The Elven Gates [CONTINUING!!]

Chapter Fifteen

A/N

Thanks soooooo much to @dreamscape07 for, uhm, motivating me to update. XD

I could hear the soft padding of the Fellowship's shoes as we shuffled down the great hall. Aragorn was eager to move quickly, after overhearing the conversation I had with Ithilsarnie. "She has let us pass through, but she didn't say she would do so safely," he had said. Why was he so pessimistic!

Her last words were still ringing in my ears.

'Beware the sleepless malice, there are ancient enemies that dwell where your path leads.

They do not belong in Arda.'

What did she mean 'they do not belong in Arda'? There is evil in this world but it has a purpose. To cleanse the lands of darkness would be to forget the light. How can you know what is good when there is no evil to contrast it? I must have been thinking deeply, because Legolas's hand shot out and yanked me away from a wall by the shoulder.

"AHH!" I shrieked in surprise.

"Amin hiraetha [I'm sorry], you were about to run into the wall."

"Ta naa tereva [It is fine]," I said quietly and kept walking, with the rest of our company.

"Gandalf?" Pippin asked, "How long will it be until we are out of these mines?" The wizard opened his mouth to respond, but he didn't get a chance to answer.

"Gandalf." A mutter was heard from a shadowed corner. "You! You betrayed me! Get out! OUT!" We ran further into the mines, ignoring Ithilsarnie's demands but running from them. Gandalf stopped and turned around to face her, leaving us all to keep running.

"Gandalf, no!" Frodo started running towards the wizard, but Boromir held him back. The hobbits were having trouble keeping up with the rest of the long-legged Fellowship, so I picked Merry and Pippin up and flipped them over my shoulders. Legolas grabbed Frodo and Sam and followed suit.

"Did.. you.. know.. about this?" Aragorn huffed between breaths.

"No, Ithilsarnie only said that a wizard had done something to her before," I lied. She had said that Gandalf had stolen me away, and why hadn't I thought she would figure out Gandalf was, well, Gandalf?

"I overheard," Legolas said quietly to me, my heart dropped. Would he say something? "She said that a wizard had done something to her in the past, maybe she just despises of all wizards now." I had to hold back a sigh of relief, he gave me a look that said 'you owe me one'.

Suddenly, a booming voice was heard from behind us. We had made it to the great Dwarven Halls, the only thing between us and the Bridge of Khazad Dûm was 'The Great Stairs', or so Gimli called them. The voice echoed off the carved stone walls and pillars, and the noise surrounded us.

"Rise, my demon of the night,

Envelope this world in your flame and shadow."

Suddenly, a huge roar erupted from a dark corner of the room. A large creature seemed illuminated as it slowly stepped closer to us. Bioluminescence? Uh, no.

It was a Balrog, of Morgoth.

And it was on fire.

Flames shot from its back as it roared and bounded towards the remaining Fellowship. Legolas put his hand to his quiver to retrieve an arrow, but I stopped him and motioned for everyone to run.

"This foe is beyond any of you! Run!"

Aragorn shot me an annoyed glance, but I was proud of myself for quoting Gandalf. Was I even quoting him if he never said it? Was he quoting me?