Battle of Five Armies: King Under the Mountain

"Victory now vanished from hope. They had only stemmed the first onslaught of the black tide and now the goblins gathered again in the valley. There a host of Wargs came ravening and with them came the bodyguard of Bolg, goblins of huge size with scimitars of steel. Soon actual darkness was coming into a stormy sky; while still the great bats swirled about the heads and ears of elves and men, or fastened vampire-like on the stricken. Now Bard was fighting to defend the Eastern spur, and yet giving slowly back; and the elf-lords were at bay about their king upon the southern arm, near to the watch-post on Ravenhill.

Suddenly there was a great shout, and from the Gate came a trumpet call. They had forgotten Thorin! Part of the wall, moved by levers, fell outward with a crash into the pool. Out leapt the King under the Mountain, and his companions followed him. Hood and cloak were gone; they were in shining armour, and red light leapt from their eyes. In the gloom the great dwarf gleamed like gold in a dying fire.

Rocks were buried down from on high by the goblins above; but they held on. leapt down to the falls' foot, and rushed forward to battle. Wolf and rider fell or fled before them. Thorin wielded his axe with mighty strokes, and nothing seemed to harm him.

"To me! To me! Elves and Men! To me! O my kinsfolk!" he cried, and his voice shook like a horn in the valley.

Down, heedless of order, rushed all the dwarves of Dain to his help. Down too came many of the Lake-men, for Bard could not restrain them; and out upon the other side came many of the spearmen of the elves. Once again the goblins were stricken in the valley; and they were piled in heaps till Dale was dark and hideous with their corpses. The Wargs were scattered and Thorin drove right against the bodyguards of Bolg. But he could not pierce their ranks. Already behind him among the goblin dead lay many men and many dwarves, and many a fair elf that should have lived yet long ages merrily in the wood. And as the valley widened his onset grew ever slower. His numbers were too few. His flanks were unguarded. Soon the attackers were attacked, and they were forced into a great ring, facing every way, hemmed all about with goblins and wolves returning to the assault. The bodyguard of Bolg came howling against them, and drove in upon their ranks like waves upon cliffs of sand. Their friends could not help them, for the assault from the Mountain was renewed with redoubled force, and upon either side men and elves were being slowly beaten down."

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Drawing ink work, took "only" two days to finish this one after the mind was set on drawing once again. "Charge of Thorin" was the original idea for this one. And oops, Thorin carries a sword instead of an axe (same mistake I made years ago) - maybe he switched to it after the battle was turning against him! Previous works: "Battle of Five Armies: Warriors of Dain" tulikoura.deviantart.com/art/B… , "Battle of Five Armies: Elves of Mirkwood tulikoura.deviantart.com/art/B… and "Battle of Five Armies: Men of Esgaroth" tulikoura.deviantart.com/art/B… . "Beorn Finds Thorin" has been made earlier tulikoura.deviantart.com/art/B… . Final work, "Thorin's Farewell", is also somewhere in the sketch pile...

Check also the first entry of Iron Hill dwarves during the war between dwarves and orcs tulikoura.deviantart.com/art/B… and younger Dáin tulikoura.deviantart.com/art/D… and older Dáin tulikoura.deviantart.com/art/T… kicking some orc/easterling butts.