[Hathalas Ashen-Shield]

Hathalas' arrows were spent, and now he took to slaying any orc that lay in his path with his shiny curved blade. Many fell to it. He slashed three particularly bulky orcs across the back who fell to the ground rather easily.

After Hathalas had beheaded a small orc, a nasty surprise met him. The three orcs he had previously slain, who were lying among the dead jumped up and pounced on Hathalas bringing him to the ground. Hathalas' blade was sticking up and one of the orcs who had jumped had been impaled by it. Hathalas tried to fight off the two orcs but they were quite large and strong. He decided he had to get rid of them one at a time, not two at once. He grabbed the orc to the left and tried his best to get on top of him, while getting his blade out of the other orcs slain body. He cut the orcs throat and got ready to advance to the other one.

A sharp pain began sweeping across his body, starting from his lower back. The other orc had readied a dart, and tipped it with some fowl poison. Hathalas' eyes drooped, but he ignored the seering pain that was positively making him crain in pain. He swung his blade high in the air and brought it down hard on the malicously grinning orc. Hathalas stumbled, but it seemed, that he had to protect these travellers, it seemed they're journey was too important to be stopped by an orc attack before they got to...to wherever they were going. This thought gave Hathalas strength and an intensified determination.

He carefully pulled out the dart from his back, wincing, then breathed slowly. Then he went to help Ani Dao and Durin, who seemed to be overwhelmed with enemies. He fought hard, orc upon orc tried to approach the trio, but each one was brought down hard, by axe, knife and blade.

Hathalas gathered a few crude orc arrows that were lying at his feet, and shot them into the dark mass of orcs. But it appeared as though the poison was doing its work effectively, he felt week now. He needed a poultice, one that could remove poison, and it would be too late after a few more minutes. However Hathalas was indeed out of luck with poultices, the only provisions he had brought were food and water. Hathalas' eyes watered. "No matter how weak I am" he thought. "No matter how large the enemy is, I must tackle it at full strength..." And Hathalas slew four more orcs, before he sank down to his knees...

[ March 12, 2003: Message edited by: Hathalas Ashen-Shield ]

[ March 12, 2003: Message edited by: Hathalas Ashen-Shield ]

[ March 12, 2003: Message edited by: Hathalas Ashen-Shield ]