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Question: Merry spent time in Rivendell studying maps. If he, like Frodo, overheard Aragorn and Gandalf discussing the “dark and secret way”, would he know that they were speaking of Moria? If so, what would his thoughts and reaction be?

Of Moria

By Elendiari

Merry lay huddled between Pippin and Frodo, pretending that he was asleep. It was cold and quiet on the road towards Caradhras, and the company was taking a well-deserved rest. Merry’s thoughts would not allow him sleep, though, and so he lay still, displeased with the idea of waking his cousins.

A shadow had hung over his mind since he had overheard Aragorn and Gandalf talking earlier in the morning. There was another way, Gandalf had said, a way that was not Caradhras. Merry had been watching the snowy peak draw closer to them for several days now, and it twisted his stomach to think that they would be climbing over it. Gandalf’s words frightened him more, though. He thought he knew the other way that the wizard had mentioned.

In the library at Rivendell had been a small leather-bound book that Merry had found trapped behind several herbal tomes. He had fished it out to see if it was any good, thinking it might be one of those silly romantic stories that he often found in his mother’s sewing basket. It had turned out to be a book of dwarvish lore, telling the history of the dwarves. He had read some of it, most curious about the ominous paragraph telling about the beautiful and terrible place that was Moria. The pages following that description were missing, and he had contented himself with finding Moria on one of Lord Elrond’s maps. Moria lay beneath Caradhras.

Merry sighed and rolled over, pulling his blankets tighter around himself. It was no use; he was not going to fall asleep like this. Moving as carefully as possible, he got up and went over to Legolas, who sat on a boulder keeping watch.

“Hullo,” he said. “I’ll watch with you, if you don’t mind. I can’t sleep.”

The Elf smiled kindly at him. “May I ask why not?”

Merry sighed gustily, gazing towards the mountains. “I keep thinking about Caradhras. I heard Gandalf say that there was another way, that we could avoid climbing the mountain.”

Legolas nodded. “Yes, I have heard of that way, and I fear it, also. I hope that we are able to avoid it.”

“Do you know of Moria?” Merry asked, dropping his voice to a whisper. “I found a book in Rivendell that had a section about Moria. I only got to read a bit of it before the pages went missing.”

“Something terrible happened there,” Legolas replied. “I cannot say what, but it is now called Durin’s Bane. I trust Gandalf, though, Master Merry, and so should you. If he feels that we should go to Moria, I will follow him, although I would not wish to.”

Merry nodded. “Aye, I know. Nothing can hurt Gandalf. We will be fine. Thank you, Legolas.”

He stood up again and went back to his cousins. As he settled down to sleep, Merry allowed his thoughts to wander again to Moria. They would be fine if Gandalf was with them, he had said. And Aragorn was not planning on going through Moria. Everything would be fine. He fell asleep with a tiny smile on his face.

*****

“We will go through the Mines.”

Merry and Legolas glanced at each other. Legolas nodded at the hobbit, and nodded towards the wizard. Merry read his glance and nodded back. We will be fine. Nothing can hurt Gandalf.

The End.