Aragorn hummed Hobbits whispered amongst themselves.
Pippin asked, "Are we lost?"
"No," Merry replied sternly.
Pippin continued, "I think we are."
Sam hushed them, "Shhh! Gandalf's thinking."
Pippin apparently feeling a need to talk asked, "Merry?"
Merry getting annoyed asked, "What?"
Pippin continued, "I'm hungry."
"We all are Pippin," I said closing my eyes and leaning on Aragorn. I heard light footsteps approach.
"Allie?" Legolas asked. I opened my eyes to look at him.
"Yes Legolas," I said.
"I just wanted to thank you for saving me back there. I owe you my life, hannon le," he said.
"You're welcome Legolas and thank you for helping me through the mines," I said closing my eyes again. I heard Frodo get up, he was looking down into the cavern and saw a small figure leaping from stone to stone. Startled, he walked over to where Gandalf was sitting.
Frodo said, "There's something down there!"
Gandalf without surprise replied, "It's Gollum."
Frodo asked, "Gollum?"
"He's been following us for three days."
Frodo in surprise said, "He escaped the dungeons of Barad-Dûr!"
Gandalf a little shocked asked, "Escaped?" He turned to Frodo, "Or was set loose? And now the Ring has drawn him here. He will never be rid of his need for it. He hates and loves the Ring, as he hates and loves himself." Gandalf continued, "Sméagol's life is a sad story. Yes, Sméagol he was once called. Before the Ring found him...before it drove him mad."
"It's a pity Bilbo didn't kill him when he had the chance!" Frodo said.
Gandalf glancing sharply at Frodo asked, "Pity? It was pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many that live deserve death, and some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo?" Frodo looked down, silently. Gandalf continued, "Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play yet, for good or ill, before this is over. The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many." Frodo sat down next to Gandalf.
Frodo sorrowfully said, "I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened." The old wizard leaned near in a grandfatherly manner.
"So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, in which case you also were meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought." Gandalf suddenly looked towards one of the doorways, "Oh! It's that way."
Merry getting up said, "He's remembered!" Legolas and Aragorn pulled me to my feet. I again tried to take a step and fell into them. Legolas proceeded to help me walk. We started down a dark stairway. Gandalf put on his hat.
Gandalf replied, "No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here." The wizard rested a hand on Merry's shoulder. "If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose." The old wizard leaned upon his walking stick, breathing heavily. Before long we came to a more open space. Broken ornate columns lie tumbled across the floor. Gandalf hoisted his staff. "Let me risk a little more light." His staff illuminated a grandiose hall of stone lined with tall pillars and arched ceilings as far as the eye can see. We were awe struck. Gimli gasped at the halls of his sires. Gandalf said, "Behold: the great realm and Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf." The dark halls were edged with silver light from the wizard's staff, shivering in a light not seen for years to grace their stones.
"Now there's an eye opener and no mistake," Sam said.
"I second that," I said. We walked forward through the hall, peering around a column. Gimli saw a ray of sunlight shining through a chamber where corpses laid scattered about.
Gimli suddenly made some kind of noise, "Haugh!"
Gandalf called after him, "Gimli!" Gimli paid no heed to Gandalf, but ran into the chamber. Its walls and recesses are scarred and broken, as are the bodies and weapons scattered about. The Dwarf stopped and knelt by a crypt in the center of the room where a single shaft of light spills down, illumining it. Gandalf walked forward and peered at the tomb's surface.
"No! No! No!" Gimli said in-between sobs. Boromir moved forward and placed his hand on Gimli's shoulder.
Gandalf translating the runes on the tomb read, "Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria." He is dead then. It's as I feared."
Gimli wailed as sorrow fell over him. Gandalf gave his staff and hat to Pippin, bent down, and took from the grasp of a corpse a large and battered book. He opened it and cleared the dirt from its pages by blowing on the pages. Dust curled up into a cloud as it rose off the book. Gimli started chanting softly, sobbing, "Kilmin malur ni zaram kalil ra narag. Kheled-zâram ... Balin tazlifi."
Legolas came over to Aragorn and I and said, "We must move on, we cannot linger!"
Gandalf reading from the book, "They have taken the bridge…and the second hall."" Gimli stopped sobbing, and looked up blankly. Gandalf continued to read, "We have barred the gates…but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes." Pippin, still holding his hat and staff, backed away. "Drums...drums…in the deep." He looked up slowly, and turned the smudged, bloodstained page. We began to glance around uncomfortably. This wasn't good. We needed to leave, now. Gandalf continued to read, "We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark." Pippin stumbled back slightly and saw corpse sitting by a stone well with an arrow in its chest. He turned towards it. Gandalf continued to read, "We cannot get out…" He glanced at the last, single line, a scrawl fading out at the bottom of the page. Gandalf looked up in the uncomfortable silence. "They are coming!"
The silence was broken by Pippin. Curious, he reached out and lightly twisted the arrow in the corpse. The skull slipped off, falling into the well with a resounding crash, the metal helmet banging against the stone. Gandalf whipped around, spooked. Pippin turned to face him, looking guilty. As he does, the corpse slips into the well, dragging with it a chain and bucket, its noise echoing from hall to hall far below. I jumped at the well in an attempt to catch the falling bucket, chain and body and failed miserably. Where once was only silence, a ricocheting noise now filled every cranny. Pippin winced at each new wave of noise. Then, silence. My companions began to relax. But I feared they did so too soon.
Boromir exhaled.
Gandalf slammed the book shut, "Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" He pulled his hat and staff from the Hobbit's hands. Gandalf turned away. Pippin stood still, awkwardly. Suddenly we heard, "Boom…boom," coming up from the well. Gandalf slowly turned back, and Pippin turned as well, staring down into the well. Boom. Almost as though seen from eyes darting upwards, the caverns below appear from the dark. Boom-boom. Boom-boom-boom. The beat pauses, like a heartbeat, it began again. Boom-boom-boom-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM…Terror crept into the faces of my friends and my face as well.
Sam asked, "Frodo!" As he pulled his sword out. Sting glowed blue.
Legolas in disgust said, "Orcs!" Boromir rushed to the doors to have a look. Arrows hissed into the door near his face. Boromir jumped back just in the nick of time too. Aragorn dropped his torch and ran to Boromir.
Aragorn said to the Hobbits pushing them back, "Get back! You stay close to Gandalf!" We shored up the doors and got them shut, though it would not hold for long. A bellow came from just outside.
Boromir in mock joy said, "They have a cave troll." Legolas tossed weapons to Boromir and Aragorn to help build the blockade for the door. We drew our weapons. Gandalf threw away his hat and pulled forth his sword.
Gandalf yelled, "Yaggghhh!" The Hobbits followed his example and brandish their short-swords. Sting quivers, glowing blue. All the hobbits were shaking in fear. Gimli leapt atop Balin's tomb and brandished his axe.
Gimli yelled, "Aarrgghhh! Let them come! There is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!" There was pounding outside and many creatures beyond began breaking the doors down. Weapons crashed through splintering spaces. Legolas, Aragorn, and I stood poised, ready to shoot; the Hobbits were also ready, though fear clouded their eyes. The first clear gap was gashed in the door and Legolas fired — a shrill cry rung out. He notched an arrow to his bow as Aragorn fired another. I too took my shot and it hit its mark. Suddenly, the beasts broke through and the battle began. A wave of armour-clad Orcs charged towards us, and we engaged the Orcs. Aragorn, Legolas, and I pierced Orcs with our arrows while Boromir smashed another with his sword; Gimli caught one in the stomach. With a roar, Gandalf launched himself into the fray, and the Hobbits followed.
Aragorn beheaded an Orc and black blood spewed forth. Sam paused in the heat of battle, his attention drawn upwards. Aragorn also looked up. A cave troll smashed through the doorway, chains leading from his neck to an Orc's hand. Legolas shot the cave troll in the shoulder; the beast growled and clapped a hand to the wound. Sam continued to stare, frozen, as the troll swung his mace down at the Hobbit — he dove under the troll's legs and crawled away as the troll turned, and clapped eyes him again. Cornered, Sam cringed.
The beast raised his arm to strike when, suddenly, he fell back. Aragorn and Boromir were behind the troll, pulling on its chains. The troll twisted its arm and whipped Boromir across the room. He landed in a recess of the wall, dazed. An Orc stood above him, ready to strike. Across the room, Aragorn slung his blade into the Orc's neck, and, still dazed, Boromir got up. Aragorn nodded to him. Standing upon the tomb of Balin, Gimli threw axes, piercing the troll's shoulder near Legolas's arrow. The troll swung his mace into the tomb, shattering it and knocking the Dwarf off.
Merry and Pippin pushed Frodo to safety behind a pillar. Gimli hacked at an Orc as the troll swung its mace at him. Gimli ducked, and the monster struck an Orc instead, and then another. Gimli fell. I fired an arrow into the trolls face to give Gimli a chance to find his feet. From a corner among more of the vile goblins, Legolas shot two arrows into the mountain-creature, causing it to reel back with a cry. Gandalf knocked out an Orc with his staff.
The troll was now swinging his chain in circles above his head. He swung at Legolas, and Legolas dodged it. Again he swung, and his chain whipped around a pillar and caught. Legolas darted towards it and stamped the chain tight; he ran along it onto the troll's shoulders and shot it in the back of the head and jumped off. The troll cringed, whimpering shrilly in pain. It stumbled, snapping itself free from the pillar. Sam hit an Orc with skillet, "I think I'm getting the hang of this." He turned and hit another.
The troll raised his mace and brought it down at the other Hobbits, causing them to jump aside. Frodo was separated from Merry and Pippin. The troll sought Frodo, who tried to evade its searches by hiding behind a pillar. Aragorn seeing the eminent danger yelled, "Frodo!" He tried to fight his way over to the Ring-bearer. Frodo dodged around the pillar. The troll peered around it. Not being able to see him, it peered around the other side, causing Frodo to dodge out of its vision. It disappeared. Frodo carefully looked around the pillar — the troll has gone. He drew a deep breath.
Out of nowhere, the troll blasted around the pillar, bellowing in Frodo's face. The Hobbit stumbled and fell back behind the pillar in a corner. The troll found him nevertheless and grabbed him. The troll lifted and dragged Frodo off of the edge of a recess. Frodo called out for help, "Aragorn? Aragorn!" Aragorn breathed heavily, exhausted. Still, he continued to fight. I started to make my way towards Frodo.
Aragorn called, "Frodo!" Frodo slashed the troll's hand with Sting. The troll dropped Frodo to the ground, twisting his injured hand and staring at it. Frodo lay on the floor. It raised its mace and began to swing, but Aragorn leapt down into the recess. Aragorn yelled, "Yaaahh!"
He grabbed a spear from the floor and stabbed the troll with it. It did not penetrate its flesh, but held the beast at bay. Pippin and Merry began throwing stones at the troll's head. The troll, infuriated, swung his arm down and hit Aragorn, sending him flying across the room. He collapsed onto the floor. Frodo raced after him and tried to rouse him, but Aragorn was too stunned to move. Frodo began to run but the troll blocks Frodo's path with its spear, throwing him back. I tried to jump in front of the troll but was knocked to the ground by an orc. I had to turn my attention elsewhere. The troll took aim and stabbed Frodo in the chest. Gandalf turned instinctively. Merry and Pippin stared in shock.
Frodo let an out a noise as the troll stabbed him, "Ungh…uhh!" The cave troll gaped at what it had done in surprise. Merry and Pippin glanced at each other and their faces appeared resolved. They leapt onto the beast, stabbing him mercilessly.
Merry and Pippin yelled, "Yaaahh!"
Sam from a distance away yelled, "Frodo?" Gandalf stared silently across the room, stunned. "Frodo!" He rushed bravely towards his friend. Broken from their shocked trance, Aragorn, Boromir, and Gandalf fought madly to reach the Hobbit. I fought madly to protect the others. Frodo slumped to the floor, the spear sticking into his chest. The troll flailed his arms at its head and finally grabbed Merry, swinging him around and throwing him to the ground. We redoubled our efforts against Orcs and the troll. Gandalf and Gimli took turns stabbing at the troll and dodging out of range. Legolas took aim. With Pippin stabbing the troll one more time in the head, the troll opened its mouth. Legolas delivered a deathblow, shooting his arrow up into the brain through the mouth of the troll.
The troll stopped fighting and its hand fumbled towards its mouth where the arrow was. It stared upward, shocked, and with a long, pained moan, it collapsed to the ground. Pippin was thrown against the floor. There was a moment of silence. All Orcs were dead or have fled. Gandalf rushed to Frodo, as did Aragorn. Sam slowly walked over. Aragorn let out his breath saying, "Oh no!" Aragorn rolled him over on his back. Frodo groaned, gasping for breath. We all had looks of relief on our faces.
Sam looking up at our guide said, "He's alive!" Gandalf sighed in relief.
Frodo putting his hand to his chest said, "I'm all right, I'm not hurt."
Aragorn shocked replied, "You should be dead! That spear would have skewered a wild boar."
Gandalf his eyes twinkling said, "I think there's more to this Hobbit than meets the eye." Frodo reveale his Mithril shirt. It glimmered in the low light of the mines.
In awe Gimli said, "Mithril! You are full of surprises, Master Baggins." Orcs were once again heard down the hall.