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The Fellowship was slowly climbing the slopes of Caradhras, the snow shimmering gently on the ground despite the harsh cold clinging to the fallen snow.
The great blue and clear sky above them, holding small amounts of warmth despite the clinging snow.
Glancing upwards for a brief moment Ragnar takes a deep breath, cold and fresh air making its way into their lungs as they hear a yelp and a figure falling behind them, swiftly turning around they see Frodo tumbling down the slopes at a quickened pace. Panicking as they see him tumble, before he collides into Aragon who catches the fallen hobbit and helps him up.
Ragnar takes a breath of relief, tail anxiously swishing behind them, carefully watching Frodo they see as his hand reaches towards his neck, towards the ring. Frodos face quickly morphs into panic and he looks around, before Boromir leans down. In his hand dangles the ring from a loose chain.
"Boromir."
Aragon quietly speaks, his voice being carried by the wind. Making it appear to sound much closer to the rest of the Fellowship.
"It is a strange fate, that we should suffer so much fear and doubt... over so small a thing.. such a little thing"
Boromirs voice was quiet, almost full of sorrow and yet the wind carried his voice as if louder. His hand reaches out, as if to graze or touch the ring itself, chain quiet despite the winds.
"Boromir!"
Aragon snaps at him, Boromir quickly looking up at him removing his gaze and hand from the ring entirely, his trance broken.
"Give the ring to Frodo."
Boromir slowly walks down the slopes, ring dangling from his side now making his way towards the ranger and hobbit. He stops in front of them and extends the ring out towards Frodo
"As you wish."
Frodo doesn't wait, quickly snatching it back.
"I do not care."
Boromir gives a small smile and jokingly tousles Frodos hair, before turning around and continuing the climb. Frodo watches on, a suspension and tension in his gaze.
Aragon slowly removes the grip he had on his sword, gently urging the hobbit to go on by a small brief pat on the shoulder.
Boromir passes Ragnar, giving them a small smile as their eyes follow him with a slight furrowed brow, as he passes their eyes return to Frodo seeing the fellow hobbit slowly treck up the slopes, Aragon following behind as he had for a while.
Reaching Ragnar, they give Frodo a worried glance, Frodo just gives a small smile and continues. Ragnar following suit when Aragon reaches them.
As hours pass the snow begins to fall, slow and gentle at first before turning harsh and violent. Winds picking up speed carrying freezing air with it, a far away voice rumbling through out the wind. Speaking in tongues Ragnar could not understand, even if they could they wouldn't want to.
"There is a fell voice in the air!"
Legolas shouts, looking out beyond into the sky standing gracefully on the high snowbanks.
"It's Saruman!"
Gandalf swiftly yells back, with a rending echo, a horde of rock slabs and boulders fall from the mountain's arms. The Fellowship quickly shoving themselves and those close by, flat against the mountain side to avoid the onslaught of stone.
"He's trying to bring down the mountain! Gandalf, we must turn back!"
Aragon shouts, holding onto Ragnar and Frodo.
"No!"
Gandalf snaps back at the ranger before stepping out onto the ledge, lifting his staff and yelling into the air. The words foreign for most, Ragnar presses their face into Aragon clutching onto his coat.
The wizards words are drowned out by a more terrible cry in the snowy maelstrom. Sarumans commands continuing to cut through the wind, a great black stormcloud forms above Caradhras towering over the mountain itself.
As he speaks the cloud rumbles before giving out a terrible lightning strike, striking the tip of Caradhras. Sending an avalanche of white ice onto the Fellowship, Legolas quickly snatching the wizard away from the edge, the snow buries them completely.
After a moment, they emerge gasping for air.
"We must get off this mountain! Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the west road to my city"
Boromir shouts to the Fellowship, holding Merry and Pippin close.
"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!"
Aragon retaliates quickly
"If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it! Let us go through the mines of Moria!"
Gimli suggests, having been quiet for much of the treck across Caradhras after getting shut down by Gandalf eariler.
Gandalf furrows his brow deeply, in his eyes a shadow of doubt, of fear that lies unsaid. Silently contemplating for a moments time, his eyes quickly becoming full of fear.
"Let the ring bearer decide"
He finally speaks, Boromir quickly opening his mouth shouting through the snowstorm.
"We can not stay here! This will be the death of the hobbits! Ragnar is barely standing!"
Gandalf glances over at Frodo.
"Frodo?"
"We will go through the mines."
"So be it."