You stand at the mouth of the cave, listening, waiting, and watching.
Long you wait, long you listen, long you watch
Seeing nothing, hearing nothing
Your hopes start to climb, you turn to retreat
But then you hear it, a break in the silence
You are struck with cold fear as you hear a faint, low-pitched sound
Bouncing off of the high hills
Resonating in the valleys
Back to your post you dash
The dull thud, thud of the orc war drums grows ever louder
At the ready you stand, axe in hand, sword at side
Still the drums pound, thud, thud, thud
You grip your axe more tightly; beads of sweat run down your forehead
Far ahead, war-horn sounds, they are getting closer
Answering back, someone behind you blows their own horn
The clear, high-pitched note travels far
The beat momentarily stops
But soon it begins again
Thud, thud, thud, ever closer
You see a cloud of dust ascending over the hill ahead of you
Long, sparking, spear tips shine through the dust
They grow closer
Now you can hear war-cries mixed in with the drums
You flinch at every beat, but still stand strong
The company of orcs passes the crest of the hill
Not long now…..
No more than a few furlongs separate you
Volleys of arrows begin pouring toward you
Some fall, but the losses are slim
An answering volley of arrows is thrown back at the orcs
small losses for them
For minutes the volleys pass back and forth
Many are slain, but many more still are still standing
The first battalion charges
You hear the harsh cries of the orcs ahead
The strong voices of the men at your side
There is a clash of arms
Axe-heads thud against wooden shields
Or was it enemy’s skulls
Spears clang into comrade’s armor
They scream as they fall
Stray arrows Twang into trees at the side
For many hours the noise continues
Clash, Thud, Twang
Many screams are heard
Many lay slain
Then alas, the clamor subsides
A cheer rises up
You and your companions exchange weak smiles
You are tired, and wounded
But the enemy fallen
