The Watcher in the Water and the Fellowship

The Watcher in the Water was a nameless, ancient creature that lurked in the dark, stagnant lake that had formed in the valley before the West-gate of Moria, the Elven Door. When the Fellowship arrived at the gate after a long and wearying journey, the Sirannon, the Gate-stream, had been dammed, flooding the valley and creating a sullen, unwholesome pool. The Company crossed a narrow creek at the lake's northern corner, wading through shallow, weedy water, and Frodo shuddered with disgust at the touch of the dark, unclean water on his feet. As Sam, the last of the Company, led Bill the pony up onto dry ground on the far side, a soft sound—a swish followed by a plop—disturbed the still surface, and great ripples widened outward from a point far out in the lake, followed by a bubbling noise and then silence.

The Attack at the Gate

As Gandalf struggled to find the opening words to the Doors of Durin, Boromir, impatient and uneasy, cast a large stone into the dark water. The stone vanished with a soft slap, but at once a swish and a bubble arose, and great rippling rings formed on the surface, moving slowly toward the foot of the cliff. Frodo, sensing a horrible presence, begged Boromir not to disturb the pool. The mournful howling of wolves was heard again, and the ripples grew closer, some already lapping on the shore. Just as Gandalf finally discovered the password—Mellon—and the great stone door swung open, several things happened at once. Frodo felt something seize him by the ankle, and he fell with a cry. Bill the pony gave a wild neigh of fear, turned tail, and dashed away along the lakeside into the darkness. Sam leaped after him, then hearing Frodo's cry, ran back again, weeping and cursing. The others swung round and saw the waters of the lake seething, as if a host of snakes were swimming up from the southern end.

The Tentacles and the Escape

Out from the water a long, sinuous tentacle crawled, pale-green and luminous and wet. Its fingered end had hold of Frodo's foot and was dragging him into the water. Sam, on his knees, slashed at it with a knife, and the arm let go, pulling Sam away. Twenty other arms came rippling out. The dark water boiled, and there was a hideous stench. Gandalf, leaping back, drove them forward into the gateway and up the stairs. They were just in time: Sam and Frodo were only a few steps up, and Gandalf had just begun to climb, when the groping tentacles writhed across the narrow shore and fingered the cliff-wall and the doors. One came wriggling over the threshold, glistening in the starlight. Gandalf turned and paused, but there was no need for him to consider what word would close the gate again from within. Many coiling arms seized the doors on either side and, with horrible strength, swung them round. With a shattering echo they slammed, and all light was lost. A noise of rending and crashing came dully through the ponderous stone.

Aftermath and Significance

Sam, clinging to Frodo's arm, collapsed on a step in the black darkness, mourning for poor old Bill, who had bolted in terror. Gandalf went back down the steps and thrust his staff against the doors, but they did not open. The passage was blocked behind them, and there was only one way out—on the other side of the mountains. Gandalf noted that boulders had been piled up and the beautiful holly trees, which had stood so long, had been uprooted and thrown across the gate. Frodo asked what the thing was, or whether there were many of them. Gandalf answered that he did not know, but the arms were all guided by one purpose. Something had crept, or had been driven out of dark waters under the mountains. There were older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world. He did not speak aloud his thought that whatever it was that dwelt in the lake, it had seized on Frodo first among all the Company. Boromir muttered under his breath, but the echoing stone magnified the sound to a hoarse whisper that all could hear: "In the deep places of the world! And thither we are going against my wish. Who will lead us now in this deadly dark?" Gandalf answered, "I will," and Gimli walked with him, following his staff into the dark of Moria.