Poros River Attack! (Part 3 of 3)

[Malahir(#12521)] Stabbing at the air leaves Malahir unbalanced on his saddle and unprepared to face the three fold events that work against his favor. With an unholy power, the damasked blade cleaves the fetid air like a warhammer, powered by the likeness of the Eye as to not be deterred. The skilled Captain does block the sword\'s blow with his shield, but at the very moment the northern flank erupts in a pall of flame. The screams of men retching in pain and death and the mere explosion of dark magic cause Malahir\'s horse to rear and flail it\'s legs in the air as if it was fighting an unknown enemy in the stars. Although he tries to hold on with all of his might, Malahir\'s encumbered hands are not able to catch hold and his oversized frame falls off the horse and he lands hard to the trodden ground.

With the trained reactions of a veteran, the Captain regains the breath that was knocked from him and swirls his longsword in a tight arch toward the Haradrim who unseated him.

Malahir attacks Fotud with his Longsword, but he misses by a handspan.

Talan\'s laughter grows ever louder as he again easily parries the injured man\'s attack. Pressing forward, always closing in as Rhiforath stagers back, The Lord of Black shows no mercy and again slashes at the whelp\'s sword arm!

Talan attacks Rhiforath with his Scimitar and moderately wounds him!

[Adunaphel(#29611)] Horse and Rider work together in a seamless team, unspoken commands carrying the horse backwards a few steps, as the Gondorian\'s sword arcs through empty air just a split second too late. The Wraith laughs, taunting yet again, and raises her sword to point wordlessly towards the rising glow to the north. But she does not give the man a chance to look, instead pressing further - the horse leaping forward - in once more, the blade rising and falling in a different tactic this time - one in which a rain of blows whistle towards his head.

Adunaphel attacks Boromir with her Longsword, but she misses by a handspan.

[Rhiforath(#28737)] Again the tattooed man is knicked in the arm, but Rhiforath says nothing, not allowing himself to be distracted by the small cuts. He trudges his way back out of the river\'s water bit by bit, trying to push the Lord of Black Tower around and into the water in turn. He bares his teeth again and sucks his breath through them quickly in gasps, intent to put his blade through the boastful man\'s belly!

Rhiforath attacks Talan with his Longsword, but he misses by a hair.

[Arali(#20995)] A sea of chaos surrounding her, the Lady Arali, her broken shield arm hanging uselessly at her side, sees that the battle turns in their favor. Turning to her bodyguards and several Farside soldiers near her, she shouts out, \"Bring me hostages! Hostages to trade for my Uncle!\" Then she turns and dives back into the fray, as if still unwounded.

Alanya latches onto Herun\'s unconscious body, amid the fray, and turns him face up in the water. Without checking yet to see if he\'s still breathing, she pushes up, and lets the current carry her downstream, again towards Talan and Rhiforath.The flickering torchlight is not enough to reveal the relief on the young woman\'s face when the knight coughs, spitting up water, and mucus, and blood, but revealing that he still lives--for now, at least.

[Fotud(#24579)] The Farside Captain again deftly avoids Malahir\'s strike, stepping away and forward again in a near seamless motion. As though commanded by the horrid laughter of the Wraith, Fotud sends his fell blade licking forth again, appetite whetted, seeking to cleave the flesh and bone of his opponent\'s skull.

Fotud attacks Malahir with his Scimitar and mildly wounds him!

Imbrahan feels himself starting to grow a little feint from loss of blood, and with a curse, turns and heads towards his own lines... seeking a healer of his own....

[Talan(#11051)] \"Come now whelp, you can do better than that! You can barely hold your blade boy!\"

To add insult to injury, Lord Talan decides to leave this young man alive, yet disfigured as he slashes for Rhiforath\'s face!

Talan attacks Rhiforath with his Scimitar and moderately wounds him!

[Boromir(#19834)]

Raising his shield and twisting away from the rider, Boromir avoids the deadly rain of blows from above. Again he strikes at the Black Rider, ever-mindful to keep himself between her and the men at his rear.

\"REGROUP!!\" he bellows, \"SOUND THE GENERAL RETREAT!! TO THE FORTRESS!!\"

Some men do not need to be urged any further, yet enough stay that it does not become a rout. And always the Son of Denethor places himself defiantly between the Morgul Spawn and the bodies of his men, though now he breathes heavily from the exertion of battle with such a masterful foe. It is toward the sword-arm, this time, that his blow has been directed.

Boromir attacks Adunaphel with his Large Longsword, but he misses by a mile.

[Imrahil(#29017)]

High and terrible, a wall of fire leaps high to the north -- and against that livid backdrop, the northern line returns in steady, ordered retreat. Few among them are unscathed yet, there is no panic. And in their midst march the proud Knights of Dol Amroth beneath the gilded banner of the Prince, fair and desperate.

[Ashnak(#26563)] As the fires begin to truly blaze in the north, a large black skinned orc charges ahead of the flames, following after a handful of wounded knights of Dol Amroth. Howling as he sprints, he barks out, \"The fighting uruk-hai are upon you! Embrace the death the Eye offers!\"

[Rhiforath(#28737)] Indeed exhausted, but not giving up for he has not heard the order to fall back and retreat - as if there were anywhere to retreat to - Rhiforath tries to keep his feet in the soft ground and water. Talan\'s blade whips out and the tattooed man manages to lean back and avoid most of the blow, swinging his shield up and out to maintain his balance. But the Black Tower Lord\'s blade just barely cuts his jaw, nicking it. The Man-at-Arms doesn\'t even feel it, numb, tired, and intent on keeping his focus on this man above all else. Wearily, his own counter attacks coming more slowly, he leaps forward and tries to bash Talan in kind with his shield and use it as a diversion to try and drive his longsword again into the man\'s groin...

Rhiforath attacks Talan with his Longsword, but Talan parries the attack with his shield!

The guards protecting the healing staff draw their weapons, the clank of armor sounding as they move into position to attack the bloodied enemy. But amazingly enough, the Master healer notes the blood upon his person and just about the time she opens her mouth to speak, he turns to run back into his own lines. Calling out sharply, Aearwen says, \"Attack him not. We would wish the same for our injured. Only end a life when there is no alternative.\" Drawing in a weary breath, the healer wipes across her brow with one hand, as if willing herself to have the energy to continue.

[<#15135>]

Sneaking along through the dancing and wavering light of flame and torch, the already oil-stained Uruk of Pulgor keeps close to the ground, shambling through the sands with surprising dexterity, and holding a black bow before him, already strung and ready with and arrow at the ready.

\"\" the creature whispers in its foul tongue to its larger companion.

[Malahir(#12521)] Far above the prone captain, the tall dark skinned Haradrim towers over him and swings forth a mighty blow to the head. The noble captain clenches his sheild with all his might and raises it above his head as the scimitar befalls, jarring the shield and bone beneath. The pain radiates from the wrist, but the bone does not break. In the distance, the sound of retreat is heard from the resounding buggle calls and Malahir attempts to fully regain his feet in order to rally his men for the retreat. He swings a clearing arch from left to right, aiming at Fotud\'s thighs.

Malahir attacks Fotud with his Longsword, but he misses by a long shot.

[Adunaphel(#29611)] Again, the horse dances backwards, rearing up to kick out at the knight defiantly as it shrieks a neigh into the night. As the forelegs of the beastly horse strike the earth once more, again it surges forward, and again the Rider leans from the saddle to take aim at the Heir. No laughter, no fancy flash of the blade. The dark one is angered, and perhaps is ready to stop playing cat-and-mouse with her prey.

Adunaphel attacks Boromir with her Longsword and moderately wounds him!

Talan barely blocks Rhiforath\'s attack with his shield, but manages to make a look of mock boredom as he again goes unscathed.

At the sound of retreat, The Black Lord sneers and growls, \"Time to die whelp!\" though in reality he merely slashes the youth\'s face again to ensure he will always be reminded to fear his superiors in combat!

Talan attacks Rhiforath with his Scimitar and severely wounds him!

[<#26563>] Shruging as the Pulgor Tek\'rak speaks, the other orc shrugs, and answers, \"\" With a whoop, Ashnak surges forward, charging away from the flames, holding his axe out and and says in the language of men, \'\'Surely there\'s at least one more cowardly tark who wants to die before I go home?\'\'

[Alanya(#17244)] Herunumendil\'s unconscious body must weight two or three times Alanya\'s live and when dry, but now it\'s waterlogged, and wearing armor, to boot. Nevertheless the healer struggles mightily in the mire, pulling Herun\'s body to shelter amid the reeds, where the shadows should hide him. She rests there for a moment, catching her breath, before looking out, again. Another body, north of the river...

[Boromir(#19834)]

Reeling backwards from the attack but barely deflected by his shield and digging into that shoulder a bit even as his own blade comes up, point first, jabbing into the blackness of the Rider just below where a living man\'s sword-arm would be. If nothing else, the blow will allow the Captain-General a few more steps of retreat, so as not to be outpaced by his regrouping men as they fall back on the fortress.

Boromir attacks Adunaphel with his Large Longsword and mildly wounds her!

[Morrandir(#24549)]

From the now collapsed northern line, two figures make there way towards the healers. A one-eyed squire, red with blood, supports the staggering figure of a Knight, badly wounded and almost unable to walk. \"Come on Drenlyn, we are going to make it...\" Morrandir cries gasping for breath, weakened by loss of blood. \"Somebody help us!\" He shouts as they stagger towards the fortress.

[Karashrok(#15135)]

\"Women. Good idea, he thinks I bet, but I don\'t see any women, -ro- healers, for that matter. Bah,\" the broad Uruk Karashrok mutters to himself as he raises his bow to eye-level and scans about the retreating foes for a good target.

[Rhiforath(#28737)] Just as Alanya is trying to float by in the river unnoticed in the darkness, Rhiforath is struck again in the head. Talan\'s blow whips out at his eyes and reflexively the Man-at-Arms brings up his shield and turns his head, tucking it, to try and avoid the blow even as he lashes out with his own blade. The Black Tower Lord\'s steel bites into Rhiforath\'s unprotected head and snaps his head back, leaving a gash along the side of his scalp. It happens too quickly to see if it bit into bone. Spun hard to his right, the desert slim young man falls into the water over Herunumendil\'s legs with a splash. His blade comes free of his hand and with his head twisted hard to the side, the tattooed man\'s grey eyes do not reopen. It appears that Talan\'s last blow may have killed him...

Fotud again leaps back from Malahir\'s attempted blow, leaving empty air for the man\'s blade to cleave. Barreling forth as the longsword passes harmlessly before him, he brings his fell-bladed scimitar up toward the other man\'s gut in a short yet powerful slash, looking to split his coat of mail and the flesh beneath it.

Fotud attacks Malahir with his Scimitar and lightly wounds him!

[Erutirn(#17520)] Erutirn, ever near Imrahil, turns to the Prince, \"Where to, Lord Prince? To the fortress?\" The knight turns to see the orcs coming towards them despite the flame. \"Fool dogs, you are cut off from your fellow dogs! Go back to roast in the flame!\" The knight makes no attempt to attack Ashnak, instead continueing to stay near the Prince.

The voice of the white squire is heard by the Master healer, turning in the direction of the sound of his voice Aearwen calls to her assistants, \"Get the litter. Save our Knight and Squire\" The litter, once covered in white linen cloth is now stained and dirty from this nights travesty. The guards move in unison as they make the trek into the field of battle once more, the ringing of steel quickling sounding against that of bloodied scimitar. Not to be kept from this errand, they make short work of any that delay them, quickly reaching the side of Morrandir as he half carries the bloodied form of the Swan Knight.

[Amano(#30032)]

And his gaze turned, not back to where the flames might burn, or the Uruk-hai leap after them, but forward to the field that the southern line still remains upon, if the command had been given indeed to retreat -- Amano\'s eyes narrow to slits, and from where he marches on the further flank of the company, he murmurs, \"The retreat is in order here as well, it seems, Sire,\" he utters, at the sight of the companies of the Hosts pressing back to the Fort.

[Alanya(#17244)] The body is halfway past her before Alanya realises it might belong to the same soldier who landed on her earlier. Dropping Herun with more urgency than is probably good for him, she swims back out into the water. Strong strokes through the bloody water get her to Rhiforath\'s form quickly. For now it\'s all she can do just to get to it, and keep it afloat. She ducks her head low to give no target to archers, and supports the body, letting the current take her, and it, downstream. Away from the battle, and not until a gentle curve in the river takes her out of sight of the maurading soldiers does she attempt to drag it to shore.

[Malahir(#12521)] Buying time comes at a price for Malahir, with a quick counter slash, the Haradrim Captain is able to bring to bare the sword edge to his gold and sable chain mailed stomach. The chains are cleaved and there is beared a strip of flesh and a line of red that quickly flows over into the black tabard and gold tinted chain mail armor. With a fire in his eyes, Malahir rises and screams at the men fighting around him, \"For the White Tree! Retreat in Honor!\". With that, Malahir takes a half step forward and lunges at his foe.

Malahir attacks Fotud with his Longsword, but he misses by an arm\'s length.

Talan looks down upon the fallen Rhiforath with little of his mirth left. He mutters to no one in paticular, \"Such a fool to battle on with such heart when so clearly outmatched. You should have run whelp. At least you died well.\"

Turning away from the youth\'s inert floating form, The Lord of Black looks on as the Gondorian scum flees into the Fort. He shouts to his men,

\"Kill all who stay and fight, allow those who run to the fort to taste the joy of being under seige! They wish to be guests in our land, let them remain so until they run out of food and water!\"

[Drenlyn(#19482)]

Wincing as the squire calls, Drenlyn lifts his arm, and looks at his blade, now dim with blood. Then a strange smile alights the young knight\'s lips as he sheaths the blade, and falls pale and unconsious just as the healers reach Morrandir\'s side.

[Morrandir(#24549)]

As the guards take Drenlyn and place him on the litter, Morrandir falls to one knee. He leans forward, and supports himself with his hands. Hair hanging down across his face he moans, and it almost seems he is weeping. He coughs a moment, then vomits. Sickly brown liquid belches forth, tinted red with blood.

[Adunaphel(#29611)] And then does the Wraith laugh once more, her blade having finally tasted of this foe. She sits back in her saddle, the head shaking, the point of the man\'s sword having done nothing to her save touch her armour. A gloved hand rises, the finger waggling at the man as though censuring a child. But then, again, it levels to point to the still-spreading blaze, laughing all the while.

The steed steps forward, nostrils flaring an angry red. Hatefully, its head lunges out, nipping at the Heir\'s heels.

[Ashnak(#26563)] Spitting a large glob of snot onto the ground with a contented sigh, the Teguk looks at his still bloodied blade, and pauses to lick the edges once again. He turns to the Tek\'rak and says, \"I think the healers are mostly run away, but I see captains...\" Nodding his head at the knights of Dol Amroth, he takes several steps forward, making several interesting gestures involving his face and his axe before shouting, \"Surely there\'s at least one knight who isn\'t too afraid of the fighting uruk-hai to come forward? Catching notice of Erutirn and Amano, he waves with a sly grin.

Fotud sidesteps the attempted strike, lifting his blade as he moves. As the Wraith of Mordor erupts in hideous mocking laughter once again, the Hassadite closes his eyes and swallows a heavy lump within his throat. He then brings his arm down, blade flashing angirly as it hurtles toward Malahir\'s sword-arm with all possible speed and fury.

Fotud attacks Malahir with his Scimitar, but Malahir parries the attack with his shield!

[Boromir(#19834)]

The Son of Denethor continues to back away from the Wraith, having met his match on the field for the now, he keeps a wary eye on the Black Rider, still protective of his men as the regroup and fall back toward the fortress, careful not to leave anyone behind.

As he falls back, he keeps a wary eye out, also for anyone that may have been overlooked by the soldiers who now drag back as many of the wounded as they can.

[Imrahil(#29017)]

Now, the northern line mingles with the southern, and both turn east to the fort, save some who have not heeded the call for retreat. And in their center strides the Prince -- shieldless, arm limp by his side, mail stained with blood yet he leads the rearguard. And to Amano, he nods grimly, \"They number too many...but I had looked for little else.\"

But the Dark Rider\'s chilling laughter drifts over the field of battle then, and men pale. Thither the Prince\'s gaze is drawn, where his kinsman strives against the servant of the East. And to the Isilrim Knight, he says quietly, \"Lead the retreat.\"

And wearily, he waits thither for his nephew with half a dozen Knights, leaning upon his blade.

Noting the falling of the young squire to his knees, Aearwen calls out frantically, \"Another liter for Morrandir. He is down!\" Pacing behind the safety of the stacked crates, she mutters to herself, \"We must get him to safety. We must!\" Quickly, the well trained staff reach for another litter and the same technique is used as before. The guards fiercely protecting the healers as they trudge forward in the blood stained sand to retrieve the fallen squire.

[Karashrok(#15135)]

Karashrok flicks a tongue at Ashnak\'s back, making a foul face, but the creature swiftly begins to shuffle his way towards the darker-skinned men of Harad. He holds his bow warily, and flashes his teeth, but peers down at their Captains.

\"Hey hey!\" he hisses in the dark to the nearest one, Talan, though his voice is rather unsure, \"Eye-Man? What target have you to give me! My eyes are sharp in this night!\"

Though the Uruk calls out to the Lord below, he stays light on his feet, ready to flee from the oddities of their Mannish allies.

[Alanya(#17244)] Finally out of sight of the remnants of the battle, Alanya pulls Rhiforath\'s body to shore. She flips him over, and presses on his stomach, expelling the water he swallowed on the trip down. Again, a half-cough from the body brings some measure of relief to her face, although she\'s now to exhausted to do anything but pull the body into the reeds and hope that the darkness will provide enough cover to keep her hidden the wall of retreating troops has fallen too far behind her to make up.

[Malahir(#12521)] The ranks of the Hosts of Gondor is thinning around Malahir, but the well trained and veterans remain and they know how to make an orderly retreat. The men begin their slow and agonizing task at forming a new line and huddling for defence, all the while taking one step forward and two steps back.

The sweat on Malahir\'s brow drips down his nose and he can taste it\'s bitter taste on his lips. The Captain regrips his longsword and makes a defensive swing toward the Haradrim, attempting to back himself into his steed that has loyally not run from the battle.

Malahir attacks Fotud with his Longsword, but he misses by a long shot.

[Morrandir(#24549)]

Too weak to fight back, Morrandir is taken by the Lord. \"Thankyou Thorondur...I knew you would come and save me...\" he moans, obviously dilerious from loss of blood.

[Ashnak(#26563)] Muttering under his breath and glancing northward, Ashnak nods to himself, ignoring the other orc\'s call to the Haradhrim. \"Very well, tarks,\" he shouts. \"We will take very good care of your dead. They will be seen to with utmost care. We\'ll have manflesh stew for days!\"

[Boromir(#19834)]

The lines mingle and fall back, though many have fallen and many more are wounded, it seems that the nephew has not fared as poorly as the Uncle. As Boromir passes the half-dozen knights surrounding Imrahil, Angring is wiped and returned to its sheath, and he lays his hand on the Prince\'s good shoulder. Grey eyes meet grey eyes, and it can be clearly seen now that though the battle has touched even fair Lord Boromir, the majority of the blood he wears is not his own. His head motions toward the Healer\'s Tent, and he continues his retreat, one of the very last men to leave the field and be let into the fortress.

[Fotud(#24579)] Another quick step away carries Fotud from the path of Malahir\'s attack, the Gondorian\'s longsword cleaving naught but air once again. Once more, he steps forth, whipping his blade up in a narrow arc with furious intent, aiming to split the man\'s face in twain, from chin to crown.

Fotud attacks Malahir with his Scimitar, but he misses by a handspan.

[Amano(#30032)]

Wordless and pale the Isilrim bows his head in assent to Imrahil, yet he cannot utter more, as if words would not come. To those Knights and men-at-arms, from both northern and southern fronts, in companies making their slow way to the Fortress, he turns, grimly, the cloak that had draped him proudly now in tatters.

\"To the Fortress!\" he shouts, the cry heard now even above the clamour of battle. To his brothers in arms he turns now, and if his speech is quiet, tis clear enough: \"Form the rearguard. And we shall serve as a shield-wall for those wounded still straggling in.\"

[Talan(#11051)] The Lord of Black shouts to the outspoken Orc, \"The guards by that wonded man\", he says and points to Morrandir. \"Kill them and watch out for me friend!\" He calls for his steed, and then rides toward the fallen squire.

[Erutirn(#17520)] One of those knights, Erutirn, takes a position to the left of his prince. The short man is one of the few left relatively uninjured, a nasty gash in his thigh and nothing more. He looks both directions. Though he mainly watches towards the south, towards the Haradrim.

[Karashrok(#15135)]

Sharp crimson eyes dart towards the black Lord\'s gesture, picking out the men guarding the wounded Morrandir. He flashes ugly fangs, glinting in the night, and lets fly a black fletched arrow through the night for one of men. Karashrok cackles as the black arrow sails through the night.

[Malahir(#12521)] With all his battle wits about him and the knowledge that all the men under his command has left the battle, Malahir reaches back with one hand and grabs the reigns of his trusty gray steed and with his swordarm, deflects the stronger foe\'s attempt to split him in two. He does so with the effort of his momentum as he springs himself around and onto his saddle. With a single \"HAH!\", he stabs his stirrups into the sides of his beast and is carried away from the collapse of the ground he defended. Malahir gallops with great spead to the fortress gates and doubles his speed as they begin to close.

Hearing the voice of the Lord of Black call for the death of the guards protecting her healers, Aearwen screams into the darkness, \"No! Someone, stop him\" Her footsteps move her from behind the shelter of the crates with her dagger drawn, as if to fight the man himself, but quickly, she is dragged back to the safety by one of her staff. Sobbing bitterly, she turns her back to the battle, trying to compose herself.

Malahir tries to flee from Fotud, but he fails!

[Arali(#20995)] Away from the fortress, away from the death and bloodshed, the sound of a scimitar being unsheathed pierces the night. A young man stands upon the riverbank of the Poros, dressed in the uniform of a Farside Tower officer, and points his scimitar towards Alanya, \"I think we have need of you, woman.\" His voice is grim, but not particularly threatening. Then again, his scimitar does all the threatening for him. Then he lunges quickly to grab the woman/

Talan draws near to the fallen squire and hopes that the arrow meant for the second guard does not strike him as he approaches. As the healer draws her dagger in a sad attempt at defending the squire, The Lord of Black boots her squarely in the forehead from atop his stallion.

Alanya crouches over a body, and is loathe to leave it. She also has a dagger, although it\'s instantly clear that she has little clue what to do with it. Nevertheless, she tries to remain over the body, keeping her dagger up.

[Karashrok(#15135)]

Karashrok lets fly another arrow, and his marksmanship speaks for itself, sailing wide of the Tower Lord, but swiftly for the other guard. So delighted is the black beast that he readies a third arrow, though what he intends to shoot with it, one could only guess.

[Arali(#20995)] One of the Lady Arali\'s finest, the bodyguard is vaguely amused by Alanya\'s attempt at defense. Moving swiftly, he grabs Alanya\'s wrist to disarm her and then makes a move to haul her off what he assumes to be a dead body. \"I won\'t hurt you,\" he promises, \"Unless the Lady\'s Uncle is dead. Then it\'ll be another story.\"

Alanya struggles, vainly, against the man many times her strength. She manages to make herself a difficult bundle, but nothing more. \"That man...he needs a healer,\" she cries.

With the retrieval of the Swan Knight and all of those that can be seen in the dimness of night, Lady Aearwen calls unto her healers, \"Let us repair to the healers tent where we may properly care for our wounded.\" Quietly, the group gathers the supplies that are left and moves into the safety of the fortress. Pausing for a moment, Aearwen hears the cry of Alanya, her young apprentice from Rohan. A tear streaks down her face as she takes one last look into the darkness, the depth of her sorrow etching gravely upon her countenance as she turns and enters the fortress.

[Ashnak(#26563)] Watching the continuing struggle between the humans, the orc Ashnak takes still more steps forward, hissing at the knights. \"You amaze me. Even I thought one of you less cowardice than this. When we raze your cities, I will remember how you scream and run like kicked dogs.\"

[Arali(#20995)] Lifting Alanya over his shoulder like a sack of wheat, the bodyguard returns to his Lady with his triumphant find. \"The man is dead,\" he tells the girl bluntly, \"There is nothing you can do for him now.\" After a good distance, he reaches the Lady Arali. The Lady, her face dappled with blood that is not her own, wavers on her feet, looking about the scene of devastation with exhausted eyes, \"Stupid,\" she murmurs, before trying to shake herself out of it and see what else needs to be done. As Alanya is set before her, she blinks numbly and pauses before she realizes what her bodyguard Sajid has brought, \"Hostage?\",\" she asks, a gleam flickering in her eye.

[Morrandir(#24549)]

Too weak to fight back, Morrandir is taken effortlessly by Talan. \"Thank

you Thorondur...I knew you would come and save me...\" he moans, dilerious from loss of blood. The poor squire thinks his Knight has come from Dol Amroth to save him.

How wrong he is.

[Imrahil(#29017)]

Thus, the two Captains of Gondor withdraw from the field of battle -- the last to do so -- a handful of Swan-Knights around them. And to the orc\'s taunt, none of them give any reply nor indeed, pay heed.

And pausing before the gates of the fort, they turn and gaze one last time upon the battlefield upon that nightmare of blood and death, lit by the hellish glow of the raging fire to the north. Then, they step within.

And behind them, the gates ponderously swing shut.