Green Cloaks || Legolas

Fifteen

Despite Gandalf's and Luin's dread of the mines, the mountains proved to be impossible. The snow was four feet deep and the wind howled around them in a bone numbing gale that obscured their sight and covered them in white. The hobbits and Gimli were struggling. Their little forms all almost buried up to their necks in the snow. Even Gandalf, Aragorn and Boromir were struggling. All of them wading forwards at a snail's pace. The weather a wall against them.

The only one who wasn't having much trouble was Legolas. His light elf form allowing him to walk over the top of the snow as easily as walking on solid ground. The wind did not cut through him like the rest and his sharp senses allowed him more visibility than the others. Because of this, he was leading the group as best he could. Behind him Luin followed. While he did not have the constitution of an elf, he was able to circulate the Qi round his body to keep him warm. He was perched on the blade of one of his swords. The weapon dancing through the air like a kite in the wind, despite only being a few feet above the ground. Luin had to concentrate hard not to be thrown off. The snow storm battering at him like a cat with a toy, pulling at his blue robes and black hair.

"Gandalf!" He called over the wind, squinting at the blurry figure. "We need to go back! There must be other routes".

"They will cost us weeks we do not have", Gandalf shouted back. Luin scowled, redoubling the energy flowing round his body to ward off the chill. He hated being cold. It made him feel hollow and in this storm, it was too much like the night of the shipwreck. Overwhelming and blinding.

"Gandalf! We cannot continue this way!" Luin snapped. "The hobbits can't make it much further and I can't carry anyone in this wind. At this rate this path will take us longer than the alternatives".

It was then Frodo tumbled. He slipped and fell back, rolling through the snow for a few feet in a jumble of green and white. Luin could just about see his outline as the hobbit rolled. Aragorn was at his side instantly, hand out to pull the hobbit back on his feet. As Frodo heaved himself up, a glimmer of gold shone on the white. Luin rubbed the snow from his eyes as Boromir put down Merry and pippin. The man waded closer and bent down to pick up the ring and it's chain. For a terrifying few seconds Luin thought that the Gondor man would succumb to the seductive evil. That they would lose a member of their party.

He couldn't hear the words passing between Aragorn and Boromir, only blink at them through the wind. Seconds passed before Boromir held out the chain and Frodo took it. The ring disappearing back under his shirt. Luin breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed like they would not be loosing anybody yet.

They continued onwards and the wind, which seemed strong enough already, picked up. The party was crossing on a snow laden edge over the drop below when the words became audible. "There's a fell voice on the air", Legolas raised his voice to be heard. A particular harsh gust almost blue Luin off his blade and down into the Misty depths. He wobbled, blade shaking under his feet as he grabbed for something solid. His hand landed on Legolas' shoulder and the elf helped pull him back closer to the rock.

"It's Saruman!" Gandalf cried. The voice on the wind growing louder as it chanted. A crack came from above and the party all shoved themselves as far away from the drop as possible. Boulders raining down past them for a scary second.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain!" Aragorn yelled. "Gandalf we must turn back!"

"No!" Gandalf stepped up and raised his staff to shout his own spells into the air. Luin wanted to help but this type of magic, this elemental power, was not something he could do. It was the magic natural to the wizards of middle earth. As an outsider, Luin could not channel it nor control it. His powers, though strong, were his own and did not work in the same way.

Whatever magic Gandalf was doing, wasn't working. Lightning crackled from the storm clouds. The fellowship had no time to do anything but cry out as an avalanche of snow landed on them. The blanket of cold white burying them completely.

Luin struggled for a minute, panic twisting his breath. He was enveloped in cold. His blood pounded in his ears and for a brief second he was underwater and fighting to breath. Desperately he scrabbled at his robes, hands fumbling in pockets. The crinkle of paper and his fingers found what they were looking for. The talisman flared red and lit up with heat as he activated it. Almost instantly the snow melted around him and he was pulling himself free. Once he was up and out, he waved the talisman around him. The paper floating through the air towards where the hands of the hobbits were waving. It melted the snow and the four little heads popped up. Around them, the rest of the company were pulling themselves free. All of them big enough not to need Luin's help.

"We must get up the mountain!" Boromir shouted. "Make for the gap of Rohan, or take the west road to my city".

"Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" Aragorn argued.

"If we can't pass over the mountain, let us go under it", Gimli boomed. Luin looked up from where he was brushing snow off his robes to lock eyes with Gandalf. The older wizard noticeably wary. "Let us go through the mines of Moria".

"We cannot stand here!" Boromir added. "This will be the death of the hobbits".

"Frodo". Frodo looked up at the mention of his name. "The ring barer shall choose", Gandalf decreed.

"We shall go through the mines of Moria", Frodo stated.

Gandalf sighed deeply and Luin frowned. "Very well".

"Are you okay?" Legolas asked low enough for the others not to hear, but loud enough for Luin to hear him over the wind. "You look shaken". His perch on top of the snow made him a few inches taller than Luin. The blue wizard's spiritual energy allowing him not to sink as deep as the others, but his feet were still hidden by the white.

Luin gave his lover a small reassuring smile, pushing back his shivers. Legolas' eyes scanned his face for a moment, concern creasing his brow. (One night, back when they were journeying together with Aragorn, Luin had been knocked into a strong river by a warg durning battle. Legolas had been the one to fish him out, Luin too much under the control of a panic attack to swim safely to shore. It was afterwards, the two of them huddled by a fire to dry their wet clothes, that Luin had recounted how the shipwreck had brought him to middle earth. Since then Legolas had been careful to place himself between Luin and large bodies of water). After a second, Legolas' frown faded and he held a hand out. Luin sheathed his sword and took it, using his staff and Legolas to pull himself through the snow after the others.

Their descent back down the mountain noticeably easier than their climb, like something was steering them towards something. Luin dreaded to think what that something was.

Unedited