Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. But once again the drumming in the deep began to pound, low and rhythmic, sending ripples of fear through the shocked party. Hundreds of fast-paced footsteps echoed in their ears as all of a sudden the drumming picked up its pace.

A handful of arrows landed near their feet, and the murmurs at the bottom of the ravine sounded horrifyingly excited. But no one paid attention to it, as someone else had screamed.

"YOU!" roared Annore, murder in his eyes as he lunged at Legolas, who was still standing perilously close to the edge of the ravine. "Y-YOU..I'LL KILL YOU!" Annore was furious, pushed by shock into a fury bordering on insanity. His eyes were wild with hate and sadness, his body tensed like a cat. The shadows of the musty, gray cavern cast dark shadows over his face as he lunged at the Prince of Mirkwood. His finger closed on Legolas's neck before the elf even knew what happened, slamming Legolas into the ground with a thud. Legolas began to pale, chocking and gasping for breath as Annore leaned forward, pressing his knee into the elf's chest. Legolas's eyes were wide with shock and horror as Annore's grip tightened, the human rasping, "You--killed--him...I'll..I'll KILL YOU!" Legolas's hands were pinned beneath him, but he tried to get his legs underneath him to jolt Annore's death grip loose, but the pebbles under his feet skirted under his boot and he couldn't get a grip. The world was going hazy...

"Annore, what madness is this?! Tharros screamed, staggering over to the two, despite his bruised leg. "ANNORE, STOP IT!"

Aragorn rushed over to them, seizing Annore from under his arms and dragging him away from the blanched Prince. Tharros's voice seemed to knock Annore out of his insane stage, and his grip lessened every so slightly. Aragorn tugged fiercely, his face horrified as Glorfindel dragged Legolas away from Annore. The human jerked out of Aragorn's grasp, thrusting upwards with his feet. Tharros grasped his arm firmly, though his face was horrified. "Annore, stop it!" He said firmly, though his stance was shaky. "What is wrong with you!"

"He killed Riedel," Annore growled, "He killed him--"

Glorfindel bent over Legolas as the color returned to the Prince's face. Legolas drew several shaky breaths, dragging himself to his feet. "Are you alri—" Krystal began, but the sudden rush of angry color bursting into the Prince's face cut her short. Legolas looked outraged, his voice low and rippling with fury as he barked, "How dare you accuse me of such a thing! I told him to go first, I told him--"

"Enough!" Elladan screamed, as Aragorn tightened his grip on Annore who tried to throw himself at Legolas again. "STOP IT!" Krystal, forgotten in the excitement, screeched hysterically. "Don't you hear it? LISTEN!"

And indeed, the drumming had gotten louder, more furious -- and closer -- then ever. "We need to move!" she screeched, shaking furiously, "NOW!"

Aragorn's grip on Annore was still deathly tight, his face a dark contrast of a horror and shock. "We need to move," Elladan said, helping Legolas to his feet and shooting a murderous glance at Annore. Under his breath, but loud enough to insinuate a threat, he told the human, "I'll deal with you later."

Annore jerked his arms out of Aragorn's grasp. "That's all well and good for you," he snarled, "but what of Riedel! It appears those goblins have already dealt with him!"

"And they shall deal with us too, if we aren't careful," Tharros snapped. "We need to move! The horses are dead or lost…and we should have known. The mines are no place for a pony, and they are no place for us either. We need to go!"

"Move, this way--No, don't worry, I'll take care of him," Aragorn insisted when Tharros moved to stand behind Annore. Aragorn poked the man in the back as they began to hurry away from the ledge, into the darker areas of the mines. "I cannot see, it is too dark!" Annore snarled a few minutes later, when they had descended to a low, flat surface, at the very bottom of the mines. No one paid any attention to their surroundings, other than the fact that it was nearly pitch black and very cool. "Oh, move aside," Legolas said furiously, pushing past Annore and Aragorn to move ahead. "My eye sight is better than yours."

Annore opened his mouth to retort, but Legolas was already several paces ahead of him. The faint, unearthly glow of the elves was their only light, but they were all slightly calmer as the drumming of the goblins was slowly fading. But just as these thoughts passed through their minds, flames of goblin torches cackled far ahead of them in the darkness and sinister shadows raced towards them.

The party stopped in confusion, sick with fear and they began to scramble backwards. "Hurry, back the way we came!" Elladan ordered, his keen eyes already wide. Dimly, he noted that they were outnumbered many times, but to backtrack would mean they would have to leave Moria and brave the cold of the Misty Mountains -- ironically, what he had originally wanted to do. But now, their horses, and supplies, were lost and he knew for a fact that the Misty Mountains would not claim only the lives of the humans, but the lives of the elves as well. But to go forward…outnumbered as so they were....

Around him, people began to clamber backwards, stepping on and over each other in their haste. Someone gave a short yelp of horror, and to Elladan's left, Tharros, already sporting a weakened leg, fell. Aragorn reached out to grab the man's hand but Annore was blindly stumbling over him in fear. The noise of the goblin's battle cries roared in their ears, and suddenly, Krystal cried out. I do not know what to do.. Elladan thought helplessly. If we backtrack now, we lose precious time -- our supplies were lost with the horses and we shall never make it to Mirkwood….and this would have all been a waste… But suddenly, the decision wasn't his to make anymore and a strong voice cried out, "Control yourselves! Are you men, or are you children! Stop running away, and onward we go!"

Glorfindel stood firm, his bow arched and ready, glaring at all of them. Annore continued to fumble backwards and Tharros tried desperately to stand, aided by Krystal, but no one else moved. "Ai! Do you not hear the goblins laughing at you? If this be the end, so be it--but do you want to die crouching as a coward, or standing brave and strong?"

His words thundered over them like the hiss of a whip, and though the goblins continued their charge, still many feet away, no one moved. Their faces were pale and frightened, the torches and shadows of the goblins reflected in their eyes. Legolas glanced down at his feet, and took a breath before taking a step forward, in front of Tharros and Krystal, setting his feet firm.

Slowly and deliberately, he brought his hand over his shoulder, his fingers curling around his arrows. Eyes were glued to him as the elven prince carefully notched his arrow, and let it fly. It soared through the air without a whisper, and the goblin whom it struck never saw it coming. It struck the unsuspecting creature directly between the eyes, and with a piggish squeal, fell dead to the ground. His comrades didn't seem to notice his death until they stepped on him -- then the roar that filled the cavern was pure violence

But they echoed it. Annore, Aragorn and Tharros grasped their swords firmly, and the elves immediately followed Legolas's example, notching their arrows. Down went the first row of goblins, and down went the second. The third too fell, but the forth, climbing over their fallen brethren with menacing howls, brandished their weapons and swept into the steady group of men and elves, like water crashing on shore. They were too close, too chaotic, for arrows, so the elves switched to daggers, slicing goblins necks swiftly and proficiently. One especially large and ugly goblin swaggered up to Legolas at a run. The elf, who was currently rising upward out of a crouch, glanced up just to see the goblins sword slice his arm. "Ai!"

Aragorn delivered a swift kick to the chest of the goblin he had just impaled, turning around at Legolas's cry. The elf had been kicked back on the floor as goblins swept around them; the large animal was unhurriedly kicking the fair beast in the chest with deliberate sluggishness. The human hurried forward, charging. His sword sliced through the goblin's thick skin neatly, effectively dislodging the body from the head with a squirt of blood that Aragorn didn't bother to wipe off his forehead. He reached down, grasping Legolas's forearm and pulling the bloodied elf to his feet. "Thank you, nin mellon,," Legolas said heavily, his eyes grateful. Aragorn glanced into his eyes fleetingly for a moment. "Are you alright?"

Legolas nodded tensely. "I'm-- WATCH OUT!"

At Legolas's warning, Aragorn ducked immediately, the blunt goblin sword missing his head by inches. Legolas reached out, grasping the dagger in his hand, spinning it gracefully between each finger before letting it fly. It landed directly between the goblin's neck and jaw as the goblin watched, his eyes wide and confused before his body slackened as life fled. Aragorn straightened, glancing behind him with a grimace. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

---------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Krystal was having some difficulties. She was cowered between Annore, Elladan and Glorfindel, but goblins were no longer coming at them from the side only. They were so outnumbered that the goblins began to form a tight circle, getting closer and closer to them; they swarmed towards the back, their mutilated faces leering. Dozens of goblins separated Krystal, Elladan, Glorfindel and Annore from the rest of the party, who were clumping together as well now. More goblins poured into the mix, their putrid smell and harsh noise washing over them, nearly gagging Krystal in her efforts to breathe and think clearly.

Elladan's head rose for a moment, seizing advantage of a momentary lull in the attack. His eyes racked over the pandemonium of the battle, breathing heavily as tiny beads of sweat dripped down his temple. The dust of the cavern, kicked up by the rush of the goblins, hung heavily over their heads, creating a blurry view of the scene. A litter of goblins had fallen at his feet, and in the immediate area around them. Glorfindel was breathing heavily, turning around to block a straggly goblin who was charging determinedly at Krystal. The first wave of goblins seemed to have been taken care of; but already they could hear the yells and charges of the second wave. Elladan's eyes found Elrohir's, inwardly measuring up all the injuries of their party. Tharros's leg was bleeding profusely and he was half crouching, half standing. Legolas's arm had a sharp wound; not so much wide as deep. Aragorn has a nose bleed and his temple had a trickle of bright red blood oozing out. Elrohir alone seemed uninjured, though he was leaning against the cavern wall and struggling to breathe, when his brother caught his gaze.

We should go, now.. Elladan thought anxiously. Or we will never be able to.

Now, Elrohir echoed, his voice momentarily startling Elladan. We should charge ahead before injuries paralyze us.

Indeed, Elladan agreed tiredly. The brothers broke their gaze, and turned to their parties, speaking in quiet, quick voices. Almost instantly, everyone agreed – and not soon enough, as more goblins were already filling the smooth cavern. "On the count of three," Elladan muttered, quiet enough not to further fire up the goblins but loud enough that they could all hear.

"One…"

"Two…"

"Three…"

They ran; Krystal linked arms with Tharros, letting him lean on her to support his bad leg as she cowered behind his bulky chest. Elladan and Elrohir pushed aside the dead bodies of goblins, their pounding footsteps increasing in volume and tempo as the noise of the second wave of goblins roared in their ears. Legolas fired arrows over his shoulders as they passed a large, but seemingly hidden tunnel that must have led to the center of the goblins strong hold. Goblins grunted and screeched in outrage as the party flirted past them, but no one looked back.

Annore staggered, and Legolas, running directly behind the man, hesitated, before grabbing the man under the shoulder and swinging his arm around his neck, letting him use Legolas's momentum to regain his footing. The man glanced up surprised; not surprised at the fact that someone had aided him, but rather surprised at whohad aided him. Legolas did not meet his eyes as they raced over a thin, narrow bridge and collapsed on the stone hills just outside Moria. Their eyes all closed, and they breathed the fresh air, before rising again to find a place to make camp. After all, Krystal thought wearily, onward we go.