Hey! Wow! What a response! I'm very thankfull to my devoted fans. I think you know what's coming in this chapter: The Balrog. But *gasp!* what's this?! Aragorn attacking everyone's favorite herione?! Read on fair readers, read on!
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They charged back into the main hall of the great dwarfen city, running breathlessly as thousands upon thousands of disgusting, mutilated, flesh-hungry orcs poured out of every crack and crevass.
Gandalf lead them as best he could, but they all to soon found themselves surrounded. The small hobbits looked around fearfully as the awfull creatured closed in around the 10.
Boromir and the others held their weapons at the ready as Valkyrie began to chant what she hoped was a mass curse. (A/N: It turns out she's right, but Aragorn won't know that...) "Thangarim yassen templa! Thangarim yassen templa!"
Sweat forms crystal tracks down her mud smeared face as she tries to build up anough power to unleash it on the orcs... but even then it may not be enough. Boromir moves partially behind her so that she is leaning ever so slightly against him, almost on the verge of collapse. Eyes turn in every direction, weapons prepare to clash, the Fellowship barces itself for what could be the end...
But it never comes.
A deep, throaghty growl sounded, echoing through the mines. The orcs began to shrink back in terror. Then a second, louder, as a glow like a large torch made its way ever closer. Valkyrie let go of her spell, almost falling into Boromir's arm as he tried to help her stand. "Ease up. You're OK." He wispered, but the noises grew closer and as the last of the orcs faded into the darkness they all turned towards the sound. Normally Valkyrie would have been happy to note the plain, unbridled fear on the elf's face, but she knew that now was not the time for happiness.
Something was coming. Something terribly, unspeakably evil. Something...
"What is this new devilry?" Boromir wispered, as if in fear of it hearing them, but Valkyrie knew it was too late for that. "A Balrog. A demon of the Ancient World." Gandalf said solemnly. "This foe is beyond any of you." he said as if responding to Valkyrie's thoughts. Then without warning he cried out. "Run!"
They didn't need any more than that. They darted off quickly as their feet could carry them, down a side corridor, Valkyrie and Boromir in the lead. But suddenly they came to a broken stair case and before he could grab her, the young female stumbled and slipped forward with a piercing scream.
He made and effort to grab for her hand as she fell, but almost stumbled over the side himself, and Legolas caught him, pulling back from the edge. The hobbits came behind them, runnning up one after the other, peering fearfully over the edge.
Valkyrie had, by some miracle, grabbed hold of a lower ledge that was attached to the staircase as it tiwted and turned its way downward, but she had broken an arm in the process and could not pull herself up, much less hold herself on for any length of time. Forgetting all else, Boromir shoved himself free of Legolas' grasp and ran blindly down the staircase.
"Valkyrie! Hang on!" He called as he made it to her. Grasping her hand firmly, he tried his best to pull her up, but it was no use. "Give me your other hand! I can't pull you up like this!" With tears filling her eyes and blurring her vision of him, she tried to raise her other arm, but instead let out a choked cry as the tiny shards of bone began to poke through her skin, making her arm slick with bright crimson.
Boromir's own tears began to make their tracks down his cheeks as he tried desperatly to hold her. He looked up and saw Legolas standing nearby, rushing the group onward. "Legolas! Please! For my sake, help her!" The elf looked caught between his own conflicting emotions, but at last, he reached over the ledge.
"Hold on!" Reaching one slender arm down, he caught her around the waist and pulled her up and into Boromir's arms. "Hurry both of you! That... thing is gaining on us!" He cast a dark glance at Valkyrie, as though -in his eyes- this was all her fault, and ran on down the staircase. Boromir followed quickly, carrying the injured Valkyrie protectively in his arms as the waves of pain from her arm threw her in and out of conciousness.
They made it to a second gap in the stair case and Boromir carefully sat Valkyrie down as Legolas jumped gracefully across the gap. The loud rumbling of the demon's growls and snarls followed them as chunks of the heavy stone archway began to give way behind them. "Gandlaf!" The elf motioned and caught the wizard as he jumped the gap.
Suddenly, a hailstorm of arrows came raining down upon them. Boromir glanced up as one bounced off his shield and more collided with the stairs close to Merry and Pippin's feet. Legolas drew his bow and aimed at one of the archers that no one else could see through the darkness and let his arrow fly. There was a scream as it struck the orc squarely in the forehead and he fell off his perch and into the abyss.
Boromir picked up Merry and Pippin, one in each arm, and jumped across the gap. More pieces of stone rained down as Legolas continued to fire arrow after arrow at the seemingly invisible foes, and the stairs began to tremble.
Valkyrie jumped unsteadily tumbled forward to be helped to her feet by the two hobbits. Then Aragorn threw Sam across, and he was caught by Boromir who sat him down next to Valkyrie and the others.
"I have a bad feeling about this..." She wispered and Boromir gave her a concerned look before turning back to Aragorn and the rest. Gimli protested against being thrown by anyone and made the jump himself, though Legolas had to pull him back from the crumbling edge. "Not the beard!" The dwarf cried just as he was pulled to safety.
But before Aragorn and Frodo could make the jump, ther was another loud crash and the steps began to fall away in chunks, widening the gap, and making it impossible to jump across. The demon was making its way ever closer. Chunks of the archway began to break away and fell onto the stairs behind them, and the section of staircase began to sway perilously, giving way beneath them.
"Hang on!" Strider called to Frodo as it began to tilt to one side. "Lean forward!" And so they did. The gap began to close, and Legolas and Gnadlaf stood ready and at the moment the two sections collided both hobbit and human made the jump, just as the section they had previously been standing on fell into the darkness below.
As they made it the rest of the down the staircase, gouts of flame begna to burst forward from the crevasses in the floor and Gandlaf hurried the forward. "Hurry! Over the bridge!"
Valkyrie cast a glance back over her shoulder and suddenly wished she hadn't. Her golden eyes glazed over and widened in fear. The thing that was persuing them had now become visible. It had two great black horns like a rams, eyes that shown like two fiery embers. Skin like half cooled lava that rippled with heat. Two great black wings that cast off smoke and soot. Yes, it was indeed pure Evil.
They ran quickly over the bridge, trying desperatly to get out and away from this monstrosity. Then they realized Gandalf had stopped halfway across. He intended to face the Balrog.
"You cannot pass!" He shouted at it and Frodo yelled to the wizard. "Gandalf!" But Gandalf, if he heard, did not respond. "I am the servant of the Sacred Fire, wielder of the Flame of Arnon! Dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Urun!" The beast struck at him, but the blow was deflected harmlessly.
Valkyrie began to shiver, despite the heat. Her breathing became frantic and her eyes glazed over. Boromir cast her a concerned glance and put both arms around her, holding her close as the horrible scene below unfolded.
"Go back to the shadow! YOU. SHALL NOT. PASS!" Gandlaf yelled and struck the bridge with his staff. There was a blinding flash of light, one that seemed to snap Valkyrie out of whatever was hapening to her, and they all watched anxiously. The Balrog steeped forward, whip of flame at the ready... and plummeted into the chasm below. Valkyrie stumbled forward, trying to utter a warning, but all that would come out was a hoarse cry as Gandalf turned from the monster -and was snagged by the ankle and pulled over the bridge.
"GANDALF!" Frodo tried to charge forward, but Boromir held him back. Valkyrie stood there, watching as the old wizard looked at them solemnly and wispered. "Fly you fools." Then let go.
What followed next was a whirlwind of images and frantic screams. Frodo darted forward, attempting to follow his mentor into the darkness, but he was held back by Boromir, who began to climb the steps, carrying the small hobbit. Valkyrie felt as though someone had slapped her across the face. As Gandalf passed into shadow, she felt his power dimming, and the pain in her arm was amplified by tenfold. Boromir looked back down at where Aragorn still stood in shock and then over to where Valkyrie was collapsing against the wall, clutching her arm.
"Aragorn! Aragorn, help her!" He said and continued up the steps as Aragorn turned around. But there was no pity in the man's eyes as he hauled her to her feet by her broken arm, his grip further shattering the bones and causing her to scream in pain as he dragged her the rest of the way up the steps and out of the mines.
One by one the Fellowship began to collapse in tears... all save Aragorn. He threw Valkyrie to the ground, a crimson puddle already beginning to form beneath her. She shivered violently and Boromir started to walk towards her when Aragorn kicked her solidly in the stomach. "You! You *summond* that thing! Gandalf has passed into shadow, and it's your fault!" More blows followed the first, and Valkyrie coughed up blood onto the icy ground.
Boromir was furious. He threw himself at Aragorn, pinning the other man to the ground and punching him squarely in the jaw. "She did no such thing! May the gods strike you dead for your treatment of her!"
The others watched the scene in shock and horror. Legolas pulled the two apart and held Aragorn back. "Elbereth. He's right. Valkyrie would never do such a thing." But Aragorn just shook him off angril and began to walk down the side of the mountain. "Hurry. By nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs."
The others, to shocked to do anything else, followed silently, save for Boromir. He bent next to the injured girl, cradeling her in his arms and holding her tightly against him. "I won't let anything hurt you. I swear it." He tenderly kissed the top of her head, brushing the tangled raven hairs out of her face and gently caressing her cheek. Lifting her up into his arms, he turned and followed the others slowly.
"We are near Lothlorien. I'll carry you, and bandage your wounds when next we rest." Valkyrie crained up her head to look at him and wrapped both arms around his neck, burrying her head in his shoulder.
"A'maelamin... diola lle." She wispered. Then the darkness took her. (A/N: means 'my beloved, thank you.' in elvish)
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I think this chapter made me hate Aragorn. -_- Anyway, there will be a big chunk of her past revealed in Lothlorien, as well as a confession of love. I think you know who. ;) C U soon! REVIEW!
(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())
They charged back into the main hall of the great dwarfen city, running breathlessly as thousands upon thousands of disgusting, mutilated, flesh-hungry orcs poured out of every crack and crevass.
Gandalf lead them as best he could, but they all to soon found themselves surrounded. The small hobbits looked around fearfully as the awfull creatured closed in around the 10.
Boromir and the others held their weapons at the ready as Valkyrie began to chant what she hoped was a mass curse. (A/N: It turns out she's right, but Aragorn won't know that...) "Thangarim yassen templa! Thangarim yassen templa!"
Sweat forms crystal tracks down her mud smeared face as she tries to build up anough power to unleash it on the orcs... but even then it may not be enough. Boromir moves partially behind her so that she is leaning ever so slightly against him, almost on the verge of collapse. Eyes turn in every direction, weapons prepare to clash, the Fellowship barces itself for what could be the end...
But it never comes.
A deep, throaghty growl sounded, echoing through the mines. The orcs began to shrink back in terror. Then a second, louder, as a glow like a large torch made its way ever closer. Valkyrie let go of her spell, almost falling into Boromir's arm as he tried to help her stand. "Ease up. You're OK." He wispered, but the noises grew closer and as the last of the orcs faded into the darkness they all turned towards the sound. Normally Valkyrie would have been happy to note the plain, unbridled fear on the elf's face, but she knew that now was not the time for happiness.
Something was coming. Something terribly, unspeakably evil. Something...
"What is this new devilry?" Boromir wispered, as if in fear of it hearing them, but Valkyrie knew it was too late for that. "A Balrog. A demon of the Ancient World." Gandalf said solemnly. "This foe is beyond any of you." he said as if responding to Valkyrie's thoughts. Then without warning he cried out. "Run!"
They didn't need any more than that. They darted off quickly as their feet could carry them, down a side corridor, Valkyrie and Boromir in the lead. But suddenly they came to a broken stair case and before he could grab her, the young female stumbled and slipped forward with a piercing scream.
He made and effort to grab for her hand as she fell, but almost stumbled over the side himself, and Legolas caught him, pulling back from the edge. The hobbits came behind them, runnning up one after the other, peering fearfully over the edge.
Valkyrie had, by some miracle, grabbed hold of a lower ledge that was attached to the staircase as it tiwted and turned its way downward, but she had broken an arm in the process and could not pull herself up, much less hold herself on for any length of time. Forgetting all else, Boromir shoved himself free of Legolas' grasp and ran blindly down the staircase.
"Valkyrie! Hang on!" He called as he made it to her. Grasping her hand firmly, he tried his best to pull her up, but it was no use. "Give me your other hand! I can't pull you up like this!" With tears filling her eyes and blurring her vision of him, she tried to raise her other arm, but instead let out a choked cry as the tiny shards of bone began to poke through her skin, making her arm slick with bright crimson.
Boromir's own tears began to make their tracks down his cheeks as he tried desperatly to hold her. He looked up and saw Legolas standing nearby, rushing the group onward. "Legolas! Please! For my sake, help her!" The elf looked caught between his own conflicting emotions, but at last, he reached over the ledge.
"Hold on!" Reaching one slender arm down, he caught her around the waist and pulled her up and into Boromir's arms. "Hurry both of you! That... thing is gaining on us!" He cast a dark glance at Valkyrie, as though -in his eyes- this was all her fault, and ran on down the staircase. Boromir followed quickly, carrying the injured Valkyrie protectively in his arms as the waves of pain from her arm threw her in and out of conciousness.
They made it to a second gap in the stair case and Boromir carefully sat Valkyrie down as Legolas jumped gracefully across the gap. The loud rumbling of the demon's growls and snarls followed them as chunks of the heavy stone archway began to give way behind them. "Gandlaf!" The elf motioned and caught the wizard as he jumped the gap.
Suddenly, a hailstorm of arrows came raining down upon them. Boromir glanced up as one bounced off his shield and more collided with the stairs close to Merry and Pippin's feet. Legolas drew his bow and aimed at one of the archers that no one else could see through the darkness and let his arrow fly. There was a scream as it struck the orc squarely in the forehead and he fell off his perch and into the abyss.
Boromir picked up Merry and Pippin, one in each arm, and jumped across the gap. More pieces of stone rained down as Legolas continued to fire arrow after arrow at the seemingly invisible foes, and the stairs began to tremble.
Valkyrie jumped unsteadily tumbled forward to be helped to her feet by the two hobbits. Then Aragorn threw Sam across, and he was caught by Boromir who sat him down next to Valkyrie and the others.
"I have a bad feeling about this..." She wispered and Boromir gave her a concerned look before turning back to Aragorn and the rest. Gimli protested against being thrown by anyone and made the jump himself, though Legolas had to pull him back from the crumbling edge. "Not the beard!" The dwarf cried just as he was pulled to safety.
But before Aragorn and Frodo could make the jump, ther was another loud crash and the steps began to fall away in chunks, widening the gap, and making it impossible to jump across. The demon was making its way ever closer. Chunks of the archway began to break away and fell onto the stairs behind them, and the section of staircase began to sway perilously, giving way beneath them.
"Hang on!" Strider called to Frodo as it began to tilt to one side. "Lean forward!" And so they did. The gap began to close, and Legolas and Gnadlaf stood ready and at the moment the two sections collided both hobbit and human made the jump, just as the section they had previously been standing on fell into the darkness below.
As they made it the rest of the down the staircase, gouts of flame begna to burst forward from the crevasses in the floor and Gandlaf hurried the forward. "Hurry! Over the bridge!"
Valkyrie cast a glance back over her shoulder and suddenly wished she hadn't. Her golden eyes glazed over and widened in fear. The thing that was persuing them had now become visible. It had two great black horns like a rams, eyes that shown like two fiery embers. Skin like half cooled lava that rippled with heat. Two great black wings that cast off smoke and soot. Yes, it was indeed pure Evil.
They ran quickly over the bridge, trying desperatly to get out and away from this monstrosity. Then they realized Gandalf had stopped halfway across. He intended to face the Balrog.
"You cannot pass!" He shouted at it and Frodo yelled to the wizard. "Gandalf!" But Gandalf, if he heard, did not respond. "I am the servant of the Sacred Fire, wielder of the Flame of Arnon! Dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Urun!" The beast struck at him, but the blow was deflected harmlessly.
Valkyrie began to shiver, despite the heat. Her breathing became frantic and her eyes glazed over. Boromir cast her a concerned glance and put both arms around her, holding her close as the horrible scene below unfolded.
"Go back to the shadow! YOU. SHALL NOT. PASS!" Gandlaf yelled and struck the bridge with his staff. There was a blinding flash of light, one that seemed to snap Valkyrie out of whatever was hapening to her, and they all watched anxiously. The Balrog steeped forward, whip of flame at the ready... and plummeted into the chasm below. Valkyrie stumbled forward, trying to utter a warning, but all that would come out was a hoarse cry as Gandalf turned from the monster -and was snagged by the ankle and pulled over the bridge.
"GANDALF!" Frodo tried to charge forward, but Boromir held him back. Valkyrie stood there, watching as the old wizard looked at them solemnly and wispered. "Fly you fools." Then let go.
What followed next was a whirlwind of images and frantic screams. Frodo darted forward, attempting to follow his mentor into the darkness, but he was held back by Boromir, who began to climb the steps, carrying the small hobbit. Valkyrie felt as though someone had slapped her across the face. As Gandalf passed into shadow, she felt his power dimming, and the pain in her arm was amplified by tenfold. Boromir looked back down at where Aragorn still stood in shock and then over to where Valkyrie was collapsing against the wall, clutching her arm.
"Aragorn! Aragorn, help her!" He said and continued up the steps as Aragorn turned around. But there was no pity in the man's eyes as he hauled her to her feet by her broken arm, his grip further shattering the bones and causing her to scream in pain as he dragged her the rest of the way up the steps and out of the mines.
One by one the Fellowship began to collapse in tears... all save Aragorn. He threw Valkyrie to the ground, a crimson puddle already beginning to form beneath her. She shivered violently and Boromir started to walk towards her when Aragorn kicked her solidly in the stomach. "You! You *summond* that thing! Gandalf has passed into shadow, and it's your fault!" More blows followed the first, and Valkyrie coughed up blood onto the icy ground.
Boromir was furious. He threw himself at Aragorn, pinning the other man to the ground and punching him squarely in the jaw. "She did no such thing! May the gods strike you dead for your treatment of her!"
The others watched the scene in shock and horror. Legolas pulled the two apart and held Aragorn back. "Elbereth. He's right. Valkyrie would never do such a thing." But Aragorn just shook him off angril and began to walk down the side of the mountain. "Hurry. By nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs."
The others, to shocked to do anything else, followed silently, save for Boromir. He bent next to the injured girl, cradeling her in his arms and holding her tightly against him. "I won't let anything hurt you. I swear it." He tenderly kissed the top of her head, brushing the tangled raven hairs out of her face and gently caressing her cheek. Lifting her up into his arms, he turned and followed the others slowly.
"We are near Lothlorien. I'll carry you, and bandage your wounds when next we rest." Valkyrie crained up her head to look at him and wrapped both arms around his neck, burrying her head in his shoulder.
"A'maelamin... diola lle." She wispered. Then the darkness took her. (A/N: means 'my beloved, thank you.' in elvish)
(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())
I think this chapter made me hate Aragorn. -_- Anyway, there will be a big chunk of her past revealed in Lothlorien, as well as a confession of love. I think you know who. ;) C U soon! REVIEW!