Return to our Destiny.

1. Real Elvish Rope

Beneath the Misty Mountains, Gandalf's voice is heard in the background. "You cannot pass!" Gandalf roared. "Gandalf!" Frodo screamed as he tried to help as much as he could for Thilia. But the wizard never looked back, he couldn't as he shouted up at the beast. "I am the servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor...The dark fire will not avail you! Flame of Udûn!"

The Balrog strikes down on Gandalf, who parries the blow with his blade, shattering the Balrog's sword. Glowing embers run off the circle of light around the wizard. The monster bellows at the wizard. Frodo gasps. Aragorn runs forward. Gandalf clenched his teeth as he growled at the beast, "Go back to the Shadow!" The Balrog steps onto the bridge. It brandishes a flaming whip. Gandalf raises his sword and staff together into the air. 

"You — shall not — pass!" Gandalf drives his staff into the bridge, causing a bright flash of blue light to appear. There is a rumble and the rocks pinning Thilia shift making it easier to help her, but she is no longer able to fly for the time being. Flaring its nostrils, the Balrog steps forward onto the bridge. The bridge collapses from under it as it moves towards Gandalf, and breaks before the wizard's staff. 

The demon plunges backward into the chasm, still wielding its glowing whip. Gandalf, exhausted, leans on his staff and watches the Balrog fall. He turns to follow the others. Thilia is now being supported by Legolas as Boromir, Gimli and Aragorn with the Hobbits wait for Gandalf. The flaming whip lashes up from the depths of the abyss and winds about Gandalf's ankle, dragging him over the edge. 

He clings onto the bridge but strains to keep his grip. Frodo rushes forward but Boromir restrains him. "No, no!" Boromir shouts as he quickly grabs for Frodo. "Gandalf!" the young Baggins cries. The wizard grasps the bridge, looking into Frodo's eyes. He stops struggling. "Fly, you fools!" he gasps out, Gandalf lets go of the stone and falls into the chasm, spreading his arms, the light of the Balrog glimmering far below. 

"No!" Frodo screams from Boromir's grip still trying to get to Gandalf. Gandalf falls after the Balrog and grabs Glamdring, his sword, on his way down. Gandalf hacks at the Balrog, as they continue falling. They fall into a spacious cavern and into water. Frodo awakes with a start. "Gandalf!" he cries. Sam in quick to get to his side. "What is it Mister Frodo?" he asks worriedly, "Nothing. Just a dream." Frodo says reassuringly. 

***

Frodo, followed by Sam, repel down a cliff. "Can you see the bottom?" Sam asks looking down to Frodo. "No! Don't look down, Sam! Just keep going!" he says, Sam loses his footing and it shakes something loose from his bag, "Oh! Catch it! Grab it, Mister Frodo!" Sam calls from his spot. Frodo grabs the box, but slips and falls. He cries out but is quick to realize that he's fine when his feet hit the bottom.

"I think I've found the bottom." Sam reaches the bottom. "Bogs and rope, and goodness knows what. It's not natural. None of it." Frodo looks at what he caught falling out of Sam's bag, "What's in this?" he asks as Sam comes over to him. "Nothing. Just a bit of seasonin'. I thought maybe if we was having a roast chicken one night or somethin'." Sam explains, Frodo looks at him with wide eyes and a smile, 

"Roast chicken?" he exclaimed. Sam shrugged, "You never know." Frodo turned back to the little box. "Sam! My dear Sam." opening it he saw it was mix of what Sam said seasonings. "It's very special, that. It's the best salt in all the Shire." Sam explained, and Frodo nodded. "It is special. It's a little bit of home." giving it back to Sam, Frodo examines the hanging rope. "We can't leave this for someone to follow us down." he 

Sam: "Who's gonna follow us down here, Mister Frodo? It's a shame really. Lady Galadriel gave me that. Real Elvish Rope. Well, there's nothing for it. It's one of my knots. Won't come free in a hurry." Sam tugs on the rope. The knot loosens and the rope falls around the Hobbits. Frodo smirks, "Real Elvish rope?" Frodo and Sam are walking on rocky terrain. They stop to look into the distance.

"Mordor. The one place in Middle-Earth we don't wanna see any closer. It's the one place we are trying to get to. It's just where we can't get." Sam says with a small frown. "Let's face it Mister Frodo. We're lost. I don't think Gandalf meant for us to come this way." Sam adds. "He didn't mean for a lot of things to happen Sam. But they did." he says to Sam looking at his friend from over his shoulder.

Frodo sees the Eye of Sauron. Frodo sits down heavily, panting. "Mister Frodo? It's the Ring, isn't it?" Sam says with a heavy heart, worried about Frodo. "It's getting heavier." he says as he clutches the Ring, then takes a sip from his canteen. "What food have we got left?" he asks as he feels his stomach rumble for food, "Well, let me see." Sam says with a smile, Sam takes out a package from his backpack.

"Oh yes, lovely. Lembas bread. And look! More Lembas bread." Sam breaks off a piece and tosses it to Frodo. They both eat. "I don't usually hold to foreign food, but this elvish stuff, it's not bad." Sam says with a content smirk, trying to raise Frodo's spirit, "Heh, nothing ever dampens you spirits, does it Sam?" Sam shrugs as he notices the sky, "Those rain clouds might." and like clockwork, the rain comes, and it's hard.

***

The hobbits huddle in the night rain. Once the weather stopped they continued walking through the rocky terrain. "This looks strangely familiar." Sam says and Frodo nods, "Because we've been here before. We're going in circles." he says almost defeatedly, "Uh! What's that horrid stink? I wonder if there's a nasty bog nearby. Can you smell it?" Sam says as he's looking around for the direction of the smell. 

"Yes, I can smell it." Frodo says as he knows exactly what the smell is coming from. Thilia's words of warning coming to mind and what he needs to do to. Frodo turns to look at Sam, giving him a meaningful look. "We're not alone." he says and Sam is quick to look around worriedly.