Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR.
One Member Short
They continued running, until they entered some place where the heat blasted them. It was a bunch of staircases. Boromir almost lost his balance and fell in. They continued down the stairs until they came to a spot where there was a small gap in between. Well, the gap was pretty large. But it was small for the time being.
Legolas leapt across it without even thinking. "Gandalf!" he motioned for Gandalf to jump next and helped him. Next was Boromir, with Merry under one arm and Pippin under another. He jumped across just as a large piece crumbled off. There was now twice the size separating them. Laura backed up. She'd rather encounter that creature and those Orcs again than try to jump across there. As she hesitated, Aragorn threw Sam across. She could see another piece beginning to crumble, and she pulled Frodo back out of harm's way. It crumbled with Aragorn on it, and he caught the edge. She helped him up as the three of them looked helplessly across the monstrous gap.
Laura began panicking. There was no possible way they were making it. She couldn't even see the bottom, but she knew it contained rocks and lava. Orcs were now starting to catch up to them, and they were shooting arrows. Legolas was able to hold them off until the Balrog was somewhere right above them trying to smash through the wall. A huge chunk came off and crashed into the staircase above them. She could fell the foundation beneath their feet loosen as she knew they were going to fall now. Her heart caught in her throat.
The rest looked on in disbelief. She grabbed one of Frodo's shoulders, not knowing if he was nearly as terrified as her. If she got out of this one, she was going to cry for days on end. Aragorn's voice broke her thoughts.
"Steady," he commanded them. She stayed as steady as she could, putting her arms out. She felt the staircase moving.
"Lean forward!" he yelled. Without protesting, Frodo and Laura leaned forward as far as they could. She closed her eyes, hoping she'd just burn up before she hit the bottom. Impatiently she opened her eyes to see that they were moving towards the rest of the group. With a resounding crash, they were safe as Legolas caught Laura and set her safely behind him on the stairs. She didn't have any time to get hysterical; they had to move. They all flew down the stairs, finally getting a glimpse of the Balrog as it gained on them with immense speed.
They started across the bridge, which was yet another narrow strip of stone across a vast abyss full of nothing. She whimpered as she followed the Hobbits and Boromir, Legolas staying close behind her. As she reached the other side, that disturbing feeling in her whole body acted up again. She turned back.
"Gandalf!" she cried. Frodo turned around, also. Gandalf had stopped in the middle of the bridge and was standing facing the monster. Legolas took her arm and held it tightly.
The Balrog was gargantuan. It looked like it was made of smoke with fire rising inside. When it opened its mouth to roar, heat waves shot out of it. It had two horns on top of its head, and two large black wings. It was a definite image of Satan. But Gandalf held his ground, holding up his staff and his sword. When the Balrog went to strike the tiny wizard, the whip only bounced off the light shielding him.
"You shall not pass!" Gandalf screamed, and thrust his staff into the bridge. It cracked, and as the creature started across that end of the bridge crumbled and it fell. She dropped to her knees and breathed a sigh of relief. Gandalf was alive.
As the group looked on, the whip caught Gandalf by the ankle. He caught the end of the bridge and pulled himself back up enough to see them one last time. "Fly you fools," he whispered, and let go of the edge.
"GANDALF! NO!" Frodo cried. Laura stood up and tried to run toward the bridge, but Legolas still had her arm. Boromir did the same with Frodo. She tried to fight it, but Legolas was too strong. In another second she came to her senses and ran out onto the mountains. Everything was bright, her eyes not seeing the light in days. Again she fell to her knees. She didn't want to be in this Fellowship anymore. Still shaken from that crumbling staircase, now she had seen Gandalf die. Sam was next to her, crying as Merry tried to comfort Pippin. Aragorn seemed not to be affected, but she knew he had to be torn in half after that.
"Legolas!" he yelled. "Get them up!"
Boromir, as distraught as the rest of them, protested. "Give them a moment, for pity's sake!"
"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with Orcs. We must reach the woods of Lothlorien," Aragorn said more calmly.
Laura could find no strength in her body to get up. She didn't want to be here anymore. But at the same time she was ashamed of herself. What did she think this would be, a hike through the wilderness with a bunch of men? No, the importance of this journey had been conveyed to her over and over. And worst of all, she'd gotten attached. She hadn't known Gandalf that long, but found herself heartbroken over losing him.
She took a deep breath and tried to relax a little, as the Hobbits were slowly getting to their feet. Shakily, she stood up, following Aragorn and his quicker pace.
The air around them was very morbid since Gandalf died. Laura had the tired feeling permanently haunting her everywhere she walked with them. It had affected the Hobbits the most, though. Their usually bright and cheery faces were so long.
Within the next few days they reached another forest. She didn't even need to enter it to get the feeling she got from it. She reached out and touched one of the trees. Legolas and Boromir stopped and looked at her. She quickly withdrew her hand from it.
One Member Short
They continued running, until they entered some place where the heat blasted them. It was a bunch of staircases. Boromir almost lost his balance and fell in. They continued down the stairs until they came to a spot where there was a small gap in between. Well, the gap was pretty large. But it was small for the time being.
Legolas leapt across it without even thinking. "Gandalf!" he motioned for Gandalf to jump next and helped him. Next was Boromir, with Merry under one arm and Pippin under another. He jumped across just as a large piece crumbled off. There was now twice the size separating them. Laura backed up. She'd rather encounter that creature and those Orcs again than try to jump across there. As she hesitated, Aragorn threw Sam across. She could see another piece beginning to crumble, and she pulled Frodo back out of harm's way. It crumbled with Aragorn on it, and he caught the edge. She helped him up as the three of them looked helplessly across the monstrous gap.
Laura began panicking. There was no possible way they were making it. She couldn't even see the bottom, but she knew it contained rocks and lava. Orcs were now starting to catch up to them, and they were shooting arrows. Legolas was able to hold them off until the Balrog was somewhere right above them trying to smash through the wall. A huge chunk came off and crashed into the staircase above them. She could fell the foundation beneath their feet loosen as she knew they were going to fall now. Her heart caught in her throat.
The rest looked on in disbelief. She grabbed one of Frodo's shoulders, not knowing if he was nearly as terrified as her. If she got out of this one, she was going to cry for days on end. Aragorn's voice broke her thoughts.
"Steady," he commanded them. She stayed as steady as she could, putting her arms out. She felt the staircase moving.
"Lean forward!" he yelled. Without protesting, Frodo and Laura leaned forward as far as they could. She closed her eyes, hoping she'd just burn up before she hit the bottom. Impatiently she opened her eyes to see that they were moving towards the rest of the group. With a resounding crash, they were safe as Legolas caught Laura and set her safely behind him on the stairs. She didn't have any time to get hysterical; they had to move. They all flew down the stairs, finally getting a glimpse of the Balrog as it gained on them with immense speed.
They started across the bridge, which was yet another narrow strip of stone across a vast abyss full of nothing. She whimpered as she followed the Hobbits and Boromir, Legolas staying close behind her. As she reached the other side, that disturbing feeling in her whole body acted up again. She turned back.
"Gandalf!" she cried. Frodo turned around, also. Gandalf had stopped in the middle of the bridge and was standing facing the monster. Legolas took her arm and held it tightly.
The Balrog was gargantuan. It looked like it was made of smoke with fire rising inside. When it opened its mouth to roar, heat waves shot out of it. It had two horns on top of its head, and two large black wings. It was a definite image of Satan. But Gandalf held his ground, holding up his staff and his sword. When the Balrog went to strike the tiny wizard, the whip only bounced off the light shielding him.
"You shall not pass!" Gandalf screamed, and thrust his staff into the bridge. It cracked, and as the creature started across that end of the bridge crumbled and it fell. She dropped to her knees and breathed a sigh of relief. Gandalf was alive.
As the group looked on, the whip caught Gandalf by the ankle. He caught the end of the bridge and pulled himself back up enough to see them one last time. "Fly you fools," he whispered, and let go of the edge.
"GANDALF! NO!" Frodo cried. Laura stood up and tried to run toward the bridge, but Legolas still had her arm. Boromir did the same with Frodo. She tried to fight it, but Legolas was too strong. In another second she came to her senses and ran out onto the mountains. Everything was bright, her eyes not seeing the light in days. Again she fell to her knees. She didn't want to be in this Fellowship anymore. Still shaken from that crumbling staircase, now she had seen Gandalf die. Sam was next to her, crying as Merry tried to comfort Pippin. Aragorn seemed not to be affected, but she knew he had to be torn in half after that.
"Legolas!" he yelled. "Get them up!"
Boromir, as distraught as the rest of them, protested. "Give them a moment, for pity's sake!"
"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with Orcs. We must reach the woods of Lothlorien," Aragorn said more calmly.
Laura could find no strength in her body to get up. She didn't want to be here anymore. But at the same time she was ashamed of herself. What did she think this would be, a hike through the wilderness with a bunch of men? No, the importance of this journey had been conveyed to her over and over. And worst of all, she'd gotten attached. She hadn't known Gandalf that long, but found herself heartbroken over losing him.
She took a deep breath and tried to relax a little, as the Hobbits were slowly getting to their feet. Shakily, she stood up, following Aragorn and his quicker pace.
The air around them was very morbid since Gandalf died. Laura had the tired feeling permanently haunting her everywhere she walked with them. It had affected the Hobbits the most, though. Their usually bright and cheery faces were so long.
Within the next few days they reached another forest. She didn't even need to enter it to get the feeling she got from it. She reached out and touched one of the trees. Legolas and Boromir stopped and looked at her. She quickly withdrew her hand from it.