(PTII)Defenders of Middle Earth: A Middle Earth Story(Book 4)

Chapter 7: Esgaroth

Esgaroth

A lone guard lazily watched the still waters of the Long Lake, his eyes occasionally closing. It was nearly the end of the night guard, and he was eager to return to a warm bed and a hot meal.

Mist hung over the lake like a blanket, rising up from the lake and into the night sky. The mournful call of a loon was the only sound that broke the silence, and the faint scent of a strawberry pie from inside the town lulled the guard further into a false sense of safety.

He never learned his mistake.

A black arrow pierced the mist, silently speeding through the air until it hit the guard in the neck. He made no sound as he fell from the sentry tower into the water below, finally making a subdued splash as he sunk beneath the lake.

A small rowboat slowly emerged from the fog, its rowers paddling so quietly that only one who was actively listening for such a sound would hear their passing.

"Shapit," the foremost boatman growled. As soon as the boat made contact with the wall, two other boatmen quickly lashed ropes around it. Then all three occupants leapt out of the boat into the murky water, their quiet splashes drawing no attention. They quickly flipped the boat over, revealing a flat plank that could serve as a platform.

Another identical boat soon came up behind the first one, and its occupants followed suit.

"Mir... Mir..." the first boatman snarled as he nodded approvingly. By dawn they would all be in position as ordered... And then the attack would begin.

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Dale

Astrid woke early, as dark nightmares had been haunting her sleep. She kept seeing the faces of those she cared about rent and torn apart on the field of battle, carrion birds picking at their bloodied bodies. The shadow of Erebor no longer seemed comforting to her, instead it now seemed stifling and unwelcome.

She often wandered the ramparts of Dale, as they offered a magnificent view of the surrounding lands and gave her time to think without being interrupted. Aside from the few guards that manned the sentry towers, they were completely abandoned at this hour.

She ascended the narrow stairs that led up to the walls, her long red hair flowing behind her. The slight wind felt pleasant as it brushed by her face, and the early morning air smelled fresh and clean.

As she reached the top of the stairs, she cast a casual glance toward Esgaroth. Esgaroth... The city on a lake. Though it was destroyed nearly sixty years ago, it had been rebuilt into an even better, though smaller, city. The skeletal ruins of the original city could still be seen just beneath the surface of the lake, and during low tide much of it protruded above the water. Stories said that a vast wealth of gems lie amongst the ruins of the old town, but few attempted to brave the unnaturally cold water. On particularly clear days, one could supposedly see the skeleton of the dragon that had destroyed the town.

Today, however, Astrid noticed none of that. Instead, her icy blue eyes landed upon what appeared to be a serpentine shape leading from the city to the shore. As she looked closer, she could see a swarming mass on the shore... A mass that appeared to be an army.

"Sound the alarm!" She cried as she began to run back down the stairs. One of the guards started in surprise before looking down at her in confusion.

"Why? What's goin' on lass?" He managed to ask in between a yawn.

"Look! Esgaroth is under attack!" She replied. "I'm going to tell the King!"

"By Durin's left braid! You're right!" The guard exclaimed as he looked in surprise at the city. He reached for the large bell that hung in the tower beside him and began to frantically ring it. The other guardposts began to respond one by one, creating a loud cacaphony of bells.