Ch. 5

I pulled away from Legolas about five minutes later. I had decided, and he was not so bad. Neither was Gandalf, or Aragorn, or Frodo, even. The others I was still wary of. Of course I would never get along with the dwarf, for dwarves and elves have not gotten along since long ago.
We picked up our baggage, which was light and little.
"We shall follow around a bit of the lake, and when we reach that strip of land, we will need to cross to get to the door," Gandalf said, surrendering to the fact that we were doing this. I eyed the water, and noticed that there were ripples along the oily surface, though I knew not the cause. Nor did I want to know.
I patted Aragorns shoulder, and pointed to the water, the ripples were gone.
"Seeing things for lack of sleep, are we?" he asked, with a trace of a chuckle in his voice. I glared at him. He stopped chuckling immediately and continued walking along the bank. I looked out at that horrible water, and I felt a feeling of dread lay thick on my mind and heart.
"I saw them," Legolas said briefly as he passed me. I looked out again, and I saw a bubbling start in the middle of the lake, and the feeling of fear grew.
When we reached the strip of land that cut out into the lake, the hobbits were weary, and so we rested. They sat on some disfigured and mutated logs that were once beautiful trees. I did not wish to know what had killed them. I did not sit; the same restlessness came over me that I had felt the night before. I paced along in front of the others, always facing the water. My bow was in my hand, and my reflex to pull out an arrow quicker than ever.
"Come sit, young Rosalia. Such a burden of watchfulness should nay be left upon your shoulders," called Merry, who had slumped on the ground. He was so idle, thought I. I said to him "I, sir Merry, am nearly ten times your age. And I trust you were taught to respect your elders." He shrugged and went back to lounging.
"There is something in these waters, one which has not woken for many years, it seems, and I wish not to have the burden of its wrath, more so than watchfulness," I muttered to myself. Aragorn came and stood beside me.
"Wiser am I than to not take the advice of an elf, Rosalia. If you say that we should move now, then that we will."
I looked back to him, and responding in Elvish, said, "Then let us go, and there must be no unnecessary disturbing of the water."
He nodded and repeated what I said to the others, and I just looked to the bubbles again. Pippin groaned when he heard we were going, and said
"Cant we rest awhile more? My feet are poor sore." I looked down on him in distaste, and replied
"Well, you and your 'poor sore' feet may stay, if you are willing to wait for what dwells in these waters." He jumped up, and grabbed his pack.
"When do we leave?" he asked.
"Now." We moved, and slowly it was too. When we came to end of the strip of land, we had to cross a short way in the shallow water. Gandalf put his staff in first, as a tester, no doubt. He waded in when he found it was left unharmed, and the water barely came up to his knees. He motioned we follow, and Aragorn went next, followed by Merry, Pippin, Gimli, Frodo, Legolas and myself. Legolas bade I go first, so he could cover our end. I did. The water, oh, that water, vile it was indeed. I took off my light shoes, and rolled up my black breeches. I removed my long silver cloak, and held it up high. I waded into the water. I made no effort to hide the look of disgust on my face, as I felt the slimy bottom beneath my feet. Ugh. The thought of it still brings me chills
I reached the other side soon enough, and looked back to see Legolas in the middle still, apparently caught on something.
"A weed, nothing to worry about," said he. But when the 'weed' started dragging him into the depths, I then got a little worried.
"Legolas!" I cried. The others turned around to see just the still water of the lake.
"What the-? Whered he go?" wondered Pippin. I set down my things, notched an arrow to my bow, and waded quickly out to the middle again. I turned all around, looking for just one telltale ripple. I saw none. Legolas was lost.


I sighed sadly, and waded onto the shore again. I felt tears drip down my face, as I put on my shoes, and put the arrow back in the quiver. The others looked frantically around, but I knew they would find naught. They resigned from their search, and approached the shore again. Aragorn had waded out a little deeper than I had thought wise, though I said nothing. He waded in to the shore, and said
"Thus such happens on a dangerous journey. I know I am greatly sorrowed by this terrible loss. Legolas Greenleaf. May you rest in peace in the halls of Mandos," and to us, he said
"Go now, for we do not have time to spare," and he turned away from the lake, with a glistening eye, and Gandalf approached the door of Moria. He tapped at it with his staff, and I just looked out at that cruel lake, and wept silently. I saw no ripple, nor bubble. I wiped the tears off my face, and looked up again. The tears were making my sight go funny. I thought I saw a ripple
I leapt up, my eyes now clear. It was a ripple! Legolas! Alive? I knew not, all I knew was if even he was or wasnt alive, that thing would pay. I pulled an arrow out of my quiver, and proceeded to the edge of the bank. Gandalf was still at the wall of stone, which I knew held the door. He was trying to remember the password.
I stared out into the middle grimly, and sure enough there were bubbles starting violently, white seething masses of something large disturbing the water beneath. I took my bow, notched the arrow, and waited. The bubbles drew nearer, and I had still not warned anyone else. Only at the last second, when they were about twenty feet away, did I whisper turn around. Aragorn turned slowly, his eyes widening when he saw the rage beneath the water. I breathed, and let loose my own wrath upon the mass. A faint roaring could be heard, and it echoed around the whole lake. The others finally noticed what was going on, and to my warnings they heeded, and backed away right up against the stone. Gandalf was still trying to remember the password. It was getting dark.
I shot another arrow into the water, and another roar echoed, but this time, it was not faint. Suddenly, a mass of snake-like tentacles slithered onto the bank. I shot arrows one by one, as fast as I could muster to where I thought the source of the writhing snakes came. Aragorn sliced off tentacle after tentacle, and the roaring of the Beast filled the air.
"Aragorn! Watch out!" I yelled, as a huge head came out of the water, and threatened to decapitate him. It was hideous, blue gray with wide evil black eyes, faintly glowing red. Its mouth was what bothered me most, though. It grinned madly with a wide mouth of evil looking teeth, ready to devour, rip, slice, whatever.
I shot an arrow straight into its eye. The roar that met my ears was deafening. I cowered, clutching my head as many things echoed in its wake.
Do not fight it; it is your friend, my precious.
NO! ROSALIA, GET UP AND FIGHT!
So easy, to just give in, to feel as weary as you are now, it would be better
GET UP! ROSALIA! FIGHT!
My precious
ROSALIA!

I arose, and in turn shot out the beasts other eye. It wailed, and lashed out at me with its tentacles. It caught my foot, and knocked me down. It proceeded to drag me into the lake, and I barely fought. All I could think about was how beautiful Luna looked that night.
SLASH!
I was free. I jumped up, and looked at my rescuer.
"Legolas!" I cried, and threw my arms about him, though he was slimy and sopping wet.
"Yes, I am fine. I said Im fine, now let go of me, and let us vanquish this beast."
And with that, he shot arrow after arrow at the Things head. I followed his suit, and together, we drove the it back. It wailed once, and disappeared into the depths, for the time being
I sighed, and collapsed on the ground. I almost instantly fell into dream.

The Eye was watching, ever searching for me. I hid in a cave, and it watched me. I ran into the forest, and it saw me there. I ran to the White City of Gondor, and it watched me there as well. I ran and hid, ran and hid. Everywhere it followed me, the Eye wreathed in flame. Piercing, staring. Staring right at my heart, it now wasit saw through me. I wept black tears, and it laughed. Laughed at my weakness. Its flames flickered around me, burning meshadow.
I looked up. Someone was standing in front of me, to shield me from the flame. I looked up, but could not see whom it was.
"You shall not take her." It was Legolas.
"And who will stop me?" laughed the Eye.
"I shall, and all others who love her. Her father, her mother, her brothers, her sister" he notched his bow, and let it loose at the Eye. I felt a great pain, along with it. But then, it laughed.
"Fool." It said, and Legolas fell. The earth opened up beneath him, and he fell into the darkness.

I woke, with sweat dripping down my face. I was not well. I was being carried through a dark place, and my head swam as I tried to focus my eyes. A darkness of only one place possible. Moria.
"Put me down!" I said annoyed to whoever was carrying me. How else would I have acted? One so quick to temper like me, and I punched the arm of the unlucky bearer.
"Ow! Is this how one greets another in the morning?" Legolas.
"Well, faith that I would not be carried around like some rag doll," I replied bitterly. I could hear him chuckling, and this earned him another punch.
"Make haste, and shut up you two!" Gandalf called quietly from the front of the little procession. I only knew which way ahead was from the sound of his voice. It was pitch black and I could see naught but the dark. Sigh. It was getting a tad depressing.
"Rosalia, grab my shoulders and follow. This is how we shall travel." I felt around, and I ended up touching his face. He took my hand, and slowly guided it down to his shoulder. Then I stepped on his foot.
"Sorry!" I actually was, too.
The air was still, and thick. I could feel it sucking my thule, my spirit, out through my skin.
I told Legolas this in the Elven tongue, and he agreed. We were going to certain doom, and I could feel the dream come back to me. I had not remembered it well before, but now to my horror I recalled the fate of Legolas.
I thought it best not to tell him, just yet.

We walked for what seemed like days without a stop or rest. Finally, we reached a suitable place and time for rest. It was a small side room, dug into the stone, and Aragorn bid us not enter.
"Let Gandalf shine light upon it, before we enter so hastily." He then nodded to the wizard, who muttered a few inaudible words, and the end of his staff gave off an eerie light. Well, it looked eerie in such a gloomy place. Aragorn held Pippin back, and as soon as t light shed upon the room, we gasped. In the middle was a large hole. It would have gone unnoticed by everyone. Pippin would have fallen right in!
"Let this be a lesson for you, young master Took," Gandalf said gruffly. He strode in and set his baggage down on the floor.
"The only reason we are resting," he said, "Is because we have reached a place that I have no memory of. We shall remain here until I find the proper passage to take, be that a long or short time." And with that, he brought out his pipe, sat down, and started thinking. We all stood outside the doorway, and thanks to Gandalfs staff, which still emanated the glowing light, we all could see the dark unfriendly hole greeting us. I sighed, and plunked down my things in a corner, the farthest away I cold get from the gaping mouth.
I was tired. So tired

I was running. I was running through the mines, heedless of here I was going. I came to a vast room, dark and tall, with gleaming black stone pillars. I ran through the room. It was growing hotter, and I could see all around me on the rough-hewn walls a flickering red light. I ran onward. Suddenly the passage I had been running in opened up! I teetered on the edge of it, finding myself looking down into dark flames and shadow. There was nowhere to go. I looked wildly around, and all the while, I heard a howling and steady beating like that of a drum. I spotted a narrow bridge a little away. I leaped toward it, and caught it just barely. The flames danced all around me in disappointment. I scrambled madly onto the surface, and ran to the middle of the bridge. Suddenly, all the wild howling noises stopped, and there was a deafening silence. I looked all around. I knew it was coming, but not yet whatbadevilBalrog

I sat up with sweat running down my nose, and I had yelled, apparently. The were all looking at me, with the exception of Gandalf, who only made smoke rings dance about his head. I wiped my brow with my blanket, which I had only used as a pillow.
"Pray tell what everyone is staring at?" I said, swiftly.
"You called out," Gimli replied.
"Nightmare, just a silly nightmare" I said, waving him away and turning over. The others were dawdling about, scarce anyone slept, with the exception of Frodo and I. He had been waking up in the same fashion.
Legolas confronted me about these dreams. He and I had become close friends, and I could see that he was concerned about me.
"Ithilin, you have been having dreams, I am aware. Will you not tell me about them?" I looked into his blue eyes, so complicated were they. Like looking into a deep pool, and knowing that you are only seeing the surface. Yet I looked deeper, and saw the true emotion and swirl of life beneath that calm surface.
"Dear Greenleaf, you would no doubt want to help me, but I fear that you would not be able to. These are just dreams, and they pass. Life doth roll on, for me. Would that I could appreciate it more."
"Ah, such is the drawback of an immortal life," said Legolas understandingly. I looked again, and saw the telltale swirl beneath his deep eyes.
"All I will say is a heavy weight will be off my heart when we leave this cursed darkness" I said, shuddering. He nodded, and fell silent.
"Youd best get some sleep, Legolas. You have had none since before we entered Moria." He nodded, and lay down. I sat beside him in the dark. I needed to think. My eyes wandered about the room. Frodo lay, twitching and murmuring in his sleep. Aragorn was standing by the door, warily watching outside. Gimli just sat, thinking thoughts probably of his kin who had once been here in Moria. Pippin and Merry were recalling things about the Shire. Gandalf was almost invisible behind his wall of smoke. I went over to Gandalf, maybe he could help.
"Gandalf, sir, may I have a moment?" I asked the smoke. I heard a grunt, and the smoke wreathed around me, like a wall blocking reality. I saw Gandalf in the midst of it all, and I sat down beside him.
"Gandalf," I said, uncertainly. He nodded, and said
"I know you have been having dreams, Rosalia. I often have them too. I want you to know that it is all right, and you have no need to worry. Though it isnot really normal for these things to happen to an elf," he said.
"But, Gandalf, I-"
"You have no need to worry, but I must choose a course soon, so leave me in peace." I sighed, and the wall of smoke receded, leaving Gandalf in his smoke fortress again. Then, I woke up.
"Not again!" and I said some other things in Elvish that I will speak of. It was so frustrating, I knew not now if I was dreaming or awake. I had not moved from my spot next to Legolas, and now he was sleeping in the manner of the Elves, with a dreamy look in his open eyes. He was having a good dream. Would that I could see what he was dreaming. I sighed, and got up. Gandalf was not even in this hell room. I walked to the door, and peered out of it, cautiously.
Gandalf was standing in front of one of three passages, and muttering to himself. I opened the door, and walked out behind him.
"No, I do not know which way to take yet, miss Irenez," he said without taking his eyes off the passages. I nodded glumly, and turned to go back. I halted at the door, and went back. I thought to tell him of my dreams, and ask for help. Somehow, on that complicated path from the brain to the mouth, the words jumbled and came out "Is there anything I can do?" He shook his head, and turned to the third passage. I sighed, and turned back inside. I stopped and listened to him think.
"No, no, not that one, it goes too high, and this one too lowyesyesits this one. The air does not smell so foul either. Yes, Ive found it!"

to be continued...