**Troll Breath**
Gandalf insisted he was not lost. He sat on a large rock puffing thoughtfully on his pipe and pondered the three tunnels that were before him. It had been years since he had been in Moria, and he simply could not remember which one. Miranda didn't mind the break, and this time she stayed close to the group. This oppressive darkness made her uneasy. Her dream on the mountain happened in darkness, and she had a sinking feeling that they were marching into serious danger. She rose to go speak to Gandalf. She sat beside him, and sighed.
"I wondered when you would decide to talk to me again," he said with a smile. "You are not angry anymore?"
"Keep your secrets if you must," she said. "You know I can't stay mad at you for long. I need to tell you about this dream I had on the pass." She waited for Gandalf to say something, but he just puffed on his pipe and waited.
"I think there is something down here," she said. "I think we are going to…"
"I am aware of all the dangers here, Miranda," he said as he looked at her. "No warnings from you will help us avoid them, for here there is no other road to take."
"But Gandalf, you don't understand…" She insisted.
"Keep your worries to yourself," he said quietly. "Do not alarm Frodo."
"I am sorry," she said softly. She wasn't worried about Frodo, she was worried about Gandalf.
Miranda left so he could have some quiet time to think. She sat by Legolas. She knew she couldn't hide her worry from him, so she decided to just say what was on her mind. "I told him about my dream like you suggested, but he already knows," she said.
"Already knows what?" Legolas asked.
"Moria isn't a very safe road," she said vaguely.
"That is common knowledge," Legolas with a smile.
"My dream was not common," she said seriously.
"Trust Gandalf," Legolas said. "He is very wise."
"I feel unnecessary," she sighed.
"Who can say what part you have yet to play in this quest," Legolas said seriously.
"Ah!" Gandalf said brightly. "It's this way."
Miranda got up quickly to follow Gandalf. Legolas was being kind, trying to encourage her, but the truth was she didn't know why she was here. She just didn't want to talk about dreams anymore. One thing was for certain, she was not going to let Gandalf out of her sight until they were out of Moria.
*****
Gandalf led them through a great dwarf city. They marched through a vast room. Though it was dark and deserted, the craftsmanship was breathtaking. There were great stone arches that seemed to rise hundreds of feet with intricately detailed carvings. Gimli ran to an antechamber and let out a grief stricken cry. Everyone followed, though lingering was unwise. There were skeletons of fallen dwarves everywhere, and the tomb of Balin. Gimli was grieving at the loss of his cousin, and Miranda felt sympathy for him. Gandalf read from a journal about the last days of Balin's company.
"There were drums in the deep. We cannot get out, we cannot get out," Gandalf read. "They are coming."
Everyone was silent as they pondered the ominous message, and then there was a horrible echoing crash. Gandalf spun around to see a very guilty looking Pippin standing by a well.
"Fool of a Took!" Gandalf scolded Pippin for knocking a skeleton down the well, but then they heard the drums.
Frodo's sword started glowing, and Miranda knew her dream was coming true. This is how it started… Aragorn and Boromir barred the door.
Boromir just nodded towards the door with an 'it figures' sort of expression, "They have a cave troll."
Everyone was tense and ready as the Orcs tried breaking down the door. Legolas had his bow ready, so Miranda did the same. Boromir glanced back at her briefly but had no time to speak as the door splintered and gave way.
Miranda tried to remain calm. She would not panic, no panicking, definitely not good to panic. Okay, think, Orc = Target. Yes, Orc shaped targets; shoot them as fast as you can. She released her first arrow, good, one. Oh man, they're fast. Okay, note to self, remember to duck, they fight back. Suddenly a giant –cave troll? - broke through the door, and Miranda had to run for cover. He had a huge hammer and was swinging it at everything that moved. Miranda nearly choked as the troll let out a vicious roar. Wow, he didn't need that hammer; his breath would wither a tree.
The troll had cornered Frodo, and Miranda tried to distract it with a well placed arrow, but his hide was so thick, it just ricocheted off. She managed to pick off a few more Orcs, but she was rapidly running out of arrows. It was then that she got cornered. Orcs were ugly from a distance, but they were downright hideous up close, and they smelled as bad as troll breath. She quickly drew her dagger and waited for an opening.
The Orc grinned wickedly showing his sharp teeth, and lunged for her with its sword. Miranda blocked the sword with her dagger as she sidestepped, shoving it into the wall. Thank you Chen's Karate School! Then she drove her dagger into its back. Eeew! That was icky. She turned back around to see everyone ganging up on the troll. Legolas finally brought it down with an arrow in the roof of its mouth. It groaned loudly and then crashed down with a resounding thud.
"Frodo!" Sam shouted.
"He's fine," she said quietly to herself, remembering her dream. She hadn't intended to be heard, but Boromir did.
He walked over to her. "Are you hurt, Randi?" Boromir asked.
"No, are you?" She asked him.
"No," he said. He noticed her bloody dagger. "You can fight; I would not have thought so."
"You do what you have to," she said.
"Here, let me clean your blade," Boromir said. He took it and wiped the blood off on the tunic of the nearest Orc body. He handed it to her and she sheathed it. "First battle?"
"Yes," she said with a look of distaste.
"You did well," he said and then turned to rejoin the group.
"To the Bridge of Khazad-Dum!" Gandalf ordered.
The company ran with Orcs in pursuit, and more of them pouring out of every crevice and hole like a flood. Miranda was afraid, but she remembered the dream, and the Orcs were not the problem. When she heard the black roar, she couldn't take it. She started shaking. The Orcs ran off screaming, and the company stood in the circle of Gandalf's light and waited.
"What is this new devilry?" Boromir asked Gandalf.
Legolas stepped closer to Miranda. She was terrified, and he knew this must be from her dream. "You saw this?"
Miranda just nodded.
"This foe is beyond any of you," Gandalf said. "Run!"
They took off in a full sprint for the bridge that would lead them out of Moria. Miranda could feel the heat of their pursuer; a Balrog Gandalf had called it. It looked like your typical demon, cloven hoofs and horns, and fifty feet tall! It cracked a fiery whip, and Gandalf ordered Aragorn to lead them as he tried to slow it down.
"No! Gandalf, no!" Miranda screamed, but Legolas grabbed her arm and pulled her along. "Legolas, let go!"
"You cannot help him," he said firmly. "No matter what you saw."
She knew he was right, so she followed the group. Gandalf caught up, and they made for the bridge. Gandalf sent everyone across and then stood his ground in the center facing down the Balrog.
"I am the servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass! Go back to the shadow," Gandalf ordered. "You cannot pass!" Gandalf drove his staff into the bridge, and it collapsed beneath the Balrog falling into the abyss. Gandalf visibly relaxed, and turned to go when the creature's whip shot up and wrapped around his leg, pulling him down. He clutched the edge of the bridge, looking at a very shocked Aragorn.
"Fly you fools!" Gandalf said and then fell.
Miranda chest felt like it was in a vice. She had tried to warn him, but she didn't try hard enough. Gandalf, her best friend, was gone. She stared at the broken bridge in shock.
"Miranda!" Legolas shouted. "Miranda, he would want you to go to safety," Legolas said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her out of her daze. She followed him, but she felt numb. She was a useless member of this group. Her sight had given them no advantage, their leader and friend was gone.
They dodged Orc arrows until they were finally through the gates and back under the blue sky. Once outside, everyone's grief and shock hit full force. Merry and Pippin just fell on the ground crying. Legolas and Gimli stood in shock, as did Boromir. Aragorn seemed to force himself to shelve his grief to take charge and get everyone to safety. Frodo walked off alone, and Miranda understood how he felt. Miranda just wanted to disappear into the landscape. As far as she was concerned this was her fault. She kept walking and didn't look back. Her eyes burned with tears she fought to control and the tightness in her chest was almost unbearable.
Aragorn was busy gathering everyone together to move on. He looked around for Miranda, and saw her walking far ahead.
"Miranda, wait!" Aragorn shouted. "Where is she going?" he asked Legolas.
"She blames herself," Legolas said. "She saw this in a dream, but Gandalf would hear none of it."
Aragorn had not taken the time to get to know Miranda as Legolas and Boromir had. He realized she had been in their company for a while and he didn't really know her at all.
"Gandalf knew what he was doing," Aragorn said. "She should not shoulder the blame for something she could not control."
"That is true," Legolas said. "But Gandalf was her friend."
Aragorn sighed. Gandalf was his friend too. "Let's get every one up," Aragorn said. "Miranda is already headed in the right direction," he said, keeping an eye on her progress. She finally slowed and waited for them. "We will make for the woods of Lothlorien."