Chapter Five: Battle in Moria

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Lyra

Gandalf gives his staff and hat to Pippin, bends down, and takes a large and battered book from a corpse's hands. He opens it and clears the dirt from its pages.

"Kilmin malur ni zaram kalil ra narag. Kheled-zâram... Balin tazlifi." Gimli chants softly as he continues to sob

"We must move on, we cannot linger!" Legolas says to Aragorn

"'They have taken the bridge... and the second hall.'" Gandalf reads


Gimli stops sobbing, and looks up blankly.

"'We have barred the gates... but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes.'" Gandalf continues

Pippin, still holding hat and staff, backs away.

"'Drums... drums... in the deep.'" Gandalf reads


He looks up slowly, and turns the smudged, bloodstained page. The Fellowship begins to glance around uncomfortably.

"'We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark.'" Gandalf says

Pippin stumbles back and sees a corpse with an arrow in its chest, sitting by a stone well. He turns towards it.


"'We cannot get out...'" Gandalf glances at the last, single line, a scrawl fading out at the bottom of the page. Gandalf looks up in the uncomfortable silence. "'They are coming!'"

The silence is broken by Pippin. Curious, he reaches out and lightly twists the arrow in the corpse. The skull slips off, falling into the well with a resounding crash. Gandalf whips around. Pippin turns to face him, looking guilty. As he does, the rest of the corpse slips into the well, dragging with it a chain and bucket. Noise echoes from hall to hall far below. Pippin winces at each wave of noise.


"Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" Gandalf exclaims slaming the book shut

He pulls his hat and staff from the Hobbit's hands. Gandalf turns away. Pippin stands still, awkwardly. Drums are heard booming. Gandalf slowly turns back, and Pippin turns as well, staring down into the well. More drums are heard booming.

"Frodo!" Sam exclaims


Sting glows blue.

"Orcs!" Legolas says, I growl and my claws and teeth come out 

Boromir rushes to the doors to have a look. Arrows hiss into the door near his face. Aragorn drops his torch and runs to Boromir.

"Get back! You stay close to Gandalf!" Aragorn says to the Hobbits


The doors are shut. A bellow can be heard just outside.

"They have a cave troll." Boromir says in sarcastic relief

Legolas tosses weapons to Boromir and Aragorn to blockade the door. The Fellowship draw out our weapons. Gandalf throws away his hat and pulls out his sword.

"Yah!" Gandalf exclaims 


The Hobbits brandish their short-swords. Sting quivers, glowing blue. Gimli leaps atop Balin's tomb and brandishes his axe.

"Argh! Let them come! There is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!" Gimli says

Creatures begin breaking the doors down. Weapons crash through splintering spaces. Legolas and Aragorn stand poised, ready to shoot. The first clear gap is gashed in the door and Legolas shoots — a shrill cry rings out. The Elf notches an arrow to his bow as Aragorn shoots another.

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