"How is this possible Gandalf?" Aragorn now asked. "We saw you
fall....we saw you fall with the Balrog." Aragorn continued, fighting back
tears.
Gandalf's soft smile now turned into a look of despair and guilt.
"I am sorry," he said innocently, "I shall tell you the story of after I fell."
Gandalf wearily sat down upon a stone nearby and began his tale:
"As you can remember, we were trying to escape the clutches of the Balrog; myself, you Aragorn, and Legolas, Gimli, Boromir son of Denethor, the young hobbits: Meriadoc and Peregrin, and Samwise Gamgee, and." he paused for a moment, as if suddenly struck by sorrow and trying to hold back tears. After a moment he continued:
"And Frodo. Suddenly, a strategy came to my mind of how to rid the evil Balrog of our presence. I came upon, in my mind, a spell to block any magic of his, and to break off the bridge of Khazad-Dum to which the Balrog stood. So, it worked.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"You cannot pass!" Gandalf shouted. The Balrog steamed and stepped forward towards the wizard.
"Gandalf!" Frodo shouts as he watches in horror.
A blazing light radiates from Gandalf's staff, illuminating the entire bridge. Gandalf begins again.
"I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you! Flame of Udun!
Following Gandalf's words, the Balrog strikes down on Gandalf with its flaming sword. The wizard parries the blow with Glamdring, shattering the foul creature's sword.
"Go back to the shadow!" Gandalf shouts furiously.
The Balrog brandishes a flaming whip, lashing it about menacingly.
"YOU..SHALL NOT..PASS!!!"
Gandalf suddenly strikes his staff onto the bridge. As the Balrog steps forward, the bridge collapses from under it and the demon plunged backward into the chasm. Gandalf, exhausted, leans upon his staff as he watches the Balrog fall; then, turns to follow the others out of the wretched place. In that split second, the flaming whip lashes up from the depths of the abyss and wounded about Gandalf's ankle: dragging him over the edge. Gandalf clings to the edge, straining to keep his grip. Frodo tries to go to him, but is held up by Boromir.
"No, Frodo!" Boromir shouts, using what is left of his strength to restrain the hobbit.
"Gandaaaaaaaaalf!" Frodo shouts, horrified at seeing the losing of his friend. Gandalf holds his grip for as long as he can, but realizes, he can no more.
"Fly you fools!" he yells sternly, then disappeared over the edge into the black chasm.
"Noooooooooooooooo!" Frodo yells, sorrow coming to his heart, as he tries to escape the hands of Boromir.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"However, not how I had expected it. I saw the Balrog fall. I did not, however, see the thong that whipped out of the abyss at me. And before I knew it, I was pulled into the dark chasm with the foul creature not too ahead of me; also, not too ahead of me was my falling sword, Glamdring."
Gandalf took another pause. The light in his eyes now began to fade as he remembered the events much too clearly. Shaking his head slightly, the old wizard continued:
"Falling after the Balrog, I grabbed a hold of Glamdring. Falling at great speeds, I began to slice away at the Balrog, even as it crashed and bounced off the walls of the chasm. To keep my grip on the creature, I had to take hold of its horns, hot as fire they were. Before I knew it, we both had plunged into cold water, in a deep cavern."
"From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak, I fought him, the Balrog of Morgoth."
* * * * * * * * * *
Holding up Glamdring, a flash of lightning strikes the Balrog; following the lightning, Gandalf plunges the sword into the weakened Balrog. With a final cry, the Balrog had fallen from the peak and the lands, smoking, on the icy mountainside.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Until at last, I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin upon the mountainside. Darkness took me. And I strayed out of thought and time. Stars wheeled overhead and each day was as long as a life age of the earth. But it was not the end. I felt life in me again. I've been sent back until my task is done."
Gandalf sighed and took a deep breath, signaling the ending to his tale.
"Gandalf." Aragorn said, his heart mourning because of the troubles and wearies Gandalf had to face alone.
Gandalf saw the distress in his companions' eyes, and decided to lighten the atmosphere. Finally, he got up off the stone slowly and broke the awkward silence.
"Well," he said, "I think we've spent enough time talking for now about past events."
Aragorn nodded his head and spoke finally.
"What now should we do? Thanks to you, Gandalf, and Treebeard, Merry and Pippin are safe. We have not failed them, though, I do not know where our road shall lead now."
Gandalf picked up his staff and gathered the remaining fellowship up. They began walking towards the forest's exit.
"One stage of the journey is over and another begins. War has come to Rohan. We must ride to Edoras with all speed."
Finally, they came outside to the Fangorn's eaves. He stood for a moment, observing the empty fields. Then, he whistled piercingly. Over the hill, a neighing was heard and a white horse appears from the plain, answering the call.
Legolas stood staring at the horse. A smile came to his face.
"That is one of the mearas, unless my eyes are cheated by some spell." Legolas said, surprised of what he saw.
"Shadowfax." Gandalf said loudly, his voice booming slightly. "He's the lord of the horses and he's been my friend through many dangers."
Shadowfax came to Gandalf's side standing proudly. The wizard stroked the mighty horse's nose again and again, happy that his old friend had returned to him. Finally, he mounted and just as he was about to ride off, he remembered something: Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli had no horse to ride! But, that was no problem. At another whistle, two horses came galloping over the fields of Rohan: Brego and Arod.
He sun was midway in the blue sky as Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Gandalf the White, rode over Rohan in search of the city of Rohan, where they were most needed.
I hope you're liking it so far! PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW!!!! Thank you! ^_^ Next chapter coming REALLY, REALLY SOON! Again, PLEASE REVIEW!!
Gandalf's soft smile now turned into a look of despair and guilt.
"I am sorry," he said innocently, "I shall tell you the story of after I fell."
Gandalf wearily sat down upon a stone nearby and began his tale:
"As you can remember, we were trying to escape the clutches of the Balrog; myself, you Aragorn, and Legolas, Gimli, Boromir son of Denethor, the young hobbits: Meriadoc and Peregrin, and Samwise Gamgee, and." he paused for a moment, as if suddenly struck by sorrow and trying to hold back tears. After a moment he continued:
"And Frodo. Suddenly, a strategy came to my mind of how to rid the evil Balrog of our presence. I came upon, in my mind, a spell to block any magic of his, and to break off the bridge of Khazad-Dum to which the Balrog stood. So, it worked.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"You cannot pass!" Gandalf shouted. The Balrog steamed and stepped forward towards the wizard.
"Gandalf!" Frodo shouts as he watches in horror.
A blazing light radiates from Gandalf's staff, illuminating the entire bridge. Gandalf begins again.
"I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you! Flame of Udun!
Following Gandalf's words, the Balrog strikes down on Gandalf with its flaming sword. The wizard parries the blow with Glamdring, shattering the foul creature's sword.
"Go back to the shadow!" Gandalf shouts furiously.
The Balrog brandishes a flaming whip, lashing it about menacingly.
"YOU..SHALL NOT..PASS!!!"
Gandalf suddenly strikes his staff onto the bridge. As the Balrog steps forward, the bridge collapses from under it and the demon plunged backward into the chasm. Gandalf, exhausted, leans upon his staff as he watches the Balrog fall; then, turns to follow the others out of the wretched place. In that split second, the flaming whip lashes up from the depths of the abyss and wounded about Gandalf's ankle: dragging him over the edge. Gandalf clings to the edge, straining to keep his grip. Frodo tries to go to him, but is held up by Boromir.
"No, Frodo!" Boromir shouts, using what is left of his strength to restrain the hobbit.
"Gandaaaaaaaaalf!" Frodo shouts, horrified at seeing the losing of his friend. Gandalf holds his grip for as long as he can, but realizes, he can no more.
"Fly you fools!" he yells sternly, then disappeared over the edge into the black chasm.
"Noooooooooooooooo!" Frodo yells, sorrow coming to his heart, as he tries to escape the hands of Boromir.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"However, not how I had expected it. I saw the Balrog fall. I did not, however, see the thong that whipped out of the abyss at me. And before I knew it, I was pulled into the dark chasm with the foul creature not too ahead of me; also, not too ahead of me was my falling sword, Glamdring."
Gandalf took another pause. The light in his eyes now began to fade as he remembered the events much too clearly. Shaking his head slightly, the old wizard continued:
"Falling after the Balrog, I grabbed a hold of Glamdring. Falling at great speeds, I began to slice away at the Balrog, even as it crashed and bounced off the walls of the chasm. To keep my grip on the creature, I had to take hold of its horns, hot as fire they were. Before I knew it, we both had plunged into cold water, in a deep cavern."
"From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak, I fought him, the Balrog of Morgoth."
* * * * * * * * * *
Holding up Glamdring, a flash of lightning strikes the Balrog; following the lightning, Gandalf plunges the sword into the weakened Balrog. With a final cry, the Balrog had fallen from the peak and the lands, smoking, on the icy mountainside.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Until at last, I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin upon the mountainside. Darkness took me. And I strayed out of thought and time. Stars wheeled overhead and each day was as long as a life age of the earth. But it was not the end. I felt life in me again. I've been sent back until my task is done."
Gandalf sighed and took a deep breath, signaling the ending to his tale.
"Gandalf." Aragorn said, his heart mourning because of the troubles and wearies Gandalf had to face alone.
Gandalf saw the distress in his companions' eyes, and decided to lighten the atmosphere. Finally, he got up off the stone slowly and broke the awkward silence.
"Well," he said, "I think we've spent enough time talking for now about past events."
Aragorn nodded his head and spoke finally.
"What now should we do? Thanks to you, Gandalf, and Treebeard, Merry and Pippin are safe. We have not failed them, though, I do not know where our road shall lead now."
Gandalf picked up his staff and gathered the remaining fellowship up. They began walking towards the forest's exit.
"One stage of the journey is over and another begins. War has come to Rohan. We must ride to Edoras with all speed."
Finally, they came outside to the Fangorn's eaves. He stood for a moment, observing the empty fields. Then, he whistled piercingly. Over the hill, a neighing was heard and a white horse appears from the plain, answering the call.
Legolas stood staring at the horse. A smile came to his face.
"That is one of the mearas, unless my eyes are cheated by some spell." Legolas said, surprised of what he saw.
"Shadowfax." Gandalf said loudly, his voice booming slightly. "He's the lord of the horses and he's been my friend through many dangers."
Shadowfax came to Gandalf's side standing proudly. The wizard stroked the mighty horse's nose again and again, happy that his old friend had returned to him. Finally, he mounted and just as he was about to ride off, he remembered something: Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli had no horse to ride! But, that was no problem. At another whistle, two horses came galloping over the fields of Rohan: Brego and Arod.
He sun was midway in the blue sky as Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Gandalf the White, rode over Rohan in search of the city of Rohan, where they were most needed.
I hope you're liking it so far! PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW!!!! Thank you! ^_^ Next chapter coming REALLY, REALLY SOON! Again, PLEASE REVIEW!!