((OOC- Due to the length of the first part of A Day of Remembrance, I had to split the story up into a second part. This is A Day of Remembrance: Part B, which should (hopefully) conclude this story and lead the reader into the Fourth Story of The Battle of Carn Dum- A Day of Vengeance.

I hope you enjoy it!

1. A Day in Angmar

2. A Day of Fire

3.1 A Day of Remembrance: Part A

3.2 A Day of Remembrance: Part B))

…Most of our men were being attacked by both orc and warg. The warg pack had gotten to us, and now we had been outnumbered five to one.

Then an orc standing nearby, getting ready to stab a downed champion was hit by a large fireball. Bursting into flames, the orc ran around wildly. Soon there was nothing but ashes.

A roar from overhead!

Then a battle of the four forces- the Free Peoples, drakes, orcs and wargs- began.

TO BE CONTINUED….

~~~~~

An orc stood back from the battle, sweating from the heat of both the sun and draconic flames. In its hands it held a single arrow, nocked to a bow. It saw an opportunity. A man with his back turned. Pulling back the bow’s cord, I could see its muscles straining. Without thinking, I quickly let my own arrow fly in its direction. I missed the orc, but I hit its bow, breaking it in half. Wood was blasted in its face, blinding it. A champion saw the opening and rushed forward, bringing the orc down with a swipe of his blood stained blades.

A howl on my left alerted me to my danger. But not in time. I felt the wind rushing out of me as the warg’s pounce smashed me to the ground. It didn’t have time to make the killing blow, however. With its fangs inches from my throat, Lilianara rushed over and speared the warg through. Quickly heaving the heavy body of the beast off of myself, I got up. Thanking Lilianara, I looked around. The sounds of battle were louder than the falls of Rivendell. Wargs barking, howling and growling, the screams and shouts of both men and orc, and the roars of the mighty drakes.

The drakes were the fewest of the 4 groups, but they were also the most powerful, seemingly. Neither the arrows of the orcs nor of the men could harm the diamond-like scales of the drakes, and no one was able to get near a drake to be able to use their swords or axes.

A bellow from a dragon, a blast of its furnace-mouth, and half of the field was scorched in flames. Men, orcs and wargs ran screaming in pain as the fire quickly burned everything in sight. I tried to look around and find my comrades. No one could be seen. The smoke filled my vision, and my breath came in shallow gasps. Darkness began to fill my vision. I sank to my knees, and began to despair.

Suddenly, I heard a voice. A song. It filled me with hope again, and slowly my vision cleared. I looked for the source of the music, and saw it.

Arandriador hailed me from a small hollow in the plain. Next to him sat Lilianara and the rest of what was left of our small band. I quickly ran over, glad to have a moment’s respite from the fight. I glanced back, looking at the field of battle. The drakes were flying overhead, but something kept them from attacking. As for the orcs and wargs- they had ran off north, trying to escape the wrath of the dragons.

As some of our men got out poultices and salves to ease both burn and wound, the others took stock of our weaponry and provisions. Many of our horses had been killed in the ensuing battle, and of the ones left, only four now remained with us- the rest having fled. I was the only hunter left with any arrows, so the other men with bows gladly accepted a few from my nearly empty quiver. Arandriador had managed to save a second instrument from his horse’s pack- a small harp. Also, Lilianara was relatively unscathed- a testament to her natural skill on the battlefield.

A far off, high pitched blast from a war-horn of an orc broke the silence of the air. Looking north towards the noise, I found myself looking at the distant figures of a large goblin troop, headed by several large brutish orcs. It was apparent that the retreat of the orcish army was for more than just fear- each orc running away from the battle at hand swelled the ever increasing ranks of the advancing legion.

Again, the drakes came down, burning everything in their path. Both goblin and orc ran for cover- though there was little to be had on the hot, arid plain.

I beckoned to Arandriador and Lilianara. When they came over, I explained my plan. The orcs and goblins were distracted. The drakes were making sure of that. We might be able to slip around the area if we were quick enough. Lilianara looked skeptical- though willing to try. Arandriador was confident that we could manage it. We then made our plan known to the rest of the group. They all volunteered to try it.

Hastily, everyone gathered their things. Quickly we made our long way around- going north-west where the ground rose slightly between us and our foes. Nothing could be heard but the sound of the mens’ boots crunching rocks and the labored breathing of our nervous compatriots. To our right, we could hear the faint shouts and screams of a battle raging between our enemies, the drakes against the orcs and goblins. Once in awhile a stray arrow would fly our way, burying itself in the ground at our feet. The drakes had not spotted us from the air- or they chose to ignore us, believing the main threat lay with a large army rather than a small force of humans barely strong enough to keep alive.

After a little more than an hour, the walls of Carn Dum loomed in the distance. The noise of battle had all but receded to nothing, and the silence was almost deafening. The next step- getting into Carn Dum- was the hardest, if not the most impossible. We would rest tonight, while the watchers of Carn Dum were the most vigilant, and study our next course of action in the morning sun.

Today was a long day, but we had made it. Only one path now was left- to sneak into Carn Dum and destroy the Matron Queen of the drakes.

And to somehow make it out alive to tell our tale.

Hi, guys! Just got back from my vacation the other day. Had a great time over there. It was even MORE fun when I found out that:

A) I had internet connection,

B) The internet was fast enough to support a game, and

C) Lord of the Rings runs decently on the computer I was using.

I still got to see family and friends, and then I still was able to talk to and see some of my (more or less) gaming friends! I don’t know of a vacation that gets better than that.

Well, now that I’m back home… And I even brought home a small ‘bug’ (you know, the one that makes you cough, have a runny nose, etc.). I also brought home a couple of souvineirs-

Many mugs I have in my collection, from many different places.

2 more mugs are standing there, with gaily painted faces.

Anyway, I am now steeling myself to get ready to go to work again. And I also have to (get to?) come up with the next 2-3 stories for my Battle of Carn Dum series that I’ve been working on. To be honest, I almost forgot about it. Until someone /tell’ed me “When are you going to finish your stori [sic]????” When I was in the game last. Gave me a bit of a laugh. Then I realized… I hadn’t been thinking about what to do next in my story. Which, ironically enough, actually made me start thinking of several ways I could go next.

I also got some inspiration on the plane. The bumps of turbulence must have jumbled my brain around a little, because I had ideas flying out right and left… And absolutely NO way of recording them. As life would have it, by the time I got to the house (4-5 hours later) I was dead tired, and couldn’t remember most of them at all. Except for the bad ones. For some reason, those stuck and overwrote the good ideas. So I am pretty disappointed. I had a couple of good secondary stories going there as well.

I guess you take the good with the bad, though. I made it home safely. I’m ready and working. I’m just going to have to take a little longer to come up with the rest of The Battle of Carn Dum.

I’m sure you guys don’t mind waiting, eh?

Have a fun time in game!

~Aegiolian~

Well, this week (10 days to be exact) I am at my cousin’s house in Colorado. That is a looooong way from my house, considering that I live in Texas!

Unfortunately, I have limited internet connection. As such, I won’t be able to post my stories until I get back. That means until July 7th, no more The Battle of Carn Dum sets will be posted.

That also means that I won’t be able to get my Lord of the Rings Online fix! I feel the withdraw symptoms already… Walls are closing in… Hands are cramping… Must… Play… Lord of the Rings…

*GACK!*

((OOC- This is the third part of my series “The Battle of Carn Dum”. I apologize for the length of this story, I didn’t realize how long it would get!

Due to its length , there will be a second part to “A Day of Remembrance”. Then the conclusion. Hope you enjoy!

1. A Day in Angmar

2. A Day of Fire

3. A Day of Remembrance: Part A

))

The orc shuffled its feet. It checked its sword sheathed to its side. It looked into the distance.

Nothing

It began to grow impatient. Stretching, it began to pace back and forth on the rocky ground. It looked into the distance.

A slight glimmer.

The orc peered harder at the flicker. The sun beat on its brow. It tried to shield its eyes from the sun. The hot, burning sun. Hot and unforgiving. Much like its Master. Much like the dragon that had caused his Master to send him here.

The orc wondered if the sparkle had been water. Or maybe some prey to catch after its job was done.

The sparkle was gone.

An elf appeared. Seemingly out of nowhere. The orc had no time to react. Split seconds later, the orc had nothing to worry about. Except for the arrow in its neck.

Now that the orc was out of the way, I signaled for the rest of our party- more of an army- to move forward.

Lilianara and Arandriador rode up from behind a hill. Soon another thirty Men rode up as well. Thirty three horses are hard to keep hidden. The hot, desolate land gave no cover. Which is why my job was to kill the enemy scouts. Dead scouts don’t report in.

So far, I had seen seven orc scouts. I had just killed six. A single scout had gotten away. We would see what reinforcements it would bring

I looked towards the towering gates in the distance. I wondered if this was foolhardy. No one assaulted Carn Dum and lived.

Yet.

Angmar was unusually hot today. The sun glistened off the red rock. It blistered those on foot, and baked those on horses.

Suddenly Lilianara cried out. Pointing, she pointed out a moving red rock, but it was no rock. Unless rocks grow fur. And fangs. A howl broke the silence of the still air. Other howls soon answered, most were to close for my comfort. A swift arrow from my bow silenced the nearest warg. Suddenly we were attacked from our right! Ten wargs ambushed us. Quickly getting off our horses, the company started to defend ourselves. A short battle was fought. Our allies fought valiantly. Lilianara quickly joined the fray, spearing a warg in the ribs moments after jumping off her mount. She ran over to another warg, whom she promptly sent flying with her shield. After only a minute or two, the battle was over, with only a couple of men with minor wounds.

I glanced at Arandriador who hadn’t even needed to get off his horse. He was pale in the face, looking towards Carn Dum. I looked in the same direction. Then I saw.

A troop of at least fifty orcs were marching in our direction. The shuffling of horses’ hooves could be heard. The ground started to shake from the metal boots of the advancing enemy. One of the orcs lifted a great war horn- etched and carved with cruel runes- and gave a great blast that sundered the silence.

I could hear our men nervously whispering to each other. They seemed fearful, seeing a force twice our size. Suddenly Arandriador spoke up. Taking out his instrument, he began to sing of the great deeds of the Elder days. His voice carried over the band of allies. The soldiers sat straighter in their saddles. The men knew what had to be done. Our captain encouraged the men, inspiring them.

The orcs were close now. They stopped suddenly. Out of their midst came a large, brutish orc. It was thick, with long legs, and ornate armor. Bellowing in the Black Language, it ordered its troops. They formed a line. Two lines. Three. It glared at us. It waited for our move.

The captain looked at me and nodded. Then began to tell our men to form a line, protecting the soldiers with bows.

Riding to the back, I slipped an arrow out of my quiver. The bright steel of the head shone in the hot sunlight. I nocked the arrow into my bow. The sound of straining twine came forth, as I pulled my bow back. I took aim at the large orc leader. There was complete silence. The sun glinted off of the orc’s unsheathed blade. A horse panted in the glaring heat. An archer next to me prayed silently to Iluvatar.

A shout broke the silence. An order.

Ten shafts pierced the air. Ten screams of agony. Ten orcs fell, never to rise again. I released the string. My arrow sped swiftly. The orc leader tried to jump out of the way of the falling shaft. The arrow still hit him- Buried deeply in his shoulder. It howled in agony and rage. It began to order its troops. Pointing at us, it ordered them to charge. The army advanced.

A loud shout was raised by Arandriador. Another by Lilianara. Again by our captain. Moments later, the entire group of men were raising their voices, defying Angmar, and the Evil One.

The orcs stopped dead in their tracks. The leader, with its good arm, took a sword and lopped off the head of the nearest orc. It bellowed threats. It began to advance towards another orc, sword raised. It took two steps, then dropped dead.

My second shot never misses.

Unfortunately, the orcish army did not wait long. Something else drove them on. They slowly advanced, gaining speed with each step. Soon, they were running head long. Nothing could be heard but the feet of the orcs crushing stone and rock.

Seconds later, steel clashed on steel. Hoarse shouts, agonizing cries and mournful wails rent the daytime air. Despite the number of deaths on the orcs’ part, they still outnumbered us. Lilianara saved Arandriador several times, skewering an orc right before it cut him in half. Arandriador, however, was hacking at orcs one moment, while singing and encouraging the men in the next. Then a soldier fell. Then another. Both sides retreated for a moment. We had lost three men out of 33, while the orcs had lost ten out of their forty.

Silence reined while both sides prepared to fight again. The panting of our men showed the fatigue of the day had begun to take its toll.

Then a howl rang out. And then another. Looking eastward, I saw a large pack of wargs headed our direction. I told Arandriador. He only shook his head.

Soon the battle was continued in earnest. Arandriador stabbed an orc with his sword and dodged another blow from a second. He barely managed to get smashed in the head from an orc’s hammer, shielding the blow with his theorbo. The orc completely destroyed the instrument, but got a sword in its gut for repayment. Two orcs replaced the one that fell, attacking the minstrel with a rabid ferocity.

Lilianara was being attacked by three orcs. She knocked the first back onto its rump with a smack from her shield, spearing it before it hit the ground. Skilfully dodging a blow from the second orc, she kicked the orc in the knees. There was a sickening crack, and the orc screamed in pain. It fell, writhing to the ground . The third orc almost took her head off, but an arrow from my bow killed the foul creature. A warg suddenly pounced on top of me, knocking me to the ground and scattering my weapons. I managed to keep its fangs away from my throat with a dagger. Lilianara saw my plight, and tackled the large beast off of me. It yelped in surprise before attacking her instead. It was a ball of fur, fangs and Hobbit, before I managed to intervene by stabbing the warg in the ribs, killing it. Then I saw the rest of the battle raging around.

Most of our men were being attacked by both orc and warg. The warg pack had gotten to us, and now we had been outnumbered five to one.

Then an orc standing nearby, getting ready to stab a downed champion got hit by a large fireball. Bursting into flames, the orc ran around wildly. Soon there was nothing but ashes.

A roar from overhead!

Then a battle of the four forces- of the Free Peoples, drakes, orcs, and wargs- began.

TO BE CONTINUED….

((OOC- This is my second story in a small set called “The Battle of Carn Dum”.

1. A Day in Angmar
2. A Day of Fire

I’d be glad to have advice or suggestions! Thanks for reading!))

Shouting. Screaming. Cries for help.

I wake up in a tent. Bandages around my waist and arms. Darkness outside. A small candle flame lights the inside of the building. I smell burning. Or maybe it is just me.

A man notices my movement and comes over. He talks to me about our fight in Carn Dum. He says that there was another party; a group of people who saved me and my companions. They chased away the dragon- angered the dragon, it seems. I ask what has happened to my friend, Lilianara and our Champion friend.

The man in front of me saddens. I can see something evil must have befallen them. In a slow voice, the man talks. He says the Warden, Lilianara is unconscious but alive. I ask about my second friend. The man looks at me. He speaks softly. He says our Champion died to save our lives.

A roar in the distance. A horn sounds. The ground shakes.

The man gets up, looks around. Picking up a sword hidden in the shadows, he says he must help the defense of the village. Before I can question him, he takes his leave.

Suddenly the outside of the tent is lit up like the daytime sky! A piercing scream rends the night air! I get up, stumbling over my bow and quiver. Crawling, I open the tent to find the source of the disturbance. A dragon- or rather a drake- has landed several yards away, looking directly at me! It takes one step. Then two. Three steps closer, and I quickly get back into the tent. Swiftly I pick up my bow. To late! The drake thrusts its head into the tent! The smell of sulfur and rancid meat permeates the small dwelling. A snort from the drake. Sparks fly. Several catch on a nearby rug. I struggle to find my quiver in the stench, heat and noise. Abruptly, the drake screams- knocking me back. It withdraws its vile head, letting fresh air in. Outside, I hear shouting!

I find the quiver, only just in time! The entire tent is now in flames. I hurry out the door to find myself viewing a battle between a Warden and a drake. A pillar of fire spewed from the drake’s mouth. The Warden sidestepped the inferno, rolled under the drake and pierced its chest! An agonizing wail came from the drake! Suddenly the drake shuddered and was silent. With glazed eyes, once red with hate, it stumbled backward. With a last keen, it fell with an earth shaking crash!

I see the man who had originally talked to me. He spots me and walks over. He says his name is Arandriador. It was he and his party who had saved my friends.

Before we could say more, there was a mighty, bellowing roar! It shook the foundations of the earth. It deafened me, but I could still feel it.

I looked up. A great dragon was flying over head. The same dragon who had attacked us in Carn Dum. A great Matron of dragons. Another roar came forth, louder than before, knocking the few who could stand to the ground. Several buildings crashed down, burying the people inside. Yelling and shouting could be heard within, though there was nothing we could do.

Then the Matron looked at me. My heart seemed to falter. Her red, hateful eyes pierced me through. I could not look at her. I cowered before her gaze. I could think of nothing but hiding.

The smell of smoke filled my nostrils. It filled my vision.

I felt nothing but Fear.

Then I heard a song. A song of mighty men. A chorus of valiant deeds. A ballad of noble elves. My heart was lifted at the music. Looking around once more, I could see the same effect on the others around me.

The Dragon Matron flew low, a sea of flames engulfing everything in front of her. Suddenly she faltered. The music from the Minstrel seemed to give her doubt.

Now was our chance!

I lifted my bow and nocked an arrow. Beside me, I heard the Warden- Lilianara!- ready a javelin. At the same moment, we threw our deadly missiles. There was a cry from the Matron! The Warden’s javelin had crushed and pierced a single scale in her hide. It was enough! An arrow protruded from the single breach! The Minstrel raised his voice and shouted above the din. He praised Iluvatar and cursed those who defiled His name.

The dragon roared once more, belching fire in every direction. And flew off into the northern sky.

I looked around. Fire was burning uncontrollably around the entire village. Bodies were laying everywhere. Many of the buildings unburnt had collapsed. The cries of the wounded rang out. The smell of death lay heavily.

Then I saw Lilianara. In spite of her numerous wounds, she carried herself proudly and with a smile. The Minstrel, Arandriador, went to and fro encouraging those around him. The people of the village held themselves with confidence, despite the problems that raged around them.

I breathed deeply.

We will live another day.

TO BE CONTINUED…

((OOC- This is one of my first RP journals. Hope you have fun reading it. I had fun writing it! Sorry if it is confusing. the change of tense is supposed to show a change of the viewpoint. I don’t know if I got it right.

EDIT: I referenced a Champion instead of his name because I never got permission from him. Lilianara, however, is my sister, so it was rather easy to get her ‘ok’.))

Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in. Pull back string. Take careful aim. Breathe out. *Twang!*. A hoarse cry rings out. An orc drops dead with a feather through its middle.

Suddenly the battle raging around me becomes audible again. My friend, Lilianara smashed her shield into the rump of an overly large troll. The troll turned around to face its attacker, only to get her spear in its face! Another companion, a Champion, was roaring and spinning like a whirlwind, hacking and slashing everything in his path! The screaming and shouting of the beasts and monsters in the area was almost deafening.

Suddenly, I see a lone orc on a ledge above us pull his bow back. I can almost see the sweat on its brow, as it struggles to keep its aim and keep the arrow notched. I take no time. drawing another arrow out of my quiver, I quickly note that I need to buy some more Oil. Nocking the arrow into my bow, I take aim. The orc is in my sights. I quickly release the arrow. My aim is true! The orc drops its bow, grasps the feather now protruding from its neck, and drops several stories down- dead.

Again the sounds of battle fill my ears. Lilianara has downed the troll, and is now helping the Champion mop of the last of the goblins who were previously jeering at us- now they run! As one goblin is about to get away, a swift javelin from Lilianara pins the beast to the ground. It screams in pain before dying. two more goblins turn a corner, running towards an unknown destination. All three of us take off after them. When we get to the corner ourselves, we are stopped in our tracks! three trolls stand there, along with innumerable uruks and goblins. All of them are shouting at the top of their lungs now. One of the trolls- larger, heavier, and with better gear than the other two- puts one of its hands into the air.

Silence.

From inside its helmet there comes a grating voice, low- like rocks rolling down a mountainside. It speaks of our death, our torture. It speaks of the Evil One. It begins to offer us things. It doesn’t get very far. There is a sound of *TWANG* *TWANG* and there are two arrows and a javelin embedded in the chest of the troll. The troll looks down at the missiles in surprise. It takes a final look at us before falling to the ground with a loud crash!

The fight is now raging again. This time, however, we are outnumbered ten to one. Not that numbers ever bothered Lilianara. Or our Champion friend for that matter. Our Champion began to take on five goblins and an orc. Lilianara rushed foward and began fighting with both trolls at the same time. Shouting and bashing, our Warden friend dodged and parried every blow from the beasts. Our Champion was having a harder time with it. Parrying a swipe from a small goblin, he bashed the goblin with his right hand, and gutted it with his left.

The Warden, Lilianara, ducked under a sweeping blow from a troll. Stabbing upwards, her spear pierced the troll’s vitals. It screamed in pain. Lilianara backed off just in time, as the troll stumbled forward trying to keep its balance. Quickly nocking an arrow, I sent several missiles into the yawning abyss of a mouth that the troll had. This was all it took. The troll groaned and fell over, nearly crushing Lilianara. She then turned her attention to the second troll.

Then I saw It. Standing far off. Now it was flying. Towards us.

I turned my attention back to the battle. our Champion’s armor has now shattered in several places. He had taken down 4 of the goblins, but still had another goblin and the orc to deal with. I let loose one of my last arrows at the orc. I did not aim well enough. The orc saw it coming and dodged the incoming shaft. Unfortunately, his comrade was not so lucky. The arrow sunk deep into the goblin’s shoulder. It let out a howl of agony. The Champion took the moment and relieved the goblin of its pain- and its head.

Lilianara suddenly cried out in pain. One of the trolls had managed to get past her shield and had hit her directly, sending her flying. She hit a wall, making a visible dent in it. When she hit the ground, she did not get back up. The nearer troll bellowed a victory shout, and began to attack the Champion. The troll suddenly burst into a torrent of flames.

I looked up. A deafening roar filled the area, and an engulfing fire swept across my vision. I felt the heat of the fire. The pain was almost unbearable. The buildings around us caught fire. Through the haze of my burns, I saw the goblin and orc flee. Our companion Champion picked up Lilianara off the ground and looked across the burning ground towards me.

I did not notice. Or could not remember. When I had hit the ground. But I lay there. Unable to move. Blackness crept into my vision. I summoned the energy to shout. Told them to leave me. He would not listen. The Champion, with Lilianara still in his arms. He jumped across a chasm of fire. Ran over to me. Then I saw the dragon. Coming up behind us. I had no energy left. Could not talk. Could not move. Could not breathe. Then I sunk into darkness.

TO BE CONTINUED…

My name is Aegiolian. I have weathered many battles in my lifetime, most of which were in Mirkwood, and the evil that resides in that region. In the last 30 or so years, I have taken to wandering. I have met many people in my travels.

Of note, I met Lilianara. A Hobbit of the bravest stature, she is a Warden of the Shire, who also travels throughout Middle Earth, protecting the weak and bringing down the Darkness. She is a fearsome opponent, but a sturdy ally in battle. Together we travel Middle Earth, seeking to end the Darkness that pervades the land.

For myself, I am more of a fighter than a scholar, which seemed to my brethren a mystery. I prefer a bow and a blade to a pen and parchment. I do, however, enjoy music and poetry- just in smaller amounts.

Last night, I took it upon myself to help the Dwarves in Moria. There are many evil things there now, but I would see Moria alive again, in its beauty. I know that, even in the depths of the earth, there are things of great worth, and the Dwarves created spectacular architecture in their mines. This I would like to see flurish again.

Tonight, I will venture out again with my good friend, Lilianara. We will seek to destroy the evil that is in Moria. Perhaps it will be the last time many Goblins will stand. We shall see.

~Aegiolian~