The Skin-Changer's Daughter (Hobbit Fanfic)

Thin Ice

Thorin's POV
He stood there, shrouded in mist. I could hear the distant clashing of weapons and cries of dying orcs as my comrades fought his army. Apart from that it was deathly silent. I readied Orcrist in my hand, glad to have it back after Thranduial's little prince stole it from me. I began to walk slowly towards my enemy, my weapon ready in my hand. With a bestial howl, he ran forward and swung is mace at me. I ducked, my arm jarring into the cold ice in front of me. I span swiftly behind him, cutting at his armoured back to try and find a gap in the plates. He whirled around in all his fury, bringing the mace over his head. It hit the ice to my right with a sickening crack.
~{<>}~
The ice began to split beneath our feet, large cracks appearing on the surface. I backed away slightly as he advanced toward me, keeping out of reach of the blade attached to his arm but not the mace. He swung it again, hitting the ice  close to me. Suddenly, the ice split beneath my feet, rocking dangerously. I staggered, trying to keep my balance. The section of ice rocked back and forth on the water, turning our fight into a deadly balancing act.
~{<>}~
The mace was swung again, I ducked but fell upon the ice, the side of my face hitting it with a cold jolt. I scrambled to my feet as quickly and soon had to avoid the mace again. I felt a rush of air as it passed my face narrowly, making me stagger backwards. I slipped and fell as a section of ice came away, my boot momentarily hitting the freezing water. I hauled myself to my feet, my whole body aching from wounds and exhaustion.
~{<>}~
Suddenly I felt something solid hit my ankles, sending me backwards onto the ice. I gave a cry of surprise and looked up at Azog, his face lit with cruel malice. He swung the mace again and I rolled out the way, hearing it hit the ice behind me. One, two, three, four times I repeated this, narrowly avoiding the mace each time. I scrambled to my feet and cut him across the stomach, hearing him cry in pain and anger. He gave another bestial bellow and swung the mace toward me, where it hit the ice at my feet. He tugged at it, but it had stuck. He advanced forward, taking a quick swipe at me, but I ducked. He stepped backwards as the ice rocked and I crouched to keep my balance.
~{<>}~
His cold, malicious eyes suddenly locked on something behind me. I stared back at him. I heard the familiar cry of an eagle and watched as they swooped over the stunned Azog. They were headed towards Bolg's army, their sharp talons gleaming with bloodlust. Radagast was on the back of one, on another was the familiar shape of Beorn. The Skin-Changer threw himself off his eagle and transformed in mid air, landing among the orcish ranks and beginning to tear them apart.
"Ada!" A familiar voice shrieked. Azog watched as his ranks began to die at the hand, or rather claw, of the lone Skin Changer, an old man and bunch of birds.
~{<>}~
I dropped Orcrist, making Azog turn to face me again. I threw the stone at the end of his mace at him, hitting him square in the chest before stepping backwards off the ice. The Orc howled and clawed at the slippery surface as the weight of his armour and the mace dragged him down. I watched as he plunged beneath the icy cold water, howling in anguish. The ice rocked on the water and everything seemed suddenly peaceful. I stood there, gasping exhaustedly.
~{<>}~
I knelt and picked up Orcrist before something caught my eye. I leant forward, following what was floating beneath the ice. Azog's body, following the current of the river. His cold eyes gleamed as he floated past me, his face blank and expressionless. I followed the body as it moved beneath the ice, not knowing if he was dead or not. Slowly, his eyelids closed over his cold eyes. Azog the Defiler was no more.