The sound of slumbering dwarves echoed in the Valley of Thrain, like a hundreds of sawing logs or grumbling bears who were woken up from winter hibernation. It was a clear night, the sky was open and the light of the moon and stars cast a majestic glow and the warriors liked this, no clouds .. no snow .. no more shoveling. Many engineers had been busy in the past week after the caravan from Hilfar Uzraku Asjâr Othrikar had reached Thorins Hall. A strong palisade had been erected over a great distance and many spikes and barricades had been placed to keep goblin parties stuck in the halls of Sarnur. All the work of Durin's Folk was starting to come together, warriors had piece of mind knowing they could sleep a little easier, bellies had been filled with more then a strict diet of golden potatoes supplied buy Zabaduh Hroskolds trade deal and the raids along the roads of Ered-Luin had slowed down. Though all started to see to be growing better trouble always lurked, Durin's Folk knew what evil Sarnur sheltered.
Blue smoke trailed from Thogens pipe, it swirled once leaving the solid craved piece and then went away into nothing, becoming one with the fresh mountain air. The eyes of the War Master looked out over the hills to Sarnur, he often found himself just watching it as if something was always to happen though that is not a course of a siege. A siege is a waiting game, warriors take place and hold out for days, weeks, months .. even years. Warriors could get brave and try to fight their way through a siege, rush inside and kill your foe but that is dangerous, you lose many with a dangerous move like that and dwarves are as numerous and even a single death is damaging to the numbers of their folk. With all this in mind the troops of Durin's Folk waited and that is why Thogen watched, he did not know how long they would wait but still they would hold and try to wait the real danger out. Though .. danger has its way of finding to the surface.
Morning was a hour or so away, the very tops of the mountains already started to glow showing that the sun had started to rise across the lands, it had been a clear night but it had been cold making the ground all around them ice. Thogen still had been watching most of the night, it wasn't until the land started to become more bright when he noticed something stirring around the outer barricades of the Siege camp. With a wrinkle of nose and a squint of his eyes Thogen tried to focus his eye sight and look out to the distant images, goblins working away to break holes into the camp when every they could and did their best to avoid patrols of the Sabaj and Markhshamâr who kept on eye on things. A mean grumble cracked from Thogens lips after he pulled his pipe free and tapped out what was left inside, losing no time he quickly set off.
The metal cap on the toe of his boots clicked off the stone walkway while his chain mail shirt rattled at the plate coverings of his armour. The noise in Thogens stride was one Zabdûna Kveltrild knew all to well, she had been at the Siege camp over night with some others of the Tharukâl banner to aid in some wounds the engineers had taken the day before when some rocks and debris came from the mountain where they had been working. "Azaghalbad Thogen! What is the hurry?! Is danger near? Is everything okay?" she spoke to him, her voice was comforting. The closer she got the louder the jingling of her beards jewels became. "Goblins, gonna kill them before they can make a gap in the palisade." Thogen grumbled, he had great respect for Kveltrild and even looked to her as his own sister but now was no time to be full of cheer, there was enemies outside the walls and if they made way through the barricades and got past the palisade then many dwarves could die f not the whole mass of Sarnur unleashed upon many still sleeping warriors. "War maste-" Kveltrild tried to speak but was cut off by one of Thogens barking orders "Dwemthor, your awake, string your bow and follow me." he commanded. Dwemthor had only been back in Thorins Hall for a few days and already he was being called into a mission. With haste he hooked his string to his bow and plucked the tight blinding to his satisfaction, with darting eyes he loaded his quiver and counted the arrows before mumbling "All here ..", almost as soon as he was ordered Dwemthor followed behind Thogen and Kveltrild. "Whats the business War Master?" the Sabaj of Zigilgund asked, "Goblins! Wretched Goblins!" Kveltrild answered.
The three passed by tent after tent, troops still lay curled up in their bed rolls and dreamed of their halls, mushrooms and cheese or some fine ores and gems. It wasn't until they all heard a chuckling voice that they knew who was awake, around a dwindling fire sat a young dwarf upon his keg, empty tankards like bear traps circled the camp sight and still the younger dwarf drank. "Odsi StoneKegger, your services are needed, lets hope you arn't to drunk!" Thogen grumbled at him, he had often fought in the shield wall besides this young blood but time and time again Odsi had proven himself to be by Thogens side. "Action! Haha! And War Master .. I fight better with a dozen ales in me!" Odsi smirked, "Then you must fight as if Mahal is watching you .. I count around three dozen tankards here .." Dwemthor spoke shaking his head while still counting a few tankards that trailed off away from camp. At once they all gathered and marched out past the gates of the Siege camp, a few sentries nodded their head to acknowledge that they had left though some gave curious glances to one of them, Kevltrild hid under her hood and her cloak wrapped around her dress. "Uzbad Duinn will have my head .." Thogen still grumbled, his mood far from pleasant. His words had been directed to Kveltrild but she kept open eyes and stuck close with the company.
They traveled to the outer parts of the camp, Thogen pointed out to watch for holes dug to block raiders and spiked pitfalls. Quickly they traveled to the last sighting of the goblins but with no luck did they find any. Dwemthor looked around the ground for tracks and Thogen and Odsi glanced around for movement. They keen survivalist Dwemthor knew exactly what to look for, he caught some tracks and followed them to the bottom of a hill, with eagle like eyes he looked up and seen two goblins at the top, they held crude spears and rusty iron slung at their hips. Scrawny little creatures that would soon meet dwarven still his the warriors wanted to but they were still a threat, Dwemthor held his tongue but pointed out the enemies to Thogen. "Try to get a better look" Thogen whispered before putting on his war helm, Odsi followed suit dropping his own bucket over his head. Dwemthor squinted his eyes and caught sight of a few more .. eight to be exact! With darting feet they were all to get into place, Odsi stood beside Thogen forming a two dwarf wall while Dwemthor hide in show shrubs, Kveltrild followed him to stay out of sight. When everyone was in place Thogen pulled free his axe, it had seen more blood shed then many other weapons in middle earth but it did its job, his foes were dead and he still breathed. With two shields in front Thogen started to march a little forward, his axe was sent hard against his own shield beating it like a drum of war.
Thump .. thump .. thump ..
The two shield guards marched. This caught the attention of the first to goblins at the top of the hill, they were alert and ready to charge down, they held the high ground .. what could go wrong? The ugly feet of the goblins brought them a little down hill, the crude spears in their hands were being fixed to be hurled towards the shields of the dwarves.
Thump .. thump .. thump ..
The goblins had reached their suited range, yellow nails and dry skin clutched the shafts of the weapons, they held the spears so tight it almost seemed like splinters would assault their fingers when they tossed them. As the goblins got ready to unleash death it almost seemed like Mahal was really watching over the company of dwarves, the sun peaked over the mountain tops and sent rays of blinding light West into the enemies eyes, soon the once visible dwarves had vanished and that was when Dwemthor took his opportunity. Three fingers plucked an arrow from his quiver and placed it onto the tight string of his bow and with a flexing arm pulled back the string before setting his sights on one of the goblins who were once ready to strike but now paralyzed by blinding light. With a sudden snapping sound of his bow the arrow whistled through the air and buried itself deep into a goblins neck, its spine shattered and gave the scum a quick death.
Thump .. thump .. thump! "Baruk khazâd khazâd ai-mênu!!"
More goblins came running down the hill, two archers sat at the top trying to get a good kill shot on the dwarven shield wall but all they could see was magnificent steel, it almost glowed in the morning sun. Swords drawn the goblins threw themselves on Odsi and Thogen, a rusty blade met Odsi's thigh and ripped the skin a but causing him to fall with a goblin a top him! Thogen tried to hold his own against two more who poked him with the rusty blades but his thick armour held try and only offered him some deep bruises. "Get up Odsi or you will die! Fight!" Thogen called to his brother in arms, he had no plans to die today. Odsi took the words to heart and waved his axe causing his goblin to panic and get up. With war cry he raised his axe to strike down his opponent until another whistle cut the air. The goblin took a barbed arrow to the shoulder and caused it to lose balance, Odsi watched from under his helm with wide eyes but used the distraction to cut the goblin down to size.
Thogen fought on, this was not the first time he had faced more then one foe, his shield strong and his axe sharp he used the broad shield to thrust one goblin back while the silver shinning steel caught the suns light in a wide strike before coming across the neck of the other goblin. Skin sliced like butter to a warm knife and bone broke as if straw, blood sprayed to the goblins partner who stood beside him in shock! The head of his friend rolled slowly to the foot of the hill while the body next to him let a river of blood trickling down. Odsi charged up to finish him but the goblins moved back, the enemy was starting to route.
"By Mahal please keep my brothers safe" Kveltrild whispered and etched runes into a stone she had found. The stone started to get a blue glow to it that had Dwemthors mind wondering. "Let no harm come to my people, please Mahal .. please." she spoke again, Dwemthor had no time to watch her but did his best to ask nicely while knocking another arrow to his bow " Sister try to stay down, you will get us spotted." Kveltrild glanced up to notice Odsi was toe to toe with a routing goblin, it held its hands out in defense but Odsi struck true with his axe from groin to shoulder nearly splitting the goblin in half if it was for a few pieces of flesh. A rain of red mist glittered down in the morning air. It was almost like a red rain .. the smell of battle though was not so pleasant. The colour in Kveltrilds face had faded and only white skin was left to show, she had seen things that she had thought she had once wanted to see but now she thought different. Dwemthor let loose another arrow that took out on of the archers, the arrow threw its eye socket and out the back of his head.
"Hahahaha! Victory! We have Victory Warmaster!" Odsi cheered, Thogen however kept a stern look and marched up to the last archer, it glanced at a bush were it had seen a glimmer of light .. perhaps a jewel in a beard? It knocked a barbed arrow covered in poison and took aim. Odsi look at the goblin and in a panic reached for a tankard that hung from his pack and threw it with all his young might towards the archers head, the wooden handle cracking it across the skull and knocking it to the snow. Thogen quickly rushed up to slit its throat but noticed it may have been dead already, he cut the wretched goblin anyways .. he didn't want young Odsi's head to go to the moon knowing he killed a goblin with a tankard of ale. "You did good everyone, the others will sing tonight how they had sweet dreams of home and family while we made sure it wasn't the last dream they would ever have. I am honored to know such folk as all of you." Thogen said, Dwemthor smiled as he drew near and Kveltrild tried to hide her shaking hands. "Let us head back to the Siege camp before more danger lurks, although to strike now would be like someone trying to get honey from a buzzing hive of bees." Thogen said and gave a smile, he nodded towards the Siege camp where the sound of waking dwarves could be heard and already troops starting their daily routines.
