Chapter 5: Battle Scars
Everyone got their weapons ready as the squealing on the other side of the door got louder. The Hobbits hid behind Barak. Annamaria flew up to the ceiling and hid in a large, missing chunk of wall. Boromir and Aragorn did what they could to barricade the door, then fell back with the others.
Slyan glanced over and saw Gimli climb on top of the tomb and start talking, but her heart was beating so loudly that she didn't hear what he was saying. She smirked at how funny he looked, standing atop the tomb, axe drawn.
The room's atmosphere became tenser as more and more weapons broke through the rotting wood door. Legolas shot an arrow through a hole and shrieks of pain rewarded him. One by one Legolas shot more and more arrows through the door. It didn't last, as the door broke down, and orcs came tumbling into the room. Aragorn and Legolas kept up their arrow shots, hoping to reduce the number that the Fellowship had to melee with.
At last the horde of rocs descended upon the Fellowship. Legolas, Aragorn, and Boromir were the first ones to fight with swords, slashing and hacking at the oncoming enemies. The Gimli and Gandalf got caught in the fray. Atarimae twirled her naginata in almost a dance-like move and killed three orcs, but more came. Slyan repeatedly slashed her whip back and forth, with Renor back protecting the Hobbits, and Barak coming forward to assist those in the front. A handful of orcs got past the taller members of the Fellowship and found their way to the scared, but valiant Hobbits, who fought back with everything they had.
Slyan paused and looked over to the door when she heard a loud bang come from its direction. Her eyes widened and glazed over slightly in fear. She pitched forward, running. She saw Sam looking up at the creature in fear. He was apparently frozen on the spot. She ran forward and pulled his cloak back just as the monster's club came crashing down in the spot he had just been in. He looked back up at her, gratitude in his eyes, but unable to say anything out of fear.
"Get back!" Slyan ordered him. He did not need to be told twice. The creature had turned its attention to her now, and she rolled out of the way to avoid its club. She jumped back and slashed at it twice with her whip. "No way!" she yelled. The troll's skin was too thick and she had done no damage whatsoever. Slyan was now backed up against a wall. She ran to the left but was too slow. The monster had hit her in the back with its club, and she screamed as she flew into another nearby wall headfirst.
Legolas looked over to her, hearing her scream. He saw her hit the wall and bounded over to check her. Her head was bleeding. He sighed and drug her over to a corner where she would hopefully not be noticed.
Annamaria had crawled out her hole and was now dropping rocks on top of the remaining orcs. Aragorn looked up and glared at her. She gasped, realizing her mistake-m she had dropped a rock on him. "Sorry, it's dark!" she apologized. Seeing that her usefulness was now over, she flew back into her hole.
Aragorn shook his head in indignation and resumed fighting. Good thing too, because an orc sword was just about to lodge itself in his head. He rolled away and slashed at the orc, killing it.
Now it was Boromir's turn to tangle with the troll. He confidently circle the troll. It went at him with its club and he saw an opening. He rolled under it and slashed at its stomach with his sword, opening a fairly painful-looking gash. It screeched and tried to hit him with its club again, but he rolled away at the last minute. The troll stumbled away in pain, right toward the Hobbits. It blindly snatched up a lone spear and jammed it into the wall next to Frodo.
Frodo screamed and ran away along the wall with his fellow Hobbits. He stumbled and fell. The troll was in front of him, and he had no escape.
"Frodo!" the other Hobbits screamed. They picked up small rocks and threw them at the beast, but it was either ignoring or didn't feel them. Atarimae heard their screams and tried to run over, stumbling over dead bodies.
The troll raised up its stolen spear, and plunged it straight into Frodo's chest. It was as if the entire room had gotten quiet. Gandalf looked over, grief welling up in his eyes. The other three Hobbits stared in shock. Their faces became contorted in rage and they all charged forward, stabbing at the troll as best they could. Boromir and Legolas were up above fighting. Seeing their chance, they both hopped onto the flailing troll's back. Boromir continued stabbing it, and Legolas was launching arrows into it head. It screamed in agony.
Slyan started to come to and saw the spear chest-deep in Frodo. She drew her sword and started slashing her way to the group.
Atarimae finally got to the group and ducked under the troll's arms and between it and Frodo. She raised her naginata, and stabbed the troll in the stomach, right where Boromir had slashed it. The troll looked down at its fatal wound in surprise. It stumbled around weakly. Boromir hopped off the creature, and Legolas fired two more arrows before following him. The troll collapsed some feet away.
The other three Hobbits gathered around their fallen comrade. Aragorn slashed at and killed the final orc. Annamaria flitted out of her hiding spot and slowly floated down onto Barak's back. The Fellowship was gathered around their fallen comrade.
Aragorn stumbled over the Frodo and dropped to his knees beside him. "Oh no…" he whispered, turning Frodo over. The entire Fellowship was astonished when Frodo coughed.
Sam dropped down next to them and breathed a sigh of relief. "He's alive," he said, relief in his voice.
"I'm not hurt," Frodo said, breathing heavily.
"Yeah how is that?" coughed Slyan. She was leaning on a nearby wall. Blood was running down from a wound on her head. Her eyes were a bit unfocused, but she could hear clearly for the most part.
"I think there's more to this Hobbit than meets the eye," Gandalf remarked. Frodo look down and slowly opened up his shirt.
"Mithril…" Gimli gasped in astonishment.
"You are full of surprises, Master Baggins," joked Barak good-naturedly. Barak walked over to Slyan and invited her onto his back. She weakly climbed onto his and put rested her heat on him.
"You're kinda soft…" she remarked sleepily.
"That would be the concussion, I presume," Legolas quipped.
"Do not let her fall asleep," Aragorn told Barak. His medical skills were once again proving their use.
Her ride now occupied, Annamaria flew up and settled herself on Renor's back. He growled faintly, clearly not happy about being someone's noble steed. "Nice kitty," she said chirpily. Renor rolled his eyes.
Legolas whipped his head toward the door. The group could hear faint shrieks coming from the door.
"To the bridge of Khazad-Dum," Gandalf hurriedly told them. The group ran through a nearby door and through a large hall that must have at one time been beautiful, their way lit by Gandalf's staff. Haflway across the hall, the group saw an enormous horde of orcs coming their way. Orcs were rising up from every nook and crevice in the hall, surrounding the group. The orcs jabbed at the surrounded group with their weapons, pleased at their prey.
A booming noise silenced the horde. All in the hall looked to the rapidly brightening entrance they'd just came from. The orcs rapidly scattered, leaving the Fellowship wondering what was going on. They looked to the door.
"What is this new devilry?" Boromir calmly asked from behind Gandalf.
Gandalf's eyes hardened, and he looked older now than ever. He looked to the rapidly brightening door dejectedly, almost defeated. "A Balrog."
"A demon of the ancient world…" Legolas whispered in fear.
"This foe is beyond any of you," continued Galdalf, turning around. "RUN!" He ran toward the opposite door, away from the beast.
"Well, this should be fun," remarked Slyan grumpily.
Another update. I'd like to thank those who read, despite my sparse updating pattern. Remember, reviews are gold!