One Geek to Rule Them All

Assault on the Hill

"Since our  open attempt on the mountain-pass our plight has become more desperate, I  fear. I see now little hope, if we do not soon vanish from sight for a  while, and cover our trail. Therefore I advise that we should go neither  over the mountains, nor round them, but under them. That is a road at  any rate that the Enemy will least expect us to take."

"We do not  know what he expects," said Boromir. "He may watch all roads, likely and  unlikely. In that case to enter Moria would be to walk into a trap,  hardly better than knocking at the gates of the Dark Tower itself. The  name of Moria is black."

"You speak of what you do not know, when  you liken Moria to the stronghold of Sauron," answered Gandalf. "I alone  of you have ever been in the dungeons of the Dark Lord, and only in his  lesser dwelling in Dol Guldur. Those who pass the gates of Barad-dûr do  not return. But I would not lead you into Moria if there were no hope  of us coming out again. If there are Orcs there, it may prove ill for  us, that is true. But most of the Orcs of the Misty Mountains were  scattered or destroyed in the Battle of Five Armies. The Eagles report  that Orcs are gathering again from afar; but there is a hope that Moria  is still free. However it may prove, one must tread the path that need  chooses!"

"I will tread the path with you, Gandalf!" said Gimli.  "I will go and look on the halls of Durin, whatever may wait there—if  you can find the doors that are shut."

"Good, Gimli!" said  Gandalf. "You encourage me. We will seek the hidden doors together. And  we will come through. In the ruins of the Dwarves, a dwarf's head will  be less easy to bewilder than Elves or Men or Hobbits. Yet it will not  be the first time that I have been to Moria. I sought there long for  Thráin son of Thrór after he was lost. I passed through, and I came out  again alive!"

"I too once passed the Dimrill Gate," said Aragorn  quietly; "but though I also came out again, the memory is very evil. I  do not wish to enter Moria a second time."

"And I do not wish to enter it even once," said Pippin.

"Nor me," muttered Sam.

"Of course not!" said Gandalf. "Who would? But the question is: who will follow me, if I lead you there?"

"I will," said Gimli eagerly.

"I  will," said Aragorn heavily. "You followed my lead almost to disaster  in the snow, and have said no word of blame. I will follow your lead  now—if this last warning does not move you. It is not of the Ring, nor  of us others that I am thinking now, but of you, Gandalf. And I say to  you: if you pass through the doors of Moria, beware!" His words seemed  an eerie and uncanny echo of the warning Devin had given the Wizard only  a few days before, though she had in fact been quoting Aragorn.  Gandalf looked to her and Kitty now.

"I will also follow your  lead, whatever path you choose," said Devin somberly with a grave  expression and utmost respect for the wizard.

"Yeah, me too," Kitty agreed seriously.

"I will not  go," said Boromir; "not unless the vote of the whole company is against  me. What do Legolas and the little folk say? The Ring-bearer's voice  surely should be heard?"

"I do not wish to go to Moria," said  Legolas, though his tone implied he may, given no other choice. The  hobbits said nothing. Sam looked at Frodo. At last Frodo spoke.

"I  do not wish to go," he said; "but neither do I wish to refuse the  advice of Gandalf. I beg that there should be no vote, until we have  slept on it. Gandalf will get votes easier in the morning than in this  cold gloom. How the wind howls!"

At these words all fell into silent  thought. They heard the wind hissing among the rocks and trees, and  there was a howling and wailing round them in the empty spaces of the  night.