The Fellowship gathered together and stood by an old stone archway, to bid farewell to Rivendell. Aragorn and Sam stood by Bill the pony. Boromir stood next to Legolas while Merry and Pippin stood in front of them. Frodo and Y/n stood holding hands in front of Bill but slightly away from the rest of the group while Gandalf stood under the stone arch.
"The Ring-bearer is setting out on the Quest of Mount Doom. On you who travel with him no oath nor bond is laid, to go further than you will." Elrond spoke sternly.
"Farewell. Hold to your purpose. May the blessings of Elves and Men and all free folk go with you." Elrond spoke again but with more kindness in his voice.
Elrond indicated to the arch leading out of Rivendell with the spreading of his arms, and Legolas and Aragorn bow their heads with their hands upon hearts.
"The Fellowship awaits the Ring-bearer." Gandalf said.
Frodo turns around looking at each of his companions and walks forward uncertainly. Y/n gave Frodo's hand a gently squeeze as he pulled her along with him. Before them, the path winds away to either side.
"Mordor, Gandalf, is it left or right?" Frodo whispered softly to Gandalf.
"Left." Gandalf whispered back.
The Fellowship departed from beneath the old arch but Aragorn remained where he stood and turned to Arwen. The sun's rays began to pierce the valley as Aragorn soon followed behind the rest of the company over the bridge leading to the valley on the edge of Rivendell. They traveled through lush woods, over bush covered plains and mountainous hillsides. After some time, the company pauses on a hill in the wild to rest.
"We must hold this course west of the Misty Mountains for forty days. If our luck holds, the Gap of Rohan will still be open to us. From there our road turns east to Mordor." Gandalf spoke laying out the path the Fellowship is to take.
Gandalf sat on a rock that overlooked the fellowship and knowingly smoked his pipe. Sam was cooking sausage and other food over a fire. After he had finished cooking he climbed up onto a rock beside Frodo who was watching Boromir spar with Merry, Pippin, and Y/n. He was tutoring them in the way of sword fighting. He was battling with Pippin first.
"Two, one, five. Good. Very good." Boromir said with each move of the sword.
Aragorn sat nearby, smoking a pipe as well.
"Move your feet." Aragorn spoke with encouragement.
"You look good, Pippin." Merry praised his friend
"Thanks." Pippin replied happily.
"Faster!" Boromir commanded as he turned to battle with Y/n.
As the Hobbits continue to spar with Boromir, Gimli approaches Gandalf.
"If anyone was to ask for my opinion, which I note they're not, I'd say we were taking the long way round. Gandalf, we could pass through the Mines of Moria. My cousin, Balin, would give us a royal welcome." Gimli boasted.
Gandalf takes the pipe he was smoking from his mouth. Faint surprise and worry registered in his eyes.
"No Gimli, I would not take the road through Moria unless I had no other choice." Gandalf warned.
During the conversation Legolas notices something amiss and looks intently towards the South. Meanwhile, Boromir continues to fight with Y/n.
"Come on Y/n. You're doing good." Boromir encouraged.
But his offers of encouragement didn't last long before Boromir accidentally nicks Y/n hand.
"Ow!" Y/n cried as she dropped her sword and held her hand.
"Sorry!" Boromir apologized frantically rushing forward.
Seeing his friend in pain Pippin runs at and kicks Boromir in the shin.
"Ahh!" Boromir cried in pain grabbing his knee.
"Get Him!" Merry yelled
Y/n, Merry, and Pippin run at Boromir as he goes down in a mock battle. Boromir and Aragorn laugh with the Hobbits.
"For the Shire! Hold him! Hold him down! Merry! Y/n!" Pippin cried triumphantly over the fallen man.
Merry and Pippin tried to keep Boromir's down while Y/n held onto his waist. Though that plan didn't last long as Boromir had them all in headlocks.
"Alright Gentlemen and Lady ,that's enough." Aragorn said as he walks over to them.
As he lays a hand one Hobbit's shoulder, Pippin and Merry grab his legs, pulling him down on his back. Y/n tried to hold back a laugh but to no avail as she watched Aragorn fall to the ground with a thud. Frodo comes up from behind Aragorn and pulls Y/n from the scuffle.
"Are you alright Y/n?" Frodo asked pulling her aside to look over her hand.
"Just a small cut Frodo. I'll be fine." Y/n smiled but winced when he touched where her hand was cut.
Frodo frowned at this and pulled a cloth out from his pocket. He gently wrapped the cloth around her hand and tied a knot on the top of her hand. She smiled happily at Frodo and held his hand in hers. Legolas continues to look to the South, where a strange cloud had appeared. Sam takes notice of Legolas's observation.
"What is that?" Sam asked looking to the strange cloud.
"Nothing, it's just a whiff of cloud." Gimli said dismissively.
"It's moving fast....against the wind." Boromir said concern growing as he got up from the ground.
"Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas yelled finally realizing what the strange "cloud" was.
"Hide!" Aragorn ordered quickly.
"Hurry!" Boromir yelled quickly gathering up supplies.
Aragorn rushed around, getting the Fellowship out of sight.
"Frodo! Y/n! Hurry! Take cover!" Aragorn urged.
The Fellowship scrambles to gather their things, and Sam puts out the fire. They hide behind rock outcroppings and under thick bushes. Frodo and Y/n squished themselves together under the closest rock outcropping. Aragorn, Gandalf, and Gimli also hid underneath and behind other rock outcroppings while the other Hobbits, Legolas, and Boromir hid under thick bushes. In a burst of darkness against the light of the day, a flock of black birds rushes overhead, cawing loudly.
After the birds took their time to circle the hill looking for signs of the Fellowship, they turned and flew back Southward. After making sure the birds were gone, The Fellowship slowly came out from their hiding spots.
"Spies of Saruman! The passage South is being watched. We must take the Pass of Caradhras." Gandalf spoke angrily as he turns to look up at a great, snowy mountain behind him.
Farther up the mountain as they climb through the glistening, fresh snow beneath the vast blue sky, Frodo looses his footing and falls, rolling down the slope towards Aragorn.
"Frodo!" Aragorn yelled as he not so gracefully runs forward through the snow to catch Frodo. After successfully reaching him, Aragorn helps Frodo to his feet. Y/n rushed back down the slope to Frodo to make sure he was alright. Frodo regains his footing and puts a hand instinctively to his neck for the Ring. Finding it missing, he looks back up the slope. Realizing what was wrong Y/n looked to where The Ring lied in the snow, glistening. She was half way back up the slope to retrieve the Ring for Frodo but Boromir beat her to it and picks the Ring up by its chain.
"Boromir?" Y/n called to the man.
Boromir oblivious to her call, stares at the Ring. His face seemed sad.
"It is a strange fate we should suffer so much fear and doubt... over so small a thing. Such a little thing." Boromir spoke softly as he reached out a gloved hand to touch it.
"Boromir!" Aragorn yelled.
Boromir looks up, suddenly pulled from his trance.
"Give the Ring to Frodo." Aragorn spoke with a hint anger in his voice.
Boromir walks slowly down the slope, past Y/n, to the Ranger and the Hobbit. Aragorn's hand gripping the hilt of his sword underneath his cloak.
"As you wish..." Boromir said softly as he held out the Ring to Frodo.
Without hesitation, Frodo grabs the Ring sharply from Boromir's hand.
"... I care not." Boromir chuckled as he jokingly tousles Frodo's hair, turning to resume climbing. Frodo looks on suspiciously and Aragorn releases his grip from his sword. Y/n looked between Frodo and Boromir with sadness and worry, hoping that was the last time a grab for the Ring would happen. As the Fellowship labors onwards through the higher parts of the mountain, Legolas runs out ahead above the snows banks. His step is light and he moves with ease across the top of the snow, staring into the blinding storm that was battering the Fellowship. Gandalf at the front tried his best to make a path for those who could not walk on top the snow. Boromir was behind Gandalf carrying Merry and Pippin under his arms. Aragorn was behind Boromir carrying Frodo and Sam under his arms while Y/n clung to his back. Gimli was in the back of the group pulling poor Bill through the snow.
"Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse; nai yarvaxea rasselya!" A voice chanting could be heard in echoing through the air. (Translation: Wake up cruel Redhorn! May your horn be bloodstained!)
"There is a fell voice on the air!" Legolas called back to the company.
"It's Saruman!" Gandalf yelled.
Saruman the White was once a friend and leader to Gandalf but tossed their friendship aside when Saruman decided to join the side of evil. With a rending echo, a horde of rock slabs and boulders fell from atop the mountain. The Fellowship shove themselves flat against the sheer cliff wall to avoid the onslaught of falling stone.
"He's trying to bring down the mountain! Gandalf, we must turn back!" Aragorn yelled trying to be heard over the roaring snow storm.
"No!" Gandalf yelled back.
Gandalf stepped out onto a ledge, rising up on the snow.
"Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho i 'ruith!" Gandalf chanted.
(Translation: Sleep, Caradhras, be still, lie still, hold your wrath!)
"Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse; Nai yarvaxea rasselya; taltuva notto-carinnar!" Saruman chanted back from his position atop the Pinnacle of Orthanc in Isengard and continues to command Caradhras. (Translates: Wake up cruel Redhorn! May your bloodstained horn fall upon enemy heads!)
Lightning strikes the tip of Caradhras, sending a second avalanche of white ice and snow onto the Fellowship. Legolas snatches Gandalf away from the edge, pulling him against the cliff just before the ice-fall hits. The avalanche cascades over the Fellowship as cries are heard from the hobbits as the snow buries them completely. After a few moments, one by one the Fellowship emerge from the snow. Legolas is the first to pull himself out and rushes to pull Gandalf out of the snow next. Next Boromir and Aragorn help pull the Hobbits out but to Aragorn's dismay Y/n was no longer attached to his back.
"Aragorn! Where is Y/n?!?!" Frodo cried realizing that the female hobbit was not there.
Boromir and Aragorn quickly began digging through the snow till Merry cried out.
"She's there!" Merry yelled pointing to two tiny hands clinging to a rock on the side of the cliff.
Her faint cry for help over the storm reached Legolas' ears as he quickly bounded from his spot beside Gandalf and swiftly pulled Y/n up from the side of the cliff and handed her to Aragorn.
Aragorn covered her with part of his cloak while Frodo held her close. He held her face in his hands and saw that she had been crying. Her tears were frozen to her face which was red from the cold.
"We must get off the mountain! Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the west road to my city!" Boromir yelled to Gandalf.
"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" Aragorn yelled back.
"If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it. Let us go through the mines of Moria." Gimli urged.
In Gandalf's eyes there was a shadow of doubt and a hint of fear that lied unsaid. He was conflicted with choices that needed to be made.
"Let the Ring bearer decide." Gandalf said grimly.
"We cannot stay here! This will be the death of the Hobbits!" Boromir shouted through the snowstorm, holding Sam, Merry, and Pippin to him. All three are cold and extremely pale.
"Frodo?" Gandalf asked.
"We will go through the mines." Frodo finally spoke.
"So be it." Gandalf said softly.
I hope you all enjoyed this nice long chapter and I hope to see you lovely people in the next one!
🐢Kalumiko🐢