They traveled for days, tired, weary and afraid. The dark soon pressed in on them, and no one seemed in the mood for talking. As the days grew they seemed to feel a danger following them, growing nearer and nearer with each step. The elves especially were affected, and became easily irritated and angered as well as paranoid.
Legolas and Maith would sit through the night, sometimes whispering, mostly staring ahead. The elleth's feelings only grew and refused to be tamed, and every night she found it difficult to appear as merely a friend. With the frustration of this added onto the Elves' loathing of the dark, she snapped and glared at almost anyone who tried to speak to her. Soon everyone avoided her except Gimli, who found it amusing.
On the fourth day, they came to the end of a stairwell.
"I have no memory of this place," Gandalf muttered, and immediately felt the glares of the elves on his back. However, neither elf nor elleth said anything for they were aware that their irritation was exaggerated.
The company sat down wordlessly, waiting for Gandalf to come to a decision. Maith hummed a tune to herself.
"Are we lost?" Pippin asked.
"No," Merry answered firmly.
"I think we are."
Silence fell, and Gimli could be heard shifting restlessly.
"Merry?" Pippin said suddenly.
"What?"
"I'm hungry," the hobbit grumbled.
This brought a smile to everyone's lips, but no one had the energy to laugh anymore.
"Ah! It's that way!" Gandalf declared.
"He's remembered," Merry exclaimed.
"No," Gandalf replied, "but the air doesn't smell so foul down here. If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose."
Somewhat reluctantly, the company got up and followed the wizard through another series of passages, following the small dancing glow of Gandalf's staff.
"Let us risk a little more light," he said finally, and light suddenly illuminated the vast room that they were in. "Behold! The great realm and dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf," he announced.
"Well there's an eye opener no mistake," Sam's voice filled with awe.
They were in a magnificent hall of stone, with intricately carved pillars and a high arched ceiling. The white stone glowed in the light and the group could hear their footsteps echo as they crossed the hall. A ray of light shone through a door to their right, and Gimli gave a gasp before running into the room. When the others followed, they could see him sobbing next to a stone crypt.
"Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria," Gandalf sighed, reading the engravings on the tomb. Walking over to a skeleton leaning against a well, he snatched a large, heavy book out of its hands. The book was battered and bent, its pages yellow and partly burnt. Gandalf opened it and blew the dust off.
"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…"
"We must move on, we cannot linger," Legolas said quietly.
"We cannot get out. A Shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out. They are coming…"
Gandalf was cut off by a loud thud, followed by an even louder crash. All eyes fell on Pippin, who was stood next to a well, guilt written across his face. Momentary silence followed when everyone held their breath, but the skeleton beside the well tumbled in after its bucket, and the group could only stand and flinch as new waves of noise echoed through the mine.
As soon as the sound faded away, Gandalf slammed the book shut. "Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" He scolded, but could not hide the relief in his voice.
However, the relief was short lived.
Maith's heart seemed to freeze as the sound of drums could be heard from below. Frodo drew his sword from his waist, horrified. It glowed blue.
"Orcs!" Legolas yelled, just before foul cackling was heard outside. Boromir flew towards the door, locking it.
"Get back, stay close to Gandalf," Aragorn warned. The humans forced the doors close and put a barricade over it. A loud rasping roar could be heard over the cries of orcs, and Maith dreaded what lay ahead.
"They have a cave troll," Boromir said dryly.
Maith and Legolas had just enough time to throw everyone weapons before the barricade was broken down, and orcs flowed into the room. She fought with her bow and arrow as long as was possible, then was forced to switch to the sword.
Strangely, her eyes locked on Legolas. For a while, the world slowed and spun. His movements were too graceful, actions too fluid, for Maith not to admire him. Legolas' arrows, no matter how quickly released, struck their target effortlessly. His sword danced in his hand, deadly but beautiful…
No. She shook her head hard. These thoughts were not welcomed here, in battle. She needed to concentrate on saving the hobbits, and could not afford to be distracted. Taking a deep breath, Maith brought out her sword and struck an orc that had been advancing behind her.
A great clash was heard when the door was completely smashed. The cave troll had arrived. Legolas shot an arrow at it, but it did not seem affected. Orcs closed around him, and the elf was momentarily distracted, fending off axes and sticks coming his way.
As soon as they were dead, Legolas headed towards the troll, realizing that it was the most immediate danger to the hobbits. The troll took a swing and missed, the chain wrapping around a stone pillar behind him, and Legolas jumped on, using it to reach the troll's shoulders. The troll stumbled and as he regained his balance, he cast a look at his companions. Aragorn and Boromir were fighting orcs in different corners, the hobbits were-thankfully-nowhere to be seen, and Gimli was hacking at the troll's legs.
But…where was Maith? Sudden worry struck him, but then Legolas noticed her in the far side of the room as she emerged from behind a pillar. Her dark hair had come loose in battle and her cheeks were flushed from the fighting. As if sensing his gaze, Maith lifted her eyes and, for a moment, and emotion flashed in them that Legolas did not recognize. The moment was gone, and the elleth gave a half-hearted smile as she continued to fend off the orcs.
Notching an arrow to his bow, Legolas let the arrow lodge itself into the troll's back. The troll bent forwards in pain, and he jumped off lightly, searching for the hobbits. Sam had ducked behind a pile of weapons, and Legolas turned to see Merry and Pippin knocked aside by the cave troll, revealing Frodo behind them, who then was blocked by an orc in front of Legolas.
Frustrated, he pierced the grinning orc in the stomach and stepped lightly over it, but Frodo could no longer be seen.
Maith's eyes widened as he saw the cave troll approach the pillar where Frodo hid. Fighting her way through the orcs, she could see the troll slowly circling the pillar.
"Frodo…" she whispered, for she knew that she did not have time to reach him-nobody had time to reach him-before the troll would find him.
Nevertheless she tried, even as the troll found Frodo, even as the hobbit stumbled backwards into a corner, even as Frodo was knocked harshly to the ground. Maith did freeze, however, when the troll lifted his spear and plunged it into Frodo's stomach.
It was as if the world had stopped moving.
She forced herself to move again as Merry and Pippin jumped onto the troll's back, and she fired arrows one by one at the troll, though most were blocked and struck orcs instead. Finally, one arrow hit its target and pierced the orc's through its mouth. It was Legolas, who was much nearer and within reach of the troll. As it fell dead, lying on the ground in a heap, the remaining orcs scattered and the company was left with a silent battlefield.
Frodo lay motionless on the floor.