Ash's POV
"Look at you two.. it's a miracle you didn't break something.. what would your mothers say if I let you get hurt?" I mumbled as I looked over the two, remembering how I'd seen hobbit mothers be surprisingly versatile with a wooden spoon. Merry swatted my hand away while pippin insisted "we're fine! Sure aren't we pippin? I've never been better!" He yells, merry nodding vigorously behind. I could practically see Fili and Kili in front of me, but I shook the thought from my mind and patted their shoulders for them to go on.
I could practically feel my nose bleeding again, I just wiped it away and hoped this time it would leave me alone. We walked up to the gate of the dwarvish land. Though I couldn't smell it I was imagining the warm welcome and piles of food from the dwarvish population. I had been dying to have some meat lately and my worry for balin's lack of contact was growing by the day.
Gandalf squinted as he stared at the door's dwarvish ruins. "It reads, 'The door of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter.'" He stated. I tried to think but I never remember the dwarves ever telling me what friend was in their language. I barely understood it to begin with.
I strolled over to my brother and rested my head on his shoulder, ignoring the world around us. "Man cerig?" He asked me, not bothering to turn his head but glancing at me. "Resting my head on your shoulder. What does it look like brother?" I asked him as I did the same, absentmindedly rubbing my nose to make sure there wasn't any more blood. "Pedig edhellen? I swear those dwarves have taught you nothing but I'll manner towards your kin" Legolas asked me but it sounded more like a statement. I took my head away from him and turned to him.
"I see your still closed minded. Boe for me to speak elvish? Maybe I like talking in a language most understand. I like them because they haven't decided my life for me. That's why you left isn't it? PRINCE Legolas?" I spat at him with venom in my tone. He crossed his arms and sucked on his teeth. "I left with a sense of duty and permission from father. Unlike you! Running off because you didn't like your destiny! You are such a child it's a miracle father could find someone wishing to wed you" He told me, his words felt like daggers in my chest but I will stand to my last word. "Well how strange, maybe I don't want someone choosing my damn fate! I like being able to decide when and where I do something and how the hell I do it! Father burnt letters sent to me by my friends so I snuck out more after I decided to say just so I could get away from the constant arguing whenever I wanted to make a decision for myself ! I don't want to be married. If I had a damn choice I would have stayed in erabor where people actually care what u think and don't shove their opinions down my throat!" I screamed at him, I could no longer control my rage. I didn't care if my argument was wrong, my rage was blinding my sense.
"Then maybe we should depart again after this journey. I'll never see you and you can never go home if you despise your kin and our birthplace so much!" He screamed back at me, Aragon appearing behind him and putting a hand on his shoulder, stating "enough Legolas" but I wasn't don't. With as much venom as I could muster, I questioned "Gwestog?". A small hand grabbed my wrist and guided me away. I looked down to see Frodo. He brought me to the lake side, forced me to sit down and smiled. "Splash some water on your face. Uncle always said that seemed to calm you down when you.. get stressed" he said. He patted my head and then went back to Gandalf.
Hours of silence between my and my own brother passed as I lay with my boots off and my feet in the water, letting my rage go and figuring out a way to apologise without starting another fight. "Ash!! Gandalf got it! He got it!" Merry screamed at me. I put back on my shoes and notices all the ponies were gone. I glanced at Aragon who just nodded at me confirming my thoughts. I quickly followed the fellowship into the newly opened crack in the dark empty entrance of Moria. It's easily quiet, even for dwarvish standards. I expected atleast the faint cheer of drinking and the sound of cracklings fires melting the metal and keeping their homes warm. But I heard nothing except our own footsteps.
"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 call this a Mine... A mine!" Gimli said joyfully to my brother who pretended he wasn't interested but the glint in his eyes told me he was secretly fascinated. Gandalf taps his staff off the ground and light fills the mine. I can't help but let out a subdued scream as I cover my own mouth in horror at the sight of the mines. There are so many skeletons.. dwarvish men, women, warriors, children... you couldn't even tell anymore.. all had some form of weapon buried into them or smashed in skulls. They looked like they'd fought for their lives and lost horribly. I began to panic. "Balin!" I call out, my voice echoing off the empty walls. I didn't get a response.. I hoped that meant he was gone somewhere safe.. they were goblin weapons.. every single thing buried into them stank of the beasts.
I took out my sword and held it tightly, taking deep breaths so I remain calm and stead. "We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here." Boromir states. I glanced back to see if the hobbits were safe, only to see Frodo fall to the ground and be dragged back to the lake screaming. I ran after him. Aragon hacker whatever grabbed him away and all seemed calm for a moment, before Frodo was grabbed again and all the others were beaten away. I ran and dove into the water after the hobbit, the poor boy screaming and fright.
The horrifying beast reveals its selfs, handing Frodo over its jaws. "Boromir!" I yell to get his attention, I motion what I'm vaguely going to do and he nods. I five under the water, barely manage to swim around the beast and stab it in the eye. It streams and weighed around while Aragon and Boromir cut Frodo free and catch him. I free my sword and swim for my life, quickly being pulled out by Gimli and everyone retreating into the mines at Gandalf's order.
The beast tried to break in, bits it's efforts caused an avalanche, leaving us safe but in darkness. Gandalf once again lights or way with his staff, his face looking tired and worried in the light. "We now have but one choice...we must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard...there are older and fouler things than the Orcs in the deep places of the world." He told us as we ventured in, in the back of my mind I did not quiet believe him. The journey across empty Moria will take 4 days because of how vast it is. If it were as alive as it was in gimli's memory he assured us we could be there in an hours tops with the horses.
Thought we knew we were safe for now, the eerie sights didn't settle in our stomachs well. In a dwarvish grave sight the tombs were demolished and the body's strewn atop them seemed to be loved ones who died in vein, protecting their tombs. Goblin graffiti and dwarvish blood laced the walls and it made us all feel equally disgusted. But none of them looked or seemed to be balin.. and that gave me hope to strive forward.
After what felt like atleast a day of straight walking and no rest, we came to a choice. The path splits into three passages...each disappearing into dark tunnels. Gandalf paused, frowning. "I have no memory of this place." He told us, silently giving us the que to rest.. most of us sat down and gently had a tiny portion of our rations in silence. Legolas looked as if he wishes to speak to me but said nothing, my mind was too full with worry for balin at this rate. I hoped there was a small settlement of dwarves, including him, surviving somewhere near the end.
Frodo and Gandalf has their own private conversation while merry and pippin complained of hunger, which I believed they had never suffered for so long, in the shire food was plentiful.
Gandalf's face suddenly brightened as he stated "Ah! That it's that way!" As he pointed at the right hand tunnel...the Fellowship scramble to their feet. "He's remembered!" Merry shouts happily. Gandalf shakes his head, "No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down there. If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose!" He says with a chuckle as we begin to go down the less foul smelling path. It seemed like a room of pure darkness. Gandalf, who Pippin and marry were now jokingly calling a lamp while whispering to eachother, gave us light, opening up a faint chamber Thank reminded me of erabor if it were empty if gold and less vibrant.
"Behold! The great realm and Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf!" Gandalf announced, the hobbits looking so curious I almost laughed. Though there were less Skeletons, ahead a wooded door that was smashed in had a few Lying lump at the sides. Black arrow were embedded in the timbers. The skeletons were those of goblins.. how strange. Gimli suddenly rushed again. I followed out of fear of him being killed by whatever dark forces Gandalf was referring to.
Inside looked like it was piled high with goblin skeletons but it looked like a dwarvish tomb, less grand then thorin's but still royal. Cracks of sunlight came through the rocks lighting up a marble tomb. Gimli sits there, sobbing. I go to comfort him till I see what is enshrined in the side. "Here lies Balin, son of Fudin, Lord of Moria.". I felt my knees give way as my body shook. Gandalf reads a diary laid on my dear friend's corpse. I see a dwarves skeleton beside me. He had an arrow where his heart once was and dead messenger bird beside him.
As I wipe my tears from my vision I decide to read it. "Princess lithônion. We gravely inform you of the passing of Balin, brother of dwalin and elf friend. Though we never wished to disregard his wishes, we are desperate. We are going to die. We have been invaded. He doesn't wish for you to be involved but you are our last option. Please send he-" and then the ink is scrawled across the page. I assume that's when he died, scarily it reminds me of my own diary. If only he'd sent it maybe I could have saved it.. how can I even face dwalin now?.. or any of the others ?..
As I stand up and put a hand on the tomb while I morn, I notice pippin start to back away. He stumbles and crashes into an armoured skeleton. Merry grabs him before he hits the ground but the remains crumble. We all freeze as suddenly the broken silence was un-comforting. The sound echoed off the walls and went miles. Whatever did this knows we're here.
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What are you doing?
Man cerig?
Do you speak Elvish?
Pedig edhellen?
Is it necessary?
Boe?
Do you promise?
Gwestog?
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Sorry for the very late update! Hope you all have a merry Christmas or happy holidays! Enjoy
Lil nightfury