It came to the edge of the fire and the light faded as if a cloud had
bent over it.
Then with a rush it leaped across the fissure. The flames roared up to
greet it, and wreathed about it; and a black smoke swirled in the air.
Its streaming mane kindled, and blazed behind it.
In its right hand was a blade like a stabbing tongue of fire; in its
left it held a whip of many thongs.
'Ai! ai!' wailed Legolas. 'A Balrog! A Balrog is come!'
Gimli stared with wide eyes.
'Durin's Bane!' he cried, and letting his axe fall he covered his
face.
'A Balrog,' muttered Gandalf. 'Now I understand.' He faltered and
leaned heavily on his staff. 'What an evil fortune! And I am already
weary.'
The dark figure streaming with fire raced towards them. The orcs
yelled and poured over the stone gangways. Then Boromir raised his
horn and blew.
Loud the challenge rang and bellowed, like the shout of many throats
under the cavernous roof.
For a moment the orcs quailed and the fiery shadow halted. Then the
echoes died as suddenly as a flame blown out by a dark wind, and the
enemy advanced again.
'Over the bridge!' cried Gandalf, recalling his strength. 'Fly! This
is a foe beyond any of you. I must hold the narrow way. Fly!'
Aragorn and Boromir did not heed the command, but still held their
ground, side by side, behind Gandalf at the far end of the bridge.
The others halted just within the doorway at the hall's end, and
turned, unable to leave their leader to face the enemy alone.
The Balrog reached the bridge. Gandalf stood in the middle of the
span, leaning on the staff in his left hand, but in his other hand
Glamdring gleamed, cold and white.
His enemy halted again, facing him, and the shadow about it reached
out like two vast wings. It raised the whip, and the thongs whined and
cracked. Fire came from its nostrils.
But Gandalf stood firm.
'You cannot pass,' he said.
The orcs stood still, and a dead silence fell.
'I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You
cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn. Go back to
the Shadow! You cannot pass.'
The Balrog made no answer. The fire in it seemed to die, but the
darkness grew. It stepped forward slowly on to the bridge, and suddenly
it drew itself up to a great height, and its wings were spread from wall
to wall;
but still Gandalf could be seen, glimmering in the gloom; he seemed
small, and altogether alone: grey and bent, like a wizened tree before
the onset of a storm.
From out of the shadow a red sword leaped flaming. Glamdring glittered
white in answer. There was a ringing clash and a stab of white fire.
The Balrog fell back, and its sword flew up in molten fragments. The
wizard swayed on the bridge, stepped back a pace, and then again stood
still.
'You cannot pass!' he said.
With a bound the Balrog leaped full upon the bridge. Its whip whirled
and hissed.
'He cannot stand alone!' cried Aragorn suddenly and ran back along the
bridge. 'Elendil!' he shouted. 'I am with you, Gandalf!'
'Gondor!' cried Boromir and leaped after him.
At that moment Gandalf lifted his staff, and crying aloud he smote the
bridge before him. The staff broke asunder and fell from his hand. A
blinding sheet of white flame sprang up.
The bridge cracked. Right at the Balrog's feet it broke, and the stone
upon which it stood crashed into the gulf, while the rest remained,
poised, quivering like a tongue of rock thrust out into emptiness.
With a terrible cry the Balrog fell forward, and its shadow plunged
down and vanished.
But even as it fell it swung its whip, and the thongs lashed and
curled about the wizard's knees, dragging him to the brink. He
staggered and fell, grasped vainly at the stone, and slid into the
abyss.
