The dark shape grew steadily closer, until it was well within range of Legolas' arrow. Then it stopped, sniffing the air hungrily. It grew in shape and size, becoming a huge troll.
"We have faced one of these before, and in closer quarters. No doubt this one will be slightly easier to defeat." Aragorn called back to the others, who were still gathered around the fire, but were slowly moving up to Aragorn's side.
"Merry, you and Pippin must guard the woman." Gandalf's eyes slid to the woman, who was propped up on her elbows.
The troll growled deep in his throat. "Who are you to protect this woman, Elf?"
Legolas' eyes narrowed, becoming ice. "Who are you to ravage villages?" he retorted.
The troll blinked. "They are disgusted by difference. They deserve to be killed."
"Is that what you truly believe?" Aragorn asked, a fierce battle light kindling in his eyes.
"It is the truth!" the troll roared. "They hate what they do not understand. I help them to understand the gift I was cursed with, this remarkable power to take shapes and forms."
The troll took a step forward, his heavy club thudding heavily in the earth.
"Take another step, troll, and I will shoot your eyes out." Legolas threatened.
"I am not a troll. Nor am I whatever I appear to be. I am Forngor, the northern horror." the troll replied. "I envy those with a life of freedom. Elves who are free to walk the forests for eternity. Dwarves who mine at the earth and are content with their palaces of stone and jewels. Men who have homes to live in. And even Hobbits with their happy lifestyles. But for you eight, and this woman, you will not be able to finish those lives peacefully, for if you survive tonight, I will hunt you down and kill you."
"I will have no witnesses live to say they have seen a shape-shifter." Forngor growled. He raised his club, sending it crashing down between Aragorn and Legolas, successfully extinguishing the fire. Legolas leaped to one side and fired the arrow. It arched up, lodging in one of Forngor's eyes. The shape-shifter howled in anger and turned on the Elf. As he turned, Aragorn took a running jump and landed on the creature's back, plunging his sword deep into the troll's hide.
A second later the Ranger was thrown from the troll's back as he shook wildly back and forth. Forngor snarled, becoming a Warg. He charged at Merry and Pippin, who stood their ground.
They stabbed forward with their swords. Merry's blade cut across the Warg's eyes, while Pippin's buried itself deep in one of the Warg's forepaws.
"Hmm, the Halflings are brave little creatures, but foolish." Forngor grumbled to himself. He drew back, shedding his Warg form and becoming a troll once more. He lumbered forward, sending the two Hobbits flying with one swing of his club.
Before he could end the woman's life, Gandalf sent a sparking firework into the sky, the bright lights and crackling sound causing the troll to turn in surprise.
"Go back to the land you came from, Forngor, and trouble Middle-earth no more." Gandalf shouted.
"I cannot." Forngor replied shortly, before lashing out with his club again, catching Gandalf a glancing blow to the head that sent the wizard sprawling.
The others circled warily around the troll, weapons ready. At a subtle nod from Aragorn they attacked. Gimli rushed forward, hacking at the troll's thick leg. Frodo and Sam both went for the troll's feet, stabbing with their blades. Legolas shot a hail of arrows at the troll's face. Aragorn leaped onto the troll's back again, driving his sword through Forngor's back.
Forngor bellowed in pain and rage. "You may face a troll and a Warg well, but what about a Balrog?"
And he transformed into the creature, a creature who was made of lava. He was smaller than a real Balrog, but still as frightening. Aragorn fell from the Balrog's back and the others pulled back, watching the Balrog's snapping whip arc through the air.
Gandalf struggled to his feet, raising his hands and staff to the heavens. He was shouting, words in a strange language, summoning a magic to defeat the shape-shifter. But the Balrog snapped the whip forward, and it curled around the wizard's ankles. Gandalf fell, hitting his head hard on the stones around the remains of the fire.
"Gandalf!" Frodo shouted. The wizard lay unconscious before the angry Balrog, but Forngor was not looking at the wizard. He lashed out with the whip again, sending the Hobbits flying into the trees. When they fell, they did not rise again.
"Four left, I see. And none will accept defeat easily I think." Forngor turned. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli stood around the woman.
Gimli stood between the Man and the Elf, who both had their bows up with arrows notched to the strings.
Forngor twitched the whip, sending it snapping almost lazily between the archers, flattening Gimli.
"Two archers against a Balrog? How odd. Maybe I shall make this battle a little more even." Forngor said, as he shrank, becoming an Elven archer.
"Shoot him now!" the woman screamed.
The shape-shifter's face sneered at her. "It is too late for them, or you." He fired three arrows with blinding speed. All found their marks. But as they fell, Aragorn and Legolas fired their arrows, fatally wounding Forngor's Elf body. Forngor limped into the woods, his curses filling the air.
"You will pay for this, I promise you." the shape-shifter vowed, his tired body resuming its natural self.