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Chapter 12
She held her breath. She extended her senses to find the others around her. They weren't far but they certainly were to close for comfort. Melda spun on her heel when she saw a light only to see the frightened and startled faces of the group. Looking towards the hobbits she saw them huddled around the ring-bearer. The poor hobbit had grown pale and tired after being swung around like a rag doll. "We now have but one choice. We must face the long dark halls of Moria. Be on your guard, there are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world. Quietly now it's a four day journey to the other side. Let's hope our presents go unknown. " Gandalf explained taking the first step.
Time passes slow for Melda. The fellowship remaining silent through the beginning journey. She hadn't wanted to voice her worries but it was certainly strange that not a single one of them had said anything. The dwarf didn't even make a quick pass to the elf, nor did the two rowdy hobbits find something to entertain themselves with. She just watched as they trudged behind the wizard. Pulling her hood tighter over her head she started the climb of the steep steps on the side of the cavern. Her bloody and partially scabbed hands stung at the feeling of the rocks but she pulled herself up quickly so that she wasn't lagging behind the others.
Grabbing ahold of the last step Melda hauled herself over the edge to a smooth platform. Gandalf's hand wrapped around her arm pulling her to her feet. Melda looked around her while she caught her breath. It was sculpted to look as like a small entrance hall with three different doors. Her eyes stayed on the doors for a moment as if all her fears just came true. "I have no memory of this place." Gandalf said.
"Are we lost?" One of the more rowdy hobbits; who she believed was named Pippin, asked. He looked sad and honestly bored.
"No" The other said. She knew he was the boys' friend but she could tell he wasn't in the mood.
"Merry?" Pippin asked looking at his friend.
"What"
"I'm hungry."
The fellowship sat around on boulders or leaning against large pieces of slab. Melda sighed and set her bag onto the floor and started to look through it. She found another dagger, which she used to carve arrow heads, wrapped in a cloth and a small blanket to. Shoving it to the side she saw a bag. Pulling it out she untied it to find two types of bread. She'd completely forgot that she had food with her since the chubby hobbit had always cooked. Walking over to the ring-bearer who was sitting next to Gandalf she handed each of them a piece of bread from the same loaf. "Ah thank you my friend." Gandalf said taking it from her fingers. The ring-bearer took it from her shyly giving her a slight nod in thanks.
Walking over to the other three hobbits she also handed them a piece. The look of joy on their faces confused her considering she was only giving them bread and that it wasn't very satisfying to begin with. Heading towards the men she handed the mortal men and the dwarf some bread. They took it immediately and smiled. Melda stopped in front of the elf and got down to her knees. She placed the used loaf to the side and ripped a piece off the other loaf. He took it with a bit uncertainly but ate in none the less. Stuffing a piece into her mouth she watched as the mood of the fellowship slowly got better. "How come the elves get a special type of bread?" The dwarf asked crossing his arms.
"That is not for us to know Gimli. Durion has given us food we should be happy with that." The northern man said laying his hand on the dwarfs shoulder.
"You may eat it Master Dwarf but seeing as you would not want death to come upon you so soon I suggest you eat the bread Durion has given you." Gandalf muttered but still loud enough for them to hear. The dwarf stood up almost as if he felt intimidated. Handing another piece to the elf and taking another piece for herself as well she wrapped up their loaf and put it back in her bag. Melda took the other loaf and started handing out seconds. "I do not mean to get you angry but Durion's kin make many types of bread. If he would have handed you the one he was eating you would have been cold and lifeless. Since elves have a different diet than most it would only mean to make bread that could withstand their body needs." Gandalf explained.
Melda did not care. She handed the dwarf another piece before giving the rest to the hobbits. Gandalf looked towards one of the doorways with a small smile. "Oh! It's this way." He said getting up with the help of his staff. Melda grabbed her bag and pulled it onto her shoulder dodging her arrows and quiver.
"He remembered!" Pippins friend cheered.
"No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here. If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose." Gandalf stated walking down a dark hallway. Melda watched her step as she took to moving around large pieces of rock hoping the others would follow her steps so that no one would go tumbling to the floor. The old wizard lifted his staff once again when they got to the end. "Let me risk a little more light." Melda watched in amazement at the light seemed to awaken an untold beauty. The columns were artistically structured out of stone while the floor was perfectly leveled and went on farther then Melda could see in the darkness before her.
"Behold the great realm and Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf!" Gandalf said.
"Now there's an eye opener and no mistake." The chubby hobbit said taking a step forward.
They walked down the hall, looking pass columns to find another staircase that could lead them out of the mountain. Melda felt no comfort in this place. It was as if she was being watched. She could feel the darkness in her arm tingling at the thought. Something in this mountain was sleeping waiting to be awoken. Melda was cut off from her thoughts at the sound of the dwarf making a hefty sigh as if he found something. "Gimli" Gandalf called after him.
The dwarf ran into a room being lit up by the sunlight from the outside. Bodies and weapons lied across the room scattered around a tomb like object. The dwarf stops and kneels next to it sobbing. "No No No!" He cried placing a hand on the top of it. The Gondorian comes up behind him and places a hand on his shoulder in comfort. Gandalf looks down and translates the writing on the rock.
"'Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria.' He is dead then. It's as I feared." Gandalf sighed handing his staff and his hat over to Pippin. Bending down he takes a large and tattered book from a corpse's hand. He opens it and clears the dirt from the pages. Melda looks around the room taking an arrow and her quiver off her shoulder. With the sounds of the dwarf giving his prayers and Gandalf musings with the book it was soon going to echo though the great halls.
"We must move on, we cannot linger." The elf whispered behind her to the northern man. She couldn't have agreed more with the elf. He must have sensed the evil around them. The things that could be hiding in the strangest places.
"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. A shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out…" Gandalf looks up at the uncomfortable silence of the fellowship. He turns his gaze back to the book and finishes. "...they are coming!"
Suddenly something falls. Melda quickly notched her arrow and spins around only to point it at Pippin. She holds her breath as the rest of the corpse that was sitting on the edge of the well falls dragging with it chains and a bucket. The hobbit looks guilty, flinching as the noise echos from hall to hall below them. Melda moved the arrow away from him but didn't release her grip on her weapon. Gandalf slammed the book closed with an angry look on his face. "Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity." The wizard snatches his staff and hat back from the hobbit and turned away.
It was faint to her ears but Melda swore she heard drums. It was slow and steady as if it was only her imaginations but when she noticed that Gandalf heard them as well she only wished it was her mind playing tricks on her. "Mr. Frodo" Turning towards the ring-bearer he pulled out his sword to see it was glowing blue.
"Orcs!" The elf hissed.
The Gondorian rushed towards the doors to have a look. Arrows lodge themselves into the door near his face. The other man rushed to his aid while yelling at the hobbits to stay with Gandalf. They closed the doors but a bellow can be heard just outside. Melda lifted up her quiver and took aim. The Gondorian leaned against the door trying to regain his breath. "They have a cave roll." He said with sarcastic relief. Melda kept aim as the elf started throwing things to the men to help blockade the door. They tried to set up but the banging on the other side was of no assistance. The men pulled back taking out their weapons preparing themselves to fight.
"Argh! Let them come! There is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!"
Melda looked behind her at the dwarf. He hoisted himself on top of the tombstone with his axe in his hand. Turning back around she couldn't help but mutter, "Dwarves".
The creatures on the other side began breaking down the door their weapons splintered the wood. When one of the creatures pulled their weapon from the door she saw a small gap big enough for her to shoot through it. Aiming she loosened her fingers only to have an arrow go through it that didn't belong to her. A shrill cry comes from the other side of the door. Melda frowned at the noise. The elf had stolen her opening. Before Melda could think anything else the door busted open revealing a small army of Orcs. She let her arrow go as they started to rush in. Some of the Orcs didn't have armor so she tried to take them down first.
It was an all-out fight in the room. Melda pulled the arrow out of the skull of the Orc she just killed and notched it again only to send it through the throat of another. Ducking she spun on her heel and pulled the feet right out from under the creature. It fell to the floor on its back and without hesitation Melda grabbed its sword and plunged it into its chest. Its cry of pain went unnoticed to Melda. She got up to her feet and pulled another arrow from her collection. A loud groan sounded through the room vibrating up and down the walls. Turning towards her right she saw the cave troll strike the Gondorian. The man went flying hitting the pieces of what use to be a wall with a dazed look on his face.
Melda pulled her arrow up and aimed behind him. Letting the arrow go it killed the Orc instantly. Not bothering to make sure the man was alright Melda pulled her quiver up onto her shoulder and took out her dagger. Long distance fighting was going to get her nowhere while she stood in the middle of the field. Her sword bang against her leg, reminding her that she still hadn't pulled it out so far in their journey. Melda swung her arm around blocking the end of a sword. She kept focus on the battle. Never letting her mind stray to what was going on around her. She could hear the screaming of the hobbits, yes she could but she refused to let any Orc get the best of her.
She had finished off the last of the remaining Orcs, or at least the ones who didn't flee for their lives. Her shoulder had taken a few hits and so did her back but all in all she was fine. Almost in top shape if it weren't for the fact that her hands had started to bleed again. A low moan in pain came from the other side of the room. Melda turned to see the cave troll drop to the ground with an arrow sticking out of the roof of its mouth. Silences took over for a moment. A sense of liberation running through each of them. The enemy was gone for now.
The northern man rushes towards the ring-bearer who was laying on his side. Melda cleaned her dagger and sliped it back into the sleeve of her cloak. The man rolled him over expecting the worse but the ring-bearer groaned. "He's alive!" The chubby hobbit exclaimed. Melda walked over and stood by Gandalf.
"It's alright! I'm not hurt." The ring-bearer says grabbing his chest.
"You should be dead! That spear would have skewered a wild boar." The northern man said. Melda looked to his side to see the spear he was talking about. It should have impaled the poor hobbit from one side and out the other.
"I think there's more to this hobbit than meets the eye." Gandalf said looking down at the ring-bearer. The hobbit looks down and pulled at his shirt to show his armor underneath. Melda have never seen Mithril before seeing as the dwarf she was standing with now was the first she's ever met.
"Mithril! You are full of surprises, Master Baggins." The dwarf said with a small laugh.
Melda looked up and towards the door at the sound of more Orcs heading their way. Gandalf rested a hand on her back and nudged her forward. "To the Bridge of Khazad-dum!"
