<Before long the Fellowship comes to a more open space. Broken ornate columns lie tumbled across the floor. Gandalf uplifts his staff.>
<<Gandalf: Let me risk a little more light.>>
<His staff illuminates a grandiose hall of stone lined with tall pillars and arched ceilings as far as the eye can see. The Fellowship reacts in awe. Gimli gasps at the halls of his sires.>
<<Gandalf: Behold: the great realm and Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf.>>
<The dark halls are edged with silver light from the wizard’s staff, shivering in a light not seen for years to grace their stones.>
<<Sam: Now there’s an eye opener and no mistake.>>
<Fellowship walks forward through the hall, peering around a column. Gimli sees a ray of sunlight shining through a chamber where corpses lay scattered about.>
<<Gimli: Haugh!>>
<<Gandalf: Gimli!>>
<Gimli pays no heed to Gandalf, but runs into the chamber. Its walls and recesses are scarred and broken, as are the bodies and weapons scattered about. The Dwarf stops and kneels by a crypt in the center of the room where a single shaft of light spills down, illumining it. Gandalf walks forward and peers at the tomb‘s surface.>
<<Gimli: No! No! <sob> No! <sob>>>
<Boromir moves forward and places his hand on Gimli’s shoulder.>
<<Gandalf: <translating the runes on the tomb > "Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria." He is dead then. It’s as I feared.>>
<<Gimli: <wails>>>
<A great sorrow has fallen on the Dwarf. Gandalf gives his staff and hat to Pippin, bends down, and takes from the grasp of a corpse a large and battered book. He opens it and clears the dirt from its pages.>
<<Gimli: <chanting softly, sobbing> Kilmin malur ni zaram kalil ra narag. Kheled-zâram ... Balin tazlifi.>>
<<Legolas: <to Aragorn> We must move on, we cannot linger!>>
<<Gandalf: <reading> "They have taken the bridge…and the second hall.">>
<Gimli stops sobbing, and looks up blankly.>
<<Gandalf: "We have barred the gates…but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes.">>
<Pippin, still holding hat and staff, backs away.>
<<Gandalf: "Drums...drums…in the deep.">>
<He looks up slowly, and turns the smudged, bloodstained page. The Fellowship begins to glance around uncomfortably.>
<<Gandalf: "We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark.">>
<Pippin stumbles back slightly and sees a corpse sitting by a stone well with an arrow in its chest. He turns towards it.>
<<Gandalf: "We cannot get out…" <He glances at the last, single line, a scrawl fading out at the bottom of the page. Gandalf looks up in the uncomfortable silence.> "They are coming!">>
<The silence is broken by Pippin. Curious, he reaches out and lightly twists the arrow in the corpse. The skull slips off, falling into the well with a resounding crash.>
<Gandalf whips around, spooked.>
<Pippin turns to face him, looking guilty. As he does, the corpse slips into the well, dragging with it a chain and bucket, its noise echoing from hall to hall far below. Where once was only silence, a ricocheting noise now fills every cranny. Pippin winces at each new wave of noise. Then, silence. The Fellowship begins to relax.>
<<Boromir: <exhales>>>
<<Gandalf: <slams the book shut> Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!>>
<He pulls his hat and staff from the Hobbit’s hands.>
<Gandalf turns away. Pippin stands still, awkwardly.>
<Boom…boom.>
<Gandalf slowly turns back, and Pippin turns as well, staring down into the well.>
<Boom.>
<Almost as though seen from eyes darting upwards, the caverns below appear from the dark.>
<Boom-boom.>
<Boom-boom-boom. The beat pauses.>
<Like a heartbeat, it begins again. Boom-boom-boom-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM…>
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