Walking In Starlight

33

Legolas and Tauriel leave their horses and scramble up a rocky outcrop, crouching behind some rocks at the top and see a fortress ahead,

"Gundabad" Tauriel said "what lies beyond?"

"An old enemy" Legolas replied "the ancient kingdom of Angmar. This fortress was once its stronghold. It is where they kept their great armories, forged their weapons of war"

A light flickers in a window of the fortress, then disappears,

"A light!" Tauriel said "I saw movement"

"We wait for the cover of night" Legolas said "it is a fell place, Tauriel. In another age our people waged war on those lands" pauses, looking pained "my mother died there. My father does not speak of it. There is no grave, no memory, nothing"

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In Dale, the people are preparing for war, sharpening swords and collecting supplies, jumping out of the way as Gandalf gallops into town on his horse,

"Let me through!" Gandalf ordered "make way!"

Gandalf dismounts in the main courtyard and looks surprised to see men drilling with swords and companies of elves marching by, alfrid comes up to him, upset,

"No, no, no!" Alfrid exclaimed "Oi! You - pointy hat!" Gandalf turns to look at him "yes, you. We don't want no tramps, beggars nor vagabonds around here. We got enough trouble without the likes of you. Off you go! On your horse"

"Who's in charge here?!" Gandalf demanded

"Who is asking?" Bard asked, walking up to him

A little bit later, Gandalf is meeting with Bard and Thranduil in a tent,

"You must set aside your petty grievances with the dwarves" Gandalf said "war is coming! The cesspits of Dol Guldur have been emptied. You're all in mortal danger!"

"What are you talking about?" Bard asked him

"I can see you know nothing of wizards" Thranduil said "they are like winter thunder on a wild wind rolling in from a distance, breaking hard in alarm. But sometimes a storm is just a storm"

"Not this time" Gandalf said "armies of orcs are on the move. And these are fighters! They have been bred for war. Our enemy has summoned his full strength."

"Why show his hand now?" The elven king asked

"Because we forced him!" Gandalf snapped "we forced him when the company of Thorin Oakenshield set out to reclaim their homeland. The dwarves were never meant to reach Erebor; Azog the Defiler was sent to kill them. His master seeks control of the mountain. Not just for the treasure within, but for where it lies, its strategic position."

As Gandalf talks, they have left the tent and walked outside to a spot from where they can clearly see the gates of Erebor,

"This is the gateway to reclaiming the lands of Angmar in the north" Gandalf continued "if that fell kingdom should rise again, Rivendell, Lothlorien, the Shire, even Gondor itself will fall!"

"These orc armies you speak of, Mithrandir - Where are they?" Thranduil asked

Gandalf is unable to answer.

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Meanwhile, an Orc rides out of a tunnel on a Warg and approaches Azog, who is feeding his Warg at the entrance to the tunnel,

"Our army will be in position by dawn. The attack will be sudden and swift!" The orc said

"The fools! They have forgotten what lives beneath these lands" Azog replied "they have forgotten the great Earth-eaters"