The rain was easing up,and the sun had lit up the sky enough to shine an early morrow over Annúminas. This night, the invading forces had crushed the stand that the wardens and rangers had made.
Now,with nowhere else to go, the last remnants of those who defended the court under Menelband were looking the enemy in the eyes, awaiting eachother on the middle of the bridge across to Tyl Annún.
The unfortunate ones who had been forced to retreat this way made up the number of around fourty men, wich was enough to hold the bridge two times its width. With nervewrecking silence,the wardens stood shoulder to shoulder with shields aligned, blocking the way for the enemy, who stood with mixed armed men about a hundred yards away,waiting,taunting, and angering themselves up.
Vinti sat on the ground in the rear of the line, along with five or six other injured men. Iriul was standing infront of him, a warden spearman he'd known from childhood, and journied with the night before to Tham Laegamon. There they encountered the Invasion by mere chance,as they were soon to leave.
With water dripping from his hood, Iriul put down his spear down beside Vinti and looked at him. His injury seemed to be a dislocated elbow,or in the worst case broken.
"Vinti,brace yourself! Are you ready?!" Vinti took a breath as he sat pale and exhausted with his back against the stone, looking down the bridge. He could barely make out the enemy so far away inbetween the nearly non-existent gaps in the line. He winced as Iriul took his hand,grabbing his wrist firmly and setting his boot to Vinti's collarbone.
With the crushing strength that the stout Iriul was known for, he pulled Vinti's arm straight, it gave a soft and deep sound as it popped into place. Vinti's pain led to a desperate yelp and snarling growl,further to breath through gritting teeth as he felt the pain in the elbow immediately ease. It was not broken, but moving it was painful. "Forgive me friend. Are you able?" The question Iriul posed him was indeed not a question, and Vinti knew.
Iriul helped him to his feet without bothering to wait for a reply. It had to be yes. Vinti watched him turn directly to take up his place in the line with his spear once more. Tyl Annun had its doors closed, none would be allowed in or to open it. This would be the last stand of the men atop the bridge, and the greatness of the thought sent chills down Vinti's spine, though the thought seemed hopelessly desperate and time for the situation too sudden.
Vinti turned his head attentively as his train of thought was broken by the senior warden at the front line. "Brace your shields,stand broad and low! Second line; SCATTER!" The shields in front sounded with rustling strength and the thickness of the metal as they were set determined against the enemy, the wardens on the front line followed command, and the second line assumed their formation, scattering behind them giving room between each one.
Vinti drew his sword, leaving the aching left hand empty. He walked determined into the scattered fray-zone and took his place. The enemy had begun running, and the bridge was shaking under their feet. Their numbers of hundreds upon hundreds of men was coming over the bridge as a stream of angry souls robed in blood red and dark blue. The clash of arms sounded at the front like a collision of rocks, and the fray began.
Vinti stood with his sword ready, looking down directly at them,perhaps 20 yards infront. The wardens did a good job holding them off, body after body fell infront of their shields by their spears and swords, opening gaps between them now and then - only to pull a sorry angmarim footman through to be slaughtered by the spread-out wardens behind the line.
For a time,Vinti had hope, perhaps they somehow could indeed hold off long enough for the enemy to lose their will, and reinforcements for them to come. Just as the thought passed through his head, the wild,twisted scream of the enemys dark beasts sounded from the end of the bridge.
On the far end,making its way through the crowd without care for its Angmarim keepers, one single gorthorog was at running speed and making good way, the hammer it carried was of terrifying size. The excited cries of the angmarim had them alerted of its coming, and made way for its heavy feet, trampling its way towards the front line. The beast towered over the fighting line with its hammer raised in the light rain and gave a crushing blow, making a gap in the line of two broken wardens and their angmarim opponents.
It kicked the broken bodies out of the way and off the bridge, like an annoyed child with a very big hammer. The senior warden had rushed back a few yards,in sight of Iriul as he called out before the hammer hit; "Fell the beast, reform the li-...!!" Iriul had witnessed the same as Vinti,they watched in horror as the Warden was sent lifeless off the bridge with his arms and head in unnatural angles, the sword ringing its last clash of arms as it flew out of his hand.
Everything from then on seemed to Vinti to be lasting a lifetime. Looking back to the beast,Angmarim men had rushed through the broken line and begun engaging the others. It took but a second for them to reach Iriul, who had abandoned his soaked cloak and other useless effects on the ground for his stand. Vinti watched him draw blood from foe after foe, enraged to clear bloodlust as he brought down one,two,three... With a shift of focus,Vinti caught eye of an angmarim who came charging, for the first time seeing the enemys face in the pale morning light. An early parry shifted the fortune in Vinti's favour, and the angmarim was sent off his balance past him, and fell to his death under the sword of one of the other wardens. As they kept coming,another was defeated,and another.. Vinti saw the beast was now in where Iriul made his stand, and the view of his friend was open from where he stood, interrupted by flashes of blood red robes as the angmarim ran past between them. Without speech, Vinti watched the inevitable blow that sent Iriul through the air,crushed by the hammer to a lifeless doll of broken bones,flung over the side of the bridge and into the black water. The devastating visual was interrupted by a hand on Vinti's shoulder, strongly forcing him to draw back,calling something, though Vinti didnt hear.
They had been overrun, some wardens made a short and glorious stand while others ran for the drop off Tyl Annun. He made no pause and held his sword with the blade down like a dagger as he was sprinting. The view was so open this way,compared to the death and war behind him. The view of Evendim from this place in the morning was beautiful and undisturbed by war, even now, and through the bleak mist dropped from the skies, he could se the suns rays shine down on the keeps and forts.
Together with many others he ran as fast as he could to the end, and with agility driven by rushing blood,anger, and fear, he stepped off the ledge in a leap, looking down into the plunging depth of the lake as the rockface of the cliff disappeared under him, falling for what seemed to be an eternity together with others till they finally crashed into the lake. Some,to never come back to the surface.
The boats who had so quickly set out from Tinnudir had collected a few already when they reached Vinti, and pulled him aboard. No question was asked, and Vinti took his seat alone at the bow,with his sword across his lap. He rested his face in his palms, hiding his sorrow, and said not a word.
