✓ | 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ♡ Legolas Greenleaf

4.6 | Mines of Moria

Aragorn and Maristela watches anxiously as the ripples appear to grow, the former exchanges a look with Boromir. Maristela places her hand on Aragorn's shoulder as he rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. Frodo peers at the Elvish inscription before glancing at Maristela who knew he was working out, his face breaks into a smile of comprehension. "It's a riddle..." Frodo says causing Gandalf to raise his eyebrows. "Speak, friend, and enter. What's the Elvish word for friend?" Frodo asked Gandalf. "Oh... mellon," Gandalf answered him.

With that, the rock face silently divides in the middle and two great doors swing outwards revealing a blackness deeper than the night. Maristela felt an uncomfortable shiver up her spine as she tried to pinpoint the lights that once shone bright as a sign that the Dwarves were alive and working; Even the silence made the woman feel small. As the fellowship enter the dark, something in the water stirs but none seem to notice as they wandered warily into the darkness of Moria; a dank cavern with winding steps leading deeper into the mountain.

⊱ ──── {⋆ 🌌 ⋆} ──── ⊰

"So, Master Elf, 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 called this a Mine... A Mine!" Gimli rambled as Maristela rested her hand against the wall. "What is wrong?" Legolas asked her after noticing the fear in her eyes, the misty look struck his heart. "Not a single vibration of pick hitting stone nor a rumble of Dwarven machinery," Maristela told him, turning her head to the Woodland Elf, "Something is wrong." Legolas looked away from her in alert, his eyes scanning the area as a glow from Gandalf's staff suddenly lights the chamber.

The Fellowship recoil in horror at the sight of many Dwarf skeletons strewn about, clearly the dead of some old battle; The rusting armour and shields are peppered with arrows and axes. "This is no mine... it's a tomb!" Boromir exclaimed. "No... no... no... no!" Gimli pleaded in horror at the sight of his perished kin. Legolas pulls a crude arrow out of a skeleton, "Goblins." The Fellowship draw swords and back away towards the entrance of Moria. "We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here!" Boromir exclaimed to the others.

Suddenly, Frodo is pulled to the ground by a long sinuous tentacle around his ankle, dragging him towards the lake. Frodo cries out as Aragorn and Boromir rush forward; Aragorn severs the tentacle holding Frodo and pulls him to safety. Boromir hacks at the other writhing limbs before twenty more tentacles ripple out of the lake. The dark water boils as the hideous beast lashes out at the Fellowship. Again, the creature grabs Frodo and pulls him to the lake, Frodo is flung in the air as the Fellowship battle the creature. Maristela swings her sword down on the tentacle freeing Frodo before she stepped forward, "Shut your eyes!"

The Fellowship cover their eyes as Maristela produces a bright light that blinds the creature sending it whimpering back, the Fellowship quickly rush back into Moria per Gandalf's orders. The light fades as Maristela stumbles back, Legolas taking the exhausted Elleth into his arms before rushing them into the mine. Legolas spots the creature reaching for Maristela with a vengeance, even without its sight it seems to sense the power of her and the ring in Frodo's possession. The Fellowship hurriedly back away from the creature, retreating into the Moria Chamber as many coiling arms seize the large doors.

With a shattering echo, the creature rips the doors away creating a rockslide that crashes down the cliff face. Within seconds, tons of rock seal the doorway throwing the Fellowship into pitch black. Legolas holds Maristela close to him as she blinks away her exhaustion, her power use against the necromancer on Caradhas and then against the beast in the lake had been too much for her in such a short time. "Are you alright?" Legolas whispered softly to the Elleth. "I will be," Maristela replied as she looked up at him, their faces mere inches apart causing Legolas' heart to race while she seemed to be lost in his eyes; fear coursed through her at the familiar warmth in her chest and she backed away from Legolas.