- - CALINA - -
No one was entirely sure of how long they had been walking, for judging the passage of time was hard to figure when they were forever surrounded by darkness. For most of their journey, the company remained silent, each quietly fearful of whatever foes they might encounter should their presence be discovered.
Over time, Calina had become latched to her brother's side. "Are you sure you are alright?" Boromir asked quietly. He had his sister at one arm, and a flaming torch in the other.
She tried unconvincingly to squelch his worries, "Yes, yes, I'm fine." They carried on in silence, the torches providing some light as they walked. She twitched at the sound of a stone as it was kicked by one of the Hobbit's ahead of them.
Her newfound skittishness didn't go unnoticed by her fellows. "You, out of all of us, should find no fear while traveling in darkness." Aragorn commented, having already seen her jump at least a dozen times, his torch illuminating his face from behind them. While her jumpy behavior was, admittedly, mildly entertaining, he could not help but be curious as well. "What troubles you?" He inquired as they walked on.
Her jaw tightened at his observation, "My eyes are not what they used to be." Calina brought her free hand up, rubbing it across her eyes as if by doing so she would somehow solve her predicament.
"What do you mean?" The ranger asked, a brow shooting up on his forehead.
"She can no longer see in the dark." Boromir answered, noting his sister moved closer to him yet again at the sound of a scuffling boot.
Calina growled when she caught herself mid flinch, "Uh! This is so frustrating."
"I can't help but agree." Legolas added. "The dark is so deep even I am having troubles."
Aragorn gestured ahead of them, "Look there." The Fellowship then stepped into a great cavern that seemed to glow from around them. Gandalf rested a hand on a silver vein in the stone.
"The wealth in Moria was not in gold, or jewels…" The wizard tilted his staff down towards the pit beside them, "but Mithril." The light from his staff then brightened, allowing them to see further into the mine below.
At its immaculate depth, the pit seemed to go on for what appeared to be forever, only disappearing when the light from Gandalf's staff could illuminate it no further. The scaffolding down into the pit seemed just as endless, old and disused as it disappeared into the mine shaft far below. All eyes were in awe of the sight. Merry stood transfixed, beginning to lean farther over the gaping hole. Pippin brought a hand up across his friend's chest, knocking him from his stupor and from teetering any farther forward.
Gandalf lifted his staff back upwards and began to walk again, "Bilbo had a shirt of Mithril rings that Thorin gave him."
"Oh, that was a kingly gift." Gimli said full heartedly.
"Yes!" Gandalf answered, "I never told him, but its worth was far greater than the value of the Shire." They then departed from the Mithril mine and came out in a very open cavern where, at the farther end, was an impossibly steep stairway.
Gandalf led them to the stairs. "Keep steady hands and feet," He said, beginning the long climb first, "If you fall from these stairs, there will be no getting back up." Tentatively, the rest of the Fellowship followed. For what seemed ages, they climbed, none of them daring to look down in fear of being consumed by vertigo. So silently they climbed up until everyone had made it to the top of the steeply pitched stone.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at having made it to the top in one piece. From beyond the imposing steps, Calina looked back down as she followed up behind everyone. "Stairs," she scoffed, "More like a cliff." Some of her comrades chuckled, beginning to follow after Gandalf again now that they were safely on level ground.
But their travels came to a swift halt when they came to the meeting of three tunnels. Gandalf looked between the trio of pathways. "I have no memory of this place." He muttered. The wizard then sat down in hopes of jogging his memory of the correct path.
Calina took up a post on the ground beside the Hobbits, listening to them quietly chat with one another. After a few minutes, she couldn't help but notice the peculiar sensation return. Craning her head around, Calina hoped to see just whose eyes were boring into the back of her skull, but she saw nothing through the darkness and huffed.
Her behavior was once again noticed, "Is something the matter, Calina?" Merry asked from nearby.
"I feel like we are being watched." Her eyes bore into the darkness, searching. After a moment, she let out a sigh, "My paranoia is just getting the best of me."
To everyone's surprise, Gandalf interjected calmly, "It is Gollum."
"Gollum?" Frodo asked, his neck craning down to see the creature in question slinking his way after them. The others turned their attention toward the wizard, who now happened to be smoking from his pipe.
In between a puff of smoke, Gandalf answered, "He's been following us for three days." Gandalf and Frodo then continued to talk quietly between themselves. Calina continued to stare off into the blackness of the mines.
"Calina, I've been wondering about something." Merry asked. "What's it like to shadow jump?" The others all piqued their ears, intrigued at the question.
"It's like walking through a doorway. One moment I'm in one place, and then next I'm somewhere else."
"Wow." Pippin said, awestruck. Far below, the sounds of Golllum scuttling echoed back up at them. Calina jumped again, her skittishness still apparent.
"The dark truly frightens you now, doesn't it?" Legolas asked, having come up beside them.
"Darkness and shadows used to be a place of safety, but now–" another rock scuffed along the floor against Boromir's shoe. She twitched again.
"Now they hide dangers." The Prince concluded. She nodded, her shoulders relaxing in response to his calm aura.
Their conversation was interrupted by Gandalf, "Ah! It's that way." He said, looking down the hall furthest to the right.
"He's remembered!" Merry said joyously, rising up off the ground. The rest of the Fellowship followed suit and began to walk down a dark stairway.
"No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here." Gandalf confided, putting on his hat as they went. He put his hand on Merry's shoulder as he came up beside him, "When in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose." And so they ventured further into the deep dark of the mines.
Eventually, they came to a more open space. It was littered with colossal columns that were broken and strewn across the floor. Gandalf lifted his staff. "Now, let me risk a bit more light." The wizard's staff continued to grow ever brighter, illuminating the grandiose sight before them. "Behold; the great realm and Dwarf-city of Dwarrowdelf."
All eyes couldn't help but turn wide at the site before them. Rows upon rows of impressively massive stone pillars towered above them towards a ceiling that could not even be revealed by the new light from Gandalf's staff. The hall seemed endless as Gandalf began to lead them on.
"There's an eye opener, no mistake." Sam murmured.
"I must give the Dwarves credit for such a magnificent feat. This is remarkable." Calina said as they carried on. Gimli couldn't help but beam at her compliment.
Legolas then spoke to her in a hushed voice, "Careful now. Keep throwing around compliments like that, and Gimli's head will be sure to burst." Calina laughed quietly, continuing to walk along with Legolas at her side, continuing to make jokes in good humor at Gimli's new (and rather amusing) behavior.
A ray of sunlight suddenly appeared from around one of the columns, shining through another chamber. "Haugh!" Gimli exclaimed, running towards the light and into the chamber.
"Gimli!" Gandalf called. But the Dwarf ignored the call and disappeared into the room.
The others followed. It was a grim sight. Bodies and weapons were scattered throughout the chamber. The corpses were well into decay, covered in spiderwebs and dust having been sitting so long in their final resting places. There was a crypt in the center of the room, and Gimli was kneeling before it, sobbing.
Gandalf stepped forward, his eyes falling over the top of the tomb's surface. "'Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria.' He is dead then. It's as I feared." Gandalf lowered his hat and handed his staff and hat to Pippin before striding over to one of the half-rotted corpses, pulling a large bound book in its grasp. He retrieved the volume and began to page through it, searching for something.
"We must move on. We cannot linger!" The humor that Legolas had been harboring in his voice only moments ago had vanished. His words were urgent, and Calina suddenly felt a horrible sense of foreboding. This feeling did not disappear as Gandalf began to read from the last pages of the tattered 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 wizard looked up, turning another bloodstained page, "'We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark… We cannot get out. They are coming.'" The Fellowship shifted uncomfortably, glancing around uneasily.
There was a sudden crash and they all jumped at the sound. Pippin stood, now looking painfully guilty, beside a well. Seated on its stone lip was a curiously decapitated corpse. No sooner had they all turned their eyes on the Hobbit did the rest of the corpse slide down into the well. As it went, it dragged a chain and bucket along with it. It crashed all the way down, the ruckus echoing loudly throughout the mines as it fell far below. The others winced at each wave of noise.
Gandalf snapped the book angrily, "Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity." The wizard then snatched his things back from the Hobbit and turned away. Pippin remained where he was awkwardly, unsure of what to do.
A new sound suddenly crept out of the depths of the well. At first it was faint, but it steadily grew louder. The boom of drums was beginning to well up from the deep.
"Frodo!" Sam exclaimed, staring at Frodo's sword. The Ring Bearer pulled the blade out of its sheath a short ways. It was now glowing blue.
"Orcs!" Legolas yelled, promptly drawing his bow.
Boromir sprinted to the doors, daring to look beyond. A handful of 'thuds' were heard, and arrows were now embedded in the door far too close to Boromir's face. Aragorn immediately dropped his torch and ran over to him. "Stay back! Stay close to Gandalf!" He commanded the Hobbits while helping Boromir close the door. A guttural yell was then heard from just beyond the door.
"They have a cave troll." Boromir said with sarcastic relief.
Calina moved to help protect the Hobbits while Legolas tossed some of the weapons that were strewn about the room to Boromir and Aragorn, which the two men used to bar the door. Being as prepared as they could be, the Fellowship drew their weapons.
Gandalf tossed his hat aside and pulled out his sword, "Yah!"
Gimli leapt onto the tomb, gripping his ax in waiting. "Let them come! There is still one Dwarf in Moria who still draws breath." Upon his utterance, did the orcs begin to hack at the doors, destruction imminent as their weapons cut through the wood.
Aragorn, Legolas, and Calina were all poised with their bows at the ready. The first clear gap appeared in the door, and Legolas fired. A shrill scream burst out from the other side. He nocked another arrow as Aragorn and Calina fired as well. Her arrow was covered in light and shot through the door. This time, a slew of screams broke out and for an instant, all hacking at the door stopped, but it was quick to resume.
The door was suddenly breached, and the battle began. Orcs flooded the room and charged towards the Fellowship. Their enemy was clad in armor, but the trio of archers continued to shoot at the weak points. Gimli and Boromir attacked as well, their weapons smashing into their enemy. Gandalf let out a war cry before joining in the fight, the Hobbits doing the same right behind him.
'My arrows are too volatile in close quarters like this.' Calina then slung her bow over her shoulder and drew her sword, striking the nearest orc. Her gaze was suddenly pulled towards the door as the cave troll smashed through the doorway, a deadly mace in hand. Her eyes turned wide as she took in the sight of the lumbering gray skinned beast. To her horror, Sam was standing right in front of it.
Legolas let loose an arrow and it landed on the troll's shoulder. The beast growled and slapped at the wound, but otherwise paid the injury little mind. Sam remained frozen in place as the beast lumbered towards him, its mace poised to smash.
"Sam!" Calina called out. Her cry snapped him from his stupor and he dived between the troll's legs, crawling away. The creature rounded on the Hobbit, set on finding him again.
Calina dodged around the room until she was directly behind the troll. The beast was just about to strike at Sam again as Calina swung her sword through its achilles. The troll cried out and buckled, dropping the mace. Upon seeing his opening, Sam scrambled out of the way.
However, the troll swung its arm around, set on striking whomever had attacked it. Calina barely had time to duck out of the way. In the hurriedness of her motion, she fell and hit the ground hard. When she collected herself, she looked up to see the gruesome face of the beast was so close she could smell just how foul its breath was. Hastily, she began to scramble back, but the troll roared and lifted its arm into a fist and raised it to strike down her, roaring all the while.
There was a 'shunk' as an arrow embedded itself in the troll's open mouth. A flash of confusion shot across the beast's face before the light left its eyes. It wobbled before tipping forward towards Calina. Sam, who happened to still be nearby, tugged her out of the way in time so that she was out of harm's way when the troll slammed into the ground.
She sat, looking up to the Hobbit, "Thanks Sam."
"Right back at you." He said with a grateful expression.
Legolas was quick to hurry over, throwing his bow back across his shoulder as he came up to them. "Are you alright?" He asked.
She managed a small smile and he helped her up, "Yes."
Their heads turned around at the sounds of Gandalf's voice, "To the Bridge of Khazad-dûm!" The Fellowship then bolted from the burial chamber and back out in the massive hall of pillars, with a trail of Orcs close behind. Despite their vigilant sprint, they'd not gone far before they found themselves entirely circled by the enemy.
The familiar prickle sparked to life beneath Calina's skin and her head snapped down to the end of the colossal hall. A light suddenly appeared at the end of the chamber. It began as a fireflies glow, but rapidly expanded from and stretched all the way from the stone floor to the height of the chamber's ceiling. A thunderous rumble suddenly broke. The Orcs suddenly scattered like mice and fled.
The air caught in Calina's throat, "What is that?" She asked. The others looked over to her, surprised at the nervousness her words held. The growl was heard again, whatever creature was casting it still hidden behind the corner of the massive hall.
Gandalf answered, his words as weary as they were grim, "A Balroq – a demon of the ancient world." The light was steadily intensifying, the rumbling rumbling ever louder. "This foe is beyond any of you. Run!"
They ran, hearts pounding as they rushed to escape the demon through a nearby door. They made their way out of the corridor and down a flight of steps, each of them fast on each other's heels. As they rounded another corner, the stairs ended abruptly in a bout of missing steps. Calina's heart nearly froze as she saw Boromir, in the lead, nearly fall into the dark chasm.
But Legolas, in his swiftness, pulled Boromir back, saving him from the similar fate of the torch he had been holding as it tumbled down into the darkness. It was then that she remembered to breathe as she heard Gandalf and Aragorn approaching them from behind.
"Lead them on Aragorn!" Gandalf urged, "The bridge is near!" As they ran on, a large cavern spread out before them with yet another seemingly impossible gap dropping down into it. But as imposing as the gap was, as they gazed across it they could see a bridge connecting to two sides. Their way out had finally appeared.
Aragorn moved back by Gandalf, his sword in hand. However, the wizard pushed the ranger away, "Do as I say!" Gandalf yelled. The Balroq roared from behind them once again, "Swords are of no more use here." Gandalf ensured, his eyes hard. Aragorn grit his teeth and ran to the front of the group, beginning to lead them down another flight of stairs towards the bridge.
Calina made a move to follow, but a hand on her shoulder caused her to stop. Gandalf began to speak quickly, "You have the power to defeat this beast."
Her eyes turned to sauces, "How can I possibly—"
"Your magic. It is far stronger than you know."
She steeled her resolve, "What can I do?" She asked.
The ground shook beneath them. The beast roared again. Its fiery light was growing ever brighter. "Follow me, and no matter what happens, do as I say. Can you do this?" Gandalf's eyes were hard. Another rumble echoed around them.
She nodded resolutely. "Now, let us fly!" With Gandalf in the lead, they began to follow after their comrades. As they descended, the roars of the Balroq became louder and more frequent. They had nearly reached the bridge when the stairs suddenly came to an end, a large piece of the stairway having already crumbled into the underworld below.
Legolas was the first to make the leap, coming to land with ease on the other side. The beast roared yet again, this time its cry causing the foundation of the steps to splinter, sending heaving boulders into the depths below. Legolas turned back to his comrades, "Gandalf!" He gestured, to which the wizard followed suit and jumped, landing on the other side.
Calina, whose hand had found itself locked with Frodo's, suddenly yanked the Half-ling into her as an arrow whizzed past. Her eyes shot upwards, "Goblins!" She yelled, quickly drawing her own bow and aimed it at one of the foul creatures. She let her arrow fly and swiftly its goblin target had been reduced to dust. One after one, the same thing happened to any goblin who was unfortunate enough to have been caught in the path of her magical arrows.
From the corner of her eye, she watched Boromir leap across the gap with Merry and Pippin. Legolas had momentarily joined her in the shoot off as well. Goblins were dropping like flies around them. Seeing a break in the rain of arrows from the Goblins, Aragorn threw Sam over the gap into Boromir's arms. The ranger made a move towards Gimli, but the Dwarf shot up his hand.
"Nobody tosses a Dwarf!" Gimli proclaimed.
"Then jump already!" Calina retorted, firing off another arrow.
Gimli huffed before making the leap over the chasm. But his jump was not enough to get him safely to the other side. His feet scuffled against the edge of the stone step, and he began to tumble backwards. Reflexively, Legolas shot out a hand and grabbed onto the closest thing he could.
"Not the beard!" Gimli hollered. But with a tug, the Dwarf was pulled up onto the stairway to safety.
The Balroq could still be heard approaching from the other hall as the stone mine continued to collapse around them. The demon's echo let loose yet another gigantic rock from the ceiling. The boulder smashed through the steps behind the three remaining members of the Fellowship, leaving them trapped on the segment of stairs. To everyone's further horror, the stairs begin to shift, having been completely severed from the foundation. Calina nearly dropped her bow as she, along with Aragorn and Frodo, began to wobble in efforts to keep from falling.
"Steady!" Aragorn implored, "Hang on!"
"To what?!" Calina yelled. Had the situation not been so dire, Aragorn would have rolled his eyes at her and Frodo would have laughed. But that was not the case.
"Come on!" Legolas yelled, gesturing to them to leap across the gap.
"Lean forward!" Aragorn commanded. The trio shifted their weight and the stairs began to tip with them across the divide, soon crashing into the steps where the rest of their companions were waiting. As the stairways slammed together, the last three members of the Fellowship were flung onto the safe portion of the stairs. Boromir helped Calina regain her footing, Legolas had caught Frodo, and Sam and Pippin helped Aragorn to his feet. With everyone safely on the other side, the Fellowship continued to run down the still crumbling stairway and onto a narrow walkway.
For the moment, Gandalf was in the lead. The bridge was just paces away, and with a sharp left turn, they finally made it. To one side was their route to freedom, and to the other was a vast corridor that was being overcome with a wall of fire.
The Balroq had finally caught up to them.
Gandalf stopped just before the bridge, letting the rest of the Fellowship run past, "Over the bridge! Fly!" Calina, in efforts to obey her previous orders, had stopped at the wizard's side. She brought a hand up to her face, trying to shroud it from the wall of flame. Gandalf turned to face the massive fire, the flames beginning to twist and turn with dangerous life.
A dark shadow then pushed through the flames as the Balroq finally revealed it's truly massive form. From the curling flames, great ash-black horns wrapped around the beast's head, and Calina was met with a pair of white-fire eyes that glared down at them. It was monstrous, practically scraping its head on the top of the corridor and its body looked as if it'd been racked from jagged stone.
"Ready your bow from the far side of the bridge and wait for my signal!" Gandalf yelled, unmoving as he glared just as heatedly back up at the beast.
Upon his command, Calina bolted away from the waves of flame and heat. As she ran, she couldn't help but notice how remarkably narrow the stone bridge was. The endless chasm beneath her almost drew her in, but she kept her eyes locked ahead, knowing her footing would stay true so long as she didn't look down.
As she passed over the bridge, Calina stopped as ordered, turning back around just in time to see the demon let out a guttural roar of scorching heat. As the Balroq bellowed, Calina reflexively notched an arrow, waiting for her next order.
Finally, Gandalf turned and began to run across the bridge. Calina nearly sighed thinking he would cross the bridge and they would fight the beast together. However, the wizard stopped halfway, turning back to face the beast as it chased after him. A black cloven foot burst into flame as it stepped forward. She could feel the bridge quiver as the monster took another step forward, the quake rocking through her entire body as she stood.
Gandalf was now the only thing standing between her and the Balroq. This was a fact she was grateful for. From so close, the creature's skin gave off the impression of burning embers and its newly revealed claws looked razor sharp.
'This thing is terrifying.' She thought, arms still posed to draw her bow at a moment's notice.
"You cannot pass!" Gandalf suddenly yelled boisterously.
From the safer side of the gap, a voice shouted out. "Gandalf! Calina!" She knew the voice to be Frodo's but she dared not turn her eyes away from the beast, its body erupting in a burst of raw flaming power. Calina remained motionless, her body practically shaking as she waited for Gandalf to signal her to let her arrow fly.
To her horror the Balroq summoned a flaming sword. Yet Gandalf did not flinch, even as a pair of smoky black wings burst from the demon's back. "I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor…" Gandalf's voice grew louder as he spoke. The Balroq raised its sword preparing to strike at Gandalf, "Go back to the Shadow." The wizard commanded. With its flaming sword still raised, the beast let out another guttural roar, its mouth gaping wide open.
"Now!" Gandalf yelled. His command had barely left his mouth before she let the arrow fly. True to its mark, the arrow erupted with a bright light as it left her grasp. It let off a shattering 'crack' as it implanted itself in the back of the beast's throat.
It was a flawless shot. Instantly, the Balroq buckled to its knees, the sword vanishing before it had even fallen halfway. It brought its clawed hands to its throat, this time letting out a far more agonized cry. The beast, in its pained rage, looked up, hunting for whomever had lodged the arrow in its throat. With remarkable speed, it retracted its hands from its throat and conjured up a flaming whip, cracking it straight towards Calina.
All she could register was searing pain as the whip wrapped itself around her right leg, the downward pull of it was so aggressive that she was afraid her leg had popped from its socket. She cried out as her body slammed against the ground, the pain staggering. But as suddenly as the whip had constricted around her, it released. Somehow, she pulled herself upright. Her ears were ringing, eyes watering, and leg throbbing.
Despite her lightheadedness, she turned her head in time to see Gandalf let out a furious yell, "YOU – SHALL NOT – PASS!" The wizard then drove his staff into the stone bridge, a white light erupting from it as he called upon its power. Still daring, the Balroq stepped forward onto the bridge.
Under its immense weight, the bridge collapsed beneath the demon, sending it plunging into the deep chasm below. Calina let out a tiny breath of relief. But to their horror, the flaming whip reappeared and wrapped itself around the wizard's ankle, yanking him off his feet and pulling him over the edge of the bridge. She watched as Gandalf clung to the crumbling edge.
"GANDALF!" Calina screamed. Powered solely by adrenaline, she got up and ran back out across the bridge. In a rush, she fell to her stomach at the edge, her hands tightly gripping Gandalf's forearms.
But he continued to slip further, his grip beginning to fail. She began to sputter, clearly panicked, "Hold on, just hold on—"
"Calina." The wizard spoke slowly.
She only continued to babble, "They'll come help us—"
"Calina."
"—They will, they—"
"You did well. Now, let me go." Gandalf interrupted.
"No. I will not let you fall." She lifted her head, meeting his gaze in a deadest stare.
To her surprise and confusion, Gandalf shut his eyes and let out a deep sigh. His eyes then reopened, looking straight at her as he spoke. "I am sorry." He said dolefully.
Her grip on his forearms only tightened. "Why?" Calina inquired.
"For this." Without a seconds delay, a flash of white light burst from Gandalf's hands, sending a white-hot pain through Calina's forearms where he had tried to hold on. The pain was so intense that on instinct she let go. She then watched in shock as the wizard fell into the abyssal darkness below.
A deafening numbness overtook her as she watched him completely disappear into the swallowing chasm beneath the shattered bridge. She was vaguely aware that someone had physically hauled her up and off of the bridge. But her mind was still so lost in disbelief she hardly noticed. She was only pulled back to reality by the aggressive assault of daylight against her vacant eyes.
It was then she realized it was Legolas who had retrieved her and led her out of the mine. As the reality of it all began to take hold, she buckled against him as tears began to streak their way down her cheeks, clearing away any dust and grime with their salty tracks. "What have I done?" She then clutched at his shirt, to which he wrapped his arms around her in what little he could do to console her.
Frodo began to scream at her, "How could you let him fall?!" All eyes had turned towards the Ring Bearer, whose devastated rage was directed solely on Calina.
Her reply was just as frantic, "He made me! He did something, I don't know, h-he burned me. I c-couldn't hold on." Her words crumbled into meekness and broken sobs. Frodo then turned away, now ashamed at his outburst. But tears slipped from his eyes as he walked off, too tormented to speak any further.
"Let me see." A voice said softly. Again, it belonged to Legolas. She felt his arms drop from her shoulders and gently pull her hands away so he could inspect her wounded forearms.
The Prince's jaw clenched. The flesh was indeed scorched, going from her wrists nearly all the way to her elbows. The wounds looked eerily similar to his own old scars. The worst of the damage was where Gandalf had struggled to hold on. Many layers of skin were missing, and the wounds were beyond even bleeding. This all went without mentioning the whip mark on her leg, which had scorched her flesh and left her pant leg ratty and charred.
"It's amazing you're still conscious." He murmured. His expression was a mixture of perplexity and something more somber. But it was then that the Elf noticed something. His eyes returned to the wounds on Calina's arms, only to see the flesh begin to mend itself back together. He watched, now awestruck, as the wounds had visibly shrunk by half within a span of seconds.
The healing did not go unnoticed by Calina, "No..." The word came off as a crackled whisper. Legolas looked up, her face now drenched in repulsion.
"Stop, stop, STOP HEALING!" She began to collapse, but Legolas dropped down the ground with her as she fell, her cries tearing against the blue sky. The Prince embraced her as if doing so would release her frantic desperation. For a few seconds, she attempted to break out of his hold as if doing so would stop her body from healing itself. But quickly enough, the pain entirely vanished and all of the wounds disappeared as well.
A gruff voice spoke out, "Gandalf's spell has been broken by his own hand." Gimli said gloomily. His words earned another barked sob from Calina.
"We need to find a way to undo this." Boromir spoke up, having crouched beside Merry and Pippin, doing his best to console them.
"And how do you suppose we do that?" Gimli countered, a tinge of hopelessness in his voice as he sat. "The one who put that blasted spell on her is gone," he uttered out the last word remorsefully, "and without that spell..." Gimli's voice drifted off as well, not wanting to speak further.
Aragorn tightened one of his wrist guards, "There is a way." His words earned looks from the others, and they all turned to him. "We must go to Lothlórien. Seek out the aid of Lady Galadriel."
Gimli was the first to object, "Are you out of your mind? The Elf-Witch will surely not bear us any welcome!"
Boromir cut in, "If she can help, then what choice do we have?" Silence was his only answer. He carried on, "It's settled then." Boromir moved to stand before Aragorn, his face set in determination, "Lead the way."