The Fellowship

Drums in the Deep

The Fellowship came to a more open space. Broken columns lay tumbled across the floor. "Let me risk a little more light." Gandalf said raising his staff as it lit up brighter than before illuminating a giant stone hall with tall pillars and arched ceilings. Gimli let out a gasp. "Behold: the great realm and Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf." Gandalf said. Aelinaras looked around and unwrapped her arm from around Legolas’ shoulder only to step down and almost put her ankle out of place. "Now there's an eye opener and no mistake." Sam said breathlessly. The Fellowship walked forward through the hall, peering around a column. Gimli saw a ray of very pale very bright sunlight shining through a chamber."Haugh!" he gasped running as fast as his dwarf legs would take him. Gandalf called after him as the fellowship fallowed. Gimli ran into the chamber. Decayed bodies and broken forgotten weapons were scattered about it. The dwarf stopped and kneeled at a crypt dead center in the room. A shaft of light gave it a rightful grave look within the darkness. Gandalf walked forward and peered at the tomb's surface. "No! No! No!" Gimli sobbed leaning his head against the tomb. Boromir placed his hand on Gimli's shoulder feeling for the poor dwarfs loss."'Here lays Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria.' He is dead then. It's as I feared." Gandalf murmured. Aelinaras jerked her head to the entrance of the room and saw some grubby nasty fingers disappear behind the wall as if something was hiding. "gollem filthy scum" she thought turning her focus back on Gandalf. Gimli let out a loud wail and continued to grieve.

Gandalf gave his staff and hat to Pippin, to bend down to pick up and old battered book. Its pages were ripped and painted in dust and dirt, from a corpse’s hand. He opens it with care and dusted off some of the dirt. "We must move on, we cannot linger!" Legolas said to Aragorn taking a glance at Aelinaras who tried to steady herself to stand. "Why in the name of Lorien did I have to go and snap my ankle" she thought bitterly at herself. "Haldir's right I am a cults" she chuckled out loud to herself. After some time Gimli stopped sobbing and looked up blankly. Aelinaras hobbled over to him and hugged him and to her surprised it was accepted. "'We have barred the gates but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes.'" Gandalf said reading from the book he took a dramatic pause. Pippin stepped back with hat and staff in hand backing away slowly. "'Drums, drums in the deep.'" Gandalf looked up slowly, and turned the smudged, bloodstained page. The Fellowship began to glance around uncomfortably. Aelinaras griped her sword Ivory and shifted her eyes around the room taking one step back closer to the hobbits that she was standing in front of protectively. "'We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark.'" he continued Aelinaras held her breath. Pippin stumbled back and saw a corpse with an arrow in its chest, next to a cracked and beaten stone wall, he turned to it. 'We cannot get out'" Gandalf said glancing at the very last line of the entry. Aelinaras pulled Ivory out of its sheath a bit. Gandalf looked up in a haunting silence. "'They are coming!'" he said Aelinaras eyes were closed and shot open at the words. Pippin had stop listening curious he twisted the twig of the arrow in the corpse. Then there was a loud crash and it faded down deep into pit as the skull from the corpse fell off. Gandalf turn sharply at pippin and Aelinaras looked behind her. "How did he get way over their without me seeing sneaky one his is" she thought, Loosening her grip on her sword. Pippin turned to face him, looking guilty, as he did this the rest of the corpse plus the chest it was chained two fell down the whole. Noise echoed from hall to hall far below. Pippin winced at each wave of noise. Gandalf slammed the book shut and stormed over to pippin. Aelinaras made her way over to him. "Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" he said. Pippin looked down at his feet. Gandalf went to say something else but Aelinaras stepped in front of him and glared at Gandalf. "Enough, what has been done is done we must get out there is no time for shortness of temper" she said in a deadly calm. Gandalf looked at her and sighed. He pulled his hat and staff away from the hobbit and turned away. Pippin stood there awkwardly. Aelinaras offered him a kind smile and ushered him over to Sam, Frodo, and merry where she stood in front of them protectively again.

Drums started to boom with the deepest places of the mines and they got louder and louder with every beat. Gandalf slowly turned back, and Pippin turned as well, staring down into the well. Aelinaras pulled pippin back to her and griped Ivory tightly. More drums are heard. Pushing the hobbits behind her Aelinaras faced the door. “Ambush” she thought to Legolas who nodded hearing her thoughts. "Frodo!" Sam cried as sting was glowing bright blue. Tension rose in the room as everyone held their breath. Aelinaras eyes flashed with anticipation as she reached for Phoenix Fire. "Orcs!"Legolas called stating the obvious. Boromir rushed to the doors to have a look. Arrows hiss into the door near his face. Aelinaras had held her breath seeing this but calm down. "Where did that come from" she thought to herself. Her leg throbbed in pain making her wince. "Aelinaras" Frodo whispered to her. She turned giving him a reassuring smile. "All will be fine I promise" she said before turning back to the door. Aragorn had dropped his torch to run to Boromir. "Go back to Gandalf! Hurry!" Aelinaras called to the hobbits griping Ivory so hard she could feel the metal started to cut her skin. The doors were shut. A bellow was heard just outside. "They have a cave troll." Boromir said in sarcastic relief. Legolas tossed weapons to Boromir and Aragorn to blockade the door. The Fellowship drew out their weapons. Gandalf threw away his hat and pulled out his sword. Aelinaras yanked Phoenix Fire out of its sheath and sung it and Ivory around in circles readying for battle. The Hobbits brandished their short-swords Sting quivered, glowing blue. Gimli leapt atop Balin's tomb and brandished his axe. "Argh! Let them come! There is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!" he roared. Aelinaras smirked "This out to be an interesting fight" she thought looking down at her ankle. "Very interesting" she said with that oh I almost forgot tone.

Creatures begin breaking the doors down, their weapons crashing through the splintering spaces. Aelinaras clutched her swords and braced herself. Legolas and Aragorn stood poised, ready to shoot. The first clear gap was gashed in the entry and Legolas release he's arrow with amazing speed it flew thru the gash, a shrill cry rang out. The Elf notched an arrow to his bow as Aragorn shot another threw the hole. Suddenly, the beasts broke thru the beaten door, and the battle begun. A rapid wave of armor-clad Orcs charged for the fellowship. Aragorn and Legolas pierced Orcs with their arrows, while Boromir sliced the others who had gotten by them, any that made it further than that Aelinaras took on, Gimli catching many in the stomach with his heavy iron axe. With a roar, Gandalf launched himself into the fray; the hobbits were soon to fallow.

This was taking longer than what Aelinaras had thought. She slashed another Orc at the waste it cried out and fell defeated. Pippin and merry, standing close behind her, doing their part in getting rid of these ugly beings. Aragorn beheaded a semi large Orc, its thick black blood spraying out of its neck, gurgling. Sam stopping in his tracks in the heat of the battle cast his eyes up, Aragorn and Aelinaras do so too. A cave troll bashed its way thru the door and the Orcs that stood in its way. Aelinaras took a step back in shock, hearing crack of her ankle and the pain of it drew her back into reality. Chains lead from his hand to the Orcs hands. Legolas shot the cave troll in the shoulder, the giant cried out and clasped a hand to the wound. "Sam! Get out of the way!" Aelinaras cried out to him unable to run at the moment. Sam continued to stare, frozen, The Massive troll swung is heavy mace down at the petrified hobbit, however Sam regained himself and dived under its legs before impacted. Aelinaras breathed and turned her attention to and Orc making its way over to her not seeing the troll turn its attention to the hobbits again. "Aelinaras!" Sam called cornered the giant beast. He cringed. Aelinaras saw the beast raise his arm to strike but she was unable to move via Orcs attacking her. The troll suddenly fell back. Aragorn and Boromir were behind the troll pulling it's chains back. The troll twisted its arm wrenching the chain from Boromir’s hand, the chain whipped back at him sending Boromir across the room. He landed in a recess of the wall, dazed. An Orc stood above him ready to strike. Aelinaras threw a dagger into its neck. The Orc clutch the dagger trying to pull it out, Aragorn took this time to slid his blade into the Orcs back cracking it's spine and piercing it's heart. Still dazed Boromir stood up, receiving a nod from Aragorn.

Standing upon the tomb of Balin, Gimli swung his axe piercing the troll’s shoulder, angry the troll slammed his mace into the tomb shattering it and knocking the dwarf off in the process. Merry and Pippin pushed Frodo behind a pillar on a mini second level, having been separated from Aelinaras’ protection. Gimli hacked at an Orc as the troll swung it's mace at him, yet Gimli ducked and the troll hit a goblin instead. "Good show Gimli!" Aelinaras cheered, almost forgetting the battle before her. Legolas shot two arrows into the troll, causing it to reel back with a cry, he wasn't going to be shown up in front of the lady, and defiantly not by and dwarf. Gandalf knocked an Orc out with his staff, don't count his old age as a weakness. The troll swung his chain above his head. He did so again but this time swinging it at Legolas, yet it was a miss for he dodged, thus the chain wrapped around a pillar. Legolas ran along the rusted blood stained chain onto the troll’s shoulders, shooting the troll in the back of the head before jumping off. The troll cringed and stumbled back throwing his arm back the chain whipped the floor just inches away from Aelinaras good leg. Sam hit an Orc with skillet proclaiming "I think I'm getting the hang of this." as he turned to hit another. The troll raised his mace and brought it down at the other Hobbits, quickly they jumped out of the way, though Frodo had gotten separated to the two cousins. The troll sought after Frodo, who was hiding behind the pillars hoping to evade its eyes. Aragorn called out to Frodo seeing the danger. This got Aelinaras' attention. Aragorn tried to fight his way over to Frodo who dodged behind the other side of the pillar as the troll peeked around it. Aelinaras ignoring her ankles pleads for her to rest fought her way over as well. Using her good leg she pushed an Orc who she had just pierced, body off of her sword bringing her other sword behind her cutting a sneaking goblin. Not being able to see Frodo, the troll peered around the other side or the pillar. Frodo dodged out of his vision again. He carefully looked around the pillar. The troll was gone or so he thought. The troll blasts around the pillar, bellowing in his face. Frodo stumbled and fell into a corner. The troll grabbed him; lifting him by the arm he dragged Frodo off of the edge of a recess. "Aragorn!...Aelinaras! Help!" he cried. Aragorn breathed heavily, exhausted. Still, he continued on. Aragon called to him. Frodo slashed the troll's hand with Sting hoping to buy himself some time. The troll dropped Frodo to the ground, twisting his injured hand and staring at it. As Frodo lay on the floor it raised its mace and begins to swing, but Aragorn leapt down into the recess. grabbing a spear from the floor and stabs the troll with it. Aelinaras stopped making her way over, that spear had to kill it “right?” To her dismay it did not penetrate its flesh, but held the beast at bay. She shut off the part of her brain emitting pain to the limbs and back as her adrenalin grew, she could move without her ankle hurting and ran over to the two.

Merry and Pippin threw stones at the troll's head, yet it didn't faze him. The troll swung his arm down and hit Aragorn, sending him flying across the room. Aelinaras cursed as a goblin blocked her path. Aragorn collapsed onto the floor. Frodo raced after him and tries to rouse him, but Aragorn is too stunned to move. Frodo began to run but the troll blocked Frodo's path with its spear. Aelinaras dodged an Orc but stopped dead as goblin took an old rusted axe to her stomach. Clutching the gash with her arm she used her free hand to cut the creatures head off. The troll flung Frodo with the spear, took aim and stabbed Frodo in the chest. Gandalf turned instinctively. Merry and Pippin gazed in shock. Frodo let out a grunt though not a one could tell whether it be out of shock or pain. The cave troll gapes in surprise at what it has done. "Frodo!" Aelinaras cried pulling her sword out of a goblins chest. Merry and Pippin glanced at each other and their faces appear resolved. Gandalf is shocked. Merry and pippin were the first to react leaping onto the beast, stabbing him mercilessly. "Frodo!" Sam cried as He rushed bravely towards his friend. Broken from their shocked trance, Aragorn, Boromir, and Gandalf fought madly to reach the Hobbit. Frodo slumped to the floor, the spear sticking into his chest, pain riddled onto his face.

The troll flailed at its head and grabbed Merry, swinging him around and throwing him to the ground. Aelinaras shock took away the adrenalin and pain rushed to her leg and stomach, she winced. "I can't move like this!" she thought water stinging at her eyes as she clutched her stomach tighter. Gandalf and Gimli took turns stabbing at the troll and dodging out of range. Legolas took aim. With Pippin stabbing it in the head, the troll opened its large mouth. Legolas shot his arrow up into the brain through the mouth of the troll. It stumbled. Aelinaras closed her eyes and chanted and Ancient Elvish spell. " Nar Aras Goth Ambar!/fire deer enemy fate" she cried tossing her sword Ivory at the trolls heart, the sword burst into flame taking on the shape of the stage as it hit the stumbling troll it feel to the floor burning to ash instantly after it was burned from the inside out the deer kept going killing what was left of the enemy Orcs. There is a moment of silence. All enemies are dead or have fled. Aelinaras dropped to her knees at Frodo’s side. Gandalf and Aragorn rushed over. Sam walked over slowly. Aragorn rolled him over, Aelinaras heart sank in the short moment he wasn't breathing, yet a gasp for air was heard not long after. "He's alive!" Sam said with glee and shock. Gandalf sighed in relief, relaxing a bit. "I'm all right, I'm not hurt." Frodo said looking at everyone face. Aelinara’s smiles and chuckled light heartedly, hugging him. "You should be dead! That spear would have skewered a wild boar." Aragorn said happy but confused. Aelinaras release him. "I think there's more to this Hobbit than meets the eye." Gandalf said with a slight smile. Frodo pulled his shirt back to reveal a glittering Mithril shirt. It glimmered even in the dimly moon lit room. "Mithril! You are full of surprises, Master Baggins." Gimli breathed. Aelinaras stood up wincing lightly as for no one to see turning her back to everyone she took her arm off of her gash. "i-it won't stop bleeding I have to be more careful this isn't training with Haldir anymore it's the real thing" she thought. "Aelinaras?" Boromir questioned seeing her. She turned her head and flashed a fake smile. That gave away she was covering something up, Aelinaras never smiled at him. So what was wrong? He thought. Her gazed turn into a hard cold stare now he was convinced. They were brought back as Orcs were heard in the distance causing everyone to look up. "To the Bridge of Khazad-dm!" Gandalf called. Aelinaras swung Frodo upon her back and they ran.