Title: A tale about friendship, Part 15?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: M

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 15, The Last Battle

"I would be happy if you could read that story for us soon, it sounds like a great story" Bard said and the children agreed with him about it.

Then Melian continued the story. "The Army took every Orcden from Gundabad in the North to the Gladden in the South, rescuing many in the process. But finally they reached the valley of Azanulbizar, the Dimrill Dale that is called Nanduhirion in Elvish. All the Orcs who had escaped from the other dens had made their way there and the Army came after them in hot pursuit. Then the last battle was fought there, a battle so dreadful that Melian wrote afterwards ´I have never been able to hear the battle mentioned without weeping as the horrible memories of it are stirred in my heart. But this has also served as a sign to those who know about it and we have been able to weep together´. Many valiant Dwarves and a number of the people of Huor fell in battle and many more died from their wounds afterwards, in spite of all that Melian and the other women did to treat them. The people of Huor rescued the wounded and fought hard to keep the Orcs away from them.

As the day passed it was clear to Melian that the armies were evenly matched and that it would only take a small push to claim victory. At that moment the shout of Náins Company was heard in the valley and Melian rejoiced, the people of Iron Hills had come at last. Melian spoke briefly with Náin and then they went on after Náin had promised that they would speak more after the battle. ´´They fought their way up the valley and slew everyone in their path with their mattocks while calling out the name Azog as a battle cry. The Orchost crumbled before them like leaves in a hot wind and the divided companies united again and fought more effectively, turning the battle in our favour´ she wrote.

Boromir was with the company of Thráin in the vanguard and had worked hard to treat the wounded so they could be sent down to the camp that Melian had set up. He later told Melian that the company of Náin had reached the Gates of Khazad-Dûm and Náin called out to Azog, challenging him to come out and he came. ´I remembered what Thrórs wraith told you, that Azog was a hideous Orc and I agreed with Thrór when I saw Azog, I have never seen a more foul looking Orc in my life. I was most angered when I heard him speak about beggars at his doors and I think that Náin was angered as well. The bodyguards of Azog attacked Náins Company, and Náin and Azog fought each other. But Náin had fought his way up the better part of the valley and was weary, it also seemed that he was half blind with rage while Azog came fresh to the battle´ Boromir said.

I am certain that if I were to fight my uncles murderer I would be enraged as well," Melian said with tears in her eyes and Balin and Dáin wept also.

"Boromir continued ´Náin aimed a stroke against Azog that would have cut the Orc in half if it had made its mark, but Azog was able to step aside in the last second and he kicked Náins knee so the stroke hit the stone that Azog had stood on, his mattock splintered and he stumbled forward. Before Náin had reached his sword and shield Azog had made a stroke at his neck.´ Melian had been certain that Azog had planned to cut off Náins head but his mail collar withstood the stroke so his head was kept in place. She wrote ´Boromir thought that he was unconscious and placed him so he would be able to breathe, but Azog laughed while he watched it and would have given a howl of triumph but then he saw that his army was shattered and his bodyguards were slain so he tried to escape through the gates of Khazad-Dûm. He would have done so if it hadn't been for Dáin, whom I would name Dáin Azogslayer. He jumped after Azog, slew him on the doorstep of Khazad-Dûm and cut his head off and that was the end of that dreadful creature. In this way all who had been tormented by Azog and his hoard were avenged.´ " Dáin blushed at the name but Bard told him that the name was well given and the children agreed with Bard.

Dáin said "I heard Boromir ask Melian to help him as he didn't want to make my fathers injuries worse, but when Melian examined him and saw that there was nothing to do she said to Boromir ´we can give no aid here. ´So he is dead then? I asked and Melian answered that he was, and showed Boromir and me fathers mail collar. We could see the mark made by Azogs scimitar and Melian said that father's neck had been broken. Then they saw that I held Azogs head and they praised me but I shivered and told them that I had felt most frightened. ´It has never been a part of my definition of valour that the valiant person should never have felt fear Melian answered ´as I see it a valiant person is one who is able to hold his (or her) ground even in great fear." Balin added

"Father and Frerin had fought well and been severely injured. They had protected Thráin and Thórin who were also injured while Boromir treated their injuries as much as he could. I heard Frerin tell Boromir that he was done for and Boromir answered that he wasn't done for yet. But in spite of what Boromir and Melian could do they passed away that evening. Thráin had one eye blinded beyond cure and Melian stitched the eyelid shut, saying that there was no need for our Father to scare everyone with the hole that the eye had left. He also had a leg wound that made him halt and Melian didn't know if it was permanent or temporary. When she treated Thórins injuries she asked him why some had named him Oakenshield, and Thórin said that he had had to use the branch of an oak as a shield and club because his own shield had been cloven and she said that it was a befitting name.

All who could gathered after the battle. Dáin brought Azogs head and Nar put the bag of money that Azog had thrown at him in the mouth of the Orc. Then Thráin asked Melian to put Azogs head on the pole and she did so, spitting him in the eye and telling him that he was the beggar and that he had no more right to lay claim to Khazad-Dûm than she had to say that the was the niece of a Dragon. Then she and Boromir put the pole in place and Melian asked the captains pardon as she had lots of work to do."

Melian said, "when Melian examined Náin at the Gates of Khazad-Dûm she had the feeling that she was being watched by hostile eyes but the person who was looking at her didn't dare to show himself. She was happy to see that Azog had gotten the end he deserved but she was sad as well. She had lost many friends and kinsmen in the battle and lost more during the evening and night. That night was silent, none was able to sing about either the joy of victory or the grief that was still to near. She was also unable to do so and it took a while before she could even start to describe what she had seen but the scenes had been burned into her memory and when she wrote about them, she could describe in detail what she had seen.

TBC