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On the other side of the narrow ledge, I saw my friend move slightly, and I felt a wave of relief. He was alive then. The blood on his head had frightened me badly. But then I noticed something that frightened me even more. There was a rattle of stone, and the rock shelf that jutted out above us shifted. It was balanced precariously, and our struggle with the goblin had partially dislodged it. Even as I watched, it shifted again. I crawled the short distance to his side, and studied the slab of stone from below. There was only one way I could think of to protect him. I turned on my back and raised my feet until the soles were flat against the bottom of the stone, giving it some support. I did not know how long I could keep it up, but perhaps I could hold it off us until Dirhael and the others showed up. They had to show up. There was no other hope for us. I lay there for what seemed like ages. My legs trembled. At first they hurt, and then they burned, and then they began to go numb. I tried not to move or shift, for fear of bringing it all down. The shadows lengthened, and I began to fear I would lose consciousness. Then, just as I was convinced I could not hold out any longer, I heard the sounds of fighting, shouts and clamor, and the clang of weapons. Then there was silence. What had happened? Who had won? "Hoy! Thorn! Trotter!" It was Dirhael's voice! I wet my dry lips with my tongue and called out. "We're here! Here!" "Trotter?" "Look down!" I shouted. And then I felt the rock shift. "Hurry!" "Where are you?" The voice was very close. "Here! We are on a ledge down here!" "I can barely see you," said Dirhael. I was staring straight up, and I could not see him myself. "There is a shelf of stone above you." "Please be careful! It may fall on us. Thorn is unconscious." I felt my legs tremble again. "Please hurry!" I cried. I was sure I could not hold off much longer. "Just a little longer, Trotter. I have sent Elrohir and Archer down to the water. They can bring you both down from below." He had no sooner finished speaking than I could hear and feel the scrabbling behind me. "Trotter." It was Elrohir. His voice was close behind me. "Get Thorn first. He's unconscious, and if I move before you get him, this rock is coming down." I turned my head sideways, and saw Elrohir's arms and hands reaching for Thorn. He gripped him beneath the arms, and I breathed a sigh of relief, as I watched him being angled slowly off the ledge. I could hear Elrohir and Archer speaking below, and was relieved to hear that they had Thorn safe. "I am coming for you now, Trotter." I was weeping at this point, I was so weary. I could not see Elrohir behind me, but I could hear him. He was muttering under his breath in Sindarin, and I was too fearful to try and translate what he was saying. Suddenly I felt him gripping me as he had Thorn. "Ready?" he said, but he did not wait for my answer. He pulled me away quickly. I heard a rumble above me, and the last thing I remembered was the sound of my own screams |
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