Ashes of mordor

A 'steady' journey

Ash's POV

We'd all left early that morning, I was silently amused as I watched Beinion was still trying to find my room. I kept my hood up as I snuck away, making sure my sword was tight to my side and my bow was on my back. As I tightened by vambraces I saw Boromir come up to me. "I don't believe a princess should be coming out on a journey like this" he commented.

"I've proved myself enough to them to know I deserve to be. I don't need to do the same with you. Beside I need to get some fresh air. I've been surrounded by doting people for a year. I need some harsh criticism and curses" I replied as kindly as I could as I made a quick glance back to check where the idiot I was supposed to marry had gone. "Or is it to get away from marriage?" He asked with a sly smile. I could help but smile back. "Get your nose out of it. As you said I'm a princess. I deserve to choose who I get to marry. And it definitely won't be that self loving idiot. I'd rather kiss an orc" I reply as we begin to walk together to meet the others of the fellowship gathering at the gate of rivendale. "I've hears rumours you have" boromir replies simply. "And your point is? Trust me it isn't an enjoyable experience. It's almost like kissing a wet rock with a slug on it" I told him, trying my best to describe the disgusting feeling, all he did was laugh and pat my shoulder.

I rolled my eyes as I focused on Gandalf and saw, as soon as he noticed us, the adventure had started. We all marched along the way I fondly remembered with the dwarves and Bilbo. I imagine the little hobbit was watching us from his comfy balcony now. I dragged my fingers off the wall, remembering every little crack and the remains of the long ago destroyed goblin city. I could see the misty mountain from where I stood and a weird feeling of comfort pounded in my chest. When I tugged on Legolas's sleeve to get him to look he didn't even give it a second glance before trudging on.

I couldn't help but frown at the thought of his actions, but Merry and pippin, each grabbing one of my hands, dragging me forward with enthusiasm as they claimed "for a long legged elf you sure to walk slow" as dragging me to the point where we were right up behind Gandalf and I couldn't help but laugh. "We must hold to his course west of the misty Mountains for forty days. If our luck holds, the Gap of Rohan will still be open to us. From there, our road turns east, to Mordor." Gandalf yelled back to us as merry and pippin still dragged me forward to the point where I lost my composure and began to laugh.

We set up camp a few hours later. As I heated up some water on the fire and clasped a bowl of tea in my hands, feeling moronic for not bringing cups, i sipped it as I watched boromir and Aragon attemting to give merry sword lessons. The clashing of blades and cracking fire was both a comfort and a slowly creeping in bad memory.

"If anyone were to ask for my opinion, which I note they have not, I would say we are taking the long way round. Gandalf, we can pass through the Mines of Moria. My cousin, Balin, would give us a royal welcome." Gimli commented as he stood far from us with Gandalf. I peeked up without any control and blurted out "how is balin? I haven't seen him in years" sounding more enthusiastic then I ever remember being. He glares at me. "What's it to you elf ?" He snapped back, making me sink back into my tea, pretending I had stopped listening, but in reality I was still being as nosey as an earwig. "No, Gimli. I would not take the road through Moria unless I had no other choice." Gandalf stayed.

I noticed my brother staring off at something. I stood up, wandering over to him, stepping over pippin and boromir as their training had turned into horseplay. "Man cerig hanar? Prestad?" I asked him in our native tongue. He gave me a concerned glance and nodded. His eyes had been fixed on a dark whisp moving fast through the sky like smoke. "Crebain from Dunland!" He yelled so the others would understand. I didn't know what they were but the look he had told me I should be afraid. "HIDE!" Aragon orders as we all scramble for shelter. Legolas and I rush to a bush and crouch low, using the colour of our cloaks as camouflage. After the flapping got closer, louder to the point where it was almost unbearable, it disappeared just as quickly. "Spies of Saruman... The passage South is being watched." Gandalf said as we all slowly let our hiding spaces.

He glances at Aragon before he silently decides while gesturing to the snowy hills. "We must take the pass of Caradhras!". We all nodded simply and obeyed the wizard, putting out the fire and removing any sight we had stopped there.

Legolas's pov

We all trudged through rock and snow, the little hobbits were half frozen, my sister giving them silent encouragement over the wind to get them to lee moving.

Just as we are about to turn a corner, frodo the ring barer slips and the ring bounces away and almost off a cliff. We all panic and dive for it but it is caught by boromir. But he does not give it back. Aragon approaches him but the man does not movie. Has he died?.. he calls his name but the man only replied "It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing...such a little thing". I went to pull out my bow but Aragon motioned for me not to act.

"Boromir...give the ring to Frodo." He ordered as Aragon's hand gently wrested on the hilt of his sword and the rest of us cautiously prepared for a battle. Boromir almost flinches though nothing has touched him, before he gives back the ring, simply stating "as you wish. I care not." Before smiling at the ring barer, ruffling his hair and continuing like nothing had happened, and with that we all relaxed.

As we marched on ahead, the debilitating snow seemed to worsen. A blizzard so thick I couldn't even see my one hand if it was on my face. But I continue to move, my sister following close behind, though we froze as we both swore we heard a voice on the wind, not even having to use words to see if we heard the same things, our looks told us so. "There is a fell voice in the air." I stated to the fellowship urgently, Gandalf not seeming too worried about our plight. "It's Saruman." He replies to me simply as if it weren't a worry. Thunder rumbles deeply as rock and snow few from above, at the beginning lightly. And then slowly turning into a mountain crushing earthquake

"He's trying to bring down the mountain. Gandalf! We must turn back!" Aragon yelled, the hobbits and Boromir agreeing as they nodded vigorously. Gandalf refuses as raised his staff as he spoke into the wind.

"I don't think having a conversation will help you old friend!" Lithonîon yelled as she looked around alertly.

But the voice strengthened. It went past us like thunder and wasn't followed by a lightning strike that shattered the side of the mountain.

I rushed to the wall, Pulling Gandalf to safety, boromir saving himself and Aragon shielding frodo And his friend, but the two younger hobbits weren't quick enough. As the rock and snow fell my sister rushes to them, despite my yells, and used her body to sheiks them before she disappeared in the snow and rock.

After the avalanche settled I was kept back by Gandalf while the two men, Boromir
and Aragorn, frantically dug for the hobbits and my sister. The hobbits came out shivering and fearful but relatively unharmed, while my sister emerged with a nose bleed and a dazed look. When they tried to help her she just wipes her nose with her sleeve, spreading blood across her face, and claimed she was fine.

"We must get off the mountain! Make for the gap of Rohan and take the West road to my city." Boromir insisted urgently as he checked over the two smaller hobbits. I rushed to my sister and went to check her but she pushes my hand away. "The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard." Aragon replies. Gimli looked unusually hopeful, for a dwarf anyway.

"We cannot pass over the mountain. Let us go under it. Let us go through the mines of Moria." he suggests, I notice lithonîon smile happily as she mumbles "balin.." at the thought. Gandalf is silent for a moment before looking at Frodo and demand he decides. The young ring barer chooses the mines and we all rush there in hurried silence till we get to some sort of cleaning. It is significantly warmer and the younger hobbits shake like dogs to clean themselves and I assume for warmth.  As uses her cloak to dry their faces, even though her own nose continued to bleed.

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Is there trouble?
Prestad?

What are you doing brother?
Man cerig hanar?

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Sorry for the long wait! Thank you for all the votes on the first story (this is book 2 for those who don't know) and the people who have just come to this story! I swear updates will become more frequent. Thank you for the support and I love you guys !

Lil'nightfury