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The door bursts open in a shower of wood fragments and twenty or so Goblins charge into the tomb followed by a huge cave troll. Gimli ducks a blow and immediately buries his axes in two Goblin helmets. Aragorn and Boromir wade into the mass of Goblins with their swords as Legolas fires deadly arrows into the Goblins' throats, desperately trying to shield the Hobbits. Maristela strategically leaps over Balin's tomb after swiftly pocketing Ori's slingshot before using her daggers to slice the throats of Goblins who moved too close to Aragorn and Boromir when their backs were turned. Gandalf clutches his sword and joins in the battle as the cave troll sweeps his club at Aragorn who stumbles backwards.
The huge club descends for the killing blow when 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 backs up against the wall with a sword in one hand and a saucepan in the other, in desperation he swings wildly at a Goblin with the saucepan causing the beast to keel over leaving the Hobbit surprised; He wallops another Goblin and it too, drops. "I think I'm getting the hang of this!" Sam exclaimed as he continued to bash Goblins with his saucepan. The cave troll lunges forward thrusting at Frodo's chest with his spear as the Hobbit calls for Aragorn's help, Maristela is blocked by Goblins rushing her.
Sam screams as Frodo is lifted off his feet by the spear tip and slammed against the wall. "Frodo!" Aragorn shouts while the Hobbits go crazy attacking the Goblins. Sam slashes the cave troll's knee bringing him down as Merry and Pippin jump on the beast, Legolas fires an arrow, and the cave troll topples over dead. Maristela finishes off the remaining Goblins as Aragorn rushes to Frodo's side, as he slumped to the floor Frodo appeared to be dead leaving the others horrified until Maristela lightly tapped the side of Frodo's face ignoring the others. Suddenly, Frodo coughs and takes in a greedy breath of air, he had been winded by the troll's attack.
"He's alive!" Sam exclaimed while Maristela smiled softly. "I'm alright. I'm not hurt," Frodo assured the others. "You should be dead. That spear would've skewered a wild boar!" Aragorn exclaimed with wide eyes. "I think there's more to this Hobbit than meets the eye," Gandalf said as Maristela and Frodo shared a look, a smirk on her face. "He's a Baggins. They're full of surprises," Maristela said as Frodo opens his shirt to reveal the Mithril vest that Bilbo had given him. "Mithril! You are full of surprises, Master Baggins!" Gimli exclaimed with a wide grin, Maristela stepped back as the echo of drums appeared again.
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"To the bridge of Khazad-dum!" Gandalf instructed the Fellowship before leading them out of Balin's tomb and into the huge Dwarrowdelf Chamber, "This way!" Maristela trailed in the back to ensure that the Hobbits didn't get caught or left behind. 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, Maristela sneering at the Goblins. The Fellowship is trapped by the nasty creatures that snarled at them; swords were held as the Hobbits were pushed to stand in the middle of the circle the others had created to protect them.
However, a deafening roar fills the air causing Maristela to freeze in place. A fiery light dance down the hallway on the pillars, casting eerie shadows. The Goblins freeze momentarily before they back away fearfully, letting the shadows take them and rushing away from the approaching beast. "What is this new devilry?" Boromir asks as a huge shadow, surrounded by flame, falls across the hall, the ground shakes and an unearthly sound rumble. "A Balrog... a demon of the ancient world! This foe is beyond any of you," Gandalf tells them. "Run! Quickly!" Maristela instructs everyone, Gandalf leading them to the stairway of Khazad-dum.
The Balrog, a massive creature rises from the chasm, a great forty-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 a dizzying stairway while Gandalf follows from the back, leaning heavily on his staff though his eyes kept glancing at his daughter. Aragorn looks at Gandalf with concern, but Gandalf speaks, "Lead them on, Aragorn. The bridge is near." Aragorn hesitates but Gandalf's next words encourage him, "Do as I say; swords are no more use here."
The Fellowship race down the stairway and Legolas leaps across the gap before calling for Gandalf who follows the Elf. Arrows whistle into the air from a far ledge striking the stone steps. Legolas shoots back, his arrow rises through the air and pierces the skull of an Orc. The Orc tumbles down from his ledge. "Merry! Pippin!" Boromir calls, grabbing the two Hobbits and pulling them close to his sides before leaping across the gap. Aragorn grabs Sam and tosses the Hobbit across into Boromir's waiting hands, the man was quick to move the Hobbit away from the edge. Aragorn moves to throw Gimli across the chasm but is stopped, "Nobody tosses a Dwarf!"
He leaps forward but nearly falls back into the chasm, Legolas grabs his beard and pulls him up. "Not the beard!" Gimli tells the Woodland Elf who pulled him on the bridge, his blue eyes moving to look at Maristela as she stood with Frodo in her arms and Aragorn holding her arm protectively. Some of the stone steps crumble and fall and Aragorn pushes Frodo and Maristela to safety. They climb to their feet and look at the now widened gap that separates them from the rest of the Fellowship. "Steady, hold on!" Aragorn told the two. The Balrog can be heard approaching from the other hall.
Stone structures around the mine collapse as it draws near and a huge rock falls from the ceiling and smashes through the steps behind Aragorn and Frodo, creating another gap behind them. The stairs begin to wobble giving Maristela an idea, "Lean forward!" Aragorn nodded understanding her plan, the three did as she instructed while the others watched in fear. They shift their weight forward, tipping the stairs across the divide and slamming them onto the steps where their companions are. They leap across to safety. They run down the stairs as the stone structures collapse behind them.
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The Fellowship runs into a hall with Gandalf leading the way, he stops and turns to the others, "Over the bridge! Fly!" They race towards the slender bridge of stone without kerb or rail that sits at the far end of the hall. They all recklessly hurry over the dizzying bridge but Gandalf pauses in the middle of the span and faces the Balrog with his staff in one hand and his sword in the other. Maristela and Frodo look back in horror gaining the attention of the others, the Elleth moves to step forward but Aragorn catches her arm. "You cannot pass!" Gandalf exclaims to the ancient beast. "Father!" Maristela called gaining his attention for a moment.
Gandalf sent his daughter a sad smile before turning back to the Balrog, "I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Udûn!" Maristela watches as the Balrog puts one foot on the bridge and draws up to its full height, wings spreading from wall-to-wall. "Go back to the shadow!" Gandalf shouts as the Balrog slashes at Gandalf with its sword of flame, Gandalf blocks with his own sword, a ringing clash and the Balrog's sword shatters into molten fragments. "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" Gandalf booms through the mountain.
And with the last reserves of his strength, Gandalf thumps the bridge with his staff causing a blinding sheet of white flame to spring up and the bridge breaks right at the Balrog's feet. The stone bridge drops away into the pit from under the Balrog and for a moment, the great beast remains poised in the air and then it plunges down. Gandalf remains trembling on the lip of the broken bridge before turning to look directly at his daughter who seems relieved to see him standing there. However, as the Balrog falls, he lashes out with his whip of fire and the thongs of the whip lash and curl around Gandalf's knees, dragging him over the brink.
"FATHER!" Maristela screams, she moves to rush forward but stops at the look in Gandalf's eyes as he glanced at Aragorn sternly. "Fly, you fools!" Gandalf slips from the bridge and falls away following the Balrog into the bottomless abyss. Maristela falls to her knees as Boromir pulls Frodo away while Aragorn stares dazedly at the spot where Gandalf once stood. Legolas kneels down to Maristela, his heart clenching at the sight of her pain before he pulled her to her feet knowing they couldn't stay. "Aragorn!" Boromir shouted to pull the Ranger from his mind. An Orc arrow whizzes by alerting Aragorn of the danger they were still in, he follows Legolas who is dragging Maristela with him; the Elleth now an orphan.
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Rosemary Speaks
So, Maristela lost Thorin, Fili and Kili.
Now, Maristela just found out that Balin and Ori are dead.
And then she watched her father die...
And next [REDACTED]...
I am just torturing her with this story, aren't I?
Thoughts?
See you in the next chapter!