CHAPTER 2

They were still debating what to do next when the four brothers in arms heard the terrible sound of what seemed to be some kind of huge horn. A wave of fear ran through them as they lay transfixed behind the big boulders just outside the great gates leading to Gundabad. They expected an army of orcs swarming out of the massive doors or maybe a legion of the same foul creatures returning from pillaging villages and towns elsewhere. If that was the case, it would be difficult for them to go by unnoticed for long. If they were caught, it was certain death in the hands of these vile beings and Hamar was cursing the very second that he had agreed to follow his friend in this dangerous venture.

But no orc came. This gave them courage to look over the boulders and check what might be going on at the black gates. What they saw weren't orcs but they were nonetheless foul and disgusting to behold. They had seen creatures like these during the battle. They were spawns of some kind. Big, misshapen and ugly, brainless things which the orcs used in their battles to crash against obstacles such as walls or gates and also to throw giant rocks at their enemies. For, although void of any brain, the creatures were manipulated by the orcs and made to do their bidding.

Most probably these six creatures were left there to protect Angmar in some way while the orcs left for battle and eventually meeting their fate.

"See? What did I tell you?" Arahad stated. "No orcs in sight! The Kingdom of Angmar has its gates wide open, waiting for us to go in and explore what's inside its walls. Nothing to fear. Come my friends!"

"Wait!" it was Tor's turn to hold back his reckless companion this time round. "I don't know if you've noticed but there are about half a dozen ugly beings there, waiting for us with open arms."

Hamar chuckled at Tor's choice of words. He knew that it would be practically impossible for them to go past those beasts and sneak 'safely', if one could use that word considering where they were, inside Gundabad.

"There are six of them and we are but four men. What do you suggest? That we deal with one each while a couple wait idly by? Come on, admit it Arahad, this idea is too foolhardy, even by your standards!"

"And for what?" continued Tor, "There is nothing in that horrendous place! Its scum was burnt before the gates of Erebor, leaving this filthy, desolate and empty shell. What could they have left behind? Nothing. And that brings us to the reason of why we are all here in the first place."

This made Arahad turn round fiercely facing the three of them. "I don't know. I'm not sure…but there is something in there I tell you! I can feel it in my bones and there is one thing I am certain of… I am not going to leave this forsaken place before I get a good look inside those walls, with or without you!" He said these words with such determination and will power, that the other three could not help but be convinced and follow him in this venture, as reckless as it may seem.

It was Hamar's turn to look over the boulder. "Maybe that is why they left these creatures! They want to protect something that is inside and these blind mutants are there to instil fear in anyone who might stray close to these parts….or any fool who might come on his own accord.." he added, shooting a sideways glance at Arahad.

All eyes turned to Hamar. "What have you just said?" whispered Arahad excitedly.

"That we are fools to come here on our own accord?" replied Hamar, still observing the brainless things that let out horrible growls every time they bumped into each other.

"No, you twit, before that. Did you say 'blind'?" urged Arahad.

"Yes, but…hey!" Arahad didn't give him time to finish the sentence. He shoved Hamar to one side so that he could take a better look at them. He was grinning from ear to ear when he turned round to face them. It was difficult not to be influenced when he looked at them with glimmering eyes filled with promise of excitement and adventure.

"Well, it seems that our job here has just become what one may call as easy as pie? A piece of cake?"

"Shut up with all this talk about food, won't you? I'm famished and I could devour a whole bull right now!" cut him off Odell. "All this travelling and waiting has made me hungry. So, what's your idea? What do you propose to do now?"

"Well, we could go over there, see? That's the lowest point in the wall. Then we could try to sneak behind them and in through the entrance. If they notice our presence, it shouldn't be too difficult to do away with them now that we know that they are blind!"

This seemed to convince them more or less and they started following Arahad down the rocky slope until they halted in front of the part of the wall that he had been talking about. It was easy for them to climb over and they found themselves on the other side in no time.

"We're in!" shouted Hamar.

The beasts might have been blind but they certainly weren't deaf. His voice made all six of them turn round and let out a long, horrible, high-pitched wail before heading in the men's direction. What ensued was total havoc. The men had their backs to one side of the mountain and they certainly had no time to climb back the way they had come. The only way out was to run straight towards the ugly creatures.

Brandishing their swords, the four men let out a shout in unison as they rushed to meet them. The fight didn't last long. The creatures held chains in their gigantic hands to which huge rocks were attached and which they used to swing around in an attempt to maim or kill whatever lay in their path.

But there was no one to control their movements. During the battle the men had noticed orcs that sat on them showing them the direction where they had to go and attack. With no orc to guide them, the slow, sluggish but giant beasts didn't know where to go and the men soon realised that the more noise they made the more confused they became, thus making it easy for Arahad and his companions to take each one by surprise. Slashing their heels, they waited for them to fall over before burying their swords in their brain. If they had one, that is.

The four men lost no time in turning their backs to them and giving their undivided attention to the open doors of the ominous building. There were no orcs inside but it didn't look less ugly or forbidding. Yet this didn't dampen their spirits in any way as they walked slowly inside. Once in, they each took hold of a torch which they lit up, thus making it easier for them to see where they were going. It looked like a great hall with doors and corridors all round and stairs leading up.

"Where to now?" asked Odell, with a puzzled look on his face.

"Let's start with the upper floors," was Arahad's prompt answer, "and then we'll slowly work our way downstairs."

"Have you an idea what you're looking for?" demanded Tor. "Gold? Jewels? I mean, I know that these foul creatures might have a hoard of precious things stacked in here somewhere…or we might find prisoners who are waiting for someone to come and free them from gaolers still lurking around in the shadows."

But this thought made their hearts heavy as all of them knew that no man could survive an orc attack and it was certainly unheard of that people were caught by orcs and held prisoners. Reading their minds, Arahad spoke.

"Although highly improbable, this makes me all the more determined to search this place thoroughly and make sure that no one is left here to suffer a slow and agonising death." The resolution on his face was contagious. It was during moments like this, when they looked at his face, all set in sheer determination, that they realised that they could follow Arahad anywhere. Looking at him in wonder, no idea was too foolish and no venture became too reckless. He was their leader and they knew he was right.

"Let us start with upstairs." It was Odell who broke the silence and all four of them went up to explore the dark building.

The search in the upper floors of the building led to nothing. The rooms could be described more as large, dark and filthy cells. The men were disgusted at what they set eyes on. They knew that orcs were unnatural and revolting beings but taking a look at their abode made the rangers repel them even more. Dirt, blood and what they hoped were animal carcasses, lay everywhere…left there to rot and decay since the day that the foul creatures had been feasting on it. The stench was unbearable and it was all they could do not to throw up at the sight of it all.

"There's nothing here," Odell's pale green face showed clearly that he had forgotten his hunger. "Let's go downstairs and check where the doors and corridors lead to."

They trudged down the stairs their spirits slightly dampened by what they had seen. They tried the doors one by one, each of which led to a different area of the building. One time they arrived at what must have been the kitchens, where an enormous furnace covered a large part of one wall and long tables filled the room from side to side. Once more animal remains littered most of the tables and floors. The sight was repelling and the men soon turned back the way they had come.

The final corridor led to the armoury. This was made up of two large rooms filled with all kinds of gruesome and nasty looking weapons. Arahad grimaced. The sight was appalling. Just looking at them made his blood boil. The horrors of the battle imprinted in his mind, he silently cursed the orcs and all the evil they represented. Many a good man, dwarf and elf had perished that day and he could still feel the anger and desperation as he fought alongside Bard, thinking that all hope was lost.

But then the eagles came. Arahad smiled as he recalled how they all joined forces and eventually won in the end. United they stood in the face of doom and they were rewarded with victory. Then he let out a chuckle as he thought of Beorn in his bear form venting his anger on the orcs. It was a sight never to be forgotten.

"Hey! There's another door here." Arahad was awakened from his reverie by the sound of Hamar's voice. The other three moved closer to where Hamar was standing near a corner at the far end of the great room. Half hidden by a cumbersome piece of furniture, Arahad could barely discern the outline of a dark, wooden door. What was peculiar in all of this and what puzzled all of them was the reason why the door had been obstructed by this massive shelving. It was almost as if it had been hidden on purpose.

"Let's move this thing." Odell voiced his thoughts as they joined forces in pushing and pulling the huge furniture out of the way. No sooner was this done then they noticed another strange thing. A thick plank had been nailed right across the door. This increased their curiosity even further as without another word Tor went to fetch a crowbar-like weapon that he had seen on one of the shelves. He put one end of it under the plank and started pushing on the other with all his strength in an attempt to free it from the door.

This proved to be an easier task than expected, for although both the door and the plank were thick, the men realised that the wood was worn out and rotten. Many years had passed since this door had been sealed thus. Removing the plank, the door gave way under one kick of Arahad's boot and the four men were left staring at an entrance to a dark and damp corridor.

A waft of dirt and mould filled their nostrils as they made their way through. The thick layer of dust showed clearly that this place hadn't been used for hundreds of years. They walked in silence yet one could tell their excitement increasing with every step they took just from the look on their gleaming faces. All thoughts of fear, food and disgust dissipated as they slowly made their way down that mysterious corridor. Why had it been so securely locked up? What was there at the end of the passage?

Arahad, who was in the lead, stopped suddenly. "Attention friends, there are some steps going downwards," he whispered, for he didn't feel that he should speak loudly in that place. As he was descending his senses were heightened to a degree that he had never felt before. His excitement was so that he could barely breathe and, unlike the others, he could feel it. There was something strange in the air over here, that had nothing to do with the rest of the building. An overpowering feeling of calm which he was afraid to disturb even by his own breath. A sensation of tranquillity and peace that could almost be described as…magical.

He finally arrived at the bottom of the flight of steps but the sight that met his eyes was not quite what he had expected. The others were at his heels and all of them looked around the room trying to get an idea of what could have happened.

Although many years had passed, they could discern corpses on the floor that had long ago begun to turn into brittle bone and dust. But what was odd in all of this was that some of them were wearing elvish armour and weaponry.

The men looked at each other. "What in heavens' name were elves doing down here?" Tor's puzzled expression reflected that of his friends yet none provided an answer, for it was a complete mystery to all.

It was at this point when Arahad noticed that one particular elf seemed different. While the others were scattered around the room, seemingly meeting their deaths slaughtered by the orcs, this one died sitting upright, with his back resting against the wall at the far end. The more Arahad approached him, the more he sensed that feeling of magical tranquillity that seemed to find its way into his inner core. It was incredibly overwhelming and Arahad knew that there was something there which was patiently waiting to be revealed.

He strode towards the sitting elf guard in no time with the others following suit. By now he couldn't control his excitement anymore. His dark eyes opened wide when he noticed that the soldier was holding an elvish blade in his hands. He took it gently from him while the others gathered speechless around. Slowly he straightened up. The sword was beautiful. He had heard about the beauty and perfection of elvish swords and weapons but he had never held one in his hands before that day.

"There's something written on it," muttered Hamar under his breath. "It's written in the common tongue, look!"

"The path shall be shown to the true of heart." Barely had the words come out of Arahad's mouth then an outline of a door started to show itself on part of the wall behind the soldier. All four of them stood there, watching incredulous at the magic taking place right before their eyes. Stepping forward Arahad touched the door which opened wide to reveal what it had been securely protecting all these years.

The room was small, much smaller than the one they were in. In a glance, Arahad realised that there was no other exit from there. But attention was drawn to something else. Lying on the floor in the middle of the room, was a figure covered in a strange, glimmering light. Holding his breath, Arahad stepped closer and stared unbelieving at the most beautiful elf maiden he had ever seen.