The flame grew and a black shadow appeared. Airesiwe stood facing the
Balrog and felt like her heart had stopped pounding.
"No! Not now, not now," Airesiwe whispered and finally ran towards the bridge of Khazad-dum, the one bridge that would lead her out of Moria. As she ran she could feel the Balrog stomping close behind her. She ran and dared not to look back, when at last she saw the Fellowship on the bridge waiting for her. She could hear faint cries as her named was yelled out, but was too busy even then to notice or care. Sweat gathered in her mouth and the Balrog was close behind. Finally, she reached the bridge and ran with the Fellowship across it.
When they reached the end of the bridge Airesiwe was overjoyed. She could already see the light from outside and smell the fresh green grass. She turned around, and a look of horror spread across her face. Gandalf was still on the bridge. The Balrog and Gandalf were facing each other, as if ready to fight. The Balrog held a whip made out of fire in its hand, and Gandalf held his magical staff.
"You shall not pass!" Gandalf roared above the flickering flame of the Balrog. The Balrog made no effort to leave or attack him. Instead, he whipped his fiery weapon as if giving Gandalf a threat. The Balrog stepped forward and stretched out its black wings, towering over Gandalf's head.
"You cannot pass!" Gandalf repeated, "For I wield a power more deadly than that whip of yours. You shall not pass!" With that Gandalf's staff lit up, blinding the Balrog and causing it to step back. Gandalf lifted it up and the light got brighter. The Balrog roared in pain. Finally, Gandalf thrashed the end of the staff on the bridge and the bright light went out. The Balrog turned around, pleased that the light was gone, and stepped forward. With that, the bridge collapsed and the Balrog fell in. Gandalf turned around, but a second too soon. For the bridge below him crumbled as well, and he fell into the darkness after the Balrog.
The rest of the time in Moria was unclear to Airesiwe. All she remembered was running towards the end of the bridge and looking in. A bright red light glowed and vanished into the endless black pit. Airesiwe screamed and fell backwards looking at the ceiling of Moria, or searching for it, she could not remember. Screams and cries erupted from the Fellowship and a hand grabbed her arm and dragged her out into the blinding sunlight. They were out of Moria at last.
The hand dragged her out and set her on the rocks outside of Moria. And there Airesiwe sobbed. Gandalf was gone; the one hope that she had was gone. Although she never cared for him much in the beginning, she did now. She looked at the hobbits' eyes and saw sadness that sent a shiver up her spine, and even Legolas, the one person she would have never seen cry, had a morose expression on his face. Everything seemed like slow motion, and she rested her head on the cold rock next to her. She closed her eyes and wished she was back home, back in Rivendell with Arwen and Firnephel.
Firnephel.
Airesiwe forgot about him and looked past her surroundings. Her eyes scanned the rocky plain they were on, but instead she saw something else. Someone was walking away from the Fellowship. It didn't take her long to figure out that that person was Frodo. She got up and walked towards him in order to try to comfort him, but a sturdy hand stopped her. She stared at the ground and that same hand lifted her face up to meet his. It was Legolas.
"Leave him be sister," Legolas said holding back tears, "Leave him be."
Airesiwe looked in the direction of Frodo and saw him looking at her again, except with different eyes. His face was red and his eyes were full of so much sadness that Airesiwe started crying again. She turned away quickly and walked towards the Fellowship again.
"Get them up Legolas, Boromir, come Gimli we must be on our way," Aragorn shouted. "By nightfall, the very rocks we stand upon will be covered by the feet of orcs." Aragorn walked over to the brown-haired hobbit and lifted him up. "Come along Pippin, we mustn't linger now." With that Aragorn walked away. Not knowing what else to do, the Fellowship followed. Airesiwe walked behind them all, as usual, but looked behind her and saw Frodo, lagging behind. Airesiwe stopped and waited and by the time Frodo caught up with her, the Fellowship had wandered far away.
"Many thanks Airesiwe," Frodo said with despair, "But not even you can comfort me now."
**************************************************************************** **************
A day passed, and Airesiwe grew tired. She had rationed the last of food that she packed and was now becoming quite hungry. The Fellowship had just finished cleaning up camp when the sun peeked over the horizon. The sunrise shone as the Fellowship stopped and admired the beautiful scenery. It was like an inspirational sign, and Airesiwe no longer felt hungry because of it.
"Beautiful," Aragorn muttered, "we must be coming close to Lothlorien".
"Lothlorien!" Airesiwe said while her eyes filled with wonder. "Oh, I have heard so many stories about the heavenly woods of Lorien! How I have always wished to go there, and now may it be fulfilled at last!" Airesiwe looked at Frodo, and could see a small glint of happiness in his eyes. Airesiwe turned towards the sunrise again and watched it, taking in every color and image and trying hard not to lose it in her memory. She ran up towards a nearby hill, still watching the sunrise, and reached the top. Her eyes strayed from the sunrise to the land that laid before her, and she gasped in awe. Below her was a large patch a forest that covered most of the land below her. Green trees towered above the ground and rose to the sky. Airesiwe stared at Lothlorien.
She turned around and faced the Fellowship at the bottom of the hill smiling. "May we suffer no more!" she shouted and turned to face Lothlorien again. Then something happened that Airesiwe did not expect. Her vision dove down the hill and into the very heart of Lothlorien. Inside the woods, she spotted a familiar patch of trees. Airesiwe closed her eyes and turned away from Lothlorien, but when she opened them, her vision stayed the same. No matter what Airesiwe did her vision would not change and she always saw the patch of trees. Airesiwe kept her eyes open and watched intensely. The trees started to burn, and soon elves and orcs ran around screaming as arrows flew past Airesiwe's head. It didn't take long to realize that this was her dream that had been haunting her for as long as she could remember. A golden lady came forth and screamed as Airesiwe was dragged away. Above the screaming, she could hear her speak. 'I've been waiting for you,' it said in a haunting voice. Airesiwe opened her eyes and saw Lothlorien as she stood on top of the hill. She swayed a bit, and then fell without warning. Airesiwe rolled down the hill and closed her eyes. She could hear the voice still replaying in her head and the shouts of the Fellowship. Airesiwe didn't care. She didn't care if she could faint or not. She didn't care about her promise to Frodo. She didn't care about the Fellowship, and most of all, she didn't care about herself. She rolled down the hill picking up speed when finally she stopped. She opened her eyes and the world spun. She closed them and did not open them, for she saw no point. She gave into darkness and remembered nothing more.
"No! Not now, not now," Airesiwe whispered and finally ran towards the bridge of Khazad-dum, the one bridge that would lead her out of Moria. As she ran she could feel the Balrog stomping close behind her. She ran and dared not to look back, when at last she saw the Fellowship on the bridge waiting for her. She could hear faint cries as her named was yelled out, but was too busy even then to notice or care. Sweat gathered in her mouth and the Balrog was close behind. Finally, she reached the bridge and ran with the Fellowship across it.
When they reached the end of the bridge Airesiwe was overjoyed. She could already see the light from outside and smell the fresh green grass. She turned around, and a look of horror spread across her face. Gandalf was still on the bridge. The Balrog and Gandalf were facing each other, as if ready to fight. The Balrog held a whip made out of fire in its hand, and Gandalf held his magical staff.
"You shall not pass!" Gandalf roared above the flickering flame of the Balrog. The Balrog made no effort to leave or attack him. Instead, he whipped his fiery weapon as if giving Gandalf a threat. The Balrog stepped forward and stretched out its black wings, towering over Gandalf's head.
"You cannot pass!" Gandalf repeated, "For I wield a power more deadly than that whip of yours. You shall not pass!" With that Gandalf's staff lit up, blinding the Balrog and causing it to step back. Gandalf lifted it up and the light got brighter. The Balrog roared in pain. Finally, Gandalf thrashed the end of the staff on the bridge and the bright light went out. The Balrog turned around, pleased that the light was gone, and stepped forward. With that, the bridge collapsed and the Balrog fell in. Gandalf turned around, but a second too soon. For the bridge below him crumbled as well, and he fell into the darkness after the Balrog.
The rest of the time in Moria was unclear to Airesiwe. All she remembered was running towards the end of the bridge and looking in. A bright red light glowed and vanished into the endless black pit. Airesiwe screamed and fell backwards looking at the ceiling of Moria, or searching for it, she could not remember. Screams and cries erupted from the Fellowship and a hand grabbed her arm and dragged her out into the blinding sunlight. They were out of Moria at last.
The hand dragged her out and set her on the rocks outside of Moria. And there Airesiwe sobbed. Gandalf was gone; the one hope that she had was gone. Although she never cared for him much in the beginning, she did now. She looked at the hobbits' eyes and saw sadness that sent a shiver up her spine, and even Legolas, the one person she would have never seen cry, had a morose expression on his face. Everything seemed like slow motion, and she rested her head on the cold rock next to her. She closed her eyes and wished she was back home, back in Rivendell with Arwen and Firnephel.
Firnephel.
Airesiwe forgot about him and looked past her surroundings. Her eyes scanned the rocky plain they were on, but instead she saw something else. Someone was walking away from the Fellowship. It didn't take her long to figure out that that person was Frodo. She got up and walked towards him in order to try to comfort him, but a sturdy hand stopped her. She stared at the ground and that same hand lifted her face up to meet his. It was Legolas.
"Leave him be sister," Legolas said holding back tears, "Leave him be."
Airesiwe looked in the direction of Frodo and saw him looking at her again, except with different eyes. His face was red and his eyes were full of so much sadness that Airesiwe started crying again. She turned away quickly and walked towards the Fellowship again.
"Get them up Legolas, Boromir, come Gimli we must be on our way," Aragorn shouted. "By nightfall, the very rocks we stand upon will be covered by the feet of orcs." Aragorn walked over to the brown-haired hobbit and lifted him up. "Come along Pippin, we mustn't linger now." With that Aragorn walked away. Not knowing what else to do, the Fellowship followed. Airesiwe walked behind them all, as usual, but looked behind her and saw Frodo, lagging behind. Airesiwe stopped and waited and by the time Frodo caught up with her, the Fellowship had wandered far away.
"Many thanks Airesiwe," Frodo said with despair, "But not even you can comfort me now."
**************************************************************************** **************
A day passed, and Airesiwe grew tired. She had rationed the last of food that she packed and was now becoming quite hungry. The Fellowship had just finished cleaning up camp when the sun peeked over the horizon. The sunrise shone as the Fellowship stopped and admired the beautiful scenery. It was like an inspirational sign, and Airesiwe no longer felt hungry because of it.
"Beautiful," Aragorn muttered, "we must be coming close to Lothlorien".
"Lothlorien!" Airesiwe said while her eyes filled with wonder. "Oh, I have heard so many stories about the heavenly woods of Lorien! How I have always wished to go there, and now may it be fulfilled at last!" Airesiwe looked at Frodo, and could see a small glint of happiness in his eyes. Airesiwe turned towards the sunrise again and watched it, taking in every color and image and trying hard not to lose it in her memory. She ran up towards a nearby hill, still watching the sunrise, and reached the top. Her eyes strayed from the sunrise to the land that laid before her, and she gasped in awe. Below her was a large patch a forest that covered most of the land below her. Green trees towered above the ground and rose to the sky. Airesiwe stared at Lothlorien.
She turned around and faced the Fellowship at the bottom of the hill smiling. "May we suffer no more!" she shouted and turned to face Lothlorien again. Then something happened that Airesiwe did not expect. Her vision dove down the hill and into the very heart of Lothlorien. Inside the woods, she spotted a familiar patch of trees. Airesiwe closed her eyes and turned away from Lothlorien, but when she opened them, her vision stayed the same. No matter what Airesiwe did her vision would not change and she always saw the patch of trees. Airesiwe kept her eyes open and watched intensely. The trees started to burn, and soon elves and orcs ran around screaming as arrows flew past Airesiwe's head. It didn't take long to realize that this was her dream that had been haunting her for as long as she could remember. A golden lady came forth and screamed as Airesiwe was dragged away. Above the screaming, she could hear her speak. 'I've been waiting for you,' it said in a haunting voice. Airesiwe opened her eyes and saw Lothlorien as she stood on top of the hill. She swayed a bit, and then fell without warning. Airesiwe rolled down the hill and closed her eyes. She could hear the voice still replaying in her head and the shouts of the Fellowship. Airesiwe didn't care. She didn't care if she could faint or not. She didn't care about her promise to Frodo. She didn't care about the Fellowship, and most of all, she didn't care about herself. She rolled down the hill picking up speed when finally she stopped. She opened her eyes and the world spun. She closed them and did not open them, for she saw no point. She gave into darkness and remembered nothing more.
