The sound of our feet pounding echoed off the roof of the giant cavern. Columns of stone towered above our heads - dark, fierce and imposing.
I gasped for breath and forced my legs to keep running, running, running.
Shrieks echoed off the sides of the cavern, and suddenly there were orcs coming at us from all directions - crawling down the stone like spiders.
I felt hot tears on my face. I pressed my back up against my friends, holding a glowing Sting out in front, and tasting the fear thick in my mouth.
The orcs paused, inches from my face, growling.
And then something happened. The corridor behind us was illuminated with rippling red flame. I felt the air grow warm across my lips, and a tremor ran through the orcs. Their heads turned, and a collective shriek echoed off the walls. Shaking and screaming, the orcs turned tail and ran back to where they had come from.
I began to shake, shivering violently from the fear. "Gandalf?" I whispered. "Is that a -"
"RUN!" Gandalf shouted, which made more sense than the long, drawn out explanation he gave in the movie.
I didn't think my shaking legs could run any faster, but I fought to catch Gandalf. "Listen!" I gasped. "You have to watch out for the whi-" but Gandalf wasn't listening, and I was running out of air.
The heat began digging vicious pins into my skin. The creature, the Balrog, following us, radiated a heat that cackled in the air. The breath was hot in my lungs, and sweat got in my eyes and stung. The skin on my lips and nose began to bleed, and my eyes were so dry that blinking was painful.
The tears rolled down my face and burned of their own accord.
We came at last to the Bridge of Kazad-Dum. And don't you dare start playing the movie soundtrack. I was scared out of my mind. The stones began to heat underneath my feet, and I could smell burning flesh.
Aragorn led us, tumbling down the stairs towards the bridge. We thundered down the stairs, not even daring to look back.
And you know that gap in the movie? It's much worse in real life. The darkness continued down for forever, and the jump must have been six feet. Legolas was the first one over, and he turned to catch Shannon. Peter and Dan jumped, and I held my breath. Frances made two preparations, then sailed across. Being a gymnast has its advantages. Go Frances.
Anne was crying, so Aragorn lifted her up and threw her across to Legolas. Veronica screwed her face up and leapt across, just barely making it - her toes slipped on the lose rock but hands reached out to pull her to safety. Gandalf scrambled to the other side, and it was just me and Aragorn left.
I could lie to you and say the stone broke off and we steered it forwards, but that is ridiculous. As the Balrog came closer, the stone behind us began to crumble. Before I knew what was happening, I felt the ancient bridge sway and crash forward. I blundered into Legolas, who caught both my arms.
Aragorn was right behind me, shaking. That was luck. The scariest bit of luck I've ever had but sheer dumb luck nonetheless. Non of that "lean to the riiiiiiiiiiiiight!" business.
Arrows were flying thick through the air, but it was nothing compared to the heat. It's probably the closest to hell I've ever come. I turned and looked back for the first time.
The Balrog was towering over Gandalf - dark and sinister, with horns and eyes that glowed a frightening red. It roared, and the sound shook my teeth.
"You shall not pass!" Gandalf roared, raising his staff high above his head. It blazed into a clear, crisp light that burned to look at. The monster paused, then cracked his whip over the light. Gandalf cried out and shuddered, but the light did not waver.
"You shall not - " Gandalf roared again, "PASS!" The Balrog tried to step on to the bridge, but it crumbled and he tumbled into the darkness.
Gandalf let his shield of light fall and started walking backwards. "No! Gandalf!" I screamed. "Look ou-"
But it was too late. Just like in the movie, the Balrog's whip wrapped around Gandalf's leg. He was pulled back over to the edge, where he clung to the loosening stone.
"Fly, you fools!" he whispered once, and was gone.
"Gandalf!" I yelled. "Gandalf, no!" I felt arms around me, pulling me off of the bridge. "No! No!" My voice shredded and died, and I fell into silence. A dead, dark silence - a silence that I would not break for a long time. A darkness wrapped around me, and the ring fastened it like a cape.
Tears streaming down my face, I stumbled to my feet and out into the dull sunshine. The mines lay behind us, but we would never really be free of them.
Ann collapsed on the ground, sobbing. Veronica held her close, then leaned against a sitting Molly. Frances threw her axe down, knelt, and covered her face with her hands. Shannon was deathly pale as she put her arms around Legolas' neck and gasped for breath. Peter dropped his shield and hung his head, silently, while Dan yelled in pain and rage and stabbed his sword into a piece of soft earth.
Aragorn looked around, putting his sword back in its scabbard. "We must keep going. Come nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs..."
I turned my back to the company and began walking. Something deep inside me said leave - leave now and never come back.
"Meg!" Aragorn called sharply. "Meg!" The sound of his voice echoed of the hilltops. "Megan, arwen tel'korma!"
I turned back. He had called me "lady of the ring".
A single tear ran down my face.
It was the last I would shed for a long, long time. I was beyond pain now. It was only a matter of time before everything and everyone I loved would fall to the ring. I knew it - I knew it in the very depths of my soul.
Shannon gasped - a ragged, painful gasp. Legolas pushed her back a little bit.
The front of her shirt was sticky with blood.
"No!" Legolas said, the sound catching in his throat. "No, Shannon!" He laid her down in the shallow grass. "Aragorn!"
Aragorn looked back, then ran to Shannon's side. Kneeling beside her, he slowly peeled back the bottom of her bloody shirt, then closed his eyes in grief. There was a jagged shard of orc blade in Shannon's skin, skin that was already turning a green from the poison.
"Legolas - your belt," Aragorn said, and the elf fumbled to take it off. Shannon closed her eyes and looked away in pain.
"Shannon," Aragorn said softly. "Listen to me. This will hurt." He put the belt between her teeth. "Bite this."
Legolas took her hand and she squeezed it tight. "On three," Aragorn said. "One - two - " he ripped the orc blade from her skin. Shannon screamed and bit the belt, then sobbed. The sound cut across my heart and chilled me to the bone. This is all my fault, I thought. It's all my fault. My fault... my fault...
Legolas took the belt from her mouth. The bite marks ran almost all the way through the leather, and he shuddered. "Aragorn," he whispered, white. "Was it - was it -"
Aragorn glanced at Shannon, who was moaning and looking away. He nodded, slowly, and Legolas gave a frightened sob.
The blade had been poisoned.
Legolas gathered Shannon up in his arms and held her close. "We must make it to Lothlorien," he said, shaking. "Quickly."
I gasped for breath and forced my legs to keep running, running, running.
Shrieks echoed off the sides of the cavern, and suddenly there were orcs coming at us from all directions - crawling down the stone like spiders.
I felt hot tears on my face. I pressed my back up against my friends, holding a glowing Sting out in front, and tasting the fear thick in my mouth.
The orcs paused, inches from my face, growling.
And then something happened. The corridor behind us was illuminated with rippling red flame. I felt the air grow warm across my lips, and a tremor ran through the orcs. Their heads turned, and a collective shriek echoed off the walls. Shaking and screaming, the orcs turned tail and ran back to where they had come from.
I began to shake, shivering violently from the fear. "Gandalf?" I whispered. "Is that a -"
"RUN!" Gandalf shouted, which made more sense than the long, drawn out explanation he gave in the movie.
I didn't think my shaking legs could run any faster, but I fought to catch Gandalf. "Listen!" I gasped. "You have to watch out for the whi-" but Gandalf wasn't listening, and I was running out of air.
The heat began digging vicious pins into my skin. The creature, the Balrog, following us, radiated a heat that cackled in the air. The breath was hot in my lungs, and sweat got in my eyes and stung. The skin on my lips and nose began to bleed, and my eyes were so dry that blinking was painful.
The tears rolled down my face and burned of their own accord.
We came at last to the Bridge of Kazad-Dum. And don't you dare start playing the movie soundtrack. I was scared out of my mind. The stones began to heat underneath my feet, and I could smell burning flesh.
Aragorn led us, tumbling down the stairs towards the bridge. We thundered down the stairs, not even daring to look back.
And you know that gap in the movie? It's much worse in real life. The darkness continued down for forever, and the jump must have been six feet. Legolas was the first one over, and he turned to catch Shannon. Peter and Dan jumped, and I held my breath. Frances made two preparations, then sailed across. Being a gymnast has its advantages. Go Frances.
Anne was crying, so Aragorn lifted her up and threw her across to Legolas. Veronica screwed her face up and leapt across, just barely making it - her toes slipped on the lose rock but hands reached out to pull her to safety. Gandalf scrambled to the other side, and it was just me and Aragorn left.
I could lie to you and say the stone broke off and we steered it forwards, but that is ridiculous. As the Balrog came closer, the stone behind us began to crumble. Before I knew what was happening, I felt the ancient bridge sway and crash forward. I blundered into Legolas, who caught both my arms.
Aragorn was right behind me, shaking. That was luck. The scariest bit of luck I've ever had but sheer dumb luck nonetheless. Non of that "lean to the riiiiiiiiiiiiight!" business.
Arrows were flying thick through the air, but it was nothing compared to the heat. It's probably the closest to hell I've ever come. I turned and looked back for the first time.
The Balrog was towering over Gandalf - dark and sinister, with horns and eyes that glowed a frightening red. It roared, and the sound shook my teeth.
"You shall not pass!" Gandalf roared, raising his staff high above his head. It blazed into a clear, crisp light that burned to look at. The monster paused, then cracked his whip over the light. Gandalf cried out and shuddered, but the light did not waver.
"You shall not - " Gandalf roared again, "PASS!" The Balrog tried to step on to the bridge, but it crumbled and he tumbled into the darkness.
Gandalf let his shield of light fall and started walking backwards. "No! Gandalf!" I screamed. "Look ou-"
But it was too late. Just like in the movie, the Balrog's whip wrapped around Gandalf's leg. He was pulled back over to the edge, where he clung to the loosening stone.
"Fly, you fools!" he whispered once, and was gone.
"Gandalf!" I yelled. "Gandalf, no!" I felt arms around me, pulling me off of the bridge. "No! No!" My voice shredded and died, and I fell into silence. A dead, dark silence - a silence that I would not break for a long time. A darkness wrapped around me, and the ring fastened it like a cape.
Tears streaming down my face, I stumbled to my feet and out into the dull sunshine. The mines lay behind us, but we would never really be free of them.
Ann collapsed on the ground, sobbing. Veronica held her close, then leaned against a sitting Molly. Frances threw her axe down, knelt, and covered her face with her hands. Shannon was deathly pale as she put her arms around Legolas' neck and gasped for breath. Peter dropped his shield and hung his head, silently, while Dan yelled in pain and rage and stabbed his sword into a piece of soft earth.
Aragorn looked around, putting his sword back in its scabbard. "We must keep going. Come nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs..."
I turned my back to the company and began walking. Something deep inside me said leave - leave now and never come back.
"Meg!" Aragorn called sharply. "Meg!" The sound of his voice echoed of the hilltops. "Megan, arwen tel'korma!"
I turned back. He had called me "lady of the ring".
A single tear ran down my face.
It was the last I would shed for a long, long time. I was beyond pain now. It was only a matter of time before everything and everyone I loved would fall to the ring. I knew it - I knew it in the very depths of my soul.
Shannon gasped - a ragged, painful gasp. Legolas pushed her back a little bit.
The front of her shirt was sticky with blood.
"No!" Legolas said, the sound catching in his throat. "No, Shannon!" He laid her down in the shallow grass. "Aragorn!"
Aragorn looked back, then ran to Shannon's side. Kneeling beside her, he slowly peeled back the bottom of her bloody shirt, then closed his eyes in grief. There was a jagged shard of orc blade in Shannon's skin, skin that was already turning a green from the poison.
"Legolas - your belt," Aragorn said, and the elf fumbled to take it off. Shannon closed her eyes and looked away in pain.
"Shannon," Aragorn said softly. "Listen to me. This will hurt." He put the belt between her teeth. "Bite this."
Legolas took her hand and she squeezed it tight. "On three," Aragorn said. "One - two - " he ripped the orc blade from her skin. Shannon screamed and bit the belt, then sobbed. The sound cut across my heart and chilled me to the bone. This is all my fault, I thought. It's all my fault. My fault... my fault...
Legolas took the belt from her mouth. The bite marks ran almost all the way through the leather, and he shuddered. "Aragorn," he whispered, white. "Was it - was it -"
Aragorn glanced at Shannon, who was moaning and looking away. He nodded, slowly, and Legolas gave a frightened sob.
The blade had been poisoned.
Legolas gathered Shannon up in his arms and held her close. "We must make it to Lothlorien," he said, shaking. "Quickly."