The Fall of Gandalf
Summery: A fall into darkness disrupts the Company.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Parts of LotR are used in this chapter; they
were not originally written by me, but by the great J.R.R. Tolkien.
The first three orcs through the door caught arrows
into their heads, two more who followed received the sword of Aragorn into
their stomachs. Too many burst into for them to be stopped by arrows or
a single sword. The Company separated and dragged groups of orcs after
them. The hobbits fought close by one another, but all who came near seemed
to almost flock instinctively to Frodo, who fended them off as best he
could. Myra came to his aid with unwavering vigor. He ducked behind her
and pushed his back up against a wall flatly. His sword glowed a bright
blue in his hand.
"You shall have to run through me to get to this
hobbit," shouted Myra. She was cornered then by five orcs with swords drawn
and ready. Frodo suddenly had a wave of guilt from having cowered behind
her, and with effort he pushed himself from the cool wall to stand beside
Myra. Just as two orcs raised their arms for attack an arrow struck one
into his back and out his stomach to go forward and hit the other attacking
orc in front of him. Myra looked past the head of an orc to see Legolas
once again readying his bow. Frodo stabbed one orc in the chest as Myra
used an unseen force to push them harshly against the opposite wall.
She and Frodo ran out to support their friends
when a rumble shook the ground below them. The arch above the door broke
as a gigantic troll roared through. It lifted its great club and brought
it down meaning to hit Sam, but the hobbit jumped out of the way just in
time. He came out from the roll underneath the troll and at once stabbed
at it with his small knife; the troll did not make even the remotest of
sounds. The troll looked down to Sam and Legolas took the opportunity to
jump onto the beast and shoot several arrows into it. Below, Gimli whacked
away at any orc who dared enter the door, taking his vengeance for the
death of his fellow dwarves.
Aragorn and Boromir fought the orcs that remained
in the room with a good amount of assistance from Gandalf. Myra and Frodo
had climbed up to a narrow ledge in order to catch Legolas from the violently
struggling troll. Legolas jumped from the troll to land swiftly just by
the edge of the ledge and was immediately pulled in by the welcoming hands
of Frodo and Myra. The troll turned and crashed his club just below the
ledge, making the three wobble and hug the wall behind them. Quickly they
followed the ledge to a flight of stairs that ended in an open space with
many pillars. The rest of the Company -save Gimli and Merry who together
depleted the last of the orcs attempting to come into the room- went to
the assistance of their companions.
All five readied to strike at once in one deathly
blow, but before they could commence the troll barred his spear into the
chest of Frodo just below where the Ring hung from its chain. They stopped
in unison with wide open mouths as Frodo gave out a rather odd noise of
what seemed to be pain. Only Sam uttered any kind of word among them, but
had only screamed a pain filled "Noooo!" Without hesitation, after regaining
his senses, Boromir sliced his sword into the neck of the troll with a
great throw. The troll gurgled up blood and fell backwards to the ground
with a heavy thud.
"Frodo!" called all. The first to reach him being
Myra and Legolas and the last were Gimli and Merry who had finished their
duty upon the retreat of the remaining orcs. After their calls an uncomfortable
silence settled in the room. The nine members crowded around Frodo. The
hobbit for the most part looked nothing short of being in a mere daze.
He pulled out the spear and the Company beheld a round hole in his shirt
the size of a quarter, but no blood spilled out. Aragorn lifted Frodo's
cloths to reveal not bare skin with a profusely bleeding wound, but a shining
shirt of mithril.
"You seem to be filled with many wonderful surprises,
my dear hobbit," said Boromir from behind Aragorn. The others breathed
a deep sigh of relief and Sam nearly toppled Frodo over with a hug.
"Let us be off quickly then!" said Gandalf. He
led the Company to door and ran quickly down his chosen hall. The others
were following closely behind. It seemed that Gandalf sensed something
that none of the Company, not even Legolas, could find. They ran as fast
as they could with weapons still drawn and only would scarcely look back
to see a herd of orcs keeping chase. Now a crowd of orcs grew in front
and to the sides, forcing the Company to stop with a screeching hold. They
were surrounded on all sides as the orcs grew closer.
A bright red light of fire shown from down the
hall they had just run into the wide room in which they now stood. The
orcs fled at once, but the Company stood in fear as a creature of flame
and fire came crashing toward them. Gandalf was the first to turn about
and call for the others to run. They did as told, and even faster than
before until they came to a narrow hall that led to an open chasm. Boromir
had run too quickly through and would have fallen in if it had not been
for the quick pull back from Legolas.
They ran with care down flight after flight of
stairs until they reached the Bridge of Khazad-dum which led to the safety
of the outside world. Gandalf lagged behind the rest and stopped completely
once he was nearly half way across the bridge of stone. He turned about
to face the Balrog. The others turned upon hearing his cry for them to
flee ahead of them. Aragorn and Boromir stood at the far end of the bridge
nearest to the door. The rest were stalled just in front of the closed
door or on the stairs that led up to it.
"You cannot pass," said Gandalf when the Balrog
reached the bridge. The orcs had ceased their bows and all round stood
in silence, eyes unmoving from the standoff. "I am of the Secret Fire,
wielder of the flame of Udun. Go back to the Shadow! You cannot pass."
The creature standing tall before Gandalf made
no movement nor sound to this declaration. With a sudden bust it stepped
forward and spread its great wings, yet Gandalf still stood unmoved. A
clash of fire and white sent the sword of the Balrog flying back into fragments
of the magnificent darkness it had been. Gandalf only swayed as if he had
lost his footing and stepped himself back just one foot length, once again
he stood unwavering.
"You cannot pass!" he shouted. The Balrog hissed
about wildly.
"He cannot stand alone!" Aragorn cried and ran
to the wizard shouting that he would stand with Gandalf. Boromir ran behind
him shouting the name of Gondor. However, Gandalf had lifted his staff
and yelled loudly as he smote the stone bridge before him with his staff.
It broke and fell away from his grasp as a white light shot out, blinding
all. Aragorn and Boromir stopped to shield their as at the light. The bridge
rumbled and cracked before of Gandalf, but broke before the Balrog. It
crumbled into the gap below while before and behind the wizard remained
etched, but unbroken.
The Balrog fell with an unearthly scream, but
not without vengeance. The whip ran itself about Gandalf's knees and dragged
him to the very ledge of the abyss. There he kicked free of the whip and
held tight to the side of the bridge. The Company stood in shock, unable
to move. Myra at once jumped down onto the bridge and was racing to her
fallen friend before any could stop her.
"Gandalf!" she cried. Legolas ran quickly behind
her. The dwarf and the hobbits were about to follow when Gandalf lifted
a hand and pulled himself just high enough above the ledge to be heard.
"Fly, you fools!" he yelled. With this he let
go and all seemed to slow. Myra stooped just in front of Aragon and Boromir,
Legolas behind them.
"Noooo!!" hollered Frodo from the door. Aragorn
grabbed Boromir by the shoulder and pushed him back toward the door. He
yelled for Legolas to grab Myra before she jumped in after Gandalf. She
stood nearer to the edge looking down and sobbing lightly, she was softly
whispering the fallen wizard's name again and again. Legolas picked her
up gracefully in his arms and ran off after the two men. Frodo had begun
to run too down to the ledge, but was picked up by Boromir before he could
reach. In Legolas's arms Myra began to wail for Gandalf.
"No, no, I have to go back to him!" she pleaded
to Legolas. "I demand that you put me down at once."
"Very well," said Legolas. He paused a moment
to place her on the ground before the steps of the door. He grasped her
hand in his and pulled her none to gently behind him. They reached the
door and put their collective strength behind pushing it outward. The Sun
hit them in their faces as though it were trying to dry their tears. They
stopped running at least a mile or more from the door when Aragorn was
satisfied they were safe.
They stood in stunned silence without any knowledge
of what to do next. Pippin fell to the ground and began to sob hysterically;
Merry cradled him in his lap and cried as well. Frodo bent to kiss the
ground below, glad to have made it out alive. Sam sat upon a rock and held
his head in his left hand and let tears flow silently. Boromir looked about
to his companions and fiercely counted them, willing the number to be ten
and not nine. Aragorn stood facing the mountains and held his sword high
in the air by its hilt.
"For you, Gandalf old friend. Never shall I forget
you," he said and sheathed his sword. He turned to face Myra who looked
onto the ground. "Myra, I know he was long a good friend of yours, but
we must move on or we shall all perish."
She lifted her face to Aragorn and a lonely tear
fell from her eye down to her chin where it held for a moment before dropping
unto her heaving bosom. Legolas placed a comforting arm around her. At
first she merely looked up to him with uncertainty. Her face grew red as
more tears filled her eyes and raced down her face. She buried her face
into Legolas's neck; she had lost the dearest of friends.
"My heart has shattered. Can it not be repaired,
for the pain is unbearable," said Myra, slightly muffled by the shirt she
laid upon. Legolas soothed her and stroked her sort hair absently.
"I pray that I could repair it, but I fear that
only our fallen comrade could accomplish such a thing, my lady," replied
Legolas. Myra sunk from his grasp to the stony ground below her. He kneeled
beside her and took her hand as she wept. For a moment she sat there in
tears until she looked over to see Pippin staring at her, tears streaming
down his side turned face unto his cousin's breeches.
"Do you hate me now?" he asked quietly. His voice
was so pain filled it broke what was left of her spirit to hear it.
"No, my dear Peregrin. Why would you think such
a thing?" she answered without hesitation.
"It is my fault. He was right, I am a fool of
a Took!" he cried. "Please, Gandalf, return and I shall do no more harm
so help me or my name is not Peregrin Took!"
Silence greeted his plea and it was not answered,
for Gandalf did not appear out of the door far behind them nor out of nowhere
did he pop up to chide them for not being on their way already. Boromir
lifted Pippin to his feet and said that they must be off to safety and
they would morn for Gandalf properly once a safe haven was reached. Legolas
took Myra again into his arms and began to walk off once Aragorn had returned
from a short quest to find Frodo, who had run off to cry alone.
Myra rested her head upon the broad shoulder of
Legolas and gave out a grieved sigh. The remainder of the Company started
off again, now with Aragorn as their guide and leader. The hobbits trailed
behind Legolas and Myra who kept a fair distance behind Aragorn and Boromir.
Gimli brought up the rear as an attentive guard, trying to keep his mind
off of all that had transpired in the depths of Moria. As long as they
all were to live, they never wanted to hear the name of the underground
horror again.
TBC
Next Chapter: A Safe Haven
A/N: That was fun! I hated when Gandalf fell. When I watched the movie and he fell I cried out "Nooo!" just when Frodo did. Then I cried when I read it in the book. :( Anyway, R&R, please.