The Chamber was frozen for a moment while the drums drew closer. Alex turned towards the still-open door, eyes narrowing when he spotted something move in the dark.
Several somethings.
Dozens of somethings.
He cocked his head and turned to face the door fully, while his Claws rippled into existence. "We're about to get company. Chances are they are not friendly."
The Fellowship luckily didn't question it, and from the corner of his eye he could see Frodo draw his short sword- the one he'd gotten from his uncle. And it was glowing in a soft blue.
"Orcs", Legolas breathed, and the room exploded into activity. Boromir rushed past Alex to look outside, though the Runner instantly snatched him and pulled him back to prevent the arrows that came hissing towards them from impaling him.
Aragorn hurried towards them too while yelling at the Hobbits to take cover behind Gandalf, his face just as pale as Boromir's with the realization that things could have ended pretty bad had Alex not reacted as fast as he did. The Gondorian glanced over his shoulder and at the machete-like talons, swallowed once and nodded. When Alex let him go, Boromir immediately threw himself against the door to force it shut.
There was a distant roar, and Boromir sagged against the wood with a grimace. "They have a cave troll."
Alex just cocked an eyebrow- trolls, that were these Hunter-sized things that turned to stone in sunlight, weren't they?
Aragorn swore under his breath and snatched up one of the discarded weapons to jam them into the door and barricade it. Legolas hurried to grab more weapons and throw them over, so the two Men could try and improve their jury-rigged door latch.
The Runner just watched with furrowed brows. Watched how the two Men and the Elf took position with bows ready, how Gimli leapt atop the tomb of Balin to brandish his ax, how Gandalf brought his own blue-glowing sword into position along with his staff, how the Hobbits grouped together like they've done at the Weather Top.
All he could think was Why didn't I step out and kill these things the moment I became aware of them?
The door began shaking from violent pounds, wood groaning as it resisted for a moment. Then the first Orc ripped a hole into the wood, and Legolas shot it with deadly precision so it fell back with a squeal- though it was quickly replaced by another one that Aragorn took down.
The door gave in and ripped from its hinges, collapsing inside with a plume of dust and a mighty crash.
And the horde rushed inside. Alex reacted faster than any of the others, throwing both palms to the front to slam displaced air into them and shove them back, but the creatures didn't seem to care about the few he staggered. Legolas took down two with one shot (impaling one and the arrow embedded itself into the throat of another), Aragorn managed to stagger another one and Boromir lopped off its arm so the thing fell back and bled out fast.
Gimli slammed his ax down into one that foolishly came too close to the tomb with an enraged yell of "Let them come! There is still one Dwarf in Moria who still draws breath!" He followed up by a sideways swing that collapsed another one's ribcage and let it crumble to the floor. Gandalf was fast, slashing his sword and tearing through unarmored parts of the Orcs' bodies, while his staff caused serious damage to unprotected skulls.
There was motion to the side, and he saw Merry duck under a wide swing that overbalanced the Orc that dealt it out, only for Pippin to stab his sword through its neck and kill it. Frodo sliced one's arteries open with a swing, and Sam clobbered one and then another one with his frying pan, of all things.
But once unleashed, the Orcs were like a flood. They scrambled towards them, paying no attention to their own injuries. Alex snarled and snatched two to smash them together and reduce them to broken bones and ruptured organs. He grabbed one and pulled it apart lengthwise. He threw a few across the chamber with enough force to put craters into the walls once they hit. He kicked one back into another two. All three resembled broken eggs by the time they hit the ground, but it wasn't enough.
There were too many of them, and the room was too small, and his Claws weren't suited for not blending everything in a five-foot radius, and there were too many people he did not want to hurt.
But his fighting style had never been particularly good for keeping anything alive- enemies or allies.
He backhanded another pair of Orcs to send them careening into the wall. He spun on his heel and grabbed one particularly unlucky one to throw it bodily into one Aragorn was just fighting. Both Orcs went down in a heap of broken limbs and shattered armor, but the cracking of their bodies was swallowed by the mighty crash the Troll made as it finally decided to join the fray.
It roared and swung its club into their direction, and Alex.
Just.
Snapped.
He kicked off the floor to catapult himself as high as the chamber allowed him and came down with all his might. His outstretched foot hit the Troll right in the middle of its sternum to send it tumbling backwards, he followed it up by kicking his other leg upwards while throwing himself into a backflip. The Troll crashed backwards onto the floor, dazed for a moment while Alex hit the ground with a growl.
"THAT SHIT ISN'T WORKING", he shouted, and the nearby creatures stumbled back from the volume alone.
Aragorn and Boromir, who were both nearby and likewise stunned, just stared at him like a pair of fish. "Not working?!" Boromir bit out, "Because this-"
"Is far from what I should be doing!" Alex grabbed another one and just crushed its head like an egg. He dropped the carcass to the side and swung his Claws to behead another two. His icy eyes locked with Aragorn's. "I'm going out", he hissed. "Do not follow me. That is an order."
He let his eyes glow in the gloom and peeled his lips away from his teeth in an unhinged grin. "Because what I'm going to do to these things out there won't be pretty."
There was something about the way Alex spoke that made Aragorn's spine freeze with the distinct feeling of terror. It wasn't often that he felt it, and even less when it wasn't directed at him, and yet still he felt fear.
Alex stalked out of the Chamber of Records, his talons fanned to the side in such a way they caught on the door frame- and cut through like the carved stone was warm butter.
The Troll was just outside and in the process of struggling back to its feet when the Wraith seized its head with one paw and lifted it above his body like it was no more than a pillow. The Troll naturally bellowed and squirmed, but Alex barely paid any attention to it as he flicked his arm out and crushed the entire giant creature into the floor.
The ancient rock shattered, the ground caved in, and the Troll's entire upper body was smashed like a rotten egg.
It didn't move anymore. And Alex stalked out of his line of sight.
"By the Ancestors", Boromir breathed.
Then everybody inside the Chamber jerked back when the screaming started. Aragorn had heard Orcs and Goblins screech before, beg for their lives, even shriek in fear, but this was something else entirely.
The other Orcs still within the Chamber all whirled and froze in terror- and Gimli immediately capitalized on it. He beheaded another Goblin with a triumphant 'HAH!', which spurred the rest into motion.
Boromir impaled another one, and Legolas shot two more before Aragorn finally found the strength in his sword-arm once more to continue.
Gandalf shove one back into Frodo's waiting blade, while Merry and Pippin took down a larger Orc together. Sam slammed his frying pan into another Orc's face to send it collapsing to the floor before he ended it with a stab through its chest. (The use of the frying pan was a little unconventional, but worked well enough)
Gandalf gasped short pants and glanced around with worried eyes. "Is everybody accounted for?" He demanded to know.
"We are all hale", Boromir gave back, equally out of breath.
"Alex left", Legolas pointed out, then winced when another loud crash came from the outside. "I believe he's clearing a path."
"Then we shouldn't let him make wait for too long", Gandalf declared, already marching to the doorway.
And froze, and Aragorn followed and did too and immediately remembered that Alex both ordered them to stay and claimed that 'it won't be pretty'.
...
It was an understatement.
Broken bodies- or rather remains of them- littered the shattered floor outside in piles. Entire pools of black blood collected in depressions where smooth stone had been before. Pieces of armor, crushed arrows, ripped-apart limbs were scattered like branches after a storm.
"By all that is Good", he whispered in horror, then his eyes snapped to a fast-moving blur of black and red. It hit a small group of Orcs and just...turned them into mist before it leapt upwards and vanished in the darkness of the ceiling.
Only to drop down faster than an arrow and impact into the ground. The force of it was clearly noticeable even at their current distance, and another pack of Orcs simply ceased to exist.
Alex's body was hardly visible from the darkness and from how fast he was moving, always darting and leaping away while handing out punishment that pulverized solid rock- the Orc's fragile bodies hardly stood a chance.
Then he saw him stop briefly and slam his paws together. It was something that was familiar to him- the Wraith had used this exact same move during Elrond's Council to get them all to stop arguing- only with apparent way less strength as the force of this attack now caved in chests and skulls and killed the Orcs within moments without him ever actually touching them.
Then he spun around and seized what seemed to be a chieftain to pull it apart lengthwise, and let his awful black tendrils devour it- all without stopping in this one-sided battle once. (Battle? More like slaughter)
That was when he abruptly realized just how much the being they called their companion had been holding back. How much he'd restricted himself, played along with them. With Men and Dwarves and Elves and Hobbits he could have broken with nary a thought.
"Do you realize just what had been following you?" Gandalf murmured, eyes fixed on the slaughter.
Aragorn swallowed, then winced when Alex casually kicked down a pillar that had half-collapsed a long time ago to crush another pack of Orcs beneath. "But-"
The Wizard shook his head. "It is right to be wary of him. As it is right to be wary of any Man with a drawn sword. You must question yourself- a man like him who always had this power, yet never used against any of us- doesn't he deserve your trust?"
And...he was right. Because of course he was. How many times had there been when Alex could have flexed his skills and taken them all out? Countless times.
He had never done so.
Not. A. Single. Time.
The screaming had long since stopped- replaced for whimpers, but now even those had fallen silent. There was one final thud of something heavy hitting the floor, and the Great Hall was quiet once more. Some of the Goblins and Orcs had managed to escape into the dark of Moria while Alex had been busy with their brethren, but judging from the amount of carcasses strewn about now Aragorn could tell that it had been the smaller part of the host that fled.
The Ranger lifted his head to look, really look, at his companion. He stood in the gloom, just shy of the light of Gandalf's staff, claws hanging loosely by his sides. His eerie focus was entirely on them, visible because of the internal glow of his eyes.
Then he noticed the Orcish arrows embedded in his body. Several of them, one even caught in his throat, and he rushed towards him without a second thought. "You are hurt!"
Alex seemed more surprised than anything, furrowing his brows until he realized the Ranger was referring to the arrows impaling him. He snorted and waved him off. "That's nothing", he claimed simply and his surface shivered briefly. The arrows dropped to the ground without leaving any injuries behind.
There was a moment of silence until the Wraith cocked his head and adopted a baffled tone. "Have you been worried about me?"
Aragorn...didn't know how to react to that. "Have I been-?" He bit out, "Of course I have been! One of my companions jumps headfirst into a mob of Moria Orcs and Goblins without a second thought! Why shouldn't I be worried?"
Alex looked baffled. "Nobody has ever-" He shook his head, melting his talons back into human arms. Put his expression back into that of a scowl. "Not sure this is the best place for for any sort of revelation. Because the Orcs are far from the worst that live here."
That was the moment Gandalf hurried towards them. "He is right", he declared a little breathless, "We should not linger any longer."
"Is there a need to hurry now?" Boromir demanded to know when the rest of the Fellowship approached them, gingerly stepping around body parts and viscera. "Since there doesn't seem to be anything that might withstand this power."
Alex snorted. "Trust me, there is at least one down here I would do my darnedest to stay away from-" He was interrupted by a distant rumble, accompanied by the shine of fire. "-And there it is", he finished.
The Gondorian turned towards the fire, eyes narrow. "What is this new Devilry?"
Legolas seemed to be pale, Gimli curious, the Hobbits wary. Gandalf had closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.
"It's big", Alex said simply, "And on fire. The Orcs fear it, call it Gâsh."
The rumbling drew closer. The fire shine began burning brighter, but Aragorn didn't feel any warmth. It was like ice was growing along his spine, and there was no way to dislodge it.
"As they should", Gandalf muttered in a tired voice, "For this is the Bane of Durin. A Balrog, a Demon of the Ancient World."
Legolas's face lost color at once. Gimli inhaled sharply. The Hobbits whispered among themselves. Boromir muttered under his breath. Alex seemed too interested in this approaching enemy.
The creature roared, much closer this time and the Wizard whirled, eyes wide in hurry. "This foe is beyond any of you! Run!"
They didn't question, just did.
Aragorn and Alex hung back as far as possible to cover their retreating backs while Gandalf took the lead for a moment, ushering them out of the Great Hall through a small doorway at the side.
They ran, ran as fast as they could through twisted tunnels. Boromir was the first to burst through another doorway- the Ranger could hear his surprised outcry, and the Fellowship stopped dead in their tracks- he rushed to the front to see what happened only to see Legolas clutching the Gondorian to his chest as both sat back on a set of stairs that just ended in a steep drop. Boromir seemed shaken, but otherwise hale, and he already moved to let the Elf know to let him go.
There was a distant roar shaking the air, and his rise was a bit faster. And he began scrambling down the side-stairs to reach the lower levels. The Hobbits were following close-by, as did Gimli.
Aragorn startled when Gandalf grabbed his shoulder. "Lead them on, Aragorn. The Bridge is near."
His head swiveled to the side, and he spotted the bridge in the distance. It wasn't too far, and they could reach it before the Balrog- whatever that was- was upon them-
Then Gandalf's words settled, and he snapped his head back around to stare at the Wizard. His eyes narrowed. "I'm not going to leave you here."
Gandalf shook his head. "Do as I say- Swords are of no more use here."
"Yeah. But neither is self-sacrifice", Alex threw in, and Aragorn was taken aback by the angry gleam in his eyes. His teeth were bared as he leaned towards the old man. "I know what you are planning. You want to stay behind and take on this bastard. But I won't let you." He grabbed his wrist and pulled him to his feet. "You'll come with us, and if I have to carry you out of here, but I won't let any one of you behind. Got it?!"
It was worded and delivered more as a threat than a reassurance, but it was spoken with true intend.
There was a roar at the distance again, and all three scrambled to get to the bottom of the stairs, where the rest of the Fellowship already was. The path forwards was no more than a thin ledge dotted with old mining gear, but easy enough to navigate. It lead briefly into another hall that curved back towards the chasm and another set of stairs- but even Aragorn could tell that it wasn't the most sturdy of constructions- if only judging by the giant gaping hole in its middle.
It would be possible to leap over, however, and Legolas already jogged towards it.
Alex was faster.
One moment he was right next to Aragorn and Gandalf at the rear of the group, the next he was right in front of Legolas, boots digging into the staircase with enough force to crumble the upper inches of the steps. "You can't go any further", he hissed, eyes darting down into the abyss.
Behind them, the still-unseen Balrog roared, and boulders dropped from the ceiling. Legolas and Alex both leapt out of the way, and the rocks crushed the staircase beneath. Large pieces of it collapsed and dropped into the chasm below, and the Fellowship swore and scrambled back to the path hewn into the cliff side to avoid the collapse.
There was a jeering screech, and Goblins appeared in the niches of the opposite side, shooting poison-coated arrows at them. Boromir and Alex brought up the rear to protect the Fellowships with their shields as they retreated into the tunnels for a little protection.
"How did you know it was going to break?!" Sam panted in exhaustion, "Because the stairs looked sturdy enough."
The Wraith grimaced. "I've seen enough buildings collapse- I caused enough buildings to collapse- to know what a construction looks like before it gives in. And that one had been way past its life expectancy."
The rumbling came closer, and Legolas hissed. "We can't go back, and we can't go forth, what will we do now?"
"Never fear, Master Elf", Gimli threw in from his spot against the wall, "For Dwarven Cities always have hidden tunnels." He knocked his ax against the smooth stone several times to find the entrance.
Alex craned his head over his shoulder and just called out a simple "Four more steps to the right" and Gimli found a spot that sounded hollow on his next hit. He pushed against the surface then, and a section slid away to reveal a finely-carved hallway beyond. "It should lead to merge with the main hallway. And right now everywhere is safer than out here", the Dwarf explained and was already slipping inside.
Aragorn had concerns about this narrow walkway being a prime ambush spot for Goblins, but then the rumble from behind them echoed again and all of them scrambled to escape through the tunnel.
Even here there were signs of occupation, but luckily it was empty at the moment.
But...there was one thing that rubbed him the wrong way. And it took him some time to realize what it had been-
Gimli had known that there was a hidden tunnel somewhere, but Alex had known exactly where it was.
So he clapped his hand on the other man's shoulder briefly to draw his attention, trying not to flinch from the sudden pale glow of his eyes as he turned towards him. "What?" He hissed.
"How did you know?" Aragorn asked. "About this tunnel. You're neither Dwarf nor of this World, you can't know their secrets."
Alex furrowed his brows, moved his jaw briefly. Then shook his head. "This isn't the best place or time for this. I-" He frowned again, "I will explain once we are out of here."
Which was good enough. The Ranger let go of him, and threw a glance back to the entrance of the escape tunnel. There were no Goblins chasing after them, but he knew they were going to lurk on the cliffs on the opposite side again.
He just hoped their bad aim continued to aid them and they wouldn't fall victim to their arrows as they escaped the Mines.
"It's not much further!" Gimli hollered as he threw himself against the last section of the tunnel and the wall slid open to reveal another grand hallway.
No, not another one- it was the extension of the Grand Hall they'd been in. And it was burning.
Walls of flames swallowed the way back, sending plumes of hot air into their direction. Despite this, however, he felt cold. Like something had taken hold of his soul and was squeezing it.
"Run!" Gandalf yelled over the roar of the fire, gesturing to the left of them, "Over the Bridge! Fly!"
There was a narrow strip of carved stone spanning a wide chasm. The only way out- the only way to safety even though he could hear Goblins and Orcs skitter above them in the Mines. Far more pressing however, was the roar at their backs, and the Fellowship scrambled to get away from the wall of fire- except for Gandalf who had brought up the rear and was now no longer moving, instead stood in front of the flames, sword and staff ready-
And something roared and a giant shadow leapt from the inferno, landing directly in front of Gandalf.
The Balrog.
A Demon made of twisted shadows and ashes, towering over all of them. Its horned head was adorned with a mane of flames, and its eyes were spitting embers. Smoke trailed from its tail and wings and it roared at the Wizard.
Gandalf turned and and the Fellowship sprinted down the staircase towards the narrow Bridge. The Demon snorted and set after them, and more flames sprang up where its cloven feet touched the stone.
Legolas and Boromir were the first ones to race across the Bridge, followed by the Hobbits and Gimli. Alex followed after them, and Aragorn was last. His heart was thudding inside his ribs like it tried to break through, and his chest burned. Distantly he realized it was because he didn't dare breathe too deep, out of fear he'd inhale the flames. He was glad when they passed the narrow bridge and reached the other side, but his back still felt frozen.
"Gandalf!" Frodo shouted, drawing his attention.
The Wizard stood in the middle of the Bridge, facing the Balrog as it approached. His sword was gripped tightly in his hand, and he had spread his arms. "You cannot pass!" He snapped at the Demon, lifting his staff.
The Balrog roared again and clenched its clawed fist, summoning a giant flaming sword.
The Wizard grit his teeth and lifted his staff, the glow of the crystal on top of it increasing. "I am the Servant of the Secret Fire!", He shouted at the Demon, "Wielder of the Flame of Anor!"
The Balrog lifted its sword high, roaring. Gandalf's voice was raised into a yell as he challenged the Creature. "The Dark Fire will not avail you, Flame of Udûn!"
The Demon swung its sword down, Gandalf lifted his staff higher and a shield shimmered into existence-
The blade impacted into the Bridge with a mighty crash that sent sparks everywhere, yet Gandalf was no longer there-
The Wizard was clutched tightly against a leather-clad chest and currently hurling across the chasm where Alex's leap had carried them. There was a red burst of air, and the Wraith changed directions within the blink of an eye, bringing them both closer to their side and away from the gaping emptiness below.
The sound his talons made as they slammed into the cliff sent icy shivers down his spine.
He dumped Gandalf onto the ledge they were standing on, and Aragorn immediately grabbed for him to pull him back to his feet while the other man's eyes were blazing in the darkness surrounding them. His teeth were bared and his lips twisted into a scowl.
"YOU!" He shouted at the Wizard, loud enough to momentarily drown out the Balrog's confused roar, "YOU DON'T GET TO KILL YOURSELF!"
He ripped a good-sized boulder from the wall and spun around to throw it at the Demon, crushing it against its horned skull with enough force to make it stumble backwards.
Which served to mostly anger it, as it surged forwards and slammed its hoof onto the Bridge and its tiny eyes were focused solely on them.
Alex didn't seem to care and continued to scream at the Wizard. "YOU! YOU PROMISED TO GET ME HOME! I WON'T LET YOU KILL YOURSELF BEFORE YOU LIVED UP TO YOUR PROMISE, OR SO HELP ME GOD!"
Then he turned and marched straight towards the Bridge, spikes and armor growing across his surface and vanishing in waves.
"ALEX!" Aragorn shouted, "YOU ARE NO MATCH FOR IT!"
The Wraith glared back, eyes glowing icy blue. "But you are? I am literally incapable of dying." His voice was no longer raised into a shout, but was rather a silent snarl. He clenched his fists, threw one look at the Balrog, and pulled his journal from his coat. He threw it over and the Ranger caught it bewildered. "Take this and GO!" The man snapped, facing the Balrog once again. "I'll find you. I don't know how long it'll take, but I will find you. And that is a promise."
He kicked off the ground with a shatter of stone and threw himself right towards the Demon. His body curled up moments before he slammed into the creature with so much force, it was sent staggering back and off balance. Alex's much smaller shape bounced off and darted straight upwards- only to come down and crash into the Balrog once again.
The Demon roared when the impact sent both tumbling into the depths of the pit, and it kept roaring the entire way down even when it long-since faded into haunting echoes.
The arrow clattering off the stone wall right next to Boromir's head managed to get the Fellowship moving, and they burst into activity. Legolas shot several arrows of his own at the Orcs appearing at the other end of the Bridge to fell some, and the group scrambled along the dusty way. There were stairs and the blessed coolness of fresh air, and most of all- pale sunlight.
They burst from the depths of Moria and into the valley beyond, running away from the Gates until they were at a safe distance. The Orcs weren't going to follow them, not as long the sun was still there.
A cold numbness of realization settled over them, the realization that they'd just lost one of their own. Gimli was shouting, trying to return to Moria- Boromir had to hold him back.
Merry and Pippin were staring, like they couldn't believe what had just transpired. Sam was rubbing Frodo's shoulders, both looking equally out of their depths. Gandalf stared at the Gates with a frown. Legolas was just staring at nothing.
They'd just lost one of their own.
I am literally incapable of dying. I'll find you. And that is a promise.
He...he meant it. Hadn't he?
Aragorn looked down at the journal still clutched in his hand. "He said he'll find us", he muttered to no-one in particular. "He said he'll return."
His voice became steady. "Legolas!" He ordered, "Help me get them to their feet."
The Elf seemed unsure, but was slowly approaching Merry and Pippin. Boromir spun to stare at him.
"What? Now- we-" He didn't seem to be able to grasp a single thought for a moment until he burst out, "Give them a moment, for pity's sake!"
"At night these Hills will be crawling with Orcs", the Ranger countered, clenching his fist harder around the little book. "We can't stay here."
"He is right", Gandalf's voice sounded frail to his ears, and the Wizard was clinging to his staff like it was the only thing holding him upright. "We must make haste and leave."
"But-" Frodo tried to speak, yet couldn't. He turned back to the Gates with a desperate look.
Aragorn swallowed and went to kneel in front of the Hobbit. "He said he will come find us", he explained, "He promised he will return." He grimaced briefly, "He said he cannot die. And we have seen him recover from wounds that would have felled other men. We need to believe he knew what he was doing."
"But you don't believe it", Frodo's voice was almost dead, "You believe he just said this. Don't you?"
The Ranger exhaled. "It is true. I want to believe he is capable of great feats, even cheating death, but my head does not want to trust what my heart knows."
"We cannot let his sacrifice be in vain", Gandalf added, his posture beginning to grow confident. "We must leave this wretched place and make for the woods of Lothlórien. Their enchantments will protect us against all that is Evil."
They set out. Slowly because they were exhausted both in body and mind. But they had to leave Moria behind, so they wouldn't fall victim to their grief.
Strider had been right, of course, if they dwelled any longer, the Orcs would be upon them by nightfall.
Yet it felt wrong to leave the Gates behind them, knowing that their companion was somewhere deep inside the mines. Alive or dead. Didn't matter, because lost was lost.
And Frodo wanted to trust in Strider's words. But the Demon, the Balrog- it had been terrifying. In the same way the Nazgûl had been, yet different.
Frodo shuddered and tried to turn his attention back to the path they were moving along. His eyes found Gandalf's, and the Wizard smiled sadly. A part of him was glad the events happened the way they did- he didn't wanted to imagine what would have happened if it had been Gandalf who would have been lost inside Moria.
By mid-day, they crossed a small creek, and Strider pointed at the lush forest in the distance- still green, despite the season.
A forest they reached upon dusk. It was so otherworldly, so strange, that it almost didn't seem real.
But it was easier breathing under the branches, feeling the soft soil beneath instead of unforgiving rocks.
Gimli shuffled closer to the four Hobbits, eyes darting around. "Stay close young Hobbits", he whispered, "They say that a great sorceress lives in these woods, an Elf-witch of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell."
Frodo blinked at the conversation. It wasn't what he would have expected of Gimli, but the other three seemed to hang on every word he said. A great Elf-witch? Here?
Elves weren't evil, were they?
He glanced back towards Gandalf, who had his eyebrow arched, even while the Dwarf kept droning on.
Frodo
He stopped dead in his tracks, head whipping around. This voice- it belonged to none of the Fellowship.
Your coming to us, is as the footsteps of doom, the voice continued to whisper, and he was sure nobody was nearby who was talking to him.
But it wasn't the voice of the Ring, it was different. Warmer, concerned, angered maybe. You bring great Evil here, Ring-Bearer
Who was talking there? Who was there inside his head, deafening even Sauron's constant whispers?
"Mister Frodo?" Sam's voice startled him out of his thoughts, and he turned to see his best friend with an concerned expression. "Are you alright?"
"I-", he swallowed, "I thought I heard someone call out to me."
"Never fear", Gimli cut in, legs wide and ax gripped tightly, "Here is one Dwarf she won't ensnare so easily. I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox!"
Gandalf's grip on his shoulder tightened, and Gimli trailed off as he went cross-eyed staring at the arrow notched right in his face. Aragorn and Boromir both had their hands on the hilts of their swords, but couldn't draw them for they were surrounded by dozens of drawn bows. Even Legolas was hopelessly overwhelmed as he couldn't decide where to aim first.
They were surrounded by armed Elves, and they hadn't even noticed their presence.
A tall blonde Elf parted the group of his men and cocked his head towards them. "The Dwarf", he said, "Breathes so loud we could have shot him in the dark."
And we're out of Moria. Next chapter is going to be a short one, though.