A/N: This chapter is a little chaotic...rather like this section of LotR. Thanks for the reviews, everyone. I really appreciate them. They're what give me good writing jujus. To one of my reviewers: Look! I didn't take forever to get this one out! :D
Hope you enjoy it!
~#*ITS*#~
"They are coming..."
Gandalf finished reading the final passage from the Book of Mazarbul, which chronicled the expedition to reclaim Moria from the Orcs. Horror set in on the Fellowship. They looked around frantically as though the very walls were about to come in on them. Shadow slid over to the doorway that led back into the great hall and began subtly closing the massive door. In quiet thought, Gandalf closed the tattered book and handed it to Gimli.
"This should be in the hands of Dain and the Dwarves," he mumbled. "And now, it is time that we say farewell to Balin son of Fundin."
"Which way should we go?" Boromir asked.
"Back to the hall," Gandalf replied. "I now know where we are. We should leave by the eastern archway as we thought."
"No," Shadow's voice was frighteningly calm from where he stood with his back to the great door. "That way is blocked."
"Blocked by what?" Aragorn looked alarmed.
As if in answer, a resounding doom, BOOM! rang through the chamber. It shook the ground and disturbed the dirt in the stone above their heads, causing it to rain down on them. The blast of a horn came loud and shrill from the great hall followed by a chorus of harsh voices.
"They are coming!" Legolas yelled.
"We cannot get out," Gimli's voice was haunted.
"Why did you lead us this way if you knew they would trap us here?" Boromir demanded angrily of Shadow.
"Did I say we were trapped?" Shadow answered coolly as he began barring the door with old spears and broken wood. The rest of the Fellowship stopped what they were doing to look questioningly at him. "Well? Help me barricade this door!"
As if remembering their situation, the rest of the group jumped in to help the commanding Jedi. Shadow stepped aside and spoke to Gandalf loudly enough that all of them could hear.
"The eastern arch would have led us to a dead end, trapped between the orcs and a flaming chasm that has opened in one of the main halls. We will flee through this side door, and that will lead us right to the exit."
"Very good," Gandalf nodded.
"We should flee now, then," Boromir stated, finishing the barricade.
"No," Aragorn grabbed his sword, Anduril. "We cannot run far with so many enemies on our heels. We should make a stand here, and keep the eastern door open as a means of escape when it becomes necessary."
At this, Aragorn looked to Shadow who made a "take-the-lead" motion with his hand. While Aragorn barked orders, Shadow made his way over to the huddled group of Hobbits.
"I want you to listen to me very carefully," Shadow knelt so that he was eye level with the group. "You will be protected, and everything will be alright. You are travelling with two very strong Men, a sturdy Dwarf, a skilled Elf, a magnificent Wizard, and myself. Whatever happens, you make sure that one of us is nearby, alright? You lot are much stronger than you know, but you don't yet have much experience in battle. Allow us to lend you our experience for now. Fight your hardest, and we will make sure no harm befalls you. Now, go!"
The Hobbits scattered, each going to stand with one of their companions. Before he could go far, though, Shadow grabbed Frodo's arm.
"Frodo, I know you're getting tired of hearing this, but some of those Orcs are Uruk from Mordor...they are after you and the Ring," Frodo shivered, but said nothing. "You, most of all, must stay close to one of us. As I said, despite your inexperience, you Hobbits are strong beyond measure, but this is not a fair fight. The Orcs will do anything to get the Ring. Do you understand?"
Frodo nodded, obviously masking the fear he felt in his heart. Shadow smiled beneath his hood and ruffled the Hobbit's curly hair. He stood, facing the barricaded door once again.
"Everything is going to be alright," he promised quietly.
At that moment, however, a great cave troll crashed into the door that stood between the Company and certain death. One of its arms and a foot managed to break through. Boromir ran up and slashed at the arm, but his sword only glanced off without doing any damage at all.
Without warning, Frodo leaped forward.
"Frodo!" Shadow called, but the Hobbit was caught in a fury and didn't hear him.
"The Shire!" he cried, plunging Sting deep into the massive foot. With a howl, the troll drew back, almost taking Frodo with it. Aragorn was faster, though, and grabbed Hobbit and sword while Boromir hurled himself against the door to close it back again.
"First blood to the Shire!" Aragorn cheered, putting Frodo back on his feet.
With a wave of battering rams, the door buckled in, creating a wide hole. One after another, Orcs piled through the portal, but they were quickly overtaken by the Fellowship. After a great number had been slain, the Orcs fell back, leaving the breathless defenders a second's rest.
Shadow jogged over to Sam who had blood running down his face. He knelt quickly and surveyed the damage.
"Are you alright, Sam?" His voice was steady despite his worry.
"Yeh!" Sam's eyes were alight with fire, a large Orc lay dead before him. Shadow couldn't help but chuckle.
"Now is the time to flee!" Gandalf called.
Before they had time to move, though, an Orc chieftan leaped into the chamber. Instantly, realizing what was happening, Shadow's attention shot to Frodo.
Shadow?
The Jedi barely registered the whispered thought from Sam.
"I made you a promise." The thought ran over and over in his mind.
As if in slow motion, Sam watched Shadow run, not toward the fighting, but toward where his Master stood, sword in hand. The Orc easily brushed the mighty Boromir aside as though he was a child. Its objective became terrifyingly clear to Sam as it ducked under a blow from Aragorn and charged, just like Shadow, straight toward Frodo.
The Jedi didn't draw his blade. He only ran as though racing the giant orc for his very life. It wasn't his own life he meant to protect, though, and Sam found himself screaming out.
"Shadow!"
His cry caught Gandalf's attention, and the wizard's eyes grew large, but he had no time to act. With his shield, the Orc Chieftan blocked an attack from Legolas. As he rolled from the attack, he launched a wicked spear straight at Frodo.
Shadow leaped with all his might and stretched out his arms. One hand contacted Frodo's shoulder and pushed him firmly to the ground. The other flew out toward the Orc, Force pushing him back to Aragorn's waiting sword. The spear caught Shadow squarely in the ribs, slamming him to the ground. Having watched their leader lose his head, the orcs retreated with fear-filled screeches while Shadow slid to a halt by the far wall.
With a cry, Legolas ran to the fallen Jedi.
"Is he...?" Gandalf asked darkly.
"I'm alive," Shadow wheezed, sitting up and tossing away the spear.
"I'm honestly beginning to doubt your mortality, friend," Aragorn smiled with relief, pulling Shadow to his feet.
"There's no time now!" Gandalf's own relief was apparent despite his urging. "We might not get another chance to run!"
The Hobbits crowded Shadow for a moment.
"Are you truly unhurt?" Frodo fretted.
"Yes," Shadow assured him, nudging the Hobbits toward the door, "a little bruised, perhaps, but nothing fatal. I didn't hurt you when I pushed you down, did I?" Frodo shook his head. "Good, then let's go."
As they passed through, Legolas half dragging Gimli from the chamber, Boromir heaved the heavy door shut. It wouldn't delay a horde that size for long, but it was better than leaving the way open for them.
"Gandalf!" Shadow called breathlessly. The Wizard had stopped at the door while the rest of them headed down the stairs.
"Go, my friend," Gandalf smiled sadly.
"No," Shadow stated firmly. "You will need all of your strength later. Let me handle this.
"You cannot stand against the threat I perceive," Gandalf drew himself up ever so slightly.
"Neither can you!" Shadow argued.
"You told me before-!" Gandalf began, but Shadow cut him off.
"This is not the time or place, Old Man! Keep moving!" With that, Shadow gently Force pushed Gandalf in the direction of the others. "Lead them on! I'll catch up in a moment."
Had it not been for the dire circumstances, Pippin might have laughed at the thought of someone getting away with calling Gandalf 'Old Man', but at that moment, he was running as fast as his little feet would carry him.
An hour passed, and there was no sign of any pursuit. There was also no sign of their Jedi. Shortly after they'd fled, a great rumble and a wave of debris had covered them in dust. From then on, they'd heard nothing but the drums growing fainter and fainter. Gandalf called for a halt, wishing to wait for just a moment to see if Shadow would reappear.
"How on Earth did he get up after that blow?" Legolas marveled while they talked.
"It would seem Master Bilbo wasn't the only one to receive a shirt of Mithril from Thorin Oakenshield," Gandalf spoke as if reliving a far-off memory. "It is likely the blunt force will have done some damage, but a blade like that had no chance of going through."
He was quiet for a moment before speaking again.
"I'll admit, though, I wasn't so confident while watching him take the hit."
"You really should have more faith in me!" Shadow's voice came from out in the dark behind them. A moment later, he was standing before them, wheezing and covered in grey dirt. "Well, they won't be following us from that way."
"What did you do? Collapse the tunnel?" Gandalf fussed.
"Maybe a little," Shadow admitted after a slight hesitation.
Gandalf shook his head and sighed.
"We should keep moving," Aragorn urged them.
With that one statement, everyone stood and began trudging down the path once more. Falling to the back, Shadow took Gandalf's arm.
"It was behind us," he whispered cryptically, "and it is terrible."
After a thoughtful silence, Gandalf sighed and squeezed Shadow's shoulder before making his way to his place at the front of the Fellowship.
Soon enough, the pathway became lit with an evil red light.
"It's just as Shadow said," Gandalf muttered, peering around the edge of the tunnel and into another great hall. "There's a chasm opened and filled with flame."
"We truly would have been trapped," Legolas breathed.
The screeches of pursuing Orcs, thwarted by their own scheming, could be heard from across the flames. Dodging arrows as they went, the Fellowship made their way across the vast expanse and to the edge of an open canyon. Across the endless emptiness stretched a stone bridge only wide enough for one person to cross at a time.
Just before they began to cross, however, Legolas turned to fire an arrow. It never left his bow. Instead, it fell, harmless, to the ground as the Elf began crying out in terror.
From the other side of the fire behind them, a great shadow rose among the Orcs. It leaped across the flames without difficulty, and rose, now covered in fire, weilding a fiery blade and a whip.
"Durin's Bane!" Gimli's eyes grew wide. His axe dropped next to Legolas's bow.
Gandalf turned to look at Shadow. The Jedi only nodded slowly.
The time had come.
~#*ITS*#~
A/N: This chapter ended up being over 4,000 words...but I cut it down...what does that mean for you? 2 FOR 1! I'll be posting the next chapter immediately after this one is posted. Call it an apology for making you wait so long on the last chapter. ;) You know what to do!