The Shadow Walker

38. Kiss the Girl

We kept climbing for hours. The snow grew progressively deeper and colder, and soon I was walking behind Boromir and the Hobbits. My mind repeatedly wandered to the incident with the Ring, and I caught myself watching Frodo without meaning to.

But soon, my mind was occupied with something else. Murderous-looking storm clouds rolled in, choking out the sunlight within minutes. Snow flurries began to fall, then thick snowflakes that lodged in my hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes. So, pausing for a moment, I put on my mask and pulled up my hood.

The snowfall grew heavier, and soon Gandalf and Aragorn had to join Boromir in his efforts to cut a trench for us shorter folk. Gimli reluctantly joined our number, but Legolas remained separate, treading softly on the snow three feet above us.

I tucked my hands into my long sleeves and tucked my chin into my chest, resigned to outlasting the cold.

"By my beard," Gimli puffed, struggling to keep up with me. I slowed up a bit, letting him catch up. "This cold is of a bitter sort. Not nearly as harsh as Erebor in winter, mind ye," he added. "But a good deal colder than I should like."

"I've never liked the cold," I said.

"Neither have I, lass. Neither have I. Now I've been trying to convince Gandalf to let us pass through the Mines of Moria, and thus far he's refused. Eda—ye could sway him to our side. Convince him to give up going over this blasted mountain and enjoy the fine hospitality of my cousin, Balin."

I have a halfhearted smile. "The cold is only for a few days, Gimli. It's hardly unbearable."

His eyes widened a bit. "Do ye not want to visit yer home?"

I didn't scoff, but the feeling was there. But instead of answering directly, I said, "Home is where the heart is, and not a place to merely visit."

Gimli nodded reluctantly. "Well said, lass, well sai—"

The air crackled with electricity, interrupting the Dwarf. Lightning split across the black sky, shattering the darkness. The energy bolted into the mountain, perhaps twenty feet above our heads. Followed by a deafening crash of thunder. The earth cried out in pain, and boulders began to fall from the impact.

Legolas leaped into the trench. Wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me against him. Did the same for Gimli, then jumped under an outcropping of rocks.

"Take yer filthy hand off me!" Gimli bellowed.

"Perhaps next time I should leave you to be crushed," Legolas retorted disdainfully, stepping away from us.

I glanced back. Exactly where Gimli and I had been standing, were a pile of massive boulders. We both would've died, if Legolas hadn't intervened. I turned to Legolas, about to thank him for both of us. But Gandalf called him.

"Legolas! Can you hear anything?"

The ellon trotted to the front of the company, passing Boromir and Aragorn, who were shielding the Hobbits. His hair tossing wildly in the storm, Legolas raised his head and closed his eyes. "There is a voice on the wind," he called back. "There is dark magic at work here."

Gandalf sighed, his breath billowing out and gusting away. "Saruman."

Lightning flashed again. Before it could strike, Gandalf raised his staff. A bolt of energy burst from the stone at the end. The two lights met head-on, exploding into a spiderweb of radiance.

"Gandalf!" Aragorn shouted. "We cannot continue! We must turn back!"

"No!" Gandalf insisted. Raising his staff again, he shouted an incantation. But a moment later, a bolt of lightning struck the mountain again. More boulders tumbled down, but we were shielded under the outcropping.