[maikafanawen]

“The wall has been breached!” The cry of a dwarf rang out over the battlegrounds. Ani Dao ran to the spot where Uruks had broken through the strong stone of Erebor and were swarming in like ants. She aimed a shaft at a rather large berserker and got him in the neck, just stopping him from taking a slice at a dwarf. The assassin reached behind her for a second arrow to find her last one. Notching it quickly, she shot down a second creature. Ani Dao threw down her bow and unclasped a rope from her belt, secured it to a stone post on the wall, and checked it strength. Then, in one graceful leap, she swung down the wall and into the mass of Uruk Hai, sword flashing. With the skill from many years of training she made a large gap in the onslaught of invaders.

“She-elf!” called a dwarf. “Pull back!” Ani Dao’s eyes searched for a way of escape while she held back the Uruks with her sword.

“Now Ani!” yelled Hathalas. Sheathing her sword, she grasped a hold of the rope the elf tossed her and swung out over the crowd of monsters. With the aid of Hathalas, she took the wall again with her feet, slipping a little on the rain-slicked stone.

“I have no long-distance range weapons,” Ani Dao shouted to Hathalas over the roar of war. The elf looked around and then nodded.

“Come, we’ll meet them down at the breach. They ran to the nearest stairs and joined the dwarves that were there already, fighting with every ounce of strength they had. “Stay close, if we don’t get separated, we have a better chance of domination.” Swords clashed and the screams of dying Uruks echoed around the courtyard. The rest were fighting in the courtyard by the gate as well: dwarves, Gondorians and elves, Burzdol among them.

For a while they held the Uruk Hai back. Hathalas took down even the most threatening with seemingly less effort. His blonde hair streamed behind him magnificently, and his exquisite face held the determination of any other dwarf there.

Ani Dao brought around her elvish blade and severed the head of—a goblin? Goblins had come too with their rusty knives and poisoned arrows. Befuddled, she stepped back for a moment and looked around quickly. The smaller, and spidery like creatures were also making their way into the fortress. Yelling in anger, Ani Dao took them on. Her knives flew rapidly into their necks, and unarmored chests, killing them instantly. She dipped under scimitars and flipped over the monsters, picking up knives in a blur. Not a one of the creatures was sharp enough to follow her movements. She turned for a second triumphantly viewing the thirty goblins she had left in her wake. Focusing again on the masses of enemies, she noticed that she had gotten separated from the company.

At that moment, a great hollow roar came from behind the sheet of rain. Uruk Hai and goblins seemed to cheer in their vulgar language. Men, dwarves, and elves stopped alike to meet the new foe. To their horror, a cave troll of implausible size lumbered into view, bearing a great club. Ani Dao started at the sight. This, of all things, she did not expect. Her first thought was to break through to her companions: they had a better chance if they assaulted this monster in one strong party. A crazier idea came to her head. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she charged. Just side-stepping his swing, she threw the claw end of her rope that wrapped around the beast. When the troll turned, the force pulled her up with it. She kicked the monster hard in his face, and jumped on his head. His long, muscular arms tried to bat her from her position. The assassin took two of her knives and plunged them deep into his rather thin skull. Roaring in pain, the troll lurched his head backwards and then threw it forwards, propelling her into the wall.

The hit shook her up pretty bad, but she determinedly regained her feet. Head spinning, she fought against the Uruks. One tried to skewer her with its pike. She kicked it away, and caught it. In almost the same movement she threw the lance at the oncoming troll. The spear pierced his left eye. Bellowing in anguish, he removed it, black blood pouring from his socket. Ani Dao’s throat lurched at the sight. She broke through the forming ring of Uruk Hai and rejoined her companions. Pushing through with their backs together, they eliminated a good portion of the smaller foe. Finally though, the troll found them: his right eye still good. Summoning what she had left of her strength, Ani Dao threw a knife into the beast’s remaining eye. The moment he whip-lashed back, Hathalas sunk an arrow into its throat, killing it.