✓ Wizard's Apprentice | Legolas |

Book One: Chapter Three

   I began pacing while Gandalf sat in front of three tunnel entrances. My pacing was starting to annoy Boromir, that was certain.

"Would you just sit down already? Your really becoming a bother." I glared at him and sat down beside of Legolas. I began to hear something. It sounded like my name. I walked towards the voice.

"Arietta, where are you going?" Legolas called after me but I ignored him as I descended lower into the mines.

"Arietta, my little song," the voice called out. I saw a figure in the distance. It was a male to tall to be a normal sized dwarf like Gimli and to short to be an elf.

"Who are you?" The man smiled at me.

"I'm your father." I stared in disbelief at the man in front of me. I walked closer and reached out to touch him. He felt real but I knew that he was not.

"Arietta?" Legolas called out from behind me. I looked at him and turned back to my father who was no longer there.

"Who were you talking to?"

"No one. I wasn't talking to anyone." From the look on his face, I could tell he didn't believe me. He didn't get a chance to question me further because Gandalf suddenly called out,

"Ah, it's this way!" Legolas and I scrambled up to the fellowship and followed Gandalf into a tunnel. We came to a huge room that I remembered from when I came here with my mother. Dwarves welcomed us as wife and daughter of Thorin. I remember singing songs with the children and eating much food.

"Behold! The great realm and Dwarf-city of Dwarrowdelf," Gandalf said, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Well, there's an eye opener and no mistake!" Sam exclaimed. I looked ahead of me at an open door. In front of the door are two dead goblins. Gimli rushed into the room. We ran after him into the little room. Gimli was leaning in front of a stone table. It read,

"Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord Of Moria." Gimli began chanting softly.

"Limin malur ni zaram Kalil ra narag. Kheled-zaram...Balin tazlifi." I couldn't understand any of what Gimli had said but it sounded sad. I sat down beside of Gimli. I placed my hand slowly on his shoulder and whispered,

"He didn't die in vain. I know he fought bravely." Gimli turned to face me with tears in his eyes.

"Thank you, Arietta." I smiled at him and stood beside Legolas. Gandalf picked up a book from a rotting corpse. He began reading a page.

"They have taken the bridge and the second hall: we have barred the gates but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes...drums drums in the deep. We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. Will no-one save us? They are coming." We were all silent until we heard a clanking sound. Pippin had knocked a skeleton down the well, causing a loud echo.

"Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" Gandalf said angrily at Pippin. We fell silent as a loud drumming started, increasing in volume each time. I glanced at Frodo who had pulled out his sword which was glowing blue.

"Orcs!" Legolas called out although I think everyone had already figured that out. Boromir close the doors and him and Aragorn barred it with axes. Gimli stood on top of the tomb and yelled,

"Let them come! There is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!" The door busted open in a shower of wood fragments, and twenty goblins charged into the tomb, followed by a huge cave troll. I realised that I may actually die as I readied my bow.

Legolas and I fired one shot after another, killing as many goblins as we could. Soon I became cornered by goblins and my bow wasn't any use. I probably should have brought a sword on this trip but I didn't think about it. The only thing I could rely on now was magic. I pointed my finger at a goblin and fire shot forth. The goblin squealed before becoming ash. The goblins took a step back from me as if afraid.

"Weren't counting on that, were you!" I screamed at them as I continued to set them on fire. I had finished off the last one when I saw Aragorn by Frodo's side, who was lying face down. I held in a scream as I stared at the motionless Frodo. I heard a cough and then a deep breath.

"He's alive."

"I'm alright. I'm not hurt," Frodo said.

"You should be dead. That spear would have skewered a wild boar."

"I think there's more to this hobbit than meets the eye," Gandalf said and Frodo opened his shirt to reveal a mithril vest, the one my father gave to Bilbo.

"Mithril! You are full of surprises, Master Baggins," Gimli said to Frodo. The drumming started again and we ran towards the bridge of Khazad-Dum. We came to a large chamber and became surrounded by goblins. Suddenly, a roar filled the air and the goblins retreated.

"What is this new devilry?" Boromir asked.

"A Balrog, a demon of the ancient world! This foe is beyond any of you! Run! Quickly!" Gandalf yelled and we ran to the stairway of Khazad Dum. I hopped across a gap in the stairway and the group followed suit. We ran recklessly across the narrow bridge, all making it safely except for Gandalf, who paused in the middle. He turned to the Balrog.

"You cannot pass!" I stared in horror.

"I am a servant of the secret fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun." Gandalf slammed his staff into the bridge as the Balrog's sword came down. A white shield from the staff blocked out the blow.

"You shall not pass!" In Gandalf's last attempt to live, his staff let out a white flame, causing the Balrog to plummet into the shadows. Relief spread over me until the Balrog's whip caught Gandalf's leg and began to drag him down. I screamed and ran towards Gandalf. Legolas caught me and held me back.

"Let go of me! I can save him!" I yelled, still struggling to get to Gandalf.

"Fly, you fools," Gandalf said before falling into darkness. Legolas dragged me outside. I sank into the ground, tears streaming down my face. Legolas leaned down beside me and held me in his arms.

"Legolas, get them up," Aragorn said urgently. Boromir ran towards Aragorn.

"Give them a moment for pity's sake!"

"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." Legolas helped me up.

"Frodo? Frodo!" Aragorn shouted at Frodo who was walking away. He slowly turned towards us with a numb look on his face. We started marching towards Lothlorien.

***So things will get intresting in the next chapter but I just had to get them out of Moria. Anyways, the song in the side is from the movie "Arrietty." I like it and yes, I know that my character's name is Arietta not Arrietty.