Chronicle 3

Nienna sat in front of the wall and tried to work out the riddle, 'Speak friend and enter. But what does that mean?' Suddenly her sharp ears picked up noise and she hurried to hide behind a huge boulder. Peeking over the top she recognised the Fellowship walking towards Moria. 'So they could not pass over the mountain. Could it have been the power of Sauron? Or of Saruman?'

"Isildin. It mirrors only starlight and moonlight." Gandalf looked up to see the moon come out and light up the door. He read the riddle and began to try passwords, but to no avail. He tried many and eventually threw his staff down and sat, saying, "Oh, this is useless!"

Frodo stood and looked at the door. Then, without turning, he said to Gandalf, "It's a riddle; 'Speak, friend, and enter'. What's the Elvish word for friend?"

Gandalf looked at him and said, "Mellon." At once the doors opened and they all jumped up to go inside. Cálena stayed outside to see what happened.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed movement in the water. She peered closely and saw a tentacle slither up the bank towards the Hobbits. It wrapped around Frodo's foot and dragged him back.

"Strider!" Sam called Aragorn.

Nienna scrabbled to the top of the boulder and crouched down. Aragorn, Boromir and Legolas all jumped into the water and began cutting at the Watcher, as it dangled Frodo above it.

Just as it opened its mouth, Nienna sprung off the rock onto the Watcher's head. She jumped upwards as Legolas fired an arrow into its head, and she swung her sword at the tentacle holding Frodo. Boromir caught Frodo and above the noise, Cálena heard Gandalf yell, "Into the mines!"

They ran into the mines with the Watcher chasing them. Suddenly there was a loud crashing noise and the light went out. Gandalf hit his staff and it produced light. Nienna looked to where the door was, only to find it had collapsed in.

In a sudden rush of air, Nienna felt someone grab her and she was pushed into the wall. Boromir held her up against it, "Who the hell?"

"Calm down! It's me, Nienna."
Gandalf brought the light near and peered at her, "Let her go Boromir."

Boromir let her go and she slid down.

"Thanks," she said, dusting herself off.

"Why are you here?" Aragorn walked over.

"Well, Gandalf and I had a little talk before you all left. I asked him what I should do and he told me to follow my heart." Nienna replied.
"What do you mean?" Aragorn asked.
"Every fibre of my being said I should be here. So here I am." she opened her arms out.

"She can't stay," Legolas said, "It's too dangerous."

"I could best you right now." Cálena walked right up to him and challenged him.

"I doubt it," he looked down at her, "no elf maiden could ever best me."

Nienna opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by Gandalf, "She is here now and the way back is cut off. We now have but one choice. We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard! There are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world. Quiet now. It is a four day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed."

They turned and began their journey up the steep stairs.

"Pippin!" Merry scolded him when Pippin fell.

"Let him be," Nienna bent down and helped Pippin up, "Be more careful."

They stopped at the top of the stairs. "I have no memory of this place." Gandalf muttered.

"Are we lost?" Pippin asked.

"No." Merry replied.

"I think we are."

"Shh..."

"Merry?"

"What?"

"I'm hungry."

Nienna laughed softly and sat down.

"Why are you here?" Aragorn sat down beside.

"Well, I wanted someone to from Ered Luin to go with you, but I couldn't trust someone enough so I came instead. This elf maiden," Nienna looked pointedly at Legolas, who sat opposite her, "knows how to hold her own."

"That's good," Legolas looked back at her, "because we can't be worried about protecting you all the time."

Cálena opened her mouth to retort when Gandalf stood up, "Ah! It's that way."

"He's remembered!" Merry jumped up.

"No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here. If in doubt, Meridoc, always follow your nose."

They all followed him one by one down the stone steps until they found more room to move.

Gandalf produced more light and they found themselves in a huge hall filled with pillars, "Behold! The great realm of the Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf."

Gimli ran off towards a room and the group followed, finding him kneeling at a tomb, weeping.

"Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria." Gandalf read the tombstone, "He is dead then. It is as I feared." He picked up a book and began to read it.

"We must move on. We cannot linger." Legolas looked back at the door.

Gandalf began to read the book aloud, "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. A shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out. They are coming. They are coming..." he looked up at them from the book.

Suddenly there was a crash behind him and they turned to look at Pippin, who grimanced as something fell down the well he was standing beside. Then, the skeleton sitting on the well toppled and caused a huge crashing noise.

Gandalf slammed the book shut, "Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" He turned to leave and then stopped.

Nienna listened carefully and she, too, could hear the drumming noise. Frodo pulled his sword out of its sheath and it was glowing blue.

"Orcs!" said Legolas and Cálena simultaneously.

Boromir ran to the door and two arrows narrowly missed his head, "They have a cave troll."

They grabbed any extra weapons they could find and barred the door. Nienna turned to see Gimli standing on top of Balin's grave. "Let them come," he said fiercely, "There is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!"

Nienna smiled and stood beside Legolas, bow and arrow at the ready.

"Are you sure you can do this?" he murmured.

"Are you?" she replied.

Orcs began to break holes in the wooden doors, Legolas, Aragorn and Nienna shooting them as the tried to enter.

Just as Nienna ran out of arrows, the doors broke and Orcs flooded in. She unsheathed her sword and swung it over her head, bringing it down upon the nearest Orc's head. She spun and chopped the head off another. She looked round and saw one advancing on Pippen. Pulling an arrow out of a dwarf's skeleton, she shot it at the back of the Orc's head. Pippin looked round and smiled gratefully.

A loud crash startled her and she turned just in time to see Gimli crash to the floor. "Ugly!" she screamed, distracting the Troll before it could hit Gimli again. She ducked as it swung its chain around. She cried out as she tripped over backwards. Legolas looked down and shot an arrow at the Troll, dodging its chain. The chain got caught in the wall and Legolas ran up onto its head, firing another arrow into.

Nienna swung at an Orc as Legolas landed beside her. "What was that about having to protect me all the time?" she asked. Legolas glared at her and sunk a blade into an Orc's stomach.

"Aragorn! Aragorn!" Nienna spun at the sound of Frodo's voice. She saw Aragorn run forward and stab the Troll with a spear. Suddenly he slammed against a nearby wall and crumpled to the ground. Nienna ran towards them, pushing Orc's out of the way.

She stopped and gasped in horror as she saw the Troll take the spear out of its side and plunge it deep into Frodo. A rush of wind and arms around her waist, pulling her to the ground, told her that Boromir had just saved her being skewered.

He pulled her to the side as the Troll fell; killed by an arrow into the head. He pulled her to her feet and she ran to Frodo. Aragorn had now woken up and was crawling to his side.

"Oh no!" he murmured. He rolled Frodo over, who promptly sat up.

"What!" Nienna exclaimed.

"He's alive!" Sam gasped.

"I'm all right. I'm not hurt."

"You should be dead," Aragorn told him, "That spear would have skewered a wild boar!"
"I think there is more to this hobbit than meets the eye." Gandalf said with a small smile. Frodo pulled his shirt up, revealing a silver chain mail.

"Mithril!" Gimli gasped, "You are full of surprises Master Baggins."

Nienna walked to Legolas' side as the others helped Frodo up, "What is it?" Legolas looked around, and drums sounded in the distance.

"To the bridge of Khazad-Dum!" Gandalf exclaimed and led them out.

The great Cavern filled with Orcs, running towards them, scrambling down the walls until the ten were surrounded. Then a roar sounded in the distance and the Orcs, after looking at each other, fled as one. The fellowship turned to face the sound, weapons at the ready. After a moment, Cálena reached out and lightly, but firmly, pushed Legolas' bow down.

"What is this devilry?" Boromir murmured.

"A Balrog." Gandalf said, as they watched the hall light up red, "A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you. Run!"

Nienna caught Pippin's hand and ran. Suddenly the path stopped; Legolas only just able to stop Boromir falling over the edge. They followed Aragorn onwards to a staircase that had broken.

Legolas and Nienna looked at the gap and then at each other. Grabbing his hand, she leapt easily across. After a moments hesitation Gandalf followed, then Boromir, Merry & Pippin.

The staircase broke more. Aragorn lifted Sam and threw him across, but Gimli refused to be thrown. He jumped, and Legolas grabbed hold of his beard to pull him up.

Just then, the roof fell down bringing more of the staircase with it, and Aragorn and Frodo were trapped on the unsteady stairs. Nienna & Legolas leaned forward to try to reach them but they were to far away. Aragorn tried to manipulate the stairs to move forwards and time was suspended in the air as Nienna watched. Finally the stairs crashed down, allowing them to cross.

They started to run and got across the bridge. Nienna turned back to see Gandalf, halfway across the bridge, standing alone against the Balrog.

"You cannot pass!"

"Gandalf!"

"I am a servant of the secret fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor! The Dark Fire will not avail you, Flame of Udun!"

The Balrog swung a fiery blade above its head, & Gandalf blocked it as it fell, "Go back to the Shadow! You shall not pass!"

He slammed his staff to the ground and the blinding white flash caused the Balrog to stagger back. It drew a whip and stepped forward onto the bridge. Then bridge gave way under its weight, dropping the Balrog into the chasm below. Gandalf sighed and turned away, but tail of the whip caught Gandalf's ankle and pulled him down.

Nienna gasped as he gripped the edge of the bridge and cried out, "Fly, you fools!"

Frodo screamed, "Gandalf! No!" He tried to run forward, but Boromir held him back.

Nienna vaguely heard his voice calling, "Aragorn!" as she stared down at the bridge. She, too, tried to get to the bridge, but Legolas grabbed her round the waist and lifted her, carrying her away as she struggled.

When they got outside, Legolas set her down and she tried to re-enter the Mines. But Legolas held her fast, cradling her into his arms. He stared into the distance in shock. Nienna buried her face into his chest.

Some minutes later, she heard Aragorn's voice, "Legolas, get them up!"

She looked up as Boromir said, "Give them a moment, for pity's sake!"

"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with Orcs!" Aragorn argued, "We must reach the woods of Lothlorien. Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, get them up!"

Legolas wiped the tears from Cálena's eyes and stood her up straight.

"Frodo?" She heard Aragorn's voice call out. She turned and looked at Frodo, the tears running silently down his sorrow-ridden face.