GWENDOLYN BAGGINS HAS BEEN AN OUTSIDER HER ENTIRE LIFE, so when Bilbo Baggins told her she was adopted, it didn't really come as a surprise. To be honest, her height, length and shape of her ears were a dead giveaway.
When the time comes that her b...
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CHAPTER EIGHT ━ moria
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IT WAS DARK WHEN THEY REACHED THE WALLS OF MORIA. Gwendolyn halted in her tracks to admire them. They looked like great looming cliffs.
"The walls of Moria!" Gimli exclaimed in awe.
The Fellowship continued walking along the far shore of a dark lake. Gwendolyn's eyes were fixed on the ground below and the lake beside her. Moonlight shimmered on it, but something inside of her told her to be cautious.
Footing was treacherous on the narrow strip of green and greasy stones. Gwendolyn saw Gandalf touch the smooth rock wall between the trees. Slowly, faint lines appear like slender veins of luminous silver running through the stone.
"Itidin . . ." Gandalf murmured, "it mirrors only starlight and moonlight."
A large moon rose over the mountains. The lines grew broader and clearer, forming a glowing arch of interlacing ancient letters and symbols.
"It reads, 'The door of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter'," Gandalf stated.
"What do you suppose that means?" Merry asked.
"It's quite simple," Gandalf said, seeming confident. "If you are a friend, speak the password and the doors will open." He rose his arms. "Annon edhellen, edro hi amen!"
The door didn't budge. Gandalf frowned and continued to mumble spells as he tried to open the door.
Gwendolyn turned around, facing the lake. Her feeling of uneasiness had only grown and she did not like the fact that they were currently stuck here.
"I feel it, too," Legolas said, moving to stand beside her. "Something is hiding beneath the surface."
"Should we warn the others?" Gwendolyn questioned.
"Not yet," Legolas said. "We do not want to scare them if it's not needed."
Gwen hummed but did not reply. She heard Sam saying goodbye to Bill and turned around to watch their farewell.
