Tattoo Girl and Middle Earth

8

Snow is the literal worst thing in existence.

I hate it.

We had been trudging through it for a ridiculously long time at this point. I lost all feeling in my feet awhile ago, which isn't exactly ideal when you're walking. Because I need my feet to walk, obviously.

After several more minutes of trying to walk the inevitable happens and Frodo slips, coming to rest at Aragorn's feet. Once he's on his feet again he immediately checks himself for the ring. When he doesn't find it he scans the snow frantically, and I do the same, spotting it before Boromir does. I reach out and grab it, great now my fingers are freezing too.

The ring, being the creepy little object it is starts whispering to me.

Oh shut up, you awful piece of metal! We all know you're all powerful, the fact that you talk is creepy!

I hand the ring to Frodo, before turning and walking back to where I was before. We keep walking and I keep freezing. Unlike SOME annoying elf princes, I get to walk THROUGH the snow while Legolas walks ahead of us on TOP of it.

"There's a fell voice on the air!" said annoying elf prince calls back to us. Or at least that's what I think he said, the wind was making it hard to hear each other.

"Sarouman!" Gandalf exclaims, and begins chanting in some strange language I don't understand.

I know what's coming next and move to stand against the rock with the rest of the fellowship. I'm already cold enough, I don't need to be covered with all the snow.

Unfortunately, the snow disagrees and decides that it sounds like a fun idea. My head is pretty much the only part of me left above the snow which makes moving difficult.

We head back down the mountain, going even slower than before, if that's even possible. Plus all the guys are having a debate about whether we should go to the Gap of Rohan or through Moria. Boromir only shuts up when Gandalf says Frodo will be the one to choose.

"You haven't said anything, Miss River," Frodo says looking at me.

"I haven't said anything because it's not my decision to make, I will simply follow where you choose to go. We all pledged to protect the ring and it's bearer."

Wow, that sounded pretty good.

I'm less than thrilled about the decision to go through Moria. I was silently hoping maybe he'd choose the Gap of Rohan instead. But my wishes never do get answered.

.

I hate waiting. This time however I'm grateful for it. The more waiting the more prolonging going into the mines.

I'm sitting alone away from the water watching the sky, when Legolas comes to join me.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"That was a question,"

"A different question."

"Sure."

"Where are you from? You don't look or dress like you're from Middle Earth."

"Can I not answer that right now?"

He nods, and I go back to watching the sky. I used to wish I had wings, like a bird. They were always so free, they could simply fly away whenever they wanted.

"Mellon."

Cantaloupe.

The doors to Moria opened, I signed and stood up following Legolas through them.

"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. And they call it a mine! A mine!"

Who's gonna tell him?

Gandalf's staff lights our surroundings which every one now realises are littered with corpses. I shudder, just because I knew they were there before doesn't mean it's not creepy and gross now.

"This is no mine, it's a tomb!" Boromir exclaims.

Something can be more than one thing you know. What? Did you skip kindergarten as well as all the other grades?

"Goblins!"

Lovely. Cue giant squid thing.

"Aragorn!"

911 doesn't exist in Middle Earth, they have Aragorn, they don't need it.

Boromir, Legolas, and I all run out to where Frodo is being picked on by Mr. Squidy. Legolas knocks an arrow while the rest of us draw our swords. Yes, I have a sword. It's pretty cool. We slash at the tentacles, and free Frodo from being the giant calamare's lunch. Legolas fires an arrow at it as we all run back to the door, I don't bother looking for where It hits.

We get inside just in time as Tentacles decides to make the roof fall, preferably on us. A piece of stone hits me but I don't feel anything and keep moving.

I begin to fall behind the others and my head feels lighter.

"River, you're bleeding," Legolas says looking concerned.

"I'm fine," I manage to get out before everything goes black.