Chapter six: The Raven that Can't Fly
*
*
*
"Behold," Said Gandalf, "The Dwarf-city of Dwarrowdelf."
Niphrediel gaped; jaw dropping as she set eyes upon the humongous shadowed structure. It was a large hallway that spanned as far as her eyes could see with two rows of huge pillars along the sides and its floor littered with dust and boulders. The aura that surrounded the place was what hit Niphrediel most. It stank of death, or desertion.
Perhaps Beren knew how Niphrediel felt, because he licked her gloved hands and rubbed his head against her. Niphrediel smiled down at her friend, and patted his neck as they moved along. Niphrediel half-guessed Beren would walk in front to walk with Legolas, but she was thankful when he did not, instead continued to walk beside her, seeming to not even consider moving away.
"There's an eye opener make no mistake." Said Sam, though Niphrediel was too dazed to listen properly.
The company moved on and began to walk in a group rather then a line lead by the wizard.
Niphrediel wandered along the right side, staring at the pillars and the shadows when it met the roof. She frowned, staring up into it, feeling as if the shadows had eyes that were staring back at her.
In a twist of fate she felt a rock hit the top of her foot as she stepped, and gasped, looking down to watch the ground become closer as she tripped yet again.
This time, to her immense embarrassment, the company noticed.
The hobbits surrounded her, asking her if she was all right and that she did not hurt herself with caring manners. Niphrediel even felt one pat her shoulder.
She groaned quietly, getting up slowly with Beren's worried stare upon her.
She looked down at herself, dust all on her front, and brushed it all off.
Aragorn looked to her, frowning. "That is what happens when you do not pay attention to where you step." He preached, his tone full with care. "Were you hurt?"
Niphrediel shook her head, and smiled down at the hobbits for their courtesy and walked to Legolas, who continued walking for a moment after she fell because he did not see it, with Beren trailing beside her. She was grateful at least one person did not notice her trip again, though she would have rather had Aragorn not see her be clumsy rather then Legolas.
Niphrediel frowned; feeling more bruises beginning to taint her skin, this one on her stomach and one on her wrist. Be more careful, Niphrediel, she cursed inside her head, continuing to walk.
She frowned when she noticed a chamber on her right. Its doors were open and skeletons of orcs strewn inside it. Niphrediel could see the skeletons even from where she walked and heard Gimli gasp before running off in direction to it.
"Gimli!" Called Gandalf, but the dwarf paid him no heed.
Niphrediel frowned and jogged after the dwarf, hearing Legolas and Aragorn call her name out after her as she followed Gimli inside. She slowed down and watched Gimli walk to the stone coffin in the middle of the chamber and heard Beren silently trot in beside her.
"No! Oh, no." Gimli cried, dropping to his knees. "No."
Niphrediel looked over her shoulder watching the company walk in, as weary of the place as she was. She stepped in on Legolas's left beside as they all looked to at the words written on the stone coffin regardless if they could not understand it.
Niphrediel, though, looked to Gimli who kneeled at the side, her eyes apologetic and sad as they saw his tears. Her heart broke for the dwarf, bringing back the old memories of how she felt when Gilraen died. The pain that lasted for so long…she never wanted to feel it again. Not ever.
"'Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria'." Mithrandir said, reading the headstone and sighed sadly. "He is dead then," He said regretfully. "It's as I feared."
Niphrediel watched Gimli sob, putting his head against the coffin and heard the quiet sound when his helmet knocked against the stone surface.
"We must move on," Said Legolas, to Aragorn beside him. "We cannot linger." Aragorn answered with a silent nod.
She only moved her gaze when she saw Mithrandir move over to the other side of the coffin and take off his hat, handing it and his staff to Pippin before he bent down and picked up a large, old book.
Gandalf stopped the pages from flicking and let out a long breath, making the dust fly so he could read the text easily.
Niphrediel frowned; looking back to the door to make sure nothing was coming. There was something about this spot that scared her. She continued to look in that direction as Gandalf read.
"They have taken the bridge and the second hall." He said.
Niphrediel frowned, surprised at the books contents and her face immediately turned in Gandalf's direction as she watched him read, her eyes wide and the fear inside screaming at any who looked at them. "We have barred the gates but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums, drums in the deep." Niphrediel's breathing was becoming rugged, as the fear inside her seemed to take over. The way Gandalf read the words seemed to bring out the meaning of the words, it showed the darkness. "We cannot get out. A Shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out." Niphrediel's lips parted slightly and she felt the dry skin disconnecting with the other as she let out a cold breath. Stop saying that, she screamed inside her head as Gandalf took a breath to speak again. All he said were three words spoken with cold finality. "They are coming."
Niphrediel let out a breath, but no sooner then when silence was brought was it taken away as a light thunder-like sound was heard in direction to the well in the corner. The sound thundered bellow the ground, echoing throughout the underground halls.
Niphrediel's head (not to mention all of the other's too) wiped to the well, seeing Pippin standing there. It was then when Niphrediel watched as the skeleton chained by shackles to a chain that hung down the well was swallowed up, falling down and making a sound that seemed to boom like an invisible avalanche as it fell, echoing again and again and again.
Niphrediel felt herself whimper, seeing Aragorn lower his head, Legolas blinked and looked down and she heard Boromir let out a quivering breath. Niphrediel could feel her heart racing and her fear eating away inside of her, so strong she could almost feel physical pain banging inside her chest that made her want to scream.
She glared at the foolish hobbit, wanting to just throw him in the well at that very moment as he just dug the graves that they would all soon fill.
Gandalf closed the book, putting it down quickly and walked to the hobbit. "Fool of a Took!" He cursed. "Why don't you throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity." He said, snatching his staff and hat from Peregrin's hands.
Niphrediel frowned, but then heard the sound that made her heart skip a beat. She heard drumming in the distance, seeming to become louder and louder as each second passed.
She stole a glance to the door, and heard sword chaff against its scabbard behind her, and she looked to Frodo staring at his blue blade, Sting, the blade Bilbo had in 'There and Back Again'. Because of that book Niphrediel knew exactly what the sign meant.
She could hear what sounded like beasts calling out to each other, or perhaps to them; their prey.
"Orcs!" Confirmed Legolas as the sounds came louder and faster.
Niphrediel watched Boromir run to the door and the other man and elf soon following.
"Get back!" Aragorn said to the hobbits before he moved off. "Stay with Gandalf." He then looked to Niphrediel. "You too." He said, and moved off.
"They have a cave troll." Said Boromir, making Niphrediel look in his direction as he shut the door, spotting the two arrows in the wood of the door near his head. Legolas picked up some weapons from the ground and throw them to Boromir and Aragorn who barred the doors with them as best they could.
Estel glanced at her, seeing she was still standing there. "Go with Gandalf." He said.
Niphrediel shook her head. "I can fight." She said.
Aragorn shook his head urgently. "This is no game, Niphrediel!" He growled, his voice louder then the drums. He gestured with his arms to the company. "I will not have you killed nor will I allow you to embarrass me once more"-
"Aragorn!" Shouted Legolas, making Estel stop and look to the elf to see his disapproving and livid expression upon his face. Aragorn seemed shocked to see anyone sticking up for his sister since that profession was usually only his and he silently regretted letting Niphrediel associate with the elf.
Niphrediel felt her spirit tumble. He was embarrassed of me? That was why he wanted me to stay with Legolas; he didn't want me to be his liability.
Estel turned back to Niphrediel, as time was running short. He went to say something else, noticing her eyes that seemed to show a storm of every emotion she felt focused directly into his, but was silenced when Niphrediel threw off her bag, throwing it in a corner where she hoped it would be safe before she spat on the ground of his feet with obvious symbolic meaning, not looking back to him as she swept off to the back of the chamber, seeming to walk to Gandalf until she stepped up onto a reasonable sized boulder and took out her bow, nocking an arrow from her quiver onto it.
Beren stood, once again, beside his master. His head was raised bearing his mouth of razor-sharp teeth and demonic canines and his body positioned ready to fight, his legs slightly bent in case he had to move or jump and his eyes watching the door with unfixed intensity. Niphrediel unconsciously prayed for the wolf's safety, but her attention was bought back to reality and the matters at hand for her to dwell on those thoughts.
"Let them come." Said Gimli, taking out his axe. "There is still one dwarf yet in Moria that still draws breath."
Niphrediel watched as the creatures on the other side of the door began to push against the doors, not yet being able to get through. Niphrediel knew they would, and pulled her arrow back till the string was tight.
Sooner rather then later the wood of the door began to be hit out from the demons, and Niphrediel watched Aragorn and Legolas aim their arrows at the gaps as the orcs had made as they continued to slam themselves against the doors, desperate to get inside.
Mother, help me please. I don't want to die.
She watched Legolas let an arrow fly and heard the orc on the other side scream, quickly nocking another one after, then watched Aragorn do the same.
Soon after Aragorn served up another arrow, the doors collapsed and a mass of orcs came inside, screaming.
Niphrediel had no time to gasp and fired an arrow to one of the many monsters that came through, running toward the wizard and hobbits. She heard Gandalf yell out a war cry, soon accompanied by those of the hobbits as they unleashed themselves upon the crowd of beasts, blindly attacking them with as much skill as they had.
Niphrediel had no time to watch them as she continued to fire until her fourteen arrows were spent.
Niphrediel stood, surprised she had not been noticed at this height and dropped her bow and unslung her quiver blindly, for she had no use for it now, and unsheathed her sword from her back.
Niphrediel jumped down, bringing her blade down on a nearby orc as she did so.
She heard the flesh of it's shoulder rip as her blade came in contact with it and her arms felt tingly when the sword stiffened when it hit bone, unable to cut through. The force of it made Niphrediel fall onto her side when she landed, but she quickly stood and pulled her sword out of the orcs body.
She looked at the orc in revulsion, as it screamed in hate at her with black blood pouring out of its beastly mouth. Niphrediel walked closer to it, positioned her sword pointing directly down in front of her with her two hands tight on the hilt, and brought it down with her body, adding her weight onto the blow to make it more forceful, aimed at the centre of the orc's chest. She heard it let out strange sounds from its throat before it lay limp and she quickly pulled her blade out and ran amongst the floor, killing any orc that came near.
Niphrediel knew, though, that regardless of how well any of them were fighting, that the orcs had strength in numbers rather then skill. They seemed to drop like large, carnivore flees.
Niphrediel stopped, in the middle of finding her next orc, when the ground underneath her feet began to shake. That was when she noticed how close she was to the door and looked through it, moving cautiously closer so that she could try to see what was coming.
Niphrediel frowned, not being able to see, and looked back down to the shaking ground that seemed to shake with more power every three seconds like slow footsteps. They have a cave troll. Niphrediel's eyes widened and she heard her name being called out behind her.
"Niphrediel get away from the door!" Legolas shouted as he slay any orcs that came near him.
Niphrediel's eyes widened and her lips parted before she turned around and began to run from the door. She counted her steps as she sprinted. One...two…three—BANG!
Niphrediel cried out in shock as the door behind her was knocked out, a rock flying out and hitting her in the back, making her fall down to the ground painfully before hitting her head on an already stationed rock on the way down.
For a moment, Niphrediel blacked out, and was brought back to the world from the loud war cry of the cave troll. Her eyes widened and she felt a dark bruise on the edge of her temple and blood seeping from the corner of her mouth, yet the pain her head must had been feeling was drowned out by her urgency to survive.
Niphrediel pushed off the ground, onto her back and looked to the troll that had noticed her couple seconds after that. It screamed out again before it made its low, but huge step towards her.
Niphrediel let out a small cry before she scrambled to her feet, searching the ground for her sword before she planned to run from the troll.
Niphrediel did not take long before she noticed that her sword was laying a couple metres away from her, and she took off, not looking back yet feeling a brush of wind against her back as the troll brought its club down.
Niphrediel sprinted, dropping down to pick up her sword as she did so, not knowing that the troll was following her.
Niphrediel stopped for a moment, thinking that she was clear from it, taking a couple breaths, freezing when she heard the hobbits screaming for her to turn around. She did, turning back her head seeing she was only four feet from the brown garb of the troll's crotch.
Her eyes trailed up from the garb till they saw the face of the troll towering over her.
Niphrediel let out a breath and gripped her sword. Oh Eru, forgive me, she thought as she looked to the troll's crotch and aimed her sword up with her right hand, and closed her eyes as she brought it in, putting her shoulder weight behind it.
The troll let out a blood-curdling scream as Niphrediel pulled her sword out with a distinctive crunching sound, as if it took him a while to realise what she had done, and Niphrediel sprinted away from it, this time succeeding in fleeing his attention as the troll, of whom had seemed to recovered from the pain of it's wound, began advancing on Gimli.
Niphrediel sighed, and climbed up onto a balcony above, seeing Legolas fire two arrows at once at the troll as it went to attack Gimli, giving Gimli enough time to scramble away.
Niphrediel frowned, looking around. There was not too many orcs left now, and the troll seemed to make the demons attack with more speed and confidence.
Niphrediel gasped then. Beren!
"Beren!" She called, her eyes wide as they searched the floors for his white fur. "Beren!" She jumped onto a rock, hoping she'd then have a better viewpoint, of which she did. "Beren!!" She screamed, tears forming in her dark eyes as her breathing became shallow. "Beren." She sobbed, silently.
Suddenly, her eyes stopped when she spotted something of light contrast in the shadowed corner where she had thrown her bag. The shadows were so dark in that corner that the wolf with its bright grey-white pelt seemed to camouflage into the darkness. The shadows here were powerful and black, reeking of evil.
Niphrediel held onto her blood-wet sword and she sprinted over, skidding to a halt onto her knees beside the white-furred heap, her hold on her sword becoming limp and she allowed the sword to drop onto the hearth beside her with a slight clang.
Niphrediel looked over the body of the dirt-mattered wolf unmoving and unbreathing, her hands soon aiding her in the search as she parted his fur with her hands. "Where-Where is your wound?" She asked hurriedly, obviously to herself, her shaking fingers moving as quickly as she could possible make them as tears fell down her cheeks. Niphrediel stopped, a thought coming to mind, and retracted her hands and moved them under the wolf and turned it over.
Niphrediel took one look and lowered her head to Beren's neck, holding him in her arms as she callously forgot about her companions as they battled the cave troll in the real world.
Niphrediel moved back onto her bottom as she cradled the wolf, moving her legs up to secure him against her. Niphrediel felt Beren's blood seep into her sleeves, but she did not move.
She only moved when she heard screams. Moving her head to look over her shoulder, she focused her reddened eyes, seeing Merry and Pippin on the back of the troll, stabbing down with their swords and making it scream. She watched as the troll moved away from a corner and Legolas shuffled a little closer, aiming his arrow at the troll's noise. Niphrediel frowned, wondering why Legolas wasn't firing until Pippin cut the troll, making it throw back it's head and scream, and Legolas let his arrow go, shooting directly into the troll's mouth, immediately changing the sound of its scream upon impact. The troll wavered for a moment, looking at its murderers before falling down with a loud final thud. She watched Legolas and Gandalf let out a relieved sigh, looking down at the dead troll, before they all looked to the corner surrounded by rock, which was why Niphrediel could not see it.
From where she was, Niphrediel could hear chatter, though she could not depict what was being said until their change of topic changed.
"Where is Niphrediel?" Asked Aragorn, his eyes sweeping over the faces of the fellowship, seeing that none of theirs was hers.
Niphrediel went to call out and say 'over here!' but changed her mind, instead burying her mouth against the warm pelt of Beren, smelling his dog-scent and not caring about it or what insects crawled around on his pelt. Let him dwell on it, she thought, her gaze unwavering as she watched. If Beren could not be seen in the shadows then there would be no way in Mordor that she would be distinguished amongst it, at least not straight away.
Legolas and Gandalf looked around the balconies with their eyes, looking back to Estel with a helpless shrug.
"Niphrediel!" Yelled Aragorn; desperately searching the floors. "Neph!!!" He shouted; his voice booming and less poised then the exclamation before.
Niphrediel closed her eyes, cherishing the feeling that her presence was something significant, something she had never felt before.
"Niphredil!" That was definitely Legolas, and Niphrediel regretfully did not want to drag him along as well, since he seemed to be the only one who stuck up for her around here, but again she remain quiet.
"Niphrediel!!" Shouted Estel, "Niphrediel! Oh dear Eru let her be well."
Niphrediel opened her eyes, turning back over her shoulder seeing that they were all searching and scanning the place with their eyes. Legolas even used his bow to turn over dead bodies to make sure she was not under them.
Niphrediel sniffed, which was all an elf needed, and his head immediately whipped in her direction that looked almost scary. Niphrediel could see his pupils expanding, adjusting to the shadowed area and watched him lower his head and took a long, relieved breath.
Uh oh. Now I've done it. Niphrediel cursed, preparing herself for the biggest growling in her life to come waltzing by.
Legolas said nothing, to her relief and surprise. Instead, he just moved away from the corpses, half of which he probably created, and made his way over to her.
"Legolas?" Called Gandalf as Legolas began to walk away.
"Where are you going?" Asked Boromir, but Legolas just looked over his shoulder in answer as he continued to walk.
He does not see Beren, Niphrediel realised and slowly turned her body around so that he saw the heap in her hands.
It looked as if she had hit him in the stomach, winding him. Colour momentarily drained from his face but the emotion left permanently which made him look cold and firm…so very un-Legolas.
He slowly crouched down, and the company slowly gathered around, finally seeing her like an off-colour thorn in a thorn bush of ripe green.
Niphrediel cried, holding on to the wolf as if for dear life. "He won't wake up." She whispered, as if her voice could not handle to be any louder.
Estel raced over lastly, and Niphrediel looked at him to see his eyes had rivered with tears that seemed to dissolve the moment he saw her. He closed his eyes and sighed, bringing his hands up to wipe his face.
Niphrediel looked away from his, for a moment to the ground before returning to the elf. "He isn't breathing." She whispered, placing him on the ground in front of him, making sure Beren lay with his wound up.
Niphrediel looked at the wound. It was a slash, deep rather then large, across Beren's side. It looked angry and fresh and had the ability to make Niphrediel want to vomit within three minutes of looking at it.
Legolas looked down at the heap, his love for the creature showing evidently unhidden within his gaze for a moment before it was wiped clean like a cold slate.
Legolas frowned, leaning over the wolf, lowering his ear near the wolf's mouth and closed his eyes for a moment, hoping that cutting of one sense would make his other stronger then it already was.
Niphrediel held her hands together and prayed, watching Legolas as he moved away from the wolf and took off his bag, probing through it quickly and taking out a red vile.
Legolas unscrewed the lid of the vile and moved back over to Beren and waved the open vile beneath his noise.
Niphrediel frowned. "He is not dead, then?" She asked.
Legolas did not answer, and remained quiet, the overly stable and cold expression on his face reigning for what seemed forever, making Niphrediel's hopes dwindle, that is, until Legolas turned his gaze to her, his face brightening with a bright smile that made her frown, utterly confused.
"Huh?"-Niphrediel paid too much attention to the elf that she didn't notice the white wolf get up and move forward, until it knocked her over, licking her face and hovering his face in front of hers so he could reassure her that he was real.
Niphrediel's eyes widened, and she hugged the cursed wolf before Legolas quickly hauled her too her feet, making Beren get off her by speaking elvish words that Niphrediel did not catch.
Niphrediel sighed, feeling whole, and looked to Gandalf who checked all the readied faces of the group. "Quick," he said, "To the bridge of Khazad-dum!" He declared and ran through the doors with the company and wolf behind him.
Niphrediel went to run, then skidded to a halt, running back to grab her back.
"Quickly!" Shouted Legolas, who had waited for her despite his instincts to run and hope she was following.
"Uh ha!" Said Niphrediel as she put the bag on her back and sheathed her sword as quickly as she could, unfortunately not fast enough in the elf's standards as he ran to her, grabbed her wrist and took off through the door.
Niphrediel never thought she could run so quickly in her life as the edhel dragged her along merciless, until they had caught up with the company and were now racing just behind Mithrandir in the lead, or at least Legolas was nearly in-line with Gandalf, Niphrediel was behind him being dragged along like a rag doll panting as her knees began to weaken.
"Keep going." Whispered Legolas, turning back to her for a moment, when he felt her steps become heavier which made him have to pull harder.
Niphrediel nodded, pushing herself to keep on running, his words helping as she sped up to her previous speed, which helped him along.
"Jump!" Legolas said, and Niphrediel did as they leapt over a rock.
Niphrediel looked back over her shoulder, amazed she didn't trip, but Legolas tugged on her arm, making her turn back to the front. She heard gentle panting, seeing Beren beside her, obviously running much slowly then he was accustomed to keep up with her.
It was soon ere when Niphrediel could hear the chatter of what sounded like orcs. To her horror she saw them running in armies down the pillars and from the edges of the ground in black and brown mass of demons as they swarmed closer and closer like a disease.
The company stopped running, forming a circle as they surrounded them.
Niphrediel panted, slightly behind Legolas as he stood like a tower, his arrow nocked and moving from one orc to the next, ready to fire.
Niphrediel closed her eyes, not wanting to look at any of them as they spanned as far as Niphrediel could bring herself to see. She did not sheath her sword, but stood in front of Beren, her leg in the way of the wolf from any orc that dared look upon him.
There is no hope? Niphrediel questioned, of course not. They could not fight their way through all of them. There were too many.
Niphrediel imagined one of them eating through her flesh, as the stories she had heard about what orcs sometimes do had said. She imagined two playing with each other, using her skull as a ball and her spine as a bat. These thoughts made her shudder, as she turned, seeing something bright in the corner of her eye.
For a moment, Niphrediel thought perhaps that Ilúvatar was coming to save them, as the orcs seemed to scream amongst each other in fear and quickly retreated, back under the ground or crawling up the pillars.
Niphrediel looked in awe at the bright light at the other end of the hallway, hope and happiness flooding within her until she looked up to see Legolas, panting, slowly lowering his bow, his eyes glassy and fear showing within them. Niphrediel frowned, and turned to Boromir, who looked at the light with suspicion rather then fear.
"What new devilry is this?" Boromir asked, catching his breath.
There was a moment before Mithrandir answered Boromir's question. "A Balrog," he said. "A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you." The wizard turned around. "Run!"
The fellowship took off, running as fast as they could, and again Legolas grabbed Niphrediel's wrist and dragged her along as the end drew nearer and nearer.
Legolas waited only until moments before they walked through the end before he let go of Niphrediel's wrist, of which was probably starting to bruise from being held so tightly, though Niphrediel couldn't feel it.
Legolas sprinted through the archway, following Boromir, and Niphrediel caught up just in time to watch him grab Boromir and pull him back before he fell forward.
The company quickly made their way along the side. "Niphrediel." Legolas called, nodding for her to follow as he followed Boromir, but Niphrediel looked back over her shoulder seeing Gandalf's hesitation.
"Gandalf." Said Aragorn, pulling on the wizard's arm.
Gandalf put his arm on Estel's shoulder, looking into the depths of his eyes. "Let them on, Aragorn." He nodded to the distance. "The bridge is near."
Niphrediel turned her head, seeing the bridge dark against a backdrop that seemed almost red. She looked back only to see Gandalf push Aragorn away, against the wall, leaving Aragorn with a confused frown at the wizard as he spoke. "Do as I say!! Swords are no more use here!" Mithrandir looked at Niphrediel, and she took off down the path after Aragorn, the wizard following after.
The stone trail moved to a thin stone boardwalk held up by pillars falling into the darkness that spanned a short way until it came to stairs, then another boardwalk and more stairs.
Niphrediel heard something up above her head and looked up, watching as mounds of stone began to fall, breaking bits of the bridges as they fell.
They stopped in the middle of a stair, and Niphrediel could see a reasonable broken gap in between the middle. The gap was large, but not un-jumpable.
Legolas diligently jumped over to the other side and turned around. He looked down to the wolf and clapped. "Come on, boy." He said, and Beren jumped to the other side easily. Legolas then looked up and waved. "Gandalf." He said, and Gandalf made his way to the front of the line and jumped, Legolas helping him over and ready for the next ones.
Niphrediel turned her head, seeing that now she was standing beside Frodo. She said nothing and turned around, seeing Aragorn look up at her in front of her.
"Jump with Frodo." He said, and Niphrediel just nodded, saying nothing more.
"Merry! Pippin!" Called Boromir, taking the hobbits with each hand and jumped over cleanly.
Aragorn bent over to pick up Gimli, but the dwarf held out his hand to stop him. "No body tosses a dwarf!" He declared, and jumped.
Niphrediel gasped as Gimli's feet slipped back when he landed, but Legolas grabbed hold of his beard before Gimli fell.
"Not the beard!" Shouted Gimli, but Legolas pulled him up, with a little struggle.
Aragorn then picked up Sam. "Hold on." He said to the hobbit, and jumps.
Niphrediel frowned, hearing the stone begins to break away and gasped, grabbing Frodo by his shirt and throwing him as far up as she could and took a couple steps before leaping as the stairs broke away and fell.
Niphrediel scrambled up, feeling nothing supporting her legs for a moment, until she stood up, behind Frodo, looking to the others on the other side.
Her heart snapped. She was going to die. There was no hope.
She looked at the faces of those on the other side. Lost of mirth, full of sorrow. They had been sent on a death-search, not a quest. The fate of this world rested on the shoulders of nine people. Nine. No army, no navy, no hope.
A million thoughts seemed to go through her head through those four seconds of silence the separated group looked at the desolate two that called out with their eyes to be saved.
Niphrediel's train of thought was finally broken as a roar came from a distance behind them, making her turn back as the light and fire become stronger and closer, making more fall from above.
Niphrediel watched the stone, watching it fall and hit the stair somewhere behind her, and heard Frodo let out a startled breath as the stone stairs they stood on began to sway, readying to collapse.
Niphrediel let out a breath and steadied herself, seeing the hobbit wobble in front of her and put an arm diagonally from his right shoulder down to the side of his arm, pressing him against her so that she could balance him. "Steady." She said to him, trying to hide her own horror by acting settled at the situation she was in.
"Hold on!" Shouted Aragorn, standing beside Legolas on the other side, watching the stair sway to their left, then to their right. "Lean forward!" He said, as the stair began to move back to centre.
Niphrediel nodded and leaned forward as best she could and slowly the stair began to fall forward towards the other. "Get ready to jump." She said to Frodo, as they came closer and closer and she moved her arm around him so she could throw him when they jumped.
Legolas stood, his arms out and ready to catch. "Come on!" She could hear him. "Now!"
Niphrediel jumped, throwing Frodo up so that he jumped at the same height as her, to make it easier for Aragorn to catch him.
For a moment she thought she going to fall until she fell right, smack, immediately caught.
The company could not linger and continued on until that particular path came to an end.
Niphrediel followed Legolas, the one ahead of her, sometimes checking over her shoulder to see if the demon was closing in.
They ran, and she could see Gandalf had stopped; making everyone run passed him. "Over the bridge!" He shouted. "Fly!"
Niphrediel ran passed him, but stopped with the others who waited for him. Gandalf, turning around for a moment until he saw them all, knowing that they were waiting for him, before hesitantly moving on which brought movement back to them all.
They finally came upon the bridge. It was long, thin, and dangerous, but everyone began to run across it.
Niphrediel looked back to the wizard, seeing him hesitate again. "Come on, Gandalf." She said when she saw him look toward the light of the Balrog.
Gandalf looked to her, then looked passed her, seeing that his hesitation had made her fall behind and began moving again, which made her hurry along in front of him and quickly became far ahead, to his relief.
Niphrediel frowned as she ran across the middle of the bridge, hearing the familiar sound of stone braking from above, slightly in front of her. She looked back at the wizard behind her, her carelessness cursing her as she tripped on a bit of upraised stone from the stone. She groaned in pain, rolling over and moved onto her back, looking up to see a small piece of rock fall directly onto her waiting left leg.
Niphrediel screamed, feeling her flesh speared through by a stone fang inside the rock.
The rock was about the size of a huge ball, and covered the whole lower shin/ankle area of her left leg. It was shaped in an upside down U shape, both ends of it on either side of her leg, and inside was a large, dark and deep blade that stuck down, now pierced through her leg.
Niphrediel cried out in pain as she tried to take the rock off, as Gandalf came closer. "Gandalf!" She yelled. "Help me!"
She did not have to say the words; Gandalf would have done so anyway. He frowned, looking over her wound, then over his shoulder at the Balrog that began to walk across the bridge, a whip of fire in its hand.
Gandalf stood, and walked away from Niphrediel, towards the Balrog, so that it there would be a distance from them and Niphrediel.
He held up his staff to the Balrog. "You cannot pass!" He shouted.
Niphrediel wept, looking to the other side of the bridge, seeing that everyone was already at the end, standing and waiting.
"Gandalf!" Screamed Frodo.
Niphrediel sat up and moved over onto her stomach with a scream against the ground, and tried to crawl across the bridge, only coming a couple centimetres before she had to stop, the weight of the rock too much for her to drag and the blade pulling against her flesh to be dragged along caused too much pain for her to bear.
"Aragorn!" She screamed; her pain and desperation clear within her voice. "Somebody please!" She could not bring herself to say 'save me', as she turned around to look at Gandalf.
Aragorn went to run back across the bridge to get her, but was stopped by Boromir. "Don't!" Boromir said, keeping him there. "It is perilous!!"
Gandalf stood tall and unmoving against the Balrog. "I am a servant of the Secret Fire, " He said. "Wielder of the flame of Anor! The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun!" Niphrediel had to lower her head when the light was too bright for her as the Balrog brought its power upon the wizard, making him unstable for a moment. "Go back to the Shadow!!" He shouted, and then lifted his staff held by two hands. "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!!" He brought his staff down, and a great light was born from it, making the Balrog cower for a moment and Niphrediel lowered her head for a moment, her arms over the back of her head.
She looked back up and watched with amazement as the bridge began to fall, the Balrog falling with it.
Niphrediel looked up and gave a smile of the wizard, and watched him sigh as he bent down to have another try at the rock on her leg. Her smile came short when she saw the whip of the Balrog in the air behind Mithrandir's unknowing back. "Gandalf!" She screamed, hearing her voice echoing as Gandalf frowned, turning back as the whip grabbed him around his ankle and dragged him some metres away till he was grabbing onto the edge of the bridge.
Niphrediel could here Boromir in the world behind her yelling at Frodo to not go and help Gandalf despite Frodo's screaming.
"GANDALF!" She heard Frodo scream.
"Gandalf." She said, out of breath, which was why she could not shout, but Gandalf heard. "Hold on." She said, and began crawling to the edge, leaving a trail of blood behind her.
Niphrediel cried; trying to ignore the pain as her muscles just gave up, unmoving from her hips down. She reached out with her hand, stretching as far as she could.
Gandalf was so close. All he had to do was reach out as far as he could.
"Gandalf!" Niphrediel let out, feeling her fingers brush the velvety surface of his hand. "Reach." She said, stretching out.
Gandalf tried, when the leather-like material of Niphrediel's gloved fingers brushed against him, but only slipped down, further down the edge when he let go of his right hand to try and grab hers.
Niphrediel looked up at the wizard, only visible from the edge from his face and hands, that slipped has he slowly lost his grip. "Fly you fools!" He said to the fellowship, sneaking one last glance to the child. "Fly dear raven." He whispered to her with a farewell smile.
"No!" Niphrediel screamed, pushing herself up and reaching for his hand, but it was too late and she felt his hand brush her palm and the bottom of her fingers as he let go, slipping down. "Gandalf!" She called, knowing she would not receive any answer.
She cried, looking to the other side of the bride seeing orcs begin to come. She looked back. "Somebody! Please! ARAGORN!!" Why aren't you coming!!!!
"Mother? Manke uma lye aut iire lye gurth?" *What happens when we die?* Niphrediel could here her younger voice echoing inside her temples, remembering everything. "Aiya Niphrediel! Uuma dela yassen tanya. Coia naa faarea del ten' ereb." *Oh Niphrediel! Don't worry about that. Life is enough to worry about alone.*
Aragorn went to go, stopped by Boromir's spare arm. "No!" Boromir shouted, fearing for Aragorn's safety. "It is too dangerous!"
Aragorn glared at the man. "That is my sis"- He stopped when he saw Legolas run passed Boromir before he could stop him, and ran across the bridge.
"Run Legolas!" Shouted Aragorn as he watched. "Hurry!!"
Niphrediel saw hope as she saw the edhel run across, faster then she ever thought he could run.
Legolas frowned, looking at the rock on her leg as he made it to her. "Oh Eru." He let out, seeing all the blood. He looked to Niphrediel with warning. "Prepare to scream." He said, getting a grip on the bottom of the rock.
Niphrediel nodded and closed her eyes.
Legolas took a breath and began to lift the rock, immediately hearing the screaming of the child that made him all the more desperate to lift it as quickly as possible.
Niphrediel could slowly feel the blade slipping out, feeling more pain then when it went in.
Legolas yelled out, as he pulled the rock off and let it drop over the edge. "Come on!" He ordered, getting Niphrediel up and putting an arm under hers so that he didn't have to pick her up and began to run, dragging Niphrediel along with him as the orcs on the other side of the bridge fired arrows he would be ashamed to shoot, as they did not hit nor scrap their retreating bodies.
"Aragorn!" Boromir yelled, carrying Frodo, to the other man as he waited till Legolas and the child ran passed him, before he made his own way through, dodging arrows as the weight of leading the fellowship on rested upon his shoulder. A responsibility he did not want to have, yet now did.
They ran out of the cave, into the early evening sky.
Legolas, running in front of her, noticed the sunlight, dim but still unmistakable, and pulled Niphrediel's hood on as they raced into the light, Aragorn following behind them.
Once Legolas ran to a stop, he let go of Niphrediel, his arm simply becoming limp who slowly moved down to sit in a heap on the rocky surface bellow.
Niphrediel held herself up, her arms suddenly giving way like jelly, having to lean forward. She couldn't feel the pain on her leg; it was totally numb. Niphrediel rubbed her hand along her the side of her left legging, while sobbing, to make with that the tear on it still covered the bleeding flesh underneath.
Niphrediel frowned, feeling her breathing become coarse and brought her arms around her knees and cried.
She was so close. All he had to do was just……..Niphrediel let out a small cry in agony and frustration. ALL HE HAD TO DO WAS TAKE MY HAND!!!
"Curse you, Gandalf!" She hissed, bringing her hood closer strategically shading her pale, tear-stricken face and stared at the people around her.
All was silent, save the sound of Pippin and Merry's sobs. Sam cried silently sitting on a rock, Boromir held Gimli, who cried as he looked back at the cave, Legolas, of whom had wandered away from her after putting her down, looked down with a total lost expression on his face and Aragorn had her backs turned to her so she could not see their faces
It seemed at eternity as the sound of weeping continued until it was finally broken.
"Legolas," Said Aragorn. "Get them up."
Legolas shuffled at Estel's words, his face stinging in distaste to move.
Boromir glared at Aragorn, a tear falling from his left eye. "Give them a moment, for pity's sake!" He exclaimed.
"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with Orcs!" Shouted Aragorn with a wave of his hand. "We must reach the woods of Lothlorien. Come Boromir. Legolas, Gimli, get them up."
Niphrediel watched Legolas hesitantly walk to Merry and put his hand on his shoulder, telling him soft words to boast his moral as best he could. Her eyes switched to Aragorn as he lifted Sam up.
"On your feet, Sam." Aragorn said, with a pat on Sam's shoulder before he lifted his head and scanned the crowd. "Frodo?" He called, spotting him a small distance from them. "Frodo!!" He called again, which made Frodo stop walking away.
Niphrediel felt her eyes sting as more tears seemed to fill them as the ring-bearer turned around, staring at Estel with nothing but misery showing in his once-spirited eyes as a tear fell down his cheek like a large raindrop.
"Aragorn?"
Aragorn was torn from his train of thought and his apologetic stare on the hobbit was broken as his attention swerved at the sound of his name. He turned his head back, looking Legolas behind him. "Yes…Legolas?" He said, taking his time in between the words.
Legolas took more steps closer to the human. He slowly lowered his head, directing his voice downwards so that only Estel could hear him. "Niphrediel awra atse'." He said.
Aragorn frowned. "Where? I did not see." He asked, looking to his sister holding her head through her hood.
Legolas turned. "Her leg. She wont be able to walk on it"-
"We mustn't check it," Snapped Aragorn, as if someone was about to. "At least not in this light."
Legolas nodded and moved off, as Aragorn walked passed in direction to Niphrediel.
Niphrediel watched him coming closer from the corner of her eye, too exhausted to move.
He stopped at her side and checked her leg with her eyes, and she watched him shiver at how much blood there was. She could hear it dripping down her leg and onto the ground like a tap.
"Indeed, you wont be able to walk." Estel mumbled to himself, glancing at Boromir who appeared beside him, looking at Niphrediel's wound also. "We will have to hurry." Said Aragorn, and Boromir nodded to that.
Boromir gave Niphrediel a comforting smile, of which she had no energy to return.
Niphrediel frowned, watching as the world around her began to blur, black beginning to eat away at the colour from the outside in, as all she could do was take deep breathes.
"Well, if the poor girl can't walk, and if someone will be generous enough to carry my shield, I'll be able to carry her on my back." She could hear Boromir's voice, loud then slowly echoing as she felt her senses drift slowly away.
Fly dear raven…fly.
Niphrediel let out a small groan, before she fell back in an unconscious heap.
I can't fly…I can't fly……………….I can't.
