A Ruby's Shine (Thorin Oakenshield X OC)

123. The Battle Begins

Crunch!

Crack!

ROAR!!!

I stared, wide eyed, without moving, as I watched the first Were-worm tunnel up through the ground. The thing is hideous and terrifying. A grey that matches the rocks, it's ebony colored five jaws wrapped around a rock and crushed it like a twig, thousands of sharp razor like teeth visible inside it's maw as it released a horrible gurgling roar before another tunneled up, an explosion of rock and snow before another tunneled upwards, the ground shaking heavily under our feet as a few dwarves grumbled, unsure, as people who mine the earth I would imagine they like it stable under their feet.

I watched as three more burst up from the ground in a shower of rock and snow, a total of five of the giant things before they slithered back down into their tunnels with an eerie whisper noise.

For but a moment, there was silence.

Then, a eerie familiar growling tone rang out from somewhere distant in Black Speech.

"Come forth my Armies!" I heard Azog roar out in Black Speech as I turned, searching the area for where that could have come from. Azog was playing a smart game, leading his orcs from above where they can see him clearly, but where? I searched the higher nearby peaks on the edges of The Lonely Mountain with little success.

A loud, long horn rang out across the plains between Dale and Erebor, making me grit my teeth as I turned back to watch the tunnels, taking calming breaths as the last sound of the horn faded.

The the screeches, growls, gurgling sounds of the hordes of hell echoed from inside those tunnels dug by the Were-worms. The rumbling of the ground under thousands upon thousand of orc feet made the land seem to tremble as the hellish sounds grew louder, all of us silent, still, waiting.

I watched as they poured out from the earth like gross black swarms in their dark black armor, they were not unorganized and all over the place like orc packs normally are. No, these orcs were coordinated, running in sharp lines together across the earth and out of the tunnels. I watched, controlling my breathing as my fear grew worse and worse, the numbers leaving those tunnels were not stopping, and they were leaving in hundreds every second. Each and every one of them was armed to the teeth, each and every one of them was covered in thick protective black armor and carrying a large arm shield with a spearhead to the end of it.

And yet they continued to pour from under the earth like the very bowls of hell had been opened, more orcs than I ever knew existed, more orcs than I have ever seen...

Am I ready for this? To fight in a true battle against thousands? I have fought of small orc packs before, but nothing like this... Yet, I cannot back down now, we are all that stands between Middle-Earth and ruin and I refuse to see the orcs win this battle.

I looked towards Erebor, able to see as neither army moved just yet and, once the orcs hit the halfway point, I began to count in my head, hoping Kili and the elves above were ready as, secretly, the Ironfoot behind the elves began sneaking among their numbers so they can quickly form the shield wall. Not a single elf shifted or protested, even Thranduil understood the element of surprise is our greatest weapon.

1...2...3...

The orcs continued to pour from the tunnels before thankfully stopping, but there are still thousands upon thousands of orcs upon the plains.

4...

I bit my lip yet remained silent, hoping to the Valar this would work.

5.

I listened as I could hear the faint distant sound of hundreds of arrows whistling through the air as I looked towards Erebor. I couldn't see them from this distance but I knew they were there as the whistling sound of them cutting through the sky could be heard as the orcs continued to run forward.