Author's Notes: I don't own anyone from Lord of the Rings. If I did Frodo wouldn't have gone on to the Grey Havens. Legolas would be teaching me how to use a bow and arrow. Aragorn and Arwen would have been married long before the Ring was found. I don't own any of the Inu-Yasha characters. If I did, Sesshomaru would be joining Legolas in teaching me how to use a sword. Enjoy.
Recently I got copies of the show and saw that the spelling of Sesshomaru is indeed spelled wrong. Forgive me but I was going by what I saw in the magnas. I did correct the spelling in all the chapters.
Chapter 10
Mines of Moria
Tori looked up at the star filled sky during her and Legolas's watch. Legolas was leaning against one of the many trees that were surrounding their camp. Tori finally turned her gaze to the group asleep around the fire. Shippo and Rin were curled up closest to the fire with Kirara between them. Sango was on her pallet a bit further from the fire than the children but close enough to protect them. Frodo and Sam were between Sango and the children while Merry and Pippin were on the other side of the fire. Gandalf and Gimli were just past Merry and Pippin while Koga, Sesshomaru, Boromir, and Aragorn were all propped up by the trees since they had fallen asleep while sitting up and talking, well at least the mortal men had fallen asleep.
"So how exactly did you meet Sesshomaru?" Tori tilted her head slightly to look at Legolas through her bangs.
Legolas gave her a small smile before motioning her closer to himself. "It is a long story."
"I don't care. I'm quite sure that Sessho has told you quite a bit about us and how we met."
"Yes. It all started when I was attacked."
"Attacked? By what?"
"Giant Spiders…"
Legolas had drawn his sword to no avail. The three giant spiders were advancing on him. Soon he'd either have to run or die. Suddenly he heard the sound of a sword being drawn. He looked up and could have sworn the Valar had descended from heaven to aid him.
"I suggest you flee, Naraku." The white haired figure pointed his sword at the spiders. "I will kill you for taking what is mine." The spiders started clicking their pincers as the advanced on the newcomer. "Do not think that I was feigning." He swung his sword and sliced off the head of one of the spiders while the other two trued to jump on him. His sword sliced through a second spider and as arrow pierced the side of the third. "How did that fool Naraku get here?"
"Many thanks, sir. Those spiders have been causing mayhem in Mirkwood for centuries." Legolas took in the silver haired man. He's handsome. Hopefully he is married or the she-elves won't leave him alone for long.
"So they are not Naraku's offspring?"
"No. No one knows where they from or how they came to be." Legolas felt a trickle of warmth running down his arm. One of the spiders had scratched him deeply and now he needed to clean it fast before the poison set in. "Come. I need to clean out this wound before the poison begins."
Sesshomaru followed after the strange man. His golden eyes swept over the man's tunic and leggings. Interesting. He seems to be comfortable in those clothes. I wonder if he has seen Tori and the others. "I am looking for the rest of my pack. Have you seen them?"
"You are the first stranger I have seen in months." Legolas entered into a small clearing with a stream meandered through it and where he had a fire burning brightly. He moved toward a pack and pulled out a bowl before making his way to the stream to gather some water.
"It would be best if you heated the water before you used it." Sesshomaru leaned against a tree as he watched Legolas. His white pack, which Kagome had gotten for him at Tori's insistence, sat open on the ground beside him.
Legolas turned to look at the strange man. "I do not believe I introduced myself. I am Legolas Greenleaf."
"Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands." He bowed slightly as Legolas turned toward the fire.
Legolas poured the water into a small pot kept for that purpose and put the pot over the fire. He noticed Sesshomaru rummaging through his pack. "What are you looking for?"
"My mate packed something she called a 'First aid kit' in here and I believe that it would help with your wound." Sesshomaru pulled out the familiar white box with a red cross on it. He pulled a small bottle of rubbing alcohol from the container. "Pour this over the wound once you have finished with the water."
Legolas carefully twisted off the lid of the bottle and took a big sniff. He barely caught the bottle as tried to get his nose under control. "I am to put this foul smelling, Goblin piss on my wound?"
"It will clean it out." Sesshomaru continued to rummage through the first aid kit. "I could give you this liquid." He held up a brown bottle. "It turns white and bubbles when it hits dirt within the wound."
Legolas shuddered slightly. "I will take the Goblin piss." He wrapped a clean rag around the top of the bottle and poured some alcohol on it. He dabbed it on the wound. "It burns!"
Sesshomaru smirked slightly. "Blow on it. It will take away the sting." He pulled some gauze and tape from the first aid kit and slowly moved toward the elf, who was blowing on his wound. "Are you finished?" Legolas nodded as Sesshomaru knelt next to him and quickly wrapped the wound with the gauze and taped it in place. "It will need to be changed tomorrow."
"Thank you." Legolas watched as the demon that had come to his aid quickly closed bottles and placed everything back into his pack. "My father will want to meet you."
"I must find the rest of my pack."
"The forest is dangerous. Much too dangerous to travel alone and at night." Legolas climbed to his feet with ease and walked over to his horse. "We are only an hour's ride from my home. At least be our guest for this one night."
Sesshomaru looked up from the only picture he had of his mate. "Fine. But if any of my pack dies or is injured then it is on your head."
"Agreed." Legolas mounted his horse and reached down to help Sesshomaru up. "It will be faster if we ride."
"I will be able to keep up with you." Sesshomaru smirked slightly as Legolas shrugged and nudged his out of the clearing at a fast pace. Sesshomaru merely called his white cloud to form around his feet and followed after the elf.
"When my father met him, he insisted that Sesshomaru help keep the spiders around the forest at bay." Legolas's eyes scanned the area looking for danger. "When the messenger came from Rivendell, my father and Sesshomaru agreed that this was the only chance he would find to try and find his pack."
"Even now we're still missin' three people." Tori climbed to her feet before turning to look at her mate. "I can only thank you for takin' him in and seeing that he didn't go on a killin' spree." She leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Legolas's cheek. "I'm gonna turn in. Make sure you wake up the next shift."
"I will, milady." Legolas watched Tori move across the camp and snuggle up in Sesshomaru's lap. Some day I will find a love like that and my father will quick annoying me to marry.
-----
The next day passed much the same as the weeks before. Forests, rocks, and streams were passed and trudged through. The only thing they didn't see was snow and for that Tori was extremely thankful. Finally they were standing before a massive span of rock just as the sun began to set.
"The Walls of Moria!" Gimli scrambled down the rocks ahead of Gandalf.
Gandalf slowly started down the rocks before leaning heavily on his staff. "Frodo, come help an old man." Frodo hurried toward Gandalf as Boromir passed them.
Tori knew that something was up. Gandalf wasn't the fragile kind of person. I bet it has something to do with Boromir not giving Frodo the Ring when he slipped back in the snow. She shivered slightly as she laid her head on Sesshomaru's arm.
"Are you feeling well, Tori? Sesshomaru looked worriedly at his mate. She seemed to be a bit off from her usual perky self.
"I'm fine, just a little tired. After all I'm not usually the one up with the sun yelling for us to 'Find more shards'." She smiled softly as they continued to follow behind Gimli.
Gimli had taken to tapping his axe every few feet. "Dwarf door are invisible unless you know that they are there."
"Yes, Master Gimli. Doors can be forgotten, even by their own masters, when they are no longer used." Gandalf moved past Gimli and along a dark pool of water.
Legolas rolled his eyes. "Now why doesn't that surprise me?"
"Knock it off, Legolas." Tori smiled softly as she followed after Gandalf. She watched him as he stopped before a smooth stretch of rock just as Frodo stepped into the dark water.
Gandalf swept the rock free of any loose dirt. He looked over his shoulder as Sango started to hand out some snacks for the Hobbits and Children to eat. "Made to reflect…moonlight and starlight." Several clouds parted and a silvery beam of light landed on the smoothed out rock.
"Silvery lines seemed to appear as the moonlight hit them. "What does it say, Gandalf?" Tori moved to his side.
"It says: 'The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria, Speak Friend and Enter.'" Gandalf rubbed his chin slightly.
"So what does that mean?" Sango looked up from her snack.
"It means that if you're a friend you speak the password and enter." Gandalf pressed his staff to the star in the center of the door. "Annon edhellen, edro hi ammen! Fennas nothothrim, last beth lammen!"
Tori watched as Gandalf pushed on the doors. Pippin started to make a comment but Tori slapped his head. "I have a feeling that the password is going to be something very simple, Gandalf." She sank onto one of the boulders near the doors.
"You may be right, milady." Gandalf raised his staff and tried again.
Merry and Pippin were skipping rocks across the dark waters while Aragorn and Sam were letting Bill go. Rin and Shippo were helping Sango clean up while Kirara perched herself on Tori's shoulders. Sesshomaru and Boromir each grabbed Merry and Pippin and pulled them away from the water.
"Do not disturb the waters." Sesshomaru let out a small growl as he moved toward Tori and Frodo.
"He's right. It isn't safe to relax our guard." Boromir turned his eyes to the water.
Frodo climbed to his feet and looked at the doors for a moment. "Gandalf what is the Elvish word for friend?"
"Mellon." Gandalf looked up as the doors slowly opened. "Indeed it was something simple."
"Like most riddles the answer was right in front of us." Tori smiled as she swung her pack onto her shoulder.
Gandalf led them into the darkened doorway as he settled a clear crystal into the top of his staff and blew on it creating a soft light. Tori had barely made it ten steps past the doors when she tripped over something lying on the floor. Grumbling softly, she looked down to see how her ankle was caught this time before she let out an ear-piercing scream that made Shippo, Koga, and Sesshomaru cover their sensitive ears.
"Skeleton!" Tori started to shake her leg trying to get the bony hand of a long dead dwarf to let go of her skin. "Get it off! Get it off! Get it off my leg, Sesshomaru!"
"This is no mine. It's a tomb!' Boromir pushed Frodo behind him as he started to back up slowly. "We should not have come here."
"We didn't know." Gimli looked around at his fallen comrades. "I didn't know."
Legolas pulled an arrow from one of the skeletons and looked at it. "Goblins!"
Sesshomaru used his claws to cut the bony hand off Tori's leg before he lifted her away from the skeleton. He heard a soft splashing behind him moments before Fordo screamed in terror. Tori and Sesshomaru spun around and saw Frodo dangling in the air with a tentacle wrapped around his ankle. Tori grabbed the hilt of her sword as she started out into the water. Another tentacle wrapped around her waist and lifted her into the air.
"Sesshomaru!" Tori tried to free herself from the tentacle. "Let me go, you slimy worm!"
Sango and Sesshomaru jumped into the brackish water with Aragorn and started to hack through the tentacles. Sango threw her Hiraikotsu at the creature and severed the tentacle holding Tori above them. Sesshomaru caught Tori as Aragorn sliced through the tentacle holding Frodo. Legolas fired an arrow at the creature's eye as Aragorn caught Frodo.
"Into the Mines!" Koga scooped up Rin and Shippo and bounded through the gaping doorway.
Sango grabbed Sam and followed Koga with Boromir, Merry, Pippin, Gimli, and Gandalf right behind her. Aragorn and Sesshomaru carried their burdens through the doorway as Legolas scooped up the tiny Kirara and hurried after them. The creature started to follow them as its tentacles started to reach for the door. A rumbling could be heard above them as the creature brought the doors down on itself. Gandalf tapped his staff against the floor to recreate the light. Koga carefully looked over the children in the soft light as Tori swiped at the dust clinging to her face. Kirara watched from the safety of Legolas's arms while Sango dropped her pack at her feet.
Sango's brown eyes swept over the group quickly making sure that no one was injured before she turned and looked at Gandalf. "Now what do we do?"
Gandalf let out a soft sigh. "Now we make our way through the long dark of Moria…" He barely glanced at the group as he started up the stairs. "…And hope that nothing else awakens."
Tori bent to pick up her pack when she remembered some of the things that were always packed in it. "Hold up a sec." She flipped the flap of the pack open and started to dig in it.
Koga slowly made his way over to Tori and watched her dig through her pack. "What exactly are you looking for?"
"That's not it or that…" Tori looked up at Koga. "What, Koga?"
"I asked what you were looking for." Koga looked a bit upset that she hadn't heard him the first time.
Tori rolled her eyes slightly before turning back to the pack. "I just remembered that Kagome packed the same things into each of the packs."
"So?" Koga looked a bit confused as Tori pulled out a small black cylinder from her pack.
Tori climbed to her feet after closing the pack and slinging it over her shoulders. She slapped Koga across the back of his head before turning on the flashlight. "We're going to need light and this is going to help us out."
The beam of light highlighted the dust and grime covering everyone's faces. Legolas's fingers twitched slightly since he wanted to get the flashlight and figure it out. Aragorn just shrugged and motioned for the group to start walking up the stairs. Rin practically ran everyone over so that she could walk with Gandalf. Shippo looked up from playing with his flashlight.
"How long will it take us to make it through Moria?" Rin looked up at Gandalf.
"It will take us three days as long as we move quickly and do not wake anything else from its slumber. There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world." Gandalf smiled softly as Rin's tiny hand wrapped around his.
-----
Tori walked in the middle of the group as they slowly made their way through Moria. Sometimes she and Sango would take turns walking with the Hobbits but mostly she was trying to keep away from the skeletons that were still scattered along their path. That was the only thing that she hadn't gotten used to in the war with Naraku or even her days as a crime scene investigator. Dead bodies she could handle but show her a skeleton, especially one that had been mutilated like the one that had grabbed her, she freaked out.
Sango currently was walking beside Boromir and was starting to worry about him. He was always watching Frodo and nothing she tried to talk to him about would keep his attention for long. She looked around at the rest of the group and saw that they were mostly silent. Merry and Pippin were talking about her pack and the food that she was carrying. Sango just shook her head slightly as she patted their heads and moved past them.
Merry and Pippin were hungry, again, and Sango wasn't going to give them any food until they stopped for the night. Now they were trying to get Frodo and Sam to help them convince the stubborn woman, not that they would say it to her face, to feed them. Shippo had also started to complain that he was hungry but Sango simply smiled and ignored the three of them. Frodo seemed to be lost in his own little world while Sam kept fussing over Frodo.
Aragorn kept his hand on the hilt of his sword as he walked with Sesshomaru at the back of the group. Gandalf seemed to be a bit nervous about going through the Mines but he wouldn't tell anyone why. Sesshomaru's ears were listening for anything that wasn't normal for the 'dead' mines. His eyes never left his mate's backside. He was constantly thanking Kami that the elves had given her a few of the traveling tunics and leggings since they hugged her every curve. The weeks that they had been traveling together rarely afforded them any time together but Aragorn and Legolas, at least, let them have the privacy that they were lacking. Legolas also kept his eyes and ears open for any danger. With the two women, two children, and four Hobbits, one could never be too careful. Gimli had gotten the hint when Tori glared at him for the fifth time in as many minutes to keep his Dwarf mouth shut. Koga kept his distance from Tori and Sango. He really didn't feel like dealing with the frustrated demon lord so he kept pace with Gandalf and the children.
Rin's flashlight skimmed over the rocks as it swung at her side. She held tightly to Gandalf's hand as Shippo and Kirara rode on the wizened wizard's shoulder. She looked up at him. "Gandalf?"
"Yes, Rin?" Gandalf led them through an archway.
"What did they mine for here?"
Tori's head snapped up at this question. "Yes. What riches did they find here?"
"The wealth of Moria is not gold or jewels or even silver." Gandalf smiled softly.
"Really?" Rin looked up at Gandalf as he stopped and held his staff out over the cliff.
"Yes. It was famous for Mithril." The light from his staff highlighted the silvery metal running through the rocks.
"Whoa." Shippo's little eyes seemed to widen slightly.
"What exactly is Mithril?" Tori was slowly making her through the group.
"A very unusual metal." Gimli's voice made Tori turn to face him. "It's as strong as a dragon's scales and as light as a feather. It can be forged into very strong armor and weapons that no Orc or Goblin would dare fight against."
"Exactly. Thorin gave Bilbo a shirt of Mithril rings." Gandalf pulled his staff back and started along the path again.
"That was a kingly gift." Gimli looked amazed at this information. "What happened to it?"
"I'm not sure, but I never told him that its worth was greater than the Shire." Gandalf started up a flight of steep stairs.
No one saw Frodo rubbing his chest slightly.
-----
Sango was dead tired. She knew that they had come a long way in the day and a half that they had been walking in the mines but this was ridiculous. Tori, who was walking beside her, let out a jaw-cracking yawn. Legolas noticed and nudged Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru nodded as he shifted his burden of two sleeping children. Aragorn saw Gandalf stopped at the top of the stairs with the Hobbits and Koga right behind him.
"I do not remember this." Gandalf looked between the three tunnels before him.
Tori dropped onto one of the steps while Sesshomaru settled himself beside her. Sango dropped next to Koga and wearily took the pack from her back. Legolas and Aragorn took the children from Sesshomaru so that his mate could curl up in his lap to rest. Merry, Pippin, and Sam stretched out among the others while Boromir leaned against one of the rocks lining the stairs. Frodo sat furthest from the group as the others stretched out to rest. Sam started to pass out some of the snacks that Tori and Sango had packed since he knew that Merry and Pippin were hungry again. And this was how the hours passed.
Frodo looked down the way they had come and saw something moving among the shadows. He jumped to his feet and hurried over to Gandalf. "There's something down there."
"Gollum." Gandalf half turned to the group and saw that most of them were sleeping.
Sesshomaru watched Gandalf and Frodo talk softly. He looked down at his mate and started to thread his fingers through her hair as Rin and Shippo started to stir in Aragorn and Legolas's laps. Sango had awoken an hour earlier and was now trying to get Merry and Pippin out of the food packs. Koga had decided to stretch his legs and was listening to Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. Tori stretched slightly as she started to wake up. She arched herself across Sesshomaru's legs as she opened her eyes. She smiled softly as she wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to pull him down to her for a kiss. Sesshomaru smiled softly until he heard Koga slight cough.
"I do not think that we should, my mate." Sesshomaru's low voice sent delicious shivers down Tori's back.
"And why not?" Tori started to nuzzle his neck.
"Because we would make fun of how he is wrapped around your finger." Legolas stifled a laugh as Tori's head whipped around to glare at him.
"Damn, I forgot where we were." Tori climbed to her feet and tugged at her wrinkled tunic.
Gandalf looked down the tunnel in front of him. "Ah, it's this one."
Koga jumped to his feet. "You remembered."
"Finally." Merry hurried up the stairs.
"I did not remember but the air does not smell as foul in this direction." Gandalf glared slightly at Koga and Merry. "When in doubt follow your nose."
The group slowly followed Gandalf down the dark stairs. Tori's crystal blue eyes widened slightly when she saw the towering columns at the foot of the stairs. "Where the bloody hell are we?" She heard the slight growl from behind her. "Sorry, honey, too much time spent with James and Sirius an the ship."
"Koga, remind me to kill them whenever we next see them." Sesshomaru's growls seemed to echo through the cave like room.
"So, Gandalf, where are we?" Rin looked at Gandalf from her perch on Aragorn's shoulders.
"Behold the Dwarf City of Dwarrowdelf." Gandalf started across the room as the rest of the group followed.
Tori and Sango noticed a room to their left moments before Gimli ran toward it. Tori raced after him as Sango got the others attention. Tori slowly edged around the skeletons scattered across the floor and toward Gimli who was kneeling beside a large granite coffin. Tori dropped to her knees beside Gimli and wrapped her arms around him as the rest of the group stepped into the room.
"What is this place, Gandalf?" Rin looked down at Gandalf.
"It's a tomb." Gandalf looked down at the stone and quickly read the etching. "'Here lies Balin, Son of Fudin, Lord of Moria'."
"We were too late." Gimli's voice was slightly muffled by Tori's shoulder.
Legolas moved closer to Aragorn and Sesshomaru. "We must not linger here."
Sesshomaru nodded as Sango handed a book to Gandalf. Gandalf opened it to the last page as Pippin moved closer to a skeleton sitting on the edge of a well. "'We cannot get out. We cannot get out. They have taken the Bridge and the second hall. We cannot get out. They are coming.'"
Koga jumped toward Pippin as he twisted the arrow sticking out of the skeleton's chest. The head rolled off its shoulders and Tori and Sango cringed with each strike it made as it fell down the well. Koga managed to grab the rest of the skeleton before it fell.
"You're going to give us away, Pip." Merry rolled his eyes slightly as he moved toward his cousin.
"Fool of a Took!" Gandalf glared at Pippin. "Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!"
Koga looked down at the skeleton in his hands. "I guess it won't matter if I do this." He pushed the rest of the skeleton down the well.
"No, Koga! Don't!" Sango jumped toward Koga and tried to grab the falling skeleton. She barely missed it before she turned to face Koga. "You are an IDIOT! Here we are trying to be quiet and you have to throw it down the well! Are you CRAZY?!"
Tori let out the breath she was holding while Koga tried to hide from Sango. "How much ya wanna bet that we're gonna have company?"
The sound of drums echoed through the room. Frodo pulled out Sting and saw that it had turned blue. "Not good."
"Orcs!" Legolas whirled around to face the opened doors.
"Right!" Sango tossed one last look at Koga before grabbing Rin and Shippo. Kirara transformed in a flash of fire that made Legolas and Boromir jump slightly. "Shippo, you're in charge of Rin. Kirara, keep to the shadows and keep the kids safe."
Sango put Rin and Shippo onto the neko's back as Kirara nodded once before she flew up into the shadows covering the ceiling. Aragorn and Sesshomaru were struggling with one of the doors as Boromir stuck his head out the other.
An arrow embedded itself into the wood of the door as Sesshomaru pulled Boromir back into the room. "They have a cave troll."
Tori smirked slightly. "Ya mean they have something uglier than you?"
Aragon pulled the door closed as Legolas grabbed an axe and threw it to Sesshomaru who jammed it into place. Aragorn caught the next axe and wedged it beside the first. Gandalf and Sango pushed the Hobbits behind them ads they pulled out their swords.
Gimli had climbed onto the tomb and held his axe at the ready. "Let them come! There is still one dwarf left in Moria not afraid to fight!"
Tori drew her sword as Legolas and Aragorn drew arrows back in their bows. Boromir and Sesshomaru flanked them as the doors shuddered with each impact of the battering ram. The wood was cracking under the pressure the Orcs were applying. Suddenly a hole appeared and an Orc peered into the room.
"Oh man! I thought Naraku was ugly but he beats him by a landslide!" Tori smirked slightly as the Orc fell to one of Legolas's arrows.
One by one the Orcs fell to the arrows of Aragorn and Legolas until the Orcs outnumbered the arrows. The door crashed in and Orcs flooded the tiny room. Gimli jumped into the Orcs and swung his axe taking out one at a time with each swing. Tori's sword cut through the Orcs like they were butter as Sesshomaru's claws dripped poison onto the Orcs trying to get to Frodo. Koga and Legolas stood back to back as they battled the Orcs. Aragorn and Boromir fought the Orcs near the doors as the cave troll smashed in the doors. Boromir went flying as the cave troll made its way across the room swinging its club. The troll started to swing the chain attached to the collar around its neck. The troll saw Tori slicing through the Orcs around her.
Legolas saw the troll making its way toward her. "Lady Tori!" He fired an arrow at the troll as Tori ducked under the flying chain.
Tori stabbed the troll in its foot before spinning away to decapitate an Orc. Sam, Merry, and Pippin kept fighting the Orcs trying to get near Frodo. Sango used her Hiraikotsu as a club on the Orcs slowly surrounding her and the Hobbits. Sesshomaru and Aragorn continued to slice through the Orcs surrounding them as the troll continued to swing its chain. Finally the chain wrapped around one of the pillars around the room. Legolas stuck an arrow in the links of the chain to keep the troll from getting free before moving nimbly up the chain to the troll's head. He fired two arrows into the troll's head before jumping to the ground and killing the Orc trying to slice through Tori as the troll broke the chain.
"That's twice you've saved me today." Tori's eyes shifted slightly before she stabbed the Orc trying to get close to her and Legolas. "Now I only owe you for one."
Legolas nodded once before turning back to the battle. Sam was using a pot to smash the Orcs in their faces. The troll was trying to find Frodo behind the pillar. It pulled Frodo out from behind the pillar but Gimli smashed his axe into the troll's foot. Frodo fell to the ground and scurried into one of the corners. Aragorn saw Frodo was cornered as Sesshomaru landed in front of the troll.
"Come and fight me!" Sesshomaru swung Tokijin at the troll's feet as Aragorn picked up a spear and jabbed it into the troll just below its ribs.
The troll yanked the spear from Aragorn and knocked him into one wall before knocking Sesshomaru into another. It started toward Frodo and tried to stab him with the spear. Tori had barely looked up when she saw the troll stab Frodo.
"Frodo!" Sango jumped toward the fallen Hobbit as Aragorn came around.
Gimli threw his axe at the troll seconds before Merry, Pippin, and Koga jumped onto its back. The troll shook itself trying to remove the three weights that were clinging to its back. Legolas fired an arrow into the lower part of the troll's jaw before it started to stagger around. As the troll fell to the floor, the entire Fellowship had rushed to Frodo's side. Aragorn slowly turned Frodo over afraid that the ring bearer was dead.
Frodo moaned slightly as he moved to sit up. "I'm okay."
"That spear would have skewered a wild boar." Aragorn was shocked but no less shocked than the rest of the Fellowship.
"I think there's more to this than we think." Tori crossed her arms and stared at Frodo.
Frodo slowly unbuttoned his shirt and opened it. Gimli's jaw about hit the floor. "Mithril."
Sango jumped slightly as she heard the drums start again. "I think we better get moving."
"To the bridge of Khazad-dum." Gandalf ran out of the room with the rest of the group behind him.
Orcs were pouring out of cracks in the walls as the Fellowship ran. Kirara was running beside Gandalf with the children clinging to her back. Tori screamed as the Orcs appeared before them and to their right and left. Everyone herded the Hobbits and the children to the middle of the group. Suddenly a roar echoed through the room and the Orcs screeched in terror.
Tori looked at Sango. "Now what?!"
"What new devilry is this?" Boromir looked at Gandalf.
"A Balrog." Gandalf looked around the group. "We must fly." He started to run again.
The group hurried after him. Boromir ran through one of the arches and dropped his torch as he tried to keep from falling off the edge of the stairs. Legolas and Koga jumped toward him and pulled him back. They quickly made their way down the stairs until they came upon a gap in the stairs. Legolas jumped across first.
"Gandalf." Legolas motioned for Gandalf to jump across as an arrow struck the rocks of the stairs.
Legolas and Aragorn fired arrows at the Orcs to keep them from hitting the group. Boromir grabbed Merry and Pippin and followed after Gandalf just as a bit of the stairs crumbled behind him. Koga swung Sam onto his back and wrapped an arm around Sango before he jumped the gap. Sesshomaru nodding to Kirara before she jumped across with the children. He scooped Tori into his arms and jumped across as Legolas reached out to help him. Aragorn reached for Gimli.
Gimli held up a hand. "No one tosses a dwarf." He jumped across but Legolas grabbed his beard to help pull him onto the stairs before he fell. "Not the beard!"
The stairs started to crumble beneath Aragorn and Frodo just as another boulder crashed into the stairs behind them. Aragorn held onto Frodo and leaned with the teetering stairs until the stairs started to fall forward. Legolas caught Aragorn as Sesshomaru caught Frodo. They started down the stairs with the arrows firing at them the whole time. They finally faced a narrow stretch of rack that Sango could only assume was the Bridge of Khazad-dum. One by one they ran over the Bridge until only Gandalf was left standing in the middle of the Bridge. The Balrog roared at Gandalf.
"You cannot pass!" Gandalf held his staff and sword high as the Balrog snorted. "I am the Servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor." The Balrog snorted again before swinging its sword at Gandalf but Gandalf slammed his staff against the Bridge. "You cannot pass! The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun! Go back to the Shadow! You cannot pass!"
The Balrog stepped onto the Bridge and Gandalf slammed his staff down a second time, causing the Bridge to break in two. The piece the Balrog stood on fell into the dark abyss below. Gandalf turned to face the Fellowship as a whip of flames seemed to fly up from the abyss and wrapped around his ankle. Gandalf was jerked back into the abyss but he managed to grab the edge of the Bridge.
"Gandalf!" Tori jumped forward. "Kirara can get him!"
Gandalf looked at the group. "Fly you fools!" And he let go.
Frodo started to run toward the Bridge with Tori on his heels but Boromir and Sesshomaru grabbed them and started to run up the stairs.
Sesshomaru half-turned and saw Aragorn still standing at the foot of the stairs with arrows bouncing off the rocks around him. "Aragorn, we must hurry!"
Aragorn turned and hurried after Sesshomaru and Tori. One of their number was lost forever.