Hey guys! I'm back! With a new chapter too! I really don't have a good reason for not posting for a while. I'm just a procrastinator.

Disclaimer: Easy. Anything you recognize is most likely the work of J. R. R. Tolkien. Anything you don't (such as Nessima and her family) is mine.

"Ai, I wasn't going to do anything, Nessa."

I lowered my bow. Legolas was standing over me, hands raised defensively. I smiled. "Sorry. I am a bit skittish. Being in a cave is not one of my favorite things."

Legolas smiled and sat down next to me, back leaning against the stone walls. "I know. You've never had a fondness for caves. Is that what was making you twitch in your sleep?"

"Twitch?"

"Aye. I was coming over here to check on you when I almost received an arrow in my forehead. Was it a bad dream?"

"Yes." I said softly.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

I said nothing, turning my head away to look over the sleeping fellowship. My eyes fell over to Gandalf. Though he looked to be asleep, my mind told me he was listening to us.

"You don't have to. You are different than when I last knew you. More . . . reserved."

"Things have changed since we last knew each other, Mellon nin." My friend.

Legolas stared into my eyes, and I stared into his. They were blue. The color of the sky on a spring afternoon. The color of the blue waters of the Anduin. The color I remembered so well from my childhood. They hadn't changed a bit. His eyes held so much. They were trusting, understanding, kind. Somehow I knew he would not judge me for my past, not put the blame upon me as I had done for over a thousand years. He would only tell me it was okay, it was not my fault.

I tucked my knees in close to my chest. "When we were traveling to Imladris, my company was attacked by Uruk-hai. My father led his soldiers into battle against them. He forced me to flee with my mother, but I didn't listen. I turned back and saw him murdered by a large Uruk-hai. My mother ran after me and was slain by the same monster that killed my father. It was my fault. If I hadn't turned back, my mother would not have been killed. I was one of the three left alive. There could have been more. It was my fault."

Legolas was silent. He said nothing as he put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close, laying my head on his chest. I stared at the rocks as that terrible day ran through my mind over and over again. Minutes passed before Legolas spoke. "It was not your fault, Nessa. You did what anyone else would have. You went to save your father. That was bravery."

"I just bring trouble wherever I go."

"That is not true! Remember when I fell into that hole in Mirkwood and you thought to tie vines together to make a rope? You are resourceful. Remember when your brother broke his leg? You made him a splint and helped him back to the palace. You are not a burden, you are a valuable part of the fellowship. We need you here, whether you believe so or not."

I smiled and sat up. "Thank you, Legolas. I have truly missed your wisdom."

"You jest, Nessa. You were always the wise one."

I laughed quietly, staring into the darkness surrounding us. My ears caught a muffled groan and Pippin sat up. His hair was sticking out in every direction and his eyes were half-lidded and red. "Is it breakfast?" He muttered.

Merry sat up as well. "Yeah, I'm starving."

Two apples flew over our heads and into the hobbits' laps. Their eyes opened quickly as they looked for who had thrown the food. Aragorn was pulling on his jacket and strapping his sword to his waist.

"We should continue on as soon as we can. I do not wish to linger here any longer than is necessary." He said.

Gandalf stood and pulled Boromir and Gimli to their feet, shaking them out of their slumber. Frodo and Sam were taking large bites from their apples and talking quietly. I slung my bow and quiver onto my back and sheathed my daggers.

We left the campsite in not ten minutes and continue to walk. Three days passed without us being noticed, but our luck would soon run out.

FORPAINMAKESUSSTRONGER

Gandalf led us to two tunnels. He stared at the doorways in silent awe. His mouth hung open slightly and he gripped his staff as he examined the room further.

"I have no memory of this place." He said quietly. He sat down on a large boulder, facing the tunnels as if he was trying to will them to tell him the way.

We stood on a rocky ledge below Gandalf and waited.

"Are we lost?" Pippin whispered.

"No. Now hush, he's thinking." Merry growled at Pippin.

The younger hobbit nudged a small stone with his foot and sighed. "Merry, I'm hungry." He whined.

Merry placed his head in his hands and let out a low growl of frustration.

Frodo stared over the ledge into the pit of blackness below. A small grayish creature was climbing up the rocks. Frodo's eyes widened. He scrambled up the rock to Gandalf and stood beside him, not taking his eyes off the creature.

"Th-there's something down there" He stammered.

"It's Gollum." Gandalf muttered.

"Gollum?"

"He's been following us for three days."

"He escaped the dungeons of his captors?"

"Escaped? Or set loose? Now the ring is drawing him near. He will never be rid of his need for it. He hates and loves the ring. As he hates and loves himself. Smeagol's life is a sad story." Gandalf turned to face Frodo. "Yes, Smeagol, he was once called before the ring found him. Before it drove him mad."

"It's a pity Bilbo didn't kill him when he had the chance." The hobbit growled.

"Pity? It was pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many that live deserve death, and some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not willingly deal out death and judgement. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play."

Frodo looked quite taken aback at this comment, but sat beside the old wizard. "I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened."

The wizard sighed. "So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces in this world besides the work of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the ring, in which case, means that you were meant to have it, and that is an encouraging thought." Gandalf paused and looked back over the two tunnels. "Oh! It's that way." He stood and walked to the tunnel on the left.

"He's remembered." Merry sat up, grinning.

"No, but the air does not smell so foul in here. If in doubt, fear not, always follow your nose." Gandalf said happily as he led us down the dark pathway.

The dark tunnel brought us to a massive room. Pillars rose to the high ceiling and beautiful carvings were engraved in the stone. Even I had to agree that it was beautiful, no matter how much I adored the forests.

"Behold, the great realm of the dwarf city of Moria." Gandalf said.

Gimli turned in circles as he took in the wondrous architecture. "Even you must appreciate this, petty elves. This is true beauty."

"It is beautiful I must say, Master Dwarf." I said softly.

"Even more beautiful than the forests in which you captured my father and his kin?"

I whirled and glared at Gimli. "Let us get one thing straight, dwarf. I was not there when your kin were captured. If you are prejudice against elves for a matter such as that, than you dwarves truly are thick."

"Nessima, Gimli. Quit your foolish bickering. I need you both on this quest and I need you both to get along. Please!" Gandalf hissed.

"Fine," Gimli grunted, clearly not pleased with the idea. The dwarf continued to look over the masterfully carved stone until his eyes fell upon a lit room. The dwarf gasped and jogged to the light.

"Gimli!" Gandalf cried.

We followed Gimli into the room and found him knelt beside a tomb of stone. Dwarfish runes were engraved on the lid. "No . . . No." Gimli sobbed. He leaned his head against the stone and whipped his teary eyes with his red beard.

"Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria." Gandalf read. "He is dead then. It's as I feared." He removed his pointed hat and bowed his head. His eyes found a thick book at his feet and he picked it up, brushing the dust from its cover.

"We must move on. We cannot linger." Legolas whispered to me.

Gandalf handed his staff and hat to the nearest hobbit and began to read from the book. " 'They have taken the bridge, and the second hall. We have barred the gates, but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums. Drums. In the deep. We cannot get out. The shadow rules in the dark. Cannot get out.' They are coming."

Pippin shifted Gandalf's belongings to one arm and began to fiddle with an arrow that was lodged in the ribcage of a skeleton.

"Pippin!" Merry hissed.

Pippin jumped at the sound, knocking the arrow upwards and pushing the skeleton into the well it sat upon. The bones and chains beat against the walls, echoing throughout Moria. Pippin winced visibly as it fell further and further.

Gandalf turned to the hobbit, who hesitantly looked up at the wizard. There was a long silence as the fellowship awaited an attack. When none came, loud sighs echoed about the room.

Gandalf shook his head vigorously. "Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity." He took his hat and staff from Pippin and walked away as the hobbit bowed his head in shame.

We began to gather our weapons to continue through the mine when drums began to sound. I stood. They seems to shake the stony walls of the mountain and screams filled my sensitive ears.

"Orcs!" Legolas yelled.

Boromir jogged to the door and poked his head around the corner. Two black arrows flew and impaled themselves in the wood, just inches from the human's nose.

"Get back, get behind Gandalf!" Aragorn shouted to the hobbits. He threw his torch to the ground and pulled his sword.

There was a loud growl from the corridor. "They have a cave troll." Boromir muttered.

I tossed a spear to Legolas and we quickly began to barricade the doors. Soon, spears, axes, and staffs were lying crisscrossed on the doors. It would hold, but not for long.

Gimli leaped on the lid of the coffin and brandishing his axe, yelled, "Let them come! I will rip them to shreds!"

The orcs were beating against the doors now. They beat against the wood with their weapons, making holes in the doors where they would try to pry the door open. I nocked an arrow and sent it flying at the orcs through the breaks, receiving high-pitched screeches in return.

The door collapsed with a loud bang and orcs poured through. They slashed at us with their rusted swords, but were quickly felled as they were hit with arrows. The hobbits yelled and charged into the battle, even killing a few if their own. I produced my daggers and slashed at the monsters. They screamed as they were pushed back, not standing a chance with my daggers.

We were winning when there was a loud roar. A beast, nine feet tall and fatter than any dwarf, burst into the room. It roared again, showing off its many missing teeth. It picked up the chain that was around his fat neck and swung it at us, breaking the stone.

I pulled my bow again and quickly hit it with three arrows. Legolas aimed and fired one directly into its chest. The troll looked down at it in confusion, not even registering the pain. A rock flew through the air and hit the troll in the head. It growled and turned to see Sam, raising his arm to throw again. It roared and stumbled after Sam, swinging his chains angrily. The hobbit slid under the troll's legs and stabbed it in the leg.

Aragorn and Boromir grabbed the thick chain as the beast turned to run after Sam. It pulled against the two men for a moment before yelling and flinging the two against the wall. Boromir collapsed on a pile of rock, knocked unconscious from the blow. The troll reached over to him, but was quickly stopped. I shot arrow after arrow into the troll's thick hide, gaining its attention.

I leaped out of the way as the troll swung its heavy chain, crushing the rock where I had previously been standing. I ran passed Gimli, shooting arrows at the monster as I ran. Gimli hacked at it with his axe. The troll turned to him and crushed the tomb he stood on, knocking Gimli off. He rolled twice before standing quickly to slice the head off two orcs that had charged him.

Three orcs ran at me, forcing me up onto a ledge. I dodged their swords and spears, ducking and leaping backwards. I sent two arrows flying at them, killing them. The last orc ran at me and I hit it in the gut with my bow and knocked it off the ledge. I was about to leap of the overhang of rock when the troll attempted to hit me again with its chains. I leaped to the side, but the chain caught my foot and I fell to the ground. The troll aimed again and I leaped behind a pillar. The chain wrapped itself around the stone pillar, and I ran up the chain onto the troll's back. I knocked two arrows and sent them into the troll's neck. It shrieked in pain and swatted at me. Legolas ran to the troll, stabbing at it with his twin knives. I leaped from its back.

Two orcs ran behind us. I turned, but the orcs collapsed before I could even raise my knives. Sam stood behind them, frying pan raised. He looked up at us. "I'm think I'm getting the hang of this." I smiled.

There was a shout from the other side of the room. The troll had run after Frodo, who scrambled up a rock. Aragorn ran to his aid, picking up a spear and throwing it into the troll's side. The troll swung at him, throwing him into a wall and rendering him unconscious. Frodo ran to Aragorn and shook him.

"Strider!" He yelled. "Strider, get up!"

He jumped when a spear lodged itself in the rock beside him and ran behind a pillar. The troll grunted and picked up a second spear, stabbing downwards right at Frodo's chest. I leaped in front of the hobbit, grabbing the spear. I pushed the staff towards the troll who growled and pushed it back towards me.

"Frodo." I yelled, turning my head to him. "Frodo, run." Frodo stood frozen, staring at me in dismay.

The troll pushed the spear down harder, turning my attention back to it to keep it from stabbing me. "Frodo!" His eyes focused and he stumbled to his feet and out of the way.

I tried to shift the spear away, but instead of impaling my stomach, the spear stabbed into my arm and pinned me to the wall. I cried out as the troll twisted the spear in my arm, grinning gruesomely. Suddenly, the troll screamed and released the spear. Legolas was standing behind it. He ran to my side as the troll screamed horribly as Legolas shot an arrow down its throat.

"Strider!" Frodo yelled at the human who was standing up slowly. "Strider, Nessa's hurt!"

I sank to the floor shakily, gripping the spear that was still deep in my left upper arm. Aragorn ran to me and knelt by my side. He put his hand on the shaft of the spear and another on the crook of my arm. "Nessa," he whispered. "I need to take this out. It's going to hurt."

"I know. Just hurry." Legolas picked up my hand and I squeezed my eyes shut as Aragorn pulled the spear from my arm. I gasped as a wave of pain hit me and clenched my fists.

"Damn troll. It twisted the spear." Aragorn muttered under his breath. "I'll need to stitch this."

I shook my head and, releasing Legolas's hand, stood. "No. We can take care of that later. We need to leave this accursed place."

"Nessa,"

"I am fine, Estel."

He sighed. "Stubborn elves."

"Filthy human."

Screeches echoed across the mine again. More orcs were approaching. "To the bridge of Khazad-dûm!" Gandalf yelled.

We ran back through the large cavern we had come through and the orcs began to swarm, quickly surrounding us. They spilled from cracks in the stone around us, climbing down pillars and out of the floor. There were thousands of them. They snarled and crept towards us, drums still booming deafeningly. A loud roar sounded from the end of the corridor. The goblins looked at each other in fear and scrambled back to wear they had come from. A bright orange light appeared from the hall.

"What is this new devilry?" Boromir growled.

Gandalf squeezed his eyes shut. There was a long silence in which more roars and growls echoed off the walls. "A Balrog. A demon of the ancient world. This for is beyond any of you. Run!"

We all turned and darted down the hall into another room, Boromir leading us. The hall ended quickly with two stairs, causing the Gondorian man to loose his balance and nearly tumble down to the depths of the mine. Legolas leaped forward and caught him, pulling him backwards onto the ground.

Aragorn paused at the back of the group, waiting for the old wizard. "Lead them on, Aragorn." He yelled. "The bridge is near. Do as I say!" Gandalf shoved Aragorn away onto the stairwell. "Swords are no use here."

We came to a large gap in the stairs and the entire fellowship came to an abrupt halt. Legolas leaped to the other side and I jumped seconds later. Legolas held his arms out for Gandalf as I shot down orcs across the cavern, ignoring the blinding pain in my arm. Boromir pulled Merry and Pippin into his arms and jumped, landing safely beside us.

Aragorn looked to Sam, who was staring worriedly at the other side of the chasm. Sam looked up at him. "Strider, I cannot jump. It is too far."

Aragorn nodded. "Come here, Sam." The stairs cracked, causing a piece to fall and the gap to grow. "Sam, now!" Aragorn pulled the hobbit into his arms and tossed him across to Legolas.

Aragorn was reaching to Gimli when the dwarf raised a hand. "No one tosses a dwarf!" With that he jumped, landing on the very edge of the stairs. Legolas reached out and grabbed him by his beard to prevent him from falling. With a cry, the dwarf yelled. "Not the beard! Not the beard, you pointy eared elvish princeling!"

Legolas rolled his eyes as he pulled Gimli up and pushed him towards Gandalf. The stairs cracked again. "Aragorn!" He yelled.

He looked to Frodo who was nearly petrified with fear. "Come Frodo," he said. "Lean." The hobbit nodded and they both did so, shifting the stairs towards the rest of the fellowship. They jumped as they came closer and were caught by Legolas.

"Come! To the bridge!" Gandalf yelled. They all ran down the stairs until they passed through an arch and came to a narrow bridge.

"Over the bridge, fly!" Gandalf yelled again. One by one, nine members of the fellowship crossed. Gandalf stopped in the middle, facing the red and orange fire. "You cannot pass!"

"Gandalf!" Frodo yelled.

Gandalf ignored the hobbit. "I am the servant of the secret fire, wielder of the flame of Arnor! Dark fire will not prevail you." He raised his staff as the Balrog produced a whip of fire. "Go back to the shadow!"

The Balrog roared and snapped his whip. Gandalf brought his sword and staff together. "You, shall not, PASS!" The wizard slammed the staff into the bridge, causing it to crack and break just in front of him. The Balrog fell, down into the never-ending chasm. Gandalf sighed in relief an turned back to the fellowship, smiling weakly. He sheathed his sword, just as the fiery beast's whip snapped up and wrapped itself around Gandalf's ankle. The old wizard was pulled of the bridge, barely able to grip the very side.

"Gandalf!" Frodo screamed in horror.

"Fly you fools!" Gandalf gasped.

"Mithrandir," I muttered.

Gandalf looked me in the eyes and released the rocks, plummeting down with the Balrog.

Frodo screamed and tried to fight against Aragorn, but I heard none of it. It was as if my entire body was numb. My mind unfocused as I watched him fall. Legolas grabbed my wrist and tried to talk to me, but I heard nothing save for the blood pounding in my ears.

We exited the mountain and everyone seemed to be pulled to the ground with grief. Gimli tried to run back into Moria, screaming in fury. Boromir gripped the dwarf tightly on the arm, keeping him out.

"Legolas," Aragorn said. "Get them up."

Legolas looked utterly lost. His eyebrows were furrowed deeply and his hands shook, but he made his way over to the hobbits and pulled them to their feet.

"Give them a moment for pity's sake!" Boromir said exasperatedly.

"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with Orcs. We must reach the woods of Lothlorien." Aragorn sheathed his sword. "On your feet, Sam."

Pain was beginning to register in my arm again. I stumbled over a rock, and fell to my knees, clasping my arm. Black spots began to dance across my vision and I could feel myself swaying dangerously. I felt Legolas's hands on me and Aragorn's as he gently laid me on my back.

Aragorn cut off the sleeve of my tunic and began to inspect the wound. I saw him shake his head. I looked over at my arm. Blue lines were spreading in all directions from the gash. Poison. Blood still seeped out of it slowly, mixing with the dirt on the ground.

Aragorn stitched the wound closed and bandaged it. "There's nothing we can do right now for her. We have to get to Lothlorien. The Lady Galadriel may be able cure the poison there."

Legolas said nothing as he stooped down and pulled me into his arms. "No," I muttered, eyes closing. "I can walk."

"No you can't, Nessa you are far too seriously injured."

"It is just a little cut." I muttered.

"Nevertheless, I am still going to carry you. Sleep Nessa. We will be to Lothlorien soon."

My eyes drifted closed. Closed? No, I'm not that injured… and I fell into deep sleep.

Thanks for reading! Thank you to all of my reviewers as well. I love you all! Please leave a comment or suggestion for me! I love reading them!