"Lady Meia, what-?" His question was drowned out by a large boom and he slipped out of my arms.
"Frodo," Aragorn breathed, "I thought you were dead!"
"No," Frodo said wincing as he walked over to him, "my coat saved me,"
Another boom filled the air and any curiosity about Frodo's coat was forgotten.
"Hurry, to the bridge!" Gandalf commanded as the orcs began to skitter away. Without question the fellowship followed Aragorn's lead, but Gandalf grabbed my arm.
"Lady Meia, you stay,"
I swallowed against the dryness in my throat as we brought up the rear. We crossed the bridge halfway than turned to face our pursuer.
"Lady Meia, this creature is a balrog. It is entirely beyond the fellowship, perhaps it is beyond me, but it is not beyond you,"
I couldn't tear my gaze away from the now blazing halls, the heady smell of smoke wafting through the thick air.
"Gandalf, I don't know what you mean! If you're looking for magic, I haven't any!"
"You have all the power you need. Your tool is your dagger and your tablet is the stone beneath your feet!"
"You want me to fight!?" I squeaked, "Didn't you see what I did to Frodo?"
Now a flaming figure was looming over us at the end of the bridge, a sword gripped in one hand and a whip in the other.
"Gandalf stood protectively in front of me. "Write now, Meia!"
"I can't! I'll screw up and someone'll get hurt!" I cried, "I can't Gandalf!"
The balrog stepped forward, the bridge buckling under its weight. Suddenly, I had an idea. "Gandalf, he won't attack me!" I said moving beside the wizard. "You can escape!" I didn't wait for the grey man to answer and strode forward. "I won't move, Balrog and you can't kill me! Turn back, now!"
Allanon, Tay, Brom, Aragorn, Legolas, Risca, Boromir, Gimli and the four hobbits watched in horror as the balrog lashed out with its whip, catching Meia around the waist and w snap, flung the brown haired girl behind it.
She hurled the air and smashed into a wall. She fell to ground and laid there motionless.
"MEIA!!" Rang several voices in the dark but the slight figure didn't move.
Suddenly Gandalf brought down his staff and with a great flash of light the bridge collapsed. The crumbling bridge took the balrog in a rain of stones and aged mortar, but with one last roar, bit out with his whip and then the grey wizard was gone, dragged over the edge and into the black abyss below.
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"Hssh, what is it, gollum? Is it the precious?" Clammy hands ripped through my clothes and hot breath stirred my hair. My lungs burned with dust and body ached. "No, no, precious, gollum, just a shiny trinket- present from those elveses. Should leave before it wakes up,"
"Wait," I gurgles, blood was dried and cracked on my lips. "please don't leave," There was no answer except the pattering of feet. I had only one choice.
I scrawled in the dirt and debris around me with a ravaged finger.
Trees bloom, elves are near. Soft voices surround me. I can be healed here.
As I write fresh air enters my sore nose and I feel grass beneath my aching head. Before I pass, again a hand steals beneath my rags and grasps my pendent. I hope I'm safe.
"We can't leave her! She isn't dead!" Allanon roared. He towered a good head over Aragorn and his black eyes burned with rage.
"I don't want to leave her any more than you do, but the bridge was destroyed. There's no way to get to her! We must move on, there are hoards of orcs on our tails as we speak. You heard, Meia, for whatever reason, they won't attack her. The ring must come first!"
Druid and Ranger locked eyes in challenge and neither would break away, but while Allanon's were hard with frustration, Aragorn's softened in sympathy.
"Allanon, I know your heart is bitter with love," The ranger said softly. "I know for I would feel the same if my Arwen was trapped in there, but we can't go back," He grasped Allanon's shoulders firmly. "We must move on,"
If the stories of the Four Lands had remained unaltered the druid probably wouldn't have faltered, but they had. He had loved. He stilled loved.
Tears invaded his sight and he broke away from Aragorn's gaze.
"Can't we rest, even for a moment?" Brom asked had tears streaming down his pixie face leaving ribbons of pearly white skin admist his grimy cheeks. Aragorn shook his head.
"We must go on, We'll rest at sunrise," He patted Brom's head, "I promise
So the troop pressed on and a promised they stopped at sunrise where slept, mourned, and mended their wounds.
"Come now, Mr. Frodo, you must rest," Samwise pleaded. The hobbit didn't seem to here him. His blue-eyes were full of tears and his mind was full of worries.
Boromir and Brom were unseperable as usual. The young boy clutched to his guardian, tears rolling down his cheeks. Boromir buried his face into the boy's silver hair, shedding a few tears of his own.
"I'm sure Lady Meia, will be fine," He said, trying to comfort Brom.
"I'm not crying for her," Brom answered bitterly, "I'm crying for the fellowship. Now that Gandalf's gone, what are we going to do?"
"we're going to continue on with the quest without hope then," Boromir said