The Lonely Mountain [1]

Gundabad

Legolas and Tauriel made it to Gundabad after one and a half days hard riding. The orc strong hold was a dark archaic structure hidden within a valley in the misty mountains. Legolas felt a deep hatred for the place, although he had never actually been anywhere near it before. His father had forbidden it.

"Gundabad." Tauriel muttered looking at the huge structure that loomed over them. "What lies beyond." She asked surveying their surroundings.

"An old enemy." He answered, thinking back to the stories he was told as a child by his father and Lord Elrond. "The ancient kingdom of Angmar. This fortress was once its stronghold. It is where they used to keep their great armoury's, where they forged their weapons of war."

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

"We wait for the cover of night. It is a foul place Tauriel. In another age our people waged war on those lands." Legolas paused, harsh memories came flooding back to him. "My mother died there. My father does not speak of it. There is no grave, no memory, nothing." Legolas himself hardly spoke of it. The only person he ever spoke to about it was Amara.

As night began to draw in, Tauriel was getting impatient. "If we are going in, we should go now."

Legolas went to reply but was cut off by a swarm of bats that screeched and flew to the old fort.

"They are swarming." Tauriel muttered.

"These bats were bred for one purpose." Legolas said his blue eyes glued to the fort.

"For what?"

"For war."

They watched as an orc astride a warg rode to the top of one of the rock outcrops. Legolas's eyes widened as he recognized it as Bolg, Azog's son. He raised his weapon and called out in orcish. A horn sounded from under the fort itself as an army of orcs began to ride out.

"We must warn the others." Tauriel said.

"We may be too late, hurry." Legolas's mind went straight to Amara.