The fellowship continued to walk along the city hall, not rushing since they were still in awe and did not want to leave too soon. They seemed to forget that there might be evil lurking in the mines, and they barely spoke to each other now because they wanted to take it all in. Suddenly, Gimli took off in another direction, toward a small chamber not far away.

"Gimli!" Gandalf called, but Gimli ignored him completely.

Míriel saw Gimli kneeling in front of what looked like a tomb made out of stone. She hurried toward him and the fellowship followed suit, and while she was walking she hoped it was not what she thought it were. As Míriel entered the chamber, she saw to her horror that dozens of skeletons were scattered across the floor.

"What happened here?" Míriel said quietly and lowered her gaze sadly.

Gimli began howling with sadness, leaning his head against the tomb. Míriel walked up to him slowly and saw a writing upon it, but could not understand its meaning since it was in Khuzdul. She dared not ask Gimli what it said since she didn't want to interrupt his mourning. She knew what had happened before Gandalf announced it though, as she had a feeling that there was no good news awaiting by the grave.

"Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria," he read loudly and slowly took his hat off in respect. "So he is dead then. It is as I feared."

Míriel sighed as she felt deep pressure over her chest, and felt tears pricking her eyes. Balin's image was still very clear in Míriel's mind as if she had seen him just the day before. His hair would have been white as snow, as would his beard, though perhaps with a little dirt on the ends since it reached all the way to the ground.

As Gimli was mourning his dead cousin, she mourned her friend all the same. Balin had not deserved a death so cruel and the fact that his men had died by his grave must have meant that he was dead before Moria was attacked. It could have been years and Míriel felt stupid for not coming earlier, that she had not come to aid her friend. She took farewell of Balin for the last time and hoped that he had remembered her as a friend rather than an enemy and that he had known how much she cared for him.

Míriel felt the obvious stares that Legolas was giving her, and she turned to face him. Of course, he was confused as to why an Elf was crying over the death of a Dwarf and his face told her that he was as confused as she thought.

"I knew him," Míriel simply spoke before turning back to the grave and placing her hand on the tomb.

In the corner of her eye, she saw Gandalf picking up an old dusty book from the floor, written in the Dwarves tongue as well.

"We must move on," Legolas mumbled to Aragorn. "We cannot linger."

"They have taken the bridge and the second Hall," Gandalf read out loud for them all to hear. "We have barred the gates but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums - drums in the deep. We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out. They are coming."

Míriel flinched when Pippin accidentally made a skeleton fall through the well - taking its chains and a bowl with it down - creating much noise for everyone in the entire mine to hear. It might attract whatever creatures that still dwelled in these mines as it echoed in the silence.

They were quiet for a moment - waiting for something to come and attack them but the mine remained silent all the same. They had been very lucky for they did not know what was lurking in the dark. Something had attacked the Dwarves, they would not have been defeated so easily and certainly not so many of them. That something may have still dwelled in Moria, waiting for its next prey. Because of this, Míriel hoped that Pippin would be able to control his clumpiness in the future because he could have put them all in much danger.

"Fool of a Took!" Gandalf said and slammed the book closed - he was full of anger toward the young Hobbit. "Next time throw yourself down instead so we will get rid of your stupidity!"

Míriel felt a little bad for Pippin, he was a rather clumsy person and it seemed as though he couldn't help it. Hopefully it was a lesson learned for him.

As they all began to relax they suddenly heard what they had been dreading - drums in the dark. The creatures were coming and now the fellowship were as stuck as Balin's people had been. Trapped in the chamber, the fellowship were facing the same fate as the poor Dwarves scattered on the ground. That was not an option, though, the fellowship had a great mission at hand. They could not fail.

"Frodo," Sam said and glanced at Frodo's sword Sting that had once been Bilbo's.

Frodo's sword was no longer it's regular steel colour for now it was icy blue. It meant that either Goblins or Orcs were nearby.

"Orcs," Legolas said as Míriel heard them closing in.

It had been a while since Míriel last fought Orcs and she could not claim to have missed their company. It was drawing near the first fight this fellowship would encounter, one of many Míriel guessed.

"We need to keep them away for as long as possible," Míriel spoke up to urge the fellowship to take up arms. They were nearing the exit to the mine and so there was no point giving in just yet.

"Close the door!" Aragorn told Boromir and Legolas. The two began hurrying toward the door while the Hobbits stood together, frightened and confused of what to do. "Get back! Stay close to Gandalf."

Gandalf ushered the Hobbits behind him and drew his sword and the Hobbits did the same even though they seemed very uncertain if they were doing the right thing. Boromir hurried to close one of the doors but Míriel could hear arrows shooting toward him.

"Boromir watch out!" Míriel warned him as she saw the two arrows come flying to hit him in the head. He managed to move his head in time and close the door.

Míriel backed away toward Gandalf to prepare to fight, she would try to hold them off from the Hobbits for as long as possible but eventually, she would have to use her sword and dagger to fight too.

"They have a cave troll," Boromir said and chuckled sarcastically.

Aragorn and Legolas helped him barricade the door to hold the Orcs off and buy them some time. They used everything they could find, spears, axes and swords. Míriel could hear them start to break in despite their attempts to block the entrance, and took her position next to Legolas and Aragorn who had bows and arrows. With Boromir there, the four of them readied their weapons. Míriel drew her bow and aimed for the door, inhaling and prepared herself for what was coming.

"Let them come!" Gimli shouted from behind them and stood on Balin's grave, prepared with his axe. He would fight for his fallen cousin, and so would Míriel.

"There is one Dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!"

*

The fight by Balin's tomb had not been easy, but they had done it. They had one big scare which was when Frodo was attacked by the cave troll that the Orcs brought, and it had appeared that a spear had pierced through Frodo's chest and killed him. They were wrong though, Frodo survived because he bore a chainmail made of Mithril under his shirt which saved him. It was the same chainmail that Bilbo had received from Thorin Oakenshield a long time ago and it had truly lived up to what people said about it. Frodo was completely unharmed when they found him, only a little surprised and frightened.

"To the bridge of Khazad-Dûm," Gandalf said as they heard more screeches from Orcs in the mine.

They were so close and it seemed better now to try and escape rather than waiting for more Orcs to attack. The fellowship hurried in the direction of the bridge and were lucky enough to be given a break from the Orcs. Míriel were certain that more Orcs than those encountered in the tomb were awaiting them, though, and so there was no time to spare.

The fellowship ran until Gandalf suddenly urged them to stop and soon it became apparent why. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Orcs suddenly began surrounding them, climbing down the walls and pillars and sprouting out of holes in the ground. Aragorn and Gandalf made the fellowship stand close and form a circle around the Hobbits for protection. Míriel drew her bow once more and awaited the Orc's attack, but they were awaiting something.

Once all hope seemed lost, a growl was heard - a deep growl further down from within the mines. It was a sound like no other, making the very ground vibrate and all the Orcs grew silent. Suddenly they ran, one by one and faster than ever the Orcs dissolved and ran back to their holes. They were afraid of the growl which brought Gimli a lot of pleasure as he started laughing at them. Míriel was not certain that this was a good thing, though, for if the Orcs were scared of whatever creature was growling, the Fellowship had reason to be so too. Another growl was heard, one that now scared them all.

"What is this?" Boromir asked quietly, glancing at Gandalf to seek for answers. "New devilry?"

Gandalf was quiet for a moment - did not answer Boromir's question. He looked disturbed as he muttered something to himself. Míriel closed her eyes and saw the creature behind closed eyelids. A giant of fire with horns and eyes black as the underground it came for. It was the devilry that the Dwarves had awoken when they dug in Moria - too deep and too greedily.

"A Balrog," Gandalf said quietly and even Legolas looked terrified with the mere mention of the creature. The picture of the creature had a name now, Balrog. "A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you - run!"

With that command, the Fellowship set off after Gandalf and ran quickly toward the bridge.

"Hurry!" Gandalf yelled. They walked through an opening and Míriel saw a set of stairs.

They started running down them with Boromir in the lead. As they passed a doorway into a part similar to the mines they had been making their way through for days, Boromir reached the edge and stopped suddenly. The stairs had suddenly ended and his torch fell down into the darkness, he would have done so too if not Legolas had been quick to pull him back to safety.

They paused for a moment to catch their breath and rest. A loud growl was heard again which motivated them to start running once more, not stopping for anything since they were more afraid than tired. They rushed down the stairs and then stopped again for there was yet another gap between the stairs which was very frustrating. It was quite large but not impossible to jump across. Legolas made the jump first, not even hesitating before landing safely on the other side.

"Gandalf," he said and motioned for him to jump too. Gandalf leapt and landed safely as well. Míriel turned to the sound of the Orc with bows, they were lining up on the edges rather far away from them to shoot at the fellowship.

Legolas drew his bow and started firing arrows towards the Orcs. Míriel made the jump herself and was caught by Gandalf as she moved to safety and glanced at the others still on the other side. Boromir grabbed Merry and Pippin and jumped across the gap - making the stairs crumble and fall apart on the edge. It left the rest with a larger gap to jump across. Aragorn picked Sam up and tossed him across the gap - Míriel caught him and pulled him to safety as well. It was Gimli's turn next but as stubborn as he was - he refused any help.

"Nobody tosses a Dwarf," he said and made a jump across the gap by himself, which was a little foolish since it was too far for him. He slipped on the edge but Legolas hurried forward and grabbed his beard - managed to pull him over too even though Gimli cried out in pain since the Elf was pulling at his most precious possession. "Not the beard!"

"Míriel, the Orcs," Gandalf said and nodded toward them. "Block their arrows."

Míriel knew that Gandalf was putting pressure on her because he believed in her, but Míriel would not like to be the only barrier between them and the Orcs' arrows. She tried her best, though, to create an invisible barrier in front of the fellowship and sure enough, most of the arrows bounced back before they even got close enough to do any harm. It was lucky, for the fellowship had other issues to think of. Aragorn and Frodo were still trapped on the other side and the gap grew as other pieces fell into the abyss. They were not going to be able to jump that distance and Aragorn could not throw Frodo that far either. They needed to come up with another plan, and luckily enough Aragorn was clever even when under pressure.

To Míriel's relief, they managed to cross by leaning and moving the stairs with their weight which made the staircases crash into each other. Legolas caught Aragorn and Sam caught Frodo - assuring them safety at least for a little while longer. The fellowship hurried down the remaining stairs and it was not too long until they reached flat ground once more.

"Over the bridge!" Gandalf yelled and made them all rush past him so he would run in the back of the group again.

The bridge was near and it did not take long before Míriel passed over it. She sighed with relief as she managed to get to the other side, finally safe, and watched as more and more of the fellowship crossed. For a moment, it felt as though they had all made it for Gandalf, as the last person to cross, was halfway across the bridge. Then, Míriel saw with her own eyes as Gandalf suddenly stopped in the middle and turned back the way they came from.

Míriel frowned and wondered what the Wizard was doing, but soon realised his plan as the Balrog stepped out from the shadows, finally revealing itself. They had only heard its mighty grown and now the terrible monster stood right before them. It was tall with dark skin and flames covering its entire body. Large horns grew from his head and nothing of its face could be seen save for the eyes.

"You cannot pass!" Gandalf warned the Balrog.

What was the Wizard going to do though? The Balrog was three times his size and it did not seem frightened at all by Gandalf. Gandalf was powerful, yes, but could he really do something against this horrid creature that did nothing more than spread fear and darkness? Míriel glanced up at the Balrog, looked into its eyes and suddenly her head began to swim. A deep pressure formed over her chest, forcing her to bend over and lean her hands on her knees. There was something terribly dark about the Balrog.

"Gandalf!" Frodo cried, fearing for him being alone against the creature Balrog.

Míriel had almost forgotten that Gandalf was there and she suddenly fell to the ground, gripping her hair to stop the pain in her head. Aragorn hurried toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder but she shook it away, she did not want to be touched for it would only make it worse. She glanced up from the ground at the scene in front of her.

The Balrog had a sword out of fire and took a great step out on the bridge, cracking it slightly with its weight. Everyone in the Fellowship was frozen to stone - they could only stand on the other side of the bridge and watch Gandalf and the beast. No one tried to help him, because what could they do?

"You shall not pass!" Gandalf boomed and smashed his staff to the ground. The staff made the ground vibrate and Míriel's head stopped swimming.

The Balrog took one last step and the bridge collapsed where it stood. It fell down into the darkness with an ear deafening roar, and the Wizard had managed to defeat it. Míriel smiled relieved when Gandalf turned around and took a step towards them but a fiery whip came out of nowhere and grabbed his ankle, dragging him over the edge.

"Gandalf!" Frodo bellowed. He tried to run for Gandalf's aid but Boromir held him in a steady grip. Míriel should have done the same, she should have tried to help him, but she was frozen solid to the ground. Gandalf tried heaving himself up but stopped and looked at every one of the members of the fellowship. Even before opening his mouth, Míriel knew what he was going to do and ask of them.

"Fly you fools!"

Míriel gasped as he let go and fell into the same darkness as the Balrog - disappearing into shadow and abyss. Gone was the Wizard she had known for so long, yet another person she had called her friend. It took a little while before Míriel could even move from her spot on the floor, and by then the pain started kicking in and she cried out, feeling as someone had torn her heart from her chest.

Míriel did not have a clear memory of what happened next inside the mine, only that Aragorn and Boromir had forced everyone to continue out of Moria for the Orcs had started firing arrows at them again. They ran quickly out of Moria, over rocks and boulders until they finally stopped outside, safe by the sunlight from the Orcs in the mine. But no one felt happiness as they got out to safety, everyone's heart was broken and their minds blurry. The loss of Gandalf was heartbreaking in a way that no one could seem to understand that he was actually gone - for good. He was never coming back, they had lost their friend and leader after all this time. They were lost without Gandalf, they had no one to turn to.

Tears ran down Míriel's cheeks as she stopped to catch her breath. Sam fell to the ground and cried, as did Merry and Pippin who tried comforting each other. Gimli refused to understand what had happened and tried to run inside to look for Gandalf. It was Boromir who held him back.

Legolas paced aimlessly back and forth across the boulders and Míriel saw the look of confusion and sadness in his face. His mind was clearly trying to grasp the reality of what had just happened.

"Get them on their feet Legolas!" said Aragorn and cleaned his blade with a piece of cloth. This seemed to awaken Legolas from his trance as he began doing as Aragorn said.

Míriel glanced at Aragorn who seemed the least sad about Gandalf's death. Míriel knew it was not true, though, for the ranger only tried to remain strong for the sake of his companions. It was too early to get over the grief of Gandalf, but at the same time the light of day would not always protect them against what was still lurking inside the mine. They needed to keep moving, continue for Gandalf's sake and mourn him later.

"Give them a moment for pity's sake!" Boromir snapped at Aragorn.

He thought it was insensitive of Aragorn to do this, but now that Gandalf was gone, Aragorn was the best they had as a leader. They needed to follow him, to trust him and it was stupid to think that Aragorn was not hurt by Gandalf's death as much as the others.

Míriel took a deep breath to calm herself, to help Aragorn to get through this.

"By nightfall, these lands will be filled with orcs," Aragorn said to Boromir. "We must reach the woods of Lothlórien."

He paced over to the others and helped them up. The thought of going homemade Míriel slightly more hopeful, there she would be able to mourn Gandalf properly and rest her worried mind. Her grandparents would know what to do, they would help them, somehow make it possible for them all to keep going.

"Come on Boromir, Legolas, Gimli. Get everyone on their feet."

Further away from the others stood Frodo alone and glanced out over the woods. He had not said a word, not been crying since they left the mines. He was completely still and quiet until he turned his head toward them all. What Míriel saw broke her heart even more for Frodo's blue eyes were filled with tears and his look was that of a person who's heart had been shattered into pieces.