The Elven Gates [CONTINUING!!]

Chapter Sixteen

I whipped around upon hearing the noise. The Balrog once again was tumbling forward towards us.

"Run!" I heard Gandalf's voice from behind the group, he was running fast and seemed quite exhausted.

"You heard him, RUN!" We followed Gandalf down to the Great Stairs, and carefully ran down them as they cracked and broke apart under our sudden weight.

Legolas and I, carrying Pippin, Merry, Frodo, and Sam, had been able to jump over a large gap, but it was too far a jump for the others.

"You'll have to toss me!" Gimli pleaded to the others, "Please! I can't jump it!" Aragorn rolled his eyes and hoisted the dwarf over his shoulder, quickly throwing him to the other side.

"The beard!" Someone yelled.

Legolas had to drop the two hobbits and grab Gimli by the beard, because the toss had fallen just short of the other chunk of stairs.

We raced on like this the entire flight of stairs, one falling stairway to another. Finally we reached the Bridge, and we had to walk single-file along it to avoid falling off. Once I reached the other side, I realized that Aragorn had in fact stopped, and was facing the beast.

"LEAVE NOW AND NEVER COME BACK!" Aragorn shouted over the crackle and woosh of flames.

"Aragorn your words will do nothing," Gandalf shook his shoulder, "You must flee!"

"I will not stand by and watch my friends perish," he nodded towards the Fellowship and turned to the Balrog.

"ARAGORN!" Gandalf couldn't get the ranger to budge. He stormed off across the bridge and herded us to a doorway.

"I command you to leave! You will be the one to flee, foul beast!" Aragorn threw his sword at the demon, and it only aggravated it more. The creature grabbed him in its molten hands and made its way over the bridge.

It swiped and thrashed, trying to grab a hold of one of us. Finally it's firey fingers encircled Gandalf, who was madly attempting to break free from its grip.

With the Wizard and Ranger in its burning talons, it leapt off the bridge and into the dark abyss below. I heard Frodo's shriek, but nothing else, for my heartbeat drowned out all other noise and emotion. Everything became an adrenaline induced blur, I went through the motions but my heart wasn't in it.

I knew Gandalf survived the fall in the books, but, with this reality so drastically different from that, I couldn't be sure he would survive. I had planned to bring the Fellowship hope for his return, but now that optimism may seem like mockery. I couldn't be sure he was alive. I couldn't be sure of anything.

As for Aragorn, I was easing into a dark mourning. He was not one of the Istari, he wouldn't be reborn as a new wizard to save the world. A mortal wouldn't be resurrected from such a difficult and brutal death. Throwing down the demon would push both of their limits to the maximum, and Aragorn may not be able so survive it.

I carried two sobbing hobbits quickly towards a light I saw at the end of a hall. I burst through the doorway, collapsing onto the snow covered, rocky terrain. Merry and Pippin were shaking with sobs, and Sam silently cried with his head in his hands. I could see that Legolas' stone, emotion concealing walls where starting to fall, this was the first brick being pulled from the fortress. Even the great strength of the elves cannot endure all things.

I saw Frodo staring blankly off into the distance, and stepped closer to him when Boromir stopped me.

"Give him some space, he needs it," he told me. Frodo heard this and turned to me, tears streaked his face and yet he still pulled his lips into a smile.