Nine present in Moria were fighting for their lives, one was fighting for
revenge.
Arrows flew through the air, swords were slicing through bodies, and
daggers cut in and out of flesh. The scene was not all together very
pleasant. It did seem that the fellowship and their tagalong were
beginning to show signs of victory.
"Go, now!" Gandalf urged.
Arrow would have stayed and made an attempt at slaying every last one of them if Gimli had not shoved the girl towards the stairs. Even as it was the dwarf could not push her fast enough for a large orc burst into the chamber. His eyes narrowed at the sight of a dwarf herding one of his pupils away from battle, to him nothing could be worse than fleeing from a fight. The large goblin charged at them, but was a bit surprised when a small hobbit went dashing towards them. His spear jabbed into the air over their heads since they had all toppled to the ground after Frodo fell into them.
"Arrow, stop bein' so stupid and get back where you belong!" He snarled, aiming his spear at her back. If a certain dwarves axe had not cleaved his feet from his legs he might have been more concerned with her scathing reply in orcish; but as it was, he was too busy clawing at the stumps where his feet had once been to listen.
"Mistress Arrow, Master Frodo, we had better be following Gandalf now." Gimli reminded the two of them. Despite the near fatality and Arrow's protests they were not that far behind the others.
"Quickly, quickly." Spurred Gandalf as they made their way past him. Aragorn stood behind the wizard with concern showing in his face.
"You are not going to try to hold the door alone?" The ranger asked.
"I'm not going to try, I will do it. Lead them on to the bottom of these stairs, and if I do not soon follow you must lead them through the rest of Moria."
Hesitantly Aragorn steered the hobbits down the flight of steps with the rest hurrying after them. The quick pitter patter of feet and boots hitting rock echoed around the cavern, creating the illusion that a whole army was making their way down the staircase. Once at the bottom Aragorn quickly attended to the hobbits while Boromir put Arrow under his watch. Legolas and Gimli were more preoccupied with the fact that Gandalf was only just now coming down the steps.
"Quickly, quickly!" Aragorn yelled to Gandalf, repeating the words the wizard had said only minutes earlier. He made his way down, stumbling often. It was then that the idea Gandalf could not lead them much further blossomed within Aragorn's mind, but he dismissed the thought. With the addition of Arrow things had become intensified. At first the solution seemed obvious, but for every second she stayed with them, the solution seemed to become more confused. Everyday Frodo seemed to grow worse, even if he himself did not notice it.
"To the bridge of Khazad-Dum." Gandalf said breathlessly once he reached his companions. Aragorn gave him an affirmative nod, rushing forward. Boromir glanced backwards, intending to grab Arrow as she tried to either sneak off or kill something, but for the first time she did not need to be led anywhere. Her two eyes fixed him with a look that seemed more deadly than the wrath of the dark lord himself.
"I am capable of performing tasks without your guidance." Arrow muttered. Boromir nodded slightly and simply turned to make towards the bridge of Khazad-Dum. The group tried to keep together as they ran, but those with longer legs soon took the lead. Gandalf stopped suddenly, staring down at the floor. The two humans came to a more gradual halt, looking at their leader.
"A balrog." Gandalf said in a husky voice laced with fear. Everyone but Arrow and Legolas furrowed their brows in confusion, while the mentioned two stood still in terror.
"Could we fight it?" Arrow asked, not having much experience with the creature. Gandalf shook his head, wispy white hair scattering down his head. His hat had been lost somewhere in his run down the stairs, but it had not been of importance.
"There are no weapons which any of us wield that could defeat it quickly enough. We must hurry to get through the remainder of Moria." The wizard advised them. Nothing more was spoken, and they fell into an uncomfortable silence.
"Run." Gandalf commanded. And they did, quickly as possible they ran. The bridge loomed before them, ominous and foreboding. Sam gazed upon the only means of crossing across the abyss with discomfort, noting well the dark long shadows that were beneath it.
Frodo gave Sam a hug as best he could when he was running at full speed, and through that bond it seemed as if they could have been out running in the jaded pastures of the Shire. Their fingers linked together for a brief moment, a reassurance of hope.
"Go, now!" Gandalf urged.
Arrow would have stayed and made an attempt at slaying every last one of them if Gimli had not shoved the girl towards the stairs. Even as it was the dwarf could not push her fast enough for a large orc burst into the chamber. His eyes narrowed at the sight of a dwarf herding one of his pupils away from battle, to him nothing could be worse than fleeing from a fight. The large goblin charged at them, but was a bit surprised when a small hobbit went dashing towards them. His spear jabbed into the air over their heads since they had all toppled to the ground after Frodo fell into them.
"Arrow, stop bein' so stupid and get back where you belong!" He snarled, aiming his spear at her back. If a certain dwarves axe had not cleaved his feet from his legs he might have been more concerned with her scathing reply in orcish; but as it was, he was too busy clawing at the stumps where his feet had once been to listen.
"Mistress Arrow, Master Frodo, we had better be following Gandalf now." Gimli reminded the two of them. Despite the near fatality and Arrow's protests they were not that far behind the others.
"Quickly, quickly." Spurred Gandalf as they made their way past him. Aragorn stood behind the wizard with concern showing in his face.
"You are not going to try to hold the door alone?" The ranger asked.
"I'm not going to try, I will do it. Lead them on to the bottom of these stairs, and if I do not soon follow you must lead them through the rest of Moria."
Hesitantly Aragorn steered the hobbits down the flight of steps with the rest hurrying after them. The quick pitter patter of feet and boots hitting rock echoed around the cavern, creating the illusion that a whole army was making their way down the staircase. Once at the bottom Aragorn quickly attended to the hobbits while Boromir put Arrow under his watch. Legolas and Gimli were more preoccupied with the fact that Gandalf was only just now coming down the steps.
"Quickly, quickly!" Aragorn yelled to Gandalf, repeating the words the wizard had said only minutes earlier. He made his way down, stumbling often. It was then that the idea Gandalf could not lead them much further blossomed within Aragorn's mind, but he dismissed the thought. With the addition of Arrow things had become intensified. At first the solution seemed obvious, but for every second she stayed with them, the solution seemed to become more confused. Everyday Frodo seemed to grow worse, even if he himself did not notice it.
"To the bridge of Khazad-Dum." Gandalf said breathlessly once he reached his companions. Aragorn gave him an affirmative nod, rushing forward. Boromir glanced backwards, intending to grab Arrow as she tried to either sneak off or kill something, but for the first time she did not need to be led anywhere. Her two eyes fixed him with a look that seemed more deadly than the wrath of the dark lord himself.
"I am capable of performing tasks without your guidance." Arrow muttered. Boromir nodded slightly and simply turned to make towards the bridge of Khazad-Dum. The group tried to keep together as they ran, but those with longer legs soon took the lead. Gandalf stopped suddenly, staring down at the floor. The two humans came to a more gradual halt, looking at their leader.
"A balrog." Gandalf said in a husky voice laced with fear. Everyone but Arrow and Legolas furrowed their brows in confusion, while the mentioned two stood still in terror.
"Could we fight it?" Arrow asked, not having much experience with the creature. Gandalf shook his head, wispy white hair scattering down his head. His hat had been lost somewhere in his run down the stairs, but it had not been of importance.
"There are no weapons which any of us wield that could defeat it quickly enough. We must hurry to get through the remainder of Moria." The wizard advised them. Nothing more was spoken, and they fell into an uncomfortable silence.
"Run." Gandalf commanded. And they did, quickly as possible they ran. The bridge loomed before them, ominous and foreboding. Sam gazed upon the only means of crossing across the abyss with discomfort, noting well the dark long shadows that were beneath it.
Frodo gave Sam a hug as best he could when he was running at full speed, and through that bond it seemed as if they could have been out running in the jaded pastures of the Shire. Their fingers linked together for a brief moment, a reassurance of hope.