return

1410 the return of the king
the Orcs, which was long and deadly, and fought for the most
part in deep places beneath the earth.
Thráin at once sent messengers bearing the tale, north, east,
and west; but it was three years before the Dwarves had mustered
their strength. Durin’s Folk gathered all their host, and they were
joined by great forces sent from the Houses of other Fathers; for
this dishonour to the heir of the Eldest of their race filled them
with wrath. When all was ready they assailed and sacked one by
one all the strongholds of the Orcs that they could find from
Gundabad to the Gladden. Both sides were pitiless, and there
was death and cruel deeds by dark and by light. But the Dwarves
had the victory through their strength, and their matchless
weapons, and the fire of their anger, as they hunted for Azog in
every den under mountain.
At last all the Orcs that fled before them were gathered in Moria,
and the Dwarf-host in pursuit came to Azanulbizar. That was a
great vale that lay between the arms of the mountains about the
lake of Kheled-zâram and had been of old part of the kingdom
of Khazad-dûm. When the Dwarves saw the gate of their ancient
mansions upon the hill-side they sent up a great shout like thunder
in the valley. But a great host of foes was arrayed on the
slopes above them, and out of the gates poured a multitude of
Orcs that had been held back by Azog for the last need.
At first fortune was against the Dwarves; for it was a dark day
of winter without sun, and the Orcs did not waver, and they
outnumbered their enemies, and had the higher ground. So began
the Battle of Azanulbizar (or Nanduhirion in the Elvish tongue),
at the memory of which the Orcs still shudder and the Dwarves
weep. The first assault of the vanguard led by Thráin was thrown
back with loss, and Thráin was driven into a wood of great trees
that then still grew not far from Kheled-zâram. There Frerin his
son fell, and Fundin his kinsman, and many others, and both
Thráin and Thorin were wounded. 1 Elsewhere the battle swayed
to and fro with great slaughter, until at last the people of the Iron
1 It is said that Thorin’s shield was cloven and he cast it away and he
hewed off with his axe a branch of an oak and held it in his left hand to
ward off the strokes of his foes, or to wield as a club. In this way he got
his name.