Frodo and Sam's fingers were torn apart when they were forced into a single
line as they hurried across the bridge. Gimli's unsure feet slowed the
procession only slightly, and all seemed well when they reached the other
side. Aragorn silently counted the four hobbits and Arrow, as Gandalf
checked to see that Aragorn was present. A loud roar erupted from the
chamber behind them, and a blast of sparks lit the cave for a brief moment.
Across the bride a horrible figure emerged. His body, taller than a mans, was made of shadows and donned in flames. His long fiery mane smoldered, swirling a dark smoke about him.
"A Balrog!" Legolas cried in dismay, recoiling. Arrow stood rigid, staring at the creature that many orcs had feared. With a bellow the Balrog ran forward to the graceful arched bridge. On their side, Gandalf stepped forward. Boromir and Aragorn were not far behind.
Too distracted to give a typical demand, Gandalf, silent and powerful, looked on at the Balrog. When the beast set one flaming foot upon the bridge, Gandalf strided to the arch's middle while the two men stood side by side, ready to strike.
"You cannot pass." He said, "I am a servant of the secret fire, wielder of the secret flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun. Go back to the Shadow! You cannot pass."
The Balrog, mute, seemed to lose his fire; however, the shadows grew ever darker. He stepped suddenly onto the bridge and drew himself to his full height, wings spanning from wall to wall. Gandalf looked very much like an old man, weak and gray to Arrow's eyes. She surged forward, perhaps meaning to defend the wizard but Gimli's hand steadied her.
The Balrog's flaming sword leapt from the shadows, and Glamdring glittered white in answer. The two weapons made a terrific noise and then there was a spurt of white fire. Stepping back, the Balrag's sword fell to molten fragments. Gandalf wavered upon the bridge, and took one hesitant step away from his opponent.
"You cannot pass!" He said once more.
"We cannot let him stand alone." Aragorn said, and with that he and Boromir lunged forward shouting their battle cries.
It was then that Gandalf lifted his staff, and crying aloud he smote the bridge before him. The staff broke and fell in many pieces from his tired hand. Right at the Balrog's feet the bridge broke and the dark beast fell into the abyss. Weary, Gandalf turned and made to walk across the remaining bridge. But a whip of fire wrapped around his legs and dragged him downwards. He stumbled and fell. With a last look at the group he could only utter, "Fly you fools", before he too fell into the dark abyss.
Arrows began to rain down around them. It seemed a spell had been cast and they could not move, only stare where Gandalf had last stood. Frodo then let out a cry and tried to run forward, but he too was caught by Gimli before he could leap after Gandalf.
"We will obey his last commands, follow me." Aragorn said. With some disinclination and many tears they trailed behind their new leader. They ran swiftly and no arrow could stop them, not even the last group of orcs waiting in ambush slowed them. The entrance of Moria was before them, the shining sun ready to spread her blessings of warmth.
Arrow was soon flying, eager to be gone from Moria, her home. A wave of sunlight touched her and she silently rejoiced, racing from the horrible cave and into the safety of Middle Earth. The others were soon behind her. Their silence was unsettling to Arrow who did not grieve when others died since it happened so often in Moria. Had her heart broken every time someone she cared for had passed onto another world, it would be in fragmented pieces.
The girl lay on the ground besides Merry and Pippin who clung to each other for comfort. A smile formed on her lips as the sun and clean air touched her, but faded when she finally did look at her companions. Sam was sobbing, tear flooded eyes staring ever hopefully at the exit of Moria. Frodo was silent, but tears ran down his cheeks. Legolas stared outward, trying to compose himself after the shock of death. Gimli was torn between anger and despair, fighting his emotions behind a guise of calm. Boromir, feeling lost and helpless, fought back tears. Of them all, Aragorn looked emotionally unscathed.
He stood on a tall rock, gazing at the surroundings, preparing to be their leader. But beneath the surface was a man burdened with the task of keeping his wild emotions under control so the others would follow him. Arrow watched all this, and with whatever talents women possess for understanding emotions, she knew how each and every companion felt. That frightened Arrow for it was new and she hated change.
The sun made her sleepy with warmth and she shut her eyes just to think about where her true parents were, what had become of her adoptive family, what had become of Gandalf, and she thought too about memories hidden in the shadows of her mind. Her head was swimming. She recalled a painful slap across the face she had received for crying one day, and a day without dinner for laughing.
The orcs did not show emotion, so she would not show emotion. But as she opened her eyes to see the cotton clouds, she also saw her new companions. Her new friends. Her new family. What were they? Certainly not orcs, that was for sure, but did that justify her abandoning everything she had ever learned?
Arrow took a steadying breath and stood her throat tight as she struggled not to cry. "Where are we going now?" She choked out, receiving only a quiet look from Boromir.
"We shall wait for Aragorn's decision, Arrow." He said, taking a step towards her, grateful for the new topic to think about. Her lips parted as if to speak, but instead, she fell into Boromir's arms sobbing silently, hot tears falling from her eyes.
Across the bride a horrible figure emerged. His body, taller than a mans, was made of shadows and donned in flames. His long fiery mane smoldered, swirling a dark smoke about him.
"A Balrog!" Legolas cried in dismay, recoiling. Arrow stood rigid, staring at the creature that many orcs had feared. With a bellow the Balrog ran forward to the graceful arched bridge. On their side, Gandalf stepped forward. Boromir and Aragorn were not far behind.
Too distracted to give a typical demand, Gandalf, silent and powerful, looked on at the Balrog. When the beast set one flaming foot upon the bridge, Gandalf strided to the arch's middle while the two men stood side by side, ready to strike.
"You cannot pass." He said, "I am a servant of the secret fire, wielder of the secret flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun. Go back to the Shadow! You cannot pass."
The Balrog, mute, seemed to lose his fire; however, the shadows grew ever darker. He stepped suddenly onto the bridge and drew himself to his full height, wings spanning from wall to wall. Gandalf looked very much like an old man, weak and gray to Arrow's eyes. She surged forward, perhaps meaning to defend the wizard but Gimli's hand steadied her.
The Balrog's flaming sword leapt from the shadows, and Glamdring glittered white in answer. The two weapons made a terrific noise and then there was a spurt of white fire. Stepping back, the Balrag's sword fell to molten fragments. Gandalf wavered upon the bridge, and took one hesitant step away from his opponent.
"You cannot pass!" He said once more.
"We cannot let him stand alone." Aragorn said, and with that he and Boromir lunged forward shouting their battle cries.
It was then that Gandalf lifted his staff, and crying aloud he smote the bridge before him. The staff broke and fell in many pieces from his tired hand. Right at the Balrog's feet the bridge broke and the dark beast fell into the abyss. Weary, Gandalf turned and made to walk across the remaining bridge. But a whip of fire wrapped around his legs and dragged him downwards. He stumbled and fell. With a last look at the group he could only utter, "Fly you fools", before he too fell into the dark abyss.
Arrows began to rain down around them. It seemed a spell had been cast and they could not move, only stare where Gandalf had last stood. Frodo then let out a cry and tried to run forward, but he too was caught by Gimli before he could leap after Gandalf.
"We will obey his last commands, follow me." Aragorn said. With some disinclination and many tears they trailed behind their new leader. They ran swiftly and no arrow could stop them, not even the last group of orcs waiting in ambush slowed them. The entrance of Moria was before them, the shining sun ready to spread her blessings of warmth.
Arrow was soon flying, eager to be gone from Moria, her home. A wave of sunlight touched her and she silently rejoiced, racing from the horrible cave and into the safety of Middle Earth. The others were soon behind her. Their silence was unsettling to Arrow who did not grieve when others died since it happened so often in Moria. Had her heart broken every time someone she cared for had passed onto another world, it would be in fragmented pieces.
The girl lay on the ground besides Merry and Pippin who clung to each other for comfort. A smile formed on her lips as the sun and clean air touched her, but faded when she finally did look at her companions. Sam was sobbing, tear flooded eyes staring ever hopefully at the exit of Moria. Frodo was silent, but tears ran down his cheeks. Legolas stared outward, trying to compose himself after the shock of death. Gimli was torn between anger and despair, fighting his emotions behind a guise of calm. Boromir, feeling lost and helpless, fought back tears. Of them all, Aragorn looked emotionally unscathed.
He stood on a tall rock, gazing at the surroundings, preparing to be their leader. But beneath the surface was a man burdened with the task of keeping his wild emotions under control so the others would follow him. Arrow watched all this, and with whatever talents women possess for understanding emotions, she knew how each and every companion felt. That frightened Arrow for it was new and she hated change.
The sun made her sleepy with warmth and she shut her eyes just to think about where her true parents were, what had become of her adoptive family, what had become of Gandalf, and she thought too about memories hidden in the shadows of her mind. Her head was swimming. She recalled a painful slap across the face she had received for crying one day, and a day without dinner for laughing.
The orcs did not show emotion, so she would not show emotion. But as she opened her eyes to see the cotton clouds, she also saw her new companions. Her new friends. Her new family. What were they? Certainly not orcs, that was for sure, but did that justify her abandoning everything she had ever learned?
Arrow took a steadying breath and stood her throat tight as she struggled not to cry. "Where are we going now?" She choked out, receiving only a quiet look from Boromir.
"We shall wait for Aragorn's decision, Arrow." He said, taking a step towards her, grateful for the new topic to think about. Her lips parted as if to speak, but instead, she fell into Boromir's arms sobbing silently, hot tears falling from her eyes.