Neuma/Beca's point of view
I follow in the back of the group with Chloe next to me. My head hurts so much and I know that there is blood, but we have to go on. We have to get out of this mountain so we can go to Mordor. Once the ring is destroyed, everything will be over. We make our way through the cavern, closely followed by an army of goblins. The creatures crawl down the wall, across the ceiling, like spiders. We are soon surrounded by thousands of goblins. I push the hobbits to the center of the group and hold my sword out. The goblins snarl and shriek, cocking their heads and stare at us hungrily. Just as I'm about to strike, we hear a deep roar from afar and a fiery light lit up the end of the hall. Another roar is heard and the goblins run away in fear. Gimli laughs, thinking it was because of us that they flee, but when I see Gandalf's face I know it's something else.
,,What is this new devilry?" Boromir asks.
,,A balrog. Demon of the ancient world." Gandalf says, watching the light get brighter and another rumble runs through the room. I'm frightened. Will we get out of here alive? I mean, Legolas, Gandalf and Chloe obviously will, but I'm not so sure about all the mortals in our Fellowship. ,,This foe is beyond any of you," He pauses as he looks towards the side, where an entry is. ,,Run!" We run towards the pillars, towards that entry. Gandalf leads us through the doorway, Boromir in front. We come into a great cavern with stairs, but they don't have any railing and the first stairs are gone. Boromir almost falls off the edge of the broken segment in front of us, but Legolas pulls him back and falls on the steps behind. I watch the hobbits and almost slip, but I caught myself before I fall down the stairs. Gandalf comes in behind. ,,Lead them on, Neuma. The bridge is near!" Gandalf calls to me. I want to go back to fight whatever is coming, but Gandalf stops me. ,,Do as I say! Swords are no longer used here." I lead the Fellowship down as my heart beats with an enormous speed. Being afraid of heights is not ideal here. I stop as we come to a part when the stairs are gone in the middle. The only way to the other side is to jump. Legolas is the first to jump over the gap, turning around to us. The balrog roars again, shaking the cavern. Gandalf looks behind him and then jumps towards Legolas. Chloe is the next one jumping over the gap, turning around to look at me. She sees the fear in my eyes. Suddenly arrows are whizzing past us and we look up. Orcs are shooting arrows from up top, trying to hit us. Chloe and Legolas start to shoot back, killing a few orcs. Boromir grabs Merry and Pippin and jumps over the gap, but another piece of the stairs breaks down, causing the gap to get bigger. There is no way I can jump that far!
,,Sam!" I say and when he stands beside me, I throw him over the gap. Luckily he gets caught by Boromir. I turn towards Gimli.
,,Nobody tosses a dwarf!" He says and jumps, but almost falls in the gap. Luckily Legolas can grab his beard before that happens and pulls him towards him. Another piece of the stairs breaks off.
,,Frodo!" I push him further up the stars, while jumping towards him, only being able to grab the remaining stairs with my hands. I pull myself up and see a worried Chloe looking at me. She doesn't dare to say anything as her breath is caught in her throat. I look behind Frodo and me, seeing the bright light come closer. I swallow as I hold Frodo with me. Because another roar echoes through the cavern a large rock goes through the other side of the stairs, locking Frodo and me in. We can't go back and we can't go forward because we can't make that jump. The piece of stairs we're on starts to crumble and luckily because Frodo and I lean forward, it goes the right way. Our piece comes to the piece Chloe is on and both Frodo and I jump off our piece of stairs. I jump in Chloe's arms as Frodo jumps into Boromir's arms.
,,Are you okay?!" Chloe asks me immediately and I just nod.
,,We talk once we're out of here, okay?" I say to her and she follows me further down the stairs.
We eventually come to a thin bridge crossing over a large, bottomless abyss.
,,Over the bridge! Run!" We do as Gandalf says. I'm running across, behind everyone else, just to make sure Chloe and Frodo come to the other side unharmed. When we are safe at the other side, I turn around and watch Gandalf as he turns around and faces the looming balrog. Once the balrog roars, Gandalf runs onto the bridge as well, stopping in the middle. Frodo notices it too and stops running. I gasp. The balrog seems like it is ten times Gandalf's height. It has two massive horns on its face and sharp teeth that gleam like obsidian. Its skin is cracked. I can see fire and lava in between the plates of skin and he wields a fiery whip, snapping and crackling. ,,You cannot pass!" Gandalf says to the balrog.
,,Gandalf!" Frodo yells.
,,I am the servant of the secret fire, wielder of the flame of Anor," Gandalf says, raising his staff, making a bright white light. His sword in his right hand. ,,the dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Udun!" The balrog lifts its hand, a sword of flame forming in its palm. He strikes against Gandalf's white light. Gandalf grunts but doesn't bunge. ,,Go back to the shadow." Gandalf says, teeth clenches. The balrog steps forward onto the bridge, brandishing its whip. I lean forward, ready to help Gandalf if I must, but Chloe holds me back. ,,You shall not pass!" Gandalf shouts, bringing his staff and sword together, using his magic to weaken the bridge. First nothing happens and the balrog seems to smirk at the attack and steps forward again. The weight of the balrog breaks the bridge and the fiery monster falls down. Gandalf leans on his staff, exhausted. He turns to leave, but the end of the balrog's whip snaps up, wrapping around Gandalf's ankle and pulls him back. Gandalf hangs onto the ledge for a moment, looking at us. Frodo rushes forward, trying to run towards him while yelling his name, but Boromir holds him back. Gandalf doesn't succeed to come back on the bridge and it seems like he's giving up. ,,Fly, you fools!" He yells and then he falls down too.
,,No!" Frodo cries out. I can't believe it and cannot move. I stare at the bridge in disbelief, hearing the other yell my name. I don't want to go, because he must be hanging somewhere else, right?
,,Neuma!" I feel Legolas pull me back. I look up at him and realize that the others are already out of the mountain. I run on and get outside as last of the Fellowship. The sun is shining; the clouds are white and high. Chloe immediately pulls me against her. I look back. Dark yawns the archway of the gates under the mountain-shadow. Faint and far beneath the earth rolls the slow drum-beats: doom. A thin black smoke trails out. Nothing else is to be seen; the dale all around is empty. Doom. Grief overcome me and I weep long with the rest of the Fellowship: some standing and silent, some cast upon the ground. Doom, doom. The drum-beats faded. Once I grieved a little, I stand up.
,,I fear we cannot stay here longer." I say, while looking towards the mountains and hold up my sword. ,,Farewell, Gandalf." I turn to Legolas now. ,,Legolas, get them up."
,,Give them a moment, for pity sake." Boromir yells, but I'm happy Chloe and Legolas understand why I do this.
,,By nightfall this hills will be swarming with orcs. We must reach the woods of Lothlorien." I help Legolas help the hobbits on their feet, but Frodo is not with us. ,,Frodo?" I find him a little further and run up to him. ,,Frodo, come on. We cannot lose anyone else today."
,,But Gandalf," Frodo starts.
,,He doesn't want you to die. You need to believe in yourself. We all believe in you. Gandalf dying is a tragedy, but we have to keep moving." He nods now and gets up. The others from the Fellowship follows me further over the road towards the woods of Lothlorien. ,,We need to hurry, we're close." I tell them, looking backwards. They nod and keep on following me.
The night-wind blows chill up the valley to meet us. Before us a wide grey shadow looms and we hear an endless rustle of leaves like poplars in the breeze.
,,Lothlorien!" Cries Legolas. ,,Lothlorien! We have come to the eaves of the Golden Wood." Under the night the trees stand tall before us, arches over the road and stream that runs suddenly beneath our spreading boughs. In the dim light of the stars our stems were grey, and their quivering leaves a hint of fallow gold.
,,Lothlorien." I say. ,,Glad I am to hear again the wind in the trees. We are still more than miles away from the gates, but we can go no further. Here let us hope that the virtue of the Elves will keep us tonight from the peril that comes behind."
,,If Elves indeed still dwell here in the darkening world." Gimli says.
,,It is long since any of our own folk journeyed hither back to the land where we wandered in ages long ago." Chloe says. ,,But we hear that Lorien is not yet deserted, for there is a secret power here that holds evil from the land. Nevertheless its folk are seldom seen and maybe they dwell now deep in the woods and far from the northern border."
,,Indeed deep in the wood they dwell." I say and sigh. ,,We must fend for ourselves tonight. We will go forward a short way, until the trees are all about us and then we will turn aside from the path and seek a place to rest in." I step forward, followed by Chloe, but Boromir stands irresolute and does not follow.
,,Is there no other way?" He asks.
,,What other fairer way would you desire?"
,,A plain road, though it leads through a hedge of swords. By strange paths has our company been led and so far to evil fortune. Against my will we passed under the shades of Moria, to our loss. And now we must enter the Golden Wood, you say. But of that perilous land we have heard in Gondor and it is said that few come out who once go in. None of those few came out unscathed."
,,Say not unscathed, but if you say unchanged, then maybe you will speak the truth." I say. ,,But lore wanes in Gondor, Boromir, if in the city of those who once were wise they now speak evil of Lothlorien. Believe what you will, there is no other way for us - unless you want to go back to the Moria-gate, or scale the pathless mountains, or swim the great river all alone." Boromir shakes his head.
,,No, traveling alone is too dangerous." He sighs. ,,Lead on, but it is perilous."
,,Perilous indeed. Fair and perilous, but only evil need to fear it. Follow me!" I grab Chloe's hand and bring her with me. We cross a small river and then set up camp. We rest and have a little food. Legolas tells us tales of Lothlorien that the Elves of Mirkwood still kept in their hearts. He tells about sunlight and starlight upon the meadows by the great river before the world was grey. A silence falls, my mind full with questions. The tales Legolas is telling, Chloe has seen that too. The silence is broken by Chloe's voice that starts to sing a song, while laying her head on my shoulder and playing with my hands.
An Elven-maid there was of old,
a shining star by day
Her mantle white was hemmed with gold,
her shoes of silver-grey
A star was bound upon her brows,
a light was on her hair
As sun upon the golden boughs,
in Lorien the fair
Her hair was long, her limbs were white,
and fair she was and free
And in the wind she went as light,
as leaf of linden-tree
Beside the falls of Nimrodel,
by water clear and cool
Her voice as falling silver fell,
into the shining pool
Where now she wanders none can tell,
in sunlight or in shade
For lost of yore was Nimrodel,
and in the mountains strayed
The elven-ship in haven grey,
beneath the mountain-lee
Awaited her for many a day,
beside the roaring sea
A wind by night in Northern lands,
arose, and loud it cries
And drove the ship from elven-strands,
across the streaming tide
When dawn came dim the land was lost,
the mountains sinking grey
Beyond the heaving waves that tossed,
their plumes of blinding spray
Amroth beheld the fading shore,
now low beyond the swell
And cursed the faithless ship that bore,
him far from Nimrodel
Of old he was an Elven-king,
a lord of tree and glen
When golden were the boughs in spring,
in fair Lothlorien
From helm to sea they saw him leap,
as arrow from the string
And dive into the water deep,
as mew upon the wing
The wind was in his flowing hair,
the foam about him shone
Afar they saw him strong and fair,
go riding like a swan
But from the West has come no word,
and on the hither shore
No tidings Elven-folk have heard,
of Amroth evermore
But from the West has come no word,
and on the hither shore
No tidings Elven-folk have heard,
of Amroth evermore...
The voice of Chloe falters and the song ceases.
,,I cannot sing anymore. I know it is long and sad, but it tells how sorrow came upon Lothlorien when the Dwarves awakened evil in the mountains."
,,But the Dwarves did not make the evil." Gimli says.
,,I did not say that; yet evil came." Chloe answers. ,,Then many of the Elves of Nimrodel's kindred left their dwellings and departed."
,,Let's get some rest." I tell the hobbits and lays down myself, pulling Chloe next to me. I gaze towards the starry night, my mind wandering. I wait until the rest are asleep, before pointing towards the sky. ,,I aiwenor na- so bein at dú." ( The sky is so pretty at night )
,,In Mirkwood im always lays in i thár, looking or- at i aiwenor." ( In Mirkwood I always lay in the grass, looking up at the sky )
,,All bui yourself?" ( All by yourself? ). I look to Chloe now.
,,Limb suitors wanted na tul- with nin, but enna's onlui er gweg im anír- na tinu into i amazing dú aiwenor with." ( Many suitors wanted to come with me, but there's only one person I want to star into the amazing night sky with ). I smile at her. We are quiet for a few moments. Chloe looks down to my lips while my thumb runs lazy circles along Chloe's palm as we lay in an comfortable silence.
,,Cin know, im'm reallui glad cin came bo hi adventure with nin." I tell her. ,,Im don't think im would oiale gar- tul- hi far ú- cin." ( You know, I'm really glad you came on this adventure with me ) ( I don't think I would ever have come this far without you ). Chloe doesn't say anything, she just presses her lips against mine. Her lips are confident and sure. I reach up with my free hand to cup the back of her head, pulling her in just a little bit closer. When I pull away, I smile at her. ,,I love you so much, Chlo."
,,I love you too, Becs." She kisses me again and pulls me against her body. ,,Now, go get some sleep because I know you need it. You're still half human." She winks at me and when I yawn, I know she's right and fall asleep against her warm body.