Authors Note: I am warning you now, Arwen does sail to the Undying Lands in this story, sorry to those of you who may hvae wanted to see her, but, I'm afraid not. Anyways, please enjoy :)
They walked on, making their way through the passage; Gimli looked to his right, and saw a door. He gasped, running to the room.
"Gimli!" called Gandalf.
Gimli ran into the room and saw what was before him. "No." he fell to his knees before what Scarlett would call a great stone coffin. "Oh, no." he started to sob, Scarlett walked forward, placing her hand on him shoulder. "No."
Gandalf walked around and hound engravings on the coffin. He read them aloud, so everyone could hear. "Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria." Gandalf sighed. "He is dead, then." He pulled off his hat showing his respect to the fallen. "It is as I feared." He looked down, spotting a book in the grasps of a fallen Dwarf. He leant down and picked it up, opening to its last few pages. He read the words inside.
"We must move on, we cannot linger." Legolas whispered to Aragorn.
The words Gandalf read haunted Gimli, the Hobbits and Scarlett, for they were written in moments of great fear and battle. "We cannot get out. They are coming."
A crash caused them all to grasp their weapons in reflex, Legolas drew his bow, Aragorn and Boromir their swords and Scarlett the two blades on her back. Pippin had touched a skeleton, causing it to topple and fall down a shaft to the depths below. The noise echoed throughout the mines, announcing their presence to those within. They waited a moment, and heard nothing in return.
"Fool of a Took." Scalded Gandalf. "Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity." He pulled his hat and staff out of Pippins hands. That's when they heard it. Drums. The beating of Drums. They had awaken a force. Screeches sounded, the creatures yelling.
"Orcs." Legolas hissed. Boromir ran to the door, wanting to shut it, only to face two arrows nearly hit his face. Aragorn turned to the Hobbits.
"Get back! Stay close to Gandalf!" he instructed. He looked to Scarlett, who readied her weapons, and checked her gun in its holster, as this may be a good time to use it. She nodded to Aragorn. She was ready to fight; she had been trained for this.
Boromir and Aragorn pushed the doors closed, giving them a little extra time. A shout came from the noise of the Orcs, a roar.
"They have a cave-troll." Boromir added.
Legolas and Scarlett threw the two by the door anything they could find to barricade the door. Axes, swords. The enemy bashed against the door, cracking the wood. Gimli stood atop of Balin's casket and roared.
"Let them come! There is one Dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath." An axe broke through the wooden door, a small gap had opened. Legolas draw and arrow and fired through the gap, causing an Orc to cry as it was killed. Aragorn followed, letting an arrow fly through the same gap, killing another Orc. They broke through. Creatures Scarlett had never seen before entered the room, screeching, yelling. Legolas fired more arrows killing four more Orcs. Gandalf drew his sword, as did the Hobbits. Boromir yelled out as he struck Orcs to the ground with his sword. Gimli roared as his axe made contact with more.
Scarlett swung her arms, her blades slicing the necks of two Orcs who approached her; she kicked another, sending it onto Aragorn's sword. They continued to fight, Legolas used his skills as an archer, and the others used their blades. Aragorn yelled as his sword removed the head of one of the Orcs. The bellowing sounds of the cave-troll made them all look to the door as they saw it enter the room.
It swung a large mace, knocking back Orcs as it made its way to Gimli. Legolas shot off an arrow, embedding it in the trolls shoulder, but it did not stop him. He shot off two more, hitting it in the chest, knocking it back, yet not killing it. Gimli killed another Orc with his axe, Scarlett leapt, and swung her legs around the neck of an Orc, grabbing is head as she went, snapping its neck. The troll focussed on Legolas, swinging its large mace around, trying to hit the swift elf. The mace wrapped around a pillar, Legolas took this chance and ran up the chain and onto the trolls back, letting two arrows sink into the beats' head. It screamed, toppled and broke the chain that tied it to the pillar, and yet it still would not die, due to the thick skin that protected its body. It regained its stature, picking up a club and bringing it down on the passageway where Frodo, Merry and Pippin were currently running. Its blow separated Frodo from his friends.
"Frodo!" shouted Aragorn as he killed off three more of the enemy. Scarlett leapt from the top of Balin's tomb, onto an Orc; she dug her blades into its shoulders and flipped off it, throwing it into two more Orcs that came toward her.
The troll looked for Frodo, screaming at him, causing Frodo to fall back onto the floor. It grabbed at Frodo's leg, pulling him.
"Aragorn! Scarlett!" Frodo called for them. Aragorn was across the way on the other side of the hall, Scarlett was on the ground. The both ran to the troll, Aragorn jumping down in front of it, spearing it with a spear he picked up from the ground. The troll stumbled backwards, Scarlett slid under its legs, slicing its calves with the blades. The troll swung its arm, knocking Aragorn to the side, where he collided with a wall.
"Aragorn!" shouted Scarlett. Frodo ran to him, shaking his body to get a response. The troll ran to Frodo, who turned and swiped at him with his sword, the troll knocked Frodo back, making him land against the wall. The troll took his chance and pushed its spear into Frodo's chest. "Frodo!" screamed Scarlett as she saw him collapse. Merry and Pippin had watched what had happened, and in their rage they jumped onto the troll, digging their swords into its back. The others of the company finished off the last remaining Orcs and set their sights on the troll. It threw Merry off its back, Gandalf sliced at its torso and Gimli swung his axe. Scarlett was frozen in shock. The sight of seeing Frodo and Aragorn lying helplessly on the ground made her lose the ability to move. She looked at Aragorn, his face fading away; it was replaced by that of her friend James. Her mind making see the actions of the wars she fought in. She didn't notice when the troll fell to ground dead. Aragorn came back from his unconscious state and he slowly moved, crawling to Frodo. The others all looked on, wondering the worst. Aragorn rolled Frodo over; too see if he truly was dead.
As he moved Frodo, the young Hobbit gasped for air, causing Aragorn and Sam to look at him bewildered. Sam looked up at the rest of the company.
"He's alive." He told the company and a collective sigh of relief escaped them all. Frodo held his chest.
"I'm alright. I'm not hurt." He told Aragorn and Sam.
"You should be dead." Aragorn told him. "That spear would have skewered a wild boar."
"I think there's more to this Hobbit than meets the eye." Gandalf said a small smile on his lips at the sight of his friend alive.
Frodo pulled at his shirt, revealing the truth behind his survival. A beautiful chain mail covered his body. Its colour matched the pearls of jewels.
"Mithril." Said Gimli in amazement. "You are full of surprises, Master Baggins."
Scarlett still sat frozen, her eyes were glazed. Transfixed on the site where Aragorn had previously laid. Two hands cupped her cheeks and she looked up into striking blue eyes, she looked again, she saw the dark stubbled beard, the dark hair. The face before her did not belong to James any longer, his grown eyes gone, his blonde hair darkened. This was Aragorn, he was alive. Scarlett leapt forward, wrapping her arms around Aragorn's neck. He laughed as she crushed him. She released him and stood smiling at Frodo who too was alive.
Gandalf looked around them, the sound of Orcs approaching, their shadows against the door that they had entered the room through.
"To the bridge of Khazard-dum!" he instructed, leading them through a hole in the wall that had been created by the cave-troll. The company ran behind him, following his staff and its light. Scarlett risked a look back and saw the large number of Orcs that were behind them. They came in their hundreds, filing into the great hall through many doors and up through the floor. Sam looked to the ceiling and saw more of them climbing down from holes above them. They turned, Gandalf still leading the way, the others close behind him.
They stopped, surrounded by Orcs, in numbers that they alone could not defeat. Thousands surrounded them on all sides. Their eyes hungry, their calls high pitched. They were not going to make it out of this, Scarlett was sure.
A deep growl rocked the cavern, freezing the Orcs. They looked around the cavern, the Fellowship still kept their eyes on the creatures. Another growl was heard, louder this time, more ferocious. The Orcs ran, scattered back into the holes from whence they came, scared of the beast that had rocked the walls around them. Many climbed up the pillars, back into their holes and nests.
Gimli laughed as he saw the enemy retreating, but he was the only one. Legolas still had his arrow notched, and Gandalf looked wary. A rumble of a growl came once again.
"What is this new devilry?" Boromir asked Gandalf. They stood in silence, catching their breath, waiting for Gandalf to continue. The grey wizard looked in the direction of an orange light; it glowed from within a passage, growing larger.
"A Balrog. A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you." He turned away from the light. "Run!" he shouted, springing into a flight of retreat. They headed for a small arch, all passing through, Aragorn and Gandalf waiting until everyone was inside. They climbed down steps, Boromir almost falling to his death as the steps stopped. Legolas grabbed him, pulling him to safety.
Gandalf looked to Aragorn. The others in the company looked down into an abyss, watching as the torch Boromir once carried fell hundreds of feet downward. "Lead them on Aragorn. The bridge is near." Gandalf looked at a bridge behind Aragorn. Another roar was sounded, Aragorn tried to get past the wizard but he was pushed back. "Do as I say! Swords are no more use here." They continued to run down more steps, their footfalls seemed never ending. They came to a gap in the decent. Boromir stopped, looking back at Gandalf. Legolas jumped, for the gap was not too large. Legolas beckoned to Gandalf, as the stone above them started to crack. Gandalf jumped to the elf, Merry and Pippin were encouraged next by Boromir, who grabbed them and held them close as he jumped. They landed safely, but more of the passage fell, causing the gap to be bigger. Aragorn turned to Sam, picked him up and tossed him to the other side, into the arms of Boromir. Aragorn looked back once more, at Gimli, who looked at him sternly.
"Nobody tosses a Dwarf!" he shouted, and leapt to the other side, he fell back slightly, Legolas grabbing his beard to pull him back. "Not the beard!" Gimli shouted at the elf. More of the passage fell. Scarlett looked Aragorn and he nodded, he cupped his hands and made a ledge for her, she ran, stepped into his hands, and jumped further, with the push from Aragorn she landed on the other side, Legolas catching her as she hit the stone path.
Aragorn and Frodo remained, their way back had broken from a falling boulder, and they were stranded. "Hold on." Aragorn pulled Frodo closer. The pillar below them started to crack, and the path they stood on began to move. "Lean forward." Instructed Aragorn, the path fell forward, decreasing the gap, and Aragorn fell into Legolas, and Frodo into Scarlett. Now they were all safe, they continued to climb down the stairs into the depths of the mountain.
"Over the bridge!" Gandalf shouted, "Fly!" He turned back, and looked into the flames that had grown behind him. He stood as the others ran. A great beast appeared from the flames, its eyes red, and horns curling from its head. It roared, descending towards them, and Gandalf too begun to run. The Balrog drew closer, the company ran over a small bridge, in single file as that was all that could fit. The company, all bar Gandalf made it to the other side. The grey wizard stopped and faced the demon.
"You cannot pass." Gandalf shouted at the Balrog.
"Gandalf!" shouted Frodo.
Gandalf still looked upon the beast, "I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor." Gandalf raised his staff, the crystal glowing once more. "The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun." The demon wielded a sword made of fire, and cast it down against Gandalf's staff. Only to be pushed back by the staff's power. The company looked on in horror. "Go back to the Shadow." Hissed Gandalf. He lifted his staff and sword above his head. "You. Shall. Not. Pass!" shouted the grey wizard. He brought his staff down, crashing it against the bridge. The demon fell, as the bridge below him crumbled. Gandalf sighed, and turned to walk pack to his group. The whip of the beast flew up, wrapping around the wizard's ankle. It pulled him down; Frodo tried to run to his friend, but was stopped by Boromir. Gandalf gripped onto the path, his body hanging below. He looked at the company. "Fly, you fools!" and he released his grip, falling into the abyss.
Boromir picked up Frodo, as the distraught Hobbit tried to go after the wizard. "Aragorn!" he called to the Ranger, who turned and ran up the steps, and out of the mountain.
The company stopped once they were in fresh air once more, Boromir held onto Gimli who wanted to turn back into the Mountain. The Hobbits had collapsed as grief took over, their sobs echoed across the rock face. Legolas too looked burdened, yet as an elf, the grief did not form tears. Aragorn stood, wiping off his sword. Scarlett stood between the two, holding back the tears that threatened to fall.
"Legolas, get them up." Called the Ranger. Legolas walked over to Merry and Pippin.
"Give them a moment, for pity's sake!" shouted Boromir.
"By nightfall, these hills will be swarming with Orcs." Replied Aragorn. "We must reach the woods of Lothlorien."Aragorn put away his sword and looked at Scarlett. She nodded once. "Come Boromir, Legolas, Gimli. Get them up." He ran to Sam, and helped the Hobbit up. "On your feet Sam." Aragorn looked around. "Frodo?" he saw the dark haired Hobbit walking away. "Frodo!" The Hobbit stopped and looked back at him. A single tear fell from his eye.