The Fellowship raced towards the bridge of Khazad-Dum. As they ran, orcs came after them from every direction. Soon

they were completely surrounded.

Suddenly, there came a horrible growling sound, distant but very loud. The orcs began chittering in fear. The growling sound

came again and the orcs started to run away.

Gimli shouted in triumph as the orcs retreated. The others, however, were not so confident. "What is this new devilry?" said

Boromir.

Gandalf closed his eyes, then opened them again. "A Balrog," he said. "A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any

of you. Run!"

And run they did, towards the bridge. They approached the narrow set of stairs that led down to the bridge. Boromir, in the

lead, almost toppled over the edge. Legolas grabbed him and pulled him back.

They raced down the stairs in single file, until they came to a chasm where the stairs were broken. It was a good leap of

several feet across to the other side. Legolas jumped across first, followed by Gandalf and then Eowyn. Boromir tossed

Merry and Pippin across, then jumped across himself. Aragorn tossed Sam, and prepared to toss Gimli, but the dwarf shook

himself loose. "No one tosses a dwarf!"

Gimli leapt across, and the tips of his toes touched the other side, but he began to fall. Legolas grabbed him and pulled him to

safety by the beard. "No, not the beard!" cried Gimli.

The flame behind them grew brighter and hotter as the Balrog drew closer. The rock of ground and ceiling began to shake

and sizzle. A piece of rock fell from the ceiling and smashed into the staircase above Aragorn and Frodo, trapping them on a

narrow piece of it. As their piece fell forward, Aragorn yelled, "Hang on!" They fell towards the others and were caught by

them.

They finally reached the Bridge, narrow and dangerous. They raced across in single file. Gandalf was last. Instead of

running across, he stopped in the middle. "Gandalf!" cried Frodo in horror.

The Balrog, a burning demon with glowing eyes, approached the bridge. It carried in one hand a burning sword, and in the

other a flaming whip of many thongs.

"You cannot pass!" shouted Gandalf. He raised his staff and it glowed with a white light.

The Balrog slammed its sword down towards the wizard, but it shattered on the light. The demon roared and began

advancing onto the bridge, swinging its whip.

"YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" cried Gandalf. He drove his staff down onto the bridge, breaking it in the middle. The

Balrog's part of the bridge crumbled away and the demon began falling into the darkness.

Gandalf turned away, looking spent. Suddenly, the Balrog's whip came soaring up and wrapped itself around Gandalf's leg.

He was yanked over the edge of the bridge, stopping his fall only by his fingertips.

"Run, you fools!" he said. Then he let go and was gone.

"NOOOOO!" shouted Frodo. Orcs appeared on the other side of the chasm and began firing arrows at them. The

Fellowship raced out the eastern gate of Moria and into the sunlight again.

"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs," said Aragorn. "We must reach the woods of Lothlorien before then."

They made their way as quickly as they could into the forest.

Gimli warned the hobbits of a powerful elf-witch that was said to inhabit the woods. "All who look upon her fall under her

spell," he proclaimed. "Well, here's one dwarf she won't ensnare so easily. I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox

- oh!" He looked up in shock as he realized that there was an arrow pointed right at his face. An Elven archer stood there.

More Elves pointed arrows at the rest of the Fellowship.

"That Dwarf breathes so loud, we could have shot him in the dark," said one of the Elves in an arrogant voice. Gimli

growled, but could do nothing.

Eventually, Legolas and Aragorn secured passage for the Fellowship, and they were taken to meet the Lord and Lady of

Lothlorien, Celeborn and Galadriel, who offered them shelter.

The hobbits went to sleep quickly, as did Gimli, who snored loudly, but Eowyn noticed Boromir sitting against a tree,

unable to sleep. "What troubles you?" she asked him.

Boromir looked around nervously. "It is the Ring," he whispered. "And not just the Ring. It is the way this Elvish Lady

Galadriel looks at me. As if she knows I desire it, and she is judging me. And by what right does she do that? For I was

not born some mighty Elf, gifted with the powers of magic. Though a leader of Men I may be I am still just a Man. I wish

no harm to Frodo. I only wish to help my people."

"I am uneasy with the way she looks at me as well," said Eowyn. "For I do not deny that I have wondered what it would

be like to use the Ring for the defense of my people. But we have heard what Elrond and Gandalf have said. The Ring is

altogether evil. We must stay strong, and not give in to temptation."

Boromir managed a smile. "Somehow you remind me of my brother," he said. "I daresay if you ever met you would get

along very well."

Aragorn walked by in the distance, looking deep in thought. Boromir glanced over at him, then spoke, half to himself,

half to Eowyn. "How does he do it? I understand that Elves and Dwarves and even Hobbits are different. And I do not

mean to sound resentful of the man, for he is a great leader. But he is of the race of Men just like you and me. Why does

he seem unaffected by the Ring?"

"A great leader he is," responded Eowyn. "A lot like you. And perhaps he feels the same temptation when it comes to the

Ring. But it may be that he has learned well to suppress those desires, especially if he has been around Elves and their

magic for so long."

"That may be it," nodded Boromir. His eyes strayed to her sword, which was out of its sheath as she had been sharpening

it. "In the mines. Was that your first taste of combat?"

"It was," she said. "And it was not what I expected it to be. There is a darker and more painful side to it that I could not

see until I had experienced battle for myself. But it is still something that must be done."

"You are a brave and unusual woman, Eowyn daughter of Eomund," said Boromir. "The women of Gondor talk little of

battle." He leaned back against the tree. "I am glad we have spoken thus. For my heart and mind seem calmer now. I bid

thee good night, for I grow weary."

"Good night," she responded, leaning back as well and feeling sleepiness come over her too.

When the Fellowship left Lothlorien days later, the Elves provided them with elven cloaks, as well as three boats to travel

down the Great River. Aragorn, Frodo, and Sam were in one boat, Boromir, Merry, and Pippin in another, and Legolas,

Gimli, and Eowyn were in the third. Gimli and Legolas seemed to have developed a strong friendship after leaving

Lothlorien. Celeborn had informed them that the River would be the quickest and safest way to travel. "Mordor Orcs now

hold the eastern shore. And strange Orc-like creatures have been seen on the west. Creatures that travel openly in

sunlight and bear the mark of the White Hand of Saruman."

And so the Fellowship traveled south along the Great River, on the way to the next stage of their long journey.