In the dark cave, Gandalf lights his staff, "We now have but one choice, we must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard, there are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world." He walks off leading the way up the steps. "Quietly now, it's a four day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed."
They walk through great caverns, over narrow bridges and through disused mines, with abandoned ladders, and chains. Gandalf stops as he notices silvery white lines in the rock face and gently touches them. "The wealth of Moria is not in gold, or jewels, but Mithril."
He shines his staff into the cavern below and everyone looks down in awe at the intense abandoned mines, "Bilbo had a shirt of mithril rings that Thorin gave him."
"Aww that was a Kingly gift..." Gimli said in awe.
"Yes. I never told him, but it's worth was greater than the value of The Shire!"
Frodo looks astonished.
They continue to climb up some very steep steps. Pippin slips on them. "Pippin!" Merry quickly steadied him.
They reach a junction with three doorways in front of them. Gandalf looks around him puzzled, "I've no memory of this place."
The fellowship sit down to wait, whilst Gandalf, smoking his pipe, tries to decide which way to go. The hobbits shortly speak about being lost and food. Frodo and Gandalf have an interesting conversation about Gollum and Bilbo. Gimli silently grieves for his kin and their death. Legolas sits on a high stone keeping watch and once in a while peaks at the female pirate.
Elizabeth and Boromir sit next to Aragorn, who is between them, Elizabeth fixes her hair as it is coming out of its ponytail.
"This has to be the worst day..." She mumbled as she made tiny braids.
Aragorn smokes his pipe and raises an eyebrow at her, "Really? What about the time you told me about the ceremony and you fainted?"
She looks at him in the corner of her eye and huffs, not liking the amusement in his tone, "Oh yeah, I swear it will be my luck if that happens again. Why am I always falling in the water? First the dress, then the ship, the river and the bloody kraken. What's next? A cliff?"
"Calm down my lady. It can't be that back..." Boromir said.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "Wear a corset and say that again... That is if you like pain."
Boromir raised both eyebrows and went back to his pipe. Aragorn chuckled and Legolas smiled at the feisty lady.
Elizabeth finished putting her hair in a braided faux hawk style with her barbed wire weaved through.
"Hm, I like it." The men said and she nodded her thanks.
Just in time to hear the grey wizard say, "Oh! It's that way!"
"He's remembered!" Merry jumps up.
Gandalf at the entrance to one doorway. "No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here. If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose." They all get up and follow Gandalf out. They come out of the passageway into a great cavern with many columns arising from floor to ceiling.
"Let me risk a little more light." Gandalf holds up his staff and shines its light on the cavern. "Behold the great realm and dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf."
A huge cavern is revealed, filled with ornate columns stretching as far as the eye can see. All of the Fellowship were amazed at the silver and grey city.
Elizabeth looks at the city with a feeling she hasn't felt in a while, in all her years she has never seen like this. It brings back the feeling of finding new land, it rushes back to her. Remembering why she loves being a pirate.
Freedom...
To explore, have adventures, learn cultures, and doing as she pleased and never apologizing for it. She let out a small smile of wonder and awe.
They walk through the center of the magnificent city.
Suddenly Gimli spots a room in front of them and runs towards it, "Oh!"
"Gimli!"
Gimli kneels in front of the tomb in the centre of the room, "No, no." Gimli bows his head, "No..."
The rest of the Fellowship follow him in. Gandalf walks up to the tomb and reads the Dwarven runes inscripted upon it, "Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria." Gimli is distraught. "He is dead then." Gandalf removes his hat. "Its as I feared."
Gimli cries. Gandalf notices a skeleton next to the tomb holding a large book. He passes his hat and staff to Pippin and picks it up. Pages fall out of it. Gandalf blows off the dust.
Legolas to Aragorn and Elizabeth, "We must move on, we cannot linger."
Gandalf reading from the 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," Pippin is walking backwards looking around him. "Drums in the deep. We cannot get out." Everyone is looking around them nervously. "A shadow moves in the dark." Pippin glances behind him at a well on which a skeleton is sat holding chains. "We cannot get out. They are coming."
Elizabeth saw the hobbit look at the skeleton in curiosity and wanted to reach out. "Pippin don't!" But she was too late.
Pippin reaches out a hand to touch the arrow in the skeleton's hand. Its head falls off and into the well, bouncing off the walls. Gandalf turns around swiftly as the whole skeleton, and the chains it holds fall into the well. It bounces down, echoes are heard throughout the mines. Pippin grimaces. Everyone holds their breath, but nothing is heard.
Aragorn and Boromir breathe a sigh of relief. Elizabeth hit her forehead at the tense but relieved atmosphere.
Gandalf closes the book. "Fool of a Took!" He puts down the book and takes back his hat and staff. "Throw yourself in next time, and rid us of your stupidity!"
Pippin looks forlorn. As Gandalf turns away a drum is heard. The drums get louder and faster. Everyone looks around.
Sam looks at Frodo's sword, "Frodo!"
Frodo unsheathed his sword which was glowing blue. A screeching is heard.
"Orcs!"
Boromir runs as the arrows fly past his head, narrowly missing him, and stick into the door.
Aragorn to the hobbits, "Get back! And stay close to Gandalf." Gandalf puts his arms around them.
Boromir shuts the doors quickly. "They have a cave troll!" Aragorn and Elizabeth come to help him barricade it.
"Of course they do because why not!"
"Not the time Liz."
Legolas throws axes to them to barricade the door. Gandalf draws his sword. The hobbits copy. The doors are being battered. Gimli gets up on Balin's tomb, "Agh! Let them come! There's one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!"
Aragorn, Elizabeth and Legolas have their bows drawn. Boromir stands with his sword and shield at the ready. As the door is battered down, Legolas fires an arrow through a hole in it. An orc screeches. Aragorn and Elizabeth fire an arrow. The door is broken down and orcs run in. The fellowship fight off the orcs with arrows and swords. Sam suddenly pauses in the fight.
Aragorn looks over to the door as a cave troll, enters, a broken chain around his neck, bashing the walls with his fists. It roars.
"Well, aren't you ugly."
"Elizabeth!"
Legolas fires an arrow into its chest. As Elizabeth uses both of her swords to cut the orcs surrounding them and the troll. It sees Sam and raises its club above his head to strike Sam. Sam dives through its legs, confusing it. It turns and follows it.
Aragorn and Boromir pull on the chain around its neck. "Pull!" The troll stumbles backwards and swings around to face them. Boromir is still holding the chain, when the troll grabs hold of it and uses it to fling him against a wall.
An orc advances on the dazed Boromir. Aragorn throws a knife into its neck. Boromir looks at him. Aragorn nods.
The troll smashes its club into the tomb, causing Gimli to fall to the ground. Sam, Merry and Pippin hide behind a pillar. The troll continues to swipe with its club, sending orcs flying and Gimli to the ground. Legolas stands in front of it, two arrows loaded in his bow and fires, sending it stumbling. Gandalf fights the orcs with a sword and staff. Legolas from on a platform fights off some orcs. The troll heads for him, swinging his chain at him. Legolas ducks and weaves to avoid it. The chain wraps itself around a pillar. Legolas stands on the chain, then nimbly walks up it to the troll's head. He stands on its shoulders and fires an arrow into its head. The troll screams and reaches for Legolas who nimbly jumps down. The chain snaps, leaving just a collar.
Meanwhile Sam fights the orcs, hitting them on the head with his frying pan. "Think I'm getting the hang of this."
The troll finds Merry, Pippin and Frodo. They look at it in horror. Merry and Pippin run to one side as the troll smashes his club down.
Aragorn shouts to Frodo amidst the fight, "Frodo!"
Frodo hides behind a pillar. The troll's face appears around the pillar sniffing. Aragorn fights his way over to Frodo. The troll goes around to the other side of the pillar as Frodo sidles around it. As Frodo sidles around, once the troll is gone, he breathes a sigh of relief. Suddenly the troll's face appears in front of him and roars. Frodo stumbles back into a corner. The troll reaches out and grabs him by the foot, dragging him along. He shouts for Aragorn. "Aragorn!" Frodo grabs hold of a pillar as he is dragged, "Aragorn!"
"Frodo!" Aragorn rushes over to him. But his partner was faster as she found a stake.
The troll pulls Frodo off the ledge and he drops to the floor. Elizabeth jumps down in front of the troll as it lifts its club to strike. She drives a stake into its chest. The troll screams. Pippin and Merry throw rocks at its head. The troll takes a swipe at Aragorn, who catches up to Elizabeth, flinging him across the room where he falls, knocked out.
"Aragorn!" Elizabeth screamed but the troll also fling her to a higher deck.
Frodo hurries over to him. The troll behind him, pulls the stake from his chest and plunges it at Frodo. Frodo moves quickly and the stake goes into the wall instead. He dodges the troll as it lunges for him again. He tries to run away, but the troll blocks his path. Frodo falls back against a wall. The troll plunges its stake into Frodo's chest. Frodo gasps. Gandalf turns around. Merry and Pippin look on in horror as Frodo gasps for breath. The troll snorts. Merry and Pippin look at each other and run towards the troll, swords at the ready. They jump onto its back and attack it. Gandalf looks on. Sam suddenly notices, "Frodo!"
Frodo gasps again.
"Frodo!" Sam fights his way over to Frodo, as do Gandalf and Boromir. Frodo collapses on the ground. Merry and Pippin continue to stab the troll, still on its back. It reaches up and grabs Merry, dangling him by his legs and throws him to the ground as Gimli faces the troll, attacking it with his axe. The troll swipes him to the ground. Gandalf attacks it. Legolas stands in front of the troll and draws an arrow and fires it directly into its mouth. The troll groans and stumbles. They watch it, as it stumbles and falls to the ground, flinging Merry, who is still on its back, to the floor. Gandalf hurries over to Frodo.
Aragorn crawls over to Frodo as Sam watches on. "Oh no!" Aragorn turns Frodo over. He gasps and groans.
Sam can't believe he's alive and rushes over. Frodo holds his chest. Sam breathing a sigh of relief, "He's alive!" Gandalf breathes in relief.
Frodo sits up and looks around, "I'm alright. I'm not hurt."
"You should be dead. That spear would have skewered a wild boar." Elizabeth popped next to Aragorn as she looked at the spear. She has a shallow cut on her left eyebrow bleeding a little.
"I think there's more to this hobbit than meets the eye." Gandalf spots silver through the hobbit's shirt. Frodo parts his shirt to reveal the Mithril vest. Sam touches it.
Gimli looked on in awe, "Mithril! You are full of surprises Master Baggins!"
Gandalf looks around as he hears screeches behind them and shadows approaching, "To the Bridge of Khazad-dûm!"
The Fellowship run out of the tomb area, orcs swarm behind them. They glance around themselves to see thousands of orcs chasing them, climbing out of cracks in the floor, out of the roof and down the great columns. Eventually they are forced to stop, completely surrounded by orcs. They hold their weapons out before them.
Then a great roar is heard from an archway, which glows red. The orcs look around worried. The roar is heard again, the orcs screech in terror and scatter. Gimli grins. A low roar is heard again and the glowing red draws nearer.
"What is this new devilment?" Boromir asked.
"Nothing good I suppose." Elizabeth rolled her eyes and wiped her forehead thinking it was getting too hot in the cave, and forgetting the cut on her eyebrow.
Gandalf closes his eyes and thinks hard, as if he is dreading telling what is there. As he opens his eyes, the red glow covers the entrance path of columns in front of them. "A balrog, a demon of the ancient world. Its foe is beyond any of you, RUN!"
They run as fast as they can, leaving the cavern of columns. Boromir races head down some steps, but suddenly finds the steps end above a great chasm. He teeters on the edge trying not to fall, Legolas runs up behind him and pulls him back away from the edge. Gandalf stumbles in last.
Aragorn looked at Gandalf concerned, "Gandalf!"
"Lead them on Aragorn. The Bridge is near!"
The narrow bridge gaps the two sides of the great chasm. A roar is heard behind them as the red fiery glow draws closer.
Gandalf pushes Aragorn away towards Elizabeth, "Do as I say!" Aragorn and Elizabeth look at him confused. Gandalf walks past them. "Swords are of no more use here."
They turn to the right and run down the steps in front of them, which wind their way to the Bridge. Suddenly they reach a break, a gap in the staircase, which is too wide to step over. Legolas nimbly jumps the gap and looks expectantly at the others. Gandalf looks puzzled. They hear a roar again behind them as the roof above starts to crumble.
Legolas beckons the older man to jump. "Gandalf!"
Gandalf jumps over the gap to join Legolas. Arrows fire out of the air, narrowly missing Boromir and the hobbits. Legolas turns, aims one arrow and shoots the orc, firing directly in the head.
"Merry! Pippin!" Boromir takes each hobbit under each arm and jumps with them. As he does so, a greater chunk of the steps they were standing on, falls away.
Legolas and Elizabeth continue to aim at the orcs firing at them, killing them.
"Sam!" Aragorn picks him up and throws him across the gap to Boromir, then looks at Gimli and Elizabeth.
"A little busy at the moment!"
Gimli holding up his hand, "Nobody tosses a dwarf!" He takes a mighty leap and lands teetering on the other side. Legolas reaches out to stop him falling, grabbing his beard. "Mind the beard!" Aragorn and Elizabeth fire an arrow at the orcs, as Legolas pulls Gimli to safety. Suddenly more of the steps they have just left fall away. Elizabeth trips and starts to fall. Aragorn sees this and quickly throws Frodo to safety further up the steps and clings onto the stairs as a great portion of them fall into the chasm as Aragorn pulls Elizabeth up.
The gap now is too wide to jump. The rest of the Fellowship look worried. Frodo wobbles on his feet.
Aragorn and Elizabeth standing up and holding Frodo's back, "Steady! Hold on!"
The doorway entrance behind them glows red. A great roar comes from just behind it. The doorway and roof above crumble, and a great chunk of rock falls from the roof, into the staircase behind Aragorn and Frodo, creating another great gap. They are now isolated on the staircase. The column on which this part of the staircase is, begins to crack and the staircase sways.
Elizabeth holding Frodo's clothing from behind, "Hang on!"
The staircase on which they are standing continues to sway from side to side. Everyone looks frightened.
"Lean forward!"
The staircase sways then falls forward towards the rest of the Fellowship.
Legolas holds out his arms, "Come on!"
Aragorn, Elizabeth and Frodo jump. Legolas grabs hold of Aragorn, Boromir of Frodo, Gandalf of Elizabeth. As they run down the remaining staircase, the part of the staircase they were standing on collapses completely, falling into the chasm.
They run onto another room. The whole place is now in flames.
"Over the Bridge!" The flames grow higher. Gandalf waits for the others to pass. "Fly!"
They run past Gandalf, who turns towards the growing flames. From out of the midst of the flames a great black, winged creature with a horned head appears. He roars at Gandalf, breathing fire from his mouth. It walks after them with great strides, as one by one, the Fellowship cross the narrow bridge, Gandalf taking up the rear. Halfway across the bridge, he stops and turns to face the Balrog.
"You cannot pass!"
Frodo looked at Gandalf in horror. "Gandalf!"
The balrog stretches its wings and draws itself up to full height in front of Gandalf.
"I am the Servant of the Secret Fire. Wielder of the Flame of Anor."
The balrog reaches down and draws its sword in front of Gandalf, and holds it high above its head.
"The dark fire will not avail you." He holds out his staff in front of him, glowing white. "Flame of Udûn!"
The balrog brings its sword down upon Gandalf who protects himself with his staff, bringing a crash and flash of great light. It drops its sword and roars at Gandalf.
"Go back to the shadow!"
The balrog puts out a cloven foot onto the bridge. He wields a great fiery whip above its head.
"You shall not pass!" He raises his sword and staff above his head and brings his staff down hard upon the Bridge.
The balrog snorts at him, raises his whip and takes another step forward. As he does so, the Bridge collapses and the balrog falls into the chasm. Gandalf grunts and turns to walk away. As he does so, the tail end of the balrog's whip snakes up and around his ankle, dragging him down. He clings onto the edge of the bridge.
Frodo dashes towards him, but Boromir holds him back. "No!"
"Gandalf!" Frodo screams in desperation.
Gandalf tries to hold on by his fingertips. Looking at them for the last time. "Fly you fools!" He falls into the chasm.
"NOOoooooooooooooo!" Frodo struggles against Boromir who is holding him. Aragorn is looking on in disbelief.
Elizabeth was too but knew they had to get out. She turned to Boromir, "Go! I got him!"
"Aragorn!" Boromir takes Frodo and runs.
Aragorn pauses. Elizabeth grabs him then turns and runs dodging the arrows firing after them.
They run outside, leaving Moria. The Fellowship all collapse heartbroken, the hobbits are crying, Legolas looks forlorn, Boromir hugs an angry Gimli. Elizabeth stares at the horizon.
Aragorn wipes his sword. "Legolas! Get them up!"
"Give them a moment! For pity's sake!"
Elizabeth shakes her head and turns to the Gondor man, "By nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs!"
"We must reach the woods of Lothlórien. Come, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, get them up!" Aragorn reaches a tearful Sam and lifts him, "On your feet Sam," he pats him on the shoulder. "Frodo?" He sees Frodo walking away in the distance. "Frodo!"
Frodo stops walking and turns to face Aragorn, tears rolling down his face. Elizabeth sees the look and runs up to the hobbit, Frodo looks at her wanting her to tell him this was a dream and that he's back in the Shire and Gandalf is alive.
"Oh child..." Elizabeth pulls him into a hug and before whispering in his ear, "Come along. This is not the place to grieve."
Aragorn now leads the remaining Fellowship away from the rocky hills. He runs ahead across a stream and stops, Elizabeth quickly catches up to and sees why he stops but looking down at woodland below, they turn to one another and smile.