Element of the Heart - A Lord of the Rings/Legolas Fanfiction

Chapter 14: Black Waters

Something is in there. Evangeline cautiously channeled some of the murky water into the narrow spout of her water skin. As she reached out to the water, she sensed that the small lake was much deeper than it appeared.

The company had approached the side of a large mountain. The sun had already sunk into the hills, leaving the lake's water black. As the mountain's shadow blended in with the rest of the lake and its surroundings, Evangeline wondered how they were going to find the entrance.

The clouds parted and moonlight spilled over the side of the mountain, revealing etchings and the outline to a formerly hidden door. The etchings glowed beautifully in the moonlight, but to Evangeline, the stone still resembled the entry to a tomb.

Gandalf read the dwarfish words aloud, "The doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter."

"What do you suppose that means?" Pippin asked.

"Well it's quite simple, really! If you are a friend, you speak the password." Gandalf pointed his staff towards the door, chanting the first spells meaning "enter" that came to his mind.

One hour later, everyone realized that passwords were not Gandalf's specialty. He was still by the door, chanting. Boromir lit his pipe and Aragorn went with Sam, Merry, and Pippin to send their pony away from the mountain. After all, the mines were no place for a pony. Evangeline remained by Gandalf and Frodo for a while until she spotted Legolas sitting on a rock alone. She quietly walked over to sit by him.

"Have you any idea what it could be?" She chided herself soon as the words left her mouth. What a foolish question! He would have spoken aloud if he knew.

"No," he replied distantly.

Boromir put down his pipe and came over to them. "He would not know. It ought to be some phrase in the common language. Dwarves are no doubt on better terms with men than elves." He addressed them both, but it was clear his insulting tone was directed towards Legolas.

Evangeline raised her eyebrows. "I would not be so certain, Boromir. In the Battle of the Five Armies, King Thorin fought against both men and elves, who were, at the time, allied with each other."

Boromir shrugged and turned away. He wandered over to Aragorn, who was staring at the water.

"The password may be in elvish," Evangeline affirmed, though no one seemed to be listening.

Gandalf threw his staff to the side and sat down. "It's no use," he muttered.

Evangeline's suggestion is not too far from being sound. Frodo walked up to the etchings, his blue eyes scanning them intently. "It's a riddle! Speak 'friend' and enter. What's the elvish word for 'friend'?"

Legolas broke away his stare to face Evangeline. A hint of a smile crept onto his face. "Mellon," he replied loudly. The mountain rumbled as the thick doors opened.

"Well done, Master Hobbit," Gandalf said, leading the way.

Evangeline went last, trying to bask in whatever light the night had to offer before plunging into complete darkness. Ahead, Legolas gave her a worried look. She took a deep breath and walked through the entry, standing next to Aragorn. She thought she knew what to expect, but she was wrong.

It was much worse. Skeletons littered the dusty ground. Cobwebs settled between the brittle bones.

Boromir gasped. "This is no mine. It is a tomb."

Legolas snatched a small arrow from one of the white skulls. "Goblins!" he announced disgustedly.

Evangeline decided then and there to head back out of the entrance. Any courage she had or reason for staying was gone. Traveling through the Mines of Moria was a foolish decision that would be fatal to them all. She turned just in time to see a thick tentacle snake its way around Frodo's leg. "Frodo!"