Chapter 4 Chapter 2 Fight to the end

Tired from running, a dozen dwarves with dusty faces sprinted forward with heavy steps. They jumped over the stone gaps eroded by the cold wind and freezing rain, and bypassed the jagged and protruding rock formations and the old boulders.Although the fear in their hearts was still there, they were still united. If one person was about to fall, two would come to him immediately, pick him up and continue on their way. Behind him, the army of orcs was chasing after him. The two hundred orcs and wargs in total were frothing and roaring wildly.They swung their weapons and raised their fists in a show of force.Every now and then, the orc would throw a spear at the fleeing dwarf, but of course it couldn't hit the target.The orc's pursuit did not close the distance between the two sides, but they were not thrown off by the dwarves either. Their urgency to catch the dwarf was as strong as the dwarf's eagerness to get rid of it.But after all, they are different from dwarves. If an orc stumbles, its companions will definitely not give it a hand.The truth is, if a certain orc dares to get in the way, it will be kicked and kicked, and if it is unlucky, it will be slaughtered to sacrifice the flag.So the orc formation was loose, but the few leading orcs were only a few steps away from the last dwarf who was struggling.

The dwarves turned to an open land on the right hand—the west—a small road went uphill, surrounded by steep and dangerous cliffs, but the flat land on the left was much wider.The crowd shouted, kept their feet on the ground, and showed as little panic as possible. If the orcs would cooperate with each other and rise up as a team, instead of focusing on fighting the dwarves, they would have had a chance to find out that the dwarves had many alternatives. Under the circumstances, they have been retreating in a single direction in a premeditated manner. The dwarves ran out of the shadow of the ridge in one step, made a sharp turn and slipped between two large boulders.The orcs who were chasing almost ran over. In fact, there was a passage in the middle of the boulder, and the wide part could allow three orcs to pass side by side.To these bloodthirsty creatures, the passage simply means that the dwarves have no escape.The orcs were so focused on hunting, they didn't pay attention to the recesses on both sides above the passage, where the alert and hidden dwarves were watching.

The few orcs who took the lead had already gone deep into the narrow passage, but most of the orcs did not follow in. At this moment, the dwarves rushed out from the heights - picks, warhammers, axes, and swords greeted together.Some—the Ripper Squad led by Panter Thiberdorf—were tough and scruffy Warhammer dwarves, fighting with their bare hands, armed only with the spikes of their helmets and the blades of their armor. and barbed gauntlets.They happily ran wild in the enemy's formation, jumping on the nearest enemy and beating them violently; some orcs were caught off guard by this team outside Shallow Water Town ten days ago.Unlike back then, these orcs did not run away, but actively fought.

Even so, well-equipped dwarves have an advantage in fighting on narrow stone roads.They specially decorated the passage according to their own habits, and all of this was planned, so they quickly took the initiative.The dwarves at the front, closest to the entrance of the stone, immediately formed a defensive line, and the breaking stone blocked the exit, which bought time for them to deal with the remaining orcs who were about to collapse, and at the same time gave them time to prepare for the battle with the orcs who came over the roadblock. The twelve decoy dwarves turned around and intercepted the orcs who were attacking the vanguard.They worked together and fought side by side, so that the dwarves who were knocked down by the orcs were not in danger of their lives.The ones who were brought down were all orcs, and they were knocked to the ground one after another, dying alone and helpless.

"Your lads have done well, Torgg," said a dwarf with an orange beard. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with a long beard pinned into his belt that nearly fell to the ground. One of his eyes was injured in the battle against the drow invasion in the Mithril Hall, and now it is dark gray; the other dark blue eye is clearly shining with alert light, "Although they are also damaged." "Dedicating their lives to protect you is their best destination." Togg replied.He just led hundreds of dwarves out of Mirabar because he couldn't bear Marquis Erastus's exclusion of King Bruenor. In fact, the Mirabar dwarves who once welcomed Bruno were treated badly by the Marquis not long after Torg.

Looking at the battle in the distance, Togg couldn't help stroking his long black beard.Pike Stoneshoulders, who was curious about everything, also stepped in at this moment, using druid spells to seal the entrance of the narrow passage to prevent pursuers from pouring in. Of course, this is only a stopgap measure, and the orcs are not idiots who are so stupid that their nerves are off the line. Moreover, the follow-up reinforcements also began to search for forks in the road, trying to kill the dwarf deserters. "Mithral Hall will not forget your rescue today." The older tall dwarf promised Togg.

Torger Hammerbeater accepted the compliment with a silent nod, without even turning his face to him, for he didn't want the Hammer Commander - Banneker Braunenwell - to see himself The appearance of being deeply touched.Togg knew that he would remember this moment forever, and that he would not forget it for hundreds of years to come. Leaving Mirabar, who had settled down for generations, made him feel uneasy, and when he saw his buddy Singers McCluf lead hundreds of dwarf brothers to force Erastu to release him, and went to Mithral Hall without hesitation, his heart Uneasy than before.Togger's heart told him that what he did made him have a clear conscience, but could he let everyone have a clear conscience?

At this time, he suddenly realized, like waking up from a dream.He and his relatives rescued the remnants of King Bruenor's troops from the ruins of Shallowwater Town. They deployed troops along the north slope of the Guardian's Canyon to cover their retreat.In the process of fighting and retreating to Bruenor's position, the dwarves and orc pursuers came into close combat many times, and even encountered a frost giant once.They fought on without complaint, and were honored by the grateful dwarves of Mithril Hall and Bruenor's adopted sons and daughters, Wulfgar and Catti-brie - and of course the halfling Regis. .

Bruno's serious injury showed no sign of getting better, so he couldn't thank him at all. This was the prelude to the storm, Togg knew it well; little Dagna was killed, Bruenor was wounded and dying, and the dwarves of Mithril Hall had to let the oldest and most experienced veteran command. Banneker Braunanwell stepped in.He asked Togg to borrow a few 'baits', and then gave the orc chasing troops a taste of rockfall traps.Only then did Togg realize that it was right to lead the Mirabar dwarves to Mithril Hall. He and the dwarven kinsmen who belonged to Danzo were indeed accepted by the Warhammer clan.

"Send the team back," Banneker told Reverend Locke Bottom, who had vowed to save Bruno from under Shallowwater's collapsed tower, and insisted on medical treatment until reinforcements arrived. Lockbottom swung his stubby fingers and began to pray to Moradin. Colorful rays of light shot out. These non-burning lights immediately attracted the attention of the dwarves stationed near the narrow passage. Almost at the same moment, Togg's fighters, Pant's Ripper squad, the Stone Shoulders brothers who were ambushing at the commanding heights on both sides, and the rest retreated in unison. Even the fatally injured dwarves were not left behind by their compatriots.

Pike's other mechanism was about to take shape. It was a huge boulder rounded by the shaping spell. Three dwarves pried it out from the back corner of the hill with thick wooden sticks. They shouldered it to the top of the hill Moving gradually, the other dwarves came out of hiding to help, and together they pried the boulder to the other end of the narrow passage, and pushed it down the steep slope dug by hand. The rumbling boulders made the ground tremble, and the remaining orcs in the narrow passage shouted in unison and rushed to escape.Some unlucky ones were crushed into a stone after being hit, and some orcs deliberately threw their compatriots under the stone to catch it, but they made a wrong calculation. In the end, when the boulder rolling from the exit crashed into the stone pile at the entrance, not many orcs were killed or injured.On the top of the slope, Banneker and Togg nodded in satisfaction, because they understood that the panic they brought to the orcs had already surpassed the effect of simple killing. "The first key to using troops is to dampen the opponent's spirit." Banneker said.It seems that their strategy is quite effective. Banneker winked at Togg and Lockbottom, then reached out and patted the shoulder of the Mirabar dwarf. "I heard about your friend Singers rioting on the surface." Banneker said, "You also participated." "Mirabar not only has an aboveground city, but also an underground city." Togg replied. "Oh, my brothers and I aren't good at surface warfare," Banneker said, "I'll have to ask you both—plus Ivan Stoneshoulders over there—for advice." Togg readily agreed. When Wulfgar and Catti-brie rushed to the dwarven headquarters, the dwarves had just begun to consolidate their defenses in the open space south of the narrow passage. "Our course is too far east." Catti-brie was out of breath.Although the girl was not as strong as the dwarves, and she was a head taller than them, she did not stand out from the crowd. Her face was rugged yet delicate; her brown hair cascaded down; her blue eyes—even by human standards—were uncharacteristically dwarven, always locked. Look outward under the brow.Despite her beauty, that doesn't mean she's a vase; she was raised by Bruenor Warhammer, a down-to-earth, tough dwarf, whose teachings made her a capable dwarven warrior among the best. Gain a place with combat skills. "You've missed a good show," said the warm and cheerful Lockbotham, to which the dwarves immediately raised their glasses. "Oho!" agreed Pike Stoneshoulder, laughing, his white teeth gleaming through his green moustache. "We caught them in the urn, and everything went according to plan," added Banneker Braunenwell, speaking more realistically than the others. "We killed a few, and the rest was kicked out." Seeing Catti-brie waving her hand vigorously, his words were like a kite with a broken string, the more he spoke, the lower his voice. "You fulfilled their tricks with your own tricks." The woman pointed to the east and said, "A large group of people are driving towards us." "There is still a group of people due north of us." Banneker argued, "We will wait and see. How many stinky orcs are there on your side?" "Many times more than there are dwarves," Wulfgar said grimly, anxiety in his sky-blue eyes.Wulfgar, son of Beornegar, stood more than a foot taller than his companions, standing like a hill among the dwarves.He is broad-shouldered and slender, agile, and his chest-to-waist ratio even exceeds that of a stocky dwarf.His arms were as thick as the dwarf's thighs, and his square jaw was even stronger.These traits undisputedly earned him the respect of the tenacious bearded dwarves.However, what really won him prestige was his eyes that revealed the essence of a warrior.So when he spoke, all listened, "If you divide up your forces, they will surely be accounted for here; they can swallow you up." "Bah!" Lockbottom snorted at this, "One dwarf can deal with five useless orcs." Without batting an eye, Wulfgar turned to the confident priest. "You mean more than that?" Banneker asked. "Much more," replied Catti-brie. "Let everyone retreat quickly," Banneker told Torgue. "Keep running south to the highest point in sight." "Then we'll have to stay on the cliffs of Guardian's Gulch," Lockbottom protested. "It's really impossible to counterattack there." So Banneker shrugged and gave up. "But there is really no other place to go." Rockbotham put forward his own point of view, "It is estimated that we will have to use the terrain to kill corpses everywhere." "The outflanking enemy army should not pursue too far south," Banneker said again. "But if we can't hold the cliff, there's no way out," Lockbotham reiterated. "You're suggesting we fight to the death." "Not to the Mithril Hall gate, but to the cliff," interjected Torger Hammerbeater. "Me and my boys go straight there, and put enough rope to get us down." "It's three hundred feet from the valley floor up there," objected Lockbotham. Togg shrugged nonchalantly. "It doesn't matter how you do it, but do it as quickly as possible," broke in Catti-brie. "Where do you think we should start?" Banneker asked her back. "You saw the orc army—do you think we can stop them?" "I'm afraid it would be wise to evacuate from Guardian's Gulch." After Wulfgar finished speaking, Catti-brie nodded in agreement, "and retreated to Mithril Hall." "There were so many?" asked another member of the entourage who had joined the battle, Ivan Stoneshoulders with the yellow beard, a dwarf stronger and more traditional than Pyke.He pushed left and right and squeezed into the command group. "That's all." Catti-brie answered him in the affirmative. "But we can't go straight to Mithril Hall, it's not time yet. Bruno is not only the lord of Mithril Hall, it's his duty to go to Shallow Water Town, and our duty also tells us that we can't run around Go back to your lair and hide." "If we hide, we don't know how many people will die." Banneker responded. "Then go to the highest cliff and wait for the crippled orcs to let their horses come over. No doubt, we will definitely beat them to the teeth." "Whoa!" Pike cheered. The rest of the dwarves watched as Pike, the green beard, who was very curious, parted his long beard into two locks and tied it over his ears so that it fell down his back.He had a larger waist and a milder demeanor than his more imposing brother; as for Ivan, he always wore his trademark heavy armor—typical dwarven attire.The other dwarves had thick-soled boots to protect them from the sparks and hot coals of the blacksmithing; it was also easier to stomp the orcs' heads.Pike always pulls on a pair of open-toed slippers.Pike, who is naturally easy-going, always has work to do, and he must be very useful at the moment; he planned and organized the rescue operation deep into Shallow Water Town. In the ensuing battle, he always stood at the front line and used magic Hit your enemies hard and reinforce your allies.Gradually, the dwarves smiled appreciatively at his enthusiasm. And when Wulfgar and then Catti-brie brought bad news from the east, their enthusiasm was instantly dampened. The dwarves left their strongholds and set off after a short rest.As soon as they left, the clamor of the orc army's overwhelming pressure came from a few mountains away, and the enemy troops outflanking the eastern flank also joined in the massive charge. Nearly a thousand dwarves trod the gravel coaxingly, their never-tiring legs driving them up the steep hillside.They climbed three thousand feet, four thousand feet, and still went forward without hesitation, while maintaining a solid and tight formation. The eastern mountain rose sharply, which made the orc's idea of ​​setting up an ambush in the east come to naught, but the enemy soldiers behind them still pursued closely.The dwarves walked up for more than a mile, panting with exhaustion with every step, but their steps were not slow at all. Finally, an open area came into view of the vanguard team led by Banneker. There was a cliff overlooking the canyon, where the abrupt slope seemed to have been cut by knives and axes.As far as Lockbottom could tell, they were no less than three hundred feet below the westbound valley that led to Mithril Hall.The morning mist that has not yet dissipated rises from the rocks and rocks and stays in the air. The indomitable dwarf warriors began to arrange their fronts under an orderly organization. Some were moving stones to build walls, some were looking for rolling stones that crushed the enemy, and some were dispatching troops in favorable defensive positions in order to maximize their combat effectiveness.Meanwhile, the artisans brought by Togg—many of them the best dwarven engineers in Mirabar—set to work on the problem at hand: moving all the dwarves to the bottom of the valley that guarded the gorge.They must retreat. More than a hundred Mirabar craftsmen are surveying the height of the cliff, checking the strength of the stone wall, and designing the most convenient escape route-including the stone platform for placing the transfer rope.After a while, the first rope was ready, and Torg's craftsman lowered down to find a foothold.A total of five knots of rope are required from start to finish, and the height implied by this figure alone is estimated to be enough to scare a large number of people. But the dwarves will not back down, especially those who are willing to spend years digging for mines, only to find nothing in the end.These dwarves who hammered hammers in the deep mines and didn't care whether sparks caused gas explosions, this united and brave race will not retreat.These dwarves who dared to go up the mountain of swords and down the pan of oil in order to rescue their companions are united, and they will never retreat.In the hearts of the dwarves who swore to defend Bruno and established a solid line of defense, their common origin "Danzo" is not only a bond of blood, but also a call of loyalty and honor. An engineer descending a cliff got stuck on a rock and, trying to get out, fell from a loose noose and crashed to the ground 200 feet below.The other dwarves returned to their posts immediately after a short prayer to Moradin. Tucking his yellow beard into his belt, Trede McNukos shouldered his bulging bundle and looked westward toward the road to Mithril Hall. "Well, do you want to come together?" he asked his companion, an asylum seeker from Fellbar Castle. Nick Willig turned his eyes melancholy, looking into the dark valley. "No, I'm not going back." His answer surprised Qued. "What crazy talk are you talking about?" said Qued. "You and I know that Obard Manyarrows started this war with his stinky paws. That stupid dog is still barking and trying to bite! You and I both know that if Obard intervenes, He must want to get Ferba back! That's what he wants, for sure!" "I have no doubts," Nick Willig said. "His Majesty Emerys has heard about it a long time ago." "Then you will come with me now?" "No, not now. The Warhammers saved my life and your little boy's life, and the orcs are coming to raze this place, so I will stay and smash the orcs' heads and fight alongside the Warhammer dwarves." While listening to his speech, Tred was watching his words and demeanor. For dwarves, Nick Willig was always very thoughtful, and sometimes said and acted beyond the norm.However, this refusal to return to Felba's argument was a bit out of line. After listening to it, Qued thought that Nick Willig was crazy this time. "Think about it, Qued." Nick Willig seemed to read his companion's confusion. "You are one of the dwarves rushing to report to Felba, you know." "So you're saying that someone else will invite King Emerys to rescue us? And you think that there will be messengers who will successfully persuade King Emerys to send a message to King Hablom's steel guards in Fort Adaba requesting reinforcements ?” Nick Willig shrugged, and said: "The orcs came out from the north, and the Warhammer clan was fighting fiercely with them, and the people of Felba - Qued and Nick Willig - were also assisting Bruno's men . If this battle can shock King Emerys, then you and I know it's worth fighting.If we keep marching with Bruenor's team, perhaps Emerys Warcrown will answer our call. " Qued stared at him for a long time, his thoughts wandering in Nick Willig's astonishing words.He really didn't want to abandon Mithril Hall—Bruenor had never hesitated to avenge Qued, Nick Willig, the unfortunate villagers who took them in, and Qued's brother who died. The yellow-bearded dwarf looked back at the dark mountain stream in the west, and couldn't help sighing. "Looks like we should go to Little Bean Regis." He suggested. "Perhaps he can arrange for someone to deliver a letter to King Emerys." "Let's join Bruno's adopted son and daughter and Togg's boys." Nick Willig was still unwilling to make some concessions in his words. Looking at Nick Willig, Togg's expression changed from curiosity to appreciation.He really didn't know that this unusual dwarf was so eager to fight. Nick Willig's timely change of attitude just added to Togg's determination. The yellow-bearded dwarf's resigned expression turned into a heartfelt smile, and then he threw his bag on the ground. "I was going to ask your advice, but it doesn't seem necessary," Wulfgar said, walking to Catti-brie. She stood with the dwarves who had climbed down the cliff, and Wulfgar noticed that she was looking out at the wilderness down the slope—not at the orcs gathered.Catti-brie pushed back a handful of auburn hair, and turned to Wulfgar, who was now scrutinizing him with her blue eyes, which were deeper than the latter's. "I want to know where he is too," began the Savage. "If he ain't dead—he certainly isn't." "how do you know?" "Because I know Drizzt," Wulfgar said without forgetting to coax her into a reassuring smile. "We'd all be dead if it wasn't for Panter." "We're ambushed and besieged," Wulfgar argued, "but Drizzt isn't, and he won't be caught easily. I know he must be alive." Catti-brie smiled back at the big man, and took his hand. "I think so too," she admits openly. "If he died, my heart would definitely break in that instant." "Mine, too," Wulfgar said softly. "He'll be back with us soon," Catti-brie continued. "But I don't really want him back. Here, he's a front-line fighter—one of the best, no doubt—but if not here..." "If he wasn't here, he would scare the enemy too," Wulfgar added. "Though it makes me sad to think of him being alone." "He still has a big cat, not alone." Catti-brie's smile at this moment also reassured Wulfgar, who squeezed her hand tightly and nodded. "I need you to guard the right wing." Someone beside me said.They turned to see Banneker Braunanwell, Reverend Lockbottom, and a few dwarves trotting over. "The orcs are coming," said the dwarf warlord. "They want a quick fight, and we must hold our ground." Both humans nodded solemnly. Banneker gave an order to a dwarf: "Go and cooperate with Tog's craftsmen. Tell them to cover their ears, ignore the sound of fighting on the battlefield, and concentrate on their work. As soon as they fix the cable, you go down first." "But—but..." the dwarf seemed to argue. He shook his head and gesticulated, as if being scolded by Banneker.Banneker leaned over and covered the latter's mouth to silence him. "Mission first." The Overseer explained. "We beat orcs here, and what dwarf wouldn't like that? And you, it's up to you to tell Regis we need a thousand more dwarves—two thousand would be perfect if he had the time. " "You want another thousand dwarves to climb up and hold the position?" Catti-brie asked suspiciously, because there seemed to be no place to deploy these troops. Wulfgar squinted at her, noticing that she, who had been with Banneker for so long, was speaking a dwarf accent again. "No, those of us can hold on completely." Banneker explained to her.He let go of the herald dwarf who was standing patiently in place - his face was purple from Banneker's strong hand. "We can do it, so we must do it. But the orcs we are fighting with are too cunning, too cunning." "You mean our enemy will divert a team from the west," Wulfgar deduced, and Banneker nodded. "There are a lot of stinky orcs who arrived at the Guardian's Canyon earlier than us. We have to consider this." The dwarf leader said, "They don't have to rush to us, they just need to wait for us to starve to death and pick up the cheap ones." Banner Ke glared sternly at the messenger dwarf who was still standing stupidly, "Go and tell Regis, or anyone who can enter Mithril Hall, to let him drive the dwarves he can call into the canyon and garrison at the western intersection." . Can't put anything in there, understand? " The herald dwarf suddenly became more obedient. He straightened his body, puffed out his chest, and nodded to show that everything was obeying the order. Just as he jumped towards the cliff, a shout from among the dwarves told everyone that the orcs were approaching. "You go to the artisan of Torg." Banneker instructed Lockbottom. "Tell them to work hard regardless of the battle situation, and don't let them stop until the orcs kill us all and then slaughter them." Lockbottom resolutely nodded and listened to the order, and then strode away. "You two are queens; our lives are in your hands," said Banneker. Catti-brie took the deadly Tamari Heartbow from her shoulder, drew a feathered arrow from her quiver, and strung it.Beside her, Wulfgar drew the mighty hammer Aegis-fang with both hands and held it firmly. While Banneker and the rest of the dwarves joined the front line, the two humans looked at each other and nodded to encourage each other, and then went all the way to the hillside to face the surging orc black tide.