I had lost track of time, but I knew it was late, because the sky had grown dark. Actually, I couldn’t even see the sky, because of the blizzard that now swirled around the Fellowship, but I could still tell it was dark. It was freezing too, and windy. The snow had become so deep that the Hobbits couldn’t walk through it without becoming submerged, so we carried them. I shifted Pippin from my arms to my back, as his weight was causing my arms to ache. Somewhere behind me, Aragorn was carrying both Frodo and Sam, and ahead of me, Boromir carried Merry. He would have carried Pippin also, but I insisted that I took someone, to prove that there was nothing wrong with me after my earlier ‘encounter’ with the frozen lake.
Legolas passed me, walking easily on top of the snow.
“How do you do that?” I muttered, knowing he’d hear me.
“I don’t know, I suppose you’re heavier than I am.” He fired me a sly grin and I raised an eyebrow.
“Watch you mouth, or I’ll throw a Hobbit at you!” I grumbled under my breath as he walked towards the edge of the cliff that we were struggling along.
“Don’t feel too bad.” Pippin mumbled through my hood, “I’m half his height and he’s still lighter than me!”
I couldn’t help but smile.
“You aren’t fooling anyone Pip; I’ve seen how much you eat!” I replied, but I wasn’t sure if he heard me, as the wind whisked my words away as they left my frozen lips.
“There is a fell voice on the air!” Legolas cried from up ahead.
Now that he mentioned it, I could hear some snatches of Elvish being carried on the wind.
“It’s Saruman!” Gandalf yelled just as several large boulders dislodged themselves from the mountainside above, and came crashing towards us, along with the snow they had been carrying. I leapt backwards, keeping as close to the shelter of the rock face as possible.
“He's trying to bring down the mountain! Gandalf, we must turn back!” Aragorn shouted from behind me.
“No!” Gandalf protested, before turning and speaking in a commanding tone.
“Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho i 'ruith!” (Sleep Caradhras, be still, lie still, hold your wrath!)
“Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse; nai yarvaxea rasselya!” (Wake up cruel Redhorn! May your horn be bloodstained!) The voice of Saruman countered Gandalf’s attempts to stop the storm, as a bolt of lightning struck the mountain. I saw Legolas pull Gandalf back from the edge just before I was completely buried under pile of falling snow. Somehow, Pippin became detached from my back as I struggled upwards, trying to dig myself out of the snow. I reached the surface and shook my head, dislodging the snow that had piled up on my hood.
“Pippin?” I cried, sweeping away the snow around me until I came across the tip of the Hobbit’s hood. I lifted him away from the snow.
“I’m h-here…” He stuttered, shivering uncontrollably. He couldn’t last much longer in this weather. I looked around to find that everyone else had emerged from the snow.
“We must get off the mountain! Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the west road to my city!” Boromir shouted.
“The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!” Aragorn yelled.
“If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it! Let us go through the Mines of Moria.” Gimli added his opinion.
“Stop arguing and decide!” I yelled over the howling wind, hugging Pippin tightly.
