FIRST KNIGHT BY ASHA DREAMWEAVER
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.
Summary: BtVS/LotR. Buffy is sent to Middle Earth to help bring down Sauron. Her duty, like the Istari, is not to confront Sauron directly but to help those fated to face him bring him down. More specifically, she has to help the King of Gondor get on his throne. Will Arwen and Aragorn's love stand against the shadow? Will Legolas be able to keep a secret that if revealed, could shatter the lives of those he cares for? Will Buffy be able to fulfil her duty? Will Denethor be able to put aside his animosity for the man who would supplant him? Will the ringbearer reach Mount Doom, or will he be cut down before he reaches his goal? And will Boromir resist the lure of the ring?
Author's notes: thanks for all the reviews! And a word of advice; please remember that if you actually kill me you will never find out how this ends… In addition, I cannot say how shocked I am at the response to the last chapter. Oh boy, that was barely a wind up for this one!
P.S - this is the longest chapter so far! Be prepared! Anyone with a weak heart, please take caution.
Review responses:
Alliana Greenleaf Halliwe - okay, Celebrimbor made the Three Elven Rings. Functions: all of them hold back the passing of time and decay; all can ease minds and spirits and defend their respective bearers and realms. Individual functions go as follows: Narya - Ring of Fire. Kindles hope, warmth and strength in people's hearts. Amplifies abilities already there. Nenya - the Ring of Water or Adamant. Again amplifies abilities but I am unsure of what other abilities Tolkien gave it. However, a safe bet is that the Mirror of Galadriel was tied to it, for example, the visions she was able to give to other people who did not have foresight. Vilya - the Ring of Air and strongest of the Three. Again amplifies abilities. Exact use undetermined. But helps Elrond to control the Bruinen.
Anna - thank you! Still not quite getting the 'watching her back' thing. Not entirely but by the end of this chapter, you will. Pippin is a huge nuisance in the books, always messing up everything. And yes, I have done most of my Christmas shopping. I like to be organised.
BuffyandDracoLover - only other bearers could see Nenya and Vilya as well. Otherwise, everyone would know who had them.
Cassie-bear01 - no, definitely never had that conversation.
Catgirl Elf Princess - sorry, 'A Light to you' is discontinued.
ChibiChibi - no, nothing happened with Narya in the books. That was all me. The warg attacks were in the books though. When is Aragorn going to tell? Soon enough I suppose, sooner for some than others though and some maybe not ever. And 'hectic' is an understatement.
clcountry - reserve judgement away. Moreover, I try to make a point of do things that have not been done before.
Draco's Slytherin Vampiress - move cities? Wow.
Dragonstar - to stop this site from cutting this out. I'm writing out my e-mail in words. It is: - calia underscore erin at yahoo dot co dot uk.
Eámanë Aldaríon - Mae govannen mellon nín! And no, Sauron hasn't forgotten her. Watch that space. Also, I think that Gandalf had to know that the odds were stacked together against him in Moria. And Aragorn has other problems at the moment than telling Buffy as you will see by the end of this chapter! But Legolas will find out soon enough, within the next chapter or two. And yes, Galadriel will come back into the story with a bang during the Lórien scenes and after. I haven't forgotten about her! And you're reviews are always a treat! :)
Emerald sorceress - thanks! And yes, definitely not a great time to start spilling the beans. How will Buffy feel? Read on and find out. And Pippin? A dimwit? That's not entirely fair.
Fairieangel - yeah, the different POV was a new thing for me.
FallenStar2 - it was meant to be a surprise. Gandalf did have a point about Aragorn; if it came down to losing Buffy and Sauron regaining the One Ring, what choice would he have? If Buffy had Narya, then is Sauron got the One, she would be lost to him anyway. Of course, Aragorn knows he is in a mess. He just does not know the size of the mess yet. No, he does not have any idea how Buffy is suffering. You teared up? Oh my god. I so didn't expect that. And I DO like long reviews. And your best case scenario is not too bad but what is your worst case scenario? And can it match mine?…
goldenshadows - eight months? Gosh, you are right! Where does the time go?
Haley - thanks! He was still confused until this point. But don't worry; at the end of the chapter, there is a sure-fire way of seeing exactly how much he has depended on her…
Lady Alathon - ...interesting.. Review. Definitely did not know about the ducks.
Lady of the Wood - soon enough. And Aragorn's thoughts are meant to torment you. And if the suspense is killing you now…
Lizdarcy2 - interesting question. But you will have to wait and see.
Locathah - maybe… but you'll see the difficulties at the end of this part…
Lunawolf - pity. The Buffy and Aragorn thing gets a new spanner in the works soon.
Malfeus - hope? Not in this chapter! Probable pain was a good guess though.
MiShA - easy on her? I never go easy on her!
narmolanya - not for much longer though.
Northern Ranger - stop the cliffhangers? Oh dear, wait until you see this chapter!
Sabia - thanks! Glad to know my translations and keys are getting good use!
Sierra-Falls - I am not sure I want to read into what you meant by that…
Sparky24 - no, Narya has nothing to do with the 'foreshadowing of doom'.
Star - thanks! Interesting thoughts on the Buffy/Aragorn situation. Certainty? Not something in abundance in this fic. Especially this section.
And major thanks to:
Agent-G, BB, Libitina De Averna, Night-Owl123, Selene, slayer girl, The Unholy Alliance, Vik, Wild320, Zayra,
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: SHADOW AND FLAME
"For something to live, something must be sacrificed."
-The X-Files Game-
Hall Twenty-One, the Mines of Moria, January 15, 3019, TA. Early morning, before dawn.
As the pre dawn light broke through the dark in the outside world; inside the darkness of Khazad-dûm, Gandalf roused the fellowship from their sleep.
No light filtered through the dark stone but the canny wizard knew well the time, and wanted them to complete what would hopefully be their second last march through the mines and then they would hopefully see daylight again.
Buffy had woken up to find herself tightly encased in Aragorn's arms, and had mercifully found him to be asleep so that she could stealthily slip out of his embrace without waking him, but she had not been able to escape Legolas's sharp eyes, which unknown to her had been studying them for most of his watch.
Neither Aragorn nor Buffy had mentioned the incident, - yet, but Buffy felt uncomfortable around the ranger, who seemed to be tactfully not mentioning the as of yet unknown to her reason as to why exactly they had ended up as they did.
But as the light once more flared at the top of Gandalf's gnarled staff, and the shadow of the wizard's pointed hat flickered along the walls, the fellowship got under way once more.
Buffy tried to nonchalantly pretend that she did not notice when Legolas discreetly sidled up beside her, and just as nonchalantly tried to ignore the pair of grey eyes that bored into her from the rear.
But the Elf Prince was not content to leave Buffy to her musings and increasingly implausible reasons as to why and how she had ended up in Aragorn, the 'betrothed to Arwen' Aragorn's arms.
"He has been trying to speak with you," Legolas said quietly, making sure to be unheard by the others, and Buffy had no doubt at all who he meant.
"Well, I don't want to talk to him, or you for that matter," Buffy replied equally quietly, steadily refusing to look at him.
"You seemed quite… cosy last night," Legolas said reprovingly.
"Since I don't know how that happened," Buffy said sharply, "Don't get up on your high horse Greenleaf. I don't know what the hell he was thinking. If you want to interrogate someone, go ask Aragorn. Who knows what that man does things for?"
"You generally have an idea most of the time," Legolas replied, "Else you would not be as close as you are, for he would not be yet living."
"Aragorn is his own man. What he does is not any of my business." Buffy said.
"But you care for him…"
"God, Legolas! Listen, I'm not going to betray Arwen whatever happens so just lay off it would you?" Buffy hissed in frustration, "If he's acting weird, it's not my problem or my fault so stop looking at me like that!"
"Do the nightmares bother you much?" the chagrined Elf asked.
Buffy stared at him, wondering where this had come from and how had he noticed, "What nightmares?" she asked cautiously.
"The one that drove Aragorn to comfort you." Legolas replied, "Did you not know? You were restless on Aragorn's watch, and he sought to calm you."
So that was what had happened. Once more, Aragorn got to see Buffy lose it. What absolute joy, Buffy thought sarcastically.
"You did not know," Legolas stated, reading Buffy's conflicted expression, "Then I am sorry for bringing this matter to you, mellon nín, (my friend)." He studied her carefully, thoughtfully, "Are you well Buffy?"
She smiled at him, a wan, strained smile, took a breath and then lied through her teeth, "I'm fine," she said, intending never to tell anyone about her problems. She had already said too much to Aragorn, and look at the result; - he was watching her like he was her babysitter.
He looked at her, not believing her words, but let her be and gracefully backed off, but not before feeling the need to warn her against the dangers of her own despair and divided attention, "I must tell you to beware Dagnir (slayer)," he whispered, "A dark shadow is growing in my mind."
That achingly false wan smile never wavered, as if it were a mask of flesh that covered her true face with this false one, "I know," she replied, "It's in mine too. It has always been there. Always. And it's coming for us…"
---------------
The Chamber of Mazarbul, the mines of Moria, 3019 TA, January 15.
They were crossing the grand open space of Hall Twenty-One, cautioned to silence by Gandalf, and for most of them too deep in awe to say much anyway; but in four cases, the people concerned only knew fear.
Gandalf knew that they were dangerously exposed walking the huge and shadowed expanse of the hall; Buffy and Aragorn were lost in memory, remembering exactly what had come after them in this hall once before; and Legolas eyeing the dark span of the Dwarven hall with distaste and no little unease.
But Gimli Glóin's son was blissfully unaware of this and so when he spotted a doorway to the side of the hall, and when he saw the bodies of dead orcs outside the doors, he ran towards the open door to investigate.
Gandalf spotted him first and cried out, "Gimli!" but it was too late, Gimli had rushed into the chamber and the rest of the fellowship were forced to follow in his wake, Gandalf leading the way, holding his pointed hat atop his head to stop it falling off as he jogged after the Dwarf.
Gimli was devastated at the sight before him when they caught up with him; his normally proud shoulders drooping and his leathered face weeping, "No! Oh, no! No!" he cried.
The room they were in was filled with destruction; bodies and discarded weapons mixing with the remnants of old rubble. It was a grim sight. As it had obviously been a grim end for those who had been here before.
Gandalf was perhaps the only one to understand the Dwarf's plight, being the only one to be able to read the Dwarven letters. He approached the large stone tomb in the room, "Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria." he read, "He is dead then. It is as I feared." The wizard sighed, looked at the grieving Dwarf, and then handed Merry his staff to hold for him.
Gimli seemed to come out of his stupor at that moment, and whispered a quiet Dwarven prayer over the tomb of his cousin, "Kilmin malur ni zaram kalil ran arag. Kheled-zâram. Balin tazlifi…"
Legolas eyed the chamber with suspicion and wariness and he spoke to Aragorn under his breath, "We must move on. We cannot linger." he warned.
The ranger grimaced, "I know, but Gandalf is the guide. It must be he who leads us out. And I dare say that Gimli will not be gainsaid."
Ignoring the intense stares of Buffy, Aragorn and Legolas, Gandalf reached for the book in the hands of the skeleton of a dead Dwarf, and he flicked through the crumbling pages.
"It is grim reading," Gandalf said, expression as grim as his words, "I fear their end was cruel. Listen!" he said, and began to read aloud, the horrible words soon earning the rapt attention of the others, "'We cannot get out. We cannot get out. They have taken the Bridge and second hall. Frár and Lóni and Náli fell there…. We have barred the gates but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums, drums in the deep... We cannot get out…' I cannot read the rest, but the last lines run, 'The pool is up to the wall at the Westgate. The Watcher in the Water took Óin. We cannot get out. A Shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out. The end comes…' and then, 'drums, drums in the deep…. They are coming….'"
Both Slayer and ranger felt lumps grow in the pits of their stomachs as Gandalf read from the book, the words 'Drums, drums in the deep…' having deep connotations with them. Boromir noticed it and asked if they were alright.
"No, we're all in serious trouble. We have to get out of here." Buffy said quietly, pulling a dagger from the waistband of her pants. "Be ready. Arm yourself." she said authoritively, even as she felt her own fear mount that history was repeating itself all over again.
Pippin, curious as ever, had been prowling around unwatched by the others and he touched a skeleton by a well, which fell in, dragging with it a large bucket on a metal chain, making horrible scraping and clanging noises as it tipped and fell. For a long moment there was silence; the rest of the company listening to the increasingly duller clanks and bangs from the well in horror.
Gandalf slammed the book closed and wheeled around at the sound, his hat wavering precariously on his head, "Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time, and rid us of your stupidity!" he snapped, visibly angry at Pippin's foolishness and recklessness.
But then his attention was diverted by something much more sinister.
The rest of the Fellowship looked at her startled, as Buffy started to whip her head around, frantically trying to pinpoint the source that had set off her slayer sense. Cocking her head to the side, her eyes widened in dawning realisation and a visible shudder went through her as she registered what the thing that had attracted her full attention was, "Drums in the deep..." she whispered through a suddenly dry mouth.
This attracted the company's undivided attention.
"What did you say?" Gandalf questioned with a sense of horrible dread welling within him.
Legolas, having heard the whispered warning was already listening for anything unusual; he heard it a split second before the rest of the Fellowship did.
From the deeps, drumming noises could be heard.
At first it was the quietest tap, but then it grew louder, and more frequent and louder still until the whole fellowship was listening, stranded on a knife-edge, listening to the ominous sounds of their own doom.
Buffy and Aragorn paled further as they heard the answering drumbeats, and two whispered voices announced the cause of their sudden fear, "Drums in the deep….." Buffy whispered the words to herself again as her senses were suddenly thrown into chaos, and she felt such unmitigated evil dwelling below them that she almost felt like her head was going to burst from the sheer force of it.
Then a great, rolling boom echoed throughout the chamber. It seemed to come from the unexplored depths below. "Do you hear all that noise?" Legolas asked Buffy, who had the second keenest hearing of the group, stealthily asking her could she hear the faint marching of feet, the scuttling of bodies.
"Just enough to make me feel crappy." Buffy replied, schooling her face to stoicism. It was enough that she was about to meet with the oh so welcoming hordes of Moria, she wasn't going to act like a wimp about it though.
And then Sam cried out in horror, seeing Frodo's sword, Sting, glow blue, meaning that there were orcs near, "Frodo!" he cried, alerting the dark-haired hobbit to the now blue glowing blade.
Another rolling boom sounded, that seemed to come from depths far below, and to tremble in the stone at their feet. They sprang towards the door in alarm, as if to run.
Buffy and Aragorn stood still, knowing it would be of no use.
And then there came an echoing blast; a great horn was blown in the hall, and answering horns and harsh cries were heard further off. There was a hurrying sound of many feet. The warriors knew at once what it meant, and swords were loosened in their scabbards, knives drawn, arrows nocked.
"They are coming!" cried Legolas, his fair face echoing his dismay. He knew better than most the numbers coming against them, able to make them out as they came closer.
"We cannot get out!" said Gimli, clutching his great battle-axe to him, perhaps going through the same motions his kin had before their slaughter.
"Trapped!" cried Gandalf in horror and dismay at their own foolishness as the trap closed about them, "Why did I delay?! Here we are, caught, just as they were before. But I was not here then…" he said at last, his voice growing firmer as his resolve hardened. The Fellowship had to succeed.
Whatever the cost.
Doom, doom came the drumbeat and the walls shook with the sound of it, disorientating the fellowship and increasing the fear and apprehension that invaded them with all the force of an avalanche.
"Slam the doors and wedge them!" shouted Aragorn, trying to keep order as the hobbits panicked, and trying to buy them time, gesturing to the two sets of doors in the room; the set they had come in by, and the set in the corner of the room. "And keep your packs on as long as you can; we may get a chance to cut our way out!"
"No!" Gandalf exclaimed forcefully, shaking his head, "We must not get shut in! Keep the east door ajar! We will go that way, if we get a chance."
"Okay, I may not be an expert at this but, I think this is the time when somebody hides." Pippin said timidly, his normally cheerful face ghostly white with terror.
"Good idea under normal circumstances," Buffy said, drawing and nocking her bow, "But not lily to work. They will just come through the doors. Trust me, not pretty."
"How do you know that?" Pippin asked, looking at her expectantly.
"Well… It's a long story. I'll tell it to you if we don't end up dying." Buffy replied, keeping her eyes on the main doors.
Legolas grimaced in disgust as he heard the screeching outside, "Orcs." he almost spat.
Hefting his shield onto his back, Boromir ran to the door, sticking his head out to see what was coming for them. Almost immediately though he jerked back again as two orcish arrows narrowly missed skewering him through the head. "This just keeps getting better," he muttered wryly, leaning against the door.
As Boromir darted back into the room after slamming the door shut with a loud bang, Aragorn barked out orders to the inexperienced hobbits, "Get back!" he exclaimed, "Stay close to Gandalf!"
Boromir skidded to a stop beside the knot of warriors in front of the hobbits, "They have a cave-troll." he drawled with a type of gallows humour or sarcasm, urging Aragorn to come with him as he grabbed some of the Dwarves great battle-axes and as Legolas threw them more, they used them to bar the doors. And then Boromir, Aragorn and Legolas stood facing the doors, bows and swords out.
Gimli was perched on top of the tomb of his cousin and Buffy soon leaped up to join them, eager to get some height to use her arrows, without the taller Men and Elf blocking her view. For a moment she contemplated using Balin's tomb to bar the door but then dismissed it; stone would not stop them now.
"Let them come!" Gimli shouted in challenge, clutching his axe and slipping into battle stance, "There is one dwarf yet in Moria that still draws breath!"
Beside the tomb stood Gandalf, looking menacing, his staff and sword poised and ready; and behind it were the hobbits.
"What do we do if they get in?!" Pippin asked Merry, hanging onto his own little sword of Westernesse for dear life.
"I kind of think we die Pippin!" Merry hissed, just as scared as his younger friend.
They all tensed as the orcs outside started to beat against the barred doors; the old wood beginning to buckle under their efforts and they knew that it would not hold as the sharp scimitars and weapons of the orcs started to pierce through the aged door.
Behind the warriors, the hobbits grouped together in a huddle, Frodo's sword glowing a vibrant blue. All had their swords drawn, even as they shrank back in fear at what was coming.
Legolas being the keenest shot of them all, as one of the most celebrated archers in Elvendom, started loosing his arrows as soon as the orcs had made great enough holes in the doors for him to shoot out through; and Buffy and Aragorn, copying his novel approach to orc killing, followed suit immediately, trying to reduce the numbers by as much as possible before they had to resort to close quarters combat.
Not exactly a good thing when orcs and scurry along walls like overgrown spiders.
And then the orcs burst through, the doors came tumbling down and all hell broke loose…
A rain of arrows met the first lines of orcs as they came rushing through in their eagerness to get to their prey, skewering through heads and bodies and armours with practiced ease.
But it was not enough.
And soon the orcs were too many and the room too crowded.
Buffy slung her bow across her back, and drew her sword in one hand and her long knife in the other, somersaulting into the fray even as Gimli started hacking orcs from atop the tomb with his deadly axe.
She landed beside Boromir who was using his shield and sword to decimate groups of orcs, and flashing him a jaunty grin, started decapitating and dismembering all the orcs around her.
As Boromir accepted her subtle offer to watch his back, and he doing the same for her; Gandalf then decided to join in the melee.
Raising his Elven sword, Glamdring, the wizard gave a great roar and charged. Looking at him for a moment, the four hobbits then followed suit, diving into the uproar; ducking under orcs and goblins, and skewering them through the middle with all their summoned courage.
Legolas was the only one still using the bow by this point; using his arrows to skewer orcs if they came close enough for hand-to-hand work and then jerking them back out to nock and fire from his bow.
Having met unexpected opposition, the orcs screeched like mad and one darted back out the doors to summon the cave troll.
Which was of course very bad news.
Sam was the first to meet it. Skidding to an abrupt halt, the steadfast hobbit looked up and up, until he saw the extremely ugly face of the cave troll. As it roared and brought its great club down to squish him, Sam gave a great shout and dived through the legs of the troll, missing its deathblow. The fortunate hobbit scrambled to his feet as Buffy yanked him up before he could be killed by an orc.
Merry and Pippin backed up with Frodo into a corner, hiding behind a pillar in an effort to keep the ringbearer away from the cave troll.
For it seemed that nothing was having much effect on this creature. The troll moved further into the room, towards Gimli. The Dwarf threw a throwing axe at it, which struck it in the chest, but it did not even faze it.
From across the room, Legolas hit it with an arrow but again, it did no real damage.
The troll then charged Gimli, who looked like a mouse who had just met the cat for a moment before he jumped from his perch just in the nick of time to avoid being crushed, as the cave troll destroyed Balin's tomb with one terrible blow from its heavy club.
The Dwarf landed awkwardly on hard stone, but he staggered to his feet again and started madly hacking orcs with his great axe.
It soon became clear that the troll was totally out of control, as it cared not who it killed; whatever side. Its club was used to slam orcs and send them sailing nearly as much as it was used to try to kill the fellowship.
Unfortunately, Gimli, once more, was right in its away and as it started swinging its weapon, carrying away orcs every time, he managed to duck but then at last he got knocked down and as he lay dazed, in a vulnerable position, the troll came towards him.
Seeing the Dwarf's plight, Legolas leaped up onto a ledge and fired two arrows at once into the troll's back, distracting it and allowing time for Gimli to scramble to his feet once more, swaying for a moment before swinging his axe at the orc who was charging him, slicing it clean through the middle.
Buffy abandoned her corner where she had been dispatching orcs, and rolled under a blow from the, by now, livid troll. She quickly saw that her sword and knife were not going to be enough since they looked very puny compared with the creature's size.
However, she did not have time to ponder what she was going to use as a weapon as its club came crashing down, missing her head by about two inches. Having fallen down at the impact, she quickly scrambled up and tried to get away from it, as she did not think that any of her usual martial arts moves were going to do much against the huge troll.
But luck was not on her side, and as she leaped onto the remnants of Balin's tomb, intending to put it between her and the monster, its club slammed into her side and threw her into the wall.
She dazedly slid to the floor, waiting for the black spots in her vision to clear but was seized by the throat by an orc. Scrabbling for her knife, which lay just out of her reach, she tried to kick the orc off, but her whole hip was bruised and she was forced to jerk back from the pain.
Her salvation came in the form of Boromir, who decapitated the orc for her and helped her up, as she grabbed her sword and knife. He immediately noticed the way she was favouring her left leg, "Are you hurt, Buffy?" he asked, taking care of another orc that came their way as she regained her equilibrium.
She shrugged off his concern, "Just dazed from the hit and run with the wall. I'll be fine!" she said and then jumped back into the fight, leaving Boromir to do the same.
Quickly doing a head count, she spotted Gandalf slicing orcs with his sword and using his staff as a quarterstaff about ten feet away, and Legolas upon a ledge above her had been forced to abandon his bow in favour of his long knives and was currently dispatching three orcs at once. Sam was in one corner of the room, holding his own and at the opposite end, she could make out the other three hobbits hiding behind a carved pillar; Gimli was hacking away near to Aragorn, who was guarding the east-door with his sword.
As she watched though, Legolas had his turn with the troll.
It swung the heavy metal chain attached to its collar at Legolas, who managed to dodge it repeatedly so that it impacted on stone, raising small dust clouds wherever it hit. The chain then wrapped around a pillar, momentarily leashing the troll, and Legolas took his chance.
From below, Buffy shouted at him to remember his common sense, "Legolas!" she cried in dismay, "What in Arda are you doing, you big idiot?!"
Legolas did not reply or even look at her; instead, he placed a booted foot on the chain and with typical Elven agility, ran up it until he hopped onto the troll's back, ignoring Buffy's furious shouts. He tried to shoot it in the neck, but the troll tried to shake him off and he was forced to give up in favour of keeping his balance. Sensing that the chance was lost, he leaped down from its back to the ground, earning himself a whack across the head by Buffy for his recklessness before they both got back to the business of killing orcs.
Buffy had to smile at Sam's antics though; he was using his frying pan to whack orcs who came near him in the face, "I think I'm getting the hang of this!" he exclaimed as he continued to whack any nearby orcs.
But she did not notice that the troll had backed the trio of Merry, Pippin and Frodo into a corner until Aragorn shouted out.
"Frodo!" he cried as the troll started to play hide and seek with a terrified Frodo, and in desperation, he started to fight his way to Frodo. Alerted by his cry, Buffy did the same.
By the time Aragorn got near enough for a good look, Frodo was being dragged by the troll and he was screaming for help. "Aragorn! Aragorn!" he cried.
Aragorn was exhausted, forced to lean against a wall for a moment to keep himself upright but at Frodo's cry, he leapt into action once more. "Frodo!" he shouted, jumping down in front of the hobbit, placing himself between Frodo and the troll.
As Aragorn started to fight with the troll, Buffy desperately tried to get across to them; her heart was in her throat at the sight of Aragorn and the troll.
Aragorn thrust a spear into the troll's chest but like all their other efforts, it did not stop him. Merry and Pippin threw rocks at the troll from above and frantically gestured for Buffy to hurry up.
But she was too late.
The troll hit Aragorn, sending him flying just as it had done to her, except that Aragorn was not a slayer and he did not get up again.
"Aragorn!" she cried in horror, and redoubled her efforts, somersaulting over the heads of a pack of orcs, running as fast as she could to his side. Frodo had already done so but for his efforts, the troll had skewered him through his ribs with a spear after pinning him into the wall and so Frodo had sunk into a heap twenty feet away from the downed ranger.
But blind with worry and failure, and the knowledge that the Ring had struck, Buffy was oblivious to it.
Oblivious even to Sam's own pained cry, "Frodo! FRODO!!" he yelled as he too started to fight his way over to Frodo.
Merry and Pippin charged the troll, jumping onto its back, but were grabbed off and swung around in its hands, inducing them to scream madly and for Gimli and Gandalf to try to save them by gingerly attacking the troll.
It worked, partly, as Merry and Pippin were dropped from its hands and went splat onto the stone floor of the chamber, the breath momentarily knocked out of them.
Buffy felt for a pulse and when she found one, she nearly collapsed from relief. Without Aragorn, the kingdoms of Men would never survive this war. They were too divided, leaderless. Aragorn had to survive. She could not bear it to be otherwise.
Ignoring the massive pain in her hip, she cradled his head in her lap and dared any orc to come near her, and indeed they did not; for fire and steel was in her glance, and her Elven blade gleamed an eerie blow, and even though her stature was small, they sensed a hidden power with her, similar to that felt in the wizard.
But as Legolas's arrows finally brought the troll down, collapsed in a dead heap on the floor of the chamber, Aragorn came round.
He started to sit up but she gently held him down for a moment, "Easy there," she said tremulously, "You don't want to faint on us again now, do you?"
He groaned as he opened his eyes and then, wincing, closed them again, and held a hand up to his throbbing head, "Meleth?" (Love), he whispered dazedly, and she felt her heart twist at the word. He thought she was Arwen. Even here, it seemed that the Elf Lady had complete control over Aragorn's heart and occupied his thoughts.
"No, Aragorn," she said, "It's me, Buffy. Come on now, get up. Take it easy though."
His eyes snapped open, "Frodo!" he exclaimed and bolted from her arms over to the downed hobbit. "Oh no…" he whispered softly as he turned him over and to his shock saw Frodo sucking in breaths.
Sam dropped down to his knees beside Frodo, "He's alive!" he exclaimed in relief.
Frodo sat up, and hurried to reassure the others that he was fine, "I'm all right. I'm not hurt." he said.
"You should be dead. That spear would have skewered a wild boar!" Aragorn said in wonder.
Gandalf though, knew better, "I think there is more to this Hobbit than meets the eye," he said sagely.
Frodo then unbuttoned his shirt to reveal a Mithril coat of mail, and Gimli's eyes widened at the very sight, "Mithril!" he exclaimed, "You are full of surprises, Master Baggins!"
He seemed about to say more but the sounds of more orcs coming sounded outside the chamber and Gandalf leaped to his feet, as the others did the same, "To the bridge of Khazad-dûm!" he shouted, leading the way through the east-door.
-------------
Outside the east-door of the Chamber of Mazarbul, the mines of Moria, 3019 TA, January 15.
As they raced down the staircase, Gandalf stopped at the landing and Buffy stood beside him, ""Off you go, all of you, down the stairs!" Gandalf ordered, "Wait a few minutes for me at the bottom, but if I do not come soon, go on! Go quickly and choose paths leading right and downwards."
"We cannot leave you to hold the door alone!" Aragorn called.
"He will not be alone," Buffy stated, "The Slayer is with him."
If anything, Aragorn protested more at that, "You cannot Buffy! There are too many for both of you to handle!"
"Do as I say!" Gandalf said fiercely, giving Aragorn a slight push towards the stairs, "Swords are no more use here! Go!"
"Buffy, about before…" Aragorn began, unwilling to let this pass, referring to the cold shoulder she had been giving him after his liberties of the night before.
"We're good. Apologize later, if you're not dead." Buffy said, and then watched with Gandalf as the fellowship hurriedly descended the steep steps.
"Any idea what's in there?" she asked conversationally.
The wizard glared at her, "After what I entrusted to you, you should not be here."
"I'm the only one who can be here. I am the Slayer Gandalf. It's not a small thing to be able to kick baddies' butts. Now, let's go face the music shall we? What are you planning to do?"
"I must close the doors, and seal them," Gandalf said, "So that they cannot follow us down."
"Okay, then I'll guard your back while you're doing so." Buffy said agreeably.
Gandalf aimed his staff at the door and tried to put a shutting spell on the door. By now, both could hear the voices of many orcs on the other side, and Buffy silently urged the wizard to hurry up, afraid they would break it down before he was done.
"Oh, sh--" Buffy groaned as she went rigid and her eyes nearly rolled back in her head. She sank to her knees, head in her hands as something invaded her mind and senses with all the force of a landslide.
Gandalf could not aid her; he too felt when something came into the room, and he knew it to be terrible when the orcs fell silent from fear. As he struggled to finish his spell, he heard it grab the iron ring on the other side of the door, and as he finished his chant, it perceived him and his spell.
Even as Buffy hefted herself to her feet, her eyes wide with fear and dreadful knowledge of what lay behind the door, Gandalf was rocked back by a counter-spell so strong and terrible than it nearly knocked him off his feet.
Even as Buffy drew her sword, the door began to open, and Gandalf frantically shouted out a spell to close it again before whatever was on the other side could come through.
But it was too much and in a blast of white light, the door burst into pieces and shards of wood.
Buffy and Gandalf backed up at the implosion, and both strained their eyes to see what was beyond it but something dark as pitch was blocking all the light and as they started to back up, as the roof and walls started to shake, they were thrown down the stairs just as the roof collapsed from the strain.
------
Even as the fellowship waited at the bottom of the stairs long after Gandalf's 'few minutes' had passed, there was a stab of white light and a dull rumble followed by a heavy thud.
As they cried out in dismay, the drumbeats once more broke out wildly and then stopped just as suddenly.
Even as they watched the stairs, Gandalf and Buffy came tumbling head over heels down them; Gandalf landing on the ground but Aragorn managing to catch Buffy.
"Are you alright?" he asked her, "What happened?!"
"Not now. Everything's too horrible." Buffy croaked out, "And that's all I'm prepared to say at the moment."
"Well, well! That's over!" said the wizard struggling to his feet and ignoring their attempts to help him, "I have done all that I could. But I have met my match, and have nearly been destroyed. But don't stand there! Go on! You will have to do without light for a while; I am rather shaken. Go on! Go on! Where are you, Gimli?" he asked, searching for the Dwarf, "Come ahead with me! Keep close behind, all of you!" he said, not letting on about their narrow escape, as he led the Fellowship down the many flights of stairs.
When Aragorn pressed her for information on what had happened, Buffy only replied dully, "Hope and pray, Aragorn," she said, "Because right now that's all we got."
-------------------
The Mines of Moria, 3019, TA. January 15, - Noontide.
At the end of an hour of mad flight, with terror and urgency giving them speed, they had gone a mile or maybe a little more and had descended seemingly endless flights of stairs. And every second, they were glad that they had yet to see any sign of pursuit by anyone, or indeed anything else resembling anything living and they almost began to hope that they would yet escape from this nightmare place.
With every flight of stairs they went down though; the air grew hotter and denser. At first the warmth was pleasant after the chill of the upper halls, but the further they went, the more oppressive did the heat get, until they were sweating profusely and gasping for breath.
Buffy kept up as best as she could, though each step jarred her bruised hip; which she was beginning to think may have been fractured a little in her collision with the wall, but she said nothing, and let on to no one of the pain she was in. She was the Slayer, she had coped with worse.
And she was lucky in a way; Aragorn and Legolas, who would have been the first to notice anything wrong were too preoccupied to pay her gait any attention and Legolas was at the front with Gandalf and Gimli, his keen sight needed to spot any unexpected drops, dead-ends or holes that may imperil the company.
But at the bottom of the seventh flight, Gandalf halted, and took off his pointed hat. "It is getting hot!" he gasped, beads of sweat trickling down his brow, and his entire body language bespoke his weariness, "We ought to be down at least to the level of the Gates now. Soon I think that we should look for a left-hand turn to take us east. I hope it is not far. I am very weary. I must rest here a moment, even if all the orcs ever spawned are after us."
Buffy did not protest and gratefully took the chance for rest, easing herself down onto the hard stone gently; mindful of the battering her body had received that day.
Gimli took Gandalf's arm, and helped him down to a seat on the step as Boromir and Aragorn helped the hobbits array themselves on the steps in the dark. "What happened away up there at the door?" he asked curiously, eyeing the wizard's uncharacteristically exhausted state, "Did you meet the beater of the drums?"
At his question, Buffy winced but everyone else's ears sharpened at the Dwarf's words. They too, wanted to know what had happened to send two such as Buffy and Gandalf head first down the staircase.
"I do not know," answered Gandalf, his expression grim and his eyes troubled, "But I found myself suddenly faced by something I have not met before. I could think of nothing to do but to try to put a shutting-spell on the door. I know many; but to do things of that kind rightly require time; and even then the door can be broken by strength."
"There were orcs behind the door as well," Buffy added, "It seems the whole place is on one giant hunt for us."
"Yes," Gandalf agreed, nodding at the slayer, "As I stood there I could hear orc-voices on the other side; at any moment I thought they would burst it open. I could not hear what was said, they seemed to be talking in their own hideous language. All I caught was ghâsh; that is 'fire'. Then something came into the chamber - I felt it through the door, and the orcs themselves were afraid and fell silent. It laid hold of the iron ring, and then it perceived me and my spell."
He paused here, and his expression grew more and more troubled and concerned as he pondered, "What it was I cannot guess, but I have never felt such a challenge. The counter-spell was terrible. It nearly broke me. For an instant, the door left my control and began to open! I had to speak a word of Command. That proved too great a strain. The door burst in pieces. Something dark as a cloud was blocking out all the light inside, and I was thrown backwards down the stairs. All the wall gave way, and the roof the chamber as well, I think." he sighed, "I am afraid Balin is buried deep, and maybe something else is buried there too. I cannot say. But at least the passage behind us was completely blocked. Ah! I have never felt so spent, but it is passing."
"Shadow and flame won't be blocked for long Gandalf," Buffy warned. Gandalf and Aragorn's eyes widened as they processed what Buffy had just stealthily imparted.
Durin's Bane was yet alive…
------------
As they rested, Aragorn sat himself beside Buffy, missing her slight hiss of pain as he jostled her, "How do you fare?" he asked her softly.
"I feel like I could sleep for a week," Buffy replied.
"I think everyone in the company could say that," Aragorn said wryly, "It has been a most trying day."
"It's Moria. Where everyday is a new way to be killed," Buffy answered drolly. "It wouldn't be the Great Black Pit if it didn't have some attractions for the tourists, like eating them…"
He looked at her, and knew that death stalked them now. His resolve strengthened, he would tell her now. He could not bear anything to happen without her knowing of his heart.
"Buffy….. I feel that there is something I have to tell you. About Arwen and I…" Aragorn said quietly, searching her hazel eyes intently.
Oh god, Buffy thought, he's going to tell me that he wants me to be in the wedding or something. She closed her eyes to hold back tears. This day had already been taxing; she could not deal with a lovesick Aragorn now.
"Leave it until we're out of here Aragorn," she said as firmly as she could, "Let's just concentrate on surviving, okay?"
As she got up to get some water from her pack, Aragorn could only stare after her and wonder why all his chances with her seemed to be cursed to failure.
---------------
The lower levels, the mines of Moria, 3019 TA, January 15.
A couple of hours later, they at last reached the lower levels of the mines.
By now, the fellowship was an exhausted straggling group; even Legolas's Elven forbearance pushed to its limits by the darkness and its dangers.
But as they passed through the pitch darkness with only the narrow light of Gandalf's staff, and the faint shimmer of Legolas to cling to; most of the company thought that they were seeing things when a red tinge to the light started to become more and more clear.
Gimli, now walking beside Gandalf at the front, had the keen eyes of the Dwarves in the dark, and he was the first to remark upon it, "I think that there is a light ahead. But is not daylight. It is red. What can it be?" he said, the disquiet apparent in his tone.
"Ghâsh!" Gandalf muttered under his breath, though the words carried in the silence, his bushy eyebrows furrowing along with his brow as he deliberated over the matter, "I wonder if that is what the orcsmeant; that the lower levels are on fire? Still, we can only go on."
But they were forced to go on; they had to dare the East-gate or perish in the mines, lost forever and the One Ring in the hand of the dark things of the world.
But the further they went, the hotter the air grew, until the heat began to sap their energy, and their only consolation was that the fire lit their way now, and the lower levels were becoming easier and easier to see in the flickering light.
Buffy could not be grateful for the light; only wonder at its cause. And whether or not it had been there before they came or whether it had been lit to consume them. She would not be surprised if a wall of fire blocked their only way out. This trip had been nothing but bad luck, why should it change now?
When they came to an arch, Gandalf went through; signalling to them to wait while he checked it out. As he stood just beyond the opening, staring at something they could not see, they saw his face lit by a red glow. Quickly he stepped back, his expression grim and his staff clutched tightly in his gnarled hands.
"There is some new devilry here," he told him with no little concern, holding his hat in his hand, "Devised for our welcome, no doubt. But I know where we are; we have reached the First Deep, the level immediately below the gates. This is the Second Hall of Old Moria; and the Gates are near; away beyond the eastern end, not more than a quarter of a mile. Across the Bridge, up a broad stair, along a wide road, through the First Hall, and out! But come and look!"
At his words, the fellowship as one peered out. Buffy shuddered, didn't this look familiar? she thought sarcastically.
Before them was another cavernous hall. It was loftier and far longer than the one in which they had slept, Hall Twenty-One, absolutely immense in its own right. They were near its eastern end; westward it ran away into a yawning darkness. Down the centre stalked a double line of towering stone pillars. They were carved like boles of mighty trees whose boughs upheld the roof with a branching tracery of stone. Their stems were smooth and black, but a red glow was darkly mirrored in their sides.
Oh yes, Buffy knew this place well. She always remembered the places she never wanted to see again.
Right across the floor, close to the feet of two huge pillars, a great fissure had opened. Out of it, a fierce red light came, and now and again flames licked at the brink and curled about the bases of the columns. Wisps of dark smoke wavered in the hot air. This, then, was the source of the heat and red glow that had dogged their thoughts.
Buffy idly wondered if the Balrog had made that. It could not have been happy with her last visit, or the Dwarves.
"If we had come by the main road down from the upper halls, we should have been trapped here," Gandalf said, his relief at their luck obvious, "Let us hope that the fire now lies between us and pursuit. Come! There is no time to lose!" he said, gesturing them to follow as he led the way.
Even as he spoke, they head again the pursuing drumbeat. Away beyond the shadow of the western end of the hall, there came cries and horn-calls. Doom, doom; the pillars seemed to tremble and the flames to quiver with the sound of it.
They had been found. Their respite was over.
"Now for the last race!" said Gandalf, his urgency heeded by all, "If the sun is shining outside, we may still escape. After me!" he cried and they raced through the hall as the red glow started to creep towards them.
-----------------------
The Bridge of Khazad-dûm, The Mines of Moria, 3019, TA. January 15, - Late Afternoon.
The wizard turned left and sped across the smooth floor of the hall., the fellowship following behind him as best they could; the faster members often slowing down to urge the hobbits and Gimli on.
As they ran, they heard the beat and echo of many hurrying feet behind them. A shrill yell went up; they had been seen.
Gandalf frantically urged them to pick up their pace and easily outpacing Merry, Buffy scooped him up, despite her own sort of limp, and bolted until she and Legolas were out in front, Merry and Pippin with them respectively.
An arrow whistled over Frodo's head and only Aragorn's quick reaction stopped the Ringbearer from being shot as he jerked Frodo out of its flight path.
But even as the hail of arrows started to fall amongst them, and even as Boromir's shield was placed over his head to protect him and Sam, the hobbit he was half-dragging to keep up, the more observant amongst them began to notice that they had had one stroke of luck at last.
The orcs were on the wrong side of the fire, and the flames were now protecting the fellowship from their onslaught.
Boromir laughed as he spotted the orcs' problem, "They did not expect this!" he cried, giving them a mocking wave, "The fire has cut them off! We are on the wrong side! And they cannot reach us across the flames!"
"Look ahead!" called Gandalf, redirecting their attention away from the fire, "The Bridge is near! But it is dangerous and narrow."
"What in this place isn't?!" Buffy said, "Just get us the hell out of here, Gandalf!"
The wizard nodded at her and led them down a passageway, "Lead the way Gimli!" he cried, gesturing the Dwarf to go forward, "Pippin and Merry next! Straight on, and up the stair beyond the door!"
Even as the first three gained the safety of the stairs, with the walls of stone effectively stopping the orcish arrows to shoot at them; another rain of arrows descended on the other seven.
They fell amongst them like rain, and Buffy was never more thankful for Galadriel's gift of the mail shirt as she was when one arrow bounced back; and she felt Frodo felt likewise towards Bilbo, as it had had a lot to do with keeping the hobbit alive.
Another arrow pierced Gandalf's hat and stuck there like a black feather, making even Buffy eye him funny but the wizard never slowed down as they gained the hall above the staircase.
And as Buffy's flesh crawled, she looked behind her and rapidly saw the need for Gandalf's haste. It looked like the bowels of Moria had disgorged all the orcs and goblins that crawled within, and that they were all chasing them.
They scuttled down the pillars from the roof, they crawled up through holes and chasms in the floor; they were everywhere.
And the company were hopelessly outnumbered a thousand to one.
None noticed the red glow appearing on the walls once more.
Eventually they were cornered in the middle of the hall, forced to halt and draw weapons and face the hordes that were coming for them. Buffy and Legolas being the only ones with any arrows left drew their bows, and the rest were forced to raise their blades.
"We are so screwed," Buffy said as the orcs closed in around them. Her instincts were telling her to get the hell out of dodge but there was nowhere to go, the orcs were even coming down from the ceiling by way of the great stone pillars.
But even as the orcs scuttled closer and the warriors shifted into a tighter protective circle, they spotted the red glow approaching and to their astonishment, the orcs disappeared as rapidly as they had come, crawling back into their pits and ceilings.
"Generally speaking, when the scary things get scared – not a good sign." Buffy said with remarkable composure.
Boromir looked at the retreating orcs with amazement and no little wariness, "What is this new devilry?" he said, looking around suspiciously, as if Sauron himself was going to come out of the shadows.
But then from the shadows of the great doors of the hall, came a… thing.
It was a great creature of shadow and flame; that drew darkness to it like light does to moths. Its great horned face topped a body at least twenty feet tall and in its hands were a sword and whip of fire; it had great wings of shadow stretching out on either side of its body, at least fifty feet across and a great tail of fire three or four times the height of the tallest man. With every step, the floor shook underneath it and it carried with it a shadow of fear for all who beheld it.
It was a demon from the first age, the very one that had destroyed the Dwarves of Moria in the year 1980 of the Third Age when it killed King Durin VI and most of the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm. It was a Balrog of Morgoth and no foe so fierce save for Sauron had been seen in this age.
"Ai! Ai! A Balrog! A Balrog is come!" cried Legolas, remembering the tales of his youth and the dreadful knowledge that very few even amongst the most powerful of the Eldar had any chance of killing a Balrog, let alone any of the company.
Gimli stared with wide eyes at the agent of his kin's fall and destruction, "Durin's Bane!" he cried out in horror.
"A Balrog," muttered Gandalf, his eyes downcast and his shoulders stopped like the old man he pretended to be; "Now I understand…" He faltered and leaned heavily on his staff, "What an evil fortune! And I am already weary!"
He did not speak that he felt that Aragorn's prophesied doom had come to him now, in this darkest hour, just as his friend had warned him. Now, more than ever, was he glad that Narya had a new bearer for he knew that he was not strong enough to survive a Balrog. To kill it, he may have a slim chance, but to survive it he had none.
"What is it?!" Boromir demanded, "What sorcery is this?!"
Gandalf looked up wearily, "A Balrog. A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you. Run!" he cried and bolted for the stairs to the bridge.
Aragorn raced across the hall, "Quickly!" he shouted, "Move faster!" Then the ranger noticed that Gandalf was lingering, "Gandalf!" he shouted, "Come on!"
Gandalf looked at the ranger, seeing the pity and understanding in Buffy's eyes that the ranger had not yet contemplated Gandalf's probable fate, "Lead them on, Aragorn. The bridge is near." The ranger made to protest but the wizard shoved Aragorn away from him, "Do as I say!! Swords are no more use here!" he snapped.
They raced down the crumbling staircases, feeling steps give way underneath their feet and knowing that their predicament was perilous at best. But they pushed on, until at last they came to a break in the rock.
Legolas leaped across it with ease, and stood ready to brace the others as they jumped, "Gandalf!" he shouted, signalling for the wizard to jump the gap. The wizard promptly did so and was followed by Buffy who took a running leap.
Then Boromir grabbed a hobbit with each hand, "Merry! Pippin!" and jumped over with them, precariously wavering on the edge for a moment as the weight had nearly been too much, the risk too great.
Even as Boromir landed, the rock on the other side started to give way and they knew that their time was running out, but Buffy could do nothing but watch and wait as the remaining four on the other side tried to jump. Aragorn easily tossed Sam across into Boromir's arms, and looked expectantly at Gimli, whose chest puffed up with indignation at the very thought.
"Nobody tosses a dwarf!" he said and jumped the gap, barely making the ledge and was only stopped from falling by Legolas grabbing him by his thick beard. The Dwarf's eyes goggled in outrage, "Not the beard!!!" he cried.
Buffy just had to admire his sense of the ridiculous.
But then the rock gave way and Aragorn and Frodo were left stranded, clinging to a piece of rock that was swaying dangerously. The ranger grabbed the back of the hobbit's shirt and held on tightly. "Steady. Hold on!" he shouted as the rock began to sway more forcefully. "Hang on!" he cried as the top of the stone broke away from the bottom and fell at an angle, towards the bit of stone that the rest of the Fellowship was standing on, on a knife edge with anticipation.
"Lean forward." Aragorn said calmly, bracing their weight, "Steady now."
Legolas did not wait for pleasantries, "Come on! Now!" he cried and Frodo and Aragorn jumped. Gandalf barely allowed them enough time to stand before he was in motion once more, "Over the bridge! Fly!" he shouted, pointing at the Bridge of Khazad-dûm in the distance.
But even as the others ran for it, Buffy lingered behind, "You need someone to watch your back, even if you don't think so," she said. "I'm the slayer. This is my fight too."
"The Balrog will destroy you, Buffy!" Gandalf exclaimed, "Even I cannot win."
"This isn't about winning," Buffy said with ice cold deliberation, "This is about buying time. Think I don't know that? They need time, so we've got to give it to them."
"You have your own problems to protect, Dagnir," Gandalf said sternly.
"And we both know that out of all present, I've got the most experience with demons," Buffy shot right back, "Now can we try to come up with some kind of plan before Mr Balrog comes for his barbecue?"
"This could kill you, Dagnir." Gandalf said softly.
Unflinching hazel eyes met his own, "I've known that since I was fifteen." Buffy said, equally softly but with a steely determination, "I'm not afraid of it. Not anymore. And some things are worth more than my life." she said, thinking of her friends.
Gandalf could not condone her actions, but he knew he could not gainsay her so he let her be. By now, Boromir and Aragorn had realised that Buffy and Gandalf had not followed them across the bridge, and tried to turn back to get them. Gandalf did not let them get far. "Over the bridge! Fly! This is a foe beyond any of you! I must hold the narrow way! Fly!" he shouted.
Aragorn and Boromir did not heed the command, but still held their ground, side by side, behind Gandalf at the far end of the bridge.
"You cannot stand alone!" Aragorn said, wishing desperately for Buffy to cross the bridge, "Have some sense! Run!"
Buffy called out to Aragorn, "Protect your own charges, ranger boy, and don't worry about us!" Buffy said, going to him and placing a soothing hand on his arm, shocked when he crushed her to him.
"Buffy! No! It is a Balrog! Even you cannot kill it!" Aragorn said in dismay and fear, trying to prevent her going.
Buffy wrenched herself out of his grip, "It's a demon. I'm a Slayer. I have to do my duty Aragorn. I've dealt with worse and survived. Trust me." she said, and then ran back to Gandalf.
Knowing when he was defeated, and praying that Buffy's skills would be enough, he waited. And watched.
By now, the Balrog was upon them and it opened its mouth and let out a roar of flame that nearly knocked the slayer and wizard of their feet.
"Hey, oh Mr Balrog!" Buffy shouted, stepping forward with the light of the slayer in her eyes; and the lethal and brutality of her calling welled up inside her, "Remember me?" she said mockingly.
The Balrog turned to look at her, and to her eyes, it looked disturbingly calculating. "Yeah, you. You think I'm afraid of you?" she taunted, waving her sword, totally focused on her task. - Kill and Destroy.
And then the deadly dance began.
While the Balrog had sheer strength and firepower, Buffy's main resource was agility but she soon realised that her sword would not do much good when she could only prick him in the legs, and so in a reluctant but desperate move, she grabbed onto its tail and started to climb.
The fire seared her, but not half as much as she had expected, and shutting out all the cries and shouts she could hear, she landed on the Balrog's back and with one sharp slice of her sword, hacked at a tendon on one of its wings.
It let out a roar of rage and started to try to shake her off. With a startled shout, she fell. But before she could hit the ground, the Balrog's arm hit her and slammed her into a wall.
Staggering to her feet once more; and developing a growing respect for Glorfindel by the minute, she was about to start round two when she noticed a rapid movement in the shadows.
She barely got time to get her equilibrium back before it struck.
It was hard to see, fast and lethal.
And when Buffy looked into its coal black eyes of death, she remembered Spike's warnings about how slayers died, and she knew that she looked into her own death this eve.
Tears prickled her eyes at the thought, but she furiously shoved them down; if she had to go down, she was going to take as many bad guys with her as she could.
Perhaps this new creature sensed the change in her from caution to calculated abandon but whatever the reason, it slowed long enough for her to have a look at it.
It had a faintly human appearance; if a human could be crossbred with an orc that was. Sharp talons covered each appendage and it had a sharp, pointed face coupled with black eyes and scraggly grey-ish hair. A weapons pack of a sort lay across its back. Its body seemed thin, almost frail but even from watching it, Buffy was not fooled.
The speed and strength with which it moved already assured her that she was outmatched, and with a Balrog at her rear, hopelessly outgunned.
There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. The only thing left her was to choose the manner of her own final defeat.
Spinning into a harsh roundhouse kick, she slammed into the new Moria monster and then before it had any chance to recover, came at it with a series of whirling sword movements, made fast and deadly due to slayer speed and agility.
As she half expected it would, it evaded her charge, instead trying to trip her up. She somersaulted up and over the blow, cartwheeling out of its immediate range before flipping back to her feet.
They met again in a clash of wills and steel; the monster drawing a wicked looking scimitar from its pack and coming at her with single-minded determination to end her life.
They kept this up for several minutes, a never-ending dance of meeting and retreating, as the slayer fought for what time she had left to her. She vaguely knew that Gandalf had taken over harassing the Balrog, but her attention was too focused on the fight to think much on it.
However, when she felt that familiar shock in her heart that signalled danger for Aragorn, her concentration snapped. Whirling around, she saw the rest of the fellowship trying to come to her aid, and the ranger she loved making her way towards her. Towards his death.
She knew she could not kill it; it was too strong and too fast - her blows glanced off it like water, and she could not let it claim any more lives. Making her decision, she glanced at the fellowship one final time, and lovingly mesmerised Aragorn's face for the final time, wishing that their future had been different.
Her mind flashed back on the good times that she had had since coming to Middle Earth, and the good times from her old world, and inwardly, she made peace with her decision, with one final look at Aragorn's face, where dawning horrified comprehension was beginning to show, she leaped, and in a surprise movement, tackled the creature.
It had not expected such a suicidal move, and her sword sank deep into its belly, but even as she gained victory, the price was paid.
The creature had been standing on the edge of the abyss, and as her weight toppled them over, the last sound she heard was the agonised scream of "BUFFY!!!" before she fell into the abyss, and thence to nothingness.
----------------
Gandalf had seen her sacrifice with pitying and understanding eyes; she had done the only thing she could to annihilate the threat; he would have to do the same; - he only wished that Narya would not have fell with her.
Buffy Dagnir had been one of the bravest souls he knew, and a true friend, but he did not have time to mourn; - it was time to face his own demons now.
The Balrog reached the bridge. Gandalf stood in the middle of the span, leaning on the staff in his left hand, while his opponent, a fellow Maia came towards him. His enemy halted again, turning to face him, and the shadow about it reached out like two vast wings. It raised the whip, and the tongs whined and crackled as they flew through the air. Fire came from its nostrils as it roared at him. But Gandalf stood firm. "You cannot pass!" he said firmly, staring the Balrog down.
"Gandalf!" Frodo cried helplessly towards his friend.
The orcs stood still and a dead silence fell at the wizard's words, and a great brightly glowing shield started to encase him as he spoke, "I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor! The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn!"
The mighty whip of the Balrog crashed down and shattered Gandalf's bubble, sending a shockwave through them both. "Arrghh!" Gandalf yelled, "Go back to the Shadow!! YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!!" he roared, bringing his staff crashing down onto the narrow bridge and the stone cracked beneath his feet, causing the Balrog's half of the bridge to crumble and the Balrog to fall.
Sighing, bone weary beyond comprehension, he turned around to go back to the distraught fellowship but even as he turned, a fiery whip of the Balrog wrapped around his ankle, and yanked him down.
He tried to grab onto the edge of the bridge, but could not keep his grip, the force of the Balrog was too strong. Even as he scrabbled for a hold, Frodo tried to run to him. Boromir grabbed the hobbit around the middle, to stop him running back to Gandalf, "No! No!" Frodo cried desperately, "GANDALF!!!"
The wizard looked at them for the final time, "Fly, you fools!" he said, and then let go.
The fires went out, and blank darkness fell as the orcs' Balrog master was sent to its own doom. The company stood rooted with horror staring into the pit where two dear friends had fallen so valiantly. Even as Aragorn and Boromir retreated from the edge of the bridge under a hail of arrows, the rest of the bridge cracked and fell. With a cry, Boromir roused them, seeing that Aragorn could not. "Come! We must go now!" he shouted, rousing the fellowship from their shocked stupors, "We must obey his last command. Follow me!" he said, heading for the passageway to the East-gate.
Frodo screamed even as Boromir carried him away, "NO!! NO!!!!"
"We must go!" Boromir shouted from a distance at a stunned Aragorn, "Do not let their sacrifices be in vain!"
With the single minded determination to survive and not to let Buffy and Gandalf's great sacrifices to go to waste, Boromir directed the fellowship up the stairs that led to the East-gate and the way out.
Aragorn stood, frozen, staring at the abyss, which has taken his heart, lost to all common sense.
From behind him, still holding a weeping Frodo, the man of Gondor cried out to him again, "Aragorn! Come! We must go!"
At last, the ranger staggered forward to join the company; grief and shock blinding him and choking him but they ran on.
At last, the light grew before them; great shafts pierced the roof. They ran swifter at the sight of this hard won freedom. They passed into a hall, bright with daylight from its high windows in the east. They fled across it at full speed, Boromir leading the way. Through its huge broken doors, they passed, and suddenly before them the Great Gates opened, an arch of blazing light.
There was a guard of orcs crouching in the shadows behind the great doorposts towering on either side, but the gates wee shattered and cast down. Aragorn found himself filled with a rage so terrible that it scared him as he saw the orcs; some of the vile creatures that had been responsible for the deaths of Gandalf, his friend and his meleth, Buffy. With terrible fury and power, Aragorn smote to the ground the captain that stood in his path, and the rest fled in terror of his wrath, not giving him the chance to decimate them too.
At last, they passed into the Dimrill Dale and the harsh glare of the waning sunlight stung their eyes.
At length they paused, and looked back.
Dark yawned the archway of the Gates under the mountain-shadow. Faint and far beneath the earth rolled the slow drumbeats. A thin black smoke trailed out of the open gate. Nothing else was to be seen, the dale all around them was empty.
Grief at last overcame them, and they wept long where they sat.
The drumbeats faded.
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"The only cure for grief is action."
-- George Henry Lewes
Outside the East-gate, the vale of Nanduhirion, called by the Dwarves the valley of Azanulibizar or the Dimrill Dale, 3019 TA, January 15.
Aragorn was dying.
Sinking to the ground, the clear sky above him almost seemed to be mocking him as his heart shattered.
Buffy was dead; Gandalf was dead; and he had done nothing.
He would never see them again, never have their sage counsel, never again see Buffy smile at him in that teasing way, never.
Lost to the pain in his body and soul, he did not notice the strange duo of Boromir and Legolas assuming the burden of the grieving, shattered fellowship. A burden that Gandalf had passed to Aragorn ere his death.
Legolas was in his own state of disbelief; whilst Boromir comforted a shouting Gimli, who struggled against him, seeking to re-enter the mines to fetch their lost friends, or to avenge them.
Sam had cast himself onto a rock, his head in his hand, while Frodo stood alone, tears streaking down his cheeks; Merry and Pippin consoled each other like brothers, but Aragorn seemed to have shut down completely, so blank and still was he.
Boromir and Legolas could not leave him be. They could not afford to, however their hearts felt.
They approached him quietly, imploring him to rise up; to lead them; to do anything but sit there with that dreadful blank stare.
He did not respond. Could not respond.
Legolas and Boromir's eyes met above the head of the grieving Dúnadan, and for once, they were united in understanding, an alliance made, a cause pledged.
"Aragorn," Legolas said gently, "We grieve too. But we do them no justice by waiting here until it is dark, and the orcs leave Moria to hunt us once more. Gandalf entrusted the leadership of the Fellowship to you, you have to do it. Do you think that Buffy would want to see you like this?"
Aragorn heard the words, and though his soul felt empty, devoid of emotion as blessed numbness started to sink in; he knew his duty. He could and would mourn Buffy's loss in the Golden Wood but until then, he had to push past the pain long enough to lead the company as Gandalf would have wished him to.
And even as he rose to his feet, he felt the first tendrils of blistering anger rise up within him. Sauron would pay for this, he swore, but first, his duties must come first. Wiping his sword clean in a single stroke, he resheathed Andúril, and spoke to his best friend yet present, "Legolas, get them up."
Boromir bristled at his callous tone, seeing that it upset the hobbits further, "Give them a moment for pity's sake!" Giving his long time friend a look, Legolas wordlessly did as he was bid.
Aragorn did not bother to look at the man of Gondor, "By nightfall these hills will be swarming with Orcs. We must reach the woods of Lothlórien. Come Boromir. Legolas, Gimli, get them up."
He walked over to Sam and hauled him up, "On your feet, Sam." he said and then looking around for the Ringbearer, he saw that Frodo had wandered away some distance, "Frodo! Frodo!!" he called, and the tear-stained hobbit reluctantly joined the gathering group.
And so the much depleted fellowship left for the safety of Lothlórien, carrying with them the shadow that was all that remained of their lost comrades.
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The deeps, the mines of Moria, 3019 TA, January 15.
And in freefall in one of the greatest bottomless chasms that Khazad-dûm harboured, the only Vampire Slayer in Middle Earth met her end….
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A/N: (cackles madly as Buffy falls to her death…) Well? What do you think? Surprised? Shocked? Ready to kill me yet? All feedback appreciated! Please READ and REVIEW!!!
Next chapter: Shock runs rampant… Gandalf gets into a little fight… and we find out Buffy's doom…
Elvish:
Mellon nín - my friend
Dagnir - Slayer
Meleth - love
Dúnadan - Man of the West
Andúril - flame of the West
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Dwarvish:
Mazarbul - records
Khazad-dûm - Moria
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Azanulibizar - the valley below the East-Gate of Moria.
Durin's Bane - the Balrog of Moria. Killed Durin VI in 1980.
Istari - the Maiar who were sent from Aman in the Third Age to resist Sauron. Sindarin: Ithryn.
Mithril - 'true-silver'. Also called 'Moria-silver'. It was the foundation of the wealth of the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm. It was worth ten times the price of gold, and is now considered priceless, because there has been no supply of it since the fall of the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm in 1980 TA.
Moria - 'The Black Chasm', later name for the great works of the Dwarves under the Misty Mountains. Called Khazad-dûm in Dwarvish.
Nanduhirion - the glen about Mirrormere between the arms of the Misty Mountains into which the Great Gates of Moria opened. Translation: Dimrill Dale.
Narya - the Ring of Fire. Set with a ruby stone. One of the Three Elven Rings. Originally given to Círdan, it was passed onto Gandalf when he arrived in Middle Earth during the Third Age.
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