The Daughter of the Moon Volume I

Chapter 12 : Defence of the tomb

The morning is coming early.

-Which way will we go? Boromir asked.

-We will go back to the great hall," replied Gandalf. But our visit to this room has not been in vain. Now I know where we are. This must be, as Gimli says, the Chamber of Mazarbul, and the room must be the twenty-first from the north end. So we will have to go out through the east arch of the hall, go to the right and south, and go down. The twenty-first room must be on the seventh floor, that is to say, six floors above that of the Gates. Come on! Let's go back to the hall.

No sooner had Gandalf uttered these words than a great noise was heard: a rumbling roll, which seemed to come from far away and vibrate in the stone beneath their feet.

Frightened, they leapt to the door. Brrron, brrron, the noise rolled again, as if huge hands were turning the very caves of Moria into a vast drum. Then came an explosion repeated by the echo: a great horn sounded in the hall, to which other horns and shrill cries were heard from farther away. The sound of a large number of tramples was heard.

-They are coming!" Legolas shouted.

-We can't go out," said Gimli.

-We're trapped! cried Gandalf. Ah, why did I linger? We are caught, just as they were before. But I wasn't here then. We shall see what...

Brrron, brrron, the drumbeat could still be heard, and the walls shook.

-Slam the doors and block them! Aragorn shouted. And keep your load on your back as long as you can. We may yet have a chance to find a way out.

-No! Gandalf. You must not let us be locked up. Keep the door ajar! We'll go that way, if we have a chance.

A new, hoarse horn sounded and shrill cries rang out. Footsteps came down the corridor. There was a jingling and thundering as the prisoners drew their swords. Boromir leaned against the west door.

-Just a moment! Don't close it yet! said Gandalf.

He rushed to Boromir's side and rose to his full height.

-Who comes here to disturb the remains of Balin, Lord of Moria," he cried out in a loud voice.

There was an avalanche of raucous laughter, like a falling stone sliding down a well, and from the middle of the clamour a deep, dominating voice rose. The drums rolled into the depths.

Gandalf moved quickly to stand in front of the narrow opening of the door and pushed his staff forward. A blinding flash of light illuminated the room and the passage outside.

The magician looked outside for a moment. Arrows chirped and whistled along the corridor as he threw himself backwards.

-There are killer whales, in great numbers," he said. And some of them are big and bad: Black Urus of Mordor. For the moment they are hesitating, but there is something else here too. A large cave troll, I think, or several. There is no hope of escaping from this side.

Elenwë closed her eyes. It must have been a nightmare! They were not going to die like that, prisoners in a tomb! -Although the place to die was very appropriate-

She shivered and tightened her grip on Ant Estel's guard. She watched her companions.

They were all very pale.

Legolas had his fingers tight on his bow and was nervously twitching the feather at the end of the arrow he had notched.

Frodo had drawn his sting and was standing upright, a little tense.

Around him, Sam, Merry and Pippin were not proud.

Even Boromir and Aragorn didn't seem reassured.

The doors opened on the fly and a large number of Orcs entered the room.

They stormed in. They all fought ferociously.

Elenwë sliced off their heads, cut off their legs, thrust his sword into the bodies of their filthy assailants.

Suddenly two tall figures appeared at the door.

Trolls.

Elenwë blew to calm the frantic beating of his heart.

She warned herself and ran towards the first troll. She cut his leg muscles and moved back several metres, avoiding the troll's huge club.

The club fell down a second time and Elenwë climbed on top of it. She jumped up, sword forward.

Ant Estel's blade went deep into the soft flesh of the troll's neck.

She jumped to the ground and the troll collapsed in front of her feet.

She looked around her and caught the more than admiring gaze of Legolas and Boromir.

She looked for the second troll who was facing Frodo.

Frodo avoided the club but was beginning to struggle.

-Aragorn! He called.

Isildur's heir flew to his rescue. He stood up to the troll for a long time and then took the club violently in the chest.

It flew - literally - for several metres before meeting a column along the way.

It fell back to the ground, stunned and panting.

Elenwë rushed towards the struggling Hobbit.

It was too late. The troll had just stuck his spear into Frodo's chest.

Legolas screamed in rage and stuck an arrow in the troll's head, and the troll collapsed to the ground, dead.

The remaining Orcs fled.

All the companions of the community came closer to Frodo.

Aragorn, who had come to his senses, also came closer.

They all looked desperate. Suddenly, Frodo turned aside and coughed.

-But then... ...how can this be? Aragorn asked. This spear could pierce a boar!

Frodo smiled as he pulled the sides of his shirt apart.

-A gift from Bilbo. he murmured, gasping for breath.

-Mithril! It is a very precious gift! How fortunate that Bilbo has given it to you! Gimli exclaimed.

But how did he get it?

-My dear Gimli, it was Thorin who gave it to him as a reward for his help in the quest for Erebor.

-This is very good and I am glad that the sacred dwarf ore saves your life Mr. Frodo.

-Let's not stay here," said Legolas. They will come back.

They gathered their things quickly and rushed out of the Hall to reach the bridge of Khazad-Dûm.