The lake of Moria seemed too calm for a natural body of water. It made the elves uneasy, but they would not be saying much, for everyone was nervous to some point. Save for Gimli.

Gandalf began looking for the door while Nithanien took Legolas off to the side, along with Edredhel.

"My friends, we cannot enter there," He seemed subdued for his usually restful attitude, "There is much death, much evil that waits beyond those doors."

"As I well know, Nithanien, but there will be no danger to us if we can stay silent through the dark," Legolas sighed, "I have entered Moria, once, long, very long ago. Even then, it for less than an hour. I have not even had a glimpse at what Time might bring."

"Then why must we enter? Saruman has no wrath against us," Edredhel insisted, "We could make it over the mountains alone and come together on the others side…"

Nithanien and Legolas both looked at their friend as he trailed off.

"But we cannot leave them, can we? Not even for a little," He sighed, looking over at Merry, who was content in throwing rocks into the lake, "We have sworn our protection to them, and it is here that they may need us most."

"Aye, my friends, we—" Legolas was cut off by Bill the pony's nose nudging against his back, "Oh, there, dear pony. What troubles you?"

The pony looked at him balefully and snickered, looking at the lake. The three elves watched as the recently unlaiden beast of burden approached the water and tentatively stepped in. He neighed loudly, and in fear, galloped away quickly, out of sight around the side of the lake and into the mists.

Aragorn saw this, and at Legolas glance, He snatched Pippin's arm, just as he was about to throw a rock, "Do not disturb the water. Things still are best left alone."

"Mellon,"

The loud creaking of old hinges shattered what silence there was, leaving the elves cringing. Merry and Pippin seemed very reluctant to enter, but they followed the others in anyway.

"Soon master elf you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the dwarves," Gimli seemed excited to a fault, "Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone. This, my friend, is the home of my cousin Balin. And they call it a mine. A mine!"

"This is no mine," Boromir sounded as if he were on the verge of retching, "It is a tomb."

The illumination and the impulse to look at the floor sent many a mind whirling as they saw Dwarven corpses, some so close to the door, littering the ground. Legolas bent down and pulled an arrow from one of the very old corpses.

"Goblins," He announced, nocking an arrow into his bow. The other elves followed suit, and the humans drew their swords.

"We make for the Gap of Rohan," Boromir said, his face set in grim lines, "We should never have come here."

A sudden cry for help seized their attention.

"Frodo!" The hobbits cried.

"Strider!" Sam and the others were attacking a long, slimy tentacle that had just snatched Frodo's foot. Nithanien and Edredhel ran forward before Legolas could stop them. A tentacle slipped out of the water and smashed them both against the wall of the mine entrance, leaving them stunned.

Legolas let an arrow fly, letting the creature in the water know that he had missed one elf. A vicious fight began as Boromir and Aragorn hacked and slashed mightily at the tentacles, striving to cut the one that held Frodo in his grasp.

The monster's gaping maw opened wide as it prepared to consume the struggling hobbit. Legolas' arrow found its mark and the creatures hold on Frodo was weakened enough to the point where he slipped away.

Boromir caught him and immediately began wading back out of the dreaded water. Legolas, who had been standing somewhat close to shore, was snatched by a flailing tentacle around the ankle.

"Legolas!" Aragorn called, thinking that the elf was close behind. Already, Gimli and Gandalf had helped the others into the relative 'safety' of the mine, and he was the only one left outside.

A quick shot released him, and he ran as fast as he could into the mine.

All light was extinguished as the Doors of Durin were destroyed.

"We now have but one choice. We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world," Gandalf lit a crystal shard and placed it into the twisted vines of his staff, "Quietly now. It's a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed."

They strode over long, foreboding chasms, up steep stairs, and through small tunnels. Nithanien favored his left arm, while Edredhel winced at almost every sound, so sensitive still was his head.

Many a day and night was spent traversing these roads, the most important occurrence being, on the fourth day, when Gandalf forgot his way for a moment. Then their trek resumed.

They had been walking for much of what they believed to be the day when the tunnel they followed opened into an enormous room.

"Let us risk a little more light," What opened before them was a breathtaking structure that stole even the elves' breath. It was beautiful, rugged, and monstrously strong in its beauty. The many pillars and the seeming endlessness of it all amazed them all, "Behold the great Dwarvish city of Dwarrowdelf."

"Now there's an eye-opener and no mistake," Sam muttered to himself, though Boromir nodded beside him.

"Khazad-Dûm," Edredhel mumbled.

"Hadhodrond," agreed Nithanien.

"The Black Chasm," Legolas intoned, almost ominous in his addition to the awe that pervaded them all. As they walked the depths of the monstrous subterranean city, sharp eyes noticed the many crevices and gaping holes in the ceiling and floor.

There were bodies, corpses, scattered about now, as they drew closer to a seeming source of light. Doors were set into the wall, wooden, broken down barriers that had held against many kinds of attacks.

"Ah!" Gimli ran towards the Chamber of Mazarbul.

"Gimli!" Gandalf called after him, surprised at his sudden flight.

They entered the chamber, where stood a tomb set on a low pedestal. Gimli knelt before it in grief.

"Here lies, Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria," Gandalf translated the runes engraved in the stone, "He is dead then. It is as I have feared."

"We must move on," Legolas hissed to Aragorn, "We cannot linger."

Nithanien pulled Legolas off to the side, "I have a very bad feeling about his. I see no more than death and torture for us if we stay here much longer."

"I, too, feel the tinge of dread touch the edge of my heart," The elven prince admitted.

"We must leave then," The elf shuddered, "I fear for the lives of all, for Mithrandir spoke to me, assuring me that they Bridge is not far ahead."

Suddenly, the loud crashing of metal and bone against stone ripped through the air. All eyes went to Pippin, who winced as the bucket followed the formerly precariously perched skeleton in falling down the well.

Legolas sighed.

"Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" Gandalf snatched his hat and staff from the morose hobbit. Legolas had to hold Nithanien back from going to the hobbit and comforting him.

"Hold. It was his mistake," Legolas shook his head.

Their peace was shattered by the thunderous beats of orcish drums.

Boromir ran to the door just in time to see Edredhel fall under an orcish arrow. He grabbed the elf's collar and hauled him into the room just before another arrow thudded into the door beside his head. Aragorn and Nithanien took Edredhel further in as Boromir struggled to close the doors. Legolas assisted him.

"They have a cave troll," He said exasperatedly, as if nothing worse could happen. Legolas tossed him axe after axe, to barricade the door against the attacking horde.

"Edredhel?" Merry was knelt by the elf, "Come on, you must speak."

"He rest, Merry, to heal," Legolas called, "Nithanien, a battle ensues. Get Edredhel into a safe place. He must be safe and able to run once the battle ends."

"Ah, let them come!" Gimli cried, his blood heated by the battle close at hand, "There is one dwarf yet in Moria that still draws breath!"

"Look out!" Axes cracked the already beaten door, creating larger and larger holes. Legolas quickly nocked an arrow and released smoothly. Aragorn followed, hitting the same place as the elven prince.

But their attack seemed to only enrage the orcs further. The barricade broke and they swarmed into the room. Arrows found perfect marks, Legolas' green, Aragorn's brown, and Nithanien's blue. Gimli's axe fell, and fell again, from his perch atop the tomb of his cousin.

The bite of Boromir's sword was soon well known to the orcs. He felled many, like the great warrior and prince of Gondor that he was. Aragorn soon shifted from his bow to his sword, fighting alongside his fellow human.

The hobbits seemed to hold their own quite nicely. Sam was smashing orcs left and right with his skillet, while Merry, Pippin, and Frodo fought with their short swords.

Then the cave troll demolished what was left of the door. Without hesitating, Legolas shot, releasing an arrow into the chest of the creature. It growled with an unearthly, or under-earthly, wail, and searched for an enemy.

Unfortunately, Sam was its first target. With a cry of determination mixed with fear, the hobbit dove under the troll's leg, barely avoiding the crushing attack of the troll's rock-like mace. The mace soon went after Gimli.

The tomb of Balin was crushed in half, and then the troll killed two of its own orcs in its insane frenzy to kill the dwarf. However, its attention was grabbed by another, more interesting fight that ensued on a high ledge that ran round the room.

Legolas fought with his long-knives, his bow strapped to his back. Nithanien saw the troll's attack from where he fought on the tomb's floor.

"Legolas! Tiro!"

Nithanien's cry did not go unnoticed. The first strike of the cave troll's whip-like chain nearly decapitated the elf, if he had not ducked at the last second. Again, the troll whipped the metal chain at him, again and again.

Legolas quickly moved towards a pillar, and nearly smiled in amusement when the chain wrapped around it, just as he had planned. He ran up the chain, and onto the creature's shoulders. He released an arrow into the monster's skull, and then quickly leaped off, landing carefully on his feet.

The troll next headed for Frodo. Legolas tried to shoot, but his arrows were deviated from their path by the need of saving his own life. A dead savior is no good to anyone.

Aragorn rushed to help the Ringbearer as the hobbit cried for help. The troll had him by the ankle.

Legolas winced as Aragorn was thrown against the wall, and subsequently knocked unconscious. The troll pulled the spear from his chest, and looked at it dumbly. Then, he renewed his efforts against the Ringbearer.

Legolas' eyes widened and his jaw opened in disbelief as the troll speared Frodo.

"Frodo? Frodo!" Sam cried.

Merry and Pippin, caring only for the revenge of their dear friend, cried out a loud war cry and leaped onto the troll's head. They began stabbing it, driving it crazy. It scrabbled for the nuisances that clung consistently to its head.

It managed to snatch Merry around the foot. The poor hobbit was thrown round the room until the creature's grip slipped, it attention drawn back to the remaining irritation that adamantly clutched onto its neck.

Another stab into its neck by Pippin, and its gaping maw opened widely in pain. Legolas shot through the roof of its mouth, successfully piercing its brain. The cave troll staggered, and then fell forward, pitching Pippin onto the ground.

One last orc remained in the room.

While Legolas leaped back to avoid getting crushed by the troll, he saw the orc aim for Boromir.

"Boromir!"

He shoved the human back, sending him stumbling into Gandalf. The black arrow that had been meant for the human warrior now pierced his chest.

"Legolas! No!"

Nithanien was by his prince's side instantly. Legolas collapsed to his knees, his hand pressed hard around the arrow shaft.

"No, see to the hobbits," He whispered, "See to Edredhel…"

Nithanien gently laid his prince on the ground then attended to the orders given.

"You cannot just let him lay there like that!" Boromir jumped forward, grabbing the elf's arm and shoulder. Nithanien wrenched himself away angrily, tears welling in his eyes.

"Then you attend to him, for I have been given an order!"

Boromir looked at the elf in disbelief. Nithanien looked at him, then to Legolas, who was breathing shallowly, then back to Boromir.

"Please…"

Boromir stepped around the elf and bent immediately at the prince's side. A folded square of cloth was tossed to him by Gandalf, who then went to see to Frodo. The human warrior pressed his hands around the arrow wound.

"Legolas, I need to remove this arrow," He said quietly, "Will you allow me to so this?"

Legolas' eyes were closed, but he nodded softly. One quick pull and the blood began to flow from the deep wound. Nithanien quickly returned.

"The hobbits are all right. Frodo is alive," He announced quietly, "And Edredhel can run."

"As soon will I," Legolas sat up, pressing the bandage to his chest, "Thank you, Boromir, now let us go."

"But your wound still bleeds," Boromir rocked back on his heels and ran his gloved fingers through his hair, "I do not understand the mettle of elves, nor shall I ever. Much of your kind is a mystery to even the oldest of beings."

"I shall take your words as compliment and jest," Legolas stood shakily, his head light from the loss of blood. But the wound was closing, quickly, as all wounds did with elves, though it was an orcs wound, which slowed it just slightly.

The thunderous sound of more orcs echoed in the enormous hall outside.

"Come! To the Bridge of Khazad-Dûm!" Gandalf cried.

They ran, even as Edredhel kept good pace with Gandalf, at the head of the group. Legolas stayed in pace with Aragorn, for his wound pained him.

Orcs streamed from the holes in the floors and ceiling, and they scrabbled down the pillars like ugly, overgrown beetles, waiting to be crushed underfoot. But many there were, as Sauron had bred them in the dark, and they had multiplied long after he had left them to grow on their own.

Soon, they were surrounded quite completely. The scent of elvish blood seemed to rile them into frenzy, and a small, rat-like orc with large yellow eyes darted forward, wanting for a taste of flesh, any flesh. Legolas would allow him none, though, and his long-knife dispatched the nauseating creature.

 All that could be heard was the screeching and cackling of orcs, until a new sound broke the din.

It was a demonic sound, heavy, pounding footsteps that smashed hope with the beat of a heart. Growls accompanied it, deep, rumbling growls that made even Gimli wish that he were anywhere but there. The orcs were disturbed by the sounds as well.

They screeched in fear and scattered almost as fast as they had encroached on them, their eyes darting fearfully between the Fellowship and the red and yellow glow that approached with the sounds.

"What new devilry is this?" Boromir asked with his grip on his sword death-like.

Gandalf paused for a second, "A Balrog—a demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you. Run!"

They hesitated no longer. To move faster, Nithanien swept Pippin up in his strong grip, and then slipped him onto his back. Edredhel, healing quickly as all elves did, snatched Merry up in the same way. Legolas was torn between doing the same for Frodo, but that would leave Sam unprotected…

Boromir made up his mind for him. With a quick swoop, he snatched up Sam, slipping him onto his back as the elves had done. Legolas, his choice made for him, swept up Frodo.

They made it to a doorway, which Aragorn soon ducked through. He tripped and nearly fell past the edge of the demolished stairs. He would have fallen, if not for the dwarf's quick grab at his belt.

"Gandalf!" Aragorn turned back to the old wizard, who pushed away his offer at help physically, leaving the heir of Isildur confused.

"Lead them on, Aragorn. The bridge is near. Do as I say! Swords are no more use here!" The wizard seemed far too agitated for the creature that pursued them to be an easy foe.

The Fellowship ran down the stairs quickly, with the elves that carried the hobbits in front. Edredhel never even paused when he reached the yawning gap between the sections of stair. It must have fallen years ago, for the break was old and weathered.

Nithanien followed quickly, with Pippin grinning widely. Either he is enjoying this far too much, or he is terrified beyond rational thought, Legolas thought. He was inclined to believe more of the latter.

When Legolas jumped across, Frodo shifted, for his grip around the elf's neck was slippery from sweaty palms. This shift sent the elf off-balance, but he recovered quickly as he landed, harder than expected, but safe nonetheless.

"Gandalf," He turned and set the hobbit down.

The old wizard leapt across as a deer over water. Boromir followed soon after, Sam grasped tightly in his arms. The group began to run down the stairs as Legolas and Gandalf waited for Aragorn and Gimli to follow.

The thundering steps came closer, and the walls that stood far from them began to shudder and drop dust long unstirred. Aragorn urged Gimli to jump, but an orcish arrow thudded into the stone before he could jump.

Legolas drew his bow quickly, and began to shoot back, "Gandalf! Go! They need your wisdom to escape! I will lead these out!"

Gandalf looked at the elf with a new respect, and then flew down the stairs. Legolas turned back to Gimli. Aragorn leapt across and reached out for the dwarf, to reassure him that two pairs of hands would be waiting to catch him.

With a loud cry, he jumped, but his feet missed the landing by a far inch.

Legolas dove, catching the dwarf's beard and wrist.

"Not the beard!" Gimli thundered as Legolas released his facial hair and instead grabbed for his hand. His feet began to slip with the burden, but Aragorn quickly snatched Gimli's wrists as well, taking some of the weight off the elf.

But elves were not weak, as they appeared. Besides being immortal, among other things, they were very strong, though not quite comparable with dwarves. Gimli was hauled onto the stairs with little difficulty.

They ran down the rest of the stairs as the doorway they had emerged from earlier exploded outward, revealing a great, horrifying figure of flame and smoke, with enormous wings.

Fear ran through Legolas' body as they reached the end of the stairs. The creature, a Balrog, flew coyly to the base of the stairs, stepping into a large river of searing lava, as if to taunt them with its power. Seized with fear and unable to look away, Legolas' bow fell from numbed fingers.

"Legolas!" The dwarf grabbed his bow from the ground and smashed it into the elf's chest, "Run, you foolish idiot! Look not back!"

Gimli's callous words broke the spell. The Balrog growled, losing his control over the elf. Legolas, in turn, shook his head, as if to clear it of the bewitchment that had tried to take hold there. He turned and ran, with the dwarf by his side.

Gandalf stood on the nearest side of the bridge, waiting for them to cross. He followed, but stopped in the center, turning to face the demonic evil that threatened his friends and quest.

"I am the servant of the secret fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you! Flame of Udun!"

Frodo cried out in fear as the Balrog's sword of evil fire smashed down, shattering against a shield of light that shimmered around Gandalf.

Legolas watched, dreading what might happen.

"Go back to the shadow!"

His fair elven heart dropped.

"YOU…"

"SHALL NOT…"

"PASS!"

The wizard smashed his staff into the bridge. When the light faded and nothing had happened, hope sank into the deepest parts of their souls.

Then the Balrog took a step…

With an ear-tearing screech and a heart rending crack, the bridge crumbled. With a sigh of relief, once the adrenaline and rush of fear had subsided, the small group of humans, hobbits, elves, and one dwarf realized that Gandalf still stood, alive.

He turned and began to walk towards them.

There was the crack of a whip…

"Gandalf!" Frodo cried. Boromir dove forward to grab him around the waist, "Gandalf!"

"Fly, you fools," the old man said, barely loud enough to be heard.

Then he was gone.

"NO!"