Remains of the Banished | Aragorn || Lord of the Rings

VIII

The once rolling hills of grass were replaced with snowy mountains. The fellowship struggled through the snow, the hobbits most of all. They still kept their line formation, trudging up the mountain.

Eadrid pulled her cloak over her torso as tight as she could. Her cheeks were red and even her eyelashes had begun to collect snow. Her boots were now wet, soaking in her clothes, making her feel chilled deep inside her. She could not imagine how the hobbits felt if she was enduring this much, so she kept a close eye on them, encouraging with any words she could muster.

She turned around, her hair whipping in front of her face from beneath her hood. She saw Frodo land in front of Aragorn, who had slipped behind her. Aragorn helped him up, and Frodo instinctively reached for his ring, which was not there.

Boromir walked past Eadrid, stumbling to where the ring laid on the snow. As he picked it up everyone looked upon him in concern. He held it in front of his face, looking at it in awe.

"Boromir." Aragorn called.

"It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing, such a little thing." He muttered quietly but the wind carried his base words.

"Boromir!" Aragorn called louder, and Boromir abruptly stopped, looking like he had been shaken awake. "Give the Ring to Frodo."

Boromir slowly walked over to Frodo and held out the ring, who snatched it from him quickly. "As you wish! I care not." He laughed and ruffled Frodo's hair, and continued walking up the mountain. Aragorn did not take his eyes off him, and Eadrid saw the grip he had on his sword loosen only as Boromir turned.

As they continued upward, the snow became deeper and deeper, the storm even stronger. Aragorn, Boromir, and Eadrid took to carrying hobbits, for they were not able to walk on their own in the deep snow. Eadrid carried Merry, wrapping her cloak around him to stop his shivering as best she could.

Eadrid glared at Legolas enviously as he walked past them on top of the snow. He seemed to listen to the wind for a moment. "There is a fell voice on the air."

"It is Saruman!" Gandalf bellowed before them, as a great crash thundered above, causing rocks to fall and barely miss them.

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

"No!" Gandalf walked to the edge of the path, raising his arm and staff, chanting words that none could begin to understand.

A strike of lighting hit the top of the mountain as he chanted, and an avalanche of snow rained down on them, burying them underneath.

Eadrid was fully submerged, unable to have any sense of direction, only feeling the still shivering Merry. She used one free arm to reach up and tried to push Merry to the top.

As they surfaced they gasped for air, seeing the others around them doing the same. If they were cold before, it was nothing compared to now. Snow had gotten everywhere, soaking even their thick cloaks.

"We must get off the mountain!" Boromir cried, thinking the same as Eadrid. "Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the west road to my city!"

Aragorn shook his head. "The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!"

"If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it! Let us go through the Mines of Moria." Gimli suggested, eager to have Gandalf's approval.

Gandalf paused and his expression seemed to darken. "Let the Ringbearer decide."

"We cannot stay here! This will be the death of the hobbits!" Eadrid yelled. However much she desired to back to her land, she knew they had to decide where they were to go very soon.