Here's chapter 7 ! Enjoy !

Running. Running. That was the only thing they had in mind. Drums in the deep. They were coming. Their battle cries were filling the Mines. Their weapons were smashing against the rocks.

Running.

The Hobbits had to be carried, for with their shorter legs, they couldn't follow the taller ones anymore. The bridge. It was there, right in front of them. They were so close. Just a few more steps. But the Orcs, even if they weren't very fast, were good climbers and before they could realize what was happening, they were blocked. They couldn't cross anymore.

There were just too many of them, they were surrounded.

"Protect the Hobbits !" Gandalf shouted, and less than a second later, the companions were forming a circle with the Halflings in its center. They were too unprepared to fight the creatures, despite all the efforts they had put into training. This was just too much.

The Fellows were still very impressed to see Frodo grab his now blue knife and Sam his pan, just in case. Merry and Pippin, having got nothing to defend themselves, took some pieces of rock on the floor.

There was a moment where the opponent's simply stared at each other, observing, studying. Legolas' and Faramir had armed their bow, every sword had been unsheathed. And then, without a warning, the foul beasts let out a terrible battle cry and charged, each of them crashing into the impenetrable wall of the Fellowship. The two bowmen had ducked arrow after arrow, but they were now forced to abandon it to sword and knives. Gandalf was using Glamdring with an impressive rapidity and precision for his advanced age. Gimli was more smashing than fighting his enemies, but that seemed to work just as well, if not better. Boromir, as usual, was slicing through the bodies with such a master and technique that he would have impressed even the greatest swordfighters of mankind. And Aragorn… Aragorn looked so alike to the Kings of old. So proud, so serene, yet his aim wasn't less deadly, on the contrary.

The four Hobbits were looking at him so intently that one could have thought they had fallen under a spell.

At first, the combat had seemed fair, but the Orcs were too many and had bowmen on their own. The companions were forced to both fight and deflect the incoming arrows. None of them was left completely unharmed and they were exhausted. But the number of their adversaries didn't seem to decrease much.

"Are you needing some help, Master Dwarf ?" Gimli Heard a provoking voice calling. No need to foresee to guess it belonged to the elf.

"Just take care of your own orcs, you showing-off cheeky pointy-eared creature !" came the sharp reply, still tainted with a tiny bit of humour. Gimli quickly turned his head back to his opponents, but he had been distracted for too long, and could only watch in horror as the creature in front of him brought down his blade to achieve him. He closed his eyes. This was going to be painful.

'If I had known I would die standing side by side with an elf…'

But as he felt no pain coming, he slowly lifted his eyelids, to find the creature, frozen in its position, an elven knife struck in its head. Gimli turned around to meet his saviour. Not only had he been about to die at the side of an elf, but he had just been saved by one.

"Th-Thank you…" whispered timidly in shock. If there was something he hadn't been expecting, it was this.

But misfortune upon misfortune, this had also distracted the elf from his own fight and, there again, the dwarf could only watch as the man who had just saved his life was hit deeply in the shoulder by an arrow and was forced to take a step back to regain his balance, staring in surprise at the dark weapon buried deep in his body.

Alas, they were fighting on the edge of a cliff. Only one bridge allowed you to cross it. And they had been slowly pushed back during the entire fight. The elf's foot met nothing but air, and there was still a deep look of misunderstanding on his face as his body fell backward. Time suddenly felt as if it had been put in slow motion.

"Legolas !" came Aragorn's cry. But the man was surrounded by three Orcs and couldn't move away, so were the others.

Faster than he could have ever imagined, Gimli cut his opponent's head off and rushed to where his companion had fallen, kneeling, sending a silent prayer to Aulë for the elf to have survived somehow. He barely registered as his Fellows finally managed, Valar knows how, to reform a kind of circle behind him. He moved his head over the edge… 'Oh ! Aulë !' was the only thought he could form in his mind as he saw a hand, grasping the rock tightly, a few inches under him.

"Legolas !" he called, handing out his hand, "Grab my hand !"

The elf glanced up at him, a look of pain passing on his face as he tried to lift up his injured arm.

'Curse it !' Gimli couldn't help but think as he saw how hard it was for the elf to reach him. He needed help, but his companions had other problems to face right now, having momentarily lost two of their warriors, and asking one of the halflings would just make things worse.

"C'mon lad. If the elves are as strong as you say, you can do this…" he tried to put some challenge in his voice. It clearly wasn't the moment, but if it could add a little extra-boost to the elf, it was worth a try.

Slowly, letting out soft grunts and gasps of pain, the elf lifted his arm.

"That's it ! Almost there !" the dwarf encouraged.

And he was forced to admit he let out a huge sigh of relief as he felt the soft and sweaty hand of the elf closing on his own, despite the painful cry he let out.

"That's it. Hang on now, I've got you."

Hardly, the dwarf tried to lift him up, but despite the light weight of his kind, Legolas' hand was slowly slipping out of his own, and the dwarf had his other hand holding the stone cliff, to avoid falling with his companion. He was slowly losing his grip, but no matter how hard he tried, there was nothing he could do to prevent it. No ! It couldn't be ! There had to be something else !

"Master Dwarf !" the elf called him weakly in a painful voice, "You have to let me go. It is hopeless."

"Don't you dare !" he shouted back stubbornly.

"Master Dwarf…"

"NO !" he cut off. He couldn't let go. There was no way. He had just saved his life… And yet... The situation seemed quite hopeless, indeed.

But, as he felt the hand slip a little more in his own and heard the elf let out another cry of pain, he heard a small voice next to him :

"Mister Legolas ! Grab this, Sir !"

The dwarf turned around to see Sam, crouching next to him, his feet held by Merry, handing out his bag the the fallen elf. Gimli them felt two pairs of hands gripping his own ankle and heard the voice of Frodo.

"Grab his wrist with both hands, we hold you !"

Without wasting any time, Gimli caught the elven wrist, making him yell out in pain again, and waited for the elf to grab Sam's pack before ordering :

"Pull him up."

And less than ten seconds later, after various cries, grunts and gasps, everyone was back on the safe ground.

"Legolas, mellon-nîn, are you alright ?" Aragorn's almost panicked voice asked. The man hadn't stopped glancing back during the whole saving, having been nearly hit by doing so.

"I have been better, but I will survive." came the weak and pained reply.

To Gimli, it was a wonder the elf hadn't pass out. If his skin was naturally pale, the Prince now looked as a living dead.

But unfortunately, the dwarf didn't have time to worry too much about it. They were outnumbered and his companions needed help.

"You four !" he told the Hobbits, "See that he doesn't move from here. He is in no way fit for a fight."

"But…" the elf tried to argue.

"No ! Your face is even paler than snow itself. It would be suicide." he cut off on a tone that admitted no discussion. Were all elves so stubborn ?

"But you will need help…"

"And we do not have time to watch over an injured suicidal elf. You stay here. The. End." he stated and turned around to face back his opponents. They had nearly killed the elf, they would be paying for this.

"Master Dwarf ?" the elf called once more.

"What now ?" he asked, irritated.

"Thank you."

The dwarf's mouth hung open in surprise. Had he just thanked him ?

"I… It's nothing. You saved me first and I wasn't alone."

Boromir seemed unstoppable, but Faramir was forced to admit he felt his forces decreasing by the minute. He still hadn't completely recovered from his past foresight. Besides, he had never been an incredibly good swordsman, and now his movements were becoming slower, which mad him an easier target.

The huge amount of stress he had felt when Legolas had fallen had really left him weary.

"I have bad news," he heard his brother's voice, but couldn't face him, for the number of Orcs attacking him was too big, "They have a cave troll."

At the same time, Faramir heard an very loud cry and was forced to see the gigantic beast making its way toward them. At least, it seemed to be killing and throwing in the air numerous Orcs. Clumsy beast.

But soon, too soon, it was on them and they had to deal both with the remaining Orcs (the others had backed off slightly, to avoid being killed too), and the enormous arms of the creature slicing the air blindly. Faramir quickly retrieved back his bow and ducked him an arrow in the throat, hoping this would distract it, so that his remaining Fellows would see an opening and attack.

Unfortunately, it did distract him from his other companions, but also seemed to make it angrier and the man didn't have time to escape the arm that hit him in the chest, knocking the breath out of him, making him fly away and crash into the mountain wall.

"FARAMIR !" Boromir shouted as he saw his brother being thrown one the rocks and falling limply on the ground. He wanted to rush to him, but couldn't find a way to avoid the beast.

At least it seemed to have been slightly weakened by the arrow buried in his jugular.

"Boromir ! Gimli !" Aragorn's voice called him, "On my mark, grab its chains and pull."

The man and dwarf nodded, but this was easier said than done, for the chains were on him arms, and he kept throwing them blindly to hit them.

But at the same time, they heard Gandalf declaiming a spell and suddenly, the troll froze.

"Now !" Aragorn ordered.

They just had time to pull his chains before it came moving again.

But the sudden pulling had made him lose his balance and quickly, the beast fell in the abyss.

Boromir immediately rushed to his brother when he saw the remaining Orcs charging him. But he was too far and they were too close.

"No !" he shouted in despair as he knew he couldn't reach him in time.

But suddenly, a loud noise came from deep inside the mountain and soon, flames enlighten the entire stone pit. The Orcs turned to stare at it and immediately ran away. Boromir stared at them in surprise before resuming his running to kneel by his brother's side.

"Brother ? Can you hear me ?"

Faramir's eyes fluttered open and it took them a few moments to focus. Concussion, maybe ?

"Hurry up, Boromir ! We have to cross the bridge before it's too late !" Gandalf's scared voice reached him.

Without wasting a minute, Boromir took his brother over his shoulder and rushed to the rest of the Fellowship, he didn't have the time to lift him upright, those flames were auguring nothing good. Not did the Wizard's scared voice.

Aragorn was supporting a very weak and pained Legolas, looking even paler than before.

As soon as he met them, they hastily crossed the bridge of Khazad-Dûm, the Hobbits following as well as they could. Rocks were falling everywhere and they had to dodge them every second, the flames were growing even brighter and they heard a loud roar coming from behind them

"Don't slow down !" Gandalf cried.

"What is that thing ?" Boromir asked, slightly frightened.

"The Balrog…" Legolas answered painfully.

Boromir's eyes opened widely. That was the thing that could probably take the Wizard's life away ?

Again, they ran and ran, avoiding the holes in the floor and the falling stone. The place was getting hotter by the minute and the roaring seemed to grow closer.

But eventually, they saw light, right in front of them. They were almost there… Just a few more steps. The roaring was close, too close, but they knew they could make it. They had been stopped once, they wouldn't be a second time. Not this time.

With all the power of their will, they could finally get past the doors, just as they saw the monstrous face appear behind them. Born of shadow and flame. The Balrog.

When he was sure everyone was out, Gandalf turned to face the monster and raised his staff.

"You shall not pass !"

A light came out of it and hit the cellar above the tenebrous beast, making it break on it and sealing the exit.

Everyone allowed themselves to fall on their back, breathing for the first time since they had entered the Mines, the pure air of the outside world. Everyone could have sworn they saw Legolas' face gain back some colour, which soon drained back as Aragorn began to inspect the arrow wound in his shoulder. The man took some herbs from his pack and, clean cloth and a leather strap, which he made Legolas take in his mouth. He then grabbed the arrow with both hands.

"On three. One. Two…"

A huge cry escaped the Elf's lips, muffled by the strap in his mouth, as the man took the arrow out of his shoulder. Aragorn quickly applied the herbs on the open wound and wrapped it tightly in the cloth.

"Dihenog nin, mellon-nîn." Aragorn apologies to him, wincing at the look of pain on his friend's face. The Elf shook his head, in a way of telling him it was nothing.

"What h-happened… To three ?" he still asked humourously, which made the man laugh.

Boromir, who had finally put his now unconscious brother on the ground, was now gently shaking him, trying to awake him, surrounded by both Merry and Pippin.

When he finally did, again, it took some time for his eyes to focus on Boromir's ones and, when they did, a look of misunderstanding passed on his face as Pippin literally jumped to his neck.

"Did I miss something ?" he asked, confused.

"I think you might have missed pretty much everything, actually." Boromir answered him, smiling.

Pippin eventually released his embrace, and took a step back, eyes filled with joy.

Faramir suddenly sat up, grasping Boromir's shoulder as he felt dizziness coming to his head.

"Faramir, what is it ?" he asked, concerned.

"Gandalf ? Where is Gandalf ?" Faramir asked him hurriedly.

"I am right here, young man." the Wizard answered, coming out of nowhere, "Whatever you did, it worked." he added, a bright smile on his face.

The man felt a huge wave of relief filling his heart. It had worked. Mithrandir was here, safe and sound. He had done it. He smiled back at the Wizard, all concern having now left his heart.

"Faramir, are you alright ?" Aragorn asked coming to him, still supporting Legolas and followed by Gimli, Frodo and Sam.

"I think he may have a concussion," Boromir answered for him. It was true, he could hardly make his eyes to focus on something for more than ten seconds.

The older Ranger put a knee on the ground beside him and began observing him intently, searching for the signs of the concussion.

"Indeed, he has, his pupils aren't much dilated for now, but this might worsen. We will have to be very careful." Aragorn declared after a few moments and got up again.

"Alright. Gandalf ?" the man called the Wizard, his voice worried and febrile, "We should head to Lothlórien quickly, we all are injured and I am afraid that Legolas' wound might be poisoned. The herbs will slow its effect but he will need a healer quickly. So will Faramir." he explained hurriedly. Faramir had never seen him so close to panic.

"I agree. We shall leave now, so we may arrive before nightfall." the Wizard stated, his voice sounding worried too.

Very slowly, Boromir helped his brother up who closed his eyes at the dizziness. It had been a strong hit apparently.

"Faramir ?" he heard the small voice of Frodo calling him.

"Yes ?"

"Thank you. For saving Gandalf."

The man smiled at him.

Mellon-nîn : My friend

Dihenog nin : Forgive me

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