Chapter V: Hidden Peril
While the Free Peoples made their plans and Frodo and his friends travelled home, a new enemy was stirring. Deep beneath the Misty Mountains, in the deepest pits of the Mines of Moria, a creature more ancient than all the races of the world awoke. A creature of fire and shadow – a Balrog of Morgoth.
The fallen Maia stretched out with senses attuned to darkness and evil. It sensed the void in Mordor that Sauron's fall had left, and the secondary gap in Dol Guldur, where now the Orcs milled in confusion. To the South it sensed Saruman, preparing his own assault on the World of Men. So many choices, it thought, and so little time.
Reaching out with its considerable powers – powers that had made it one of the most fearsome servants of Morgoth, back in the First Age – the Balrog tapped into the minds of all the Orcs in its domain. Moria awoke once more, legions of dark beings swarming through the halls of the Dwarrowdelf. In the Second Hall of the First Deep they gathered, filling the floor like a black tide, with the Balrog a burning island at the centre.
The greatest servant of the Master has fallen, thought the Balrog. Now I am the strongest who remains. The Elves brought about the defeat of the Master, and now I will revenge us on the Elves. I sense them out there, just beyond the walls.
Following the hints given it by its senses, the Balrog ordered its armies and sent them forth. The flowed over the twilight hills, pouring down the river Silverlode to a great forest – Lothlórien.
The Balrog knew, despite the curious light that stopped it sensing precisely how many of the hated Elves lived in the Golden Wood, that its hordes vastly outnumbered theirs. Therefore, it wasted no time to personally direct the battle, instead passing eastwards in a cloud of smoke, fleet as a burning wind, coming within two days to the tower of Dol Guldur, in Southern Mirkwood.
In this, the lesser stronghold of Sauron, the Balrog gathered strength, summoning all the forces of Dark that inhabited Mirkwood to itself. The Wood Elves of Thranduil's realm were greatly surprised when all the Spiders vanished overnight, and the Shadow that lay over the great forest seemed to have lifted.
But still more surprised were they a week later, when the massed armies of the Balrog appeared at their gates. Their defences were overrun, and the Orcs roamed freely in their halls. But the Balrog itself came not, for by that time other things had befallen it.
After its troops had departed, the mighty demon turned its attention to that other will it had felt holding the forces of Darkness. It senses to the South a kindred spirit, another Maia, yet one not yet fully fallen. It considered this for some time before arriving at a decision.
There cannot be two Dark Lords in Middle-Earth. If I am to achieve absolute power, and avenge the Master, this upstart must be destroyed.
Decision made, the Balrog wasted no time. Leaving the dark forest behind it, the great shadow headed south to Isengard, flying across the fields like a dying star.
Another controversial issue I'm not taking sides on - Balrogs and their wings. Any references to flying Balrogs can be taken either literally or as metaphors. It works either way, although it may have to run very fast.
And apologies for the short chapter. They do start getting longer...
Cloaked Eagle