Loving Allegra
Chapter Eight: The Fall of Gandalf
As they continued through what seemed like in the dark a hallway, Gandalf held his staff to his other hand.
"Let me risk a little more light," he said, making the light on the end of his staff brighter. "Behold!" he announced. "The great realm of the Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf!" Numerous massive pillars that were carved in Dwarvish decorations extended from the floor to the high ceiling that was hidden in the shadows above. Allegra was speechless. Though much different from the Shire or Rivendell, Dwarrowdelf held its own beauty. She was sad that none still lived in such a fantastic place.
"There's an eye opener, make no mistake!" said Sam, gazing up at the pillars. There was light up ahead. Not that of fire, but that of the sun. Gandalf lead them into the room off to one side of the vast cavern-like place that the sunlight was coming from. It illuminated a great stone tomb. Engraved upon its surface were Dwarvish runes. Around the tomb, more skeletons of Dwarves long since dead lay, their jaws a-gape in eternal looks of horror. Gandalf read what was written on the tomb.
"Here lies Balin. Son of Fundin. He is dead, then. It is as I feared," he said sadly. Gimli dropped to his knees in front of the tomb and moaned in despair. He muttered a few words in Dwarvish, and put his head down on the stone, his helmet making a heavy clunk. Gandalf looked around the room and found a skeleton, a great book in its arms. He handed off his hat and staff to Pippin, who was looking around curiously. Gandalf picked up the book, making some of it fall apart onto the floor. He read the Dwarvish that was written there.
"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," he read. Allegra's skin prickled with gooseflesh. Pippin dropped Gandalf's hat on the dusty stone floor and made for a skeleton that was sitting on the side of a well with an arrow lodged in it's chest. He reached for the arrow. "A shadow moves in the dark." Allegra spotted Pippin and tried to make her way over to stop him from touching it. "We cannot get out.... they are coming." Allegra could not get there in time. Pippin twisted the arrow, making the skeleton's head fall off into the well. It's helmet banged noisily against stone. The rest of its body soon followed. Its foot caught on the chain of a small bucket, taking them both down with it. The whole thing made a great crashing noise that reverberated off the walls of the mine. Pippin winced after every bang and clank. Everyone looked at him in shock. When the echoes stopped, Gandalf closed the book with a snap.
"Fool of a Took!" he hissed. "Why not throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" He snatched his hat off the ground and his staff away from Pippin, who looked quite put out. He looked to Allegra for a comforting word, but only got a stern stare. From down inside the well, a sporadic beat of what were unmistakably drums could be heard. The Fellowship froze, staring at the well. The drums got louder and they looked around, not able to tell from which direction it was coming from.
"Frodo!" cried Sam, seeing the blade of Sting glow blue within its sheath.
"Orcs!" said Legolas, now able to hear them coming. Boromir made for the doorway. He looked around the corner, but came back in quickly, for he was nearly shot by Goblin arrows.
"They've got a cave troll," he said in a half frightened, half irritated tone of voice. He, Legolas, and Aragorn began to barricade the door with discarded axes and bits of wood. Gimli took up a dead Dwarf's axe and leaped up on Balin's tomb.
"Let them come!" he roared. "There is one Dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!" Allegra, Merry, Pippin, and Sam all drew their swords. Aragorn and Legolas both took aim at the door, which was slowly being hacked apart, with their bows. At first sight of Orc flesh, they fired with perfect marksmanship. The door was shoved open, and Orcs poured into the room. Everyone began to fight. Allegra was finally able to test out her skill with a sword. Many tried to attack her, but none got very close before she slew them. After the first few minutes of battle, the cave troll Boromir had spoken of burst through the doorway, crumbling the stones that made it up. It was fierce and angry. Sam stood before it in terror. The cave troll looked down at him and roared.
"Look out, Sam!" cried Allegra as she pushed an Orc off her knife's blade. The cave troll lunged at Sam, who dove between its legs at the same time. The cave troll killed many Orcs for them in its livid rampage. It had wrenched the chain that it was being held with out of the large Orc's hands. It flung the chain around, trying to hit Legolas with it. Legolas dodged its blows and took the chain, when wrapped around a pillar, and secured it there. He ran up the chain and jumped onto the cave troll's head. He fired a pair of arrows at point blank range through the cave troll's tough skin, possibly penetrating it's skull. The cave troll was enraged. It reached around for Legolas, who evaded capture by jumping to the ground. The cave troll searched for something new to attack. In the meantime, Sam was beating off Orcs with his frying pans.
"I think I'm getting the hang of this," he muttered to himself as he hit another Orc over the head. Most of the Orcs had fallen at this time, but the last few were badgering Boromir and Aragorn. Allegra heard the distinctive cry of Pippin above the rest of the noise. She looked behind her and saw the cave troll fishing around behind a pillar. He looked around on one side, and Allegra saw Frodo inch around the other side. They did this quite a few times before the cave troll found Frodo. Aragorn leaped in to protect Frodo with a great spear. He shoved it under the cave troll's rib cage and twisted it. The cave troll let out an angry roar and ripped the spear out of it's own body, flinging Aragorn against a wall and knocking him out. All Allegra could do was watch it happen. It lifted the spear and jabbed at Frodo with it.
"Frodo!" cried Allegra, but she couldn't move.
"Aragorn!" cried Frodo, trying to wake him up. "Aragorn!" The cave troll finally had Frodo sitting still. It brought the spear back and stabbed Frodo in the chest. He groaned and tried to breathe, but could not.
"No!" screamed Allegra. She ran over behind the cave troll, just as Merry and Pippin jumped on top of it, stabbing and slashing wherever they could. Allegra took a flying leap at the cave trolls back and stabbed it near the base of its leg. She pulled her knife out just before the cave troll turned around and knocked her aside. She skidded across the ground on her back, getting cut by chunks of rock and wood. Pippin saw this and became even angrier, stabbing furiously at the cave troll. Merry was flung off its back first, just before Legolas aimed his final shot. He fired, hitting the cave troll in the throat. It grunted and swayed in pain, feeling it's lip for a second before falling over on its stomach, sending Pippin flying. He recovered quickly and scrambled over to see if Allegra was hurt.
"Are you alright?" asked Pippin.
"Help me up," she said. Pippin took her hand and brought her to her feet. She winced, and could feel her back bleeding. "Where's Frodo?" they ran to the spot where Frodo lie motionless, propped up by Sam.
"Frodo? Frodo!" cried Sam helplessly. Pippin and Allegra were joined by Merry to watch the scene unfold. Aragorn, who had since come to, crawled over to Frodo.
"Oh no," he muttered. Boromir came to look on, Gandalf next to him. Frodo groaned and stirred in Sam's arms.
"He's alive," sighed Sam in relief. Aragorn let out half a laugh.
"I'm alright. I'm not hurt," said Frodo.
"You should be dead," said Aragorn with a grin of disbelief. "That spear would have skewered a wild boar!"
"I think there's more to this Hobbit than meets the eye," said Gandalf suspiciously. Frodo unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt and showed the group his secret.
"Mithril," said Gimli, recognizing the white colored silver. "You are full of hidden surprises, Master Baggins!" Before the Fellowship could take a collective sigh of relief, more Orcs could be heard accumulating outside the room.
"To the Bridge of Khazad-dûm!" Gandalf commanded them, getting up and running out the opposite door. If front of them was the vast, pillar filled room from before. As they followed Gandalf across it, Allegra could hear Orcs coming from all sides. She looked up and saw them coming out of cracks in the ceiling like a great swarm of insects coming to feed upon them. They did not get far before Orcs, Goblins, and hideous mixtures of each had them completely surrounded. The Fellowship held up their weapons, but knew that they could not defeat such a great number by themselves. The Orcs and Goblins cackled at them and thrust their spears at them threateningly. Allegra felt Pippin's hand grasp hers. This is the end...they're going to kill us all, Allegra thought, her mind and heart racing in fear. A faint roaring sound that vibrated through the stone floor silenced the Orcs. They looked down the wide corridor ahead and saw an orange glow making its way slowly towards them The Orcs and Goblins looked terrified, and retreated to the cracks and crevices to which they had first come out of. The Fellowship was left alone, curious as to what must have frightened so many Orcs.
"What is this new devilry?" wondered Boromir aloud. Gandalf looked exhausted and almost frightened.
"A Balrog has come," he said. "A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of !" he shouted. They ran down a passage that led off from Dwarrowdelf. There they were met with an abrupt flight of stairs with no railings. Boromir nearly fell off, but Legolas pulled him back from the edge. Gandalf brought up the rear as they ran down flight after flight of stairs.
"Lead them on, Aragorn. The bridge is near," Gandalf said, glancing quickly at the thin stone bridge ahead. "Do as I say! Swords are no more use here!" Suddenly, they came to a gap in the stairs where a large chunk had been knocked out. Legolas jumped neatly over the gap.
"Gandalf!" he called, holding out his arms to steady him. Gandalf jumped over and landed with ease.
"Merry, Pippin," said Boromir. He lifted them up as he jumped over. Boromir turned around. "Come, Allegra!" She bit her lip as she jumped as far as she could into Boromir's arms. He set her down next to Merry and Pippin.
"Sam," said Aragorn as he picked his up and threw him across to Boromir who set him down with the other Hobbits. Aragorn turned to Gimli, who held his hand up.
"Nobody tosses a Dwarf!" he growled. He hurled himself over the gap, but didn't make it all the way. He teetered; trying to catch his balance before Legolas grabbed his beard.
"Not the beard!" shouted Gimli as Legolas pulled him onto the staircase. The Balrog was following closely now. Allegra could feel each step it took under her feet. The vibrations were too much for the cavern. Two huge chunks of ceiling crashed down on the section of staircase that Aragorn and Frodo were left standing on. The gap was now far too big for anyone to jump over, and their exit was cut off behind them as well. Allegra heard the groan of stone against stone as the section of staircase began to give way beneath Aragorn and Frodo.
"Hang on!" Aragorn said to Frodo, bracing him by the shoulders. The staircase began to fall backwards. "Lean forward!" Aragorn instructed. They leaned all their weight forward, causing the staircase to shift towards the rest of the Fellowship. The two staircases met with a crash.
"Come on!" said Legolas, helping the two of them off the stairs just before it fell into the abyss below. They ran down the remaining flights of stairs and found themselves in front of a ridiculously thin bridge with no railings. Below it, as far as anyone could tell, there was nothing. It was just a black void that looked as if it had no bottom. Off to their right side was a large crevice in the stone that was spurting flames.
"Over the Bridge!" commanded Gandalf when he saw this. "Go!" In a single file line, the Fellowship ran across the Bridge. Allegra focused on what was ahead rather than below, and got across easily. Gandalf ran out onto the bridge and faced the foe in front of him, who had burst out of the crevice. It was hard to tell the beast's real shape, as smoke and flame surrounded it, but Allegra knew that this was the Balrog. It drew a fiery sword and whip and stared down Gandalf who had his staff and sword in front of him in a cross.
"Gandalf!" cried Frodo. Gandalf did not seem to hear.
"I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. Dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Udûn!" he said to the Balrog. "Go back to the shadow!" he commanded. The Balrog cracked its whip menacingly and came closer to Gandalf, stepping onto the Bridge. "You shall not pass!" shouted Gandalf, raising his staff into the air and bringing it down upon the Bridge. Allegra heard the Bridge crack just before she saw it give way beneath the Balrog. It went down with a terrifying roar. Gandalf turned around to return to the Fellowship when the beast's great whip seized Gandalf by the ankle and drug him off his feet towards the edge. He caught himself at the edge of the Bridge and tried to heave himself up to safety. Allegra looked on, stunned as one of her oldest and best friends hung helplessly at the edge of a dark chasm.
"Gandalf!" screamed Frodo as he tried to run back to help Gandalf. Boromir held Frodo back.
"Fly, you fools!" said Gandalf just before he flung himself over the edge. Allegra's breath caught in her chest as the blackness of the void swallowed part of her heart.
"No!" screamed Frodo in agony. Boromir picked him up and carried him from the Bridge. Allegra could hear his screams, as she stood motionless, trying to grasp what had just happened.
"Aragorn!" cried Boromir to Aragorn, who hesitated, looking back at the Bridge. Aragorn finally ran to catch up with the rest of the group, picking up Allegra and carrying her away just before Goblins began to fire arrows at them. They ricocheted off the stone floor, nearly hitting the Fellowship. Aragorn lead them out into the light of Dimrill Dale. The air was fresh, but full of pain and sorrow. Aragorn set Allegra down where she collapsed. Her face bore a broken expression. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks as Merry and Pippin came to mourn with her. Pippin held her close to him and it took her a moment to notice he was there. When she did, she buried her face in his chest and sobbed. Pippin's teardrops fell into Allegra's hair, and they cried together. After a short time, they sat in a small circle with Merry, their arms over each other's shoulders, sharing each other's pain.
"Legolas, get them up," Allegra heard Aragorn say.
"Give them a moment, for pity's sake!" cried Boromir.
"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with Orcs," said Aragorn. "We must reach the woods of Lothlorien. Come Boromir, Legolas. Gimli, get them up." Legolas lifted Allegra onto her feet. Her knees shook horribly, and she had to lean on Pippin to stand up at all. "On your feet, Sam," said Aragorn, helping Sam to stand up. Aragorn looked to where Frodo was sitting alone. "Frodo!" he called, his voice echoing. Frodo looked at him with tears in his eyes and joined the Fellowship as they ran towards Lothlorien. All day they ran, the woods seeming so close at all times, yet they did not even get close until the sun began to sink over the Misty Mountains behind them. They took cover under the trees of Lothlorien, where they were finally allowed to walk.
"Stay close, young Hobbits!" hissed Gimli. "They say that a great sorceress lives in these woods. An Elf witch of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell and are never seen again." Allegra wondered if this story was true (all things Gimli said seemed to be slightly far-fetched or exaggerated.) "Well here's one Dwarf she won't ensnare so easily. I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox!" An arrow was suddenly aimed at his head, and it was not Legolas's. "Ooh!" said Gimli in surprise. For each member of the Fellowship, there was at least two arrows pointed at them. Elven archers had surrounded them without their noticing. A particularly arrogant looking Elf stepped out from the archers.
"The Dwarf breaths so loud, we could have shot him in the dark," said the Elf.
"Haldir o Lorien. Henion aniron, boe ammen i dulu lîn. Boe ammen veriad lîn," said Aragorn in Elvish.
"Haldir of Lorien. We desire your help. We need your protection," Allegra translated without even thinking about it. The arrows aimed at her moved closer and she held up her hands.
"Aragorn...these woods are perilous...we should go back..." said Gimli in a frightened voice.
"You have entered the realm of the Lady of the Wood. You cannot go back. Come, she is waiting," said Haldir. The archers lowered their arrows and walked with Haldir and the group of intruders toward Lorien.
"Did they hurt you?" asked Pippin in a low voice.
"No, I'm fine," said Allegra. They were escorted to a part of the forest where the trees grew tall and thick. Built into the trees was a city, illuminated with blue lights. Flights of white stairs spiraled around the trees, leading up to the great city. There were some buildings and dwellings on the forest floor as well. Haldir lead them up one of the staircases that were lit every few feet with a blue lamp. Allegra admired the beauty of Lorien. It easily matched that of Rivendell. They finally reached a sort of platform, on which was an elegant building, wide stairs leading up to it. Two Elves stood at the top of these stairs, awaiting the Fellowship's arrival. They began to descend down the steps hand in hand. The woman could only be the Lady of the Wood, Galadriel that both Gimli and Haldir had spoken of. Her eyes were like deep pools, full of wisdom and nobility. They seemed to pierce through Allegra's flesh, and she shivered when Galadriel looked at her.
"Nine there are here, yet ten there were set out from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf, for I much desire to speak with him," said the man next to her. Galadriel looked thoughtful for a moment, then very sad.
"He has fallen into shadow," she whispered. "The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail," she said. Galadriel looked at Allegra while speaking to the Fellowship. Words filled Allegra's head.
"Welcome, Allegra of the Shire...," she heard Galadriel's voice say."You have come far, and are courageous. Much peril and sorrow lies ahead..." Allegra was frightened, and her expression showed it. When the voice in her head stopped, she listened to Galadriel's speaking voice again.
"Go now and rest, for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tonight, you shall rest in peace," she said, excusing them to take some sleep. Allegra was depressed, and her legs ached from running. She hadn't noticed it until now. She was grateful that she could finally sleep, assured that they would not be attacked.
A/N: My spell check thoroughly hates Tolkien words...I think I'm going to need a new mouse after all this...o0