Knights of Erebor: Blade of Durin

Ch. 3-Nightmares

A/N: This chapter has blood and slight anguish. Any sensitive readers use caution.

The little inn began to empty as people left to retire to their homes for the night. Soon the only ones who remained were Therina, her friends, passed out dwarves, and Dis. Therina walked over to the bar and asked Dis if rooms were available. Dis kindly gave Therina directions and pointed the way. She returned to the company, and led the way to their rooms. Only four rooms were unoccupied so they had to double up with each other. They said their goodnights to one another and went to bed.

That night, Therina tossed and turned. She sometimes groaned as if in pain, then quickly scrunched up into a ball before straightening. She tossed so much that the sheets were tangled around her, and damp from the slight sweat coming from her skin. She was dreaming, but not a good dream; it was a relived nightmare!

Therina stood strong, and unwavering next to her brother. They were fighting in a fierce battle but were losing. Soon they would be surrounded and there would be no way out. Therina blocked an orc whose blade poised to kill! She side-stepped, throwing the orc aside, but not before slicing its guts open. Running off to catch up to her brother who was charging at a much bigger orc! The trees were ablaze and the small canyon swarmed with the nasty enemy. Bursting forward, Therina jumped off a rock, and dug her blade into a warg's shoulder. The filth shrieked in pain, and tried to shake Therina to the ground. But instead of killing it, she used her dagger to steer the creature toward her brother. Swinging onto the warg's side, Therina planted her feet in the dirt; then completely flipped the warg upside down, and slit its throat. Racing like the wind, she blocked, swung and sliced several more orcs before coming alongside her brother. Theodren whipped around to look at her. They locked eyes in a silent question, when both were satisfied with the answer, they charged at the biggest enemy of them all.....Azog, The Defiler!

Therina quickly outran her older brother and sprinted at the pale orc. He slashed at her but she slid underneath his blade and cut into his leg a blood gushing wound! Azog screeched but knocked down by Theodren's smaller form. Kicking and punching the boy off him, he stabbed at Theodren's chest but was blocked by Therina's blade! Still holding contact, she threw her leg up and nailed Azog in the stomach--hard! That knocked him over again and she lunged at him trying to stab his heart. But Azog was bigger, meaner and a lot stronger than Therina. Not to mention he was fuelled by pure evil! He rolled, dodging Therina's lunge and then Theodren's blade as well. He grabbed the collar of Therina's shirt and whacked his head against hers as hard as he was capable; which was very very hard! Normally, Therina would have just shook it off and maybe even returned the blow, but this one knocked her clear out of it! He dropped Therina and shoved her bloody frame into a tree. She fell forward only to meet Azog's knee, causing the back of her head to slam on the large oaken tree trunk.

All the while, Theodren is watching what is happening to his little baby sister, but he can't get to her because of other orcs in his path. He saw Azog headbutt Therina, drop her, throw her at a tree, knee her in the face, and then the pale orc decides to bust her in the ribcage with his mace! Crying out in rage, he slaughters all the filth in his way to her! He swings his sword and it hit the huge orc across the back of his head, drawing black blood! Screaming in rage and agonizing pain, Azog whirls around and slashes Theodren in the stomach! Therina, who was barely concious, extremely dizzy, saw this and roared with anger! She launched herself onto Azog's shoulders, wrapped her legs around his broad neck and stabbed repeatedly at him! Azog screaming and roaring in pain, wrenched Therina from his body.

She used her momentum to kick Azog square in the face, bowled him over, and knocked his mace and sword out of his hands; but he nailed her in the wrists causing her to lose her weapons as well. They rolled across the ground punching, kicking, and clawing at each other in fury; anger and rage seething out of their bones!
Meanwhile...as Theodren heard the skrieks of pain from both his sister and Azog; the world began to fade and he toppled over in a heap of blood, sweat and armour. He struggled to roll over and noticed black spots in the corners of his vision. He dazedly watched the fight between Therina and the Defiler...trying to get to his feet. He pulled himself up to his hands and knees, then picked up Therina's disarmed sword. In a moment of adrenaline, he surged at the pair!

Therina had punched, kicked, scratched, and even bit down on the giant orc but to no avail! He had rolled on top of her and was giving her his hardest and worst hits! He wrapped his gnarly cold fingers around her neck and was squeezing viciously! Therina bucked, and squirmed, picked and peeled at Azog's hands in attempts to get free. She suddenly lost all strength, all will and determination to fight back and went limp. Just as things were darkening, a small dirty, blonde tufted form tackled Azog, stabbing and howling a battle cry that could be heard from here to Gondor!

Theodren; in a last line of defense for Therina was sacrificing himself for her. Azog was struck by Theodren but got a harsh back hand to the face with a branch. The pale orc was going in for the kill when an orc came and shouted in Black Speech;

The dwarves are here, Master! The king is leading them!"

Azog snarled and let out a strangled whistle. A snow-white warg came into view and growled as it passed a groaning Therina, before trotting up to it's rider. Just before he walked over, he raised his foot and slammed it down onto a gasping Theodren. His thick heavy, metal boot slashed into the young man's neck who screamed in pure agony! Azog then turned away, mounted his beast and rode off toward Moria!

Hey guys! So this chapter was a bit darker than most previous ones. But some good stuff is coming, I promise! Also we're getting closer to the actual messy...quest...thing, anyone? No?..ok. So just a few more then on to An Unexpected Journey! This chapter is dedicated to ValinorsTwilight and NRiggan. While you wait on me, go check out Valinor's fanfic: A Treasure Beyond Compare. It's awesome! Anyways, vote, comment and bye for now!👋