" Aragorn shouts, as the Fellowship race into Moria, the sea creature reaches out and tears the gates shut. 

Slabs of rocks drop and the roof of the passageway caves in. The Fellowship stares back as the last rays of moonlight disappear.