Nine Little Ring Bearers

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Chapter 9

Doom, doom. The sound echoed in the hall. Doom, boom, doom. The walls shook because of the sound which stroke straight into the hearts of the Fellowship.

Frodo had drawn forth his sword Sting. It was glowing strong blue. "Orcs!" he cried.

"Bar the door!" Aragorn shouted. "There are many of them!" He took a damaged axe from the ground and placed it before the door. "Stay close to Gandalf!" he commanded the hobbits.

The sound of the drums was getting louder. Sam closed his eyes on every hit. Soon other quieter sounds were mixed into it. Sounds of approaching footsteps. Aragorn drew his bow and aimed at the door. Boromir was standing beside him, ready to defend. When a hole was hewed to the door from outside, Aragorn's arrow flew through it. It found its goal and another arrow followed. But the companions could not look long at the shaky door, because it fell rumbling. So many orcs ran in the hall that they could not be counted.

The group of the orcs rushed into the dark hall, where the faint light of Gandalf's staff created shadows on the walls. A fierce fight broke between the enraged orcs and the greatly outnumbered companions. Fast moving pictures of swords and war-clubs were drawn to the walls. Even Frodo and Sam were fighting bravely, though their situation seemed hopeless.

Doom, boom, doom. The sound of the drums accompanied the fight, making the orcs more furious. But Aragorn and Boromir slew many of them, and the battle was turning to the Fellowship's best.

"I think we're getting the hang of this!" Sam cried out with an ironic smile, but stopped it soon. Something big had stepped to the hall.

"It's a cave troll!" Boromir shouted. "We can't beat it, Gandalf," he continued while swinging his sword in a crowd of orcs.

Gandalf looked at the fifteen feet high monster, which stared hungrily around the hall. "Now is the time!" he decided. "Let us go!" Gandalf turned and ran to the end of the hall. The others looked surprised at him. "Here is a door," Gandalf declared. "It will lead us to the bridge of Khazad-Dûm." Everyone followed him out of the small opening and started to run down the stairs which came behind the door. "Wait for me at the bottom, but if I do not come soon, go!" Gandalf commanded them. "I will hold the door!"

Aragorn stopped. "But we cannot leave you here alone!"

"Do as I say!" Gandalf said. "Swords are no more use here. Go!"

Aragorn was forced to proceed and he hurried after Frodo, Sam and Boromir down the dark stairs. He met his friends at the bottom and together they went on a black tunnel, feeling the walls with their hands. They did not travel long, when a sudden white light flashed behind them.

"Gandalf!" Frodo called relieved.

But the wizard looked infirm, almost defeated. "I have nearly been destroyed," Gandalf explained. "You will have to do without my light. But we shall continue now! Go straight forward. The bridge is near."

The Fellowship quickened their speed as much as they could. Not only Gandalf was weary, also the hobbits had suffered in the fight. When they ran forward in the tunnel, the air was getting hotter all the time.

"Ghâsh," Gandalf muttered.

Sam heard him. "Ghâsh. What does that mean?" he asked. When Gandalf did not answer, Sam went on. "What happened to you, Gandalf? When you didn't follow us."

Gandalf sighed deep. "I could not understand what it was. It was something on fire. I could hardly stop it. I put a spell on the door, but it will not last. . ." he halted. They had come to another hall, which was lit. Lit by a red light. The air was burning.

"What is this," Boromir asked frustrated. "Some new devilry? They are burning the hall!"

The companions stopped breathing heavily. The orcs were drawing nearer, and the "doom, doom" was echoing all over them. An arrow flew over Frodo´s head.

"Our road is cut!" Frodo yelled.

Gandalf listened for a while. "Not our road. The fire has cut the road of the orcs. They are on the wrong side of it. We will go that way," he pointed to another side of the hall. "Their arrows do fly this far."

The Fellowship ran desperately across the hall. The road was long, and they could hear the bitter laugh of the orcs behind the fire. On the other side of the hall the floor disappeared. It fell to the deeps. Only way which lead over the gulf to the other side was a narrow bridge.

"The bridge of Khazad-Dûm," Gandalf pronounced. "It will take us to the gate. If the sun still shines, we may survive." Hastening to the bridge he told: "Frodo and Sam first. But be careful, the bridge is dangerous. It was meant to keep the Dwarves in safe."

Slowly in a line the Fellowship started going over the bridge, Gandalf being the last. The hobbits were almost made it to the other side when one deafening "doom" stopped them. They turned their heads towards the hall full of fire. A great dark creature was approaching. They could not see what it was, but a terror and fear filled them.

"Shadow and flame," Gandalf said. The creature stepped to the bridge and red smoke whirled around it. Gandalf's staff shone pure white. "A balrog. Now I understand." He raised his staff.

The others were staring fearfully at the shadow that seemed like it was growing and darkening all the time. Boromir blew his horn. Shortly the sound of Gondor blanketed out all the evil noise and the balrog retreated. But when the horn quieted, it came back again. The balrog spread its black wings around Gandalf, who drove them back with his staff.

"You shall not pass," he said firmly. "I am the servant of the secret fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn! Go back to the shadow. You cannot pass!" Gandalf lifted his staff and hit it to the ground under himself. The bridge broke and cast the flaming balrog to the deep. But while it was falling, the balrog swung its whip towards Gandalf. Yet the old wizard was cautious and cast his light towards the red whip and forced it to the endless darkness into the gulf.

"Gandalf!" Sam shouted relieved and started running towards the wizard who smiled frailly back to Sam. Suddenly a quiet whining was heard and an arrow hit Gandalf. He groaned with pain and fell to the ground.

"No!" Aragorn cried despairing. "No!" he ran beside the wailing wizard who lied heavily on the ground. "Rise up Gandalf. Rise up! The gate is near and we'll be safe," he tried. "Don't give up now!"

Gandalf coughed. Drops of blood fell to his grey cloak. The arrow had stroke right to his chest and pierced his lungs. He spoke: "No, I cannot come. Balrog was too strong for me. I do not have any strength left." Aragorn could see that speaking hurt him. "You must go. Lead them on, Aragorn. The sun may still shine outside." Gandalf draw breath the last time and silenced. With shaking hands and misty eyes Aragorn touched the wizard's wrist. Gandalf's heart had stopped.

For many minutes Aragorn stayed still, not noticing the arrows flying around him. Not until Boromir grabbed his cloak and pulled him up. "We must get out!" he shouted. "Or the orcs are going to kill us all!" Boromir started to drag Aragorn over the bridge.

Aragorn did not move. "We cannot leave him here! I cannot even imagine what the orcs can do to his body. We must bury him!" Aragorn went back to the wizard.

"We don't have time for that!" Boromir screamed hopeless. "He wanted you to lead us. Do it," he begged his friend.

Aragorn stared at Gandalf and nodded. "But I will not let them disgrace him." And with a gentle push he dropped Gandalf to the darkness.

Doom. Doom. The drum beats had slowed when Aragorn, Boromir, Frodo and Sam ran up the stairs out of the mines. A weak light grew on every step they took. They rushed out from the Great Gates and Aragorn beat a group of orcs by killing their leader without even looking at it. The blazing light showed their way out of Moria.

They did not stop until they were out of bowshot from the walls. But the one last fading "doom" took all the strength away from them and they fell to the ground. They all burst out to tears except Frodo. His face was like the stones around the Fellowship, the slopes of the Misty Mountains, where they had to leave three of their friends.