Chapter 14
Elves, Men, and Dwarves stood upon the slopes of Erebor, looking upon the oncoming horde of orcs and goblins, like a sea of death leering at them.
Brethilorn, Thalion, and Legolas stood upon the Southern arm of the Mountain with their men, Thranduil behind them with his guard. Ithilwen with about fifty of the most nimble elves had followed Bard up the shoulder of the Eastern spur. Men and Dwarves were set upon the rocks of the Eastern spur. A hundred of so brave men stood at the head of the valley in a feint resistance.
The snarling of the wolves and Wargs could be heard before long. The swiftest goblin riders charged into the valley, against the resistance. The rest of the goblin army followed into the valley, just as the defenders had hoped.
Countless crude black and red banners floated in the horde of orcs and goblins. Soon there was a dense sea of goblins in the valley.
"Hado!" Legolas commanded his men. A volley of elf-arrows fell upon the enemy, gleaming as if with a cold and deadly flame. As soon as they had launched their volley, Legolas and his men crouched down. Thalion and his men stood, launching their volley, and then ducked down. Brethilorn and his men then stood and shot. The rocks were soon stained black with orc blood.
A cry of "Moria!" rose and echoed in the valley. The dwarves leapt into the battle, wielding their mattocks and axes. Beside them, the men of the Lake joined, long swords flashing. The goblins panicked, turning from the dwarves and men only to be met by continuous volleys of deadly elven-arrows. Suddenly a cry came from above; goblins had scaled the Mountain above the Gates and rushed down upon the defenders. Victory vanished from hope.
The elves turned and launched another series of volleys, but the goblins were too many, and soon were breaking their ranks.
"To your blades!" Legolas called as he and his brothers drew their long knives. The blades gleamed cold blue, the white handles as ice in their hands, yearning for battle.
With a cry of hatred in their throats and upon their lips, the elves leapt upon the goblins. Legolas found an almost savage pleasure as he plunged his knife into a goblin. Pulling the blade out smoothly, he spun, parrying a heavy blow aimed at his head. He spun again, this time swinging his knife into the goblin. Adrenaline rushed through him, leaving him to mindless killing. Whirling, he met another orc blade, a jolt of energy charging up his arm. The goblin moved, swinging wildly at the prince. Legolas cleanly side-stepped it, his arm sweeping up and catching it in the neck. Another goblin swept at his legs. The elf leapt above the blade, twisting in midair, plunging his knife into the attacker. Looking up as he landed, Legolas saw a Warg charging at him. He stepped sideways, seeping the knife low, into the Warg's soft underbelly. The Warg-rider leapt off as his mount collapsed, whiling through the air, stabbing at Legolas. The prince ducked and heard the orc land behind him. He kicked back, hands on the ground, and felt his feet connect with the orc's chest. Standing and turning, he swept his knife through the orc.
The elves fought savagely, but despite their defenses, they were being slowly beaten back.
"To the King!" Legolas heard Thalion's voice call as their father's guard was broken. The prince immediately turned, charging through the sea of goblins and wolves, towards his father.
He could see Thranduil amid his foes, swinging his mighty blade. Legolas's brothers were moving toward their father as well. Legolas reached him first. AN orc swung its crude blade down at the Elvenking's head while he was turned. Legolas drove his own knife through the attacker and stepped out of the way as the corpse fell.
Brethilorn, Thalion, and Legolas formed a barrier bout their father, circling around him as they fought. Around the princes was another circle of half-a-dozen elven guards.
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The men of the Lake, led by bard, and some elves, led by Ithilwen, fought to keep the Eastern shoulder of the Mountain. Ithilwen and her guard fought against an onslaught of orcs and goblins on a high precipice, near the top of the Gate. They were heavily outnumbered, and none could aid them for each was engaged in his own battle. Her guard broke.
The orcs and goblins charged at her. She parried a blow at her right, seeping through the orc in a swift motion. She ducked a blow aimed at her head and drove her knife through the attacker. An orc swung at her back from behind. Ithilwen twisted on one foot, planting her other foot on the edge of the cliff, to face her attacker squarely. He charged at her. Unfazed, she swept her knife, catching the orc in the abdomen. Suddenly, a goblin seized her by the neck from behind. She stabbed it, moving her knife to her side. The goblin corpse fell backwards, off the precipice. However, Ithilwen had misjudged its weight, and was dragged off the cliff.
Ithilwen twisted loose of the grip on her neck in midair, turning to face the ground. She landed cat-like on a small ledge of rock above the front gate, and felt it shake beneath her.
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There came a great shout and a trumpet-call from the Gate. Legolas turned towards the sound in time to see part of the stone wall come crashing down.
Out from the dust and broken stone leapt Thorin in shining armour of gold. In his eyes was a red fire of battle. He wielded a heavy axe in his hands. Behind him sprang up his twelve companions, all in splendid armour and brandishing hefty axes as well.
Goblins and orcs hurled down rocks an boulders at the dwarves. But they leapt out of the way, and charged forward into the fray.
Their axes flashed as they swung through the air. Wolves and Wargs, and goblins and orcs fled before them. Those that didn't fell under the heavy blades of their axes.
"To me! To me! Elves and Men! To me! O my kinsfolk!" Thorin cried, his voice shaking the valley.
Dwarves rushed down to join Thorin and company. Many Lakemen and elves joined the dwarves as well, as they drove toward Bolg, the goblin leader.
The defenders' energy and spirit rose, and they drove against the attackers with renewed foce and strength.
Ithilwen joined her brothers and father on the Southern spurs. They had been driven back to Ravenhill. The elves and their King formed a semi-circle around the hill. Legolas and the best archers stood upon the rocks, at the crown of the hill, the other elves below them. Thranduil and those left of his guard stood behind the archers.
"Hado!" Legolas commanded as orcs and goblins rushed towards them. The first rank dropped dead as the arrows found their marks.
"Hado!" Another volley soared up and over the elf ranks and back down into the goblins.
"Spears!" Brethilorn commanded the rank at the foot of the hill. They knelt, spears pointed up at the goblins.
"Hado!" A third volley hit the goblins.
"Knives!" commanded Thalion and Ithilwen to the second and third ranks. They drew their long blades.
With loud cries, the goblins and orcs charged into the spears. Behind the spearmen, the swordsmen leapt up at the goblins. Legolas and his men launched two move volleys before drawing their own knives and charging forward.
The elves drove against the goblins ferociously. The King leapt into the fray with his guard. But before long, they were slowly being forced back, for the numbers of the goblins and orcs were too many.
In the valley, they could see that Thorin and his men had been hemmed in, in a ring, all facing outwards. The elves were forced to back up again to Ravenhill. Gandalf sat on the top of the hill, in deep thought.
The elves regrouped quickly in their ranks for another stand.
"Hado!" Legolas commanded, and arrows soared up and over the swords and spearmen.
"Hado!" As a second volley flew, the clouds suddenly broke in the wind, and the gleam of the red sunset shone on the arrow tips.
"The Eagles! The Eagles!" The elves heard a high voice call out from behind them.
Legolas looked up briefly and saw magnificent shapes soaring towards them. Many others looked up as well, and other elves took up the cry. The golden rays of the setting sun glinted upon their beaks. They descended first upon the goblins on the Eastern spurs.
From the precipices above the elves, the goblins suddenly hurled down rocks and boulders. The elves reacted quickly, leaping out of the way and forming two ranks of archers, facing the goblins. Swiftly, under Legolas's command, they shot down many of the attackers. Meanwhile, the swords and spearmen defended the archers' backs.
Eagles soared down and cast many goblins down. Those that weren't thrown off the cliffs were run down the Mountain, into their foes waiting spears and knives.
Before long, the slopes of the Lonely Mountain were freed. The elves broke through the orc and goblin ranks, into the valley, toward the dwarves.
Elves and Men rushed down from either side of the valley. Legolas and Ithilwen fought beside Thorin and Company, driving against Bolg's bodyguard with renewed force.
A large goblin threw its spear at Legolas's head. The prince ducked, and the spear soared over his head, striking an orc behind him. Legolas rose, sweeping his knife through the goblin. He looked around in time to see an orc aiming to strike down a dwarf from behind. Legolas puled the spear from the orc-corpse behind him and threw it at the attacker. The dwarf turned in time to see the spear hit the orc and turned to see Legolas behind it. The dwarf was Glóin.
"Well, Legolas," he said as he fought alongside the prince, "that's twice you've saved my life. I owe you my life – twice!"
"Then it seems as if there is no better day than today to repay the debt," answered the elf.
Suddenly, the dwarf shoved the elf to the side, knocking a spear aimed at Legolas out of the air with the blunt end of his axe. "Half repaid," he said to the elf.
Legolas smiled slightly as he cut down a goblin. Glóin turned back, fighting to Thorin's side. Legolas could see Thorin, cutting down one of Bolg's bodyguards, and then aiming a blow at Bolg. Two of the goblin leader's soldiers rose, throwing their spears at Thorin.
With deep throated cries, two younger dwarves in matching armour leapt up in front of Thorin, and were immediately struck with the spears. One fell instantly, pierced through the heart. The other hacked off the spear-shaft and leapt at Bolg, axe swinging. Bolg cut him down, across the neck. Thorin roared in fury and sorrow as he watched the dwarf fall. He smote down the two who had thrown the spears.
Bold grabbed a spear form the nearest goblin and threw it at Thorin, catching him in the side. The dwarf-king fell to his knees, but raised his axe again. Before he could strike, Bolg threw another spear at him, this time catching him through the shoulder. Thorin roared in pain. He hefted up his axe and threw it at Bolg, hitting him in the side. Infuriated, the goblin threw another spear, and picked up another. Before he could throw it, however, a roar broke through the valley.
All turned to see a giant bear. His roar was as thunder upon breaking rocks. Beorn had come. He tossed wolves and goblins from his path. He made his way to Thorin as Bolg pierced him with a final spear and ran. Beorn lifted Thorin gently and bore him away.
As the goblins recovered from their shock, the dwarves formed a final stand upon a low rock hill. The elves formed into three ranks upon the dwarves' right, the men on their left.
Suddenly, a white light, like lightening exploded in the valley, before the defenders' ranks. Gandalf. Orcs around him fell dead. The wizard drew his sword, Glamdring, and charged forward..
Elven and Human archers fired their arrows. The dwarves charged forward in fury, wrath, and sorrow. "Thorin!" they cried, cutting down any goblins or wolves in their path. The elves and men followed behind with spears, knives and long swords.
A roar of thunder shook the valley. Beorn returned, wrath redoubled. Orcs and goblins poked at him with spears, but only succeeded in angering him even more, and were crushed beneath his massive claws. Beorn scattered the goblin guard and pulled down Bolg, and crushed him.
Then the orcs and goblins panicked, and flew from the valley. A cheer of victory rose in the air. The battle was won.
New hope chased away the weariness in the victors. With renewed energy, they chased after the fleeing orcs and goblins, eagles overhead, all determined that none should survive to cause such terror and pain again.
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Hado = Fire/Shoot
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spastikLeggyluver – aww…thnx for all the compliments! you're too nice. no, i don't think i'm related to Tolkien in anyway (too bad). i tried to stay as close as possible to The Hobbit for the fic. glad to see it paid off. :P
anticipationnation – Thnx for all the reviews! I'm glad you like this perspective too. :D Siblings…can't help the rivalry can they? lol.
Gehn the Grey – Thnx! glad you like it! Well, er i don't quite remember why i called it 'Journey's End,' but i'll figure it out. (either that, or i might change the title to fit.) I think Gloin's meeting with Legolas was sort of to explain why/how Legolas and Gimli became friends. Hmm… I like the idea of counting their kills to be superior to the elves. Wish I woulda thought of that before I finished the chapter.
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Please review! Thank you!
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