Chapter 9 - The Ring Goes South
anime princess: *takes a cookie* Thank you very much, I think it's helping. And, yes, people do love each other. Well. . .Hobbits love each other, however obvious it might have been. *sigh*
A/N: I know, I skipped the Council of Elrond. Too much movieverse would have gone on there, I didn't want to infringe on any copyrights. So, I moved on. This chapter is going to be quite long, I must say. So, strap yourself in. It's going to be a bumpy ride. (Not really but y'know. . .)
Disclaimer: I don't own LotR. Don't sue me. I don't have any money. Only author cookies and a silver platter.
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The Fellowship, which was the group that Lord Elrond had selected to escort Frodo to Mordor and destroy the One Ring, had left Rivendell. They had traveled not very far, only to the Misty Mountains, where Gandalf told them that they would have to stay on their southerly path to the Gap of Rohan.
The Fellowship was quite an extraordinary group of races: there was, of course, Gandalf the wizard, who was almost like a silently appointed leader; two of the race of Men were accompanying Frodo on his quest: Aragorn (or Strider as the Hobbits knew him) son of Arathorn, and Boromir of Gondor; Legolas Greenleaf of Mirkwood represented the race of Elves in the Fellowship; standing for the Dwarves was a stout and fiery Dwarf named Gimli, son of Gloin. Finally, there were the six Hobbits. Elrond had had a very strong opposition to allowing all six of them to make the journey. He had requested that Lexi and Meridol go home, of course, since they were female, and he had also wanted Pippin to return home.
Gandalf had talked Elrond into allowing the three of them to remain with the Fellowship. He promised not to let anything happen to them. Now, they were resting on a small patch of rock and brush. Merry and Pippin were being given swordfighting lessons by Boromir while the other Hobbits and Aragorn watched and ate. Lexi was a bit impressed: they were better than she had thought they would be.
"Well, if we meet anything dangerous along the way to Mordor, I know who I want protecting me," Meridol said, watching them closely.
"Merry?" Lexi inquired with a grin. Meridol had told her what had happened the night before they left Rivendell. To her surprise, Meridol shook her head.
"No," she said simply. "Boromir."
Lexi laughed. "Why Boromir?"
"If either of those two try to protect me, I'll be a goner for sure." Lexi laughed louder at this. Boromir glanced over at them curiously, causing his hand to slip and he cut Pippin's finger.
"Sorry!" he apologized quickly, going to see if Pippin was all right. Pippin cursed under his breath, then kicked Boromir in the shin. The Man held his shin in slight pain, only to be tackled by Merry and Pippin as he did so. Meridol and Lexi were thrown into a fresh fit of laughter. Soon, Aragorn stood to put a stop to the wrestling match, but Merry and Pippin grabbed his ankles and flipped him onto his back. The two girls laughed even harder. Suddenly, Sam shushed them.
"What is that?" he asked, pointing off to the south. What looked like a small gray cloud was moving steadily towards them. Boromir, Aragorn, and the two Hobbits were now standing again.
"Nothing, it's just a wisp of cloud!" Gimli assured Sam loudly.
Boromir narrowed his eyes as he studied it. "It's moving fast. . .against the wind."
"Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas shouted.
"Hide!" Aragorn commanded everyone. Lexi and Meridol jumped up and ran underneath a nearby bush. Merry and Pippin settled themselves next to them. Lexi looked around for Frodo and Sam. Sam was putting out their small fire while Frodo jumped under an alcove of rocks with Aragorn. Her eyes returned to the "cloud". As it got nearer, she could see that it was really a swarm of what looked like crows, all cawing loudly. They passed overhead, then turned and flew away back the way they had come.
"Spies of Saruman," Gandalf told them when they had all reappeared out of their hiding spots. "The passage south is being watched." He turned to look at a giant mountain behind them. "We must take the pass of Caradhras."
* * *
And so they climbed the snowy mountain Gandalf called Caradhras. It was no easy task. The snow was cold on their feet and very slippery. More than once, Lexi slipped and had to grab onto Frodo's shoulder for support, almost pulling him down with her. All six of the Hobbits slipped at least once during the climb. Lexi pitied poor Sam, who had the task of leading Bill the pony, who they had bought from a man in Bree.
Suddenly, Lexi stepped on a small patch of ice and slipped again. She grabbed Frodo's hand and he pulled her up. "Lexi, dear," he said softly, "the trick is to watch for the ice, not wait until you step on it."
She gave him a look but smiled slightly. Just then, he took a step forward, stepping on the same ice patch she had just stepped on. He lost his footing and fell before Lexi could catch him. He rolled down the slope a few feet. Aragorn stopped him and helped him up. Lexi was trying hard to suppress a snicker. The others ahead of her stopped and turned to see what the hold-up was.
Frodo was on his feet now. His hand went to his neck and began frantically searching for something. He looked up the hill and spotted it: the Ring was lying in the snow. It had fallen off when he fell. Boromir, who was closest to it, walked down and picked it up. He held it in his hand, staring at it intently.
"It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing," he said softly, lifting his left hand to touch the Ring. "Such a little thing. . ."
"Boromir!" came Aragorn's voice. Boromir started, as if he was being pulled out of some trance. Aragorn gave him a stern look. "Give the Ring to Frodo." Boromir complied to this order, walking down to Frodo and holding it out for him to take. Frodo snatched it back. Boromir chuckled.
"As you wish," he said softly. "I care not." And, ruffling Frodo's hair, he turned and walked back up the mountain to the others.
* * *
The mountain of Caradhras had not been a good idea. After the long trek up the mountain, the wizard Saruman had attacked them with an avalanche of snow. It had been freezing. . .deathly cold. Boromir told Gandalf that if they stayed on the mountain, it would be the death of the Hobbits. Gimli suggested going through the mines of Moria, where he had said earlier his cousin would be. Gandalf had lain the decision on Frodo who, after a moment's contemplation, had chosen that they would go through the mines.
Now, they were all sitting outside a sort of glowing door in the side of a wall of rock. Gandalf said this was the door into Moria, but he could not figure out the password. Lexi was sure they would be here forever.
She sat beside Frodo on a rock, waiting for Gandalf to figure out the right incantation to open the doors. She had seen the two have a private talk as they had approached the entrance into Moria. It had struck her curiosity.
"Frodo," she said softly, "I was wondering. . .what was it that you talked to Gandalf about?"
"When?" Frodo asked distractedly.
"Just before we got here," said Lexi, a bit impatiently. "He asked you to help him and when I passed, I heard you talking. What did you talk about?"
Frodo hesitated. "It was nothing, Lexi. I would tell you if it was important, wouldn't I?"
"Perhaps, and perhaps not," Lexi replied. "You Bagginses are very good at keeping things a secret when you don't want them known. . .for the most part."
"But I'm not keeping anything from you," Frodo insisted. And before she could say anything else, he stood and walked over to Gandalf. She sighed, standing also and going to sit down beside Meridol, who was watching Pippin and Merry engage in a rock throwing contest.
"Are you and Frodo having a row?" Meridol asked her, noticing Lexi's disgruntled expression.
"No," was her short reply.
"You look as though he just bit your head off," Meridol told her. "Of course, I didn't hear any shouting so, perhaps you're telling the truth."
"Of course I'm telling the truth," Lexi snapped. "Do I ever keep secrets from you?"
"No," said Meridol absentmindedly. Then her face lit up with comprehension. "Oh! Is Frodo keeping a secret from you?"
Lexi scowled. "I don't know. He says he's not, but I don't believe him."
"So you DID have a row?"
"No! We did not have a ROW! We just had. . .a quiet disagreement."
"I see." And Meridol went back to watching Pippin and Merry. Lexi leaned back on her hands and watched as well, keen to be distracted by something. She did not want to think about Frodo and his secrets at the moment. Suddenly, as Pippin made to throw the next stone, Aragorn grabbed him by the collar.
"Do not disturb the water," he said darkly, and cast a glance at Merry and the two girls as well. Pippin, made curious by this statement, was now watching the water warily to see what would happen. There were a few ripples along the surface, but otherwise nothing.
"What's the Elvish word for 'friend'?" came Frodo's voice.
"Mellon," replied Gandalf, and the doors of Moria opened with a loud creaking noise. Lexi stood, glanced at the water a final time, and went to walk into the mines beside Frodo. She wanted to prove to Meridol that they had not had a row, so she took his hand. He looked at her, mildly surprised, but said nothing. Lexi glanced at Meridol, who hadn't even noticed. She was too busy flirting with Merry. Lexi rolled her eyes, and finally turned to listen to what the others were saying.
"This is no mine," Boromir murmured from nearby. "It's a tomb."
Gandalf cast a bright light around the room they were standing in. Littering the floor around them were hundreds of skeletons, apparently from Dwarves. Lexi gasped at the sight as Gimli let out a pained cry, hurrying to the different skeletons in turn. The six Hobbits began to hastily back out of the dark mines. Nearby, Legolas pulled an arrow out of one of the Dwarf's. He studied it a moment, his brow furrowing.
"Goblins!" he announced suddenly, throwing down the arrow and drawing one of his own.
"We make for the Gap of Rohan," Boromir said calmly. "We should never have come here. Now, get out of here! Get out!"
Pippin almost tripped over a skeleton as they backed out, grabbing Lexi's shoulder for support. She turned, releasing Frodo, to help Pip back to his feet. Just as she did so, Frodo was pulled off his feet. Everyone looked to where he had been standing. Out of the water, a long white tentacle had appeared and taken hold of his ankle. It was now quickly dragging him towards the murky water.
The Hobbits ran and grabbed Frodo, pulling him back. They fought against the tentacle, crying to Aragorn for help. Finally, Sam stood and, drawing his sword, cut the slimy creature off. All was still for a moment, but suddenly five tentacles shot out, knocking the other Hobbits down and dragging Frodo into the air above the water. A large, ugly, octopus-type creature surfaced, opening its mouth to swallow the flailing Hobbit whole. Boromir and Aragorn ran forward, wildly slicing the large arms of the creature. Aragorn finally managed to cut the tentacle holding Frodo and the Hobbit fell into Boromir's arms. Legolas shot an arrow directly into the face of the creature as they all retreated back into the mines. They continued running until the octopus creature caused the entrance to cave in, blocking any means of their escape. Gandalf lit his staff for light.
"We now have but one choice," he said. "We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world." The Fellowship began to travel deeper into the mines, the Hobbits in the center of them all, going as quietly and carefully as they could. "Quietly now," said Gandalf. "It's a four day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed."
And so they went. They traveled through the mines almost silently, hoping that no one would spot or hear them who might give away their position to the enemy.
* * *
"Are we lost?" Pippin whispered to Merry. They were resting in a dark sort of corridor. Before them were three doorways, one of which led to the exit of the mines. Gandalf, however, could not remember the way, so all were waiting patiently for him to figure it out.
"No," Merry replied a bit impatiently.
"I think we are." Pippin glanced over at Lexi seriously. She gave him a tiny, amused grin, but didn't say anything.
"Shh!" Merry scolded. "Gandalf's thinking!"
"Merry?"
"What?"
"I'm hungry." At this, Lexi giggled, and opened her pack. She handed him an apple, for which he thanked her and began to eat happily. She glanced over at Frodo. He was sitting, talking quietly with Gandalf. She frowned slightly. Why couldn't he ever talk with her? She scooted over to sit beside Meridol.
"What's wrong with you?" Meridol asked, noticing her frown.
"He's doing it again," she said.
"Who? Frodo?" Meridol looked at him curiously. "He's just talking with Gandalf. What's the matter with that?"
"Why can't he ever talk to me?" Lexi muttered. "Maybe I could help him."
Meridol smirked. "Now, Lexi, don't get upset over THAT. Gandalf's like a grandfather to him, you know. Would you want Frodo getting angry with you for talking to me all the time?"
"Well. . ."
"I'm right and you know it. So stop your fussing." And before she could say anything else, Gandalf gave a sort of evoking cry and stood.
"It's that way," he announced, nodding towards the door in front of him. Merry grinned, quickly packing away his pipe, saying, "He's remembered!"
"No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here," Gandalf told him. "When in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose." And they set off down the staircase. Merry thought this over a moment, then looked up at Meridol.
"I don't know how to reply to that," he said. She smiled.
* * *
They were soon in a great hall with tall pillars, carved with elaborate and foreign designs. It was a magnificent sight, and Gandalf had chosen to risk a little more light so that the Fellowship could see it. As they walked along, gazing at the pillars in wonder, they noticed a stream of light falling into a small hole in one wall. Underneath this hole were a set of wooden double doors. One was open slightly. Gimli let out a cry and ran to them.
"Gimli!" Gandalf called after him, but he did not stop running. The rest of the Fellowship followed hurriedly. Gimli stopped at a raised up piece of white rock that the light was shining upon. He fell to his knees. Lexi was surprised to find that he was weeping. Gandalf approached the lit rock and read off: "'Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria'. He is dead then." With a soft clink, Gimli rested his forehead upon the tomb. "It is as I feared," Gandalf said softly, handing his hat and his staff to Pippin, who was standing near what looked like a well.
Legolas whispered something to Aragorn as Gandalf stooped to pick up a book. He opened it and blew off some of the dust that had collected there. Then he read: "'They have taken the bridge and the second hall. We have barred the gates but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums, drums in the deep. We cannot get out. A Shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out. They are coming. . .'"
Suddenly, there was a loud crash. All looked over to Pippin, who jumped away from the well as the skeleton resting on it leaned inward and fell. It hit the sides of the well with loud, echoing clangs, soon followed by the chain that was connected to it, and finally a bucket, which ended it with a resounding thud. Gandalf slammed the book shut, glaring at Pippin.
"Fool of a Took!" he snapped, snatching back his hat and staff. "Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" Pippin averted his eyes in shame. Everyone else didn't really seem angry with him, just relieved that nothing had happened. . .or so they thought. . .
From somewhere deep in the cave, a drumming sound began. Lexi looked down. The blade of Frodo's sword was glowing blue. "Frodo!" she hissed. He pulled it out of the sheath halfway, staring at it.
"Orcs!" Legolas spat as Boromir ran to the door. He quickly slammed it again, looking at the others.
"They have a cave-troll," he announced with an edge of sarcasm. Hurriedly, he and Aragorn began to bar the door.
Aragorn turned to the Hobbits. "Get back! Stay close to Gandalf!" They all grouped together behind the wizard, following Aragorn's orders. It was not long before the door, even though it was barred, burst open. A giant swarm of Orcs and Goblins came rushing through the door, swinging harshly made weapons. Legolas, Boromir, Aragorn and Gimli were already fighting them off, but Gandalf waited to allow the Hobbits to attack. It was not until the advancing four had been pushed back considerably did Gandalf stand aside. Swords drawn, shouting vicious war cries, the Hobbits ran into the siege, joining the fierce battle.
They had not been fighting long when a loud cry echoed through the room and a cave-troll, pulled by a single Orc on a chain, smashed through the door, hitting everything in sight with his giant club. Sam was right in his path, but jumped through his legs to avoid being struck. Meanwhile, Pippin, Merry, Meridol and Lexi were keeping Frodo out of harm's way. They had him behind a pillar, hoping that the cave-troll would not take notice.
The cave-troll was busy swinging his club at anything: Orcs, Goblins, and Gimli, who jumped off of Balin's tomb finally and ran for safety. Legolas fired at the troll, who turned angrily on him. The troll swung the chain around its neck, almost hitting the Elf, but when the chain wrapped around a column, Legolas held it there with his foot and ran up the chain onto the troll's head. He nocked an arrow and fired straight down into the troll's head. Then, he jumped nimbly off and returned to fighting Orcs and Goblins.
The cave-troll finally spotted the group of Hobbits protecting Frodo. He swung his club down at them, creating a large gap between two pillars. Behind one was Frodo and Lexi. Behind the other was Pippin, Merry and Meridol. But the troll only seemed interested in Frodo. Lexi and Frodo hurried around the pillar to throw off the cave-troll, finally resting when they thought it had gone. But it was suddenly beside them, roaring in anger. Surprised, Lexi screamed and ducked down. Frodo backed up against the wall and was taken by his feet and dragged off of the ledge they were now on and onto the floor, shouting to Aragorn for help.
"Frodo!" Lexi cried, scrambling to the edge to make sure he was all right.
Aragorn ran to Frodo's aid, stabbing the troll in the chest with a long spear. Unfortunately, the troll hit Aragorn, knocking him unconscious, and took the spear for his own use. Frodo tried to revive the Man, but to no prevail. He was soon up against a wall, the troll glaring angrily down at him. It happened in a split second. It almost seemed as though time were standing still. The cave-troll thrust the head of the spear into Frodo's chest. Frodo let out a loud gasp, his face screwed up in pain, then fell to the floor.
"Frodo!" came Sam's cry from across the room. Everyone stopped and stared for a moment. When the fighting commenced once more, it was with an aim to avenge the Ringbearer. Lexi jumped down from the ledge, not noticing when Pippin and Merry leapt onto the troll's back. She didn't see as the Orcs and Goblins were defeated. She didn't see it when Merry was thrown off of the troll's back, and how Pippin assisted in defeating the troll by stabbing its neck so that Legolas could shoot it through the head. Only when the troll landed on the floor with a thud were Lexi's eyes torn away from Frodo's body, lying motionless on the ground.
"Oh no," came Aragorn's whisper. He had woken again, and was now by Frodo's side, turning him over. Lexi almost fainted. A gasp came out of Frodo's mouth and he sat up, looking around, breathing heavily.
"He's alive," Sam told the others in relief.
"I'm all right," Frodo panted. "I'm not hurt."
"You should be dead," Aragorn said. "That spear would have skewered a wild boar."
Gandalf smiled knowingly. "I think there's more to this Hobbit than meets the eye." Frodo looked up at the wizard, then unbuttoned his shirt. A silvery shirt of almost-white chain mail greeted them. Gimli laughed.
"Mithril!" he said in awe. "You are full of surprises, Master Baggins!" Before any more celebrating of Frodo's survival could be done, Gandalf had them off and running again, to the bridge of Khazad-dûm. They ran along the great hall of pillars once more, only this time followed by an almost infestation of Orcs. They came out of every hole in the ground, from the tops of the pillars, everywhere. The Fellowship was greatly outnumbered and soon surrounded at every side by Orcs. It seemed hopeless, until another, louder roar echoed through the caverns. All was still. The roar came again, and the Orcs hurried back to their hiding spots immediately, screaming as they went. The Fellowship remained rooted to their spot, staring down the hall to where a patch of orange light was filtering in.
"What is this new devilry?" Boromir asked Gandalf softly.
Gandalf stood for a moment with his eyes closed, then said darkly, "A Balrog. A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you." He turned to them. "Run!!" And they did. They ran to the end of the hall, through a door and down a vast chamber of stone steps. There were no railings on either side and if one was to fall, you could not see where the chasm below ended. They came to a break in the steps. Legolas jumped over with ease. He turned to Gandalf, waving him over. Gandalf crossed. Boromir took Merry and Pippin in his arms, then jumped across as well. As he did so, some of the steps where Aragorn and the others still were crumbled away.
"Sam," Aragorn said, taking Sam by the waist and tossing him over. He threw Lexi over next, and then turned to take Gimli. The Dwarf immediately held up his hand in protest.
"Nobody tosses a Dwarf!" he said regally and took a running leap over the divide. He almost slipped, but Legolas took his beard (despite loud protests from Gimli) and pulled him up. Aragorn was about to step aside for Meridol to take her turn, but more of the steps crumbled away. She smiled at Aragorn sheepishly.
"I would rather you throw me, Strider," she said. He nodded in agreement and tossed her. Her foot barely touched the other side. Merry and Legolas hurried forward, each grabbing one of her arms and pulling her up. She clung to Merry in fear as he walked her to the back of the group to sit for a moment.
Behind Frodo and Aragorn, a rock fell down and created another gap in between where they had come from and where they were standing. The steps beneath them, now an island, began to sway dangerously. Aragorn held the back of Frodo's shirt, making him lean backwards to steady the rock. Then, on his command, both leaned forward and the rock fell against the stair that the rest of the Fellowship was standing on. With everyone now safely across, they ran down the remaining steps. The bridge was but feet away.
"Over the bridge!" Gandalf commanded, falling behind. "Fly!"
He turned and in front of him, a giant fiery creature emerged. It was made of rock and flame, with giant wings. It roared loudly at them, but Gandalf stared it down. He turned and saw the others waiting for him, so he had no choice but to go with them.
All ran across the bridge and up the steps safely. They turned to find that Gandalf, who had been last, only ran halfway, then stopped to face the Balrog again.
"You cannot pass!" he shouted to it.
"Gandalf!" Frodo cried to the wizard.
"I am the servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor!" Gandalf bellowed at the Balrog, ignoring Frodo's cry. "The dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Udun! Go back to the Shadow!"
The Balrog let out a terrible roar, pulling out a fiery sword. Gandalf created a white field around himself, breaking the blade of the fire sword as the Balrog swiped. Gandalf held up his staff and sword together.
"YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!" he shouted as loud as he could. He slammed his staff into the ground before him with a flash. The Balrog produced now a fiery whip, cracking it dangerously. It took a step forward, and to everyone's surprise, the half of the bridge that it was standing on crumbled. The Balrog fell into the abyss below and Gandalf turned triumphantly to join the others. Just as everyone thought their troubles were over, the Balrog cracked its whip again. The end of the whip flew up and took hold of Gandalf's ankle, pulling him to the edge of the bridge. The wizard held onto the end as much as he could.
Frodo ran down to help the wizard immediately, but Boromir held him back.
"Gandalf!!!" Frodo cried in anguish.
Gandalf tried to pull himself up, but it soon proved too difficult a task. He gazed at the Fellowship forebodingly. "Fly, you fools!" And he was gone.
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A/N: HAHA!! How do you like that?! Yes, I know, Gandalf's plunge into the chasm is a very depressing scene, especially when Frodo starts shouting "No!!" over and over. I decided to leave that part out, because it always depresses me. *sigh* Okay, review please and thank you! Merci!
anime princess: *takes a cookie* Thank you very much, I think it's helping. And, yes, people do love each other. Well. . .Hobbits love each other, however obvious it might have been. *sigh*
A/N: I know, I skipped the Council of Elrond. Too much movieverse would have gone on there, I didn't want to infringe on any copyrights. So, I moved on. This chapter is going to be quite long, I must say. So, strap yourself in. It's going to be a bumpy ride. (Not really but y'know. . .)
Disclaimer: I don't own LotR. Don't sue me. I don't have any money. Only author cookies and a silver platter.
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The Fellowship, which was the group that Lord Elrond had selected to escort Frodo to Mordor and destroy the One Ring, had left Rivendell. They had traveled not very far, only to the Misty Mountains, where Gandalf told them that they would have to stay on their southerly path to the Gap of Rohan.
The Fellowship was quite an extraordinary group of races: there was, of course, Gandalf the wizard, who was almost like a silently appointed leader; two of the race of Men were accompanying Frodo on his quest: Aragorn (or Strider as the Hobbits knew him) son of Arathorn, and Boromir of Gondor; Legolas Greenleaf of Mirkwood represented the race of Elves in the Fellowship; standing for the Dwarves was a stout and fiery Dwarf named Gimli, son of Gloin. Finally, there were the six Hobbits. Elrond had had a very strong opposition to allowing all six of them to make the journey. He had requested that Lexi and Meridol go home, of course, since they were female, and he had also wanted Pippin to return home.
Gandalf had talked Elrond into allowing the three of them to remain with the Fellowship. He promised not to let anything happen to them. Now, they were resting on a small patch of rock and brush. Merry and Pippin were being given swordfighting lessons by Boromir while the other Hobbits and Aragorn watched and ate. Lexi was a bit impressed: they were better than she had thought they would be.
"Well, if we meet anything dangerous along the way to Mordor, I know who I want protecting me," Meridol said, watching them closely.
"Merry?" Lexi inquired with a grin. Meridol had told her what had happened the night before they left Rivendell. To her surprise, Meridol shook her head.
"No," she said simply. "Boromir."
Lexi laughed. "Why Boromir?"
"If either of those two try to protect me, I'll be a goner for sure." Lexi laughed louder at this. Boromir glanced over at them curiously, causing his hand to slip and he cut Pippin's finger.
"Sorry!" he apologized quickly, going to see if Pippin was all right. Pippin cursed under his breath, then kicked Boromir in the shin. The Man held his shin in slight pain, only to be tackled by Merry and Pippin as he did so. Meridol and Lexi were thrown into a fresh fit of laughter. Soon, Aragorn stood to put a stop to the wrestling match, but Merry and Pippin grabbed his ankles and flipped him onto his back. The two girls laughed even harder. Suddenly, Sam shushed them.
"What is that?" he asked, pointing off to the south. What looked like a small gray cloud was moving steadily towards them. Boromir, Aragorn, and the two Hobbits were now standing again.
"Nothing, it's just a wisp of cloud!" Gimli assured Sam loudly.
Boromir narrowed his eyes as he studied it. "It's moving fast. . .against the wind."
"Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas shouted.
"Hide!" Aragorn commanded everyone. Lexi and Meridol jumped up and ran underneath a nearby bush. Merry and Pippin settled themselves next to them. Lexi looked around for Frodo and Sam. Sam was putting out their small fire while Frodo jumped under an alcove of rocks with Aragorn. Her eyes returned to the "cloud". As it got nearer, she could see that it was really a swarm of what looked like crows, all cawing loudly. They passed overhead, then turned and flew away back the way they had come.
"Spies of Saruman," Gandalf told them when they had all reappeared out of their hiding spots. "The passage south is being watched." He turned to look at a giant mountain behind them. "We must take the pass of Caradhras."
* * *
And so they climbed the snowy mountain Gandalf called Caradhras. It was no easy task. The snow was cold on their feet and very slippery. More than once, Lexi slipped and had to grab onto Frodo's shoulder for support, almost pulling him down with her. All six of the Hobbits slipped at least once during the climb. Lexi pitied poor Sam, who had the task of leading Bill the pony, who they had bought from a man in Bree.
Suddenly, Lexi stepped on a small patch of ice and slipped again. She grabbed Frodo's hand and he pulled her up. "Lexi, dear," he said softly, "the trick is to watch for the ice, not wait until you step on it."
She gave him a look but smiled slightly. Just then, he took a step forward, stepping on the same ice patch she had just stepped on. He lost his footing and fell before Lexi could catch him. He rolled down the slope a few feet. Aragorn stopped him and helped him up. Lexi was trying hard to suppress a snicker. The others ahead of her stopped and turned to see what the hold-up was.
Frodo was on his feet now. His hand went to his neck and began frantically searching for something. He looked up the hill and spotted it: the Ring was lying in the snow. It had fallen off when he fell. Boromir, who was closest to it, walked down and picked it up. He held it in his hand, staring at it intently.
"It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing," he said softly, lifting his left hand to touch the Ring. "Such a little thing. . ."
"Boromir!" came Aragorn's voice. Boromir started, as if he was being pulled out of some trance. Aragorn gave him a stern look. "Give the Ring to Frodo." Boromir complied to this order, walking down to Frodo and holding it out for him to take. Frodo snatched it back. Boromir chuckled.
"As you wish," he said softly. "I care not." And, ruffling Frodo's hair, he turned and walked back up the mountain to the others.
* * *
The mountain of Caradhras had not been a good idea. After the long trek up the mountain, the wizard Saruman had attacked them with an avalanche of snow. It had been freezing. . .deathly cold. Boromir told Gandalf that if they stayed on the mountain, it would be the death of the Hobbits. Gimli suggested going through the mines of Moria, where he had said earlier his cousin would be. Gandalf had lain the decision on Frodo who, after a moment's contemplation, had chosen that they would go through the mines.
Now, they were all sitting outside a sort of glowing door in the side of a wall of rock. Gandalf said this was the door into Moria, but he could not figure out the password. Lexi was sure they would be here forever.
She sat beside Frodo on a rock, waiting for Gandalf to figure out the right incantation to open the doors. She had seen the two have a private talk as they had approached the entrance into Moria. It had struck her curiosity.
"Frodo," she said softly, "I was wondering. . .what was it that you talked to Gandalf about?"
"When?" Frodo asked distractedly.
"Just before we got here," said Lexi, a bit impatiently. "He asked you to help him and when I passed, I heard you talking. What did you talk about?"
Frodo hesitated. "It was nothing, Lexi. I would tell you if it was important, wouldn't I?"
"Perhaps, and perhaps not," Lexi replied. "You Bagginses are very good at keeping things a secret when you don't want them known. . .for the most part."
"But I'm not keeping anything from you," Frodo insisted. And before she could say anything else, he stood and walked over to Gandalf. She sighed, standing also and going to sit down beside Meridol, who was watching Pippin and Merry engage in a rock throwing contest.
"Are you and Frodo having a row?" Meridol asked her, noticing Lexi's disgruntled expression.
"No," was her short reply.
"You look as though he just bit your head off," Meridol told her. "Of course, I didn't hear any shouting so, perhaps you're telling the truth."
"Of course I'm telling the truth," Lexi snapped. "Do I ever keep secrets from you?"
"No," said Meridol absentmindedly. Then her face lit up with comprehension. "Oh! Is Frodo keeping a secret from you?"
Lexi scowled. "I don't know. He says he's not, but I don't believe him."
"So you DID have a row?"
"No! We did not have a ROW! We just had. . .a quiet disagreement."
"I see." And Meridol went back to watching Pippin and Merry. Lexi leaned back on her hands and watched as well, keen to be distracted by something. She did not want to think about Frodo and his secrets at the moment. Suddenly, as Pippin made to throw the next stone, Aragorn grabbed him by the collar.
"Do not disturb the water," he said darkly, and cast a glance at Merry and the two girls as well. Pippin, made curious by this statement, was now watching the water warily to see what would happen. There were a few ripples along the surface, but otherwise nothing.
"What's the Elvish word for 'friend'?" came Frodo's voice.
"Mellon," replied Gandalf, and the doors of Moria opened with a loud creaking noise. Lexi stood, glanced at the water a final time, and went to walk into the mines beside Frodo. She wanted to prove to Meridol that they had not had a row, so she took his hand. He looked at her, mildly surprised, but said nothing. Lexi glanced at Meridol, who hadn't even noticed. She was too busy flirting with Merry. Lexi rolled her eyes, and finally turned to listen to what the others were saying.
"This is no mine," Boromir murmured from nearby. "It's a tomb."
Gandalf cast a bright light around the room they were standing in. Littering the floor around them were hundreds of skeletons, apparently from Dwarves. Lexi gasped at the sight as Gimli let out a pained cry, hurrying to the different skeletons in turn. The six Hobbits began to hastily back out of the dark mines. Nearby, Legolas pulled an arrow out of one of the Dwarf's. He studied it a moment, his brow furrowing.
"Goblins!" he announced suddenly, throwing down the arrow and drawing one of his own.
"We make for the Gap of Rohan," Boromir said calmly. "We should never have come here. Now, get out of here! Get out!"
Pippin almost tripped over a skeleton as they backed out, grabbing Lexi's shoulder for support. She turned, releasing Frodo, to help Pip back to his feet. Just as she did so, Frodo was pulled off his feet. Everyone looked to where he had been standing. Out of the water, a long white tentacle had appeared and taken hold of his ankle. It was now quickly dragging him towards the murky water.
The Hobbits ran and grabbed Frodo, pulling him back. They fought against the tentacle, crying to Aragorn for help. Finally, Sam stood and, drawing his sword, cut the slimy creature off. All was still for a moment, but suddenly five tentacles shot out, knocking the other Hobbits down and dragging Frodo into the air above the water. A large, ugly, octopus-type creature surfaced, opening its mouth to swallow the flailing Hobbit whole. Boromir and Aragorn ran forward, wildly slicing the large arms of the creature. Aragorn finally managed to cut the tentacle holding Frodo and the Hobbit fell into Boromir's arms. Legolas shot an arrow directly into the face of the creature as they all retreated back into the mines. They continued running until the octopus creature caused the entrance to cave in, blocking any means of their escape. Gandalf lit his staff for light.
"We now have but one choice," he said. "We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world." The Fellowship began to travel deeper into the mines, the Hobbits in the center of them all, going as quietly and carefully as they could. "Quietly now," said Gandalf. "It's a four day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed."
And so they went. They traveled through the mines almost silently, hoping that no one would spot or hear them who might give away their position to the enemy.
* * *
"Are we lost?" Pippin whispered to Merry. They were resting in a dark sort of corridor. Before them were three doorways, one of which led to the exit of the mines. Gandalf, however, could not remember the way, so all were waiting patiently for him to figure it out.
"No," Merry replied a bit impatiently.
"I think we are." Pippin glanced over at Lexi seriously. She gave him a tiny, amused grin, but didn't say anything.
"Shh!" Merry scolded. "Gandalf's thinking!"
"Merry?"
"What?"
"I'm hungry." At this, Lexi giggled, and opened her pack. She handed him an apple, for which he thanked her and began to eat happily. She glanced over at Frodo. He was sitting, talking quietly with Gandalf. She frowned slightly. Why couldn't he ever talk with her? She scooted over to sit beside Meridol.
"What's wrong with you?" Meridol asked, noticing her frown.
"He's doing it again," she said.
"Who? Frodo?" Meridol looked at him curiously. "He's just talking with Gandalf. What's the matter with that?"
"Why can't he ever talk to me?" Lexi muttered. "Maybe I could help him."
Meridol smirked. "Now, Lexi, don't get upset over THAT. Gandalf's like a grandfather to him, you know. Would you want Frodo getting angry with you for talking to me all the time?"
"Well. . ."
"I'm right and you know it. So stop your fussing." And before she could say anything else, Gandalf gave a sort of evoking cry and stood.
"It's that way," he announced, nodding towards the door in front of him. Merry grinned, quickly packing away his pipe, saying, "He's remembered!"
"No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here," Gandalf told him. "When in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose." And they set off down the staircase. Merry thought this over a moment, then looked up at Meridol.
"I don't know how to reply to that," he said. She smiled.
* * *
They were soon in a great hall with tall pillars, carved with elaborate and foreign designs. It was a magnificent sight, and Gandalf had chosen to risk a little more light so that the Fellowship could see it. As they walked along, gazing at the pillars in wonder, they noticed a stream of light falling into a small hole in one wall. Underneath this hole were a set of wooden double doors. One was open slightly. Gimli let out a cry and ran to them.
"Gimli!" Gandalf called after him, but he did not stop running. The rest of the Fellowship followed hurriedly. Gimli stopped at a raised up piece of white rock that the light was shining upon. He fell to his knees. Lexi was surprised to find that he was weeping. Gandalf approached the lit rock and read off: "'Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria'. He is dead then." With a soft clink, Gimli rested his forehead upon the tomb. "It is as I feared," Gandalf said softly, handing his hat and his staff to Pippin, who was standing near what looked like a well.
Legolas whispered something to Aragorn as Gandalf stooped to pick up a book. He opened it and blew off some of the dust that had collected there. Then he read: "'They have taken the bridge and the second hall. We have barred the gates but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums, drums in the deep. We cannot get out. A Shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out. They are coming. . .'"
Suddenly, there was a loud crash. All looked over to Pippin, who jumped away from the well as the skeleton resting on it leaned inward and fell. It hit the sides of the well with loud, echoing clangs, soon followed by the chain that was connected to it, and finally a bucket, which ended it with a resounding thud. Gandalf slammed the book shut, glaring at Pippin.
"Fool of a Took!" he snapped, snatching back his hat and staff. "Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" Pippin averted his eyes in shame. Everyone else didn't really seem angry with him, just relieved that nothing had happened. . .or so they thought. . .
From somewhere deep in the cave, a drumming sound began. Lexi looked down. The blade of Frodo's sword was glowing blue. "Frodo!" she hissed. He pulled it out of the sheath halfway, staring at it.
"Orcs!" Legolas spat as Boromir ran to the door. He quickly slammed it again, looking at the others.
"They have a cave-troll," he announced with an edge of sarcasm. Hurriedly, he and Aragorn began to bar the door.
Aragorn turned to the Hobbits. "Get back! Stay close to Gandalf!" They all grouped together behind the wizard, following Aragorn's orders. It was not long before the door, even though it was barred, burst open. A giant swarm of Orcs and Goblins came rushing through the door, swinging harshly made weapons. Legolas, Boromir, Aragorn and Gimli were already fighting them off, but Gandalf waited to allow the Hobbits to attack. It was not until the advancing four had been pushed back considerably did Gandalf stand aside. Swords drawn, shouting vicious war cries, the Hobbits ran into the siege, joining the fierce battle.
They had not been fighting long when a loud cry echoed through the room and a cave-troll, pulled by a single Orc on a chain, smashed through the door, hitting everything in sight with his giant club. Sam was right in his path, but jumped through his legs to avoid being struck. Meanwhile, Pippin, Merry, Meridol and Lexi were keeping Frodo out of harm's way. They had him behind a pillar, hoping that the cave-troll would not take notice.
The cave-troll was busy swinging his club at anything: Orcs, Goblins, and Gimli, who jumped off of Balin's tomb finally and ran for safety. Legolas fired at the troll, who turned angrily on him. The troll swung the chain around its neck, almost hitting the Elf, but when the chain wrapped around a column, Legolas held it there with his foot and ran up the chain onto the troll's head. He nocked an arrow and fired straight down into the troll's head. Then, he jumped nimbly off and returned to fighting Orcs and Goblins.
The cave-troll finally spotted the group of Hobbits protecting Frodo. He swung his club down at them, creating a large gap between two pillars. Behind one was Frodo and Lexi. Behind the other was Pippin, Merry and Meridol. But the troll only seemed interested in Frodo. Lexi and Frodo hurried around the pillar to throw off the cave-troll, finally resting when they thought it had gone. But it was suddenly beside them, roaring in anger. Surprised, Lexi screamed and ducked down. Frodo backed up against the wall and was taken by his feet and dragged off of the ledge they were now on and onto the floor, shouting to Aragorn for help.
"Frodo!" Lexi cried, scrambling to the edge to make sure he was all right.
Aragorn ran to Frodo's aid, stabbing the troll in the chest with a long spear. Unfortunately, the troll hit Aragorn, knocking him unconscious, and took the spear for his own use. Frodo tried to revive the Man, but to no prevail. He was soon up against a wall, the troll glaring angrily down at him. It happened in a split second. It almost seemed as though time were standing still. The cave-troll thrust the head of the spear into Frodo's chest. Frodo let out a loud gasp, his face screwed up in pain, then fell to the floor.
"Frodo!" came Sam's cry from across the room. Everyone stopped and stared for a moment. When the fighting commenced once more, it was with an aim to avenge the Ringbearer. Lexi jumped down from the ledge, not noticing when Pippin and Merry leapt onto the troll's back. She didn't see as the Orcs and Goblins were defeated. She didn't see it when Merry was thrown off of the troll's back, and how Pippin assisted in defeating the troll by stabbing its neck so that Legolas could shoot it through the head. Only when the troll landed on the floor with a thud were Lexi's eyes torn away from Frodo's body, lying motionless on the ground.
"Oh no," came Aragorn's whisper. He had woken again, and was now by Frodo's side, turning him over. Lexi almost fainted. A gasp came out of Frodo's mouth and he sat up, looking around, breathing heavily.
"He's alive," Sam told the others in relief.
"I'm all right," Frodo panted. "I'm not hurt."
"You should be dead," Aragorn said. "That spear would have skewered a wild boar."
Gandalf smiled knowingly. "I think there's more to this Hobbit than meets the eye." Frodo looked up at the wizard, then unbuttoned his shirt. A silvery shirt of almost-white chain mail greeted them. Gimli laughed.
"Mithril!" he said in awe. "You are full of surprises, Master Baggins!" Before any more celebrating of Frodo's survival could be done, Gandalf had them off and running again, to the bridge of Khazad-dûm. They ran along the great hall of pillars once more, only this time followed by an almost infestation of Orcs. They came out of every hole in the ground, from the tops of the pillars, everywhere. The Fellowship was greatly outnumbered and soon surrounded at every side by Orcs. It seemed hopeless, until another, louder roar echoed through the caverns. All was still. The roar came again, and the Orcs hurried back to their hiding spots immediately, screaming as they went. The Fellowship remained rooted to their spot, staring down the hall to where a patch of orange light was filtering in.
"What is this new devilry?" Boromir asked Gandalf softly.
Gandalf stood for a moment with his eyes closed, then said darkly, "A Balrog. A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you." He turned to them. "Run!!" And they did. They ran to the end of the hall, through a door and down a vast chamber of stone steps. There were no railings on either side and if one was to fall, you could not see where the chasm below ended. They came to a break in the steps. Legolas jumped over with ease. He turned to Gandalf, waving him over. Gandalf crossed. Boromir took Merry and Pippin in his arms, then jumped across as well. As he did so, some of the steps where Aragorn and the others still were crumbled away.
"Sam," Aragorn said, taking Sam by the waist and tossing him over. He threw Lexi over next, and then turned to take Gimli. The Dwarf immediately held up his hand in protest.
"Nobody tosses a Dwarf!" he said regally and took a running leap over the divide. He almost slipped, but Legolas took his beard (despite loud protests from Gimli) and pulled him up. Aragorn was about to step aside for Meridol to take her turn, but more of the steps crumbled away. She smiled at Aragorn sheepishly.
"I would rather you throw me, Strider," she said. He nodded in agreement and tossed her. Her foot barely touched the other side. Merry and Legolas hurried forward, each grabbing one of her arms and pulling her up. She clung to Merry in fear as he walked her to the back of the group to sit for a moment.
Behind Frodo and Aragorn, a rock fell down and created another gap in between where they had come from and where they were standing. The steps beneath them, now an island, began to sway dangerously. Aragorn held the back of Frodo's shirt, making him lean backwards to steady the rock. Then, on his command, both leaned forward and the rock fell against the stair that the rest of the Fellowship was standing on. With everyone now safely across, they ran down the remaining steps. The bridge was but feet away.
"Over the bridge!" Gandalf commanded, falling behind. "Fly!"
He turned and in front of him, a giant fiery creature emerged. It was made of rock and flame, with giant wings. It roared loudly at them, but Gandalf stared it down. He turned and saw the others waiting for him, so he had no choice but to go with them.
All ran across the bridge and up the steps safely. They turned to find that Gandalf, who had been last, only ran halfway, then stopped to face the Balrog again.
"You cannot pass!" he shouted to it.
"Gandalf!" Frodo cried to the wizard.
"I am the servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor!" Gandalf bellowed at the Balrog, ignoring Frodo's cry. "The dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Udun! Go back to the Shadow!"
The Balrog let out a terrible roar, pulling out a fiery sword. Gandalf created a white field around himself, breaking the blade of the fire sword as the Balrog swiped. Gandalf held up his staff and sword together.
"YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!" he shouted as loud as he could. He slammed his staff into the ground before him with a flash. The Balrog produced now a fiery whip, cracking it dangerously. It took a step forward, and to everyone's surprise, the half of the bridge that it was standing on crumbled. The Balrog fell into the abyss below and Gandalf turned triumphantly to join the others. Just as everyone thought their troubles were over, the Balrog cracked its whip again. The end of the whip flew up and took hold of Gandalf's ankle, pulling him to the edge of the bridge. The wizard held onto the end as much as he could.
Frodo ran down to help the wizard immediately, but Boromir held him back.
"Gandalf!!!" Frodo cried in anguish.
Gandalf tried to pull himself up, but it soon proved too difficult a task. He gazed at the Fellowship forebodingly. "Fly, you fools!" And he was gone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: HAHA!! How do you like that?! Yes, I know, Gandalf's plunge into the chasm is a very depressing scene, especially when Frodo starts shouting "No!!" over and over. I decided to leave that part out, because it always depresses me. *sigh* Okay, review please and thank you! Merci!
