They ran. This was no pleasure trip now. This was a fight for their lives. It was either try to outrun the orcs or die and be their dinners. Kendra silently voted for the first option. She was near the back, right in front of Aragorn. Gandalf suddenly stopped in front of them as the sea of orcs closed in. The Fellowship now stood back to back. The orcs would make small lunges in, trying to see if someone would break.
A growl broke through the screeches, causing the orcs to grow silent. It sounded again, this time causing panic. Kendra watched in disbelief as hundreds of orcs disappeared into the shadowy depths. Her attention turned to where the growl had come from. There was something glowing, like a large bonfire.
"The Balrog of Morgoth," she heard Gandalf mutter. "This foe is beyond any of you. RUN!"
So saying, the Fellowship turned and ran. Gandalf stopped at a door and motioned for the rest to go through. The first person through was Boromir, who had one of the torches. Kendra went through, following the Hobbits and Legolas, just in time to see Boromir's arms pinwheeling as he tried to stop himself from falling over the side. Legolas grabbed him and they both fell to the stairs behind them. Kendra started down the stairs, stopped and looked back up to Gandalf and Aragorn.
"Lead them on, Aragorn. The bridge is near."
They both looked and Kendra followed their gaze. There so close and yet so far was the bridge. Standing above a canyon that looked like it had no bottom, it looked like it would drop at any minute, thus cutting off their hopes of escaping this dark prison. Kendra started down the stairs, intent on getting to that bridge. She heard the sounds of the other's feet as they quickly followed her.
They came to an area of the stairs where the middle part had fallen out. Legolas quickly jumped over and turned back to them.
"Gandalf," he said, motioning for them to jump.
Gandalf quickly jumped and was steadied by the elf. They turned back and just then heard a whistling sound. An arrow hit the stone just beneath them, making the presence of orcs known once again. Legolas fired an arrow into the dark and they heard as an orc screech fell into the caverns. Boromir quickly grabbed Merry and Pippin, jumping safely to the other side. Aragorn picked up Sam and threw him into Boromir's waiting arms once the other two Hobbits were safe. Kendra quickly followed and turned to watch Gimli stop Aragorn from picking him up.
"Nobody tosses a dwarf," he said, then jumped.
He almost didn't make it. Legolas reached out the same time as Kendra and both grabbed his beard, the only thing they could reach in time.
"Not the beard!" Gimli shouted.
They pulled him up and Kendra looked him right in the eye and said, "Well, what else were we supposed to grab?"
Now there were only two left on the other side, Aragorn and Frodo. A crash against the wall at the top of the stairs sent cracks racing up the walls. It also sent several nice chunks of ceiling to come crashing down onto the stairs behind Aragorn and Frodo. Kendra heard the cracking of stone and all watched in horror as the set of stairs that they had just jumped from began to teeter back and forth. Aragorn grabbed Frodo and both steadied themselves as the stairs began to move.
"Lean forward," Aragorn shouted and both leaned a little.
That was all it took as they began to come towards the rest of the Fellowship. Stone hit stone and the two flew forward, Legolas catching Aragorn and Boromir catching Frodo. They continued their desperate flight towards the bridge. They rounded a corner, Gandalf urging them faster. They all heard a sound, but none turned to see what it was.
They reached the bridge, Boromir crossing first. He reached the other side and turned to make sure the others crossed safely. Kendra reached the other side and turned to see a nightmare come true. Gandalf was the last one coming across. Once everyone was across, he stopped on the middle of the bridge. He turned to face a creature of flame.
Kendra's eyes widened in horror. "A Hell bat," she breathed.
A growl broke through the screeches, causing the orcs to grow silent. It sounded again, this time causing panic. Kendra watched in disbelief as hundreds of orcs disappeared into the shadowy depths. Her attention turned to where the growl had come from. There was something glowing, like a large bonfire.
"The Balrog of Morgoth," she heard Gandalf mutter. "This foe is beyond any of you. RUN!"
So saying, the Fellowship turned and ran. Gandalf stopped at a door and motioned for the rest to go through. The first person through was Boromir, who had one of the torches. Kendra went through, following the Hobbits and Legolas, just in time to see Boromir's arms pinwheeling as he tried to stop himself from falling over the side. Legolas grabbed him and they both fell to the stairs behind them. Kendra started down the stairs, stopped and looked back up to Gandalf and Aragorn.
"Lead them on, Aragorn. The bridge is near."
They both looked and Kendra followed their gaze. There so close and yet so far was the bridge. Standing above a canyon that looked like it had no bottom, it looked like it would drop at any minute, thus cutting off their hopes of escaping this dark prison. Kendra started down the stairs, intent on getting to that bridge. She heard the sounds of the other's feet as they quickly followed her.
They came to an area of the stairs where the middle part had fallen out. Legolas quickly jumped over and turned back to them.
"Gandalf," he said, motioning for them to jump.
Gandalf quickly jumped and was steadied by the elf. They turned back and just then heard a whistling sound. An arrow hit the stone just beneath them, making the presence of orcs known once again. Legolas fired an arrow into the dark and they heard as an orc screech fell into the caverns. Boromir quickly grabbed Merry and Pippin, jumping safely to the other side. Aragorn picked up Sam and threw him into Boromir's waiting arms once the other two Hobbits were safe. Kendra quickly followed and turned to watch Gimli stop Aragorn from picking him up.
"Nobody tosses a dwarf," he said, then jumped.
He almost didn't make it. Legolas reached out the same time as Kendra and both grabbed his beard, the only thing they could reach in time.
"Not the beard!" Gimli shouted.
They pulled him up and Kendra looked him right in the eye and said, "Well, what else were we supposed to grab?"
Now there were only two left on the other side, Aragorn and Frodo. A crash against the wall at the top of the stairs sent cracks racing up the walls. It also sent several nice chunks of ceiling to come crashing down onto the stairs behind Aragorn and Frodo. Kendra heard the cracking of stone and all watched in horror as the set of stairs that they had just jumped from began to teeter back and forth. Aragorn grabbed Frodo and both steadied themselves as the stairs began to move.
"Lean forward," Aragorn shouted and both leaned a little.
That was all it took as they began to come towards the rest of the Fellowship. Stone hit stone and the two flew forward, Legolas catching Aragorn and Boromir catching Frodo. They continued their desperate flight towards the bridge. They rounded a corner, Gandalf urging them faster. They all heard a sound, but none turned to see what it was.
They reached the bridge, Boromir crossing first. He reached the other side and turned to make sure the others crossed safely. Kendra reached the other side and turned to see a nightmare come true. Gandalf was the last one coming across. Once everyone was across, he stopped on the middle of the bridge. He turned to face a creature of flame.
Kendra's eyes widened in horror. "A Hell bat," she breathed.