The mines of Moria would have been pitch-black, and it was only because of the light from Gandalf's staff that they
were able to see where they were going. They walked as quietly as possible, not wanting to disturb whatever evil
creatures lurked there. Gandalf, with his lit staff, led the way, with Gimil walking beside him.
Soon they came to a series of ledges, with many ladders and other mining equipment strewn around. Gandalf pointed
to a shiny gleam in a wall of rock. "The wealth of Moria was not in gold or jewels, but in mithril," he proclaimed softly.
"Bilbo had a shirt of mithril armor as a gift from the dwarf Thorin," the wizard continued.
"That was a kingly gift!" exclaimed Gimli.
"Indeed it was," said Gandalf. "I never told him, but its worth was greater than the value of the Shire." At that Frodo's
eyes suddenly widened. "I wonder where it is now," Gandalf went on. "Oh well."
They moved on, deeper into the mines. When Gandalf proclaimed it to be night, the Fellowship stopped to make
camp, though there was no way to tell when day or night really was.
A couple of days later they made their way up a steep stairway, at the top of which the passage split into three
different pathways. Gandalf deliberated for quite a long while before finally selecting the path on the right.
As they moved through an ancient dwarf-hall, Gimli's attention was suddenly caught by a beam of light visible through
an open side-door. He broke away from the group and raced towards it, ignoring Gandalf's muffled shout at him to
stop. The light shone on a tomb. The rest of the Fellowship followed the dwarf into the side-room.
"Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria," said Gandalf, reading the inscription on the tomb. "He is dead then. It
is as I feared." Gimli knelt by the tomb, placing his head on the side of it.
Gandalf noticed a nearby skeleton clutching a heavy book. Handing his hat and staff to Pippin, who was nearest, the
wizard pulled the book out of the skeleton's bony hands and turned it to the last pages.
"We must move on. We cannot linger," whispered Legolas to Aragorn.
Gandalf began to read from the book. "They have taken the bridge, and the second hall. We have barred the gates,
but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums, drums in the deep." The members of the Fellowship
listened with looks of fear on their faces as Gandalf read. Pippin nervously backed towards a well. A skeleton lay
on the well's rim, entangled with a chain and a bucket.
The wizard turned to the last page. "We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out. They are
coming."
Pippin touched the skeleton, causing the skull to suddenly pop loose and go flying down the well with a loud clatter.
As everyone whirled toward the sound in alarm, the rest of the skeleton went down the well, followed by the chain
and bucket. The crashing and clattering sounds they made were extremely loud.
Pippin winced as one last echo of sound from the falling objects was broadcast throughout the mines. Everyone
waited in total silence for several seconds. When nothing happened, several sighs of relief were heard.
"Fool of a Took!" said Gandalf, putting the book down and snatching back his staff and hat. "Throw yourself in next
time, and rid us of your stupidity."
Pippin had a look of guilt on his face, but it soon changed to a look of fear when there came the faint sound of
drumbeats in the distance. The drums were accompanied by a faint, high-pitched, evil-sounding laughter.
"Frodo!" said Sam. Frodo looked at Sting and saw that it was glowing bright blue.
"Orcs!" said Legolas. The drumbeats and laughter grew louder and closer. Boromir raced to the door and was
almost hit by two black arrows that embedded themselves in the wood.
"Get back! Stay close to Gandalf!" Aragorn called to the hobbits. He dashed forward and helped Boromir pull the
doors shut. A loud, terrifying roar was heard in the distance.
"They have a cave-troll," said Boromir, shaking his head. He and Aragorn wedged the door shut, then retreated to
join the others. Everyone drew their weapons. Legolas and Aragorn fitted arrows to their bows, aiming at the door.
"Let them come!" said Gimli, jumping up on Balin's tomb, an axe in each hand. "There is one dwarf yet in Moria who
still draws breath!" Gandalf stood to one side of the tomb, the hobbits behind him, all four halflings trembling. Aragorn
and Legolas were in front with their bows. Boromir and Eowyn stood on the other side of the tomb.
Soon, there came the sounds of grunting and snarling from just beyond the door. As the unseen enemies hacked away
at the barrier, Eowyn felt cold fear flowing through her. Although she was well-trained with the sword, she, like the
hobbits, had no combat experience. She had always imagined herself on a horse and out in the wide open spaces if
she was to be fighting orcs. She hadn't had any idea that her first taste of battle would come in a tomb.
Gaps appeared in the door as the orcs continued hacking. Eowyn gripped her sword tightly with her right hand and
her shield with her left. "I guess this is what I deserve for always wanting to be in a battle," she thought ironically to
herself.
Legolas and Aragorn both fired their arrows into gaps in the door. Two squeals were heard. Then the doors came
crashing down and a horde of ugly, vile-looking orcs poured into the room. Legolas and Aragorn shot several more
before the remainder closed in and they drew their blades to fight them. Boromir moved forward, swinging his sword,
and Gimli began attacking with his axes.
A snarling orc approached Eowyn and seemed to grin at her. It raised a wicked-looking curved sword and took a
wild swing. She blocked the swing with her own blade and slashed the creature in the side. Black orc blood touched
her sword for the first time as her opponent growled. As it raised its blade to strike again, she plunged her sword into
the center of its chest. She withdrew her weapon as the orc fell dead.
Gandalf let out a loud yell and charged at the orcs, Glamdring in one hand and his staff in the other. The hobbits
followed suit, charging with their swords raised and getting into the thick of the combat. On the other side of the tomb,
Aragorn sliced off an orc's head, sending the head and black blood flying through the air.
A horrible roar was heard as another orc entered, leading an enormous cave-troll on a chain. The troll swung a gigantic
mace at Sam, who was nearest. Sam ducked under it. The troll raised its foot to step on him, but Aragorn and Boromir
stopped the foot from coming down by yanking on the troll's chain. The troll snapped its chain, sending Boromir, who
had not let go in time, flying across the room. An orc approached the stunned Boromir and prepared to strike, but a
dagger hurled by Aragorn buried itself in the orc's neck.
Gimli threw one of his axes at the troll's chest. It roared and brought its mace down on Balin's tomb, knocking the dwarf
off of it. As the troll came closer, Frodo, Merry, and Pippin sought cover behind a large slab of stone.
Legolas fired two arrows into the troll, then dispatched several orcs with his knives. The enraged troll began swinging its
chain at him. The elf put his foot on the chain, then leaped onto the troll and shot an arrow at its head. The arrow did not
pierce the monster's skull, however, and it continued roaring as Legolas leapt off of it.
Two orcs cornered Eowyn, swinging axes at her. She blocked one swing with her shield and parried the other with her
sword. She kicked one orc in the chest, sending it backward, then sliced open the throat of the other. The first orc came
at her again with its axe. She dodged to the side and swung her sword swiftly, decapitating the orc. The horse's head
that was painted on her shield now had a deep notch on it.
Sam clonked several orcs with his frying pan. "I think I'm getting the hang of this!" he said.
A hobbit-yell was suddenly heard as the troll grabbed Frodo by the leg and began dragging him. "Aragorn!" shouted
Frodo. Aragorn grabbed a spear and drove it into the troll, pushing it back. The troll flung Aragorn to the side and
yanked the spear out of its body. As Frodo bent over the stunned Aragorn, the troll stabbed the hobbit in the chest.
Frodo slumped down, pale.
"Frodo!" cried Sam. Merry and Pippin looked at each other, then jumped onto the troll and began stabbing it in the head.
The rest of the Fellowship dispatched the remaining orcs, then approached the troll. When it roared, Legolas fired an
arrow into its mouth. The arrow went through the roof of its mouth and pierced its brain. The troll collapsed dead to the
ground with a thud.
Everyone rushed to Frodo. Aragorn turned him over - and Frodo coughed and sat up straight. "I'm okay," he said.
"That spear would have skewered a wild boar," said Aragorn, shaking his head.
"I think there's more to this hobbit than meets the eye," said Gandalf, with a little smile. Frodo undid the top buttons of his
shirt to reveal the mithril mail-coat underneath.
"You are full of surprises, Master Baggins!" said Gimli.
The sound of more orcs was heard. "To the bridge!" said Gandalf.