Gandalf winter, they crossed "under" the mountains through the Mines of Moria, though only Gimli the Dwarf was enthusiastic about that route. In Moria, they discovered that the Dwarf colony established there earlier had been overrun by orcs. The Fellowship fought with the orcs and trolls of Moria and escaped them. At the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, they encountered "Durin's Bane", a fearsome Balrog from ancient times. Gandalf faced the Balrog to enable the others to escape. After a brief exchange of blows, Gandalf broke the bridge beneath the Balrog with his staff. As the Balrog fell, it wrapped its whip around
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Gandalf never arrives, and they are instead aided by a ranger named Strider, a friend of Gandalf's, who escorts them to Rivendell. The hobbits are ambushed by the Ringwraiths, and one stabs Frodo with a cursed Morgul blade. Arwen, an elf and Strider's lover, comes to Frodo's aid and successfully takes him to Rivendell, where he is healed. Frodo meets Gandalf, who escaped Isengard on the back of a giant Eagle. Arwen's father, Lord Elrond, holds a council that decides the Ring must be destroyed in Mount Doom. While the members argue, Frodo volunteers to take the Ring, accompanied by