Authoress Note: Welcome to Chapter 8. I apologize that it took me so long to get the next chapter up for this story. I just had no muse for it. I know that it isn't the best for me to be doing what I did, but my muse likes to go to different places which causes problems for me. This will probably be the longest chapter that I have written in a while and I hope that you enjoy it. I am also not good at writing fighting scenes. Never have been and probably never will be good at it for as long as I live. It was a sad one for me to write. Without further ado Chapter 8.

Chapter 8

Loss of Gandalf

Gandalf opened the book looking at what was written. "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." He turned the page slowly. He wasn't sure of what he was going to be reading next. "We cannot get out. A Shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out… They are coming."

Pippin, being as ever curious as he was, saw a corpse sitting by a stone well. He reached out and touched the arrow that was protruding through it causing the skull to fall first and then the rest of the body fell into the well.

Asta jumped when they heard the skull falling in.

Pippin winced from the echo. He hoped that he hadn't made a mistake.

Gandalf slammed the book shut. "Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in the next time and rid us of your stupidity!" He grabbed his staff and hat from Pippin.

Drums echoed from deep below.

Asta's eyes widened. This was not good. Not in the least bit.

Sam looked over and saw that Sting was glowing blue. "Frodo!"

Foul sounds were heading in their direction.

Asta held onto her sword tightly in her hands.

"Orcs!" Legolas shouted to the rest of the group.

Boromir ran to lock the door.

Asta quickly followed him and pulled him away from being hit in the face with the arrows that were being shot at him.

Boromir looked at her with wide eyes.

Aragorn dropped his torch. "Get back! Stay close to Gandalf!" He told the hobbits.

The four hobbits got close to Gandalf like Aragorn had told them to.

Aragorn ran to help Asta and Boromir.

A growl was heard. It was a cave-troll.

Boromir scoffed. "They have a cave-troll."

"Oh of course they do." Asta said using a spear that was close to her to blockade the door.

Legolas tossed spears and axes to Boromir, Aragorn and Asta to help with the blockade of the door.

They draw their weapons.

Gimli leapt onto the top of Balin's tomb. He swung his axe around. He yelled. "Let them come! Theres is one dwarf yet in Moria that still draws breath!"

Asta swung her weapon around. She would leave the shooting to Aragorn and Legolas.

Orcs began to break the door down that they had barricaded in hopes to keep them from coming in and killing the entire fellowship.

Legolas and Aragorn began to fire arrows to keep them from coming in.

The cave-troll that they had busted through the door.

Legolas shoots an arrow at him, but it only causes it to growl at him.

Sam looks up just in time to see the troll swinging his mace down. He threw himself under the troll's legs in time.

Legolas fired his arrows killing orcs on the ledge one by one. He dodged the troll's chain several times causing it to wrap around the pillar by accident. Legolas stamped the chain tight and ran across it onto the troll's head. He shoots the troll in the back of the head and then jumps off.

Asta stabbed an orc, killing it.

Boromir saw one behind her. "Asta!"

Asta grabbed her dagger, turning sharply, stabbing the orc in the neck with the blade.

Boromir's eyes widened when he saw her nod her head in thanks.

Sam hit an orc with his frying pan. "I think I'm getting the hang of this."

"Frodo!" Aragorn yelled.

Frodo was hiding behind a pillar to keep away from the troll.

Asta killed another that had tried to kill an orc that had gotten too close to her. She whirled around to see the troll trying to find Frodo who was hiding behind a pillar. She twirled around and killed another orc.

"Aragorn! Aragorn!" Frodo yelled as he hung upside down. Frodo swished his sword around and cut the toll's hand with it causing Frodo to fall to the ground as it growled at him.

"Frodo!" Aragorn grabbed a spear from the floor and stabbed the troll in the chest.

The troll hit him and sent him flying across the room only to collapse to the floor.

Frodo crawled after him and tried to rouse him, but Aragorn was too stunned to move.

Merry and Pippin threw rocks at the troll to no avail.

Frodo begins to run, but the troll blocks his way with a spear, throwing him back into the corner.

The troll stabbed Frodo in the chest, causing Frodo to fall to the floor.

"Frodo? Frodo!" Sam yelled his eyes wide in shock of what had happened.

Merry and Pippin leapt onto the troll's head and began to stab him.

The troll finally grabbed Merry, swinging him around and throwing him to the ground.

Asta began to fight more against the orcs that now surrounded her. Her breath came out in pants as she continued on. Her head moved quickly to see Gandalf and Gimli take turns stabbing at the troll and dodging out of range.

Legolas shot an arrow into its neck.

The troll moans and collapses to the ground causing Pippin to be thrown against the ground and knocked out.

Asta panted as she lowered her sword hearing nothing but silence around the room. The orcs that had been alive had fled away from them.

Aragorn awoke and crawled over to Frodo. "Oh no!" He turned Frodo over panting softly. Did they do all of this for naught?

Frodo gasped for breath.

Sam rushed over to them. "He's alive!"

"I'm alright. I'm not hurt." Frodo said softly slowly sitting up.

"You should be dead! That spear would have skewered a wild boar."

Gandalf looked at Frodo, his blue eyes twinkling. "I think there's more to this hobbit than meets the eye."

Frodo slowly revealed his Mithril shirt.

Sam reached out and touched it in wonder.

"Mithril! You are full of surprises Master Baggins." Gimli said in awe.

Asta turned hearing orcs down the hall. Her head whirled towards Gandalf. "Gandalf we must move."

Gandalf looked at the group. "To the bridge of Khazad-D?m!"

The Fellowship followed Gandalf's orders and ran out the back door of the chamber, pursued by a large army of orcs.

Other orcs sprung out from the floor or crawled down from the ceiling and down the pillars like spiders. They surround the fellowship, who now take out their weapons.

Suddenly a fiery light appeared at the end of the hall and followed by a thunderous growl.

The orcs, scared, fled in panic in all directions.

Asta looked at the light blinking a few times. "What in…"

"What is this new devilry?" Boromir questioned as his eyes went wide.

"A Balrog. A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you. Run! Quickly!" Gandalf explained.

The fellowship quickly rushed through the hall, and entered a passageway, and then down the stars. Parts of the steps end into a chasm and Boromir nearly fell into it if it wasn't for Legolas pulling him back.

The hobbits stop short from falling in. They take another flight of stairs down.

Aragorn and Gandalf bring up the rear of the group.

"Gandalf." Aragorn said, looking over at the grey wizard with wide eyes.

"Lead them on Aragorn. The bridge is near."

Aragorn swallowed the lump in his throat resisting what Gandalf had told him, but Gandalf pushed him away.

"Do as I say! Swords are no longer used here."

Asta turned her head looking at Aragorn. "We have to do what Aragorn says."

They ran down the steep staircase. Half way down, they encounter a huge gap on the stairs.

Legolas leapt forward and landed on the other side. He waved to Gandalf. "Gandalf!"

Gandalf looked back up towards the hall as they heard a loud growl and stones fell around them. Then he leaps after Legolas.

Suddenly arrows whistle through the air, striking the steps they stood upon. Legolas and Aragorn began to shoot back, killing many of the orcs.

"Merry! Pippin!" Boromir said as he grabbed each one on each side and then leapt forward landing on the other side.

Asta grabbed Sam. "Come on Sam." She leapt across the broken stairs landing on the other side.

Aragorn reached over to grab Gimli, but Gimli held up his hand.

"Nobody tosses a Dwarf." He said, before Aragorn would do anything, Gimli leapt forward, but nearly fell back into the chasm.

Legolas' hand quickly shot out, grabbing Gimli's beard.

"Not the beard!"

Some of the stone steps crumble and fall into the fires below.

Aragorn pushed Frodo back up the steps and then climbed after him. They struggled to their feet and looked at the widened gap that separated them from the rest of the fellowship.

The Balrog is heard from the other hall, it's fiery light could be seen. Stone structures around the mine collapse as it draws near. A huge rock fell from the ceiling and smashed down into the steps behind Aragorn and Frodo, creating another gap behind them and weakening the stairs foundation. The stairs began to wobble.

"Steady! Hold on. Hang on! Lean forward! Steady!" Aragorn as he kept himself and Frodo steady.

" Come on! Now!"

Frodo and Aragorn shift their weight forward, tipping the stairs across the divide and slamming into the steps where their companions were. They leapt across to safety, caught by both Legolas and Boromir.

They began to run down the rest of the stairs as the stone structures collapsed behind them.

"Over the bridge! Fly!" Gandalf ordered.

The Fellowship crossed the bridge quickly.

Gandalf stopped halfway over and turned to face the Balrog, who appeared out of the fires, growling. "You cannot pass!"

"Gandalf!" Frodo yelled in shock seeing Gandalf stopping.

A blazing light radiates from Gandalf's staff, illuminating the entire bridge and its surroundings. "I am the servant of the secret fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you! Flame of Ud?n!"

The Balrog striked down on Gandalf with a flaming sword. Gandalf parried the blow with Glamdring, shattering the Balrog's sword.

"Go back to the Shadow!"

The Balrog brandishes a flaming whip, lashing it about menacingly.

"YOU….SHALL NOT…PASS!" Gandalf striked his staff and sword into the bridge.

The Balrog stopped, not knowing what to do. It stepped forward, the bridge collapsed around it and it fell backwards into the chasm, growling.

Gandalf, exhausted, leaned on his staff watching the Balrog fall and then turned to follow the others.

Asta gasped a flaming whip lashed up from the depths and wrapped around Gandalf's ankle, dragging him over the edge.

Gandalf grabbed onto the bridge, but was straining to keep his grip.

Frodo rushed forward only to have Boromir grab him.

"No! No!" Boromir yelled as he kept a hold of Frodo.

"Gandalf!"

"Fly, you fools!" Gandalf ordered them as he lost his grip and fell into the abyss below.

"Nooooooo!"

Boromir grabbed Frodo and began to run, heading for the stairs that lead to the East Gate. "Aragorn!"

"Nooooooo!"

Aragorn stood there in shock staring at the bridge in disbelief unable to move.

Asta grabbed Aragorn's arm as orc arrows started whistling by once again. Asta forced Aragorn out of the way, getting nicked by one of the arrows as they rushed up the stairs and outside into the light.

The Fellowship came running out of the East Gate of Moria, distraught. Sam sat down on the ground bowing his head into his hands weeping. Merry consoles Pippin, who is laying on the ground crying. Boromir tried to restrain Gimli as the dwarf vented out his rage and sorrow. Legolas was shocked and in disbelief that such a thing had happened. Asta's hand was on her nicked arm as she took a shaky breath.

Aragorn stood on a distance from the others, cleaning his sword before re-sheathing it. Then he turned to the others. "Legolas, get them up."

Boromir looked over at Aragorn in shock. "Give them a moment for pity's sake!"

"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with Orcs! We must reach the Woods of Lothlórien. Come Boromir. Legolas. Gimli, get them up." Aragorn reached down to pick Sam up. "On your feet Sam." Aragorn looked around for Frodo. "Frodo? Frodo!"

Frodo was a few paces away, grieving alone, weeping silently. He turned towards Aragorn.

Asta took a shaky breath blinking some tears back. "We must go." She said softly. "Try to find a safe place."

Aragorn turned and looked at her before nodding his head.

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This is the end of Chapter 8 of Frozen. Please leave a review and let me know what you think. I'll try to update as soon as I can. I just hope that I won't be going too long without posting something for this story. I know I have a lot to work with when it comes to this story, and I know I have to work on Asta a bit more. Until next time.