The queen of the forgotten kingdom

Chapter 14

"For how much longer we have to climb this boring mountain? Will be there soon? My feet are numb already.", Pippin complained.
The fellowship was already several hours on this, always getting steeper path and the Hobbits were getting tired. Then it began to snow and the wind, which was biting anyway, seemed to have even more fun to blow.
They went on, but the snow grew thicker and whirled them into the eyes. When the snow reached up to Gandalfs' ankles, he turned with his 'I said it' face to Aragorn. The Dunedàn just sighed and continued to focus on walking, when he noticed, that Faya had vanished. He turned, but he couldn't see anything through the snow. In the end they had to stop. they were shattered. So, they searched for a shelter. They only found an old wall.
The night came, and they snuggled up to each other to keep out the cold. But the Hobbits were almost snowed in and even Gimli was grumping now.
Gandalf sighed and handed them a bottle. Everyone should drink. "It's a refreshment potion", the old man explained.
They had hardly drunk, when they felt the life coming back to them. Boromir suggested to make a fire, but whatever they tried, the wind blew it out before it was really burning. Then Gandalf had enough, and he pointed at the wood with his stick. "Naur an edraith ammen!", he said commanding and pushed his stick in. at once the wood began to burn. He mumbled something of conspicuous, but the others ignored him. They rejoiced in the warmth of the fire. However, it burned out after a short while and the snow wouldn't end.
"The morning will come soon.", Aragorn tried to cheer his companions up, but the just muttered.
"The snow is stopping. The wind, too!", Boromir, who had stepped out of the circle, announced after a while.

It still took a while, but then the snow stopped completely. But when they stepped out of the shadow of the wall they stood in front of a snow-wall. For the humans, the wizard and the elf, snow reached up to their hip. For the Hobbits though it reached several feet over their curly hair.
Boromir and Aragorn got ready to clear the way. It wasn't as easy as they thought. Soon the snow reached their chest and they struggled to move at all.
Legolas smiled, while watched them for a while, then he said: "You want to do that with pure virility? I see that different. You should use always that what is right for it. For ploughing an ox, for swimming an otter for hunting a wolf... for walking an elf."
With those words he nimble jumped away. He almost didn't leave footprints in the snow. Then suddenly a wolf came from behind them. The she-wolf shook the white powder off her fur and began to chase after the elf. She as well, seemed to hover over the covering of snow. Surprised they all gazed after the she-wolf, then Gandalf laughed. "Show-offs!", he shouted after them.
Legolas turned, saw the wolf, smiled, waved and shouted back: "Goodbye! We'll go and find the sun!" Then they were gone.

One hour passed.
It passed slowly.
It seemed the remained like an eternity.
The two humans were gone out of sight some time ago but now they were coming back. They still were tiny black points in the eternal white, but the Hobbits knew, it were their friends.
Legolas and the wolf came back too.
"Well, we didn't find the sun but a glimpse of hope at least.", he reported. "Back there is a snowdrift. It's higher than any I saw ever before and our strong men almost lost hope there, but my dear companion here," he pointed at the wolf, "saw behind it. There the snow decreased and farther down, it reached even for the Hobbits only to the toes, isn't that right?"
The elf looked down at the wolf, which like she wanted to confirm, waged her tail.
"See?", Gimli muttered. "That wasn't a normal storm. That was Caradhras. He hates elves and dwarfs. He laid that drift there so we can't escape."
"Well, looks like your Caradhras forgot you got tow brave men with you. Nevertheless, we force a way through the snow.", Boromir mentioned, who, together with Aragorn, had come back to them. His glance wandered over to Legolas and the wolf and added a "For which all those who can't walk over the snow, like elves and wolves, will be thankful."
"But how will we come down there?", Pippin asked worried.
"Don't worry.", the man from Gondor clamed him down. "We may be a little tired, but we still got some strength left. We'll carry you little people. And with you I'll start, Mister Pippin." He sat the Hobbit on his back, told him to hold on close, and began to walk. Aragorn followed him with Merry, after he sat Frodo on the wolfs back, what Sam watched with concern. The she-wolf walked beside the men followed by Legolas. Behind the drift the men let the Hobbits down and Boromir went back to get the others. Soon after he came back, followed by Gandalf, who was leading Lutz, on which Gimli was sitting. And the minute they passed they heard the rumble of an avalanche, which came down just seconds after.
"Enough, enough! We're already leaving!", Gimli grumbled.
And really, the sky cleared.