Disclaimer: I do not own any of the material written by Tolkien or Peter Jackson.
A:N/ So far I've gotten nothing but encouraging reviews, and I really appreciate that! Everyone has been so awesome, and my followers are slowly building up! Hooray!
Many thanks to...
Aqua Lilly (In answer to you review... Will people ever stop making Chuck Norris jokes? Ha Ha! *wink*wink*)
Amy (So good to hear from you again! And awesome to find that you laughed so hard! I believe our sense of humor lies closely along the same path! Lol!)
Imamc (Drat. I have just found out that I have spelled your name wrong, too! I had gotten it right the first few chapters, but I recently went wrong again! Anyway, thanks for answering my question! You always leave some of the best reviews!)
Btw: I'm still figuring out the whole 'which button is which' on my computer, so I may experiment a bit! ;-)
"Run!', Gandalf yelled to the company. We obeyed, and the orcs followed close on our tail. As we ran through the east exit of Balin's tomb, I noticed that orcs were already crawling out of the floor and ceiling. We were soon surrounded by the Moria orcs, who laughed raucously.
"A she-elf." They cackled in evil glee. "We shall have fun with this one before we bring her back to our Master."
My blood ran cold at and I glared at the black creatures.
"Over my dead body." I snarled back.
Umm... That probably wasn't the best thing to say right now. Please tell me I did not just jinx myself!
A deep rumbling shook the pillars that held the ceiling up, and the orcs disappeared into the holes they had come from. Gimli laughed as they dispersed.
Laugh all you want, but if we don't move now, we're toast. Literally.
A passage that lay to the right shimmered with red flames.
"What, pray tell,' said Boromir. "is this new devilry?"
Gandalf's brow grew taut with concentration; he was seeking out the threat with his mind. Legolas' eyes widened and mine closed as I felt the evil wash over me from the direction of the flames.
"Ai, Ai!', cried out Legolas. "A Balrog! A Balrog has come!"
"Durin's Bane.', whispered Gimli almost inaudibly.
Um, yeah. I'm going to make like a watercolor... and run.
"A demon of the ancient world. Swords are of no use against such creatures. Lead them on Aragorn! The bridge is close!', the wizard demanded.
"Riley." Someone whispered urgently from my side as we ran. I looked down to see Pippin at my waist.
"What is it, Pip?"
"Is that a dinosaur?" His eyes were wide with fear.
Oh, honey, that thing probably wiped the dinosaurs out of existence.
"No. Run now, questions later."
Boromir stumbled to a halt where the hall ended suddenly; his torch dropping into the fathoms below. Legolas grabbed him to keep him from falling and they ended up in a heap on the ground. Gandalf suddenly appeared behind us again.
"I laid a spell to seal the door— that will allow us a little more time. The creature and I are evenly matched, and its counter-spell almost broke me. Come!"
A gap on the staircase yawned ahead of us. Legolas quickly leapt across, motioning Gandalf to jump behind him and catching the wizard when he did. An orc arrow shot across the cavern, and pinged off of Frodo's armor. Another had lodged itself in Gandalf's pointy hat, and yet another struck Boromir's shield. The hobbits leapt around as the shafts bounced around their feet.
The steward's son grabbed hold of Merry and Pippin's waist and leapt across, while those with bows fired at the enemy's archers. As Boromir leapt a large piece of the stairs crumbled underneath him. He reached the other side and caught Sam as he was chunked across by Aragorn.
Gimli held up his hand to ward off any assistance Aragorn was about to offer. "Nobody tosses a dwarf." He let loose a savage cry as he too leapt across the empty space. The stone and mortar beneath him crumbled, and Legolas grabbed onto whatever met his fingertips.
"Not the beard!"
Face it, pal. It was either your grizzled old beard or your life. Another piece of the staircase crumbled underneath us, and I scoot back with Frodo and Aragorn. Gimli seriously needs to lay off of the all-you-can-eat buffets. Once more my mouth has betrayed me, and the dwarf glares at me from the other side.
I yank Aragorn to his feet as he almost slipped off of the staircase and Frodo shifted closer to me as another rumbling growl shook the air.
The piece of the staircase that we stood on creaked and shifted as the rumbling shook some rocks from the ceiling. It started to tilt towards the left, and Strider grasped Frodo's cloak and held him close. His other hand held me firmly by the elbow.
"Lean forward!', he commanded. His plan worked and the rock moved in the correct direction. "Jump!', the Prince of Mirkwood called, and we followed his instruction as the gap slowly closed between us. I landed with hardly a thud while Legolas caught Aragorn and Boromir caught Frodo.
The place that we had been standing only moments ago collapsed.
"Over the Bridge!', yelled Gandalf. "Fly!"
Flames cackled closer and closer and Boromir panted. "It's getting hot in here."
"Would you like me to leave?" I remarked casually.
Okay, fine, I get it. No one here understands my modern day jokes. But you could at least stop glaring at me.
We reach the Bridge and when it is finally my turn to cross I gulp.
Wanna do something fun? Like what? Like run across a super skinny bridge that looks like it could collapse at any given moment should you sneeze. Um.. No thanks.
Boromir shoves me along, no matter what my thoughts were.
Just remember what Aragorn said yesterday when we had to go over that other bridge. Don't look down. Don't look down. Do not under any circumstance look... You little idiot! Why did you look?
I froze after glancing down, but I had already reached the other side and Aragorn grasped my hands to lead me the last two steps. Boromir was the last person to reach the other end.
Gandalf stood tall and proud against the flame and shadow. Frodo called out to him, but was ignored as the wizard faced the Balrog who had once been like himself— a Maiar. Only now this Maiar was one who had been corrupted by Morgoth, vowing to serve beneath him and changing its angelic form to one of evil and darkness.
"You cannot pass!" Gandalf yelled as the Balrog straightened and set his form aflame. "I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor." They drew their swords and Glamdring shone with power against the flames of the Balrog's weapon.
"The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn!" Their swords clashed together. "Go back to the shadow.', Gandalf sneered. Aragorn stepped forward with a grim and worried look on his face as the Balrog took a step onto the arched crossing. Its wings spread wide and its whip crackled with heat.
"You shall not pass!', the wizard shouted as he brought down his sword and staff. A white light came from him, and the stone crumbled beneath the moster. Gandalf turned and began to walk across the remaining half of the structure when the Balrog's whip caught around his feet and dragged him down.
"No! Gandalf!', Frodo wailed and Boromir held him back as he tried to rush to his old friend's side. Gandalf's handholds slipped as he searched desperately for anything to grab onto. "Fly you fools.', he said as he disappeared into the chasm below.
Frodo was still struggling in Boromir's arms, and I leaned down to whisper in his ear.
"Come, Frodo. Do not let Gandalf's sacrifice be in vain, for he willingly faced that demon to secure a chance for you. Come."
Aragorn gazed at the place his friend had been moments ago. The orcs started to fire volleys of arrows as he finally turned and ran up the last set of stairs to the exit of Moria, leading us away from the death of Gandalf the Gray.
We had been in the dark of the Mines for so long that the sun blinded us when we stepped into the fresh air again.
The hobbits collapsed onto the ground with tears in their eyes as Boromir and Aragorn restrained a yelling Gimli, who wished to avenge Gandalf.
Legolas turned his face towards the sun and let it warm his features, while he glanced sadly at the grieving hobbits. I sat down on a rock and buried my face in my hands.
I am the only one here who knows that Gandalf shall return, yet I still grieve at his passing.
"Legolas, get them up." Aragorn said as he wiped the orc blood off of his blade.
"Give them a moment for pity's sake!', Boromir exploded.
"By nightfall, these hills will be swarming with orcs. We must reach the woods of Lothlórien. Come Boromir, Legolas, Gimli. Get them up."
Legolas approached me with his head bowed, and he kneeled next to me.
"Lady Rielásse?" He questioned softly.
I nodded and stood as he helped me to my feet.
Let the journey continue.
Aragorn smiled as he splashed through a stream and spotted the Golden Wood, which we soon found ourselves at the border of.
We were nearly a mile into the forest when we heard the tinkling of water. I almost fancied that I heard a voice singing to the rhythm of the stream, and I knew that we stood on the banks of Nimrodel, named after the elven maiden who had once dwelt by it.
"It is told that she dwelt near the falls, in a house among the golden leaves of a great tree that grew there, according to the customs of her people. Galadhrim, we call them. The Tree-Dwellers.', Legolas murmured next to me.
"I believe we shall follow their custom for the night, mellon nin. The trees will be safer than sleeping on the the ground." Aragorn stated thoughtfully.
"But I cannot sleep on a perch as if I were a bird!', cried Merry.
Legolas laughed and began to climb the tree.
"Then by all means dig a hole if that is to your liking. But you must dig swift and deep into the ground if you are to hide from the orcs. I, for one, will gladly sleep in the Mellyrn trees."
Gimli scowled. "An Elf-witch of terrible power lives in these woods. Be cautious young hobbits. They say that those who go in, never come back out. But I am one dwarf that she will not ensnare so easily. I have the eyes of a hawk, and the ears of a fox."
I looked up into the trees and grinned at the elves in them. True, I could not see where they were, but I knew they were there nonetheless, and that they were watching our every move.
"Daro!', came a hissed command from the leaves, and Legolas leapt to the ground from the limbs he had climbed in his surprise.
A troupe of elves surrounded us with bows drawn, and I bit my lip to hold in my laugh at Gimli's stricken face. The ranger held up his hand in greeting and surrender.
"The dwarf breathes so loudly we could have shot him in the dark.', said the obvious leader of the group.
"Do you make a habit of shooting anything that moves across your borders Haldir, Marchwarden of Lothlórien?' I asked.
"Gohena nya mellon." Aragorn wrinkles his nose. "Hen ná presta guira irtha nauths nedha dôl."
Haldir raised a stern eyebrow in my direction, and I almost stuck my tongue out at him. I would have too, but Legolas pinched me and gave me a warning glance.
"Haldir o Lórien. Henio, anríon, boe ammen i dula lîn. Boe ammen veriad lîn.', Strider said.
"Aragorn. We should go back. These woods are perilous. We should go back.', Gimli stuttered haltingly.
"You have entered the Realm of the Lady of the Wood. You cannot go back.', Haldir answered for the ranger. "Come. She is waiting."
We marched through the forest for another two hours before the company halted. Haldir turned to Legolas.
"The four hobbits shall climb up here and stay with us. We do not fear them. There is another talan in the next tree. There the others must take refuge. You, Legolas, must answer to us for them. Call us if anything is amiss, and keep an eye on that dwarf."
Three, two, one. Cue the lecture.
Haldir had left us, and I knew by the look on Aragorn's face that I was in big trouble.
"What were you thinking, Rielásse?"
Um... that somebody needed to take that Marchwarden down a peg or two?
"Haldir has been more than gracious in allowing us to stay here after the way you disrespected him. You owe him an apology."
The guy's archers practically had arrows shoved up my nose! Oh, I'll apologize alright— when fast-food joints stop clogging arteries.
I pressed my lips into a thin line to keep my retort in my mouth as I spread out a bedroll and laid down.
"Tahath hen dú-theith hen gaig, mellon nin." Legolas chuckled as he tried to calm his friend down.
"I suppose there is that." Aragorn sighed. "Let us hope their is no animosity between the two tomorrow."
"Fat chance.', I whispered before dropping off into sleep.
Guide...
Gohene nya mellon. Hen ná presta guira irtha nauths nedha dôl.— Forgive my friend. She has trouble keeping her thoughts inside her head.
Haldir o Lórien. Henio, anríon, boe ammen i dula lîn. Boe ammen veriad lîn. — Haldir of Lórien. We come here for help. We need your protection.
Tahath hen dû-theith hen gaig, mellon nin. — At least she did not draw her weapon, my friend.