[Hathalas Ashen-Shield]

Bali was about to inform Hathalas of their travels, when Ani Dao rode down the dirt path on her steed, Uesse, and when she arrived, she warned of a danger in the bushes, more orcs she supposed. She held up a crude black arrow. Hathalas sniffed the air, and wrinkled his nose. "There is a fowl stench on the air, I believe this elf, Ani Dao is right. I advise you to unsheath your weapons..."

As he spoke he was removing his longbow from his shoulder and fitting two wooden arrows with silver tips into it easily. He watched the bushes down the path, his eyes crinkled. His elven ears pricked up, he turned swiftly to the left and shot one of his arrows into the darkness of the forest. A shriek of pain announced that his ears had not cheated him. As over a dozen more orcs pranced out of the bushes. Bali, Gromfelt, Kili, Belegond, Arlömé, Hogar and the rest of the company jumped to action, unleashing arrows, hatchets, and wielding dangerous arms of axes, broadswords and sharp blades. Hathalas noticed that Ani Dao stood by Burzdol, slaying any orc that threatened to come near the injured elf.