"They will come, they will come. You blew the horn of mustering long and hard and i'm sure every able Dwarf in Thorin's Hall will be here shortly Warmaster." Hroskold spoke in a gentle tone to Thogen, the Warlord paced from side to side wondering when they workers and troops would arrive. The sun kissed the thick steel plates of the two warriors and reflected onto the carved stone walls of Noglond. "The sun is almost at high noon and yet no one ha-" Thogen had been cut off by a a softer toned voice "Shamukh Azaghalbad!" Kveltrild hailed, she pulled a at her long elegant dress and marched in the stone gates, with her was a beard both warriors had not known. "I heard the mustering horn and came quickly, i've brought a friend fro the Order of the Divine Brew! Master Gildoin!" she spoke with cheer, her face bright and the jewels in her beard brighter! With a long bow of his head Gildoin spoke his greetings then fell silent. The sound of a rushing goat caught all of their ears, steel rattled and hooves clicked! "I'm here! I'm here!" the Dwarf called! With a cheer Hroskold raised his arm and saluted "By my beard Krakthor!" they all spoke in greetings and then talked of old time sake before Thogen had raised a word. "The horn of mustering must have blown deep. A member of the Blue Mountain Regiment has come!" Thogen said, " And come I have!" Krakthor smiled.
Time had passed and the sun reached its highest point in the sky, more and more beards started to show. Thorlaen, Holgi, Dwemthor, Baruin to name a few. Thogen had taken them all to the supply storage and one by one handed out one tool after the next. "Shovel for you, Pick for you .. Hammer for- eh .. maybe a shovel for you.." he repeated time and time again until all had a 'weapon'. "Now I know we all wish to splatter the blood of them goblins and dourhands all over the hills and cliffs of Ered-Luin .. but first we must protect those lands that are in the closest danger. Noglond will be made strong if it is to house our warriors for the time being." Thogen shouted to them all. Beards nodded up and down in agreement. "Trenches must be dug below the hill to keep any Siege weapons away from Noglond. Pitfalls dug to stop any other invaders! Thorlaen, take a few dwarves and go to the East, Asudrom take to the South and Hroskold the West. Dig them the well and dig them deep!" Thogen ended, everyone saluted before leaving. For some reason all Kveltrild kept singing to herself was a strange tune .. "Diggy diggy hole! Diggy diggy hole!"
Sweat glistened from every dwarves head, beads running down like rivers along their faces. Thorlaen lead his crew like clockwork, they struck the ground in rhythm and pulled the loose soil away as if they played a song. Every now and then he spoke out in encouragement "Keep it up lads!" he said. Asudrom thought long and hard how to break up the frozen earth, his brain working away quicker then his shovel, though his shovel worked quite fast! Hroskold dug away like a machine, he used his hard work inspire the rest of his crew and to follow as he did. The sun had moved off its throne in the sky and had started to lower towards the horizon though much daylight was left. The workers still went at it long and hard, dwarves had never been shy to dig. Giants mounds of dirt had been placed around the trenches and boulders brought up to the outpost to use as weapons in case goblins marched up the road.
"Boiling water!" Asudrom shouted before running off to find Thogen, he spoke how the water would thaw the ground long enough to dig and then freeze after to make the walls sturdy and to this Thogen approved. Quickly he gathered Holgi and Dwemthor and went back up to Noglond to load a cart and fetch water. They unloaded some supplies and started to fill up the cart with iron pots .. heavy ones at that. They dropped one a few times. With haste they made way to the river with keen eyes to spot danger. Snow had started to fall from the sky, thick and wet snow yet they kept going. After a short ride they reached the river, the water flowed smoothly down stream .. they were just about to start unloading the pots when suddenly a loud crashing noise sounded! " Did you hear that?" Thogen spoke, his hand reached for his axe. "What was it.." Holgi looked around as well, it was then when Thogen yelled! "The mountain! It comes down towards Noglond! AVALANCHE! Quickly we must aid our brothers!" he cried in fear for his people. With haste they broke free from the wagon and darted back to the outpost.
"Lookout!" Hroskold cried, boulder after boulder crashed down at his crew, Gildoin covered his head trying to avoid danger while Asudrom waved his arms trying to lead Thorlaen and his company away from the soon to fall wall of snow. Tree trunks, heaping piles of stone and thick snow still rolled down the hill, the dwarves acted quickly trying to gte to the safety of Noglond but it was a risky move. "Get everyone inside! Thogen yelled, he and the two others met up with the rest of their group and tried to advance. Dwemthor and Hogli both were struck by falling stones! "Get them up! Quickly!" Thogen ordered, his goat danced from side to side trying to avoid danger.
"We dont have long before more death will be upon us! Move everyone! MOVE!" Thogen barked out his orders, it was do or die time. In a mad dash the company of dwarves raced to the road trying to gey up hill but it was ill luck that reached them first. Hroskold, Gildoin, Hroskold and Thogen were to late and struck down by a wave of snow, Thogen being tossed from his goat and the two others buried in a white wash. "Help-" Hroskold managed to slur out before he vanished.
Asudrom looked from the high grounds of Noglond, he counted the group then looked out again. "Three we are missing three! Can anyone see them?!" he shouted, panic filling his voice. The survivors looked with Asudrom now searching for hands, heads, feet or anything they could see.
"HELLO! CAN ANYONE HERE ME!" Hroskold cried, he hand been buried and dug himself a small hole, his hands clawing away to make a tunnel.
"I cannot be defeated like this .." Thogen mumbled, his arm trying to wave around, it didn't feel as pinned as the rest of him.
Gildoin just lay there, motionless for a bit until he awoke in panic!
Asudrom lead a few with him down to where the others had last been seen, quickly they called out and dug with searching hands to try finidng the others burried alive. First a hand struck free from the snow, a large, metal covered hand! Thogen! " I am coming friend" Asudrom shouted before diving to his knees and grabbing onto the metal covered hand, with a hard tug he pulled him from his cold tomb and they both tumbled to the snow. "Are you okay? Can you stand?" Asudrom asked, clearly consernd for his friend. " I'll survive .. find the others they were near me!" Thogen spoke softly, he weazed and coughed. Together they all looked around for any sign, every now and then hearing a faint calling but when they dug they found nothing.
"I should be near the top .. i've dug a long path with my arm .." Hroskold muttered but with the movement of his arm the tunnel collapsed .. Upside down! " I've been digging the wrong way! Blast!" he shouted!
"I can hear someone speaking .. keep digging!" Thogen groaned, his arms cupping away piles of snow, branches and stone. Dwemthor cheered as he started to pull free Gildoin. He hacked and coughed something fierce trying to get air back into his lungs. More time had passed and the sun had started to set, yet still no Hroskold. "If we do not find him soon .. he will fade to sleep, a sleep he will not wake from" Asudrom spoke, still digging around like a dog looking for his lost bone. Both Asudrom and Thogen worked close to one another, it was then they both looked to each other and nodded, they had a grip on something. A mighty tug of their arms and meaningful groans they hoisted a body up from the sea of snow! Hroskold! " NOT THE BEARD!" he cried, being thrown from his soon to be grave."Thank Mahal you have found me!" Hroskold let out a breath of relief.
With running legs they all made way back to Noglond, once safely inside they started to patch the wounded up, note broken or damaged gear and began to evaluate the damage. "All our work covered Thogen .. though only snow it still will need to be fixed." Hroskold grumbled, though being buried so long he seemed okay. "Take some dwarves and check the cliffs above .. I want to see what caused those rocks and snow to come down on us." Thogen said, looking out to the white covered roads. The patrol quickly went out and as if they never left they returned, most of the warriors had already went to rest but the patrol still came to Thogen who never left his watch, overlooking were the trenches once were. "Goblins lord, looks like they crashed the mountain on top us! Though it may seem most got taken down with it .." Gildoin said, his face pale and sweaty. "Take your rest now, in the morning we will kill any of their survivors then move closer to Sarnur, we will strike them if they wish to strike us!" Thogen spoke true, blood for blood.
