For Dave

[dragonlady7]

Dave was complaining that he had trouble following Lord of the Rings because the people and place names were all so difficult to keep straight.
He said one of these days he was going to replace the exotic names with normal ones, so he could figure out what was what and who was who.

So, for him, I present the retooled chamber of mazarbul scene, and the balrog on the bridge-- improved with easier-to-remember names.

"They are coming!" cried Larry.
"We cannot get out," said George.
"Trapped!" cried Jeff. "Why did I delay? Here we are, caught, just as they were before."
"Slam the doors and wedge them!" shouted Arnold. "And keep your packs on as long as you can: We may get a chance to cut our way out."
"No!" said Jeff. "We must not get shut in. Keep the east door ajar! We will go that way, if we get a chance."
Feet were coming down the corridor. There was a ring and a clatter as the Posse drew their swords. [Jeff's sword] Shinything shone with a pale light, and [Fred's sword] Sting glinted at the edges. Bob set his shoulder against the western door.
"Wait a moment! Do not close it yet!" said Jeff. He sprang forward to Bob's side and drew himself up to his full height.
"Who comes hither to disturb the rest of Barry Lord of TheTunnellyDwarfPlace?" he cried in a loud voice.
[...]
The Ill-Tempered Dog reached the bridge. Jeff stood in the middle of the span, leaning on the staff in his left hand, but in his other hand Shinything gleamed, cold and white.
His enemy halted again, facing him. But Jeff stood firm.
"You cannot pass!" he said. The goblin-things stood still, and a dead silence fell. "I am a servant of the secret fire, wielder of the flame of flamey-thing. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not afail you, flame of evil thing. Go back to the Shadow! You cannot pass."
The Ill-Temepered Dog made no answer. The fire in it seemed to die, but the darkness grew. It stepped forward onto the bridge, and suddenly it drew itself up to a great height, and its wings were spread from wall to wall; but still Jeff could be seen, glimmering in the gloom; he seemed small, and altogether alone: gray and bent, like a wizened tree before the onset of a storm.
"You cannot pass!" he said.
With a bound the Ill-Tempered Dog leaped full upon the bridge. its whip whirled and hissed.
"He cannot stand alone!" cried Arnold suddenly and ran back along the bridge. "Holy crap!" he shouted. "I am with you, Jeff!"
"Me too!" cried Bob and leaped after him.