"They are impressive, aren't they?"

Mesmerized by the fight before him, Crys didn't realize that someone spoke to him until the question was repeated and accompanied by a slight nudge against his shoulder. A little annoyed he looked briefly up to Bucklin. "That they are."

It had been Wilmington's idea to use a break in their walk for a sparring fight, thinking that his charge needed any practice he could get. He had asked Larabee to assist him, but the captain had declined. Instead the Ranger and the Elf had come forward and Buck had asked them to demonstrate their skills. And that they did.

Jeidy was as entranced as everyone else by the swiftness and beauty of their movements.

"It looks more like a dance than a fight," Buck whispered in awe. "I'd never have guessed the Elf had it in him."

"There is a lot you don't know about Ezra, Warrior. He's a mystery to everyone," Josiah told him, having come to stand next to Buck.

"Not to Vin." It was not a question for Crystan and he envied the closeness of those two. He felt a kinship with the Ranger like he had never felt before with anyone. Some part of him was drawn to the man who might take the throne of Gondor away from him. Reducing the Larabees from being the Lords of the land to just being mere stewards again.

A year ago Crys would have hated the idea, would have hated the son of Aragorn. A year ago he would have fought him with all his might, for he had longed for the throne all his life. But the death of his family had changed him, had changed his dreams. Ruling Gondor held no appeal anymore, all he wanted was for Gondor to be safe and his revenge on Sauron. As long as Vinterrin helped him to reach his goals, he was welcome to take the throne and everything.

"You won, Vin!" Jeidy's excited voice broke through his musings.

It seemed the boy was right. The Elf was lying on the ground, his hands bare of the knives he had used. The Ranger smiled and bowed to their audience, then, walking towards them, he sheathed his sword.

There was a blur of movement as the Elf jumped to his feet and then tackled his friend, pinning him to the ground. Vin giggled and squirmed helplessly, when idle fingers began to tickle him.

"Never turn your back on an enemy you don't know for sure is dead," Ezra commented upon his attack, his pale green eyes sparkling with mischief. "And realize that knowing the weakness of your enemy might prove a much better weapon than a blade." Finally he stopped to let the Ranger catch his breath.

"I get that part, Ezra," Jeidy said, eyeing his mentor speculatively.

Catching the gaze Buck held a hand up in warning. "Don't you dare, boy."

Everyone chuckled.

"Let's eat," Naithan suggested and wandered over to an assembly of rocks underneath which they had started a small fire.

"Good idea," Buck and Jeidy said in unison, running ahead. Josiah followed in a much slower pace.

Rising from the ground Crys expected the Ranger and the Elf to get up as well, but both showed no intention of doing so. They seemed almost frozen in place, Vin lying on his back, Ezra straddling him, their gazes locked. And then ever so slowly the Elf leaned down and kissed the man beneath him.

Crys almost gasped as the kiss was returned passionately. The love and desire between the two was almost touchable. A moan was heard and then Vin reversed their positions, so that he was now lying on top of his companion. Their kiss never broke.

Unable to turn away the man from Gondor watched as the lovers began to caress each other with lips and hands. He knew he should leave, but his feet just wouldn't move.

Suddenly the spell was broken as Jeidy's voice rang over the hillside, asking about a strange cloud that was coming closer.

As one the Elf and the Ranger moved to their feet, breathing heavily, sharing an amusedly resigned smile. When they turned towards Crystan, Vin blushed a little, while Ezra just raised an arrogant eyebrow. His gaze travelled down the captain's body, reading accurately how Crys had been affected by their kissing. Grinning, he gave the captain a mock salute then headed over to where Jeidy stood and looked at the cloud.

"It's not a cloud," Ezra said then. "Those are birds, probably spies from Sauron. We'd better hide."

Immediately Naithan extinguished the fire and everyone grabbed what gear was closest to him and went to find a hiding place. No sooner were they out of sight when a big black cloud, formed by hundreds of birds, swarmed over the place, circled for a while then flew away.

It was Josiah who left his hiding place first, looking from where the birds had come to the mountain visible behind the hills. He sighed. "We cannot take the way over the plains, we'd be spotted immediately. We have to go over the Caradhras." He nodded towards it.

Buck groaned. "That's a long walk."

Josiah nodded.

"There is another way," Naithan pointed out, but Josiah shook his head. "We will take this one." His voice brooked no argument.

Accepting the Wizard's judgement they secured their bags and weapons and followed Josiah towards the mountain.

The higher they went the colder it got. They walked slowly in an unruly line, for the ground was covered with a layer of snow that hid holes as well as ice-patches.

Suddenly Jeidy lost his footing, with a cry he fell and rolled down the mountain, away from his guardian.

"Jeidy!" Buck turned to run after his charge, but saw it was unnecessary, as Crystan stopped the boy's tumble and helped him to his feet again.

"Thank you." Jeidy smiled at the captain, then in reflex grabbed for the Ring he wore on a chain around his neck. The necklace was gone. "The Ring!" His eyes searched the snow in panic. "I lost it!"

As one everyone started looking, and it was Ezra who found it. Carefully the Elf lifted the necklace and looked at the Ring with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Such a small thing, not even very beautiful, and yet everyone lives in terror of it or craves it. Astonishing, isn't it?"

"Can I have it back?" Jeidy asked, the same moment as Buck growled: "Ezra!"

"Yes?" The Elf looked inquiringly at the warrior.

"Give the Ring back to Jeidy!" Naithan ordered, his right hand on the hilt of one of his daggers.

Raising an eyebrow Ezra turned to the Wose and then to the appointed ringbearer, only to find himself face to face with Crystan Larabee.

"Give the boy the Ring," the captain, too, ordered, his voice low and threatening.

Ezra met the Human's glare with a slight smile, seemingly unimpressed. "That was my intention from the moment my eyes lit on it lying in the snow. I wouldn't carry that burden for all the jewels and powers of Middle-earth. Do not fear my greediness, fear your own weakness." With that he stepped around Crys and held the necklace out for Jeidy to take it. "You should have taken a leather-cord instead of this necklet, they tend to open or break in the most inconvenient situations."

"I didn't know that," Jeidy said and put the necklace with the Ring into the inside pocket of his coat. "Thank you."

"You are most welcome," Ezra replied and went back to his former position in the line.

They resumed their walk.

Almost forty feet ahead of the group Vin and Ezra were still able to hear the others talk. Their expressions grim they listened as Naithan warned the others that the Elf couldn't be trusted, that his kind was always after magical powers and that his only reason to be here was to get at the Ring.

Crystan didn't say a word, but Buck agreed that they should keep an eye on the Elf.

"If I wanted the Ring, it would be in my possession already," Ezra muttered under his breath, just loud enough for his lover to hear.

"They judge themselves with their words, it is 'their' greed we must fear." Vin reached for Ezra's hand and intertwined it with his for a moment. "But I believe that most of them will overcome their weakness and will not succumb to the Ring."

The Elf looked briefly over his shoulder. "I have faith in Wilmington, his only concern is the ringbearer. I'm not so sure about your captain, the darkness in his soul might be his weakness as well as his protection. As for the Wose, I cannot say if it is his hate of my people that guides his actions or the greed for the Ring."

Now it was the Ranger's turn to look back. "Josiah?" he asked.

"He knows of the Ring's powers, of its dangers. In his right mind he would never take it. But ..."

"But you don't know the state of his mind," Vin finished for him.

"He went through a lot," Ezra reminded his lover. "He was imprisoned, maybe tortured. We don't know what Saruman did to him, maybe he doesn't know, either."

"So he cannot be trusted," Vinterrin clarified. "Nobody can."

Ezra nodded. "We have to watch all of them."

Snow began to fall as they walked on, filling the air and swirling into their eyes.

Soon enough they found themselves knee-deep in snow, and miserably fought their way through it.

Annoyed Buck looked up at Ezra, who stood two heads taller than the Humans now, since by some Elven magic he was actually walking on the snow as if it was hard sand.

"He really could have the decency to sink into the snow like everyone else," the warrior growled.

In front of them Vin chuckled loudly at this; and Josiah shook his head, smiling amused.

"You're just envious, Buck." Jeidy grinned.

"I'm not!" Bucklin replied. "I just don't like injustice. And him running around without a care while the rest of us is cold and wet and tired is just that!"

"I feel for your predicament, for I do not like to be cold or wet, either. But since my heritage allows me to escape these miserable conditions, no mentioning of honour or justice will make me give up on this advantage. I'm certain you wouldn't either, were you to walk in my shoes." Ezra smiled. "Besides, you wouldn't like me if I was wet and feeling cold. Trust me on that." He bowed slightly then swiftly ran to the front of their group again.

"Guess he's right," Crys said, briefly laying a hand on Wilmington's shoulder.

Buck nodded, muttering: "Who says I like him now?"

The captain laughed. "No one, Buck, no one."

The wind became stronger and colder.

"We'll soon be fighting a blizzard here!" Crystan shouted over the howling storm. "We shouldn't go any further, but search for a cave or something to hide in!"

"He's right. The pass is probably blocked anyway. Maybe we should go back?" Vin looked questioningly at Josiah.

The Wizard shook his head. "We have to go over the pass, or our quest is lost already."

"That's not true," Naithan said. "We could go through Moria, the Dwarves would welcome us."

"I would only go through the Mines of Moria if everything else failed," Josiah replied. "There are things in Moria that ..."

Whatever he had been about to say was lost as a tremor shook the earth and thunder drowned any other sound.

They looked up and saw a gigantic wave of white death racing towards the ground.

There was only time enough for one last thought before the snow descended upon them.

"Avalanche!" Naithan cried, just as he was grabbed and pressed against the mountain wall.

What a lousy way to die. Crys sighed, holding on to the wall and the Wose.

What have I done? Josiah closed his eyes.

"Ezra!" With wide eyes Vin watched his lover vanish within the white stream.

Have to save Jeidy! Determined Buck threw himself over his protégé.

I don't want to die! Buck!

Ezra was too busy surviving to think.

Everything was dark - or white, he couldn't say - he couldn't see. A heavy weight lay on his chest, hurting him, pressing the air out of his lungs, he needed to breathe ... He couldn't breathe! Fright beyond any he had ever known took hold of him, he tried to get out of the trap he was in, but his arms wouldn't move. He was dying! Help!

Then suddenly there was true light, and the pressure on his chest eased. Hands grabbed him and pulled him out of his white grave.

Air! Greedily he filled his lungs with the precious element. Not thinking anything, just breathing.

He heard a voice say: "That makes six. Everyone accounted for and alive."

Gazing up he met the pale green eyes of the Elf, and realized that he owed Ezra his life. Looking around he saw the rest of his companions lying on the snow, breathing deeply just like he, and he knew that this was true for all of them.

"Thank you," he said.

Ezra bowed. "My pleasure."

"How did you escape the avalanche?" Crystan wanted to know, coming to his feet.

The Elf smiled mysteriously. "The trick is to not be there where it strikes."

"So you used magic?" Jeidy asked.

Ezra nodded.

"That means any sorcerer who watches this area now knows that we are here!" Naithan hissed.

"I had to choose between a possible discovery and certain death. I apologize if I made the wrong decision, but I had a little problem seeing us fullfilling our task buried beneath a mountain of snow," Ezra replied sarcastically.

"You did the right thing," Crys said before Naithan could react. "We would all be dead if it wasn't for you."

"Yes." Josiah agreed. "And it would be because of me. I should have listened to you." He looked at Naithan. "But believe me when I say that the Mines of Moria harbor dangers that are equal if not worse to what we just encountered."

"Whatever lies in wait in Moria," Vin announced, "we'll have to face it, because we cannot go on. There is no way that we will reach the pass now. We have to go back."

"But the storm is gone!" Jeidy said, only now realizing that the biting wind had ceased.

"It doesn't matter, the path up to the top is no more." The Ranger grabbed what was left of his gear and nodded towards the direction they had come from. "Let us go, it will be dark soon and we have a long way ahead of us."

"Just great," Buck muttered, then helped Jeidy up and grabbed his shield. "You all right, boy?" he asked.

Jeidy nodded. "Just making sure I still have the Ring."

"And do you?" Crys asked.

"Yes. It's still in my pocket."

"Wonderful," Ezra commented, passing them. "Why bury it beneath a mountain of ice and snow when there is a nice volcano waiting for it?"

The warriors chuckled.

"He's got a point though," Buck said finally, looking at Crys.

Following Ezra and Vin, the man from Gondor grinned slyly. "It seems he always has."