✓ | Forget-Me-Not ~ Fili FanFiction / Hobbit FanFiction / Fili FF

「 Chapter 45 」

Again, the victorious shouts from the dwarves of Erebor rang out. Ilèyn couldn't believe it, not even herself was that stubborn.
"Let them advance." she heard Thranduil say calmly, "See how far they get."
Ilèyn knew that her uncle thought he was on the safe side too, but if she knew one thing, it was that dwarves really were always up for a surprise.
"You think I give a dead dog for your threats, you pointy-eared princess?" Dain called over his shoulder.
At these words Ilèyn had to smile a little bit and looked at her uncle, whose expression spoke volumes.
"You hear that, lads?" Dain shouted "We're on! Let's give these bastards a good hammering!"
The dwarf army got ready for battle, roaring loudly.
"Stand your men down!" said Thranduil to Bard as he rode up to him, "I'll deal with Ironfoot and his rabble."
With that the army of the Elves began to move. Bard kept his fighters behind him and did not move. Ilèyn and Bilbo also stayed where they were. Ilèyn wanted to avoid losing her life in such a senseless argument. She tried to look back at the mountain, but between the men and elves she could no longer see the dwarfs on the wall.
Suddenly there was great movement in the dwarf army. The soldiers turned to one side and made room for a whole cavalry of mounted warriors on rams. The riders raced towards the Elves with their weapons raised. Thranduil rode to his archers. They drew an arrow, placed it on the string and aimed their weapons at the ridge of the hill.
"Thranduil!" shouted Gandalf, who was standing between the remaining warriors, "This is madness!"
Thranduil gave the order.
The elves sent a huge hail of arrows flying towards the dwarves. The dwarfs' response to this was more than surprising. Suddenly strange, whirling projectiles came flying towards the Elves above their heads. When they encountered the elves' flying arrows, they shredded them while they were still in the air and turned them into useless splinters of wood. Only a few moments later, the projectiles of the dwarves, which also had a large arrowhead, struck the army of the elves and each left a large hole in their position.
Fortunately, Ilèyn and Bilbo were too far behind with the fishermen to be hit by the dwarves' weapons. But Ilèyn saw how Thranduil had already given another order to shoot and the Elves wanted to rain another hail of arrows upon the dwarves. But this time, too, the dwarves reacted with the devastating whirling spears and again the projectiles hit Thranduil's army brutally.
Now the Elf King seemed to change tactics, his soldiers took a few steps back and the cavalry defense took their position. The dwarves on the goats had almost reached the ranks of the elves.
Now the first rams broke into the position of the elves and disappeared among the warriors. With their horns held up, the dwarves' mounts managed to knock down the enemy warriors with all their might. But the Elves weren't entirely unprepared either.
Ilèyn was pushed further and further back between the people of Esgaroth and soon could no longer really see what was happening in front of her. The noise of battle reached her and Bilbo, however. The two looked at each other helplessly and again Ilèyn turned her gaze to the Mountain, where she could now see how the dwarves of Erebor were watching what was happening in front of the Mountain.

It was then that Ilèyn heard a threatening rumble or hum, as if the earth were raising its voice against the fight. The ground shook and the crashing and rumbling got louder and louder. It came from the mountains and even made elves and dwarves stop in their fights. Ilèyn and Bilbo squeezed past some of the people until both could catch a glimpse of the mountains.
Out of nowhere, huge worms erupted from the earth, their front end made up of claws and teeth. They ate their way through the earth and crushed massive boulders with the strength of their mouths alone. The beasts were so big that they could easily fill a mountain. Five in number had now dug large yawning holes into the mountains.
Bilbo drew his sword and looked anxiously over the plains.
Then there was the sound of a deep, booming horn coming from the north. Ilèyn's gaze whizzed in the direction from which she suspected the horn and saw some figures standing on Ravenhill adjoining the mountain, looking down at the plains and with strange constructions next to them.
"Azog." Ilèyn breathed in horror.
She didn't have long to look up, because soon afterwards orcs appeared from the passages dug by the worms. Hundreds, thousands.
"The hordes of hell are upon us! Fight to the death!" roared Dain and his army let go of the Elves and rallied again, charging against the orcs.
Ilèyn ran off, between the people of Lake Town, in the direction of the army of the Elves, which had also repositioned themselves, but did not take a step against the approaching orcs, of which more ranks were still pouring out of the mountains, as if there was no end in sight. The dwarves dug their shields into the ground, building a wall of themselves.
When Ilèyn reached the Elven army, she spotted Thranduil lingering indecisively, looking over his shoulder.
"Uncle!" shouted Ilèyn desperately. She was a long way from reaching him, but he heard her and turned to her.
"Please..." she just gasped when she stopped next to him.
Thranduil only looked at her for a brief moment, his expression changed and the indecision vanished. He nodded to his niece before raising his arm and sending his soldiers to the dwarves.
Ilèyn looked after the warriors and felt how some hope rose again in her.
The Elves reached the wall of dwarves just as the orcs were about to break through the front ranks of Dain's army. With swords drawn, they rushed at the army of the orcs.
"Ilèyn." said Thranduil gravely, looking down at her.
The archer met his gaze and the fire of determination blazed in both of them.

"I think we could use your help." said the Elf King and leaned down so far that he could offer her his hand. Ilèyn's gaze rested briefly on Thranduil's gloved hand, then she grinned and grabbed it. Thranduil pulled her up, Ilèyn clung to the moose's fur and heaved herself onto the moose behind Thranduil.
The king and the rest of his army began to advance and march towards the battle before them.
The people of Lake Town were still in their starting position and looked around frightened, including Gandalf and Bilbo.
Another blow of the horn sounded from Ravenhill and the constructions that Azog had built around him were transformed into a new sign, which suggested a change in tactics on the part of the orcs.
Then Ilèyn heard cruel loud screams behind her and looked over her shoulder. Giant war beasts, much larger than any orcs, elves, or humans, worked their way through the plains, armed with large clubs. Thranduil rode to his archers, had them repositioned and the newcomers under fire. The attack took effect and some of the beasts fell.
Thranduil and Ilèyn approached the actual fray, and Ilèyn drew her bow and an arrow. She started shooting at the orcs who were getting too close to her and her uncle. Thranduil drew his sword and struck at the enemies around him.
"We shouldn't be separated from the dwarves!" shouted Ilèyn and fired another arrow.
"It won't be that easy!" replied Thranduil, who had just slashed the breastplate of an orc with all his might and punched his weapon in the enemy's heart.
The horn from Ravenhill interrupted the king, and he and his niece looked up. Azog had already given another order and that part of the orc army that had not yet been involved in the battle began to march. In the direction of Dale.
"They are trying to cut us off from Bard and the others!" shouted Ilèyn in panic. She was afraid for Sigrid, Tilda and Bain, who were definitely still in town. There was nowhere else for them to go now.
Bard had retired to Dale with the people of Lake Town, Gandalf and Bilbo.
A new wave of attackers forced Ilèyn's attention back to her precarious situation.
Orcs rushed towards her and Thranduil, the Elf King chopping off their heads one by one. Ilèyn paused for a moment, grabbed her uncle's shoulders, and stood up. She balanced on the moose's broad back and now had a slightly better view of the situation. She began to accurately sink her next arrows into the Orcs around her, making balancing movements again and again when the moose below her was led into a sharp turn by Thranduil.
She had to move far back when Thranduil ducked under a sword. In the meantime, neither of them managed to keep the orcs at enough distance from them. The creatures rushed towards the moose and began to hold on to it and climb up on it. The moose reared up and threw off the enemy. Thranduil was still able to hold on to his reins, but Ilèyn was thrown from the animal's back by this sudden movement. From the considerable height she landed on the floor with a thud and groaned when she immediately got up again. An orc came rushing towards her and lashed out to strike, but Ilèyn had immediately sunk one of her arrows in his head.

Dain was riding past her and Thranduil was driven away from her when he faced more orcs. Ilèyn grimly drew the next arrow, determined not to die today.
She shot arrow after arrow, but the distance she had created around herself continued to decrease the more orcs approached her. Now she had to evade when one of them struck her, she dropped her bow and drew her daggers. With full force she rammed the sharp blades into the necks of the next three orcs, and slashed the chest of a fourth with both daggers.
Ilèyn had lost track of everything. Around her lay the corpses of orcs, elves and dwarves, and further behind her Dains and Thranduil's armies fought against the warriors of Azog.
When Ilèyn looked over her shoulder, she could see the bridge that led into Dale. Thranduil had made it this far and was on his way into town. He made his way through the orcs on the bridge, what happened when he passed the gate, Ilèyn could no longer see.
His warriors came to the aid of the Elf King and hurried into the city. Ilèyn was separated from Thranduil's army.
She ran to get back to the ranks of the dwarves, who were slowly but surely being pushed back towards the mountain.
Orcs came towards her, were around her, she and the dwarves were surrounded by the enemy on all sides, the same applied to Thranduil, his army and the people in Dale.
Ilèyn ducked as two orcs tried to grab her. She took one of them by the shoulders and swung behind him. When his comrade stabbed with the weapon, he did not get Ilèyn, but the orc she was holding in front of her. The creature tipped over and Ilèyn tossed her one dagger after the second Orc. Her weapon got stuck in his throat, the orc fell to the ground and Ilèyn hastily pulled her dagger out of his body. When she turned quickly to get to the dwarfs, an orc appeared right in front of her. He hit her hard on the head with the hilt of his sword.
Her skin cracked and blood oozed from her temple. Dazed Ilèyn stumbled back, her gaze went black.