𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐎𝐍𝐒:𝑴𝑶𝑶𝑵 𝑺𝑪𝑨𝑳𝑬𝑺 | slow updates

Stone door, Moster in the deep |𝐜𝐡.19

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YOU AND THE FELLOWSHIP arrive at the West gate of Moria tired after the long journey back. But soon, that weariness is gone and replaced by awe as your eyes go upon the mightily stone wall of the ancient dwarf realm. You opened your mouth in awe as Gimli spoke, "The walls of Moria!" Soon you all walk on the side of a lake, following the stone. You suddenly hear Frodo slip and grab his arm, preventing him from going into the vast darkness. He gasps but scrambles back to his feet with your help. "Thanks," he whispered, and you lay his shoulder and let him go. Soon you all go up to the stone face Gimli knocking on it with his ax.

"Dwarf doors are invisible when closed," he says, and you and Gandalf already know this information. "Yes, Master Gimli. Even their masters cannot open them if their secrets are missing," you sigh, knowing fully well that was the reason back in Erebor. Throin and his company had forgotten the words of secrets of their people needing the key and moonlight to open them. Moonlight,... you thought, and as if on a clue, Gandalf stepped to the sheerest of the face, muttering, "Now, let's see. Ithildin... It mirrors only starlight and moonlight." The moons speak forth from the clouds and illuminate the wall. The fellowship gasps while you smile.

"It reads "The Doors of Durin – Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter." " Gandalf explains, and Merry speaks up, oblivious to the meaning as the others. Of course, you want to help them get the time to go faster, but you hold yourself and see if Frodo can find this out. This is, after all, his quest.

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I watch as Aragorn ubrilde Bill, our pony. "Mines are no place for a Pony, even one so brave as Bill." the ranger says to me and sam as we watch teh horse neigh at us both. I walk over to him, placing a hand on his muzzle. he snickers at me softly, and I nod. "Go on, Bill, go on," he snorts away, trotting the way home. I sigh and turn to Aragorn and sam " don't worry, Sam ... he knows his way home." I say and walk away, leaving the two alone. I walk over to Merry and Pippin as they throw stones onto the water, making an ocationlan splash sound. I sigh and grab Pippin's wrist before he can throw another. "Do not disturb the water," I whisper in his ear, and he lowers his hand, looking at me as I scan the water. Aragorn has come over to me, his eyes just as watchful. Something stirs int eh water, and I know what hides here—a great beast of ancient work.... the watcher. 

I look back toward the mines, exchanging a look with Aragorn and Boromir. I catch in my side wsihgty that Aragorn's had moved towards his sword, and I growl, letting my teeth glint in the moonlight. I then walk over to frodo and Gandalf to see that my old friend has given up. I walk over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder "not every riddle, even you can understand, mithrandir," I say, and he hums. Frodo's footfalls then catch our attention, and we look toward him. he stands beside me, looking at the elvish description. Suddenly his face breaks into a  smile of comprehension, and he glances over at the grey wizard and me. "It's a riddle..." he says, and I raise an eyebrow. He looks back to the doors. "Speak, friend, and enter. What's the Elvish word for friend?" Gandalf looks at me, and I nod, giving him the sign "Oh .... Mellon." he says. With that, the rock face silently divides in the middle, and two heavy rock doors come into our view. inside awaits a blackness deeper than night. 

I growl as a frail sense of dread washes over me. Gandalf places a hand on my shoulder before walking into the mines. My ears then pick up some movement back us, and I whip my head around to see just as something stirs in the water. Aragorn sees it too but turns and walks to me, meeting my eyes. "Something. "Stirs in I nen Aragorn," I say in elvish, and he nods, glancing back at the door before following the others warily into the darkness, me following behind with a last glance at the ominous water. 

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"Soon, Master Elf, and shifter, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves; roaring fires, malt beer, red meat off the bone! This, my friend, is the home of my cousin Balin ... And they call this a mine," Gimli tells us as Legolas and I walk beside him. my advanced eye catches the deadly glint on teh floor, and I bite back a scream. In front of us, Boromir seems to have the same understanding and states grimly, "This is not mine ... It's a tomb!" I growl as the light doubles, and we can see the bodies of dead dwarves strewn about, clearly in the dead of some oldbattle ... the rusting armor and shields are peppered witharrows and axes. "Oh ... no ... no ... no...!" Gimli cries out in dismay, and horror forms beside me as legoals walk over to a corpse pulling out a crude arrow of goblin make. I snarl and feel the hobbits instinctively scrambling closer to me, and I step away from the crying dwarf as I think of a foul presence. 

"We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here." Boromir says, and suddenly I feel the presence double, and I whip around just as he shouts "go!" suddenly, something pulls frodo to the ground and towards the water. I growl, knocking my arrows into a bow I head strapped onto my back. I shoot as legoals join me, and the others start to attack the watcher in the water. My arrows hit every time, making the creature draw a screech of pain each time. I smirk, but suddenly frodo is dropped into Boromir's arms as my hand hits the tentacle holding the poor hobbits. "Into the mines!" Gandalf calls behind us, and we all turn and rush back into the darkness except me and legoals. "Legolas! Tatsuo!" Boromir calls after us, and we look at each other, nodding, then shoot two arrows at the beast one last time before turning around and darting into the mines. 

The squid follows us, dragging itself by its tentacles and holding onto the pillars above us. They collapse due to the weight, and we get locked inside with no light. suddenly small light erupts from the wizard staff, making us all look at him as he glances at each of us. "Now we have but one choice ... we must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard ... there are older and fouler things than the Orcs in the deep places of the world," he says and leads us deeper into moria. I go with frodo and sam now, making sure they're okay. Our days here will be .... interesting. Let's hope that nothing notices us, and our presence will go unnoticed.

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