Moments after speaking with Frodo, Gandalf finally realized which door the Fellowship needed to take. Though Gandalf didn't recall which door to take, the door that didn't smell as foul as the others was the one they took.
"If in doubt, Y/n, always follow your nose." Gandalf said with a smile.
Y/n smiled at Gandalf's remark as she followed behind the wizard with Frodo in tow. Once the Fellowship reached the bottom of the stair well, they came to a vast open space filled with standing and some broken columns that were tumbled and strewn across the floor.
"Let me risk a little light" Gandalf said as he lifted his staff into the air.
The light from his staff illuminated the room to show that is was a giant stone hall with massive pillars and arched ceilings.
"Behold: the great realm and dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf." Gandalf announced.
"Now there's an eye opener and no mistake" Sam voiced everyone's thoughts.
Everyone stared around in awe as they walked forward through the hall but were pulled from their thoughts as Gimli made an audible gasp and ran to a doorway illuminated by light.
"Gimli, wait!" Y/n called after the dwarf.
Following after Gimli, the Fellowship ran into the chamber but stopped in their tracks. Many bodies and weapons were scattered about the chamber. Gimli had stopped and knelt by a crypt that was positioned in the center of the room. The crypt was illuminated by light that was shining through a hole in the wall. Gandalf first went forward and peered at the tomb's surface.
"'Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria.' He is dead then. It's as I feared." Gandalf read the runes that were on top of the tomb.
"No! No! No!" Gimli sobbed as Boromir placed a comforting hand on the dwarf's shoulder.
Y/n buried her head in Frodo's shoulder, not wanting to look at all the bodies strewn about any longer than she needed to. Frodo held her hand and stroked her hair trying to comfort her. The Fellowship gathered around Balin's tomb as Gandalf gave his staff and hat to Pippin. He bent down to pick up a large book that was battered and coated in a layer of dust from a dwarf corpse's hands. Gandalf blows on the pages of the book as he opens it.
"We must move on, we should not linger here." Legolas said to Aragorn, as they surveyed the chamber.
" '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.'" Gandalf read out loud from the book.
Gandalf slowly turned the smudged, bloodstained pages. The Fellowship begins to glance around uncomfortably. Pippin, still holding Gandalf's hat and staff, backs away.
"'We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark.'" Gandalf continued.
Pippin backing up, he made contact with a corpse with an arrow in its chest, sitting on the edge of a stone well. Feeling the corpse behind him, Pippin turned to face it.
" 'We cannot get out...'" Gandalf stopped as he looked at the last, single line, a scrawl fading out at the bottom of the page, "'They are coming!'" Gandalf finished.
Moments after Gandalf had finished speaking there was a resounding crash. Everyone whipped their heads around to stare at Pippin. Curious of the corpse, the Hobbit had twisted the arrow that was in the corpse which caused the skull to fall from the corpse into the well which caused the crashing noise. Pippin looked away from the group with a guilty look on his face. A moment later, as if the first crash wasn't enough, the rest of the corpse slipped into the well after the skull. As the corpse fell it dragged along a chain attached to a bucket making a even louder resounding crash that echoed in the halls below the well. Everyone's shoulders tensed as each crash sounded off from within the well. They all made sighs of relief when the echoing had ceased.
"Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" Gandalf yelled at Pippin as he slammed the book shut and took his hat and staff back.
The relief was short lived as drums booming were starting to be heard. Gandalf slowly turned back to face the well as did Pippin and the rest of the Fellowship.
"Frodo!" Y/n said pointing to his waist.
Frodo pulled Sting from its sheath to show that it was glowing blue.
"Orcs" Legolas said as he could hear them better with his elf ears.
Boromir rushed away from the group to the door to have a look outside the chamber. He pulled his face back just in time as arrows hissed through the air and land in the door in front of him. Aragorn dropped the torched he was holding and ran to Boromir's side to help him barricade the doors.
"Get back! Stay close to Gandalf!" Aragorn yelled as he ran past the hobbits.
"They have a cave troll." Boromir said with sarcastic relief as a strangled bellow could be heard just outside the closed doors.
Legolas tossed any sturdy weapons he could find to the two men to blockade the door. Gandalf tosses his hat as he draws his weapons and gathers the 5 Hobbits behind him. Pippin, Merry, Sam, and Y/n brandished their short-swords as Frodo clutched Sting in his hands.
"We'll get through this alright?" Y/n whispered to Frodo, trying to reassure herself and Frodo.
"Argh! Let them come! There is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!" Gimli growled as he leapt onto Balin's tomb.
The doors began to give way as creatures on the other side attacked them. Weapons could be seen through the doors as the doors began to break apart. Aragorn and Legolas stood poised with their bows ready to shoot. Once there was a clear gap in the splintering doors Legolas let loose an arrow. A shrill cry rang out as Legolas' arrow hit its target. He quickly notched another arrow as Aragorn lets loose his arrow. What remained of the doors suddenly crashed open as the creatures burst into the chamber. The battle began as armor clad orcs charged the fellowship who engage in return. Aragorn and Legolas fought some of orcs off with their arrows as Boromir kills other with his sword. With a roar, Gandalf runs into the battle with the Hobbits yelling right behind him. The hobbits pause mid fight to get out of the way as a cave troll smashed through the doorway. Chains could be seen, attached to the cave troll's wrists, which was held by an orc. Legolas shot an arrow at the troll but merely grazed its tough calloused skin. Sam came to his senses first as he dodged the cave troll swinging a mace at him. Sam dove under the troll's legs and crawled away as the troll turned to swing at the Hobbit again.
Y/n took her turn at the troll by swinging her sword at the troll's leg. She made contact but like Legolas' arrow barely made a scratch but enough to make the beast cry out in pain. However, the cave troll swung its enormous hand at Y/n and knocked her into a corner. Y/n winced as she sat up but threw her arms up as the Cave troll raised its arm to strike her when, suddenly, the beast fell back. Aragorn and Boromir were behind the troll, pulling on its chains. The troll twists its arm back and whips Boromir across the room. He lands in a recess of the wall with a thud, dazed. Across the chamber Aragorn notices the orc above Boromir, about to strike the dazed man and throws his small knife into the orc's neck. Aragorn nods to Boromir as the Gondor Man stands up and tosses Aragorn back his knife. On the other side of the chamber, Sam was surprisingly holding his own with a skillet.
"I think I'm getting the hang of this." Sam exclaimed as he turns and hits another orc with his skillet.
"Look out!" Y/n yelled as she pushed Frodo, Merry and Pippin apart as the cave troll swung its club at the Hobbits.
Frodo scurried around the pillar he was next to trying to avoided the troll's sight.
"Frodo!" Aragorn yelled fighting his way over to him.
Frodo carefully looked around the pillar to see the troll had gone. His relief was short lived however as the troll comes around the side of the pillar and bellowed in Frodo's face. Frodo back scrambles to get away but stumbles and falls into a corner. Y/n watched on in horror as the beast grabbed Frodo by the leg and lifted Frodo into the air.
"Aragorn! Aragorn!" Frodo cried for help.
"Frodo! Hold on!" Y/n yelled as she began o fight off some orcs.
Frodo managed to slash the hand of the troll holding him with Sting which caused the troll to drop him. Angered by its pain, the cave troll brought its mace up again to crush Frodo but Aragorn leapt in the way with a spear in hand. The Ranger stabbed the troll but it does not penetrate its flesh, but holds the beast at bay. Trying to get the trolls attention away from their companions, Merry, Pippin, and Y/n threw any stone they could find at the beasts' head. Its anger further increasing, the troll again swung its arm sending Aragorn flying across the room and knocking the Ranger unconscious. Frodo ran to Aragorn's side, trying to bring him round but to now avail. The cave troll knocked Frodo away from Aragorn and before the Hobbit could run the beast takes aim and stabbed Frodo in the chest with the spear Arargorn had attacked it with.
Everything went into slow motion. Gandalf turned around from his battle with a now dead orc. Merry and Pippin stood stock still with looks of shock on there faces. Frodo and Y/n briefly made eye contact. Tears cascaded down her face as her hands slowly went to her mouth to muffle her scream.
"NO! FRODO!" Y/n screamed.
Y/n's scream brought everyone back into reality. Merry and Pippin nodded to each other as they ran and jumped onto the cave trolls head and began to stab it mercilessly. Aragorn, Boromir, and Gandalf fight madly to reach the fallen Hobbit. Y/n reached Frodo's side first as Sam came up behind her. The troll flails its hands at its head and manages to grab Merry, swinging him around through the air. Gandalf and Gimli took turns stabbing at the troll as Legolas took aim at the cave troll's head. As Pippin managed to stab it in the head, the troll opened its mouth to cry. Legolas shot his arrow up into the brain through the mouth of the troll. With a long, pained moan, the troll collapsed to the ground, dead. It dropped Merry from its grasp and Pippin was thrown against the floor falling off its head. There was a moment of silence as all enemies were either dead or had fled. Gandalf finally rushed over to Frodo as Argorn crawled over from where he had hit the ground. Sam hung his head as Y/n silently cried above Frodo.
"Oh no." Aragorn whispered as he rolled Frodo over.
To everyone's surprise, Frodo groaned and gasped for air.
"He's alive!" Sam said with relief.
"I'm all right, I'm not hurt." Frodo said rubbing his chest were the troll had stabbed him.
"You should be dead! That spear would have skewered a wild boar." Aragorn said shocked.
"I think there's more to this Hobbit than meets the eye." Gandalf grinned.
Frodo pulled back the front of his shirt to reveal the Mithril shirt Bilbo had given him.
"Mithril! You are full of surprises, Master Baggins." Gimli chuckled.
Y/n mentally slapped herself as she had forgotten that Bilbo had given Frodo the mithril shirt.
"Thank god you are alright." Y/n whispered as she threw her arms around Frodo.
Frodo immediatley returned the embrace and buried his face in his love's shoulder. The two Hobbits pulled apart moments later as orc cries could be heard in the distance.
"To the Bridge of Khazad-dûm!" Gandalf yelled.
The Fellowship quickly gathered themselves and ran out into the hall of pillars. They were not alone however as an army orcs were hot on their trail. Orcs sprung out from the floor or crawled, like spiders, from the ceiling and down the pillars towards the company. Unfortunately further down the hall the Fellowship became surrounded by the army of orcs. Everyone drew their weapons and formed a circle to face all the orcs. As swiftly as they appeared, the orcs scattered as a fiery light appeared at the end of the hall. A thunderous rumble made any remaining orcs scatter away even faster. Left alone in the hall, the Fellowship stood in silence staring down the hall.
"What is this new devilry?" Boromir whispered behind Gandalf.
"A Balrog — a demon of the ancient world." Gandalf answered grimly.
Louder growling could be heard out of the sight of the company which caused fear to run across all of their faces.
"This foe is beyond any of you... Run!" Gandalf commanded.
The Fellowship entered a passageway that was further down the hall and rather quickly ran down a flight of steps. The flight suddenly ended in a missing segment, and Boromir nearly falls but Legolas pulled him back just in time.
Gandalf stopped for a moment as the rest of the company passed by him.
"Gandalf?" Aragorn stopped at the wizard's side.
"Lead them on, Aragorn! The bridge is near!" Gandalf indicated to a bridge several yards away.
Aragorn turned to look at the long bridge spanning a gap between a hall and a cliff face. Away behind them, the Balrog roared again. Aragorn tried to move towards Gandalf to help him, but Gandalf pushed Aragorn roughly away from him. Hurt and confusion registered on Aragorn's face.
"Swords are no more use here! Go!" Gandalf yelled.
As the Balrog roared again, the Felloship descend another set of massive steps that unfortunately ended in another gap. Legolas easily leapt the gap and beckoned Gandalf to jump next. As Gandalf landed on the otherside of the gap, arrows began to whistle through the air from orcs that were postioned on a far ledge. Thankfully since the orcs were so far away the arrows either missed completely or hit the stone stairs. Boromir grabbed Merry and Pippin and leapt the gap with a yell.
"Sam!" Aragorn yelled as he grabbed the gardner hobbit and pitched him to the other side where he is caught by Boromir.
"Nobody tosses a dwarf." Gimli said with his hand up before Aragorn could reach to grab the dwarf.
Gimli leapt forward and nearly fell back into the chasm but Legolas managed to grab the dwarf by the beard and pull him up.
"Legolas!" Aragorn yelled before he grabbed Y/n and swiftly threw her across the gap into the elf's arms.
She landed in the elf's arms with a squeak as Aragorn pushed Frodo to safety behind him as some of the stone steps crumbled and fell. Aragorn and Frodo quickly climbed to their feet and look at the now widened gap that separated them from the rest of the Fellowship. The Balrog could be heard getting closer as the stone structures around the seperated fellowship began to collapse. A huge rock breaks free from the ceiling and smashes through the steps behind Aragorn and Frodo, creating another gap behind them. The stairs begin to wobble as the stone foundation under the steps started to crumble.
"Lean forward!" Aragorn instructed as he held onto Frodo.
The shift in weight caused the crumbling stairs to tip forward across and the divided and slam into the steps were the rest of the company was. Both of them are pitched forward off the steps and into their companions arms. United again, the company runs down the remaining stairs as the stairs they were once on collapsed.
"Over the bridge! Fly!" Gandalf yelled as he ushered everyone across the long but small stone bridge.
Gandalf stopped half way across the bridge and turned to face the wall of fire that appeared at the edge of the bridge. A gigantic form of black shadow leapt through the flames. It had eyes of white fire and great black horns curling around a bull-like head. The monster opened its mouth with a roar as heat came pouring out of its mouth. Its black cloven feet that were aflame stomped forward causing more of the stone structures to shake and rumble. The Fellowship make it safely across the bridge as Gandalf stood in the way of the Balrog's path.
"You cannot pass!" Gandalf declared.
"Gandalf!" Frodo cried as he turned to watch the wizard.
"I am the servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor...The dark fire will not avail you! Flame of Udûn!" Gandalf yelled at the monster.
The Balrog strikes down at Gandalf with its giant flaming blade but Gandalf holds it back with his own blade. The Balrog's weapon shattered as it made contact with Gandalf's. A circle of light protected Gandalf as the Balrog blew fire at the wizard.
"Go back to the shadows!" the Wizard growled.
The Balrog started to make its way across the bridge, raising its flaming whip into the air.
"YOU — SHALL NOT — PASS!" Gandalf yelled as loud as he could as the Wizard raised his sword and staff together into the air and then drove his staff into the bridge, causing a bright flash of blue light to appear.
At first nothing happens so the Balrog flaired its nostrils and stepped forward onto the bridge. The bridge collapsed right under the demon as it moved towards Gandalf. It fell backwards into the chasm, still wielding its glowing whip. Gandalf, exhausted, leaned on his staff and watched the Balrog fall. After a moment the wizard turned to follow his company up the stairs. The flaming whip suddenly lashed up from the depths of the abyss and winds about Gandalf's ankle, dragging him over the edge. He clung onto the bridge but could barely keep his grip.
"Frodo No!" Y/n cried as Frodo rushed forward but was caught by Boromir.
"No, no!" Boromir warned Frodo, trying to hold the Hobbit back.
"Gandalf!" Frodo cried clinging to Boromir's arm.
"Fly, you fools." Gandalf gasped before he lost his hold on the bridge and fell into the abyss and out of sight.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Frodo screamed in agony.
Boromir quickly picked up Frodo and ran up the stairs leading outside with everyone else right behind him except for Aragorn. For a moment Aragorn did not move, but then Orc arrows started whistling by once again, shooting at the companions.
"Aragorn!" Boromir called the Ranger's name but the call sounded like an echo in Aragorn's ears.
Dodging the arrows that were whistling past him, Aragorn turned and followed the others up the stairs and out of Moria.
I definitely cried at this part of the movie 😭. What's your favorite part of the Fellowship of the Ring movie? I hope to see you lovely people in the next chapter!
🐢Kalumiko🐢