A/N: I'm so sorry for being so late with this update, but first I was on a vacation, then the computer broke, then I was on a road trip with my family, and I just got back, so, again, I'm sorry for the inconvenience.
Oh, and anything that Krrlum says is also in italics.
Disclaimer: I don't own Phineas and Ferb or Lord of the Rings.
Chapter 9:
The Mines of Moria
The Partnership trudged along in the darkness of the mine, just like they had been doing for three days. The only light in the darkness was the light from Mondalf's staff. Then, they came to a tall spiral staircase surrounded by chains and a deep chasm on one side. As they were walking up it, Mondalf stopped and ran his hand over a rock that had silvery veins running through it. "The wealth of Moria…" he said "…was not in gold…or jewels…" he swung his staff over the chasm, illuminating it, "…but Mithril." The Partnership stared in awe at the rock walls of the chasm, which had hundreds of veins of Mithril running through them, creating beautiful spirals and patterns throughout the rock. As they stared, Mondalf said "Lilbo had a shirt of Mithril rings that Thorin gave him." "Oh, that was a kingly gift." Said Bufli, in surprise. "Yes!" said Mondalf "I never told him, but its worth was greater than the value of the Shire." Phindo's eyes widened as he looked down at his shirt.
Later, as they came to a fork in the mine, Mondalf stared at the three doorways that loomed before them. "I don't remember this place." He said. The Partnership rested on the rocks while Mondalf tried to remember which way to go. Phindo looked down into the cavern, and saw a small, shadowy figure leaping from pillar to pillar. Startled, he walked over to where Mondalf was sitting. "There's something down there!" he said. "It's Krrlum." Said Mondalf, without surprise. "Krrlum?" said Phindo, in surprise. "He's been following us for three days." Said Mondalf. "He escaped the dungeons of Barad-Dûr!?" asked Phindo. "Escaped?" said Mondalf, before turning to Phindo, "Or was set loose?" Phindo was unsure of why they would set Krrlum loose instead of killing him, but he didn't have time to think about that. "And now the ring has drawn him here." Said Mondalf "He will never be rid of his need for it. He hates and loves the ring, as he hates and loves himself." Down in the cavern, small, teal hands grasped the side of a rock pillar, and Krrlum poked his head up and watched the Partnership as they talked. "Perrygol's life is a sad story." Said Mondalf "Yes, Perrygol he was once called, before the ring found him…before it drove him mad." "It's a pity Lilbo didn't kill him when he had the chance!" said Phindo. Mondalf glanced sharply at Phindo and said "Pity? It was pity that made Lilbo change his mind. Many that live deserve death, and some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Phindo?" Phindo looked down, silently. "Don't be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Krrlum has some part yet to play, for good or bad, before this is over." In the cavern, Krrlum slunk back into the darkness, his voice echoing off the walls as he said "Krrrrrrrluum…" "I wish the ring had never come to me." Said Phindo, with sorrow in his voice "I wish none of this had happened." Mondalf leaned toward Phindo and said "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 at work in this world, Phindo, besides the will of evil. Lilbo was meant to find the ring, in which case you also were meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought, indeed." Then, Mondalf turned to one of the giant doorways and said "Oh! It's that way."
As the Partnership came into a more open space, the light from Mondalf's staff revealed that they were no longer in the mining tunnels. The light reflected off of ornate columns and designs on the walls. The Partnership reacted in awe and Bufli gasped at the sight. "Behold:" said Mondalf "the great realm and Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf!" As the Partnership kept walking, Bufli kept wondering why there weren't any Dwarfs around, and why it seemed that nobody had been in there for years. Suddenly, Bufli spotted a ray of sunlight coming from a chamber, and ran towards it. "Bufli!" said Mondalf urgently, but Bufli paid no attention to Mondalf, instead he ran into the chamber, then stopped and knelt at a small crypt in the center of the chamber. Mondalf went over to Bufli, who was sobbing and saying "No…no…no!", and read the words on the crypt aloud. ""Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria" He is dead, just as I feared." He said. As Bufli continued to mourn over Balin, Beckham accidentally backed into a corpse with an arrow in its chest. Curious, he twisted lightly on the arrow, and the corpse's head fell off and into the well it was perched on with a loud crash. Everyone turned to look at Beckham, who had a guilty look on his face, just as the rest of the corpse fell into the well, dragging chains along with it. It made several loud clanging noises as it fell. After a few moments, Mondalf walked over to Beckham and said "Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" Suddenly, there was a faint booming noise and the ground shook. Then, there was another, and another, almost like a heartbeat, then it stopped for a second. Then, it started again, only this time it was faster and louder than before, and it seemed to be getting closer! As fear crept onto the faces of the Partnership, Phindo unsheathed Sting…and the blade was glowing blue!
"Orcs!" said Baljolas. Irvinmir rushed up to the door of the chamber to see, and arrows protruded from the door, near his face. Jeragorn rushed up to Irvinmir and told the hobbits "Get back! Stay close to Mondalf!" Baljolas tossed weapons to Jeragorn and Irvinmir, who then used them to barricade the door. "They have a cave troll!" said Irvinmir, as a bellow was heard from outside the door. As the Partnership all drew their weapons, Bufli hopped on top of Balin's tomb and brandished the axe that used to be Balin's, which was considerably better than his old axe. And as the door began to break, Bufli shouted "Let them come! There's still one dwarf in Moria that's still alive!" "If things do not go well, that statement may not be true for long." Said Baljolas, who was poised in front of the door and ready to shoot. Just then, the door burst open and hundreds of Orcs came pouring in. Baljolas pierced Orcs with his arrows whenever possible; Jeragorn and Irvinmir slashed through them with their swords; Bufli, who was still getting used to the feel of his new axe, kept hitting them in all the wrong places; Mondalf stunned them with a blow to the head from his staff, and the hobbits kept shoving their swords into kinks in their armor that the others couldn't get to. Suddenly, the cave troll burst into the chamber, with giant chains strapped to its wrists. Baljolas shot it in the shoulder, and it howled in pain as it clasped a hand to the wound. Ferb ducked underneath the troll's legs as its spear landed right where he had been standing moments ago. The troll spotted Ferb again, cowering in the corner of the chamber, and raised its spear to strike. Luckily for Ferb, Jeragorn and Irvinmir started pulling on the troll's chains, jerking him backwards. The troll twisted its arm and whipped Irvinmir across the room, where he landed against a wall. Irvinmir quickly recovered, though, and soon rejoined the heat of battle.
The Partnership continued to battle the troll, since most of the Orcs had been killed already, but the troll was hard to take down. The troll swung its mace at Baljolas, who was on the second level of the chamber, and its mace wrapped itself around a pillar and stuck. Baljolas stamped the chain in place, ran across the chain like it was a tightrope, vaulted onto the back of the troll's neck, and shot an arrow into it. The troll howled as the arrow struck the sensitive piece of flesh on the back of its neck. The troll broke away from the pillar and swung its mace down at the Hobbits, causing them to jump aside. The troll kept trying to hit Phindo, but Phindo kept dodging the mace. Jeragorn turned around and saw the troll coming after Phindo. He picked up a spear from the floor and tried to stab the beast in the leg, but the flesh around its leg was too tough for the spear to penetrate it. The troll grabbed Phindo and lifted him up, but Phindo slashed at its hand with Sting, and the troll dropped him, staring at its injured hand. Jeragorn, Carl, and Beckham tried to lure the troll away from Phindo, but it just smacked them aside with its good hand. Carl and Beckham recovered quickly, but Jeragorn had landed against a pile of broken stone columns, and was too stunned to move. Phindo tried to run, but the troll blocked his path with its spear, throwing him back. And Ferb turned just in time to see the troll take aim with its spear, and watch in horror as it stabbed Phindo in the chest!
The Partnership all turned as Phindo cried out in pain, each one of them with a look of shock on their face. Then, Carl and Beckham charged at the troll, stabbing it mercilessly. Ferb rushed toward Phindo to try and help him. Then, Jeragorn, Baljolas, Irvinmir, and Mondalf all broke out of their shocked trances and charged at the troll, fighting with double the force they had before. Mondalf and Bufli took turns stabbing at the troll and dodging out of range. Then, the troll opened its mouth to roar, and Baljolas shot an arrow into its brain, through its mouth. The troll stopped fighting and flailed its arms at where the arrow was. Then, it gave one last pained howl before collapsing to the ground. There was a moment of silence as everyone gathered around Phindo, who was now lying on his side, clutching his chest. Jeragorn rolled him over onto his back, and he started groaning and gasping for breath. "He's alive!" cried Ferb, in relief. Phindo sat up and said "I'm alright, I'm not hurt." "You should be dead!" said Jeragorn, his eyes wide with surprise "That spear would've skewered a wild boar!" Mondalf smiled and said "I think there's more to this Hobbit than meets the eye." Phindo grinned and revealed that he had on the Mithril shirt underneath his regular one. "Mithril!" said Bufli, in astonishment "You're just full of surprises, aren't you, Dinner Bell?" Just then, they heard the sound of Orcs out in the hall again. Mondalf looked weary as he said "Quick! To the Bridge of Khazad-dûm!"
This story is getting more exciting as I write each chapter, isn't it?
Please R&R!