Another update this weekend! I have a fair bit written down, so I can indulge you guys a little. Have fun!
"Frodo!" Sam calls, noticing the glow of Sting, Frodo's sword. It's a telltale sign that that danger is approaching.
"Orcs!" Legolas calls in alarm as the drumming stops and the noise of screeches reaches his ears.
Boromir joins Ithilae, who stood by herself near the doorway. She quickly tugs him back as an arrow comes flying at his head. Their eyes widen at the Orcs rushing towards them, followed by a Troll. "They have a Cave Troll!" Boromir calls to alert the others.
They each take hold of a door, pulling it close and with Aragorn's help; they barricade themselves inside the room. "Get back! And stay close to Gandalf." he tells the hobbits.
They step back, preparing themselves for a fight as the enemy slams into the doors. They start hacking away at it and it is only a matter of time before it is breached. Ithilae points an arrow towards the widening gaps.
Gimli jumps on top of his cousin's tomb, wielding his axe, a look of furious determination in his eyes. "Agh! Let them come There's one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath."
The holes that are starting to grow in the doors reveal the writhing Orcs on the other side and Ithilae, Legolas and Aragorn start shooting. They can hear the screeches on the other side, but the Orcs do not relent. The door comes down under the strain and the vile creatures do not waste time to rush in.
Exchanging her bow for her sword, Ithilae fluidly slashes at the Orcs, cutting them down one by one. It appears as if that is all she has been doing all her life…
Sam, who also fights along with everyone else, brave hobbit he is, pauses at the sight of the troll entering the chamber. It rises up far beyond his tiny figure, even though he is tall for a Hobbit. The broken chain around the troll's neck clatters noisily as it moves.
Legolas is the first to shoot at as it roars terrifyingly, landing an arrow in its chest. Although it pains the creature, it does little to stop it for it skin is thick.
The troll goes for Sam, but he makes his escape by dashing through its legs. As it goes to follow the hobbit, Aragorn and Boromir hang on to the chain, stopping it in its tracks.
The troll turns to them angered and grips his chain. Boromir is too late in releasing it and as it swipes the chain from the, he is flung to the far end wall, leaving him dazed. Ithilae is quick to cover the man as the orcs try to take this opportunity.
"I do suppose I'm glad for you having my back. This is twice you saved me from harm now." he states after recovering and retrieving his sword from the ground before fighting alongside her. The elleth is too busy to comment though.
Meanwhile, Legolas left another few arrows in the troll before Orcs storm at him. This gives the troll a chance to go after the hobbits, minus Sam who has exchanged his sword for a frying pan and is whacking Orc skull with it.
Aragorn tries to rush towards Frodo as he gets separated from Merry and Pippin, the troll having him in his sight. But as he goes to interrupt the troll, he is merely swiped aside by one of its thick arms, knocking him into a pillar and rendering him unconscious.
Having seen this and aware of the peril Frodo is in, Ithilae breaks away from the orcs, or at least tries to. They insist in getting in her way. Angered, she feels her grandfathers presence more strongly and with him lending her strength, she hacks away at them like they are weeds.
"No!" she calls in shock as the troll jabs a spear in Frodo's direction, seemingly piercing his heart. The troll then lets the hobbit drop face first onto the dusty floor. She is too late!
Enraged, Merry and Pippin jump on the troll's back, stabbing their little swords into it while Sam, Gandalf and Boromir fight their way over to the fallen hobbit.
Gimli swipes his axe at the troll from the ground, stepping back as it tries to stomp on him. He rushes towards Merry as the hobbit is thrown of its back.
Seeing an opportunity, Legolas arms himself with his bow once more and fires an arrow into the roof of the mouth of the troll, burying the tip in its brain. It stumbles in effect before falling down, dead. Pippin rolls off of it and onto the ground as it does.
Cutting off the head of the last Orc, Ithilae rushes towards the people now gathering around Frodo, dread in her eyes. Aragorn too crawls towards him, just having awakened enough to do so.
He flips the hobbit onto his back and is surprised to see Frodo still breathing. Frodo coughs and opens his eyes, wincing at the movement. "I'm alright. I'm not hurt." he assures them, as they look at him in relief.
"You should be dead. That spear would have skewered a wild boar." Aragorn says in amazement.
Gandalf eyes Frodo knowingly. "I think there's more to this hobbit than meets the eye." he states, to which Frodo parts his shirt to reveal the Mithril vest below it.
Gimli's eyes widen in awe. "Mithril! You are full of surprises Master Baggins!" he exclaims happily.
Although relieved, they have no time to celebrate as new screeches of Orcs echo throughout the caves. "To the Bridge of Khazad-dûm!" he urges.
Gathering to their feet, they all rush out the chamber and through the fast halls of Dwarrowdelf. Sadly they do not get far before being surrounded from every direction. They turn, back to back to face the creature leering at them. With bated breath they away the onslaught.
A sudden roar interrupts the silence, drawing their and their enemy's attention towards one end of the halls. There in the distance, an orange light is cast upon the pillars.
Another roar sounds, rattling their bones and scaring the orcs. They squeal loudly as they flee before silence falls again upon them, now alone in the vast halls. The light draws closer.
"What is this new devilry?" Boromir questions in a whisper, his eyes set on the approaching light.
Gandalf closes his eyes, dread clinging to his heart. "A Balrog, a demon of the ancient world." he conveys as he opens his eyes. The others look frightened at the revelation. He turns to the company, "This foe is beyond any of you. Run!"
They obey his orders, finding this balrog on their trail. They come across a doorway and Boromir is the first one out, only to be met with his doom as he nearly tumbles down the vast hollow below. Luckily Legolas is quick to pull him back.
"Gandalf!" Aragorn calls as the wizard behind them hesitates.
Gandalf turns a stern gaze towards the man, "Lead them on Aragorn. The Bridge is near!" he tells him, motioning to the narrow bridge within their sight. "Do as I say! Swords are of no more use here." Gandalf urges, stepping past Aragorn who looks worriedly at the wizard.
They rush down the staircase that lies beside the doorway until they reach a gap. Legolas is the first to cross with Ithilae right behind him. Putting her behind him, he holds out his hands, urging Gandalf to jump across. He hesitates a moment before doing so after the balrog roars again, causing part of the roof to come tumbling down and dragging part of the stairway behind them with it into darkness.
Arrows start to whiz past them, nearly hitting them while Legolas continues to help the others across. So to cover their retreat, Ithilae takes her bow and begins assaulting the offending orcs with her own.
More of the stairway starts to crumble and the base starts to crack and sway dangerously, catching Aragorn and Frodo off guard. They nearly fall, as they are the last ones to jump.
Steering the swaying stairs with their body weight towards the other end, it slams into it before crumbling completely, but not before the both of them have jumped to safety.
"Over the Bridge! Fly!" Gandalf calls as they make it to the end of the staircase and into another room facing the bridge. Flames are licking towards them from several directions, telling them the balrog is near.
Gandalf is the last to follow after them, pausing for a moment when the creature jumps from below and faces Gandalf with a mighty roar. The heat of its breath is felt on their backs.
Following after the others who have now reached the other side, Gandalf stop halfway the bridge to face the balrog head on. "You cannot pass!" he shouts at the creature, sword in one hand and staff in the other.
Hearing his voice, the other members of the company turn to look back at him in horror. The cold air of the outside world is felt as it streams through the pathway behind them.
Ithilae smacks away an oncoming arrow with her bow as they stand to watch what will come of this. Her heart starts to constrict for some reason. She never was quite amused with the wizard's jests and comments, but she cannot help but worry as the balrog rears up, spreading his flaming wings.
"I am the Servant of the Secret Fire! Wielder of the Flame of Anor!" Gandalf announces towards the dark creature. "The dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Ûdon!"
Angered, the balrog brings his flaming sword down towards Gandalf, who parries it with his staff, letting a crack like lightning ring through the caves. It causes the balrog to drop its sword into the chasm below. It roars again angrily.
Gandalf does not relent. "Go back to the shadow!" he calls as the balrog summons a whip and sets a step forward threateningly.
Gandalf raises his staff and sword together, "You shall not pass!" he shouts before letting his staff come down on the bridge, causing it to crack. It collapses and the balrog goes down with it, its flames going down with it.
Gandalf grunts tiredly before turning his back. He looks relieved. Though the look turns into shock as the balrog's whip snap up at him from below, catching his ankle and throwing him off the bridge.
His staff and sword fall down while he barely hangs onto the edge. He looks at the tense faces that watch him with something akin to acceptation in his eyes and they suddenly realize that he is already gone.
"Gandalf!" Frodo shouts, going to rush towards him, only to be held back.
Gandalf presents them a final look, "Fly you fools!" he shouts before his fingers slip.
Ithilae's breath hitches as he is lost from her sight and Frodo's calls fill her ears. She barely registers a hand clamping on her upper arm until cold air hits her face and daylight makes her eyes squint.
Legolas stands solemnly beside her as the company pours out their grief at the loss of Gandalf.
"This is not right…" she breathes, her eyes still wide in shock as she raises a hesitant hand to her temple. How can someone as Gandalf part from them? He is the foundation of their fellowship. He used to be so strong, appear almost immortal in her eyes.
She nearly chokes as a single sob tries to bash its way out of her throat when she realizes that she feels she misses Gandalf. She forces it down, but the rasping noise that accompanies makes Legolas glance at her in concern, his own eyes filled with sorrow.
She turns away from him, not wanting anyone to see her like this. When did she start to care for the wizard?