Raised by Hobbits

Chapter Thirty Four~You Shall Not Pass

Gandalf turns angrily on Pippin. "Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" he says angrily.They fall silent. A low rolling boom rises from the depthsbelow...growing louder...BOOM...BOOM...as if the caverns of Moria were turned into a vast drum. A great horn blasts nearby...Answering horns ... running feet...harsh cries...Sam's eyes glance at Frodo's belt...Frodo looks down. A cold blue glow is emanating from Sting's Scabbard! Frodo draws the Sword...and stares at its glowing blade!

"Orcs!" shouts Legolas. Aragorn and Boromir slam and wedge the doors. Boromir catches sight of something; he turns to Aragorn with shock in his eyes. "They have a cave troll!" he shouts, Gimli snatches up two rusty dwarf axes and leaps onto the tomb. "Let them come! There is one Dwarf yet in          Moria who still draws breath!" he shouts, Ash puts the letter away and draws her sword "Frodo stay with Gandalf!" she shouts.

BOOM!

The Door bursts open in a shower of wood fragments,and 20 Goblins charge into the tomb, followed by a huge cavetroll! Gimli ducks a blow and immediately buries his Axes in 2 Goblin helmets. Aragorn and Boromir wade into the mass of Goblins with their swords. Legolas fires deadly arrows into Goblin throats. Ash cuts down a couple, desperately trying to Shield the Hobbits! Gandalf is clutching his sword and joins in the battle!

The cave troll is sweeping his club at Aragorn...who stumbles backwards...the huge club descends for the killing blow...suddenly, in a flash of steel, Boromir's long sword slices into the Scaly arm of the troll; it rears back,spewing green blood! Sam is backing up against a wall...a sword in one hand, a sauce pan in the other. In desperation he swings wildly at a Goblin with a saucepan! It keels over...Sam looks surprised. He wallops another Goblin and it too, drops.

The Cave Troll lunges forward, thrusting at Frodo's chest with his spear. "Ash!  Aragorn!" he shouts. Frodo is lifted off his feet by the spear tip and slammed against the wall. "Frodo!!!!" shouts Ash. The hobbits go crazy. Ash slashes at the cave troll's knee, bringing him down...Merry and Pippin jump on him...Legolas fires an arrow...and the cave troll topples, dead. Ash rushes to Frodo's side as he slumps to the floor...Frodo appears to be dead.

"Frodo can you hear me I can't lose you...Frodo!" tries Ash. Gandalf, Aragorn, Hobbits looking horrified... Suddenly Frodo coughs...takes a huge breath. "I'm alright. I'm not hurt." he says Ash hugs him "Thank god." she says "You should be dead. That spear would've skewered a wild boar!" says Aragorn "I think there's more to this hobbit than          meets the eye." says Gandalf. Frodo open his shirt to reveal the Mithril Vest. The Troll Spear did not pierce the mithril. Ash smiles "Thank you Bilbo." she says.

"Mithril! You are full of surprises, Master Baggins." says Gimli. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM the sound of the drums rings out again! Gandalf turns to the others. "To the bridge of Khazad-dum!" he shouts.
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Gandalf leads the fellowship into the huge Dwarrowdelf Chamber. They hurry towards a distant door...as Goblins start scuttling down the Pillars behind them, like cockroaches! Frodo looks with horror at the overwhelming Goblin army that's rushing toward them! Just then Ash feels something in her stomach "Gandalf I think it's happening again!!!!" she shouts "Aim it at them!!!" he shouts. Ash stops everyone looks back at her with all her might she breaths out fire roasting a bunch of goblins.

SUDDENLY! A deafening roar fills the air! A fiery light dances down the hallway... the pillars casting eerie shadows. The Goblins freeze. They back fearfully away from the approaching beast...melting into the darkness. "I think I made it worse." says Ash.

A HUGE SHADOW, surrounded by flame, falls across thehall..the ground shakes...an unearthly sound rumbles... "A Balrog..a demon of the ancient world! This foe is beyond any of you! Run! Quickly!" shouts Gandalf.

The Balrof, a massive creature rises from a chasm, a great 40 foot man-beast, with a mane of flames! In one hand is a blade...like a stabbing tongue of fire; in the other, a whip of many thongs. Aragorn leads the fellowship to the top of adizzying stairway...Gandalf follows, leaning heavily on his staff. Aragorn looks at Gandalf, concerned. "Lead them on, Aragorn.   The bridge is near." he says.

Aragorn hesitates...Gandalf looks at him. "Do as I say; swords are no more use here." he finishes. The Fellowship race down the stairway, Aragorn picks up Frodo..leaping across a gaping chasm. A narrow bridge, spanning a bottomless pit...Gandalf yells to the others: Aragorn makes to throw Gimli across the Chasm. The Balrog smashes through the wall and spreads its vast wings. It swoops down past the Fellowship, disappearing into a flaming pit!

The Fellowship run into a hall...the floor is split with fissures that spit flame. "Over the bridge! Fly!" shouts Gandalf. They race towards the slender bridge of stone...without kerbor rail...at the far end of the hall. The Fellowship recklessly hurry over the dizzying bridge..but Gandalf... the last..pauses in the middle of the span...he faces the Balrog...staff in one hand...Sword in the other! Ash looks back in horror: "You cannot pass!" shouts Gandlaf "Gandalf!" Ash screams "I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun." says Gandalf.

Ash watches as the Balrog puts one foot on the bridge and draws up to Full Height, wings spreading from wall-to-wall. Gandalf is a tiny figure, balanced precariously on the narrow bridge. "Go back to the shadow!" he shouts. The Balrog slashes at Gandalf with its Sword of flame...Gandalf blocks with his sword...a ringing clash and the Balrog's sword shatters into molten fragments!

"You shall not pass!!!"

The Balrog places one foot onto the bridge. Aragorn and Boromir race forward, swords drawn. Gandalf cries aloud as he summons up his last reserves of strength! He thumps the bridge with his staff...a blinding sheet ofwhite flame springs up... the staff shatters...the bridgebreaks... right at Balrog's feet. The stone bridge drops awayinto the gulf...from under the Balrog. For a moment, the great Beast remains poised in the air...then it plunges down: in slow motion Relief floods Ash's face..Gandalf remains trembling on the lip of the broken bridge.

As the Balrog falls, he lashes out with his whip of fire... The thongs of the whip lash and curl around Gandalf's knees, dragging him over the brink! Gandalf just manages to hand on by his fingertips "Gandalf!" shouts Ash she starts running his way.

"Fly, you fools!" Gandalf lets go his grip and falls away...following the Balrog into the bottomless Abyss! Ash cries out! Legolas runs up and drag her away. They rush towards an archway.

The Fellowship tumble out of the Great Eastern Gate on to agrassy sunlit hillside. Sam, Merry, and Pippin fall slowly to the ground, Sobbing...Aragorn turns to Legolas and Gimli. "Legolas, get them up!" says Aragorn "Give them a moment...for pity's sake!" says Boromir "By nightfall these hills will be swarming          with Orcs! We must reach the woods of          Lothlorien. Come, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, get them up. On your feet, Sam." says Aragorn.

Frodo glances towards Ash, then back at Aragorn. "Ash?" he ask.

She turns around with a tear stained face and looked as if she had no soul, dead almost. "Let's get going before nightfall." she says, but not before sending a glare a Legolas. Frodo takes her hand and squeezes it.

The Fellowship marches on.