Legolas's POV

That reckless, brave, stupid girl hesitated just long enough for the troll to club her in the side. The force picked Eda up and sent her flying across the room, hitting a pillar on the second level with a sickening crunch. And Tauriel's only child slumped to the floor, motionless.

With a desperate battle yell, Gimli hurled his axe at the monster. The axehead lodged in the troll's shoulder. Enraged, the troll swung its club. It smashed into the tomb, knocking the Dwarf onto his back.

I fired a double at the troll, and the foul creature staggered back. Then I grabbed Gimli's collar and hauled him to his feet. Mordor, those troublesome Dwarves were heavy!

A goblin ran up the stairs to the second level, where Eda was. I drew an arrow and put an end to his course.

The troll found another target and lumbered away. The disgusting creature had to be killed, but I had to get to Eda. There was a chance-a chance-that she was still alive. After ensuring there were no goblins nearby, I ran to one of the pillars and took two steps up, letting my momentum drive me upward. Then I grabbed the edge of the second level and swung myself up.

Eda lay exactly how she'd fallen-on her back, one arm up by her head and the other flung out.

Grief threatened to overtake me, but I forced it back. I glanced around for goblins, but the second level was deserted, save Eda and me. I knelt beside her and pressed my fingers to her throat. A strong, steady heartbeat rewarded my efforts. I closed my eyes and exhaled. Eda was alive.

"Frodo!" Aragorn yelled.

I looked up. The troll had Frodo cornered at the opposite end of the room. Aragorn charged in with a spear, poking the troll's chest, but not penetrating the skin. The troll snatched the spear away, then backhanded Aragorn, knocking him away. He grunted, slowly pulling himself up again.

The troll turned to Frodo, and drove the spear into the halfling's stomach.

"Frodo! Frodo!" Samwise cried.

I stood. Our ringbearer had just been killed. I set an arrow to my bowstring and let it fly into the troll's neck. But it only went in a little. Only enraged the beast further.

The troll turned. It bared its ugly teeth at me and snatched up a discarded chain. Then it sent the end whipping toward my head.

I ducked just in time. The troll snarled and tried again, aiming lower. I threw myself out of the way, feeling the wind stir over my neck. Then I jumped up. The next attempt was a swing, and I ran behind one of the columns-not the one Eda lay beside. The chain wrapped around the base, and I stepped on the end, securing it. Then, calculating my course of action, I ran down the length of chain and onto the troll's shoulders.

As the creature flailed around, trying to get me off, I set two arrows to my bowstring and aimed down into the neck. They penetrated deep, but didn't sever the spine. I didn't get a second attempt; the troll reached for me with his massive hand, and I had to jump down.

I trotted around to its front, readying another arrow. I drew it back, waiting for the right moment...then released it into the troll's open mouth.

The troll staggered, then finally fell. The room was silent, save the heavy breaths of the mortals.

Aragorn crawled to where Frodo lay and pulled him onto his back. "No, Frodo," he whispered. The halfling Samwise slowly walked toward Frodo, his eyes filling with tears.

Frodo gasped, then let out a soft groan. "I'm okay," he said, "I'm not hurt."

I left the rest of the Fellowship to gather around the ringbearer, and trotted up the narrow staircase to the second level. Eda was exactly where I'd left her, still unconscious. After slinging my bow over my shoulder, I gathered her up in my arms.

Mordor, she was heavier than she looked! While she wasn't as heavy as an ordinary Dwarf, she was built more solidly than even her broad bones suggested. Blood dripped from her sleeve, the sleeve where she kept her knife. It must've cut her when she slammed into the pillar.

I winced at the memory and examined her head. There was a bruise forming on the right side of her face, but her skull was intact, and she was alive. It was, in this case, fortunate that she was half-Dwarf. Anything less would've been immediately killed by such a blow.

I carried Eda down the stairs. Frodo was sitting up, revealing a Mithril vest under his shirt. So that's how he survived. I was glad, but my thoughts were elsewhere. I laid Eda on the floor, then began riffling through her pack. When I came up with a roll of bandages, I pulled it out.

After removing Eda's bloodstained knife from her sleeve and tossing it into her pack, I quickly wrapped her forearm in the bandage, not bothering to move her sleeve. We didn't have long before more goblins came, so I had to work quickly. I used the entire bandage, though probably unnecessary, and tied it off.

A goblin's wail traveled through the dark, and Mithrandir said, "To the Bridge at Khazad-Dum!"

I pulled Eda up into my arms once more, and we left the room. Once out, we broke into a run, heading for the east end of Dwarrowdelf. Eda began to stir in my arms, her face burrowing into my shoulder. Then her eyes opened, and she blinked.

"What happened?" she mumbled, putting her arms around my neck.

"Shh," I replied. The last thing we needed was to attract the goblins to ourselves.

But it was too late. There were hoards of goblins chasing after us, a mere twenty yards behind. And more were coming down from the ceiling, up from the cracks in the floor. The room was filled with their screeching and yelling and scrabbling claws. Then they came at us from ahead.

We were surrounded.

I dropped Eda onto her feet and whipped my bow and an arrow out. Eda swayed, and her hand grabbed the side of my tunic. I felt her move behind me, then her forehead rested on my back.

Somehow, it seemed fitting that I would die fighting to protect Tauriel's daughter.

Then a deeper, fouler growl echoed through Dwarrowdelf. The goblins scattered, and Gimli began to laugh. Pigheaded fool of a Dwarf. I gently let the bowstring rest, turning to face the newer, greater enemy. A mysterious orange glow engulfed the back part of Dwarrowdelf. Aragorn eyed it distrustfully, but Mithrandir's expression was one of resignation.

"What is this new devilry?" Boromir whispered.

"A balrog," Mithrandir replied soberly.

"Of Morgoth," I added. Then I frowned. I hadn't meant to speak.

"What did you say?" Eda whispered hoarsely.

The words tumbled out of my mouth without my permission. "They're taking the Hobbits to Isengard!"

The halflings eyed me curiously.

Mithrandir shook his head, scowling. "We haven't the time for this foolishness! Run!"

I pushed my bow back onto my shoulder and pulled Eda into my arms. She gave a sharp inhale, wincing, but didn't resist. Instead, she put her arms around my neck and nestled her head into my shoulder.

The Fellowship finally reached the end of Dwarrowdelf. Mithrandir stopped and motioned for us to go ahead of him. Boromir went through the doorway first, then Eda and I right behind him. Suddenly Boromir stopped, teetering on the edge of a lava-filled chasm. I dropped Eda's legs to grab the back of his tunic and yank him back.

Eda gave a sharp cry, and her fingers clutched at my shoulders.

Boromir took a deep breath and exhaled, then turned to follow the staircase to the right.

"Where are you hurt?" I asked quietly, pulling Eda back up and following Boromir.

"I-" She winced. "My ribs. I th-think they're broken."

"Probably." I carefully descended the tricky staircase. One wrong step could send us hurtling off the staircase and into the lava bed below. The narrow staircase turned frequently at 90-degree angles, constantly descending, and eventually we left the lava chasm behind.

We had almost reached the end of this series of stairs when we reached a gaping hole in the stone work. We would have to jump across one at a time. And quickly. The balrog was fast approaching.

I caught Boromir's glance and motioned for him to go first. He took a halfling under each arm and jumped, crossing the gap with no difficulty. I turned to Mithrandir. "Go."

The wizard made the leap, and Boromir caught his arm, pulling him away from the edge.

"Aragorn," I said.

He touched my shoulder. "You should go."

I shook my head. "No. Take Frodo and Samwise with you."

Aragorn met my gaze for a brief moment, then nodded. As Boromir had, he took the two halflings under his arms and made the jump. As he landed safely, the stairs began to vibrate under my feet.

I backpedaled. "Back up," I hissed at the Dwarf. He scowled, but complied. And just in time. A large section of the stone bricks fell from our side of the staircase. It wasn't an easy distance to jump, and it would be impossible for Gimli. He would have to be thrown.

I gently set Eda down and turned to Gimli. He held up a hand. "Nobody. Tosses. A Dwarf."

I derived great pleasure in looking down at him, and even more in making him look up at me. "Fortunately for Your Shortness, I do." And with that, I grabbed his collar and his belt and hurled him across the distance. His feet reached the edge, but his center of balance did not. He began to fall.

Aragorn caught the Dwarf by his scruffy beard. "Not the beard!" Gimli bellowed, but Aragorn ignored him and yanked him up to safety.

Another rumble. I grabbed Eda and climbed back up the staircase as more sections began to crumble and fall. Until finally, Eda and I were separated from the rest of the Fellowship by an impossible distance.

Then a boulder fell from the ceiling, smashing into the staircase behind us. We were trapped on an island of Dwarvish stairs.

Worse-our island began to fall.

"Lean forward!" Aragorn called, reaching out as though he could help.

I spaced my feet apart, trying to balance my weight and Eda's. But the island was beginning to fall sideways, and my own center of balance was shifting.

A crude arrow grazed my calf. Startled, I dropped Eda. She fell onto the stairs and screamed. Began to roll. Slipped over the edge.

I dove, catching her wrist. Eda was hanging down the side of the staircase island, looking up at me. Her wide eyes looked up at me fearfully.

"I've got you!" I gasped. But she was heavy. And I was beginning to fall, too.

"Legolas." Her voice shook, and tears pooled in her eyes. "Save yourself. Let me go."

"No!" I pulled on her harder. But again, my body slipped closer to the edge.

Eda's lips moved, but no sound came out. Legolas...

Her weight lightened, and she came up easily. Or did I go down? Then I realized. The island. It was falling. And we were beyond saving.

I pulled Eda into my arms, holding her tightly against my chest as we fell.

"No, Legolas." Her voice was a ghost of a whisper. "It's my turn now." And with that, she twisted us around so that she would break my fall.