11 |
He Stands Not Alone |
For Elena Tiriel's birthday over at HASA. |
"Now is the last chance," Mithrandir shouts. "Run for it!" Run, or be forever entombed in darkness: we cannot get out... Aragorn has Frodo; Merry and Pippin sprint before him, Sam follows- Something about the shape of the air behind me makes me look round: no Dwarf. There the fool stands yet as though carved from the stone of his forefather's tomb. Doom, doom. Afterwards I do not remember choosing. I turn, run, lunge as black-mailed orcs crowd in again; I have him- Not till we pause at the next stair's foot does he look up, panting. "My thanks, Elf." ******* "The others followed; but Gimli had to be dragged away by Legolas: in spite of the peril he lingered by Balin's tomb with his head bowed." FoTR, The Bridge of Khazad-Dum. Oh, and Gandalf's opening line is a direct lift from that chapter. |