Through Darkness and Despair
Chapter 6: The Creature of Fire and Shadow
In the dark hallway of Moria, the air was dank and rotten. Everyone was breathing heavily from the incident with the Watcher in the Water. Gandalf muttered something under his breath again, and the crystals on his staff glowed brighter. Now, by the bright light that was now about the same power of a large lantern, the Fellowship could see fairly well. Legolas then heard a crack. It turned out that Pippin had stepped on something on the ground. Gandalf brought his staff closer to the floor, and the light shone on a bleached human skull, now cracked and broken from Pippin's foot. Everyone looked down. They suddenly noticed white bones everywhere, all throughout this great passageway that they had not been able to see before.
Gimli let out a loud wail of despair.
"This is not a mine," Boromir said, disgusted, "It is a tomb!"
"This is a mistake, " Aragorn replied cautiously, "We should never have gone here."
The hobbits shuddered to think what had done this to all these dwarves.
"We must press on," urged Gandalf. "We must pray that whatever did this will not find us, and that our presence here in Moria will go unnoticed."
* * * * * *
It seemed an eternity the Fellowship had journeyed through these caverns. During the infrequent breaks that Gandalf granted them, Legolas sat with Aragorn, talking quietly, or just being in the presence of each other was enough. They did not do more, for the watchful eyes of the company were on them always, especially those of the unnerving human, Boromir. Aragorn could not tell night from day in the gloomy corridors of the mines. Then, on the last day on their journey (as Gandalf told them), a long shaft of light caught his eye, and partly blinded him. He was surprised. There was supposed to be no light in the enclaves of Moria. Aragorn drew out his sword, and walked hesitantly towards the vortex of light. As he drew near, he relaxed, and saw it was a tomb. Everyone else also drew closer. They saw that the inscription on the tomb was dwarvish. Gandalf translated:
BALIN SON OF FULIN
LORD OF MORIA
Everyone stared at Gimli with pitiful eyes as he started to breathe in little gasps.
"He was my cousin." He explained painfully.
Giving time for Gimli to compose himself, the other eight Walkers of Good looked around at the large chamber they were in. As always, bones were littered on the ground. Unlike the other places though, weapons were in these dwarves' dead and bony hands, marking them as soldiers. The bleached bones of the mouths of the dwarves were wide open in eternal screams of agony. Gandalf walked over to one of them who held a large book in his hand. The wizard pried the book from his death grip, and opened the dusty tome. He flipped through the pages, and everybody saw dwarf symbols, and occasionally some elvish letters in the book. Gandalf started to read.
"We drove orcs from the great gate and guard room, and we cannot get out. The end comes. Drums, drums in the deep. We cannot get out. They are coming..." Gandalf's voice trailed off. He lifted his head, and looked around.
Clang!!! The sudden noises of a skull bouncing down into a well interrupted the ominous silence. The members of the Fellowship each winced as the skull echoed off into the silence, the noise sounding like firecrackers in their minds. Aragorn flinched, and finally, they clangs of the skull became no more. They all let out a sigh of relief. He then noticed Pippin, standing guiltily next to the long abandoned well.
"Fool of a Took!" Gandalf growled. "This is a serious journey, not a hobbit walking party. Throw yourself in next time, and then you will be no further nuisance. Now be quiet!"
Quite suddenly, the steady beating of drums filled the air. Softly, then louder, and louder the beat grew. Doom, doom, doom, the monotonous sound rang in their ears, and the look in the company's eyes' turned to fear.
* * * * * *
"We are doomed." Said Gandalf. Legolas could hear the beating of the drums as well as everyone else, but he could also hear the harsh orc speech, rustling of weapons, and the thundering footsteps of an army of orcs.
"Orcs!" he said. "About one hundred." he told Gandalf.
Boromir and Aragorn ran to the huge wooden doors. They quickly shut it, and barred it shut, also using spare spears and swords from the fallen dwarves on the ground. Boromir leaned his head out the door, and two arrows came flying up to meet him, almost striking him in the face, if it had not been for him pulling his head back at the last minute.
"They've got a cave troll." He said, half mischievously, and half anxiously.
Yes, Legolas could hear it now. The shaking of the earth, and the hoarse voice of a monstrous cave troll. He notched an arrow to his bow, and got ready to take aim.
"We're trapped." Frodo whispered to no one in particular. He pulled out Sting, which had turned a bright blue.
The waiting was unbearable. He, Aragorn, and Boromir stood at the front of the room, ready to guard the rest of the Fellowship if need be. Gimli was standing on Balin's tomb, seeming ready to protect his dead cousin's memory. Gandalf and the hobbits were in the back. Doom, doom, the doors thumped constantly, until suddenly, a hand burst through the thin barricade. Legolas immediately let his arrow fly, hitting the orc's forehead with a whack, and setting up another arrow. Soon after, the hole in the door was swarming with hideous orc faces, and they ultimately burst through the door.
Legolas let go arrow after arrow, each hitting its mark with deadly aim. Aragorn was slashing expertly with Anduril, Flame of the West, a circle of dead foes around him. It seemed as if no enemy could get past Aragorn. Boromir and Gimli were not faring so well. Boromir had slashes on his handsome face, and looked desperately in need of help. The elf fired an arrow at one of the orcs he was dealing with, and it fell dead instantly. Boromir turned, and his proud gaze fell on the elven archer, silently thanking him for his life. Legolas nodded back, and dropped the gaze. Boromir reluctantly turned away too, and went on to fighting more orcs.
Gimli the dwarf was grunting from having to swing his heavy ax. Legolas shot a few arrows at Gimli's enemies, and Gimli quickly turned to him.
"Thanks, crazy elf." He said, grinning.
"You're welcome, stupid dwarf." He replied back.
A fresh wave of attackers came on, and the dwarf and the elf resumed heavy fighting.
Meanwhile, the four hobbits were busy with their own problems. The four miniscule friends were taking on orcs twice their size and weight. Legolas, Aragorn, Boromir, Gimli, and Gandalf did everything they could to help Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin, Legolas aimed, Gimli hacked, Aragorn the Ranger and the man of Gondor slashed, and Gandalf muttered spells under his breath.
"Roooooooaaaaaaaarrrrrrrr!!!!!!" suddenly, a loud growl shook the air. Legolas whipped around with the speed of a cat, and saw a huge, ten- foot cave troll. The monster had rusty chains around its neck, and a giant club attached to his wrist.
For the obvious reason, the troll was drawn to Frodo. It followed the Ring Bearer, trying to beat Frodo with his club, or skewer him with its giant spear, while the other hobbits (especially Sam) were trying to protect Frodo with all their might. Legolas attempted to shoot at the troll, but the arrows didn't harm him at all. The troll's chain got hooked on a column of stone, and Legolas, seizing the opportunity, leapt up onto the troll's boulder-like head, and wrapped his long legs around its neck. He tried to fire arrows at the eyes, but the troll, shaking violently, managed to shake him off. At the last moment, he jumped off the troll with the grace of a cat, and avoided being thrown.
Legolas quickly pulled a new arrow to his long bow, without even catching his breath, and fired at one of the orcs fighting with Aragorn. This especially large and skilled or came close to stabbing the Ranger in the heart, but the arrow quickly found its mark, and the orc dropped dead. Aragorn quickly leapt over to where Legolas was.
"Thank you." He said simply. Then, Aragorn leaned forward, and quickly touched his lips to Legolas'. Amidst the battle, Legolas felt sparks upon contact, and was filled with pleasure. The ranger pulled back reluctantly, and Legolas grinned broadly and said, "You're welcome." Aragorn leapt off.
Aragorn's kiss gave the valiant elf more energy and reserve, filling him with adrenaline. He lifted up his sleek bow, and began dealing out arrows twice as fast as before, quickly extinguishing many orcs. He then realized that the cave troll was still after Frodo! He searched the dark room with his keen eyes for Frodo, and found him, but it was too late. The cave troll had the hobbit pinned against the wall, and Legolas watched helplessly as the troll stuck his giant spear into Frodo's flesh.
"Nooooooooooo!" he shouted. Everyone turned their attention to Frodo, and found their companion on the ground, gasping for air. He was now livid. The troll was still wreaking havoc around the room, now that it thought that the ring bearer had been vanquished. Legolas fired many arrows at the troll, and one finally stuck it in the mouth. The cave troll screamed in agony, and toppled to the floor, shaking dust off the walls. It was dead.
"Strider!" Sam called out.
Aragorn finished off the orc he was dealing with, and ran over to Sam and Frodo.
Legolas was about to go over to his fallen companion too, but a humongous, fell orc came running to meet up with him.
"Prepare to die, elf!" he screeched.
"In your dreams." Legolas hissed back.
Legolas notched an arrow to his bow, but in his haste to get to Frodo, his hand slipped. The orc came on to him. It started slashing at him with it's hideous orc blade, and after moments of weaponless ducking, the monster finally struck Legolas on the side of his face. He felt it graze his skin but it was only a minor casualty. Legolas was backed up against the wall, and the orc was about to slit the elf's throat when it suddenly dropped its blade, and teetered to the ground. It was Aragorn. Legolas sighed in relief, and it showed in his bright blue eyes.
"You're hurt!" Aragorn cried. He reached up his hand, and gently touched Legolas' cheek. When he drew it away, Legolas could see dark blood covering his hand.
"Do not worry about it, Aragorn. Let us see to Frodo!" He quickly pulled himself back together, and the elf and the man both sprinted to where Frodo lay.
"Frodo!" Legolas cried out in dismay, when he saw the condition his dear friend was in. But he was barely heard under the sobs of his faithful Samwise Gamgee.
"Mr. Frodo! Mr. Frodo! You can't leave us now! Noo! Please...come back!"
Suddenly, Frodo coughed.
"Mr. Frodo?" Sam said, his eyes shining with hope and love.
The Ring bearer sat up, and wheezed, still out of breath.
"Don't worry, Sam, I am not dead yet." He said hoarsely.
"Mr. Frodo! You're alive!" yelled Sam in glee. At this, he, Merry, and Pippin flung themselves at Frodo.
"Careful, careful, my friends." He said, coughing, but a smile on his tired face.
"But... how can this be so?" asked Boromir wondrously. " The troll skewered Frodo like a wild boar!"
"It seems there is more to this hobbit than meets the eye." Gandalf said with a twinkle in his eye.
Frodo (with the hobbits off of him) lifted up his shirt, and flashed his shining silver mail shirt at them.
"Mithril!" Gimli breathed, "The treasure of the elves!"
Everybody else had their breath taken away too. So this is what happened to the mithril coat that Thorin Oaksheild had given Bilbo!
"Can you walk, Frodo?" Aragorn suddenly asked anxiously.
"Yes."
"Good, because we need to be off, quickly! More orcs are coming!" he said.
At this, the Fellowship picked themselves up, and flew out the chamber. Legolas could hear the quick, light shuffle of hobbit feet, the thudded, heavy footsteps of Gimli, the swift, pattering of the wizard's feet, and the long, smooth strides of the men. They ran to a great hall, and the elf found that the orcs were surrounding them finally, the only space between the company and the thousands of orcs was a circle of light from Gandalf's staff ensnaring the fellowship.
"A fight to the death!" Legolas whispered to his friends.
He caught Aragorn's eye, and held it, sharing what might have been the last few glances of his life.
"If my life were to end right now, I would want to spend the last few moments with you." He whispered to the tall ranger.
Aragorn nodded, his grim gray eyes suddenly turned bright.
"I love you." Aragorn said, passionately and fiercely.
Legolas' eyes shined brightly, moved by this sudden declaration.
"I love you too." He whispered back, preparing to fight. To the death.
Then, just as the orcs were about to devour them, an ominous doom rang throughout the hall. Legolas tore his thoughts away from Aragorn, and saw a bright fire across the hall. Another boom, and the orcs swiftly ran away.
"A Balrog." Gandalf whispered. "The Creature of Fire and Shadow. We must move. Swords and arrows will be no use against this being. Run!"
The Fellowship needed no further urging. While the elf ran, he turned, and saw an immense void of darkness and flame. It was as big as the chamber! The doom of it's footsteps chased them, and as the Nine Walkers flew, they abruptly stopped at a wide cavernous chamber with narrow staircases leading down, down, down, spiraling towards the ground, one hundred feet below.
"Go!" Gandalf yelled. He pointed to a narrow bridge far off. "We must cross the Bridge of Khazad Dûm to get out of the mines."
While the Balrog caught up with them, the cavern was shaking, stone blocks and dust same off the ceiling. Now, added to descending the seemingly endless flights of stairs, they had to be careful of falling debris.
Chapter 6: The Creature of Fire and Shadow
In the dark hallway of Moria, the air was dank and rotten. Everyone was breathing heavily from the incident with the Watcher in the Water. Gandalf muttered something under his breath again, and the crystals on his staff glowed brighter. Now, by the bright light that was now about the same power of a large lantern, the Fellowship could see fairly well. Legolas then heard a crack. It turned out that Pippin had stepped on something on the ground. Gandalf brought his staff closer to the floor, and the light shone on a bleached human skull, now cracked and broken from Pippin's foot. Everyone looked down. They suddenly noticed white bones everywhere, all throughout this great passageway that they had not been able to see before.
Gimli let out a loud wail of despair.
"This is not a mine," Boromir said, disgusted, "It is a tomb!"
"This is a mistake, " Aragorn replied cautiously, "We should never have gone here."
The hobbits shuddered to think what had done this to all these dwarves.
"We must press on," urged Gandalf. "We must pray that whatever did this will not find us, and that our presence here in Moria will go unnoticed."
* * * * * *
It seemed an eternity the Fellowship had journeyed through these caverns. During the infrequent breaks that Gandalf granted them, Legolas sat with Aragorn, talking quietly, or just being in the presence of each other was enough. They did not do more, for the watchful eyes of the company were on them always, especially those of the unnerving human, Boromir. Aragorn could not tell night from day in the gloomy corridors of the mines. Then, on the last day on their journey (as Gandalf told them), a long shaft of light caught his eye, and partly blinded him. He was surprised. There was supposed to be no light in the enclaves of Moria. Aragorn drew out his sword, and walked hesitantly towards the vortex of light. As he drew near, he relaxed, and saw it was a tomb. Everyone else also drew closer. They saw that the inscription on the tomb was dwarvish. Gandalf translated:
BALIN SON OF FULIN
LORD OF MORIA
Everyone stared at Gimli with pitiful eyes as he started to breathe in little gasps.
"He was my cousin." He explained painfully.
Giving time for Gimli to compose himself, the other eight Walkers of Good looked around at the large chamber they were in. As always, bones were littered on the ground. Unlike the other places though, weapons were in these dwarves' dead and bony hands, marking them as soldiers. The bleached bones of the mouths of the dwarves were wide open in eternal screams of agony. Gandalf walked over to one of them who held a large book in his hand. The wizard pried the book from his death grip, and opened the dusty tome. He flipped through the pages, and everybody saw dwarf symbols, and occasionally some elvish letters in the book. Gandalf started to read.
"We drove orcs from the great gate and guard room, and we cannot get out. The end comes. Drums, drums in the deep. We cannot get out. They are coming..." Gandalf's voice trailed off. He lifted his head, and looked around.
Clang!!! The sudden noises of a skull bouncing down into a well interrupted the ominous silence. The members of the Fellowship each winced as the skull echoed off into the silence, the noise sounding like firecrackers in their minds. Aragorn flinched, and finally, they clangs of the skull became no more. They all let out a sigh of relief. He then noticed Pippin, standing guiltily next to the long abandoned well.
"Fool of a Took!" Gandalf growled. "This is a serious journey, not a hobbit walking party. Throw yourself in next time, and then you will be no further nuisance. Now be quiet!"
Quite suddenly, the steady beating of drums filled the air. Softly, then louder, and louder the beat grew. Doom, doom, doom, the monotonous sound rang in their ears, and the look in the company's eyes' turned to fear.
* * * * * *
"We are doomed." Said Gandalf. Legolas could hear the beating of the drums as well as everyone else, but he could also hear the harsh orc speech, rustling of weapons, and the thundering footsteps of an army of orcs.
"Orcs!" he said. "About one hundred." he told Gandalf.
Boromir and Aragorn ran to the huge wooden doors. They quickly shut it, and barred it shut, also using spare spears and swords from the fallen dwarves on the ground. Boromir leaned his head out the door, and two arrows came flying up to meet him, almost striking him in the face, if it had not been for him pulling his head back at the last minute.
"They've got a cave troll." He said, half mischievously, and half anxiously.
Yes, Legolas could hear it now. The shaking of the earth, and the hoarse voice of a monstrous cave troll. He notched an arrow to his bow, and got ready to take aim.
"We're trapped." Frodo whispered to no one in particular. He pulled out Sting, which had turned a bright blue.
The waiting was unbearable. He, Aragorn, and Boromir stood at the front of the room, ready to guard the rest of the Fellowship if need be. Gimli was standing on Balin's tomb, seeming ready to protect his dead cousin's memory. Gandalf and the hobbits were in the back. Doom, doom, the doors thumped constantly, until suddenly, a hand burst through the thin barricade. Legolas immediately let his arrow fly, hitting the orc's forehead with a whack, and setting up another arrow. Soon after, the hole in the door was swarming with hideous orc faces, and they ultimately burst through the door.
Legolas let go arrow after arrow, each hitting its mark with deadly aim. Aragorn was slashing expertly with Anduril, Flame of the West, a circle of dead foes around him. It seemed as if no enemy could get past Aragorn. Boromir and Gimli were not faring so well. Boromir had slashes on his handsome face, and looked desperately in need of help. The elf fired an arrow at one of the orcs he was dealing with, and it fell dead instantly. Boromir turned, and his proud gaze fell on the elven archer, silently thanking him for his life. Legolas nodded back, and dropped the gaze. Boromir reluctantly turned away too, and went on to fighting more orcs.
Gimli the dwarf was grunting from having to swing his heavy ax. Legolas shot a few arrows at Gimli's enemies, and Gimli quickly turned to him.
"Thanks, crazy elf." He said, grinning.
"You're welcome, stupid dwarf." He replied back.
A fresh wave of attackers came on, and the dwarf and the elf resumed heavy fighting.
Meanwhile, the four hobbits were busy with their own problems. The four miniscule friends were taking on orcs twice their size and weight. Legolas, Aragorn, Boromir, Gimli, and Gandalf did everything they could to help Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin, Legolas aimed, Gimli hacked, Aragorn the Ranger and the man of Gondor slashed, and Gandalf muttered spells under his breath.
"Roooooooaaaaaaaarrrrrrrr!!!!!!" suddenly, a loud growl shook the air. Legolas whipped around with the speed of a cat, and saw a huge, ten- foot cave troll. The monster had rusty chains around its neck, and a giant club attached to his wrist.
For the obvious reason, the troll was drawn to Frodo. It followed the Ring Bearer, trying to beat Frodo with his club, or skewer him with its giant spear, while the other hobbits (especially Sam) were trying to protect Frodo with all their might. Legolas attempted to shoot at the troll, but the arrows didn't harm him at all. The troll's chain got hooked on a column of stone, and Legolas, seizing the opportunity, leapt up onto the troll's boulder-like head, and wrapped his long legs around its neck. He tried to fire arrows at the eyes, but the troll, shaking violently, managed to shake him off. At the last moment, he jumped off the troll with the grace of a cat, and avoided being thrown.
Legolas quickly pulled a new arrow to his long bow, without even catching his breath, and fired at one of the orcs fighting with Aragorn. This especially large and skilled or came close to stabbing the Ranger in the heart, but the arrow quickly found its mark, and the orc dropped dead. Aragorn quickly leapt over to where Legolas was.
"Thank you." He said simply. Then, Aragorn leaned forward, and quickly touched his lips to Legolas'. Amidst the battle, Legolas felt sparks upon contact, and was filled with pleasure. The ranger pulled back reluctantly, and Legolas grinned broadly and said, "You're welcome." Aragorn leapt off.
Aragorn's kiss gave the valiant elf more energy and reserve, filling him with adrenaline. He lifted up his sleek bow, and began dealing out arrows twice as fast as before, quickly extinguishing many orcs. He then realized that the cave troll was still after Frodo! He searched the dark room with his keen eyes for Frodo, and found him, but it was too late. The cave troll had the hobbit pinned against the wall, and Legolas watched helplessly as the troll stuck his giant spear into Frodo's flesh.
"Nooooooooooo!" he shouted. Everyone turned their attention to Frodo, and found their companion on the ground, gasping for air. He was now livid. The troll was still wreaking havoc around the room, now that it thought that the ring bearer had been vanquished. Legolas fired many arrows at the troll, and one finally stuck it in the mouth. The cave troll screamed in agony, and toppled to the floor, shaking dust off the walls. It was dead.
"Strider!" Sam called out.
Aragorn finished off the orc he was dealing with, and ran over to Sam and Frodo.
Legolas was about to go over to his fallen companion too, but a humongous, fell orc came running to meet up with him.
"Prepare to die, elf!" he screeched.
"In your dreams." Legolas hissed back.
Legolas notched an arrow to his bow, but in his haste to get to Frodo, his hand slipped. The orc came on to him. It started slashing at him with it's hideous orc blade, and after moments of weaponless ducking, the monster finally struck Legolas on the side of his face. He felt it graze his skin but it was only a minor casualty. Legolas was backed up against the wall, and the orc was about to slit the elf's throat when it suddenly dropped its blade, and teetered to the ground. It was Aragorn. Legolas sighed in relief, and it showed in his bright blue eyes.
"You're hurt!" Aragorn cried. He reached up his hand, and gently touched Legolas' cheek. When he drew it away, Legolas could see dark blood covering his hand.
"Do not worry about it, Aragorn. Let us see to Frodo!" He quickly pulled himself back together, and the elf and the man both sprinted to where Frodo lay.
"Frodo!" Legolas cried out in dismay, when he saw the condition his dear friend was in. But he was barely heard under the sobs of his faithful Samwise Gamgee.
"Mr. Frodo! Mr. Frodo! You can't leave us now! Noo! Please...come back!"
Suddenly, Frodo coughed.
"Mr. Frodo?" Sam said, his eyes shining with hope and love.
The Ring bearer sat up, and wheezed, still out of breath.
"Don't worry, Sam, I am not dead yet." He said hoarsely.
"Mr. Frodo! You're alive!" yelled Sam in glee. At this, he, Merry, and Pippin flung themselves at Frodo.
"Careful, careful, my friends." He said, coughing, but a smile on his tired face.
"But... how can this be so?" asked Boromir wondrously. " The troll skewered Frodo like a wild boar!"
"It seems there is more to this hobbit than meets the eye." Gandalf said with a twinkle in his eye.
Frodo (with the hobbits off of him) lifted up his shirt, and flashed his shining silver mail shirt at them.
"Mithril!" Gimli breathed, "The treasure of the elves!"
Everybody else had their breath taken away too. So this is what happened to the mithril coat that Thorin Oaksheild had given Bilbo!
"Can you walk, Frodo?" Aragorn suddenly asked anxiously.
"Yes."
"Good, because we need to be off, quickly! More orcs are coming!" he said.
At this, the Fellowship picked themselves up, and flew out the chamber. Legolas could hear the quick, light shuffle of hobbit feet, the thudded, heavy footsteps of Gimli, the swift, pattering of the wizard's feet, and the long, smooth strides of the men. They ran to a great hall, and the elf found that the orcs were surrounding them finally, the only space between the company and the thousands of orcs was a circle of light from Gandalf's staff ensnaring the fellowship.
"A fight to the death!" Legolas whispered to his friends.
He caught Aragorn's eye, and held it, sharing what might have been the last few glances of his life.
"If my life were to end right now, I would want to spend the last few moments with you." He whispered to the tall ranger.
Aragorn nodded, his grim gray eyes suddenly turned bright.
"I love you." Aragorn said, passionately and fiercely.
Legolas' eyes shined brightly, moved by this sudden declaration.
"I love you too." He whispered back, preparing to fight. To the death.
Then, just as the orcs were about to devour them, an ominous doom rang throughout the hall. Legolas tore his thoughts away from Aragorn, and saw a bright fire across the hall. Another boom, and the orcs swiftly ran away.
"A Balrog." Gandalf whispered. "The Creature of Fire and Shadow. We must move. Swords and arrows will be no use against this being. Run!"
The Fellowship needed no further urging. While the elf ran, he turned, and saw an immense void of darkness and flame. It was as big as the chamber! The doom of it's footsteps chased them, and as the Nine Walkers flew, they abruptly stopped at a wide cavernous chamber with narrow staircases leading down, down, down, spiraling towards the ground, one hundred feet below.
"Go!" Gandalf yelled. He pointed to a narrow bridge far off. "We must cross the Bridge of Khazad Dûm to get out of the mines."
While the Balrog caught up with them, the cavern was shaking, stone blocks and dust same off the ceiling. Now, added to descending the seemingly endless flights of stairs, they had to be careful of falling debris.