Fan Fiction ❯ Forget Me Not ❯ Miriam the PerilBringer? ( Chapter 7 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

I held my breath until my lungs felt as if they would burst. I was aware of the entire ruckus going on with the door, but in my mind I wasn't hearing the noise. I wasn't hearing anything. It was as if the sound button in my head had been shut off for some inexplicable reason. I could see the door being ripped to shreds and Aragorn, Legolas, and Boromir killing the Orcs before they came through the holes, but nothing was registering with my brain. I couldn't understand why, now of all times, when I was faced with death, that I would become frozen and stiff. Then I understood.

I was scared.

I already knew that, of course, but now I was shutting down, my mind not being able to take that kind of pressure. I fought recklessly, not knowing what was going on around me or why there was a troll in the chamber. I only knew that if there was a slimy ugly face in front of me than I had to kill it. It was as if my mind had switched to autopilot and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

I can remember Merry, Pippin, and Frodo dragging me with them up to the edge of the wall to find a place where Frodo wouldn't be in some much danger. I don't remember how we got up there, but I can still see the marks of red from Merry and Frodo's hands had dug into my skin. Dimly, I saw Sam fighting with his frying pan, thinking that he had finally gotten the upper hand in something. But, my head was scrambled when it came to the matter of if someone was about to slice my head open and only one thing could wake me up and it wasn't good.

There was a scream and a gasping for air and I was shocked out of my ravine. Instantly all the dangers around me were known to my brain. My blood had run cold and I couldn't figure out why until I saw it. On the other side of a ledge that had been smashed to pieces, Frodo lay in the corner, extremely white with the troll's weapon pierced deep into his chest.

“Frodo!” I screamed in time with nearly everyone else. It was as if all the action had ceased and everyone was looking at him, wondering what on earth had happened. Aragorn rushed through the madding fight towards Frodo, fighting his way there. My body moved on its own, trying to jump over the edge, but Merry and Pippin knew better than I did that I was too small to jump that far and they saved me by my waist just in time. But, gaining their strength back, Merry and Pip looked at each other, let go of me, and lunged at the troll, holding their swords like spears. They clung to its back, desperately trying to hang on while the troll thrashed around, swinging the two of them wildly. I barely saw any of this. (The only reason I know is because Sam has a long memory. Elephants never forget…)

I sunk to my knees without anyone to hold me up and hardly registered that tears were flowing freely down my face. I knew that at that moment, everyone was feeling the same as I was; shocked, scared, and unable to cope…and I never want to have that same feeling again. Once was definitely enough.

Everyone began to fight with more strength than before, frightened that no one would get to Frodo. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him sink to the ground and lie there, still. There came a loud THUD to the left of me, but I didn't care that the troll was finally dead. There was nothing left of me but an empty shell. Or so I thought. As Aragorn crawled toward Frodo, I looked up, wanting to know for sure that he was really dead and it hadn't all happened from my imagination.

“Oh, no…” I heard Aragorn whisper softly, pulling Frodo up from where he lay. But as he did, I heard a moan and ragged breathing as he tried to focus his eyes.

“He's alive,” Sam said with relief. I couldn't control my glee or disbelief and I jumped the distance over to the other side of the wall to get closer. Everyone let out the breath they had been holding inside as Frodo looked around, faintly smiling a little.

“I'm alright…I'm not hurt,” He spilled out hurriedly, trying to capture some more air, as if he could never get enough of it.

Aragorn looked at him in doubt, saying, “You should be dead. That spear would have skewed a wild boar!” His eyes were twinkling. Gandalf stepped forward to survey the scene.

“I think there's more to this hobbit than meets the eye.” Frodo nearly nodded, but instead reached for his shirt and pulled it open, revealing a bright white chain mail underneath. I sat there confused for a moment, then instantly knew what it was, thankful that I had read all those books as a child.

“Mithrill…” I whispered almost inaudibly, reaching forward and touching it lightly. Then I realized what I was doing and immediately pulled back, blushing. I swear I can remember Sam smiling a little at me, making fun of me with his mind.

Gimli, who hadn't spoken in a while, was sincerely surprised. “You are full of surprises, Master Baggins,” he said, but the moment was soon cut very short with faint howling from the hallway, scaring us all into the recognition that the fight was not yet over.

Gandalf looked toward the doorway, saw the shadows as Orcs, and quickly whispered, “To the bridge of Khazad-dum!” He led us, running out of the chamber and I swear that there was a climatic music starting from somewhere. Sam pulled me along, making my hand grimy with his sweat. Then that wasn't a problem, as the instant that we heard screaming and shrieking from behind us, hundreds upon hundreds of Orcs appeared, swarming up for the kill. They were coming from the crevices in the ground, like molten lava oozing from a volcano.

I dared not to look up when I heard Merry say, “They're like spiders! Always moving fast, clinging to the ceiling…” He couldn't seem to take his eyes off the ones above us until Pippin started pushing him to make him run faster.

What a time to be afraid of spiders…I thought uneasily to myself, closing my eyes so I wouldn't be tempted to look up.

The very next second, they formed a box around us, closing in for the kill although Legolas and the others still held their weapons at ready. I could feel Sam stiffen next to me and I knew that he was feeling a little more than claustrophobic right about then. Just as scary as that moment was, the next minute was even more frightening, when the hallway behind me began to growl and grow red.

There was another rumble and the Orcs around us got nervous, howling more and looking more scared than we were which couldn't be a very good sign. In a matter of seconds, they were gone as quickly as they had come, scrambling up the columns and hiding underneath the fissures. We were left alone once more with only Gandalf's light coming from his staff for comfort.

Gimli became quite proud of himself for scaring away the Orcs, as if the whole idea had been his. But there was nothing to celebrate when the growl got lower and louder and Legolas got a worried look on his face; as if he didn't know what or who to shoot at. It's never a good thing when the elf in the group gets scared. That's when you know you're in for it.

I heard Boromir whisper in the quiet, “What is this new devilry?” Thinking that maybe if he knew what it was he could defeat it all on his own. Forgive me for sounding harsh, but when your nerves are on the edge (especially for hobbits) it's hard to stay focused and nice to other people. Gandalf didn't answer him, but closed his eyes, thinking hard.

“A Balrog,” He finally announced to us, not letting his eyes get away from the moving light that was coming quickly down the hall in front of us. “A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you.” He turned away from it and launched into his next step, yelling, “Run!!”

With no time to think, we ran as hard as w had been before, through another open door. Unfortunately, all we found was a cut off stairway with the deep depths of the mines below. Thankfully Legolas caught Boromir before he fell to his death and the rest of us stopped short of the ledge.

Gandalf was quickly and quietly telling Aragorn something, pointing to the bridge, but it seemed like Aragorn was unwilling to listen. “Do as I say!” Gandalf shouted so forcefully that I was almost knocked backwards over the edge if it weren't for the other four's hands about my waist. “Swords are no more use here…”

We scuttled down the narrow steps, each of us Hobbits taking them two at a time to make up for our short legs, but the tiny bridge looked less inviting than an oyster. I came to a standstill for a moment, but Gimli pushed me forward, knocking some more sense into my dead head.

Legolas swiftly jumped the semi-small gap between one part of the bridge to the other and looked up expectantly to Gandalf, mentally telling him what to do. “Gandalf!” he shouted, waving his arm to tell him to hurry up, because the Balrog was gaining on us, according to the cracks in the stairs behind us. Gandalf jumped agilely over to the other side. The rest of us were mentally preparing to do the same when there came the spears being thrown at us from across the other side. I thanked God silently that the Orc's brains were small and they didn't have good aim, although our feet were almost clipped by the spears.

“Merry! Pippin!” Boromir gave no warning as he grabbed the two and launched them over to the other side with himself, taking a chunk of the bridge with them. As The Orcs threw more and more spikes at us, we began to fight back, but with better aim, killing more of them than any of us.

“Sam…Miriam…!” Aragorn picked up Sam, who was holding my hand, and tossed him over. Sam's hand was slick and although he made it perfectly, my hand slipped out of his and left me holding the very edge of the stairs.

“Help me!!” I screamed, feeling the spears whizzing by my feet as they tried desperately to be on solid ground. Gandalf reached down and pulled me up as if I weighed nothing. I smiled gratefully, but he just turned away and set his sights on helping Gimli get across.

“Nobody tosses a dwarf.” He insisted firmly when Aragorn tried to do the same thing to him as he did to us. He prepared himself and put all his weight into the jump, making his body fall backwards when he missed the ledge. Thinking quickly, Legolas reached out and grabbed the only thing that would not let him fall back-his beard. “Not the beard!” Gimli shrieked, but it was too late; Legolas pulled him up and over and he was fine.

Just then things became a lot worse. The instant that Gimli arrived safely over, the edge where Aragorn and Frodo were standing cracked. And broke off with both of them on it. Thankfully, Aragorn was quick and they both were able to scramble back onto the rock again. I suppressed my scream, but my mouth hung open at the distance that they now had to cross. Frodo never had been a very good jumper and now was the time to learn, apparently.

“Steady,” Aragorn warned Frodo, trying to help him keep his feet from flying out in front of him. Suddenly everyone's mouths were open in shock, thinking the same thing; that it was impossible that both of them could ever jump the six or seven feet to the other side. Aragorn wasn't giving up, though. “Hold on!” he yelled, but he still looked uncertain about how to jump. Especially because the Balrog had now almost entered the cracking doorway at the top of the staircase and all the stones began falling at a faster rate.

As if the stones had heard me thinking, one crashed down, landing square on the stairs, behind Aragorn and Frodo. Aragorn tried to keep their balance on the shaky ground that was under him, but it still began to collapse, tilting sideways just a bit. “Hang on!” Aragorn warned again, this time looking as if he were ready to actually do something.

We watched in horror as Aragorn slowly made the rock turn toward us with his weight, knowing that it might not work. I felt as if my face were frozen with the same look of fear plastered on it since when the Orcs attacked. The two were unsteady for a moment, but soon they were coming closer, close enough so that the two parts of the staircase were to ram into each other.

“Lean forward!” Aragorn insisted, directing Frodo and pushing him a little so that his added weight would help immensely. There were a few tantalizing seconds…then…BOOM they were there, jumping so that they wouldn't fall down with the stairs.

We ran as fast as we could, not daring for a moment to look behind us when the middle half of the bridge broke with a horrifying crash. I scarcely had time to even check that everyone was accounted for and I know that part of me inside was scared to look, knowing that my heart would break if I did.

Thankful to be off the slippery stairs, I stopped to rest, but was swept away instantly by the others rushing past me, Frodo and Merry grabbing my shirt and hands, pulling on me. Gandalf was shouting, telling us to get over the bridge and to literally fly, but as soon as I felt the hot flames on my back that marked the Balrog's coming, I was the one pulling on Merry and Frodo instead of the other way around.

Gandalf was the only one to stay behind as the Balrog emerged from the flames as if it were the flame itself. He looked it straight in the eye, seeming to size it up, and turned to run with us. It looked like an act of cowardice, but if I were the one standing there I wouldn't have even looked it in the eyes, but would have run without ceasing for two days. (You should know by this point in the story that I'm somewhat of a wimp in most cases…)

I came thundering along after us as we slowed to try to cross the narrow bridge that lay before us. It didn't look very thick, certainly not strong enough to hold all of our weight at the same time, but we took our chances and ran across it all at once, us hobbits trying not to look down at the abyss below. Just as it seemed that we were finally safe as we got to the other side, we turned to see Gandalf stopping in the middle of the bridge and facing the monster.

“You cannot pass!” In an act of heroic bravery, Gandalf seemed to think it might help us if he fought the stupid thing. My mind was racing, telling myself that if this went on he wouldn't live to smell the outside air.

“Gandalf!” Frodo called, screaming it to make sure that Gandalf would know that he was being an idiot. Well, in my dictionary he was, anyway… (Looking back on it now…I can say that I was the idiot; to not see the importance of what we were doing…)

The Balrog increased the fire burning through itself, building up to become menacing so that maybe Gandalf would back off and let himself be killed so that the Balrog wouldn't have to go through so much trouble. It didn't work.

“I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor.” At the last word, Gandalf raised his staff above his head, increasing the bright glow coming from it as he did. For a minute, the Balrog's fire seemed to flame a little less brightly. “The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun!” But right while Gandalf was still talking, it pulled out a fiery sword and crashed it against Gandalf's light.

Sparks flew everywhere as everyone seemed to instinctively get closer to try to help. The sword had been broken, torn into pieces and the Balrog got even madder. Gandalf said something threatening, so softly that I couldn't hear it. Whatever he said, it made the Balrog step forward, pulling out another fiery weapon. This time it was a whip. He brandished it, cracking it against the stone beside him making a terrible SNAP as he did, making me jump a foot into the air and hold on to whoever was standing beside me tightly.

Gandalf stood his ground, shouting. “You shall not pass!” He banged his staff and sword against the stone bridge, unknowingly or knowingly creating a crack. The Balrog stepped forward again, angrier than ever, snapping the whip at Gandalf. But, as he did, the bridge cracked, falling down with the Balrog on it. In a mass of fire and smoke, we watched wide-eyed as it fell, roaring the whole way.

Everyone let out their breath that we had been unconsciously holding, grateful that it was all over and we could get out of the mines and back on track. Gandalf turned back around, walking away with a disgusted look on his face. Then I heard a sound that couldn't be good. It was the sound of a whip snapping backward.

In an instant it had hold of Gandalf's ankle and slid him all the way to the edge of the cliff that had formed when the bridge broke. Then it fell out of sight. For one second none of us were able to move; the image of Gandalf in peril had us frozen to where we were; no one actually thought that Gandalf wasn't going to get out of the predicament alive. Then we came to our senses and rushed forward all together, crying out to him.

“Gandalf!” Frodo shouted, but Boromir caught him and held him back as we stopped running toward him, unsure of what to do now.

Gandalf hung on to the last end of the cliff. I thought he was going to make it. Then he stopped, and whispered, “Fly, you fools!” and dropped out of sight.

“No!” several of us cried, but it was too late. Nothing could stop Gandalf from falling down into the abyss as much as we wanted it to. Every word that was shouted to run seemed muffled as Aragorn and the others picked us up to hurry us along. Every happy memory that I had from the Shire had included Gandalf in it; if we ever were to go home, how could we live there knowing he would never return. He was…a legend…He was…Gandalf.

The Orcs' arrows had started to fly again, but by that time we were already gone. The cold blistered my face, but it was a welcome feeling. Anything that could take away and fill the huge gap in my chest was a welcome feeling. I got more than a few feet from the door before I collapsed on the hard rocks. I didn't want to look at anyone else, knowing that they were suffering too. Least of all not Frodo, because his pain was already too much to see.

I just wanted to pound my fist against the rocks until every one of them were as broken as I felt, then lay down in the rubble and sleep. To sleep and never wake up again so that I'd never have to live through the pain of grief. So that I could just wallow in my misery, letting the same scene play through my head again…and again…and again…until it had gone away.

But the sleep wouldn't come. Even with traveling for hours on end, by the end of the day it didn't seem like I was tired. I knew the real reason, though. I just couldn't let the truth wash over me. I needed something of some sort keeping me occupied to let my mind not worry or dwell on what had happened.

We raced into the woods, but I didn't care anymore about where we were going or how we were getting there. In fact, I was thinking about a conversation that I had had with Pippin the other night. As I said, I would keep anything running through my mind to keep the pain at bay.

“You haven't slept in days,” he stated, as if I didn't already know that. The bags under my eyes alone were enough proof. I kept silent so he went on talking to fill the void in conversation. “You haven't eaten, either. Don't let what happened make you turn to starvation to make the hurt go away.” Pip stared at me hard, so I knew that I'd have to say something.

“We all are, Pip,” I said, glancing around at everyone sitting and staring off into space. “Don't you see that's all we've been doing since Gandalf-” I choked on my words, not able to get them out. Pippin nodded, silent once more, obviously content to hear my voice as a sign that I was still alive.

Frodo came over and sat down next to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder in a silent want for comfort. I leaned into him, hugging his waist. Pippin knew that he should probably leave now and he did, leaving us alone. Frodo and I hadn't talked since the incident. It was just something that we had accidentally agreed on without knowing it. We just knew deep inside that if we were going to make it, we had to make it together.

I was brought back to the real world as I heard Gimli boasting (er…saying something important…) as we walked through the unsettling woods. “They say that a great sorceress lives in these woods.” He said, moving all the hobbits closer together to listen. “An Elf-witch…of terrible power. All who look upon her…fall under her spell.” Suddenly the woods seemed more ominous to me and everything looked as if it were the sorceress. I caught Sam rolling his eyes and I felt my mouth curving into a smile for the first time in what felt like years.

Gimli said something else, but I was too preoccupied with what strange thing Frodo was doing now. “What's wrong?” I asked as he whipped his head around again, clearly hearing something no one else could.

“Nothing…” he whispered after a few moments and he took my hand to try to reassure me. A smile would have been better.

“Well…” Gimli was boasting again, not aware that we were rolling our eyes at him behind his back. “Here's one dwarf she won't ensnare so easily. I have to eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox.” Proven wrong in an instant, of course, by the silent elves who had cut off our path, pointing arrows directly at our faces.

“The dwarf breathes so loud, we could have shot him in the dark,” One of the identical blonde elves taunted. Merry, Pippin, Sam, and I had a hard time keeping in our laughter. It was one thing that we had joked about when we first met Gimli. He looked irritated, to say the very least.

Another hour later, we were once again in a different place, surrounded by elves once more. The place was beautiful, but not quite as much as Rivendell, I'm afraid. I think I'm a bit biased, though.

The blonde elf who had spoken earlier made rounds through each of us, stopping to talk to Legolas and Aragorn, trying to ignore Gimli altogether. He stopped at Frodo, eyes wide. “You bring great evil with you…” he said, clearly taken aback at what was going on here.

“Don't you think we're getting a little tired of hearing that? Wouldn't you think people should have noticed by now?” I whispered to Sam. He suppressed a smile and elbowed me gently. (Except replace the word gently with the phrase `with mind-numbing pain that spread from my appendix to my chest.' I didn't think he had it in him to fight like a man…)

“You can go no further.” I heard the elf say and I held back my surprise and outburst of how it was unfair. The others just turned to Frodo, who didn't have anything to say.

Half an hour later Aragorn was still fighting with the elf and we were still waiting for the verdict. Merry and Pippin were secretly counting how much smoke they had for their pipe left, Sam, ever a fan of the elves, was staring off into oblivion, and Frodo and I were sitting together, trying to think of things to say to keep the tension at bay. After an uplifting speech given to Frodo by Boromir, I finally figured something out.

“Everything's going to be alright, you know.” I said suddenly, half not believing that it came out of my own mouth.

Frodo looked at me for so long that I became uncomfortable and began to ramble. “I mean…” I started, glancing around for something to take his attention away from me. I gave up and turned to look at him straight in the eye. “Sure, everything that has happened so far has lead up to the fact that we're all going to die.” He smiled weakly, giving me the strength to go on. “But it's the small things that keep us going. Like…” I searched around for an example. “Like how every morning Merry and Pippin ask for Second Breakfast when they know very well that they didn't get it the day before. Or, how Gimli and Legolas have contests that prove nothing but how stupid they are to try to beat each other.” By now I had earned myself a small audience and they were all smiling, a welcome sight.

“Just like when Sam insists on cooking, even when we all know he can't.” Frodo joined in, surprising me. This earned a protest from Sam and a cry that he was just joking from Frodo.

“Boromir sings off-key when he sharpens his knife!” Merry piped in, eager to add anything. We all laughed softly. “They're also show tunes.” Pippin added a second later and was awarded by louder laughter.

“Hey!” Sam protested again. “What about something silly that Miriam's done?” I shot him a glance and he smiled innocently at me.

“Miriam doesn't do anything wrong.” Frodo said, taking my side. But Merry and Pippin were smiled evilly-never a good sign in my book.

Merry waited a few seconds to keep in suspense. “Well…” he slowly pretended to deliberate in his mind before spilling it. “She thought Pip was gay.” They all laughed, even Pip before he caught on and got mad. Frodo was trying to hold it in, but I gave him a look and he let it out, unable to stop for five whole minutes.

When everything had settled down again, he gave me a thankful look. “I think you're right, Mira.” He told me, calling me by my old nickname again. He pulled me closer to him. “Everything will be semi-right.” He took my face in his hands and kissed me, sending a tingle up and down my spine and earning a disapproving look from Sam, the expert of spoiling all fun.

“You will follow me.” The elf appeared from around the corner, apparently all fighting done. Silently I praised Aragorn's arguing abilities.

So again we trekked through the forest, but this time it wasn't as long as before and soon we were at our destination. “Caras Galadhon,” The elf had called it. “The heart of Elvendom on earth,” It was magnificent. “Realm of the Lord Celeborn and of Galadriel, Lady of Light.”

The names had not meaning to me, but the impact of everything around us made me gasp for breath. There were spiral staircases wrapped around tree trunks the size of half the Shire. I couldn't begin to imagine how the stairs stayed on the trees. Everything about the elves had already made me feel small and insignificant, now this was something else to make me feel two inches tall.

We came to a landing to meet Celeborn and Galadriel. As they came down the steps, there seemed to be a radiance shining from their forms; an inner beauty that must have matched their outer one, for they were the most regal elves I have yet to meet. They made me feel grateful to be even looking upon their light they emitted. Yeah…that kind of effect.

“The enemy knows you have entered here,” Lord Celeborn began, his voice trickling over everyone like honey. At the same time, he made my heart feel heavy, as if I were the one to blame. “What hope you had in secrecy is now gone.” He stopped, glancing around at the lot of us. “Nine there are here, yet ten there were set out from Rivendell,” He looked at me. Something about the numbers seemed off. Then I knew I wasn't supposed to be with the Fellowship. I had screwed something else up and this time my loved ones would pay with their lives.

He stopped looking at me. “Tell me, where is Gandalf? For I much desire to speak with him. I can no longer see him from afar.” Aragorn seemed to be avoiding Lady Galadriel's eyes. What was going on? Was she speaking to him? How?

“Gandalf the Grey did not pass the borders of this land.” Galadriel's voice was hardly more than a whisper, yet every syllable she spoke was loud. “He has fallen into shadow.” She was shocked to hear this. We all looked guiltily back at her.

“He was taken by both shadow and flame,” Legolas tried to explain. Galadriel didn't seem to understand. “A Balrog of Morgoth.” Her eyes showed recognition. Celeborn looked as if he needed to sit down and digest the information. Legolas kept going on. “For we went needlessly into the net of Moria.” Gimli bowed his head in shame.

“Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life.” She answered Legolas as if he had said something despicable. “We do not yet know his full purpose.” She turned to Gimli and was saying something, but I was already drifting away to some other land, not able to keep up with all that was being said.

“The quest stands upon the edge of a knife,” I caught. “Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all.” Then I knew she was talking directly to me, but she went on, her eyes not pausing long on me. “But hope remains while company is true.” Galadriel looked at Sam and I suppressed resentment. “Do not let your hearts be troubled, go now, and rest…for you are weary with much sorrow and toil. Tonight, you will sleep…” Her lips kept moving, speaking other words, but instead I heard a voice inside my head, although she was looking at Frodo.

Welcome, Miriam of the Shire…you bring great peril to the ruin of all…

My heart beat faster in my chest and my head began to spin. I tried to tell myself she must be mistaken…I wasn't the one had been carrying the ring all this time…yes, that's it…it was an error…but in my heart I knew I was fooling myself.

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Yes, yes, yes…I know, I know!! It's been forever!!! And I'm not joking…I think it's been…how many months…?

Anyways…I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It was a little bit shorter, but I think that the next chapter is gonna be the last chapter for the first movie…FINALLY!!! C'mon!! CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES, C'MON!! Sorry…I just finished reading the seventh book of Fushigi Yugi and the main character kinda rubbed off on me a bit…

Yes. And there have been a couple of complaints that I've been just getting all the lines from the movie and copying that. All I have to say is…if you're willing to stick around for one more chapter of that…then…you are going to love everything after that. Yeah, I'm going to be doing a lot more original things in the next couple of chapters, because I have BIG plans for Miriam…hehehe…MWHAHAHAHAHA!! I mean…

See you next chapter…hopefully…

READ AND REVIEW!!!