A/N: Alright, here's a quicker update. I hope you guys enjoy! It's pretty plot-heavy, but there are a few scenes that might be important later on;)

Chapter 8

Was this it? Would her story end so abruptly in the presence of her first battle? Melody desperately tried to find her way out of this situation. So with all the strength she could muster, she kicked the orc directly in the stomach. Even she was surprised that she had the courage to do so, well, adrenaline would be a better term. Courage meant bravery, and that was something she did not attain in the slightest amongst these creatures and valiant warriors.

The slight blow made the orc release her for a mere second, but it was enough. Melody stumbled backward and her quick altercation was ended when Boromir strode over to save her from the beasts. It had all happened so fast and she couldn't help but feel utterly indebted to the Gondorian as he finished off the orcs with two simple strikes.

Amidst the chaos, she managed to find the hobbits once more who stood to protect Frodo. They were raising their swords with small battle cries escaping their lips. Melody would have allowed a faint smile to cross her own if it wasn't for the absolute horror that was taking place in front of them.

She rapidly found herself by their sides and witnessed a large cave troll wreaking havoc upon the room. Every step elicited a shudder from the stone walls as the giant angrily searched for the Ringbearer. She watched closely as it knelt beside a pillar where Frodo scurried away to another side. Melody could not imagine the nightmarish fear that swept through the hobbit.

Suddenly, she was yet again zapped out of her reverie by the sight of Merry and Pippin throwing stones at the gargantuan creature. This is something I could do, she thought and began to look around for spare pieces of rock. With all their might, the group barraged the troll with all the supplies they could find. It was quite a tiring affair, and soon the troll focused its attention on them. He roared and the putrid odor of its' breath made Melody want to retch.

Another distraction presented itself in the form of more orcs and their gazes shifted. Rocks would be of no more use to them and they stood close together. Melody gulped as she realized this might be her first kill ever if she was to survive this. However, luckily the other members of the Fellowship were able to lend a hand by shooting a few arrows in their direction. That seemed to assuage the anxiety within the woman for the time being.

Now, the only foe that stood between the Company and their escape was the cave troll. It menacingly stood between Frodo and an unconscious Aragorn. With its' spear raised and a malicious grin plastered over its' features, a mortal blow was bestowed upon the fragile being.

A sharp intake of breath was all that anyone heard as Frodo slumped into the corner of the room. All eyes were fixated upon him as hope dwindled like a fire without enough tinder. Melody tried to convince herself that this was not happening, no, it was too soon. She knew enough from the stories and movies of her time that this was not the ending that occurred in the films.

Had she changed something without knowing? Surely not. There had been little knowledge of the trilogy in her brain originally. So, how could she have altered something?

The scene passed by in a slow blur as Merry and Pippin made to attack the troll with all their might. Thankfully, Legolas was able to fend off the troll as it discarded the hobbits to the side of the room. The Elf wistfully dodged the blows of the troll and soon found himself atop the beast with a few arrows notched in his bowstring.

A deafening thud resounded as the beast fell to its' death.

Aragorn awoke a crawled over to Frodo with a somber gaze. His hand came up to the hobbit's auburn curls and a depressing aura filled everyone's hearts. Melody had a lump in the back of her throat that refused to dissipate. He was so small and so young to have met this fate.

But a gasp of breath caused hope to reenter the Fellowship's minds. Frodo weakly readjusted himself onto his back and breathed out heavily.

"He's alive!" Sam rejoiced. Melody felt all the other voices dissipate as she was swept away by the awe and resilience of the situation. Frodo looked to Gandalf after it seemed a large sigh of relief had been released. He revealed a sparkling, silvery tunic below his over-shirt, and the woman could not help but wonder what kind of magic in that vest had the ability to fend off such a blow.

The wonderment ceased as more orcs were heard outside of the room. Gandalf bid them all to quickly follow him outside of Balin's tomb. They all began to sprint as more creatures climbed down the previously pristine pillars of stone. If Melody had been scared before, this was absolute petrification. Hundreds or maybe even thousands of creatures scaled the sides of the walls and began to surround the Company in a vast, swarming motion. Again, the light of Gandalf's staff surely could not have revealed the validity of their predicament.

Hordes of creatures thrashed their teeth and licked their lips with malevolent smiles. It was the end. If Melody had thought the previous squabble of orcs was a great host, she was surely mistaken. The sound of the thousands of weapons clashing matched the rhythm of her heartbeat; erratic and unrelenting. She found the weapon at her side almost useless, but nevertheless, she tightened her hold with clammy fingers.

It was obscene. Absolutely petrifying. And there seemed no plausible way for the Fellowship to escape the horrors that awaited them by the hands of these orcs.

That was until an even louder sound echoes through the vast halls.

Melody's head whipped around for some evidence of a greater being, but to no avail. She couldn't see anything but the orc's distinct change of expression. It was fear…which meant that whatever had evoked that type of response had to be even more devious.

With their weapons dancing in all directions, the Fellowship's movements finally slowed as they witnessed the orc's hastily retreating back towards the shadows. Boromir had asked Gandalf something, but Melody could not hear. She was deafened by her own body's reaction to what they had just seen. The only perceivable word was Gandalf's reply.

"Run!"

And that they did. Melody willed her legs to push forward through the endless array of fallen rock and stone. No longer did she eye this place with curiosity. It was only a place of death and should have been evacuated upon their entrance. Her breathing was ragged and heavy, but the adrenaline that pulsed throughout was stronger than any fatigue she could bear to sense. She guessed that this was her own version of a flight response.

They reached a narrow doorway where Boromir led them to a small ledge. Legolas had wrapped his arms around the man in order to save him from a deathly fall. Everyone skidded to a halt and realized they would have to jump the distance. Weariness and unease settled in the woman's soul. Her greatest fears used to lie with rollercoasters and heights, but now, it had more to do with the creatures she had just attempted to battle against.

She looked around wildly to see if any trace of what they had seen was approaching. The only evidence was thunderous footsteps that shook the ground beneath with each motion. They needed to move now if they cherished their lives.

Melody felt an arm encircle her wait and she jumped at the contact. Before she knew it, her whole body was being thrown across the small gap. A small scream escaped her throat and her legs were steadied by someone else. Legolas held her tightly and paused for a second to make sure she had her bearings.

If she wasn't so scared right now, she would have chastised him for doing something so dangerous. He could have let her know he was going to basically toss her across the rock, but instead she remained silent. Legolas had only helped her.

The Elf then motioned to Gandalf to cross and the Wizard deftly leapt and was secured. The rest of what occurred was in a blur to the woman as she stood uneasily. Bile rose in her throat and she struggled to keep it down. It was getting harder to breathe and the panic that festered in her soul was all too much to keep at bay.

However, these emotions were dashed by an arrow flicking across the skin of her forearm. A light gasp resounded from her lips and she wrenched her arm away in pain. It stung and started to color her fingers a vibrant red shade.

She noticed Legolas had whipped his head around to survey the damage at the sound of her voice. He wasted no time in fletching an arrow and releasing it into the oblivion. How he could aim in the darkness was lost upon her. Nevertheless, he continued to stave off the gaggle of archers that assailed the Fellowship.

After everyone had safely arrived on the shared bridge, they began to run again in search of refuge from this horrid place. Gandalf commanded them to take the next bridge and to fly. Melody thought it was a strange choice of word, but did not care in the slightest. If she could fly she was damned sure she would have done it by now.

But then it dawned on her. It was the only part of these movies that she had actually remembered. Tristan had quoted it many times whilst being his overly melodramatic self. She rummaged through her scarce memory of this exact sequence and tried to find another explanation for what was to come. No…it couldn't be…

"Fly you fools!"

She was about to witness Gandalf's death. Of all the things she wished she could change about her situation right now, the knowledge of that trumped everything. How could she let this happen to the person who had basically saved her life in this strange world? Guilt twisted her insides and her steps faltered. They had finally made it across the bridge and Melody abruptly stopped.

She was met by Legolas for the briefest of moments, but it was enough. Remorse flooded her expression. He would surely know something besides the small graze on her arm was amiss. However, she pushed that thought away instantly and redirected her sight to Gandalf who stood alone in the middle of the bridge.

In a whirl of fire and smoke, an incomprehensible being manifested. Flames licked the outline of its' body and a morose void of obsidian claimed the soul. It was something Melody thought she could never conjure in her most terrifying nightmares.

"You cannot pass!" Gandalf shouted menacingly as he held his staff at his side.

Melody heard Frodo call out to him in worry, but he was restrained by someone. Melody felt herself snap and started to take a few steps away from the rest of them. She could not let him die!

Firm hands once again found her form, "Stay here!" The Elf again commanded her in a very serious low-tone and she looked into his azure eyes. She wanted to tell him, no, she needed to. Confusion swept across his face.

"Legolas, please! I-" She was cut-off by the cracking sound of the bridge. The great beast started to fall and Melody wriggled in Legolas' grasp. He would not let her go.

Short-lived relief kindled within the group, but an even louder sound caught their attention. A fiery whip latched itself upon Gandalf's ankle and he slid to the edge; only supported by his arms weakly clinging to the ledge. It was Frodo who tried to save him, but he was also held back from doing so once more.

A plea of desperation was etched upon Gandalf's expression and his eyes were heavy with despair. Melody felt them bore into her own as if to keep her away. She almost thought she saw a small nod form from his face, but she was more than likely incorrect.

"Fly you fools!"

A/N: I know this is a very short chapter, but I felt that ending it there was plausible. I always hate writing about Gandalf's death:( but what will happen next? The Fellowship is off to Lothlorien in the next chapter and I will tell you that things will get very interesting there. Please don't forget to review!

ALSO IMPORTANT: I have posted this story on my Wattpad account as well. The username is writer-dean so if you happened to have stumbled across it, don't worry that's me.