All the fellowship characters are rightfully Tolkien's. The only characters
that belong to me are: Elen and some other characters that come to life in
my chapters.
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LOTHLORIEN
They began their journey towards Moria, Legolas was up front with Gandalf, and behind him was Frodo, the other 3 hobbits, Aragorn, Gimli, Boromir and finally herself. If she closed her eyes she would be able see the creature following them, but it avoided sunlight, the pull of the ring to it was incredible. 3 hours into their journey she felt it more than ever and stopped, spun while notching an arrow and let it fly. The group pulled up behind her. Legolas ran down to her. "What is it?" he asked her. "The creature follows us". She told him. Gandalf joined them. "Do not kill him Elen, he has his own part to play in this, what it is I do not yet know, but he will leave us alone". Gandalf assured her, she studied his weary face, whether he was trying to convince her and the others, or just merely himself, she could not read his thoughts. "He wants the ring, and will kill Frodo if need be" she told him, she had never not argued a point with him. "Not with all of us protecting him". Gandalf argued. "He advised the Nazgul where he was, do you think he will not do so again?" she asked. He knew she was right, but something told him that Gollum was better off alive. Gandalf moved off, he didn't think it best to argue with her at this point at time. Aragorn moved closer to her. "Do you think he poses a threat?" he questioned her softly. She looked at him. "Gandalf has never been wrong, but if the creature does anything to harm Frodo I will kill him". They nodded and each went his way to restart the journey. Legolas touched her face mindful that Boromir had his back to them and that they had this one minute of privacy. Then he turned and walked away to catch up with Gandalf who was already leading them on. One last look behind her and she also turned to catch up with Boromir. And while she walked, she lifted her hand up. It glowed with a faint ethereal light. So already it had begun to show. She stopped intending to back track a bit to ensure gollum was not following. But it was not to be. Aragorn noticed her delay and ran back to her. 'what is it Elen?'. He asked her in a hushed voice. 'i will scout behind us to ensure we are not followed'. She told him, he narrowed his eyes at her. 'i know Elen, legolas told me last night that you are diminishing, i consider myself a friend of the elves and therefore would say to you, do not hold on to this grievance any longer, soon you will depart to the Valar Halls or to the gray havens i know not which, but would you go without your soulmate?' he asked her. 'i would not leave him behind anymore then you would arwen Aragorn". She answered. She lifted her hand up for him to see. 'already it has begun, we do not have time'. 'time?' 'time aragorn, for legolas and i to bond, we are on a mission, to protect middle earth, we cannot let our own mortality get in the way'. 'the elves are inmortal elen, the valar have made it so, it is your heart that makes you mortal, for you wish to die instead of giving in to the love that you feel for him, yes he is young, and so are you, but you have eternity, and would you spend it fighting one another?, that is not the elvish way'. Aragorn told her, edge to his voice, for it was that his heart spoke more so than his mind. 'mortals do not see it, moon elves are becoming extinct, my people have long left these shores, i am the only left'. She murmured. 'will you give in to it elen? I have seen the fire in your blood, i had never thought you weak, you have proven boromir right, elves are weak, they are not the strong, ethereal creatures mortals believed them to be'. That angered Elen, she tripped him as he fell, in one swift stroke she had her sword at his throat. 'and are we weak Estel?, there are things you do not understand, arwen has given up her inmortality for you, and yet you do not see it'. 'all i see is an elven ranger, who does not hear her heart, yes there is pain and suffering and an evil growing, but do you not believe that all good beings being bonded will save all of us?, that fighting amongst ourselves will not only weaken us but all ultimately destroy us?' he challenged her. She took a step back.' You speak words of truth Estel, i will think on them'. She gave him a hand up. 'then think well before the light takes you'. He told her and moved off. She watched him go, and noticed that legolas stood not faraway watching them.
Gimli was grumbling. "Elven ranger indeed, she cannot even hit a creature, as if elves are legendary archers, bah!" Aragorn turned to him "Be wary that she does not hear you friend, rangers are known for their quick anger". Gimli looked at the human ranger. "She does not frighten me ranger, elves think to highly of themselves as it is, and why do we need a female? they know nothing of war". Gimli told him. "And are we at war my friend?" Aragorn asked patiently. "We are, with Sauron". Gimli muttered for to himself than to the ranger but Aragorn heard him still and the ranger himself did not know why he bothered answering that foolhardy statement. "He has not yet declared his intentions, we are trying to stop him from gaining further strength, by destroying the ring, and we are doing so". The future king of Gondor told him. "Bah, a whole lot of hogwash that is, once we reach Moria, there you will see that we dwarves are much more giving then the elves'. "I do not compare the two Gimli; each race has its own merits and its own flaws". With that Aragorn moved off and ended the conversation. The hobbits started murmuring between each other. They believed that at some point the elven ranger and the dwarf would come to either an agreement or a fight, they did not have bets running, but just kept a tally on it.
They reached moria, and stood before the doors. Ancient elven writing graced the great stone doors. Behind them was the dark lake. Aragorn eyed it suspiciously. "Speak friend and enter". Gandalf said. "Friend". He bellowed out. Nothing happened, "Why won't it open?" merry asked. "It's a riddle". Sam provided. "Speak friend and enter? that's no riddle". Pippin said. Legolas and Elen stood to the side in the shadows keeping guard. They did not know what inhibited their journey.
The elves also kept an eye on the lake that Aragorn had earlier watched. "The lake is dark and forbidding". Legolas advised. "No light reflects upon it, it is a part of the darkness, which has been following us". Elen told him in a whisper. He looked at her and took her hand. He brought it to his lips gently kissing her fingers. His lips so warm. At that moment it seemed that there were only the two of them in existence. Frodo's voice broke that moment and brought their attention back to the hobbit. "What's the elvish word for friend?" he asked. "Mellon". Gandalf replied, no sooner had he done that that the doors opened. At that moment also the creature of the lake also chose to make its presence known and attacked them. One tentacle entwined Frodo's leg lifting him high in the air. "Strider!" the hobbits cried, bringing Aragorn's attention to their dilemma. Gandalf hurried into the cave with Gimli. Elen pushed the other hobbits forward ahead of her then rejoined Boromir, Legolas and Aragorn in trying to save Frodo from a watery death. The elves fired arrows at it with deadly precision but they knew that something else dominated it, something that would not easily succumb to elvish weapons. Aragorn used his arrows also while Boromir slashed at it with his sword. The creature screamed its pain, dropped Frodo onto Aragorn which the ranger easily caught him in the air. The creature retreated for an instant.
Elen pushed Boromir ahead of her, incase it returned. She did not know why she was so protective of the knight; he was more than able to protect himself. But something told her to do it. Legolas ran behind Aragorn and Frodo. The creature made one last dash to them and in doing so brought down the stone doors, blocking their only way out. Complete darkness engulfed them. Elen took two steps back. She hated the darkness. She could not even see her hands. Much less anyone in front of her. A hand landed on her shoulder and squeezed. And a voice whispered into her ear. "I am here". It was Legolas. His presence was comforting to her. "What we need here is light". Gandalf said stating the obvious. The stone in his istari staff lit up like a burning flame. And they could see all around them. Legolas bent down and retrieved some arrows from fallen bodies. "There was a war here". Boromir said as Legolas put the arrows in his quiver replenishing the ones he had fired already. He handed some to Elen also, she did the same. Aragorn bent down and looked at the bodies more closely. "Goblins". Legolas stated upon closer inspection of the arrows. "We need to move, and not attract attention". They started climbing the stone staircase and made their way to a great hall made of stone. Gimli walked ahead. "My people will serve a feast". He told them. Somehow they all knew save the dwarf that no one was here.
Gimli spied a door off to the right that led into a vast room lit with light, he made for it, sure that he would find people of his own race there. Gandalf shouts out to the dwarf "Gimli!" The others followed the dwarf; find Gimli grieving over a tomb. Gandalf reads the dwarven runes on the top of the tomb. Gandalf read it and translated it into his own tongue." Here lies Balin, son of Hrundin, Lord of Moria. He is dead then. It is as I feared." Gandalf finds a book held by a skeleton leaning against the tomb. Legolas looks at Aragorn. "We must move on. We cannot linger here." Elen nods agreeing with him. She was standing guard at the door. Gandalf kept reading from the book he had picked up earlier. "They have taken the bridge, and the second hall. The ground shakes. We have barred the gates, but cannot hold them for long. A shadow moves in the dark. Drums, drums in the deep. We cannot get out. We cannot get out. They are coming." Pippin knocks a skeleton into the well, which makes a little more than enough noise to wake the dead. Gandalf looks over his shoulder at the hobbit, not impressed." Fool of a Took! Next time, throw yourself in, and rid us of your stupidity!" There is a pause where it seems they might not have been heard, and then drums start pounding. Frodo's sword is glowing blue. Legolas looks up and sees dust falling from the roof above them."Orcs!" Boromir moved to look out the door so hurried was he that he bumped into the maiden that stood there, she pulled him back, before he is almost hit by two arrows, together they shut the door. Boromir turned to the company "They have a cave troll." Elen smirks behind him, her blood is already roaring in her veins, she is itching to get into a good fight. "Stay back, close to Gandalf!" Aragorn looks at the hobbits and yells out to them, he prepares his bow and arrows. They bar the door with the weapons of the dead. And each takes a stand in front of the hobbits and Gandalf. Two elves, one ranger and one knight against a horde of goblins, orcs and whatever else god saw fit to throw at them. "Let them come! There is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!" Gimli takes his ax in hand yelling out to the orcs. Elen grunted, she would shoot the dwarf himself if he didn't stop giving himself airs. Orcs break holes in the door. Legolas and Aragorn shoot arrows through the holes and kill the orcs on the other side. Boromir and Elen stand behind them as backup and behind them stand Gandalf and the hobbits. Finally, the doors can stand no more and break open and orcs flood in. the company fight. Then the troll comes through the door and part of the wall. Elen fires her arrows from a ledge that she climbed up on. Legolas joined her and they let off arrows with deadly precision. Sam slips under the troll and tries to hit it with a frying pan.
The troll smashes the tomb Gimli is standing on top of, but misses Gimli; the troll foolishly killed several of the orcs in its attempt to get the dwarf. The chain dangles from its neck and the troll uses its chain like a whip, trying to hit Legolas, who dodges the troll and pulls Elen up with him onto another ledge even higher up. The chain becomes momentarily caught around a pillar, and Legolas runs up it to stand on top of the troll and gets a shot at its head. He jumps down off the troll and lands like a cat on its feet, he doesn't miss a heartbeat and continues to dodge the troll as well as fire arrows at it to ascertain its fate.
Sam hits several orcs over the head with his frying pan. Sam smiles in glee and shouts out to Frodo "I think I'm getting the hang of this!" Troll catches sight of the three hobbits. They all dodge, but Frodo goes one way and Merry and Pippin the other. The troll follows Frodo, who manages to stay on the opposite side of the pillar from the troll for a while, but then he is surprised and he tripped on a fallen stone, the troll grabbed his foot and dragged him to it. "Aragorn! Help!" Frodo yells out in fear to Strider Frodo cuts the troll's hand with Sting, and it lets go. The troll reaches for Frodo again, but Aragorn runs over and stabs it with a spear, prompting the troll to smash him into the wall. Frodo scrambles over to the fallen ranger and shakes him, but he doesn't get up. Frodo sees the troll eyeing him and before he can move, the troll stabs him with the spear. Frodo falls, with the spear in his side. Merry and Pippin jump on the troll's back and stab it wildly. The troll grabs Merry and throws him off, Pippin stabs it again, when it rears up, Legolas kills the troll with an arrow through the brain. Pippin has a hard landing, still being on top of the troll when it falls. "Oh no." Aragorn shakes his head and runs over to Frodo, seeing the hobbits unmoving. Thinking he's dead, Aragorn rolled him over, but he sits up. "He's alive!" Sam shouts in happiness. "I'm all right, I'm not hurt." Frodo tells them, not understanding why they are all standing around him with sadness on their faces. "You should be dead! That spear would have skewered a wild boar!" Aragorn brought his attention to him again. "I think there is more to this hobbit than meets the eye." Gandalf leaned heavily on his staff. Frodo pulls open his shirt to reveal a Mithril vest. Gimli looked at surprise at the hobbit. "Mithril! You are full of surprises, Mr. Baggins!" Legolas looks at him from the other side of the room. He was tending to Boromir who had been hit on the head by a falling stone. The maiden Aragorn noted was walking around the room trying to regain their arrows. "We must go Gandalf, more orcs approach'. Elen advised them coming to stand beside them after she had handed several handfuls of arrows back to Legolas and Aragorn to replenish their losses. Her quiver is full.
They run out through the cavern hoping to find the light, but they are surrounded by orcs. They hear a roar in the distance, and the goblins/orcs all scramble away back from where they came. "What is this new devilry?" Boromir leans close to Gandalf. "A balrog. A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you. Run!" Gandalf leads them away with the balrog coming closer to them. They run. Boromir abruptly comes to the edge of the path, drops his torch and teeters on the edge of a very long drop. Legolas pulls him back from the edge. Elen is not far behind and pulls Legolas back also onto herself. If it wasn't because they were in danger he would have let his thoughts wander in that direction but as it was, he could not. "Lead them on, Aragorn! The bridge is near. Do as I say! Swords are no more use here!" Gandalf yelled out to Aragorn. They come to a gap in the apparently endless staircase, which the elves jump across easily. Gandalf follows after a moment's hesitation and at the insistence of Legolas who reaches out to him. Boromir grabs Merry and Pippin, jumps across as the edge crumbles. Aragorn grabs and throws Sam across, but Gimli holds up a hand. "Nobody tosses a dwarf!" he tells the ranger, and jumps by himself. But he doesn't quite make it, and Legolas grabs his beard to keep him from falling. More stones break off the edge, Frodo and Aragorn scramble back. The gap is now too far to jump. Part of roof breaks off, and falls between them, breaking the section off and isolating Frodo and Aragorn. The remaining piece of stair starts to tilt. The ranger was trying to keep his balance, and also keep Frodo from falling. He finds he can influence the direction the stair falls. "Lean forward!" Aragorn tells the hobbit holding him on balance. They make it across helped by Legolas and Boromir. They keep running as the enormous section of stair falls into the abyss. They manage to get down the stairs to level ground without more trouble. As they run toward the bridge, the Balrog emerges from the chasm behind them. Gandalf makes sure everyone is across the bridge before he makes his stand. In the center of the bridge, he turns to face the demon, staff and sword in hand. "You cannot pass." Gandalf tells the balrog, a shimmer of power is behind Gandalf. Elen standing behind the wizard. "Gandalf!" Frodo yells out to his old friend. "Elen!" Legolas and Boromir yell in unison, they would not see her die. A wave of flame spreads across the Balrog. "I am a servant of the secret fire, wielder of the flame of Anor! Dark fire shall not avail you, flame of Udun!" Gandalf yells out to the balrog, it sounded like an old spell. Balrog draws a flaming sword and swings at Gandalf, but he blocks it. Elen's arrow follows it as the balrog moves around, for some unknown reason it fears her also. Gandalf turns to her. And saw that she had notched an arrow into her bow and had it aimed. "You cannot do anything to it child, now is not your time" Elen looks at him, into his eyes, and sees a fire burn within them. "It is the end of what you represent Gandalf, you will return to us stronger". She bowed to him and turned joining the company who stood and watched it all unfold. "Boromir, take the hobbits up, Legolas let us go, Aragorn come". She told them, authority in her voice. Boromir did as bid, Legolas hesitated, but Aragorn did not move.
"Go back to the shadow! You shall not pass!" Gandalf yells out in his wizard voice. Gandalf slams his staff on the ground, and a flash of white light drives the Balrog back. The demon draws a whip of fire, steps onto the bridge, and the bridge gives way, dropping the Balrog into the chasm. It seems they have won, but as he turns away, the tail of the whip catches Gandalf's ankle and pulls him down. He gets a brief grasp on the edge of the bridge. "Fly, you fools!" he tells Aragorn, part of the company had already retreated and were now climbing into the light that would lead them into safety. Elen pulls Aragorn away. "Come Aragorn, Gandalf is gone, and now you must lead us". She said to him softly. And Gandalf follows his enemy into the abyss. Boromir carries Frodo away. Aragorn pauses, looking back until orc arrows drive him away. The diminished group escapes into the sunlight before most collapse with grief, weeping for the loss of their friend. Legolas is stunned taking solitary comfort in Elen's presence, she did not tell him what only she and Gandalf had known. Now Aragorn would become their leader. "Legolas, Elen get them up!" Aragorn orders the elves into action. "Give them a moment, for pity's sake!" Boromir tells him in disgust. Aragorn shakes his head at him and advises him "By nightfall these hills will be crawling with orcs! We must reach the woods of Lothlorien. Gimli, Legolas, get them up!" He turns and pulls Frodo and Sam up himself.
They make for Lothlorien. To the lady of the woods, for some much needed advice. Elen knelt down and touched the earth. Legolas stood by her side. "Cormamin niuve tenna' ta Elea lle au' Mithrandir mellonamin" my heart shall weep until it sees thee again Gandalf my friend. She murmured to the earth, taking heart that warmth seemed to creep into her hand, and a tiny shard of crystal had embedded itself into her hand. It did not hurt, she knew what this meant, and Gandalf was with her still. "We must move, before darkness falls, otherwise we will fight another battle". Aragorn told them, the elves moved and picked up the hobbits, Boromir looked once more behind him and then followed. Lothlorien was not far, just on the other side of the glade. And the light of Galadriel would enfold them in her warm embrace. But some of them were cautious and mistrusting. They had heard stories of her. The only ones sure of the elf queen were Aragorn and the two elves. For one of the elves knew her well.
LOTHLORIEN
They began their journey towards Moria, Legolas was up front with Gandalf, and behind him was Frodo, the other 3 hobbits, Aragorn, Gimli, Boromir and finally herself. If she closed her eyes she would be able see the creature following them, but it avoided sunlight, the pull of the ring to it was incredible. 3 hours into their journey she felt it more than ever and stopped, spun while notching an arrow and let it fly. The group pulled up behind her. Legolas ran down to her. "What is it?" he asked her. "The creature follows us". She told him. Gandalf joined them. "Do not kill him Elen, he has his own part to play in this, what it is I do not yet know, but he will leave us alone". Gandalf assured her, she studied his weary face, whether he was trying to convince her and the others, or just merely himself, she could not read his thoughts. "He wants the ring, and will kill Frodo if need be" she told him, she had never not argued a point with him. "Not with all of us protecting him". Gandalf argued. "He advised the Nazgul where he was, do you think he will not do so again?" she asked. He knew she was right, but something told him that Gollum was better off alive. Gandalf moved off, he didn't think it best to argue with her at this point at time. Aragorn moved closer to her. "Do you think he poses a threat?" he questioned her softly. She looked at him. "Gandalf has never been wrong, but if the creature does anything to harm Frodo I will kill him". They nodded and each went his way to restart the journey. Legolas touched her face mindful that Boromir had his back to them and that they had this one minute of privacy. Then he turned and walked away to catch up with Gandalf who was already leading them on. One last look behind her and she also turned to catch up with Boromir. And while she walked, she lifted her hand up. It glowed with a faint ethereal light. So already it had begun to show. She stopped intending to back track a bit to ensure gollum was not following. But it was not to be. Aragorn noticed her delay and ran back to her. 'what is it Elen?'. He asked her in a hushed voice. 'i will scout behind us to ensure we are not followed'. She told him, he narrowed his eyes at her. 'i know Elen, legolas told me last night that you are diminishing, i consider myself a friend of the elves and therefore would say to you, do not hold on to this grievance any longer, soon you will depart to the Valar Halls or to the gray havens i know not which, but would you go without your soulmate?' he asked her. 'i would not leave him behind anymore then you would arwen Aragorn". She answered. She lifted her hand up for him to see. 'already it has begun, we do not have time'. 'time?' 'time aragorn, for legolas and i to bond, we are on a mission, to protect middle earth, we cannot let our own mortality get in the way'. 'the elves are inmortal elen, the valar have made it so, it is your heart that makes you mortal, for you wish to die instead of giving in to the love that you feel for him, yes he is young, and so are you, but you have eternity, and would you spend it fighting one another?, that is not the elvish way'. Aragorn told her, edge to his voice, for it was that his heart spoke more so than his mind. 'mortals do not see it, moon elves are becoming extinct, my people have long left these shores, i am the only left'. She murmured. 'will you give in to it elen? I have seen the fire in your blood, i had never thought you weak, you have proven boromir right, elves are weak, they are not the strong, ethereal creatures mortals believed them to be'. That angered Elen, she tripped him as he fell, in one swift stroke she had her sword at his throat. 'and are we weak Estel?, there are things you do not understand, arwen has given up her inmortality for you, and yet you do not see it'. 'all i see is an elven ranger, who does not hear her heart, yes there is pain and suffering and an evil growing, but do you not believe that all good beings being bonded will save all of us?, that fighting amongst ourselves will not only weaken us but all ultimately destroy us?' he challenged her. She took a step back.' You speak words of truth Estel, i will think on them'. She gave him a hand up. 'then think well before the light takes you'. He told her and moved off. She watched him go, and noticed that legolas stood not faraway watching them.
Gimli was grumbling. "Elven ranger indeed, she cannot even hit a creature, as if elves are legendary archers, bah!" Aragorn turned to him "Be wary that she does not hear you friend, rangers are known for their quick anger". Gimli looked at the human ranger. "She does not frighten me ranger, elves think to highly of themselves as it is, and why do we need a female? they know nothing of war". Gimli told him. "And are we at war my friend?" Aragorn asked patiently. "We are, with Sauron". Gimli muttered for to himself than to the ranger but Aragorn heard him still and the ranger himself did not know why he bothered answering that foolhardy statement. "He has not yet declared his intentions, we are trying to stop him from gaining further strength, by destroying the ring, and we are doing so". The future king of Gondor told him. "Bah, a whole lot of hogwash that is, once we reach Moria, there you will see that we dwarves are much more giving then the elves'. "I do not compare the two Gimli; each race has its own merits and its own flaws". With that Aragorn moved off and ended the conversation. The hobbits started murmuring between each other. They believed that at some point the elven ranger and the dwarf would come to either an agreement or a fight, they did not have bets running, but just kept a tally on it.
They reached moria, and stood before the doors. Ancient elven writing graced the great stone doors. Behind them was the dark lake. Aragorn eyed it suspiciously. "Speak friend and enter". Gandalf said. "Friend". He bellowed out. Nothing happened, "Why won't it open?" merry asked. "It's a riddle". Sam provided. "Speak friend and enter? that's no riddle". Pippin said. Legolas and Elen stood to the side in the shadows keeping guard. They did not know what inhibited their journey.
The elves also kept an eye on the lake that Aragorn had earlier watched. "The lake is dark and forbidding". Legolas advised. "No light reflects upon it, it is a part of the darkness, which has been following us". Elen told him in a whisper. He looked at her and took her hand. He brought it to his lips gently kissing her fingers. His lips so warm. At that moment it seemed that there were only the two of them in existence. Frodo's voice broke that moment and brought their attention back to the hobbit. "What's the elvish word for friend?" he asked. "Mellon". Gandalf replied, no sooner had he done that that the doors opened. At that moment also the creature of the lake also chose to make its presence known and attacked them. One tentacle entwined Frodo's leg lifting him high in the air. "Strider!" the hobbits cried, bringing Aragorn's attention to their dilemma. Gandalf hurried into the cave with Gimli. Elen pushed the other hobbits forward ahead of her then rejoined Boromir, Legolas and Aragorn in trying to save Frodo from a watery death. The elves fired arrows at it with deadly precision but they knew that something else dominated it, something that would not easily succumb to elvish weapons. Aragorn used his arrows also while Boromir slashed at it with his sword. The creature screamed its pain, dropped Frodo onto Aragorn which the ranger easily caught him in the air. The creature retreated for an instant.
Elen pushed Boromir ahead of her, incase it returned. She did not know why she was so protective of the knight; he was more than able to protect himself. But something told her to do it. Legolas ran behind Aragorn and Frodo. The creature made one last dash to them and in doing so brought down the stone doors, blocking their only way out. Complete darkness engulfed them. Elen took two steps back. She hated the darkness. She could not even see her hands. Much less anyone in front of her. A hand landed on her shoulder and squeezed. And a voice whispered into her ear. "I am here". It was Legolas. His presence was comforting to her. "What we need here is light". Gandalf said stating the obvious. The stone in his istari staff lit up like a burning flame. And they could see all around them. Legolas bent down and retrieved some arrows from fallen bodies. "There was a war here". Boromir said as Legolas put the arrows in his quiver replenishing the ones he had fired already. He handed some to Elen also, she did the same. Aragorn bent down and looked at the bodies more closely. "Goblins". Legolas stated upon closer inspection of the arrows. "We need to move, and not attract attention". They started climbing the stone staircase and made their way to a great hall made of stone. Gimli walked ahead. "My people will serve a feast". He told them. Somehow they all knew save the dwarf that no one was here.
Gimli spied a door off to the right that led into a vast room lit with light, he made for it, sure that he would find people of his own race there. Gandalf shouts out to the dwarf "Gimli!" The others followed the dwarf; find Gimli grieving over a tomb. Gandalf reads the dwarven runes on the top of the tomb. Gandalf read it and translated it into his own tongue." Here lies Balin, son of Hrundin, Lord of Moria. He is dead then. It is as I feared." Gandalf finds a book held by a skeleton leaning against the tomb. Legolas looks at Aragorn. "We must move on. We cannot linger here." Elen nods agreeing with him. She was standing guard at the door. Gandalf kept reading from the book he had picked up earlier. "They have taken the bridge, and the second hall. The ground shakes. We have barred the gates, but cannot hold them for long. A shadow moves in the dark. Drums, drums in the deep. We cannot get out. We cannot get out. They are coming." Pippin knocks a skeleton into the well, which makes a little more than enough noise to wake the dead. Gandalf looks over his shoulder at the hobbit, not impressed." Fool of a Took! Next time, throw yourself in, and rid us of your stupidity!" There is a pause where it seems they might not have been heard, and then drums start pounding. Frodo's sword is glowing blue. Legolas looks up and sees dust falling from the roof above them."Orcs!" Boromir moved to look out the door so hurried was he that he bumped into the maiden that stood there, she pulled him back, before he is almost hit by two arrows, together they shut the door. Boromir turned to the company "They have a cave troll." Elen smirks behind him, her blood is already roaring in her veins, she is itching to get into a good fight. "Stay back, close to Gandalf!" Aragorn looks at the hobbits and yells out to them, he prepares his bow and arrows. They bar the door with the weapons of the dead. And each takes a stand in front of the hobbits and Gandalf. Two elves, one ranger and one knight against a horde of goblins, orcs and whatever else god saw fit to throw at them. "Let them come! There is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!" Gimli takes his ax in hand yelling out to the orcs. Elen grunted, she would shoot the dwarf himself if he didn't stop giving himself airs. Orcs break holes in the door. Legolas and Aragorn shoot arrows through the holes and kill the orcs on the other side. Boromir and Elen stand behind them as backup and behind them stand Gandalf and the hobbits. Finally, the doors can stand no more and break open and orcs flood in. the company fight. Then the troll comes through the door and part of the wall. Elen fires her arrows from a ledge that she climbed up on. Legolas joined her and they let off arrows with deadly precision. Sam slips under the troll and tries to hit it with a frying pan.
The troll smashes the tomb Gimli is standing on top of, but misses Gimli; the troll foolishly killed several of the orcs in its attempt to get the dwarf. The chain dangles from its neck and the troll uses its chain like a whip, trying to hit Legolas, who dodges the troll and pulls Elen up with him onto another ledge even higher up. The chain becomes momentarily caught around a pillar, and Legolas runs up it to stand on top of the troll and gets a shot at its head. He jumps down off the troll and lands like a cat on its feet, he doesn't miss a heartbeat and continues to dodge the troll as well as fire arrows at it to ascertain its fate.
Sam hits several orcs over the head with his frying pan. Sam smiles in glee and shouts out to Frodo "I think I'm getting the hang of this!" Troll catches sight of the three hobbits. They all dodge, but Frodo goes one way and Merry and Pippin the other. The troll follows Frodo, who manages to stay on the opposite side of the pillar from the troll for a while, but then he is surprised and he tripped on a fallen stone, the troll grabbed his foot and dragged him to it. "Aragorn! Help!" Frodo yells out in fear to Strider Frodo cuts the troll's hand with Sting, and it lets go. The troll reaches for Frodo again, but Aragorn runs over and stabs it with a spear, prompting the troll to smash him into the wall. Frodo scrambles over to the fallen ranger and shakes him, but he doesn't get up. Frodo sees the troll eyeing him and before he can move, the troll stabs him with the spear. Frodo falls, with the spear in his side. Merry and Pippin jump on the troll's back and stab it wildly. The troll grabs Merry and throws him off, Pippin stabs it again, when it rears up, Legolas kills the troll with an arrow through the brain. Pippin has a hard landing, still being on top of the troll when it falls. "Oh no." Aragorn shakes his head and runs over to Frodo, seeing the hobbits unmoving. Thinking he's dead, Aragorn rolled him over, but he sits up. "He's alive!" Sam shouts in happiness. "I'm all right, I'm not hurt." Frodo tells them, not understanding why they are all standing around him with sadness on their faces. "You should be dead! That spear would have skewered a wild boar!" Aragorn brought his attention to him again. "I think there is more to this hobbit than meets the eye." Gandalf leaned heavily on his staff. Frodo pulls open his shirt to reveal a Mithril vest. Gimli looked at surprise at the hobbit. "Mithril! You are full of surprises, Mr. Baggins!" Legolas looks at him from the other side of the room. He was tending to Boromir who had been hit on the head by a falling stone. The maiden Aragorn noted was walking around the room trying to regain their arrows. "We must go Gandalf, more orcs approach'. Elen advised them coming to stand beside them after she had handed several handfuls of arrows back to Legolas and Aragorn to replenish their losses. Her quiver is full.
They run out through the cavern hoping to find the light, but they are surrounded by orcs. They hear a roar in the distance, and the goblins/orcs all scramble away back from where they came. "What is this new devilry?" Boromir leans close to Gandalf. "A balrog. A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you. Run!" Gandalf leads them away with the balrog coming closer to them. They run. Boromir abruptly comes to the edge of the path, drops his torch and teeters on the edge of a very long drop. Legolas pulls him back from the edge. Elen is not far behind and pulls Legolas back also onto herself. If it wasn't because they were in danger he would have let his thoughts wander in that direction but as it was, he could not. "Lead them on, Aragorn! The bridge is near. Do as I say! Swords are no more use here!" Gandalf yelled out to Aragorn. They come to a gap in the apparently endless staircase, which the elves jump across easily. Gandalf follows after a moment's hesitation and at the insistence of Legolas who reaches out to him. Boromir grabs Merry and Pippin, jumps across as the edge crumbles. Aragorn grabs and throws Sam across, but Gimli holds up a hand. "Nobody tosses a dwarf!" he tells the ranger, and jumps by himself. But he doesn't quite make it, and Legolas grabs his beard to keep him from falling. More stones break off the edge, Frodo and Aragorn scramble back. The gap is now too far to jump. Part of roof breaks off, and falls between them, breaking the section off and isolating Frodo and Aragorn. The remaining piece of stair starts to tilt. The ranger was trying to keep his balance, and also keep Frodo from falling. He finds he can influence the direction the stair falls. "Lean forward!" Aragorn tells the hobbit holding him on balance. They make it across helped by Legolas and Boromir. They keep running as the enormous section of stair falls into the abyss. They manage to get down the stairs to level ground without more trouble. As they run toward the bridge, the Balrog emerges from the chasm behind them. Gandalf makes sure everyone is across the bridge before he makes his stand. In the center of the bridge, he turns to face the demon, staff and sword in hand. "You cannot pass." Gandalf tells the balrog, a shimmer of power is behind Gandalf. Elen standing behind the wizard. "Gandalf!" Frodo yells out to his old friend. "Elen!" Legolas and Boromir yell in unison, they would not see her die. A wave of flame spreads across the Balrog. "I am a servant of the secret fire, wielder of the flame of Anor! Dark fire shall not avail you, flame of Udun!" Gandalf yells out to the balrog, it sounded like an old spell. Balrog draws a flaming sword and swings at Gandalf, but he blocks it. Elen's arrow follows it as the balrog moves around, for some unknown reason it fears her also. Gandalf turns to her. And saw that she had notched an arrow into her bow and had it aimed. "You cannot do anything to it child, now is not your time" Elen looks at him, into his eyes, and sees a fire burn within them. "It is the end of what you represent Gandalf, you will return to us stronger". She bowed to him and turned joining the company who stood and watched it all unfold. "Boromir, take the hobbits up, Legolas let us go, Aragorn come". She told them, authority in her voice. Boromir did as bid, Legolas hesitated, but Aragorn did not move.
"Go back to the shadow! You shall not pass!" Gandalf yells out in his wizard voice. Gandalf slams his staff on the ground, and a flash of white light drives the Balrog back. The demon draws a whip of fire, steps onto the bridge, and the bridge gives way, dropping the Balrog into the chasm. It seems they have won, but as he turns away, the tail of the whip catches Gandalf's ankle and pulls him down. He gets a brief grasp on the edge of the bridge. "Fly, you fools!" he tells Aragorn, part of the company had already retreated and were now climbing into the light that would lead them into safety. Elen pulls Aragorn away. "Come Aragorn, Gandalf is gone, and now you must lead us". She said to him softly. And Gandalf follows his enemy into the abyss. Boromir carries Frodo away. Aragorn pauses, looking back until orc arrows drive him away. The diminished group escapes into the sunlight before most collapse with grief, weeping for the loss of their friend. Legolas is stunned taking solitary comfort in Elen's presence, she did not tell him what only she and Gandalf had known. Now Aragorn would become their leader. "Legolas, Elen get them up!" Aragorn orders the elves into action. "Give them a moment, for pity's sake!" Boromir tells him in disgust. Aragorn shakes his head at him and advises him "By nightfall these hills will be crawling with orcs! We must reach the woods of Lothlorien. Gimli, Legolas, get them up!" He turns and pulls Frodo and Sam up himself.
They make for Lothlorien. To the lady of the woods, for some much needed advice. Elen knelt down and touched the earth. Legolas stood by her side. "Cormamin niuve tenna' ta Elea lle au' Mithrandir mellonamin" my heart shall weep until it sees thee again Gandalf my friend. She murmured to the earth, taking heart that warmth seemed to creep into her hand, and a tiny shard of crystal had embedded itself into her hand. It did not hurt, she knew what this meant, and Gandalf was with her still. "We must move, before darkness falls, otherwise we will fight another battle". Aragorn told them, the elves moved and picked up the hobbits, Boromir looked once more behind him and then followed. Lothlorien was not far, just on the other side of the glade. And the light of Galadriel would enfold them in her warm embrace. But some of them were cautious and mistrusting. They had heard stories of her. The only ones sure of the elf queen were Aragorn and the two elves. For one of the elves knew her well.