Chapter 12: The Bridge of Khazad-dum(everything in italics are taken either from book or movie)
The Company set out after Tintil was wrapped in her cloak. Boromir had volunteered to carry her. The darkness wrapped around the mourning Fellowship closer than it had before.
They came upon three passage ways, there they sat for hours on end in the darkness, for Gandalf did not remember the way.
Frodo and Gandalf were sitting on a rock near the three passage ways. Morril was closely watched by Boromir and Aragorn. Kal was sitting with the hobbits and Legolas was off by himself watching everyone. Morril looked out into the darkness waiting.
**‘Are we lost?’ Pipin asked.
‘No.’ Merry replied elbowing the youngest hobbit.
‘I think we are.’ Pipin replied
‘Shhh, Gandalf’s thinking.’ Merry scolded.
‘Merry.’ Pipin asked timidly.
‘What?’ Merry asked annoyed
“I'm hungry.’**
Morril turned towards the hobbits after hearing this. Morril scowled at this and turned her head towards the darkness. Looking out she saw two lights in the darkness.
‘Eyes.’ Morril thought. ‘The Friend.’
Morril looked at Aragorn, who was looking at her. Morril than looked back out into the darkness, the eyes were gone.
‘So much for a friend.’ Morril muttered.
‘What was that?’ Boromir asked.
‘Oh! It’s this way!’ Gandalf said a lightness in his voice.
Gandalf lead the way, followed by the hobbits. Kal followed the hobbits. Boromir, Morril than Aragorn were behind Kal. Legolas brought up the rear.
The Group entered the Great Dwarf Hall. As they walked through, Gimli ran off. Oin followed the distraught dwarf, followed closely by the rest of the Company. Gandalf walked around a stone box with carvings on the top.
‘Here lies Balin, son of Fundin. Lord of Moria.’
‘It is as I feared.’ Frodo whispered.
‘You have much to fear, young one.’ Morril said. ‘You have not seen fear, pain, or death yet.’
Gandalf read from a book that laid near the tomb. He read of the downfall of Balin.
‘We can not get out.’ Gandalf’s last words were said, just as a loud crash came from the corner of the room. Merry and Pipin both backed away from the well that they, obliviously, were leaning over.
‘Through yourselves in next time!’ Gandalf cried. ‘Rid of us of your stupidity.’
Pipin looked over at Merry and Merry back to Pipin. They both looked up at Kal.
‘Mithrandir….’ Kal started.
‘Not now, Thalionkal…not now.’ Gandalf replied. Drumming started faintly off in the deeps of Moria. It echoed off the stone and were captured in the ears of the elves.
‘Drums…’ Legolas murmured. Everyone looked at Legolas in disbelief. But Legolas was right, there was drums. There soon came shouts and yells from all corners of Moria.
‘Barr the doors!’ Kal cried.
‘Leave the east door open. It is our only escape.’ Gandalf said drawing, Glamdring, as he spoke. The hobbits did the same. Aragorn and Boromir had their sword drawn. Legolas was in front with his bow drawn back waiting for the doors to fall. Kal ran next to Legolas with her bow ready.
‘Get back and protect Morril!’ Legolas cried.
‘No’ Kal said.
‘Thalionkal, please.’ Legolas whispered as pounding started on the old door.
‘Legolas, no.’ Kal said looking at him. ‘I can fight.’
‘Be careful.’ Legolas said in elvish.
‘And you.’ Kal answered as the orcs and goblins started chopping down the door. Legolas let the first arrow off, Kal’s was right behind his.
Morril watched Legolas and Kal fire arrows at the orcs. Morril had seen the elves talking.
‘They only think of themselves! Just because they happen to think that they are more than friends! I’ll teach them.’ Morril thought grimly of Legolas and Kal.
Orcs came pouring in through the door, Legolas and Kal kept firing arrows. Boromir and Aragorn came from behind them and started fighting. Gandalf waited till the Orcs broke pass Aragorn and Boromir before attacking. The Hobbit shortly followed. Gimli and Oin were up on Balins tomb, swinging their axes at what ever orc came near. Soon most of the orcs were defeated and dead in the small tomb chamber, the doors burst open and a large stinking cave troll made himself known. Legolas and Kal shot the last of their arrows at the monster before troll advanced upon them. The troll used the chain around it’s neck as a weapon. Swing twice at the elves, trice before the chain hit Kal and set her flying across the room. Legolas and Oin saw this. The chain swong once more at Legolas and wrapped around a pillar. Legolas jumped up on the chain and moved cat-like to it’s shoulders. Oin ran to the troll and waited for Legolas to make the first move. Legolas shot his last arrow at the head of the troll, only to have it break and bounce off it’s thick skull. Oin took this moment and swong his ax into the troll’s legs. Legolas jumped off before the trolll knocked him off. The battle between the orcs and troll last only a few more mintutes. The troll speared Frodo. Everyone became enraged. Merry and Pipin jumped upon the back of the troll grabbing the long back hair and started stabbing. Legolas grabbing an arrow from a dead body, shot the arrow into the troll’s neck. The troll fell. The Company ran to the aid of Frodo.
‘We have no time. Bring the dead, we must move now or we will never escape.’ Gandalf said putting a hand on Sam’s shoulders, that were slightly shaking. Aragorn picked up Frodo, Boromir picked up Tintil. Legolas ran to see about Kal. Shaking her gently, she awoke.
‘Come, Kal. We must leave.’ Legolas said helping her up and moving her forward.
The company ran and ran, only to be surrounded by the orcs.
‘We are doomed.’ Boromir said quietly.
There came a redish glow, and the dwarves halls seemed to heat up around the Company. Soon the orcs ran in fear and disappeared. Only the redish glow remained.
‘What is this devilery?’ Gandalf asked to Legolas, who had his arm around Kal. Leaning forward, as if to see better, Legolas gasped.
**‘Ai! Ai! A Balrog!**’ Legolas screamed in fear. Gandalf nodded and yelled for the Fellowship to run. Running, they came to the Bridge of Khazad-Dum. Gandalf grabbed Aragorn before he crossed the bridge.
‘Led them on Aragorn.’ Gandalf said pushing him forward. Gandalf runs over the bridge last and stopped in the middle. The Fellowship stopped and watched as Gandalf held off the Balrog.
‘You shall not pass!’ Gandalf yelled and broke his staff as he lowered it to the bridge. The bridge broke when the balrog stepped upon it. The Company let go the breath that they were all holding. Gandalf turned around and slightly smiled. The balrog’s whip, which it held, came up and grabbed Gandalf’s ankle.
‘NO!’ Frodo yelled as he tried to run forward. Aragorn caught him before he could get back on the bridge.
‘**Fly you fools!**’ Gandalf cried and let go.
Aragorn picked up Frodo and carried him out of the Mines. Gimli and Oin had grabbed the other hobbits, Boromir yelled at Legolas and Kal to run, which they did. Soon the company was out of the mines and in the Dimril Dale. They stopped and looked at each other for explination on what just happened. No one could answer. Morril smiled as she watched her friend’s cry over the lose of their leader.
‘They will all come under my power!’ Morril smiled as she looked up at the Mines than back over to the golden glow of Lothlorien. Something pulled in her heart.
‘Come back to us, Morril. Come back. You remember what Silme was like? Mirkwood….Rivendale….come to me, young one. Come back to your friends.’ A sweet voice like a summer breeze drifted through Morril’s head. Morril looked at Frodo. He seemed to hear what she did and smiled at her. Morril smiled back.
