Chapter 114: battle of the five armies PT 6

[General POV]

Deafening screams echoed across the wasteland, now turned into a chaotic battlefield. Orcs, men, and elves clashed in a frenzied battle, their war cries and the clash of weapons filling the air with a symphony of violence. The ground, once green and serene, was soaked in blood and littered with debris, as arrows whistled overhead and swords slashed mercilessly.

"To the west side!" shouted a soldier from the valley wall, his rushed words distorted by urgency.

"Quickly! They've breached the west side!" he kept repeating, his limping gait revealing the sorry state of his foot, where an arrow was lodged like a parasitic intruder in his heel.

"Don't give in," he recited with strained breath. "Please..." His once-resounding voice now reduced to a mere whisper carried by the blood-and-iron-soaked wind, his eyes swirling with emotions. It was his first time in such a bloody war.

Watching his friends die made him weep inwardly, the rawness of his emotions shared by the other survivors of Lake Town.

Even so, they had to hold on. If they perished, the women and children of Mirkwood risked being besieged by this army of orcs. I must endure, he told himself, wielding his sword. The blade pierced the face of an orc lunging at him.

His movement triggered sharp pain in his heel. It hurt, badly. His consciousness wavered, the clanging of steel against steel ringing in his ears. Blood smeared on his forehead blurred his vision. Limping and panting, he pushed forward with every ounce of his spirit.

Another orc leaped at him like a ravenous beast, only to be stopped by the tip of his sword driven deep into the creature's chest. His ears barely registered the orc's growl as it fell lifeless. With dwindling strength in his arm, he slid the sword free.

"Reiya," he murmured, that name bringing such happiness to his soul. With a vertical slash, he cut down an orc attacking from behind, but the motion brought excruciating pain that sent tremors through his entire body, causing him to collapse in the valley's ruined streets.

"I don't want to die, Reiya," he whispered, his dry mouth barely allowing his lips to move. The chaotic frenzy of battle echoed in the desolate streets, everyone oblivious to the struggling soldier whose body could no longer withstand the strain, exacerbated by the agonizing wound in his heel. Sheer willpower had kept him on his feet until now.

A tear traced a path from his eye to his cheek. "I don't want to die," he repeated, his voice laden with sorrow and despair.

He had promised Reiya that after this battle, they would marry and perhaps just, perhaps, have children. The mere memory of her smile brought him peace. 'Forgive me, Reiya. I couldn't keep my promise,' he thought, as with his dimming sight, he spotted an orc charging at him with a sword raised high.

"Reiya," he whispered one last time, closing his eyes.

But to his utter surprise, the expected pain never came. Something made him open his eyes with difficulty. The sight before him left him stunned, his pupils dilated in disbelief.

The beast that had been poised to take his life now lay on the ground with a... dagger? Yes, a dagger embedded in its back. But that wasn't the shocking part, it was the one who had saved him. Was it a... dwarf? A child? No, now with a bit more clarity, he could see it: it was that small hobbit some mocked, claiming that wars weren't meant for "the little ones."

'How ironic,' he thought, watching the tiny figure fight off another orc. The hobbit's agile movements took full advantage of his small size, making him difficult to hit. In no time, the little hobbit had taken down three orcs.

He watched as the hobbit, slightly out of breath, approached him. Hope shone in his eyes. With a satisfied smile, the hobbit crouched down. "Are you okay?" he asked.

The soldier couldn't respond. His dry mouth and the overwhelming sight had left him speechless. With the last remnants of his willpower, he managed to utter a single word, brimming with meaning.

"Thank you."

----

"Gandalf!" shouted Bilbo. "There are more wounded here," he said, supporting the grateful soldier. Somehow, those words filled him with a deep sense of spirit. Bilbo's selfless nature, even in the midst of war, spoke volumes about the great heart of Bilbo Baggins.

Gandalf had seen it from the beginning, and that was why this hobbit had accompanied them on the quest to reclaim Erebor.

 Such was the little one's loyalty that he risked his safety to try and help a friend regain their sanity. Now, amidst this bloody chaos, Bilbo's selflessness shone brightly, forming a stark contrast to the cowards abandoning their posts and leaving their comrades at the mercy of the orcs.

Gandalf finally understood Aldril's words: 'An action need not be grand to make a great change.' How right he had been! Gandalf could now see it in full glory: Bilbo's small act of aiding the wounded had stirred the warrior spirit in those who watched him.

Gandalf observed how those who had planned to flee now returned with renewed resolve and fierceness. He imagined their thoughts: 'How can we run while someone so small helps and fights so valiantly?'

"Hurry up, Gandalf!" Bilbo urged, his nimble feet seeming to dance across the battlefield, a sharp contrast to how he had been before, a cowardly and timid hobbit transformed into one brave and fierce.

'Without a doubt, Aldril was a good influence on Bilbo,' Gandalf thought, swinging his staff and sending two unsuspecting orcs flying as they approached from behind.

They pressed on, fighting and aiding where they could. No matter how many orcs they felled, there seemed to be no end to them, a plague that slowly overwhelmed them.

As they supported the soldiers on the wall, Bilbo found a moment, amid slicing down an orc, to look upon the vast darkness that enveloped not just the valley but all of Erebor. His breath hitched, and for the first time, a thought crept into his mind:

'Can we win?'

He quickly shook the thought away. He couldn't afford to lose focus, especially with the Grey Wizard at his side providing so much cover. Then, as he glanced into the distance, he caught sight of a golden wall near the gates of Erebor.

The sight struck him like lightning. "The elves led by Aldril!" he exclaimed in great concern. Aldril stood in formation with the elves, awaiting the imminent charge, and Bilbo didn't know what to do. He couldn't think of a way to help his friend, so he quickly looked at Gandalf.

Of course, Gandalf had also noticed Aldril alongside the men and elves waiting near the gates of Erebor. He could only pray that Thorin would come to his senses and let the dwarves join the battle. That would undoubtedly turn the tide of what seemed like a lost fight.

Then it happened, a reverberating sound silenced the battlefield. A trumpet's war call. The sound was so powerful that the battlefield came to a standstill. The confused orcs looked around, mistaking it for orders from their general, Azog, a moment seized by the elves and men, who attacked with even greater fervor, like beasts ravenous for blood.

Distraction on a battlefield is the gravest mistake one can make, but the orcs were not known for their intelligence. Perhaps the first orcs, crafted and commanded by Melkor, had been sharper, but not these. The long years had diminished the dark magic within them, and as a result, their intelligence had also faded significantly.

Soon, everyone heard a loud crash, as if a wall had been torn down. In the distance, at the gates of Erebor, a cloud of debris obscured the view.

But with closer attention, one could see the elves in formation parting to create a large opening, from which an overwhelming number of dwarves emerged, led by Thorin Oakenshield.

Their charge was joined by the elves and men on either flank, commanded by Aldril and Legolas, who advanced at great speed alongside the Dwarf King.

It was a sight not seen since the First Age, men, elves, and dwarves, united, fighting side by side against the dark forces that so fervently sought to strip them of their freedom.

***

Filthy orcs!

Happy weekend! how will you use it? personally I plan to stay up all night playing Monster hunter. 

Son of Feanor, and advance chapter in "p@treon.com/Mrnevercry"