"Spies of Saruman." She growled.

      "The passage south is being watched." Gandalf said. "We must take the Pass of Caradhras."

~~~~~~~<>~~~~~~~<3~~~~~~~<>~~~~~~~

     Boromir, Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin suddenly noticed Valadhiel and looked at her in amazement.

     "Yes, I can shift into a wolf." She said. "Come, let's get going." She walked past them and headed for the Redhorn Gate.

     "Are you going to travel in that form?" Aragorn asked.

     "No, of course not." She glanced back at them before shifting into a snow leopard. "This is the form I will be traveling in."

     "You never have liked the cold." Legolas said with a small smile.

     "I only like the cold in the heat."

     "That doesn't make sense, lass." Gimli said.

     "Do I ever make sense?"

     The Hobbits tried stifling a laugh, but failed. Aragorn and Gandalf chuckled: Legolas smiled. Gandalf caught up to Valadhiel (as she was now in the lead) and walked alongside her. Valadhiel glanced back at Frodo.

     "So when did your adventure first begin, Master Baggins?" She asked him.

     "You can call me Frodo." He said quietly. "I left the Shire September twenty third. Sam, Merry and Pippin came with me, as you already know. Eventually we came to the Old Forest and traveled through it."

     "That one tree tried to eat me!" Pippin exclaimed.

     "I don't want to go through that forest again." Merry said.

     "We would still be there if not for Mr. Bombadil." Sam said.

     "Bombadil?" Valadhiel repeated. "You mean Tom Bombadil?"

     "Yes. Do you know him?" Frodo asked.

     "I've met him once or twice. He offered me a place to stay when the hunters were after me. Anyways, please, do continue your story."

     So Frodo continued his story- Merry Pippin and Sam occasionally adding things- about Barrow-Wights and things of the like. He also included his story of when he met Strider (Aragorn), and their encounter with the Ringwraith at Weathertop.

     "Sounds like you've already been through quite a lot." Valadhiel said when he finished his story. She stopped suddenly, causing everyone (but Legolas) behind her to bump into each other.

     "Why'd you stop so abruptly?" Gimli asked.

     "We're about to enter the Pass of Caradhras." She said, then looked back at them. "Sorry."

     The Fellowship continued walking. Gandalf was (of course) in the lead. Aragorn was walking right behind him if not beside him. He made sure to keep Frodo close to him. Boromir walked with Merry and Pippin, Sam walked alone a lot of the time, and Gimli was in front of Legolas and Valadhiel.

     Soon the snow was pretty deep. The Hobbits were almost buried in it. Legolas and Valadhiel, however, walked on top of the snow as if it was nothing. Frodo stumbled and fell.

     "Frodo!" Aragorn said in alarm.

     Aragorn helped Frodo to his feet. Frodo felt his neck and a look of alarm spread across his face when he realized the Ring wasn't there. Both he and Valadhiel scanned the area, then stopped when they found it lying on top of the snow. Boromir saw it too and picked it up by its chain.

     "Boromir." Aragorn said warningly.

     "It is a strange fate we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing." Boromir said, looking at the Ring in a way that concerned Valadhiel. "Such a little thing."

     "Boromir!" Aragorn said harshly. "Give the Ring to Frodo."

     Boromir looked over at Aragorn, seemingly startled, then looked down at Frodo. He walked over to the halfling and handed it to him. "As you wish. I care not."

     Frodo snatched the Ring from Boromir and quickly slipped the chain on. The Fellowship continued struggling through the snow, Aragorn and Boromir now carrying the Hobbits. Valadhiel and Legolas were now in the lead.

     Valadhiel looked around. She sensed that something was off.

     Gimli looked over at Legolas and Valadhiel with a glare.

     'Lucky elves.' Gimli thought.

     'Aren't we?' Valadhiel, who had picked up his thought, answered. She swiveled her ears when she heard a voice on the wind.

     "Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse; nai yarvaxea rasselya!" [1]

     "There is a fell voice on the air." Legolas said.

     "It's Saruman!" Valadhiel called back to Gandalf.

     "Yes, I know." Gandalf replied.

     The sounds of rocks breaking came from above. Valadhiel dashed to the mountainside, as did the others, only seconds before there was an avalanche.

     "He's trying to bring down the mountain!" Aragorn shouted. "Gandalf, we must turn back!"

     "No!" Gandalf shouted in reply. He took a step forward. "Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho i 'ruith!" [2]

     "Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse; nai yarvaxea rasselya; taltuva notto-carinnar!" [3]

     Lightning struck the top of the mountain, sending another avalanche. Legolas pulled Gandalf back just before more snow fell, covering the Fellowship completely. The Fellowship emerged from the snow. The Hobbits were shivering.

     "Where's Valadhiel?" Legolas asked.

     Valadhiel suddenly emerged from the snow. She was the only one not shivering, since her fur was insulated. "I'm right here! I'm fine." She then swiveled her ears as Saruman's voice once again sounded on the air.

      "Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse; nai fawelya ure ar lanta inna meoi!" [4]

     Suddenly a stream of freezing cold water fell right on Valadhiel, causing her to let out a gasp as it soaked her to the bone. She climbed out of the snow and shook herself off, splashing Legolas, Aragorn and Gandalf in the process. Now she was the one shivering violently.

     "I ... really dislike ... that wizard." She said, chattering her teeth.

     "We must get off the mountain!" Boromir- who was holding one of the Hobbits- shouted over the freezing wind. "Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the west road to my city!"

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

     "If we cannot pass over a mountain, let us go under it." Gimli suggested. "Let us go through the Mines of Moria."

     Valadhiel's ears perked up. It had been many years since she had been there. In fact, she hadn't been there since Durin VI was still alive. She wasn't sure if it would be a good idea, however, since Balin, Ori and some other dwarves hadn't been heard from since they'd left. However, it would be as good a time as any to see if there was still life down there. And, of course, the creature that had taken the life of Durin was probably still down there. She glanced at Gandalf, who looked at Gimli worriedly.

     "Let the Ring-bearer decide." He said.

     "We cannot stay here!" Boromir said. "This will be the death of the Hobbits: and possibly Valadhiel! She's soaked to the bone!"

     "Frodo?" Gandalf said.

     He looked around at everybody and stopped at Valadhiel for a second before looking at Gandalf. "We will go through the mines."

     "So be it."

     So the Fellowship turned around and trudged back the way they came. Boromir held both Merry and Pippin, and Aragorn was holding Frodo. Sam had insisted that he was fine, so he walked alongside Gimli. Valadhiel was slower than the rest, as she couldn't feel her paws. She tripped several times, landing on her face in the cold snow. Her eyes stung, her nose was freezing, and her lips were probably blue under her soaking fur. She almost fell a sixth time when Legolas reached back and caught her. Aragorn glanced back, noticing the two of them had stopped.

     "Halt!" He called to the others. 

     The others turned around and looked back at Legolas and Valadhiel. The Hobbits were still shivering, Boromir's teeth started to chatter, Gimli's beard was covered in snow: Aragorn and Gandalf looked cold, although they neither shivered or chattered their teeth.

     "Are you alright?" Legolas asked, concern showing in his beautiful blue eyes.

     "Y-yeah." Valadhiel said through her chattering teeth. "M-my paws ... are just ... n-numb. I can't ... really ... feel them. I ... don't know if ... I will ... be able to- to keep up."

     "We must hurry!" Boromir called to them. "What are you doing?"

     "Boromir's right!" Aragorn said. "We must get out of here!"

     Legolas glanced back at the others before turning back to Valadhiel. There was only one option. He picked her up, even though she was sopping wet, and walked towards the others. He glanced down at her in concern. She was violently shaking.

     The Fellowship continued making their way out of Redhorn once Legolas caught up. Valadhiel turned her head and buried it into Legolas' chest. Some warmth emanated from him, warming her face slightly. She suddenly felt very tired. She hoped she wasn't getting hypothermia because of the snow, freezing water and cold wind.

     "Stay awake, Vala." Legolas said, too quiet for the others to hear but loud enough for her to hear.

     Valadhiel fought to stay awake, but had trouble keeping her eyes open. Soon, she drifted into a dreamless sleep.

~~~~~~~<>~~~~~~~<3~~~~~~~<>~~~~~~~

[1] Wake up cruel Redhorn! May your horn be bloodstained! (Quenya)
[2] Sleep Caradhras, be still, lie still, hold your wrath! (Sindarin)
[3] Wake up cruel Redhorn! May your bloodstained horn fall upon enemy heads! (Quenya)
[4] Wake up cruel Redhorn! May your snow heat and fall upon the cat! (Quenya)