Fiction GotG Chapter 11

Title: Gamble Of The Gods

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to either J.R.R. Tolkien’s "Lord of the Rings" universe, nor David and Leigh Edding’s "Belgariad".

Rating: PG

Genre: Crossover of LotR and The Belgariad

Type: WiP

Timeline: LotR- The beginning of the Fellowship (follows the movies mostly.)

The Belgariad- post books. Beldaran is a young woman now, about seventeen now.

Summary: In an effort to encourage the Fellowship, help is brought into the world in the form of a young woman whose world has already seen the end of its own war.

Chapter Eleven

When Legolas and Beldaran finally caught up with the others, they’d just entered the Dwarf City of Dwarrowdwelf. There was awe in everyone’s voice, even the Elf’s. The sheer magnitude of the architecture was enough to take anyone’s breath away. Gandalf continued to lead them on, but slower now as everyone turned to take in the complexity of the place. Gimli was most excited, naturally. He’d long wished to visit his kinsmen here and though they were initially met by disappointment, he held out a small hope that they might find some other dwarves, hidden away, fighting until the last breath. He glanced to his right, seeking out those possible hiding spots when he noticed something odd.

There was light when there should not have been. Gandalf’s light was to the left of him. He followed the path back to its source and noticed that high above; part of the mountain had been burrowed through, letting in sunlight. He looked back to where it led; recognizing at once the room the errant beam of light was illuminating. A short denial tore from his mouth as he raced to the room. The others called out for him, but he paid them no heed. He had to be sure.

The others followed the Dwarf swiftly, not wanting to become separated. They gathered in the room behind Gimli as he fell to his knees before a tomb, moaning at the sight of it. Gandalf made his way to the tomb, absently taking in the sight of the Dwarven corpses. Gandalf leaned over the tomb and read the carefully etched runes there. "’Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria.’ He is dead then," he sighed as Gimli cried noisily. He swept his hat from his head in a gesture of respect. "It is as I feared." He handed the hat and his staff to the nearby Pippin, then turned to remove a large tome from the skeleton by the sarcophagus. He opened it carefully, although some age worn pages fell out. He blew of some dust, then glanced over the entry date.

The rest of the company milled about nervously, not wanting to disturb Gimli’s grief, but not comfortable at staying. A point that Legolas made quietly to Aragorn. The Ranger simply nodded his agreement. He knew that they wouldn’t be able to budge Gandalf until the wizard learned what he could.

"’They have taken the bridge and the second hall’," Gandalf intoned, reading aloud from the book. "’We have barred the gates, but can not hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums in the deep’." He turned the page. The last entry. "’We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark’." Beldaran couldn’t control the shiver that ran through her as she remembered the dream demon she had seen. "’We cannot get out. They are coming’."

Everyone looked up at the startling noise crashed through the room, only to see a very guilty looking Pippin near an inner well, a headless corpse perched atop. They understood immediately as the skeleton crumbled in on itself and followed it’s hapless head, finally pulling the chain and bucket with it. They all cringed until the last echo died away. There was a moment’s breathless silence as the fellowship waited. But nothing more came. Gandalf slammed the book shut and set it on the tomb.

"Fool of a Took!" he snarled. "Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" Gandalf snatched his hat and staff from the trembling Hobbit. Pippin looked close to tears. As Gandalf began to turn away, a low thrum was heard. The words on the page were coming true. They heard the very same drums. As they all glanced around, Sam noticed immediately, Frodo’s sword and drew everyone’s attention to it.

"Orcs!" Legolas spat. Boromir ran to the door to check and see how close they might be and nearly had his head taken off by some arrows. He whipped back around, resigned to battle. He took in the others.

"They have a cave troll," he muttered to no one in particular. Aragorn shouted instructions to the Hobbits as Gandalf took up position in front of them. Together, Aragorn and Boromir shut the doors as best they could while Legolas tossed them some discarded Dwarven axes to bar them with. Gimli, relieved for the chance to avenge his kin, had jumped up on his cousin’s tomb, growling out threats as he psyched himself for battle.

They waited tensely for what seemed forever, but were more like minutes. Legolas and Aragorn used their bows first, but the Orcs came through the double doors in a mass too large for the arrows to be effective long. And once the first wave was trough, the battle was joined. Beldaran had drawn her sword like Boromir and was standing slightly behind the others. As Orcs screeched at them, she instantly shut off the part of her mind that detested what she was forced to do. It was kill or be killed and she loved life. The blue flame that licked along her sword seemed to have great effect scaring the evil creatures, as it was an instrument of light. And many Orcs fell beneath her onslaught.

She noticed the Cave troll as it came in, but after one glance, decide she’d better stay back. She had little experience with battling large creatures and was not sure if her sword would penetrate far into the troll'’ seemingly tough hide. So she kept slaughtering Orcs that came her way. She reached out her senses and became attuned to what was going on around her by hearing and sixth sense, knowing when to duck, who was hurt and who might need her help. Many had narrow escapes, mostly by luck alone. But then she sensed Legolas up on a high ledge, using his daggers to great skill, but as he spun around to meet another foe, he did not notice how close the troll was.

‘Legolas! Duck!’ her thought screamed to him. He did so automatically, not realizing that the voice was only in his head. He felt the whistle of air as the chain the troll wielded sailed mere inches above him. It snapped into the surrounding wall, breaking off pieces. He watched carefully, anticipating the troll’s next move. Beldaran glanced quickly at him, taking in the situation. ‘Try to get the chain. Lock him down if you can.’ Legolas gave a small nod as he ducked again. The beast tried a new tactic and whipped the chain in an ark with a great overhand swing. It took a great piece out of the ledge. Legolas saw his chance then. The chain had slipped in the troll’s fingers and when it tried to snap it again, the chain wrapped itself around a post. Legolas caught the links with a boot so the troll couldn’t pull them loose. Then with Elven agility, ran up the chain to stand on the troll’s shoulders. He fired an arrow into its head at close range, causing it to bellow and thrash around. Legolas jumped off, avoiding the thing’s grasping hands.

The troll, having sighted new quarry lumbered off in the direction of Hobbits, sensing them to be easier prey. Legolas flashed a grin at Beldaran and they fought again, the creatures still around them. Bel barely took in what happened next, as it seemed to happen so quickly. Frodo was separated from Merry and pippin and the troll centered on him. It was smarter than anyone gave it credit. It knew that Frodo was hiding and eventually trapped him. Luckily, Aragorn stopped the advance with a spear thrust into the troll’s chest. But that did not slow it down as it swept Aragorn aside with such force, knocking the man out. It yanked the spear from its chest and made use of it, stabbing it heavily into Frodo.

Beldaran heard the yells and saw Frodo fall. She stretched out further with her senses and a comforting sound rushed in her ears. She kept fighting, never wavering from her duty. Merry and Pippin jumped form the ledge, onto the troll’s back. And finally, she slew her last Orc and was able to join the others as they took on the troll. The troll had reached up and grabbed Merry off it’s back as Pippin continued to stab ineffectually with his short sword. Gimli swiped at the monster’s flank with his axe and darted out of the way. Gandalf took a turn and danced nimbly out of the way. As the troll swung around, Beldaran cut into it’s arm, the bite of the Rivan sword cutting much worse than the others and it dropped Merry. Gimli cut it again and it swung around, knocking the dwarf down. Legolas had his bow ready, waiting to pick his moment. And finally, Pippin’s sword hurt enough to make the troll rear up. The Elf’s arrow sliced cleanly into the troll’s throat. It reeled for a moment, looking about itself dumbly, before finally collapsing.

Aragorn had thankfully awoken and was crawling towards the still Frodo as the others gathered around. Legolas reached out his hand and felt relieved when Bel slipped hers into it. He still held his bow in the other hand and he grasped it tensely. He glanced down at the redhead, not caring about the problems between them, only seeking comfort in this moment. He was surprised to see that she was glancing towards Frodo, a soft, secret smile on her face. He looked back to see Aragorn rolling the body over. Sam jerked, as if seeing a ghost then darted froward.

"He’s alive!" the joy was evident in the faithful Hobbit’s voice. Frodo gasped and pushed himself to sit up.

"I’m all right," he assured them all, though he was lightly holding his left side, where the spear had hit. "I’m not hurt."

"You should be dead!" Aragorn scoffed in disbelief and relief. "That spear would have skewered a wild boar."

"I think there’s more to this Hobbit than meets the eye," Gandalf grinned wisely as he leaned against a pillar. Silently, glancing about him, Frodo unbuttoned his shirt, showing the other gift Bilbo had made him. A mithril mail shirt. There were gasps all around but for two. Frodo, of course and Bel.

Legolas glanced down at her again. "You knew, didn’t you?" he asked, somewhat accusingly. She glanced out of him and pulled her hand from his grasp. He immediately regretted the harsh words. She had told him from the start that there were things she would just know. And now he had made her hurt again with his mistrust.

"Yes," she answered softly. She turned away to survey the remains of the slaughter as the others continued to comment on Frodo and his luck. The sound of more Orcs cut that short.

Gandalf whirled around. "To the bridge of Khazad-dum!" he ordered. The company fled the enclosed room, not wanting a repeat magnified by thousands of what they had just done. They ran for what seemed forever, Gandalf urging them on. As they ran, they could see Orcs emerging from every nook, cranny and broken wall and floor that they could. The company continued to run, trying to close up formation so that again they wouldn’t be separated. But finally the Orcs began to converge on them.

"Shield!" Beldaran yelled. The others mistook her word and drew their weapons, which they would have done without command. But as the creatures encircled them, they found that the Orcs could only get so close. Their sneering, pig-like faces lunged at them, only to be repelled by some invisible wall. Beldaran held her hands before her, taxing her strength by holding against so many. Gimli growled menacingly.

A soft roar, back the way they’d come from caught everyone’s attention. Even the Orcs. A light shimmered, filling the great hall at the other end. It scared the Orcs so badly that they scrambled back the way they came. Gimli preened as they ran away, as only Dwarves can do. Beldaran twisted around, her eyes going wide as she and the others beheld the new threat.

"Oh no, please no," she whispered. "Not this." The others caught her words, wondering how she knew already that the others; not even Legolas could make out.

"What new devilry is this?" Boromir demanded shakily. Beldaran whispered a word, releasing the shield so that they could move on. Gandalf bent his head, grimacing.

"A balrog," he said slowly. Legolas recognized the name and flinched. "A demon of the ancient world." He glanced up again. "This foe is beyond any of you." He turned swiftly and lunged forward once more. "Run!"

Chapter Twelve