Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Story line, characters and script belong to J. R. R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson. I only own Aerilyn


Chapter 4

We all rest beneath a peak of rough stone. I see Aragorn sit beside Boromir. I then hear the Hobbits whisper amongst themselves. "Are we lost?" Pippin ask. "No." Merry says. "I think we are." "Shhh! Gandalf's thinking." Sam says. "Merry?" Pippin pips in. "What?" "I'm hungry." I silently laugh at them. I get up and take my bag off my shoulder and kneel in front of them. The look over at me. I take out come pieces of dry meat that I had from Rivendell. "Here Pippin, have some of this, its dried meat, called jerky. It very good." I said as he took a few pieces and bit into one. Merry and Sam took a piece too. I walked over to Gimli asking him if he wanted any. He took a few gladly. I walked by Legolas knowing that Elves did not eat meat and moved over to Aragorn and Boromir.

"Gentlemen." I said. They looked up. "Here, have something to eat. I feel we will need are energy soon." I said hold out the meat. Aragorn took some with a nod while Boromir took a piece then looking away. I sat down beside Aragorn chewing on the meat when we hear Gandalf stand. "Oh! It's that way." "He's remembered!" Merry said getting up. "No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here. If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose."

We follow the wizard until we come to a more open space. Broken ornate columns lie tumbled across the floor. Gandalf uplifts his staff. "Let me risk a little more light." "Behold: the great realm and Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf." The dark halls are edged with silver light from the wizard's staff, shivering in a light not seen for years to grace their stones. "Now there's an eye opener and no mistake." Sam said. "I couldn't agree more Sam." I said looking around the place. I'm pulled out of my trance when I hear Gimli. "Gimli!" Gandalf says after said Dwarf. But he pays no heed to Gandalf, but runs into the chamber. Its walls and recesses are scarred and broken, as are the bodies and weapons scattered about. Gimli stops and kneels by a crypt in the center of the room where a single shaft of light spills down, illumining it. Gandalf walks forward and peers at the tomb's surface.

"No! No! No!" Gimli sobs. Boromir steps forward and places his hand on Gimli's shoulder. "Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria." He is dead then. It's as I feared." Gandalf says. Gimli starts to wail. Legolas moves over to Aragorn and I. "We must move on, we cannot linger!" He says. "They have taken the bridge... and the second hall." Gandalf reads. Gimli had stopped sobbing and looks up blankly. "We have barred the gates...but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums... drums...in the deep. We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark." We all look around uncomfortably. "We cannot get out... They are coming." The silence is broken by a resounding crash. Pippin turns to face him, looking guilty. As he does, the corpse slips into the well, dragging with it a chain and bucket, its noise echoing from hall to hall far below. Where once was only silence, a ricocheting noise now fills every cranny. Pippin winces at each new wave of noise. Then, silence. We all begin to relax.

Gandalf slams the book shut. "Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" He pulls his hat and staff from the Hobbit's hands. Then we hear it. 'Boom...boom' Gandalf slowly turns back, and Pippin follows staring down into the well. 'Boom.' 'Boom-boom.' The beat pauses. Then like a heartbeat, it begins again. 'Boom-boom-boom-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM...' Sam turns to Frodo. "Frodo!" He pulls out Sting seeing it glow blue. "Orcs!"

Boromir rushed to the doors to have a look. Arrows hiss into the door pass his face. Aragorn drops his torch and runs to Boromir. "Get back! You stay close to Gandalf!" he tells the Hobbit's. I pull out my bow and quickly stung it and move to stand in front of the crypt. "They have a cave troll." Boromir says. Legolas tosses weapons to Boromir and Aragorn to help blockade the door. Gimli leaps up behind me onto Balin's tomb and brandishes his axe. "Aarrgghhh! Let them come! There is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath! Legolas and Aragorn then move over to stand on either side of me ready to shoot. The first clear gap is gashed in the door and Legolas shoots – a shrill cry rings out. Legolas notches an arrow to his bow as Aragorn and I shoot another.

Suddenly, the beasts break through and the battle begins. A wave of armour-clad Orcs charge towards us. I had to quench down the fear that I could feel trying to wring its self out of me. I let loose another arrow along with Aragorn and Legolas. I quickly unstrung my bow and put it back in my quiver to draw my sword. Aragorn does the same. He then beheads an Orc while I swing my sword to slash at and Orc coming my way cut him chest, making it fall to his death. I pause in the heat of battle my attention drawn upwards. Aragorn also looks up. A cave troll smashes through the doorway, chains leading from his wrists to an Orc's hand.

Legolas shoots the cave troll in the shoulder; the beast growls and claps a hand to the wound. I continue to stare, frozen, as the troll swings his mace down at me – I dive under the troll's legs and runs away as the troll turns and it sights me again, I'm cornered and cringe. 'Boromir is right. This is not like anything I've faced.' I thought. The beast raises his arm to strike when suddenly he falls back. I look to see that Aragorn and Boromir are behind the troll, pulling on its chains. The troll twists its arm and whips Boromir across the room. I see him land in a recess of the wall, dazed. An Orc stands above him, ready to strike. Across the room, Aragorn slings his blade into the Orc's neck, and still dazed, Boromir gets up. Aragorn nods to him.

While watching this, I did not hear the Orc that was coming up behind me. All that told me it was there was the intense pain that shot up my back. I whipped around cutting the head of the Orc off. I reached back and pulled out the dagger. I put my hand to the wound and brought my hand away to see it covered in blood. It didn't look like much so I continued fighting. Another two Orcs came to face me, so I quickly finished them. More Orc keep coming, until I hear Frodo gasp of pain. I quickly turn to see the troll had stabbed him with a spear. The others fought madly to reach him. I see the troll finally fall after Legolas shot it. I rush over to where Frodo last was to see Aragorn already with him.

Aragorn rolls him over. Frodo groans, gasping for breath. I breathe a sigh of relief. "He's alive." Sam says to Gandalf who also sighs. "I'm all right, I'm not hurt." Frodo says. "You should be dead! That spear would have skewered a wild boar." Aragorn said to him. "I think there's more to this Hobbit than meets the eye." Gandalf says. Frodo then reveals his Mithril shirt. "Mithril! You are full of surprises, Master Baggins." Gimli says in awe. But we don't have any more time to ponder over this for more Orcs are once again heard down the hall. "To the Bridge of Khazad-dum!' Gandalf says.

We run out the rear door of the chamber into a high, ornate hall of pillars with a ray of light breaking through from some high shaft. I could still feel a sting in my back but I ignore it. We are closely pursued by an army of Orcs. Other Orcs spring out from the floor or crawl from the ceiling and down the pillars, like spiders. They surround the Fellowship, who have drawn their weapons outward in a circle. Just then, a fiery light appears at the end of a hall following by a thunderous rumble. The Orcs, dismayed, flee panicking, in all direction. We are then left alone.

"What is this new devilry?" I asked. Gandalf does not respond for a moment. He closes his eyes, concentrating. The rumble is heard again. Gandalf opens his eyes, and they look grim and solemn. "A Balrog—a demon of the ancient world." "This foe is beyond any of you." He turns "Run!" The Fellowship runs between the rows of pillars and come to a small doorway in the wall. Gandalf shepherds us through. "Quickly!" We enter a passageway and go down a flight of stairs. The fight ends in a missing segment, and Boromir nearly falls into fires below but Legolas pulls him back. His torch whirls away into the vast under world beneath; the Hobbits and I too stop short of falling in.

Aragorn turns to Gandalf. "Gandalf!" "Lead them on, Aragorn! The bridge is near!" They look across the wide space to a long bridge spanning a gap between a hall and a cliff face. Aragorn moves towards Gandalf. "Do as i say!" Hurt and confusion register on Aragorn's face. "Swords are no more use here." The Balrog rumbles again behind us. Legolas leaps over first and lands on the other side. "Gandalf." Legolas beckons to him. Gandalf leaps after him. Arrows whistle into the air from a far ledge, striking the stone steps at their feet, where Gandalf had stood but a moment ago.

"Merry! Pippin! Hoo-aah!" He leaps across the gap. "Sam." Aragorn says. He pitches Sam to the other side where the Hobbit was caught by Boromir. He then reaches for Gimli who holds his hand up. "Nobody tosses a dwarf." He leaps forward but nearly falls back into the chasm. Legolas grabs his beard and pulls him up. "Not the beard!" Gimli shouts." Aragorn then turns to me. "Aerilyn!" I take a step back and leap over and Legolas catches me, and then puts me down beside him. I turn back to see Aragorn and Frodo still there. Then some stone steps crumble and fall into the abyss. Aragorn pushes Frodo back up the steps and clambers after him, struggling up. I see Aragorn put a hand on Frodo's shoulder. The Balrog can be heard approaching from the other hall, its fiery light getting closer.

A huge rock fall from the ceiling and smashes through the steps behind Aragorn and Frodo. I gasp in worry. "Hang on! Lean forward!' Aragorn encourages the Hobbit. "Come on!" Legolas says holding his hands out. They then shift their weight forward, tipping the stairs across the divide and slamming them onto the step where their companions are. They leap across to safety, and many arms reach out to pull them over. Turning, they run down the stairs as the stone structure collapse behind them. "Over the bridge! Fly!" Gandalf says. We flee but Gandalf does not follow, but turns, looking into the wall of fire. We cross the bridge which appears in the fiery light. Gandalf turns to it again. "You cannot pass!" He shouts.

Frodo turns and watches from the other side. "Gandalf." "I am the servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame Anor... The dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Udun!" The Balrog strikes down on Gandalf, who parries the blow with his blade, shattering the Balrog's sword. Frodo gasps. Aragorn run forward. "Go back to the Shadows!" "YOU...SHALL NOT...PASS!" Gandalf shouts driving his staff into the bridge, causing a bright light to appear. Flaring its nostrils, the Balrog steps forward onto the bridge. The bridge collapses from under it as it moves towards Gandalf. Gandalf, exhausted, leans on his staff and watches the Balrog fall; he turns to follow the other. But at the last second, the flaming whip lashes up from the depths and winds around Gandalf's ankle, dragging him over the edge. He clings onto the bridge but strains to keep his grip. Frodo rushes forward but Boromir restrains him.

"No, no!" he tells the Hobbit."Gandaaaaaalf!" Frodo yells. "Fly, you fools!" Gandalf lets go of the stone and falls into the chasm. "Nooooooooooooooooooooo!" Frodo shouts again. Boromir grabs a hold of Frodo and starts to leave up a flight of stairs. "Aragorn! Aerilyn!" Boromir shouts at us as I hear Frodo shout again. We were both stunned. We stare at the distant bridge in disbelief. We both do not move, but then Orc arrows start whistling by once again, shooting at the companions. Dodging them, he turns and grabs my hand pulling me to follow the other up the stairs.

We come out into the stark brightness of the day, contrasting the blackness of Moria. Everyone is distraught. I see Sam sits on the ground, bows his head onto his hands, and begins to weep. Merry consoles Pippin, who lies crying. Boromir tries to restrain Gimli as the Dwarf vents out his rage and sorrow. Legolas wears a look of shock and disbelief. His eyes seem puzzled, unsure. I walk a little passed Legolas, just standing there looking back at the mountain. "Legolas, get them up." Aragorn says. "Give them a moment, for pity sake!" Boromir pleads. "By nightfall these hills will be swarming with Orcs! We must reach the woods of Lothlorien. Come, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, get them up." Then I couldn't hear anything and everything went black before my eyes.

Legolas POV (Have to get the next scene to fit)

After leaving the mines, everyone was distraught about what we had witness. While Aragorn was telling us to get the other up, I noticed wetness on my hands. They were soaked with blood. I looked around at the others and didn't notice if anyone would be seriously hurt. Then I turn to Aerilyn on my right. I noticed she looked pale and shockingly a pool of blood forming at her feet. I quickly walked over to her as she fell. I catch her, looking worried. "Aragorn!" He turned at my voice with wide eyes.