Disclaimer: I'm not Tolkien. Even all the wishing in the world wouldn't
make me Tolkien.
Well, I told you all my next chapter wouldn't take so long to update, now didn't I! Thank you so much to all of you who reviewed. I had a lot of trouble yet a lot of fun too writing that dang thing. This one was also a challenge, but I had a good idea of what I wanted to write.
Aww, I'm glad you people care so much about Elli and Caitlin! You all keep telling me how you like that Caitlin is interacting with the hobbits and how you want Elli to meet up with the Fellowship again. Don't worry, I won't leave my little hobbit to wander alone in Middle-earth forever! ;) And if you want adventure and such, you'll definitely find it in this chapter!
And here it goes. Read on for more!
ELLI'S POV
And so I decided to sit, because I was very tired and had no way of getting down. I dangled my feet of the ledge, being careful not to throw myself over. I looked around, grateful to be away from the orcs, but extremely lonely and downtrodden. I had no way of getting down, no way of knowing where I was, and no way of knowing if I could get back out of here. I was afraid of going back through the tunnel and of those orcs still wandering around up there.
But now what? I was tough out of any idea for a rescue. I looked around the huge rock wall, maybe thinking I could find some way of rock climbing, even if I'd never rocked climbed before. There's no better time to start, right? Even if I was in danger of falling to my doom by one fatal mistake.
I'm optimistic, no?
"Bingo!" I almost screamed, noticing another ledge a good hundred feet lower. "Now, how in the world do I get down there?" All the thinking in the world couldn't save me now. Or could it?
"Didn't I pass a tunnel a few feet back in the path I took?" I whispered to myself. "And there seems to be a tunnel that leads to that ledge down there. So maybe. Just maybe."
I turned around, walking back into the darkness of the tunnel, running my hand along the wall to my left, looking for a tunnel to lead me to the lower ledge.
CAITLIN'S POV
"Gandalf you can't be weary! We kinda need you this time! Like, really REALLY need you!" I urged.
"I have used up my power to defeat the cave troll. I have little left, but not enough to fight such a demon. Fly, and quickly! To the bridge of Khazad-dûm!"
So we ran, like bats out of hell did we run. I followed swiftly behind hobbit feet, careful not to step on them but urging them forward. At one point Frodo fell and I just snatched him up in my arms and kept running. He wrapped his arms around my neck, turning his neck to keep in view of where we were going.
"It's ok, Frodo," I said in-between breathes. "I've saved your butt before, I can do a countless number of other times. Don't you worry." Hey, it's not the usual thing you hear once you've gained a hero, but I'm not your ordinary hero, now am I?
"Is that the bridge?" I gaped, as I slowed down and put Frodo on the ground again. They had to be kidding me! This thing was no wider then my elbow! And they wanted the ten of us to cross that precarious rock formation without falling to our doom! Good luck and keep dreaming. Slow in a snails pace was the only way I could do it!
"Fly, for indeed that is the bridge! Now hurry!" And so with Gandalf's urging, we flew, and I had my doubts. Once again, I snatched up a fallen hobbit, this time tiny Pippin, who was ever grateful that I always followed close behind the small creatures. He held on, his fingers entangled in my hair and his arms around my neck. He was facing backwards, but stuffed his nose down into my neck so as to avoid a view altogether.
I watched as the hobbits ran in front of me, Gandalf in front of them and the rest of the hearty men running on behind me. I kept looking up ahead at the bridge, until suddenly, I heard the biggest boom and crash in my young life. Stumbling for a moment from the shaking ground, I slowed and then stopped. A few others did the same as I, and then we all stopped to look behind us.
From out of the shadow of Moria came something Elli and I had feared when we first arrived. A fire demon.
"Damn balrogs," I cursed under my breath.
"Fly, all of you! Do not stop!" urged Gandalf. My eyes still stared at the balrog as my feet turned back and began running after the wizard. Everyone else followed suit, turning on their heels and running.
ELLI'S POV
"What the -" I started, as the tunnel shook and rocks fell on my head. Then I heard a terrific roar. "Oh no! It can't be time yet, can it?"
I ran straight, even though I was still in darkness but a light was up ahead, just at the end of the downward slope. The lower ledge was near.
And you wouldn't believe the sight I saw when I stepped out of the tunnel.
People. Ten of them. Running. The ten of them were running to a little thin bridge. I saw Caitlin, and the wizard and everyone else. And I screamed.
"Caitlin! Up here!" I yelled as loud as my vocals could. She stopped dead in her tracks, looking up, obviously confused. She scanned the wall a moment, and then saw my tiny form jumping up and down in excitement and waving my arms madly. The ledge I was on was right over the bridge, perfectly even with it.
"Gandalf!" Caitlin screamed. "It's Elli! All the way up there!" Gandalf turned to look at her like she'd gone nuts, but then he too looked up and saw me.
Another crash sounded, and more rocks fell. I started to fear that my ledge would come out from under me. "Please, don't crack now. Wait until I'm out of Moria to do that!"
But it didn't listen. I felt it give way slightly under my weight. I screamed loudly, looking down at the group that was carefully crossing Khazad-dûm. They noticed my predicament, and that I may fall to my doom. But suddenly my doom was forgotten, as the balrog came into view.
"You shall not pass!" Gandalf screamed, facing the fire demon on the bridge.
"Gandalf!" Frodo screeched. The little hobbit and everyone else had crossed the bridge and were now directly below me. I felt the ledge give way more, and I feel to my knees in fear.
"Elli!" Caitlin screamed. I peered over the ledge and saw Legolas and Aragorn urging me to jump.
"I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor! The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun!" The fire demon snorted at this, not really caring it seemed. I clutched the ledge until my knuckles turned white. "Go back to the Shadow!!"
I looked down again, seeing that Aragorn and Legolas wanted me to jump. I stood up on shaky legs, unsure if they would surely catch me. Caitlin stood next two of them, with hobbits crowding around her ankles. I took another look at Gandalf, seeing that his staff and sword were raised. 'He's going to break the bridge!' I thought.
"You shall not pass!!" he screamed, and then brought his staff down on the bridge. The balrog took a step closer to him, and I watched as the bridge broke beneath him and he fell.
"Elli! Jump you half wit!"
I was frozen in fear at this point, watching as the huge bulk of fire and flame fell to the depths of Moria, and knowing that Gandalf would soon follow.
"Caitlin, get Gandalf!" I shrieked.
She turned her head, noticing what I saw, and then began to bolt towards the wizard. At the same moment, the end of the demons whip came up, seizing the wizard's around his ankle.
"Caitlin, it is too late," Legolas screamed, bolting after her. He grabbed her waist, wrapping his arms around her and pushed her down under him to stop her from running. At the same moment the ledge gave way completely underneath me and I began to fall.
"Aragorn! Catch me! Please!" I shrieked. I closed my eyes and opened my mouth in a scream of fear. I fell a good ways, not realizing that I had been quite a bit up in height. But then Aragorn's strong arms caught me.
"Ofh! Thank-you," I said, opening my eyes. He didn't put me down right away, and I'm glad, for legs had gone weak in all the commotion. I turned my head back to where Gandalf was, only to see him from the shoulders up, still clinging on to the broken ledge.
"Fly, you fools!" And then he fell.
"NO!!!" screamed out Frodo, starting to run after him.
"Frodo! No!" Boromir called, grabbing for him. He caught him, picking him up in his arms and turning to bolt out of the mines. He took one last look at us all. "Aragorn!" he called out. But the ranger didn't seem to hear him.
Legolas then picked himself up, and then grabbed hold of Caitlin beneath him. The two of them then flew by Aragorn and me.
"Come on, you two!" Caitlin called as she ran by.
Aragorn still stood there, paralyzed with emotion. He kept watching the spot where the bridge broke and the wizard had fallen.
"Aragorn, come on, please." I whispered. The orcs were whizzing arrows by my head. He finally turned in his heel and ran out of there after the rest of the fellowship. I buried my head in his chest, grateful to be held in human arms after a few days of loneliness and orcs.
I was blinded by sunlight again when we finally exited.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Elli is saved and with her group once more! I told you my brave little hobbit-lass would be ok, didn't I? Review my kind readers, and tell me what you think of the latest chapter. Next chapter will soon be coming, and you know what's next! ;) 'Til next time faithful readers!
Well, I told you all my next chapter wouldn't take so long to update, now didn't I! Thank you so much to all of you who reviewed. I had a lot of trouble yet a lot of fun too writing that dang thing. This one was also a challenge, but I had a good idea of what I wanted to write.
Aww, I'm glad you people care so much about Elli and Caitlin! You all keep telling me how you like that Caitlin is interacting with the hobbits and how you want Elli to meet up with the Fellowship again. Don't worry, I won't leave my little hobbit to wander alone in Middle-earth forever! ;) And if you want adventure and such, you'll definitely find it in this chapter!
And here it goes. Read on for more!
ELLI'S POV
And so I decided to sit, because I was very tired and had no way of getting down. I dangled my feet of the ledge, being careful not to throw myself over. I looked around, grateful to be away from the orcs, but extremely lonely and downtrodden. I had no way of getting down, no way of knowing where I was, and no way of knowing if I could get back out of here. I was afraid of going back through the tunnel and of those orcs still wandering around up there.
But now what? I was tough out of any idea for a rescue. I looked around the huge rock wall, maybe thinking I could find some way of rock climbing, even if I'd never rocked climbed before. There's no better time to start, right? Even if I was in danger of falling to my doom by one fatal mistake.
I'm optimistic, no?
"Bingo!" I almost screamed, noticing another ledge a good hundred feet lower. "Now, how in the world do I get down there?" All the thinking in the world couldn't save me now. Or could it?
"Didn't I pass a tunnel a few feet back in the path I took?" I whispered to myself. "And there seems to be a tunnel that leads to that ledge down there. So maybe. Just maybe."
I turned around, walking back into the darkness of the tunnel, running my hand along the wall to my left, looking for a tunnel to lead me to the lower ledge.
CAITLIN'S POV
"Gandalf you can't be weary! We kinda need you this time! Like, really REALLY need you!" I urged.
"I have used up my power to defeat the cave troll. I have little left, but not enough to fight such a demon. Fly, and quickly! To the bridge of Khazad-dûm!"
So we ran, like bats out of hell did we run. I followed swiftly behind hobbit feet, careful not to step on them but urging them forward. At one point Frodo fell and I just snatched him up in my arms and kept running. He wrapped his arms around my neck, turning his neck to keep in view of where we were going.
"It's ok, Frodo," I said in-between breathes. "I've saved your butt before, I can do a countless number of other times. Don't you worry." Hey, it's not the usual thing you hear once you've gained a hero, but I'm not your ordinary hero, now am I?
"Is that the bridge?" I gaped, as I slowed down and put Frodo on the ground again. They had to be kidding me! This thing was no wider then my elbow! And they wanted the ten of us to cross that precarious rock formation without falling to our doom! Good luck and keep dreaming. Slow in a snails pace was the only way I could do it!
"Fly, for indeed that is the bridge! Now hurry!" And so with Gandalf's urging, we flew, and I had my doubts. Once again, I snatched up a fallen hobbit, this time tiny Pippin, who was ever grateful that I always followed close behind the small creatures. He held on, his fingers entangled in my hair and his arms around my neck. He was facing backwards, but stuffed his nose down into my neck so as to avoid a view altogether.
I watched as the hobbits ran in front of me, Gandalf in front of them and the rest of the hearty men running on behind me. I kept looking up ahead at the bridge, until suddenly, I heard the biggest boom and crash in my young life. Stumbling for a moment from the shaking ground, I slowed and then stopped. A few others did the same as I, and then we all stopped to look behind us.
From out of the shadow of Moria came something Elli and I had feared when we first arrived. A fire demon.
"Damn balrogs," I cursed under my breath.
"Fly, all of you! Do not stop!" urged Gandalf. My eyes still stared at the balrog as my feet turned back and began running after the wizard. Everyone else followed suit, turning on their heels and running.
ELLI'S POV
"What the -" I started, as the tunnel shook and rocks fell on my head. Then I heard a terrific roar. "Oh no! It can't be time yet, can it?"
I ran straight, even though I was still in darkness but a light was up ahead, just at the end of the downward slope. The lower ledge was near.
And you wouldn't believe the sight I saw when I stepped out of the tunnel.
People. Ten of them. Running. The ten of them were running to a little thin bridge. I saw Caitlin, and the wizard and everyone else. And I screamed.
"Caitlin! Up here!" I yelled as loud as my vocals could. She stopped dead in her tracks, looking up, obviously confused. She scanned the wall a moment, and then saw my tiny form jumping up and down in excitement and waving my arms madly. The ledge I was on was right over the bridge, perfectly even with it.
"Gandalf!" Caitlin screamed. "It's Elli! All the way up there!" Gandalf turned to look at her like she'd gone nuts, but then he too looked up and saw me.
Another crash sounded, and more rocks fell. I started to fear that my ledge would come out from under me. "Please, don't crack now. Wait until I'm out of Moria to do that!"
But it didn't listen. I felt it give way slightly under my weight. I screamed loudly, looking down at the group that was carefully crossing Khazad-dûm. They noticed my predicament, and that I may fall to my doom. But suddenly my doom was forgotten, as the balrog came into view.
"You shall not pass!" Gandalf screamed, facing the fire demon on the bridge.
"Gandalf!" Frodo screeched. The little hobbit and everyone else had crossed the bridge and were now directly below me. I felt the ledge give way more, and I feel to my knees in fear.
"Elli!" Caitlin screamed. I peered over the ledge and saw Legolas and Aragorn urging me to jump.
"I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor! The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun!" The fire demon snorted at this, not really caring it seemed. I clutched the ledge until my knuckles turned white. "Go back to the Shadow!!"
I looked down again, seeing that Aragorn and Legolas wanted me to jump. I stood up on shaky legs, unsure if they would surely catch me. Caitlin stood next two of them, with hobbits crowding around her ankles. I took another look at Gandalf, seeing that his staff and sword were raised. 'He's going to break the bridge!' I thought.
"You shall not pass!!" he screamed, and then brought his staff down on the bridge. The balrog took a step closer to him, and I watched as the bridge broke beneath him and he fell.
"Elli! Jump you half wit!"
I was frozen in fear at this point, watching as the huge bulk of fire and flame fell to the depths of Moria, and knowing that Gandalf would soon follow.
"Caitlin, get Gandalf!" I shrieked.
She turned her head, noticing what I saw, and then began to bolt towards the wizard. At the same moment, the end of the demons whip came up, seizing the wizard's around his ankle.
"Caitlin, it is too late," Legolas screamed, bolting after her. He grabbed her waist, wrapping his arms around her and pushed her down under him to stop her from running. At the same moment the ledge gave way completely underneath me and I began to fall.
"Aragorn! Catch me! Please!" I shrieked. I closed my eyes and opened my mouth in a scream of fear. I fell a good ways, not realizing that I had been quite a bit up in height. But then Aragorn's strong arms caught me.
"Ofh! Thank-you," I said, opening my eyes. He didn't put me down right away, and I'm glad, for legs had gone weak in all the commotion. I turned my head back to where Gandalf was, only to see him from the shoulders up, still clinging on to the broken ledge.
"Fly, you fools!" And then he fell.
"NO!!!" screamed out Frodo, starting to run after him.
"Frodo! No!" Boromir called, grabbing for him. He caught him, picking him up in his arms and turning to bolt out of the mines. He took one last look at us all. "Aragorn!" he called out. But the ranger didn't seem to hear him.
Legolas then picked himself up, and then grabbed hold of Caitlin beneath him. The two of them then flew by Aragorn and me.
"Come on, you two!" Caitlin called as she ran by.
Aragorn still stood there, paralyzed with emotion. He kept watching the spot where the bridge broke and the wizard had fallen.
"Aragorn, come on, please." I whispered. The orcs were whizzing arrows by my head. He finally turned in his heel and ran out of there after the rest of the fellowship. I buried my head in his chest, grateful to be held in human arms after a few days of loneliness and orcs.
I was blinded by sunlight again when we finally exited.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Elli is saved and with her group once more! I told you my brave little hobbit-lass would be ok, didn't I? Review my kind readers, and tell me what you think of the latest chapter. Next chapter will soon be coming, and you know what's next! ;) 'Til next time faithful readers!