Drabble, Whip and Sword

[fredbassett]

Title : Whip and Sword
Author : fredbassett
Fandom : The Lord of the Rings
Rating : 12
Characters : Gandalf, the Balrog
Disclaimer : Not mine, no money made, don’t sue.
Spoilers : None
Summary : Written for the Tolkien100 challenge, Spiralling

He fell, and the Balrog fell with him, spiralling into the chasm.

The whip tore his clothes and ripped his flesh.

He struck with Glamdring and the sword bit deep.

Together they fell, and together they fought.

Whip and flame against sword and staff.

They fought in the air, they fought on the stair. Climbing for longer than they had fallen. Every step contested.

Fire had turned to bitter, heart-numbing cold.

They fought until, with one last burst of rapidly-failing strength, he threw the Balrog from the peak, finally breaking it on the jagged rocks below.

Then darkness took him.

Comments

[hhimring]

Dramatic!

[fredbassett]

Thanks! It must have been a hell of a fight!

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

So exhausting. Poor Gandalf.

[fredbassett]

*nods*

[grondfic.livejournal.com]

This is so vivid. You're there with them every step of the way.

[fredbassett]

Thank you!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Grondfic has said exactly what I was going to say :)

[fredbassett]

Thank you! I was a bit stumped on this prompt until that idea came to mind.

[liadt]

Wow, that's a great poem!

[fredbassett]

Thank you!

[fififolle]

Fabulous to see even a tiny glimpse of this fight.

[fredbassett]

Thanks! It's always intrigued me that one of the most impressive single combats of the book is only mentioned so briefly.

[fififolle]

Absolutely! In some ways, genius. Or could he not face writing the difficult combat scene :p

[fredbassett]

From experience elsewhere, I think he was pretty good at combat scenes. It was just that it didn't fit with the narrative, which was to follow the fellowship as a whole up to the split and then to follow the two groups in turn. Plus I guess it would have spoiled the tension by giving away the fact that Gandalf had survived. Much of the emotional punch after Moria came from the belief that Gandalf was dead.

[fififolle]

True, and such a wrench for them to go on without him. Wah!!!

[justjo2u]

Beautifully captured. Those opening scenes of the Two Towers still leave me with my heart in my mouth.

[fredbassett]

Thank you :)