Nobody | Aragorn.

chapter 6

It was cold. Feverishly cold. The wind hit my face like glass against the soft skin of my cheeks. y green hood pulled far over my head, hiding my icy blonde hair from the snow itself. Snow stuck to my brow line and my nose was running. Unlike the others though, there was a warmth in my heart that led me to continue onwards through the snowy mountains of Caradhras.

Elves are light on their feet, which allowed Legolas and I to walk a top the snow without creating footprints whilst the others trough through, calves deep in the snow.

Legolas and I led the way, Gandalf not far begin. Our eyes being able to see if there was any on coming danger that the others might not see.

I look behind me briefly, catching my hood before it fell off my head. I saw as Frodo fell, his large feet stumbling over the other and he tumbled downwards. In time Aragorn caught the hobbit as he stood at the back of our formation.

"Be careful, Frodo," I call out to him, letting the others pass me as I watched Frodo back to his feet. But I watched warily as he worriedly searched for the One Ring that was hung around his neck by a chain. A hand was at my hilt, much like Aragorn as I noticed Boromir pick something up from the snow.

A chain link with a single golden ring hung at its deepest point.

"Give the ring back to Frodo, Boromir," Aragorn demands him and I eye Boromir, ready in case he succumbs to its dark power, my gloved hands shaking with an unknown fear.

"As you wish, I care not," Boromir soon responds after his eyes lingered far longer than I had hoped on the ring. He gives the ring back to Frodo who snatches it from the man before stringing it around his neck once more.

He pats Frodo on his shoulder before turning and continuing onwards with the rest of us. I eyed Aragorn who removed his hand fro his sword giving me a nod, telling me everything is fine now and I simply turn and continue putting myself next to the other three hobbits who looked deathly cold.

A few hours in and we had made it nearest a mountain highest peak, now the wind roared, snow flying in every which way. Legolas at the head leading us as our beacon. His height earning him an advantage.

I stayed with the hobbits, Boromir carrying two of them in his arms to help give body heat to the shivering lads. I try to be sympathetic, seeing as though I could be of no help as I also helped lead the way, I had other obligations.

But before long, as if our minds linked Legolas and I both paused and Legolas turned giving me a knowing look. Beyond the mountains a voiced echoed through the winds, bellowing and finding its way through to my sensitive ears.

"You hear it too, mellon nin," Legolas calls out to me through the wind. I nod my head, my hood falling from my head and I look out past the mountain. I could almost see the waves of the voice as it echoes against the hills.

"It's Saruman," Gandalf booms and takes a hold of his hat more securely a top his head.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain," I then hear Aragorn interject. He carried Frodo.

"We must turn back, Mithrandir," I called to the wizard who dismisses me with a short response.

"No."

Soon Gandalf steps near the edge of our path and starts a chant to counter Saruman's but the Grey Wizard had no chance against the White Wizard, whose powers surpassed his own.

I listened intently but wary to Gandalfs chant Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho I ruith. Sleep Caradhras, be still, lie still, hold your wrath. He repeated this but it was no use, soon enough above snow began to fall, a turbulence at Saruman's rathe, tumbling down the mountain side and before I knew it, we had been covered in snow, all of us, to the top of our heads.

There was silence, as I tried clawing my way up, only the sound of my ringing ears and the sound of the wind above, in which I followed to find the surface.

I sucked in a shaky breath as I reached the surface, the cold enveloping me causing me to go numb, but I was quick to pick myself up to dig through the snow for the others. Gandalf and Legolas had already found his way up and helped the others out of the snow. I just hope for the hobbits to now not die of hypothermia.

Soon I found Aragorn and Frodo, catching Aragorn by under his arm to heave him up. Despite our last interaction that did not end in my favor, he was still my friend. No grudges to be held.

"We must get off the mountain! Make for the gap of Rohan and take the West road to my city," Boromir offers and I breath a shaky breath at that.

Aragorn speaks up now, "The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard.
The dwarf who was still somewhat submerged under the snow disagrees with both of the mens choices, offering up his choice he had mentions hours before, "We cannot pass over the mountain. Let us go under it. Let us go through the mines of Moria." His offer caused a look of concern to cross Gandalf's face.

I have heard of these mines, the great city of Moria, home of the strongholds of the dwarves. Not much has been heard recently of Moria, I only hope its a safe passage. But this decision was not up to me to make.

"Let the ring bearer decide," Gandalf offered after a moment of thought, his face still plagued with concern.

I could now that the weight of this decision weighed down Frodo. It was a lot to decide on in a short given moment. I could tell he worried for his hobbit friends, them shivering in our arms to keep warm.

"Frodo," Gandalf speaks his name and his eyes leave his discerning group, to lay on Gandalfs strong eyes.

"We will go through the mines," Frodo finally says and Gimli releases a sigh of relief, while Gandalf nods his head in defeat.

"So be it." He says before stepping forwards, his staff in hand and begins to lead the way back down the mountain towards the entrance of the Mines of Moria.

A small shiver runs down my spine. Clearly Gandalf opposes the mines, maybe he knows of a danger that we know nothing of. Maybe Gimli is not as familiar with Moria as he may lead on. Hopefully this was not all for nothing.