#Chamber of Mazarbul

[oldschoolfrp]

BALIN SON OF FUNDIN LORD OF MORIA

(Liz Danforth, Moria, Middle Earth Citadel supplement for MERP, Rolemaster, and the Lord of the Rings Adventure Game, Iron Crown Enterprises, 2nd ed, 1994)

[ebaeschnbliah]

Doom, doom went the drums in the deep ...

But even as they retreated, and before Pippin and Merry had reached the stair outside, a huge orc-chieftain, almost man-high, clad in black mail from head to foot, leaped into the chamber; behind him his followers clustered in the doorway. 

His broad flat face was swart, his eyes were like coals, and his tongue was red; he wielded a great spear. With a thrust of his huge hide shield he turned Boromir's sword and bore him backwards, throwing him to the ground. Diving under Aragorn's blow with the speed of a striking snake he charged into the Company and thrust with his spear straight at Frodo. 

The blow caught him on the right side, and Frodo was hurled against the wall and pinned. Sam, with a cry, hacked at the spear-shaft, and it broke. But even as the orc flung down the truncheon and swept out his scimitar, Andúril came down upon his helm. There was a flash like flame and the helm burst asunder. The orc fell with cloven head. His followers fled howling, as Boromir and Aragorn sprang at them.

Doom, doom went the drums in the deep. The great voice rolled out again.

'Now! ' shouted Gandalf. 'Now is the last chance. Run for it! '

Aragorn picked up Frodo where he lay by the wall and made for the stair, pushing Merry and Pippin in front of him. The others followed; but Gimli had to be dragged away by Legolas: in spite of the peril he lingered by Balin's tomb with his head bowed. Boromir hauled the eastern door to, grinding upon its hinges: it had great iron rings on either side, but could not be fastened.

'I am all right,' gasped Frodo. `I can walk. Put me down! '

Aragorn nearly dropped him in his amazement. 'I thought you were dead! ' he cried.

JRR Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Bridge of Khazad-dûm

[tenth-sentence]

It had been slashed and stabbed and partly burned, and it was so stained with black and other dark marks like old blood that little of it could be read.

"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" - J.R.R. Tolkien

[conundrumoftime]

Galadriel and Celeborn in earlier drafts of LOTR (part 1)

Since Twitter is getting closer to unusable I'm going to try to collect up more of my various scattered-thought meta-y threads from there into more coherent form on here. So first off: Galadriel's first appearance in Tolkien's early drafts of LOTR, and what I find so interesting about it! (This is all from The Treason of Isengard, the seventh book in the History of Middle-earth series.)

Beginning by throwing in this delightful little footnote in which Tolkien considered making Galadriel x Elrond canon :)

A second rejected note was written at some time later against Haldir's words 'they bring me a message from the Lord and Lady of the Galadrim': Lord? If Galadriel is alone and is wife of Elrond.

Anyway!

So this is the earliest appearance of Galadriel in any of Tolkien's writings, and Tolkien's writing process and approach to his whole mythology and the characters within it is so evident from the way he so clearly creates her, looks at what he's created, and thinks "oh she's got to be important" and then starts to weave her into all the earlier First and Second-Age stories.

As the notes and drafts of the Lothlorien chapters evolve Galadriel's role becomes more important and Celeborn's less. Some of the lines she gets in LOTR were his in earlier drafts, eg "your quest is known to us, but we will not speak of it openly"; Christopher Tolkien's notes say of one change that Galadriel ‘expresses the opinion previously given to Keleborn, and more decisively’. (It's funny to me in this context that the line Celeborn is best known for after the films, the "where is Gandalf" one, is Galadriel's in the book.)

Intriguingly the Mirror is in the earlier drafts & notes Celeborn's - it first appears as the 'Mirror of King Galdaran' (an earlier name for him) - and he's apparently the one who tells Frodo and Sam what it shows. Then it's his mirror, but she's the one who uses it; then finally it's just hers.

The earlier draft of their introduction:

On two seats at the further end [of the room] sat side by side the Lord and Lady of Lothlórien. They looked tall even as they sat, and their hair was white and long. They said no word and moved not, but their eyes were shining.

Compared to the LOTR version:

On two chairs beneath the bole of the tree and canopied by a living bough there sat, side by side, Celeborn and Galadriel. They stood up to greet their guests, after the manner of Elves, even those who were accounted mighty kings. Very tall they were, and the Lady no less tall than the Lord; and they were grave and beautiful. They were clad wholly in white; and the hair of the Lady was of deep gold, and the hair of the Lord Celeborn was of silver long and bright; but no sign of age was upon them, unless it was in the depths of their eyes; for these were keen as lances in the starlight, and yet profound, the wells of deep memory.

That draft names them as 'Keleborn and Galadriel', but JRRT's earlier notes give other names: Tar and Finduilas -> Aran and Rhien -> Galdaran and Galdri(e)n -> Galathir and Galadhrien. Celeborn also appears randomly as 'Arafain' at one point. (Interesting that Tolkien dropped the Gal- entirely from Celeborn's name in the end but named his brother 'Galathil'; in my head they're twins.)

In this early draft Celeborn also has quite a detached and thoughtful approach to the news of the Balrog in Moria, compared to his eventual dialogue in LOTR which reads more like "the dwarves woke up a fucking what?"

Early draft:

“Tell me the full tale,' said Keleborn. Ingold [= Aragorn] then recounted all that had happened upon the pass of Caradras and afterwards; and he spoke of Balin and his book and the fight in the Chamber of Mazarbul, and the fire, and the narrow bridge, and the coming of the Balrog. 'A Balrog!' said Keleborn. "Not since the Elder Days have I heard that a Balrog was loose upon the world. Some we have thought are perhaps hidden in Mordor [?or] near the Mountain of Fire, but naught has been seen of them since the Great Battle and the fall of Thangorodrim. I doubt much if this Balrog has lain hid in the Misty Mountains - and I fear rather that he was sent by Sauron from Orodruin, the Mountain of Fire."

and LOTR:

'I saw Durin's Bane,' said Gimli in a low voice, and dread was in his eyes. 'Alas!' said Celeborn. 'We long have feared that under Caradhras a terror slept. But had I known that the Dwarves had stirred up this evil in Moria again, I would have forbidden you to pass the northern borders, you and all that went with you. And if it were possible, one would say that at the last Gandalf fell from wisdom into folly, going needlessly into the net of Moria.' 'He would be rash indeed that said that thing,' said Galadriel gravely.

Both versions have Galadriel's giving a similar-ish description of who they are and how she knows Gandalf, but you can see how much more significant her role in the events of the Third Age has become by the final LOTR version:

Early draft:

'Your quest is known to me,' said Galadriel, [?seeing] Frodo's look, 'though we will not here speak more openly of it. I was at the White Council, and of all those there gathered none did I love more than Gandalf the Grey. Often have we met since and spoken of many things and purposes.'

LOTR:

'Your quest is known to us,' said Galadriel, looking at Frodo. 'But we will not here speak of it more openly [...] I it was who first summoned the White Council. And if my designs had not gone amiss, it would have been governed by Gandalf the Grey, and then mayhap things would have gone otherwise.'

Her description of who she and Celeborn are, coming right after this, is also interesting to compare.

Early draft:

The lord and lady of Lothlorien are accounted wise beyond the measure of the Elves of Middle-earth, and of all who have not passed beyond the Seas. For we have dwelt here since the Mountains were reared and the Sun was young.

LOTR:

For the Lord of the Galadhrim is accounted the wisest of the Elves of Middle-earth, and a giver of gifts beyond the power of kings. He has dwelt in the West since the days of dawn, and I have dwelt with him years uncounted; for ere the fall of Nargothrond or Gondolin I passed over the mountains, and together through ages of the world we have fought the long defeat.

Some things I find interesting about this:

the implication that they are both Noldor in this earliest version;

the change from both of them being accounted 'wise' to just him, lol Galadriel what happened here;

'a giver of gifts beyond the power of kings', especially reading this in the context of the Unfinished Tales versions of their 2nd Age story where they knew Sauron as Annatar, Lord of Gifts; sometimes you just get these intriguing insights into their marriage is what I'm saying.

this note!

An addition to the manuscript after the words 'for we have dwelt here since the mountains were reared and the sun was young' reads: 'And I have dwelt here with him since days of dawn, when I passed over the seas with Melian of Valinor, and together we have fought the long defeat.

This is definitely written after Tolkien had created the idea of the rebellion of the Noldor and of Melian and Thingol. So having Galadriel come to Middle-earth before the rebellion, with Melian, is presumably a way to separate her from being one of the exiles, in a way Tolkien later returned to with his very late conceptions of Galadriel and Teleri Celeborn setting out for Middle-earth separately. But I am so fascinated by the idea that this version of Galadriel just upped and left Valinor, along with one of the Maiar, because she... fancied a change?

Doubly fascinating to me if Tolkien was already thinking of Celeborn as Sindar in that version, because that means both Melian and Galadriel married Sindar royalty after coming to Middle-earth. And Melian's husband fell in love with her and got enchanted by her presence enough that he stayed in place for two hundred years as the forest grew up around him and caused all his people to abandon their journey to Valinor while they searched for him. The idea of Galadriel watching this La Belle Dame Sans Merci type of fairy tale unfold before her and then deciding she wants one too feels both somewhat terrifying and also like the sort of thing she might do.

Anyway, leaving this here for now because I have some fanfic to write and it's getting long enough already. Next time: Rings and the Mirror!

Part 2 is here

[sapphoismymuse]

We drove out orcs from the great gate and guard room—we slew many in the bright sun in the dale. Flói was killed by an arrow. He slew the great… Flói under grass near Mirror mere… We have taken the twentyfirst hall of North end to dwell in. There is… shaft… Balin has set up his seat in the Chamber of Mazarbul… gold… Durin’s axe… Balin is now lord of Moria.

… we found truesilver… wellforged… mirthril… Óin to seek for the upper armouries of Third Deep… westwards… to Hollin gate.

yestre day being the tenth of novembre Balin lord of Moria fell in Dimril Dale. He went alone to look in Mirror mere. An orc shot him from behind a stone. We slew the orc, but many more… up from east up the Silverlode… we have barred the gates… can hold them long if… horrible… suffer…

We cannot get out. We cannot get out. They have taken the Bridge and the second hall. Frár and Lóni and Náli fell there… went 5 days ago… pool is up to the wall at Westgate. The Watcher in the Water took Óin. We cannot get out. The end comes… drums, drums in the deep… they are coming.

The Book of Mazarbul, The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien

[turquoisemagpie]

what’s your favorite fictional trope?

Probably MacGuffins/cursed artefacts/ancient super-weapons. Anything that's an item/object/location that drives the actions of the characters.

Bonus point for the location option providing cool environmental story telling e.g The Mines of Moria/Chamber of Mazarbul in LotR .

[astriiformes]

Thinking about how even though it isn't until Lothlórien that Legolas and Gimli become full-on, do-not-separate-them bonded for life, before that, in Moria, Legolas is still the one who drags Gimli away from the Chamber of Mazarbul when the Fellowship has to flee.

[carlandrea]

'We drove out orcs from the great gate and guard – I think; the next word is blurred and burned: probably room – we slew many in the bright – I think – sun in the dale. Flói was killed by an arrow. He slew the great. Then there is a blur followed by Flói under grass near Mirror mere. The next line or two I cannot read. Then comes We have taken the twentyfirst hall of North end to dwell in. There is I cannot read what. A shaft is mentioned. Then Balin has set up his seat in the Chamber of Mazarbul.'

This is a passage written by a man who has devoted his career to studying ancient manuscripts and it shows

[cycas]

Trolls & Warriors in LOTR

18th October: Sam recites a poem about a comical troll: 'It's out of his own head, of course,' said Frodo. 'I am learning a lot about Sam Gamgee on this journey. First he was a conspirator, now he's a jester. He'll end up by becoming a wizard – or a warrior!'   'I hope not,' said Sam. 'I don't want to be neither!'

15th January: in the Chamber of Mazarbul: How many there were the Company could not count. The affray was sharp, but the orcs were dismayed by the fierceness of the defence. Legolas shot two through the throat. Gimli hewed the legs from under another that had sprung up on Balin's tomb. Boromir and Aragorn slew many. When thirteen had fallen the rest fled shrieking, leaving the defenders unharmed, except for Sam who had a scratch along the scalp. A quick duck had saved him; and he had felled his orc: a sturdy thrust with his Barrow-blade. A fire was smouldering in his brown eyes that would have made Ted Sandyman step backwards, if he had seen it.

'Now is the time!' cried Gandalf. 'Let us go, before the troll returns!'

[faultyejectorseat]

Ori_Moria: We cannot get out. We cannot get out. They have taken the bridge and Second Hall [12:42]

Ori_Moria: Frár and Lóni and Náli fell there bravely while the rest retreated to the Chamber of Mazarbul. [12:43]

Ori_Moria: The end comes soon. We hear drums, drums in the deep. They are coming [12:44]

via GIPHY

Dragging my bleeding, broken body up to the last computer and hitting post before succumbing to my injuries…

[ao3feed-tolkien]

Orodûm

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/YGtQRuT

by TicciTavvi

Ori dies in The chamber Mazarbul at the side of a tomb, the sound of drums his funeral rites, His masterwork a stack of obituaries.

Ori wakes up in a child's body, 2 years before the quest to Erebor, and 48 years before Balins' expedition to the cursed mines of Moria.

It's clear what the young dwarf must do- he just wishes the gods had been a bit more specific about how he was actually supposed to go about it.

Words: 809, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M

Characters: Kíli (Tolkien), Fíli (Tolkien), Thorin Oakenshield, Dori (Tolkien), Nori (Tolkien), Ori (Tolkien), Bifur (Tolkien), Bombur (Tolkien), Óin (Tolkien), Dwalin (Tolkien), Thorin's Company, Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf | Mithrandir, Glóin (Tolkien), Balin (Tolkien), Bofur (Tolkien)

Relationships: Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield, Kíli (Tolkien)/Tauriel (Hobbit Movies), Fíli/Ori (Tolkien), Dwalin/Nori (Tolkien)

Additional Tags: Time Travel Fix-It, Time Travel, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Ori time travels, Ori centric, Ori Is A Sweetheart, Brotherly Love, Brotherly Bonding, BAMF Ori, Ori Is a Little Shit, Havent fully decided on ships, first fic, Like, Ever - Freeform, Bilbo is So Done, bilbo is the only adult, ori has some trauma, though thats probably to be expected, ya know, when you see all your friends die brutally, Canonical Character Death, but only temporary death, Not Canon Compliant, lots of my own personal headcannons thrown in there, Dwarves and Hair, Stubborn Dwarves

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/YGtQRuT

[ebaeschnbliah]

`Sit now beside my chair, Frodo of the Shire!' ...

... said Celeborn. `When all have come we will speak together.' Each of the companions he greeted courteously by name as they entered. `Welcome Aragorn son of Arathorn! ' he said. `It is eight and thirty years of the world outside since you came to this land; and those years lie heavy on you. But the end is near, for good or ill. Here lay aside your burden for a while!'

'Welcome son of Thranduil! Too seldom do my kindred journey hither from the North.'

`Welcome Gimli son of Glóin! It is long indeed since we saw one of Durin's folk in Caras Galadhon. But today we have broken our long law. May it be a sign that though the world is now dark better days are at hand, and that friendship shall be renewed between our peoples.' Gimli bowed low.

When all the guests were seated before his chair the Lord looked at them again. 'Here there are eight,' he said. `Nine were to set out: so said the messages. But maybe there has been some change of counsel that we have not heard. Elrond is far away, and darkness gathers between us, and all this year the shadows have grown longer.'

`Nay, there was no change of counsel,' said the Lady Galadriel speaking for the first time. Her voice was clear and musical, but deeper than woman's wont. `Gandalf the Grey set out with the Company, but he did not pass the borders of this land. Now tell us where he is; for I much desired to speak with him again. But I cannot see him from afar, unless he comes within the fences of Lothlórien: a grey mist is about him, and the ways of his feet and of his mind are hidden from me.'

'Alas! ' said Aragorn. `Gandalf the Grey fell into shadow. He remained in Moria and did not escape.'

At these words all the Elves in the hall cried aloud in grief and amazement. `These are evil tidings,' said Celeborn, `the most evil that have been spoken here in long years full of grievous deeds.' He turned to Haldir. `Why has nothing of this been told to me before? ' he asked in the Elven-tongue.

'We have not spoken to Haldir of our deeds or our purpose,' said Legolas. `At first we were weary and danger was too close behind and afterwards we almost forgot our grief for a time, as we walked in gladness on the fair paths of Lórien.'

`Yet our grief is great and our loss cannot be mended,' said Frodo. 'Gandalf was our guide, and he led us through Moria; and when our escape seemed beyond hope he saved us, and he fell.'

'Tell us now the full tale! ' said Celeborn.

Then Aragorn recounted all that had happened upon the pass of Caradhras, and in the days that followed; and he spoke of Balin and his book, and the fight in the Chamber of Mazarbul, and the fire, and the narrow bridge, and the coming of the Terror. 'An evil of the Ancient World it seemed, such as I have never seen before,' said Aragorn. `It was both a shadow and a flame, strong and terrible.'

'It was a Balrog of Morgoth,' said Legolas; `of all elf-banes the most deadly, save the One who sits in the Dark Tower.'

`Indeed I saw upon the bridge that which haunts our darkest dreams l saw Durin's Bane,' said Gimli in a low voice, and dread was in his eyes.

'Alas! ' said Celeborn. `We long have feared that under Caradhras a terror slept. But had I known that the Dwarves had stirred up this evil in Moria again, l would have forbidden you to pass the northern borders, you and all that went with you. And if it were possible, one would say that at the last Gandalf fell from wisdom into folly, going needlessly into the net of Moria.'

`He would be rash indeed that said that thing,' said Galadriel gravely. `Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life. Those that followed him knew not his mind and cannot report his full purpose. But however it may be with the guide, the followers are blameless. Do not repent of your welcome to the Dwarf. If our folk had been exiled long and far from Lothlórien, who of the Galadhrim, even Celeborn the Wise, would pass nigh and would not wish to look upon their ancient home, though it had become an abode of dragons?

'Dark is the water of Kheled-zâram, and cold are the springs of Kibil-nâla, and fair were the many-pillared halls of Khazad-dûm in Elder Days before the fall of mighty kings beneath the stone.' She looked upon Gimli, who sat glowering and sad, and she smiled. And the Dwarf, hearing the names given in his own ancient tongue, looked up and met her eyes; and it seemed to him that he looked suddenly into the heart of an enemy and saw there love and understanding. Wonder came into his face, and then he smiled in answer.

He rose clumsily and bowed in dwarf-fashion, saying: `Yet more fair is the living land of Lórien, and the Lady Galadriel is above all the jewels that lie beneath the earth! '

There was a silence. At length Celeborn spoke again. `I did not know that your plight was so evil,' he said. `Let Gimli forget my harsh words: I spoke in the trouble of my heart. I will do what I can to aid you, each according to his wish and need, but especially that one of the little folk who bears the burden.'

JRR Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Mirror of Galadriel

[ao3feed-thehobbit]

Orodûm

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/D5GLy3v

by TicciTavvi

Ori dies in The chamber Mazarbul at the side of a tomb, the sound of drums his funeral rites, His masterwork a stack of obituaries.

Ori wakes up in a child's body, 2 years before the quest to Erebor, and 48 years before Balins' expedition to the cursed mines of Moria.

It's clear what the young dwarf must do- he just wishes the gods had been a bit more specific about how he was actually supposed to go about it.

Words: 809, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M

Characters: Kíli (Tolkien), Fíli (Tolkien), Thorin Oakenshield, Dori (Tolkien), Nori (Tolkien), Ori (Tolkien), Bifur (Tolkien), Bombur (Tolkien), Óin (Tolkien), Dwalin (Tolkien), Thorin's Company, Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf | Mithrandir, Glóin (Tolkien), Balin (Tolkien), Bofur (Tolkien)

Relationships: Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield, Kíli (Tolkien)/Tauriel (Hobbit Movies), Fíli/Ori (Tolkien), Dwalin/Nori (Tolkien)

Additional Tags: Time Travel Fix-It, Time Travel, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Ori time travels, Ori centric, Ori Is A Sweetheart, Brotherly Love, Brotherly Bonding, BAMF Ori, Ori Is a Little Shit, Havent fully decided on ships, first fic, Like, Ever - Freeform, Bilbo is So Done, bilbo is the only adult, ori has some trauma, though thats probably to be expected, ya know, when you see all your friends die brutally, Canonical Character Death, but only temporary death, Not Canon Compliant, lots of my own personal headcannons thrown in there, Dwarves and Hair, Stubborn Dwarves

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/D5GLy3v

[nerds-yearbook]

On November 10, 2994 (Third Age of Middle-Earth), the dwarf king Balin was murdered by an Orc's arrow in his mine kingdom of Moria. He was laid to rest in the Chamber of Mazarbul. (Fellowship of the Ring, Bk)

[tolkienmatters]

He paused and sighed.

`It is grim reading,' he said. 'I fear their end was cruel. Listen! We cannot get out. We cannot get out. They have taken the Bridge and second hall. Frár and Lóni and Náli fell there. Then there are four lines smeared so that I can only read went 5 days ago. The last lines run the pool is up to the wall at Westgate. The Watcher in the Water took Óin. We cannot get out. The end comes, and then drums, drums in the deep. I wonder what that means. The last thing written is in a trailing scrawl of elf-letters: they are coming. There is nothing more.' Gandalf paused and stood in silent thought.

A sudden dread and a horror of the chamber fell on the Company. `We cannot get out,' muttered Gimli. 'It was well for us that the pool had sunk a little, and that the Watcher was sleeping down at the southern end.'

Gandalf raised his head and looked round. `They seem to have made a last stand by both doors,' he said; 'but there were not many left by that time. So ended the attempt to retake Moria! It was valiant but foolish. The time is not come yet. Now, I fear, we must say farewell to Balin son of Fundin. Here he must lie in the halls of his fathers. We will take this book, the Book of Mazarbul, and look at it more closely later. You had better keep it, Gimli, and take it back to Dáin, if you get a chance. It will interest him, though it will grieve him deeply. Come, let us go! The morning is passing.'

- Gandalf reading the final page of the Book of Mazarbul. Tolkien recreated the pages referenced in the book by burning them with his pipe and applying paint. As Dáin died during the War of the Ring it is unlikely he ever saw the fate of the Moria expedition. Note that the book was written in both Tengwar and   Angerthas Erebor (Dwarven runes). Fellowship of the Ring, The Bridge of Khazad-dûm.

[guardianofrivendell]

Gentlemen in Distress (request)

Legolas x reader x Fellowship

Requested: Yes! @galileostyles​ asked “hey i love your writing so much ❤️ could you do a legolas x reader x fellowship where they see you fighting for the first time at the mines of moria and feel bad for underestimating you. thanks ❤️”

Warnings: men being men

A/N: This was harder than I thought! I wrote it a first time last week but then I realized it was too similar to an upcoming chapter of ‘Perfect Secrets’, so I had to delete and start all over again. Enjoy and let me know what you think! I live for comments/reblogs :) 

(I absolutely love this gif. It practically screams testosteron! If I was standing near an Orc at this moment I would take its arm and wound it around my neck myself, and gladly take up the role of damsel in distress. Yes please!)

The fellowship halted before the gates of Moria.  You were relieved to be out of the snow, but dreaded the upcoming journey through Moria. You knew why Gandalf hesitated to go through them, shivering at the thought of what could happen. Legolas’ eyes met yours, but he looked the other way when he saw you staring back. You rolled your eyes, knowing you had to have a serious word with your beloved Elf. 

While Gandalf tried to figure out how to crack the password after two unsuccesful attempts, you made your way towards Legolas. It felt like days since you two spoke to each other.  He didn’t look up when you sat down next to him. You sighed, kicking the sand with the heel of your boot.

“Are you still cross with me?” you asked, already knowing the answer. He pursed his lips, as if he was actually considering it. But then he rose to his feet and went to Aragorn and Sam.  “Guess that’s a yes,” you muttered.  Merry and Pippin let themself drop down at your feet. You heard Gandalf yelling at poor Pippin a few moments before and he still looked a bit shaken.  “Still mad at you?” Merry asked. You nodded. “He has every right to be, my lady,” Boromir interrupted. You didn’t know he had been eavesdropping.  “And why is that?” you asked him. “This journey is no place for a woman. When we fight, we do not have the time to protect you as well. He only wants to keep you safe.” You rolled your eyes again. “How many times do I have to say that I can take care of myself? I know how to fight!” “Training or taking part in a battle is not the same thing. If you were mine, I would have tied you to a chair to make sure you didn’t join us.” “That’s why ‘if’ is the keyword, Boromir,” you reminded him.  

You could hear Frodo shout something, and the doors to Moria finally opened.  Everyone got to their feet and entered the mines.  Legolas made his way up front with Gandalf and Frodo, while you lingered towards the back of the group. If he wanted to ignore you, so be it. You wouldn’t fret about it anymore. He’ll come around eventually. 

The reason of your falling out was quite simple. Legolas had forbidden you to go along on the journey, after you volunteered at the Council of Elrond, following his example. Yes, that’s right. He forbade you. Like you were his property.  Not that he could have convinced you not to go, but you might have listened to reason. But as soon as he said that damned word, your mind was set. You were going, even if that meant you had to end your relationship because of it.  And ever since you left Rivendell with the fellowship, Legolas had given you the cold shoulder. He hardly talked to you and chose to walk alongside everyone but you.  When the Crebain flew over in Eregion, it hadn’t been Legolas who pulled you under the rocks but Aragorn. At that moment you realized he truly was angry at you. What you failed to notice was the worried expression Legolas wore the entire time, cursing himself for not being anywhere near you to pull you to safety. He had thanked Aragorn extensively afterwards. He vowed to himself to never make that mistake again. 

When you entered the mines, you could hear Gimli boasting about his cousin and the hospitality they were about to recieve.  You felt the darkness closing in around you, you really didn’t like this place.  “This is no mine, it’s a tombe!” You heard Boromir exclaim. It was only then you realised the cracking sound beneath your feet wasn’t the sound of branches breaking or gravel. You were literally walking on dead bodies.  Legolas pulled an arrow out of a corpse.  “Goblins!” he hissed. He notched an arrow on his bow and instinctively took a few steps towards you. You were too busy trying to avoid stepping on another dead Dwarf that you didn’t notice.

Boromir yelled something about the Gap of Rohan, but a movement outside of the gates caught your attention. Out of the water came a long tentacle, slowly sliding over the ground towards Frodo. Before you could warn him, it grabbed his leg and dragged him out of the mines.  Sam cried to Aragorn for help, alerting everyone else. They all ran outside and tried to cut off the tentacles with their swords. Boromir had been able to free Frodo, but the giant squidlike creature wasn’t giving up very easily.  “Y/N! Go back inside, take the Hobbits with you!” Aragorn yelled.  Seriously? You were not a babysitter! Why did they have such a hard time believing you could hold your own? Aragorn, Gimli and Boromir kept slicing the tentacles, but the creature didn’t back off. Legolas shot arrow after arrow, to no avail. They needed help. “Quick, give me a sword or a dagger, anything!” you yelled, eager to join the fight. “No!” Legolas yelled, shooting an arrow in the squid’s left eye. “Go back into the mines!” “Oh, now you can talk to me!” You felt someone grab your arm, trying to pull you back. You shook them off before you turned around and saw it was Merry, immediately swallowing the insult that had been on your tongue. “Into the mines, hurry!” Gandalf shouted, when he realised this was a fight they could not win. You followed the others back into the mine, barely escaping the falling rocks when the entrance collapsed. 

*

After a few days of walking through Moria, you had reached the Chamber of Mazarbul.  Legolas still wasn’t talking to you, now upset you hadn’t listened to him with the squid situation, but you knew he was going to give in at any moment. You had caught him staring multiple times, his hands twitching to take yours when you walked next to each other.  Gimli cried over the loss of Balin. You placed your hand on his shoulder and squeezed lightly. He gave you a grateful nod.  You heard Gandalf reading aloud from a book he’d found, and the words he spoke made your hairs stand up.  A sudden clang sounded through the chamber, and you saw Pippin standing by a well. He had managed to knock the head off a corpse, and the body of the fallen warrior followed seconds later. Gandalf shouted at him for being so careless. “Don’t worry Pippin, he’s under a lot of stress. He doesn’t mean it,” you tried to ease the tension between them. But then the drumbeats had started…  “Orcs!” Boromir and Aragorn ran to the door and barricaded it with anything they could find on the ground.  “They have a cave troll,” Boromir laughed sarcastically. 

“Y/N! Take the Hobbits and go to the back of the chamber! Stay behind Gandalf!” Aragorn shouted. “No! I want to fight! You can use my help,” you yelled angrily. You weren’t going to stand helpless at the sidelines again. Not this time. “Meleth nin,” Legolas spoke to you, his jaw clenched. “Could you please listen to us for once? I only want to keep you safe!” He cupped your face with his hands, and kissed your lips. “I could not live with myself if you got hurt.” The Orcs started to hack through the heavy wooden doors with their axes.  “Go!” he growled at you, and you were so surprised at his reaction that you obeyed. 

You had gathered the Hobbits and hidden yourself on the second level, behind the pillars to keep you out of sight.  The men had no problem with the Orcs, slaying every single one who crossed the wooden doors. But then a loud growl resounded through the chamber, and the cave troll entered, shattering the remains of the door with his mace. A curse escaped you, this was entirely different than fighting against Orcs. The troll immediately made its way to Legolas. The skin was too thick, Legolas’ arrows bounced off of it.  He barely avoided a hit with the mace, and you started to get worried. 

Suddenly the troll spotted you and the Hobbits, and with a screech he ran towards you.  It swung its mace and you grabbed Frodo, yelling at the other Hobbits to go the other way, hoping it would chase you to keep them safe.  Aragorn and Boromir took the chain hanging from its neck and pulled at it with all their might, trying to distract it and buy you and Frodo some time to get yourselves to safety. Legolas and Gimli were too busy with the remaining Orcs. The troll swung its mace at them, and with one powerful blow he threw Boromir across the room into the wall. He landed with a thump on the ground, unconscious.  “No!” you screamed, which caught the creature’s attention. He charged at you again, and you shoved Frodo behind you.  The troll roared in pain when Aragorn threw a spear at him, piercing his back. Aragorn soon suffered the same fate as Boromir. Your eyes went to Boromir, who was slowly regaining his consciousness, to Legolas who was shooting arrows at the troll again in the hope to find a weak spot, and back to Aragorn, who lay lifeless on the ground. They were losing this battle… You couldn’t stay there and do nothing! Even Sam was fighting against the last Orcs with his frying pan of all things, but it was effective. They only had to find a way to defeat the cavetroll. And you knew how.

“Stay here!” you said to Frodo, shoving him in the corner. You jumped of the landing and took two Orc swords from the ground. “Y/N, no!” Legolas cried at you. But you already listened once today, and that was more than enough. You ran around the troll, hacking your swords in its legs. It cried out in pain, and was now really pissed off at you.  “Y/N, Lassie, leave this to us!” Gimli shouted.  “Yes, because you’re doing so great!” you yelled back. The troll swung at you with its mace, and it smacked to the ground right in front of you. Perfect timing, you thought and you jumped on top of it, and nimbly ran up his arm towards his shoulder. It tried to smack you off of him, but you were faster, slicing his shoulder and upper back.  You sat down, and swung your arms around his neck, effectively slicing his throat with both swords. The troll made a gargling sound and fell face forward to the ground. You jumped off his back, twirling the swords in a cocky way.

The whole fellowship looked at you in surprise.  “That was amazing!” Merry and Pippin yelled at you, engulfing you in a hug. “Excellent fighting skills!” Boromir complimented. “I’m sorry we doubted you.” The others couldn’t agree more. Legolas however stayed silent. “Are you okay?” you asked him. He scoffed. “You’re asking me if I’m okay? No, Y/N. I’m not! You didn’t listen and put yourself in danger. I had a dozen heart attacks while you fought that troll!” You stared at the ground. He lifted your chin with his hand, and he pressed his lips against yours. “But you have proven to me that you can stand your ground.” You smiled at that. “Does that mean I can have one of your swords?” “Absolutely not!”

A/N: I’m still not that good with endings, but you get the idea!