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━━━━ »•» act two. age of shadow

18. the mountain's wrath «•« ━━━━

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ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ third age ━━ year 3019

𓇻 misty mountains; caradhras {redhorn}

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THE LAST TIME ELGARAIN HAD SEEN SNOW, SHE WAS JUST A YOUNG ELFLING. The warm winds blowing in from the sea all year long kept most snow storms out of Mithlond and the magic protecting the valley of Imladris kept snow from ever falling. The last time she'd witnessed the strange sensation of being able to walk on top of the white blanket was when she visited the Blue Mountains with her father. Though the Dwarves preferred to live underground, Gil-Galad hadn't been able to resist the opportunity to climb up the mountain with his daughter and show her the snow that never melted, even during the warmest summer months.

Now, watching the white landscape stretching out around her, Elgarain was left speechless once again. The sun made the ground sparkle, illuminating the tiny crystals that had fallen from the sky. She couldn't stop staring at the strange sight of her boots not leaving so much as a print in the snow. Elves were known for being light of feet but such things were less visible on a forest floor.

All her awe however disappeared when she watched the Hobbits struggle as they climbed. The higher they went, the thicker the snow became and they weren't even at the top yet. She'd gladly trade with them but there wasn't much she could do. Besides, they weren't the only ones struggling. Gimli was breathing louder by the second, though not a word of complaint made it past his lips. She guessed the Dwarf would rather die than admit defeat against the mountain. Beside her, Boromir's breathing labored as well. Not only did he carry his own weight but also that of his armor, his shield and his sword. All heavy weapons compared to her spear and daggers.

"Tell me, does it ever snow like this in Gondor?" Elgarain questioned, hoping to distract the warrior from the climb by the thought of home.

Boromir smiled somewhat wistfully at the mention of his beloved country. "Not in years," he said. "Though my father told me once that when my brother and I were younger there was one particularly tough winter, covering the whole of Gondor in a layer of snow. He said that while most people preferred to stay warm by their fires, I all but forced my brother to go outside and play." He took a deep breath, smile growing wider. "We played with the snow until our fingers were numb and cheeks red from the biting cold."

Elgarain smiled softly. "You sound like you miss him, your brother."

"I do, very much," Boromir admitted. "Did you leave anyone behind at home?"

"Besides an entire kingdom counting on me?"

He chuckled warmly, his eyes holding a certain understanding for the weight resting on her shoulders. A spirit kindred to her own.

"I do miss my mother," she finally confessed softly. "It broke her heart the first time I left for Imladris. It pains me to put her through that a second time. She's already lost my father. She should never have to bear the pain of losing me as well."

"That is a feeling I understand too well. But I fear that it is our burden to carry that pain. Both as children and heirs to our forebears' legacy."

"I suppose so," Elgarain muttered. Then, wishing to speak of happier things again, she took a deep breath to put those thoughts aside. "I do hope I get to meet your brother one day."

A smile appeared on his face. "Then I hope to be the one to introduce you one day. You two would get along well I think."

She laughed. "I used to wish for a sibling when I was younger. Someone to share, well, everything with."

"Well, I believe your wish has come true, my Lady." Boromir's gaze drifted towards Gyda, closing the rear together with Legolas, though neither looked very happy about the arrangement.

Elgarain smiled, realizing he was right. Somewhere along the way, through all the difficulties they'd faced and all the fights and discussions they had, she had indeed come to see Gyda as family. Had she not admitted as much when comforting her with the words of a sister? Once she might have thought it impossible but now, Gyda was the person she was closest with, the one she trusted most. Her sister.

"You have keen eyes, my Lord."

"That, or perhaps I simply recognize the worry and love shared for a sibling," the warrior replied, grinning somewhat mischievously. "And, dare I say, a certain source of frustration at times."

Before she could form a reply, a startled yelp behind them forced them to a halt. She turned and saw Frodo had slipped and fallen in the thick layer of snow. Luckily, Aragorn had managed to catch him and put him back on his feet.

Frodo brushed the snow from his jacket, though his hand lingered on his neck and panic flashed through his eyes. Frantically he searched his pockets for the ring he was supposed to carry but someone else had spotted it first.

Boromir walked forward to the ring as it lay on the ground, blinking in the sunlight, as though it was challenging them. He picked up the chain and held the ring before his eyes, observing it. And where his keen eyes held nothing but warmth and laughter seconds before, they now grew dark with a hungry shadow.

"Boromir," Aragorn spoke sternly.

But the man of Gondor didn't seem to hear him. He hardly seemed to be breathing as he stared at the weapon of destruction in his hand. "It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing," he mumbled.

As he reached out his hand, Vilya burned on her own finger, as though it was crying out a warning. She winced at the sudden pain as her heart beat startled within her chest.

"Such a little thing," Boromir whispered softly, possessed by the promises the ring whispered, unheard by them all except to him.

"Boromir!" This time the warning in Aragorn's voice was enough to shake the man from his trance. "Give the ring to Frodo."

Boromir swallowed uneasily before walking forward, his steps slow, as if he was held back by an unseen burden pulling at him. He reached the Hobbit and held out the ring for him to take.

Frodo snatched it back as though it was the very thing that provided him with air to breathe.

"As you wish," Boromir said and he chuckled softly, though his voice held a tremor that put chills down Elgarain's spine. "I care not." He ruffled Frodo's hair before turning around and continuing their climb up the mountain.

Elgarain was about to rejoin his side when her eyes caught sight of Aragorn slowly releasing the hilt of his sword. Her breath was stolen from her lungs at the mere thought of a fight breaking out within the Fellowship. Though, as her eyes crossed with Aragorn's, she saw the genuine worry lingering there and she realized she'd been naïve to think the ring wouldn't influence any of them. The road wasn't the only danger they would face...

As if he could feel her gaze resting on him, Aragorn caught her eye. He frowned slightly at her, as if silently questioning if she would've acted any differently. But Elgarain refused to answer and turned around without providing him with a reply.

The rest of the journey up the mountain was spent in silence and not only because of the tension still lingering within the Fellowship. The snow was growing thicker as they climbed. The journey became even more difficult when the wind grew louder. Gray clouds formed in the sky. It seemed their luck had finally run out and the weather had finally turned against them. It started with a few wandering snowflakes but soon enough they were caught in a storm. It was hard to see anything but the person walking right ahead of her.

Gandalf had ordered them to walk in single file. He himself was in the front, forcing a path through the snow with his staff. After him came the Hobbits, poor Sam struggled with both moving himself and Bill forward. Then came Gimli, who'd been muttering under his breath in Khuzdul ever since the snow started falling. Elgarain walked after Gimli, her feeling of guilt growing with each passing second because of the way her feet danced over the white blanket in comparison with the others. Behind her walked Boromir, then came Aragorn while Gyda and Legolas closed the line.

It felt as though they'd been struggling their way up the mountain for weeks instead of hours. The howling wind grew ever louder in strength, only adding to the freezing cold settling in their bones. At times, Elgarain thought the wind resembled the howling of a wolf as it hunted its prey but she dismissed it as her imagination.

After another concerned glance towards the Hobbits in front of her, she finally turned around to Boromir. "The Hobbits can't keep up," she shouted above the wind.

The man of Gondor nodded, then turned to speak to Aragorn behind him. Together the two men made their way forward, each taking two Hobbits under their care, helping them along through the snow. Elgarain reached for Bill, taking the reins of the pony in her hand while stroking its neck, hoping to calm the animal.

"There is a fell voice on the air!" Legolas shouted from behind her.

With a frown she looked up to the sky, her heart sinking when she heard it. A distant, but stern voice commanding the storm, stirring up the mountain's wrath.

"It's Saruman!" Gandalf shouted in warning.

At that very moment, thunder hit the mountain above them, bringing down rocks from the mountainside. Everyone hurried out of the way, watching with panicked eyes as the rocks smashed against the path they were following, breaking away pieces of rock and stone, making the path even narrower and the edge to the abyss closer.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain!" Aragorn shouted, struggling to make himself heard above the wind. "Gandalf, we must turn back!"

"No!" The Wizard shouted his reply. Then he raised his staff and spoke his own spell, hoping to calm the mountain and force the White Wizard to withdraw.

Elgarain now understood why the Dwarves of Moria named this mountain The Cruel. If nature here was this easily angered at the command of a wizard, a lot of rage must have gathered in these lands over the years. Or else the earth would not be as easily commanded.

As the two voices of the wizards echoed through the darkened sky, her ears once again caught the sound of the strange howling she heard earlier. Though this time, it was most certainly not the wind. She turned around, eyes searching between the curtain of snow surrounding them but she could not see anything.

"What is it?" Gyda asked as she came standing beside her.

"I have the strange feeling we're being followed," Elgarain whispered, her guard standing close enough to catch her every word above the storm.

Gyda's eyes hardened. "You mean the Wargs?"

"You've heard them too?"

"Legolas and I became aware of them while we were climbing up the mountain. Not to worry, they won't follow us through the storm."

Elgarain turned to look at Gandalf as he contended against the combined will of the mountain and the White Wizard and suddenly, she wished he would yield. She'd much rather fight through a storm than face a pack of Wargs. Though one look at the Hobbits erased that thought from her mind. They wouldn't survive this mountain.

There was another lighting strike, so loud it was as though the sky was splitting open. It hit the mountain above them, setting the snow that was gathered there free. It came falling from the sky, barely giving any of them to prepare for its impact. Suddenly there was snow everywhere, burying her completely, a grave made ready for her to lie in.

Panic flared bright in her chest as the world disappeared and the cold embraced her. She forced herself to breathe, even if the snow was pressing against her chest. She needed a clear head, to think. During her time as Tári she'd learned to put her fear aside and do what needed to be done. It was a skill that came handy in situations like this one. She kept taking steady breaths and soon the panic subsided.

In her right hand she was still holding the reins of the pony but her left was free to dig. Slowly but surely, she managed to fight her way out of the snow. The sky became visible above her once again. As soon as air filled her lungs once again, she took a deep breath, gasping and spluttering to shake the illusion of still being buried.

She then turned to Bill and quickly freed the pony's head from the snow. "Is everyone alright?" She shouted, looking around frantically as she counted the members of the Fellowship. Her heartbeat sped up when she realized she missed two...

"Gyda!" She shouted, eyes searching the snow covered path. "Legolas!"

"Below!" A voice shouted in reply.

She handed the reins of Bill to Gimli, who was shaking too much from the cold to protest. Using both her arms she pushed the snow aside and made her way to the edge. It felt like an eternity had passed when she finally caught sight of her friends and her heart dropped into her stomach.

The force of the avalanche must have knocked the two Elves off their feet and pushed them straight over the edge. Legolas had managed to grab a hold of a rock, hanging on by the tip of his fingers. His other hand was firmly clasped around Gyda's arm as she dangled above the abyss, the wind toying with her like a doll.

"Rhaich!" Elgarain shouted, letting herself drop on her stomach and stretching out her hand. "Grab my feet!" She ordered Boromir, who was standing right behind her. He didn't doubt and did so immediately. Impatiently she wiped the strands of hair that escaped from her braid, out of her face. Then she reached forward once again, making sure she didn't lean too far over the edge, and grabbed a hold of Legolas' arm. She prayed to Elbereth their combined strength was enough.

Her eyes met Legolas' and her fear dissolved by the unconditional trust she saw written on his face. There wasn't a single trace of doubt on his face and it calmed her enough to gather all her strength and tighten her hold on his arm.

Then he released the rock, hand holding on to her, a grip so tight she knew it would leave bruises. A shout of effort escaped her lips as she pulled, feeling Boromir holding her steady so she didn't go tumbling off the edge as well.

Aragorn appeared at her side, taking a hold of Legolas' arm as well as he helped her carry the weight. With him beside her and Boromir behind her, Elgarain managed to slowly pull her friends up the ledge. The muscles in her arm were burning, her shoulder feeling like it would get ripped off at any given second but she refused to let go.

With clenched teeth she finally managed to pull Legolas to safety, soon enough followed by Gyda. Though, at the very last second, her feet slipped in the snow, making her stumble and release her hold on Legolas' arm a second too soon. The Elf fell down in the snow, seconds too late to let go of Gyda, the two falling right on top of each other.

Elgarain couldn't tell if it was because of her nerves or if the situation was truly that funny, considering she was the only one who knew the history between the two, but she burst out laughing as she let herself fall backwards in the snow as well. Her laugh was carried away into the wind, though still loud enough to shake Gyda awake, who got back on her feet so fast, it was as though touching Legolas had burned her. Which might've been more or less the case.

"We must get off the mountain." Boromir shouted towards their party leader. "Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the west road to my city!"

She got back on her feet, the reality of their situation settling in once again.

"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" Aragorn argued.

"We cannot pass over the mountain," Gimli added. "Let us go under it. Let us go through the Mines of Moria."

For a moment Gandalf looked torn, before finally speaking: "Let the Ring-Bearer decide."

Elgarain hardly thought it was fair to place this burden on Frodo's shoulders, but he was after all the most important member of this entire journey.

Frodo looked between his friends, doubt clearly plaguing him. Until his eyes settled on Sam, shaking from the cold, lips turning blue. The sight was enough to make up his mind. "We will go through the mines."

Gandalf's blue eyes hardened. "So be it."

But making their way back down proved more difficult than they anticipated. So much snow had fallen that it had formed a layer too thick for any of them to trudge through. It had been thrown around by the wind so much it had formed hills of white crystals.

"If Gandalf would go before us, he could melt a path with a flame," Legolas suggested.

"If Elves could fly, they might fetch the sun to save us," Gandalf replied. "But I must have something to work with. I cannot burn snow."

"The strongest of us could make a path through the snow, force a way for the others to pass through," Boromir joined in.

It seemed like the only option they had.

"Then let us make a path," Aragorn agreed.

The two men got to work, using both their strength and weight to wade a path through the snow. In some places the snow even reached their breasts, creating a rather comical sight as it looked like both men were swimming through the white blanket surrounding them.

For a while, Legolas watched them with a small, somewhat amused, smile, then he spoke: "I shall scout ahead for them to make sure no one else tumbles off a cliff." He turned to look at Gandalf. "Farewell. I go to find the sun!" Then he walked away, leaving no footprints behind.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Gyda roll her eyes, making her grin. Gandalf too, looked rather annoyed which only made her smile even wider.

Soon, both Boromir and Aragorn had also disappeared out of sight, leaving the rest of the Fellowship with no other choice than to wait. Elgarain decided to make use of the time to renew their strength. She reached into her pouch and took out the flask of Miruvor and handed it to Pippin. "Drink some of this. It will renew your strength."

With chattering teeth, the Hobbit took a sip, then handed the flask to Merry. A new light seemed to shine within the eyes of everyone who drank. A pleasant, warm glow heating their tired, cold bodies.

An hour, maybe more, went by as they waited huddled together, for the three members of the Fellowship to return. Pippin had fallen asleep against Gydas arm by the time they finally did. The head of her Guard slowly woke the Hobbit while Elgarain offered the three warriors some of the drink as well before putting it back in her bag.

"Well," Legolas said as they prepared to leave. "I have not brought the sun. She doesn't seem to want to show herself today. But I've brought good news. Beyond this cliff the snow is less thick and even the Hobbits will be able to walk through it."

"Then let us hurry," Gimli grumbled. "My toes are freezing in my boots." As he walked past her, Elgarain couldn't help but overhear him mumble to himself: "Cruel indeed."

With a small smile on her face, she made her way after him, unto the path Aragorn and Boromir created and back down the mountain. They survived the storm but Elgarain feared for the danger awaiting them once they made their way back down.

°∴,*⋅✲✦ ( ♕ ) ✦✲⋅*,∴°

𝕬𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝕹𝐎𝐓𝐄 . . .

Hey guys! Can't believe we're already at chapter 18!

I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I couldn't possibly resist putting in the absolute coldmine of a conversation from the books between grumpy grandad Gandalf and annoying child Legolas. Tolkien's humor is so great and it's hidden in a lot of subtle jokes in the books. This entire exchange has got to be one of my favorite though. All credit for that conversation goes to Tolkien! I only put it in my own words.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. We've got lots of fun stuff planned and I definitely will be adding more scenes from the books. I love the movies to pieces but I feel like adding a bit of stuff from the books just gives the story more depth.

Please leave your thoughts in the comments! I love hearing from you guys.

xx Nelly

ELVISH TRANSLATIONS:

Tári ― Queen

Rhaich ― Curses

NOTES ON LORE:

Miruvor ― A special wine or cordial used by the Valar and the Elves. This is a canon established potion and is not invented by me.

Elbereth ― Varda (or Elbereth in Sindarin) is the Queen of the Valar, the wife of Manwë. Of all the Valar, the Elves revere her most because she created the stars.

Khuzdul ― The language of the Dwarves. It was rarely heard by outsiders and was a secret, and was thus not recorded by Elves or Men.