Who Knew? ~ LOTR FanFic

Chapter 37 ~ Huge

Chapter 37

Huge

We had been walking for about two and a half hours, when we finally reached the end of the staircase. It opened up into a huge room, and when I say huge, I am not exaggerating. Rivendell might’ve been able to fit in this hall. Gandalf mumbled something in coherent that I didn’t catch, as I was marveling as the huge stone columns before me. Even though I couldn’t see much of the room before me, I could almost feel the grandeur of it. 

“The great realm and dwarf city of Dwenodeth.” Gandalf said grandly. 

“There’s an eye open’r make no mistake.” Sam said. I nodded vaguely still marveling at the columns.

We walked on through the hall, making almost no noise, with none of us uttering a single word. It extremely was queer; the only source of light was Gandalf’s staff and our torch. I walked beside Legolas the whole time, bumping into him from time to time. Whenever I so clumsily did so he would just smile patiently. 

Eventually, he just wrapped his arm around me. I snuggled a little closer feeling cold. He probably did it in the hopes that I would stop bumping into him.

After a few hours of walking, Gimli suddenly stopped. I peered around Gandalf to see what he was looking at. There was a doorway with light inside, from what my half-elf eyes could see, there was a coffin inside. Gimli gave an indignant cry and ran into the room, I unlinked myself from Legolas and ran after him.

“Gimli!” Gandalf shouted, (and after seeing me he shouted, “Alana!”) I ran into the room. The room looked like death and decay with the corpses strewn everywhere but the air was fresh and clean.

“No, NO!” He shouted. I ran over to him just as he kneeled down in front of the coffin. I hugged his shoulders as he continued to sob ‘no’. I heard the others walk in behind me. Gandalf read out loud what was written on the coffin (in English, translated from an ancient language). I had already read it.

“Here lies Balin, son of Hundin. Lord of Moria.” I gave Gimli one last squeeze and stood up.

“He is dead then.” Gandalf said. I was exasperated. Obviously! I thought. Gandalf removed his hat. I walked back to beside Legolas and wrapped my arms around him, in need of a hug. He hugged me back briefly.

“It’s as I feared.” Gandalf said looking around suspiciously. He gave his hat and staff to Merry and took a giant book from a nearby skeleton.

“We must move on, we cannot linger.” Legolas said looking worried. Gandalf started to read from the book.

“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. We cannot get out. The shadow moves in the dark, we cannot get out… They are coming.” He looked up from the book and towards the door. I however was looking at Pippin. He reached his hand out to touch the skeleton perched precariously on the ledge of a whole.

“Pip, I wouldn’t do th-“ I started, but it was too late. He grabbed the arrow protruding from his chest and the skeleton’s head fell off. It fell down the hole making lots of loud banging sounds. Gandalf whipped his head around.