May it Be | THE LORD OF THE RINGS 🖋

.14. The Pass of Caradhras

Deirdre's POV

Though some days had past since departing Rivendell, I found that my companions had remained in high spirits. Before the Crebain had flown by everyone had laughed together while watching Merry and Pip wrestle with Boromir and Aragorn; we had all been well feed and rested and had even kept up light conversation between one another...On the Caradhras Pass, things were not that simple.

We had waisted no time waiting around our rocky camp site just in case Saruman's spies decided to turned back; Gandalf and Legolas led the way and soon enough we were trudging through thick white snow as we crossed the mountain path. The hobbit's and Gimli again struggled but Boromir, Aragorn, Legolas, Gandalf and I helped them whenever we could.

I suddenly gasped as I watched Frodo stumble, then fall and roll back down the slope.

'Frodo!' Aragorn and I yelled out together.

Aragorn caught the fallen hobbit and helped him back to his feet as I knelt before him to help brush off the snow which had coated his clothing.

Frodo smiled at me before placing his hand on his chest; his eyes going wide as he felt nothing but bare skin.

I looked behind me to see Boromir holding Frodo's silver chain as the Ring dangled in front of his face. Boromir was transfixed by the small object and looked upon it with awe. Everyone had now stopped and was staring at Boromir with concern.

'Boromir....' Aragorn said, his hand instantly going to his sword, as mine went to my dagger.

'It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing...such a little thing...' Boromir reached out his hand to touch the ring.

'Boromir!' I shouted, 'Give the Ring to Frodo.'

My words seemed shake Boromir from his trance and he moved forward to offer the Ring back to Frodo, who eagerly snatch it out of Boromir grasp.

'As you wish! I care not,' Boromir said giving me a shaking smile before ruffling Frodo's hair. After he had walked off I noticed Aragorn relax as he took his hand off the hilt of his sword. Knowing the danger had passed, I too released my grip on my dagger and turned to Frodo.

I looked at him to see instant relief on his face at having the Ring returned to him. I fixed his hair from the tangled mess that Boromir had created, then allowed Frodo to walk in front of me, with Aragorn following behind, to make sure Frodo would be safe if he slipped again...Yet for a moment I wondered if the snow was the biggest danger facing Frodo or rather a certain Gondorian with no self control.

*

The snow began falling heavier as we continued on our way over The Caradhras Pass, so heavy that it was beginning to become hard to see and what I could see was all white; our surrounds blended into one big snowy blur.

The path we had taken had continuously become more narrow, as we traveled, until we were literally walking along the side of the mountain with a very long drop which we would experience if we slipped.

I, along with most of the others, had pulled our cloaks hoods up over our heads, wearing it low to try and keep the bulk of the snow out of our faces. Also like Boromir and Aragorn, I had a half frozen hobbit huddled next to me. Frodo stayed close to me, my cloak offering him extra warmth from the cold as well as some protection from the snow and frosty winds.

Aragorn had Sam wrapped up beside him while Merry and Pippin had seemed to take a liking to Boromir's company and didn't stray too far from him. They were all so small that we could carrying them as if carrying a small child, at least that was what it felt like as Frodo kept his head in the crook of my neck while his legs wrapped around my waist; my arm firmly around him to make sure he was safe and secure.

Though I was shorter then Aragorn, Boromir and Gandalf, I had managed to not get my self half buried in the snow, even with the extra weight of carrying Frodo. Gandalf stayed at the front and thankfully made a pathway by using his staff to make a break in the dense snow. With Aragorn and Boromir both carrying hobbits they both quickly become thigh deep in the snow as Legolas walked past on top of the snow, his elven feet barely leaving any marks in the snow at all.

'Bloody Elves,' I whispered to myself before I felt Frodo's chest rise and fall with laughter.

We continued to struggle through the pass; the wind picked up speed, the snow became denser and mountain path continued to become more narrow.

Legolas got to the head of the line, beside Gandalf, but stopped shortly after and looked off into the distance.

I looked around to try and find what had grabbed his attention but initially found nothing until I began to hear a slight echo on the wind.

'There is a fell voice on the air,' Legolas said loud enough for all to hear.

Upon his words the echo grew louder and it became clear that it in fact was a voice but my hearing could not decipher what the voice was saying.

'It's Saruman!' Gandalf announced.

Before any of us could respond, a large crack of lightening struck the mountain overhead causing large chunks of rock and ice to fall down the mountain side, just barely missing us.

'He's trying to bring down the mountain! Gandalf! We must turn back!' Aragorn shouted over the wind as I tightened my grip around Frodo.

'No!' Gandalf replied as he stepped to the edge of the path, 'Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho i 'ruith! (Sleep, Caradhras, be still, lie still, hold your wrath!).' As he spoke, another massive lightening bolt hit the top of the mountain, this time sending an avalanche hurdling towards us from above.

We all braced for the inevitable and surely enough we were all quickly buried under a piled of thick snow.

I don't know who emerge from the snowy depths first as my only concern was making sure Frodo was unharmed. I began to dig my way out until my fingertips found what felt like air followed by a hand reaching down to grab mine and pull me up.

Aragorn stood above me as he brought Frodo and I out into the open; we all had clumps of snow in our hair and the mens beards had turned white with the wet, cold substance.

'Are you alright?' Aragorn asked.

I coughed and gasped the freezing air into my lungs, it hurt but it was better then being buried alive.

'I'm okay.' I whispered with a smile.

'We must get off the mountain! Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the west road to my city!' Boromir shouted to Gandalf as he was rubbing the shoulders of Merry and Pippin to try and keep them as warm as possibly.

'The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!' I stuttered, shaking uncontrollably.

'Deirdre is right...It is too much of a risk.' Aragorn said wrapping his arm and cloak around my shoulders and tried to rub some heat back into my body with his gloved hand on my arm.

'If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it! Let us go through the Mines of Moria,' Gimli respond eagerly.

Gandalf looked upon my face, my face which most likely would have looked overly pale and blue from the bitter cold; he looked deep in thought, contemplating our next move. In that moment, I did't particularly care what we did as long as we got somewhere warm.

'Let the Ringbearer decide,' He finally said.

Frodo looked around, confused on how to answer, his gaze too lingered upon me as I huddled into Aragorn side, the shaking slowly fading.

'We cannot stay here!' Boromir said looking upon the sacred faces of Merry and Pippin, 'This will be the death of the hobbits!'

'Frodo?' Asked Gandalf.

Frodo hesitated for a moment before speaking as loudly as he could to be heard over the wind.

'We will go through the Mines.'

Gandalf sighed but nodded.

'So be it.'