Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
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Ch. 7 Rude Awakenings
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Doom, doom.
Doom, doom.
The sound, like an unearthly heartbeat, seemed to echo in the chamber.
Doom, doom.
Doom, doom.
No one seemed to move, either afraid to break the silent tension in the room, or else anticipating something no one seemed ready to put voice to. Whatever the reason, time seemed to stand still as the Company stood there, waiting for their foe to make the next move.
Suddenly, there was a loud bang against the door. Karla looked around the room, wondering if someone else was going to respond to the noise, hoping that someone would come up with a plan to get them out of that mess before too long. Somehow, Karla knew, they would have to face a cave troll first.
Suddenly there was another bang against the door, only this time the door started to slowly side open, as though some great force were steadily pushing against the door, forcing it open.
Then Karla saw it, what looked to be a greyish green shoulder soon followed by the arm, came through the door. As Karla stood and stared in amazement it didn't take long for the rest of the troll to find its way through the door. The cave troll had arrived.
Drawing her sword, Karla stood ready to do battle, willing to fight orcs and trolls alike in defence of her friends. Suddenly, as if out of the air, Boromir's words from the other day came back to Karla. "Would you consider that sword you're carrying evil?"
Looking down at her sword, Karla was struck by the realisation that, yes, she would have to consider some aspects of her sword evil. There was an inherent evil in the weapon, if nothing more than by the nature of its design. Karla realised then that the sword was made for one purpose and one purpose only: to kill. Holding her sword, Karla got ready to use it in the purpose for which it was made.
Boromir was the first to react, drawing his sword swiftly and accurately against the creature. Unfortunately the blow seemed to bounce off the creature, as if Boromir had a bamboo stick in hand and not a deadly sword.
As if watching Boromir spurned him into action, Frodo quickly drew his sword and, with the battle cry of "The Shire!" launched himself at the troll, drawing first blood. But not to be out done, Aragorn and Legolas were soon in the thick of things, fighting their way to freedom.
But no sooner had the battle begun that Boromir was able to throw himself against the door, shutting it once again. The cave troll was locked out.
While Karla was thankful that that problem had been easily solved, the locked door didn't seem to deter the invading orcs any, as they beat against the door with a passion to defeat the Fellowship. In no time at all their numbers were swarming through the door with one sole thought running through their heads: kill.
Legolas with his amazing bow skills and Aragorn and Boromir with their swordsmanship managed to kill many and soon the orc were running in retreat, leaving the defenders unharmed.
"Let us go before the troll returns," Gandalf cried out, echoing everyone's unspoken thoughts.
Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a great Orc Chieftain appeared, a huge spear in its hand. Somehow managing to avoid the two human warriors near the door, the orc seemed to make a b-line straight for Frodo. At least to Karla it looked like the orc was intentionally heading in Frodo's direction. And, with one desperate thrust, the orc managed to thrust his spear, catching Frodo squarely in the side, slamming the poor hobbit against the wall.
No sooner had the Orc Chieftain struck Frodo than Anduirl, wielded by Aragorn, came down upon his head, dispatching it as quickly as it had attempted to dispatch Frodo. Sparing the orc not a second thought, Aragorn kicked the carcass out of the way in his attempt to see to Frodo.
Just as Aragorn reached the unconscious hobbit Gandalf cried out for everyone to run. Picking up Frodo, Aragorn made for the stairs, pushing the shocked and frightened hobbits ahead of him.
While Aragorn stopped to pick up the unconscious Frodo, everyone else made a mad dash towards the stairs, hoping to avoid a further fight and not wanting to consider the fate of the Ringbearer.
As they were running Frodo began to squirm in Aragorn's arms and was soon asking to be put down. So shocked was he to see Frodo moving that Aragorn almost dropped the dazed hobbit.
"I'm alright. I'm not hurt. Please put me down."
"Not hurt? You should be dead. That spear could have skewered a wild boar!" Too amazed to think much about it, Aragorn put Frodo down carefully, lest the hobbit be more injured that he thought and fall.
But seeing that Frodo was able to keep up, the Company kept running, heading constantly downward towards the Bridge of Khazad-dum.
Making it to the brink of the bridge, Gandalf stopped, instructing them to cross single-file.
Arrows were flying throught he air, one striking Frodo and bouncing off. Other flew through the air, hoping to find some target into which to land.
Legolas, returning fire with his own bow, suddenly stopped, staring at the group of orcs. As if en mass, the group of orcs seemed to part, seemingly to allow some creature to pass by. Whatever was coming, it seemed to bring fear into the eyes of the elf.
Suddenly Legolas saw it, the one thing that managed to draw terror into the heart of the elf.
"A Balrog. A Balrog is coming."
Looking, Karla could only stare in wonder at the creature moving towards them. Somehow the movie just couldn't fully detail the majesty and the destructive power of the Balrog. There was just something inexplicable about it…as though to try to confine it to mere words was like trying to contain its power in a mason jar.
"Quick, over the bridge," Gandalf cried out, drawing everyones attention away from the evil creature and towards their goal. "This is a foe beyond any of you. Fly!"
As they made it to the other side of the bridge, Karla saw, to her amazement and despair, Gandalf's last stand against the Balrog.
While she saw the whole thing, the actual events of the battle were lost to Karla. One minute Gandalf was standing there, Glamdring glittering white in his hand as he did battle against the Balrog. The next thing she knew, she was looking into Gandalf's wise eyes, as though they were burrowing into her soul as he shouted out for everyone to run.
Who moved first, Karla wasn't sure, but the next thing she knew, Aragorn was rousing everyone to run, heading Gandalf's last wishes before he fell.
With Aragorn leading them and Boromir pulling up the rear, the Company made for the safety of the outside world, always behind them the echoing heartbeat of the drums ringing their doom, doom…..doom, doom.
Slowly as they ran, the drum beats seemed to get quieter, as the drummer seemed to fade further and further into the gloom of Khazad-dum.
Doom, doom.
Doom, doom.
Quieter and quieter, slowly fading into the darkness, and to Karla, seeming to signal the end of Gandalf the Grey, until finally they, like he were gone.
And looking into the darkness of the Mines of Moria Karla was struck with the realisation that, while she had been consciously aware of Boromir, or more precisely, of Boromir's untimely demise, not once had she worried or considered Gandalf's fall in the Mines of Moria.