November 25, 2002

The Hesitating Orcs
Radagast Da Foo'

To Rune of Mirkwood, from 11-05-02: Here's my idea on why the goblins waited, versus rushing in like they did before. Imagine yourself being a goblin. You are Shagbag (not a real orc). You have one many battles in your time, and you hear that some rag-tag group is trespassing through your halls. In anger, you and your troops break through the doors. In your rage, you aren't intimidated by those flying arrows. That's when they get you. Now, imagine being another made of orc: Gorrat. Your fellow troops were just totally defeated by only a few warriors. You have been sent to stop them. You and your goblin friends halt them in their tracks, but these are those famous warriors that killed your leader, Shagbag. Nobody wants to be the first goblin to jump out, for they will surely be killed. Then the balrog comes and you run away in fear.
Remember, though, that the movie changed things up a bit. If my memory is good, what really happens is that the fellowship runs from Balin's tomb and Gandalf blocks the door behind them. Some mysteriously powerful force is there, and Gandalf barely manages to cast a locking spell on the door. After much haste, the fellowship reaches the big hall where Durin's Bridge is located. They come in with a firey chasm on their left and the bridge, and the exit, is on their left. The orcs enter the room on the right side, and Gimli laughs, saying that they came in on the wrong side, and now they are blocked by a chasm. Then, two trolls lay stones across the chasm, and the goblins rush over. Right then, the balrog comes and the goblins turn quiet. Legolas drops his arrow in dismay.