Battle of Five Armies

Third age 2941

The battle of the five armies were fought between the armies of the Dwarves, the Elves, Men of Laketown, Orcs and Trolls out of Hithaeglir and the Wolves. They had all different goals for their participation in the battle. The Dwarves was there for the Arkenstone and treasure left behind in the Lonely Mountain after the death of Smaug, the Trolls because of the death of their king caused by the passage of Bilbo, Gandalf and the company of Dwarves lead by Thorin II. The Elves of Mirkwood came due to the rumors of the great treasure and for the aid of the men of Laketown who wanted a share of the treasure for the loss of Esgaroth. The Orcs came to raid and kill, as always, and aided by Trolls.

The news of Smaug`s death reached the Dwarves three days after Bard had shot Smaug. The news was told Thorin II by the raven Roak, son of Kark. Roak also told him that the people of Esgaroth expected the treasures of the Lonely Mountain should cover the ruin and rebuilding of their city, and Bard, with an host of around two hundred men from Esgaroth, marched against the Lonely Mountain and they were joined by an army of around one thousand Elves under Thranduil. Thorin asked of Roak that some of the young ravens would fly to the Iron Hills and deliver a message to Dáin, telling his kin that their aid was needed. Unknown to all was that also Beorn and the mountain Trolls in Hithaeglir had the news, and they too, were on their way towards the mountain. And that the Eagles were aware of the movement of the vast host of Trolls and Orcs.

Thorin, however, having no intentions of sharing the treasure he believed to be his inheritance and his alone, thus commanded the Dwarves to fortify the main-entrance and made ready for a siege. What he did not knew was Bilbo had found the great jewel, the Arkenstone, and he kept it hidden in his pocket even he knew that this jewel was the ultimate object of Thorin`s desire.

At the arrival of the host of Esgaroth and the Elves Bard came forth and greeted Thorin. He was glad to see them alive and delivered his message. He told them that he hoped Thorin would think of the grief of the people of Esgaroth and that some part of the treasure was of old from the city of Dale.

But Thorin did not seem to be willing to part with any of the treasure, maybe because it had long been under the spell of Smaug. Therefore, he answered Bard that nothing would he share of it, but in time he would pay well for the help he had gained in Esgaroth, and by no means would he parley with armed men, and the second time a messenger came to his port as an answer he shot an arrow against the messenger and thus declared he denied any Man or Elf any part in the treasure.

But during the following night Bilbo sneaked out and went down to the people below the entrance. There he found Gandalf and to him he delivered the great Arkenstone, hoping that doing this he maybe could prevent the forth coming battle between the Dwarves, Elves and Men.

The next morning Gandalf and Bard approached the wall that blocked the entrance to the mountain and with them they carried the jewel and thus did Thorin, inside the mountain, discover Bilbo had delivered the great jewel, the Arkenstone, to Gandalf and Bard. Thorin would most likely have slain Bilbo for his treason if he thought it would have gained him the Arkenstone back but he had not known that Gandalf was among the people of Esgaroth and it was probably the sight of Gandalf that saved Bilbo`s life. Thorin agreed and was willing to trade Bilbo and his one fourteenth part of the treasure for the Arkenstone.

Thorin`s hope was that Dáin and his 500 dwarves would come from the Iron-hills in time to win his treasure back and defeat all his beleaguers.

But faith would it different. At the same time as Dáin arrived and his Dwarves were to attack the Orcs and Trolls, lead by Bolg, came down from the north. Gandalf, who saw the danger, at once sent for Dáin to ally against the Orcs and Trolls, to forget their quarrel, at least until their were all slain or victorious. Dáin, who were a wise dwarf, understood the danger their were all in rallied with the Elves of Mirkwood and people of Esgaroth and so was an alliance made. For a time at least the Dwarves in the mountain, the people of Esgaroth, Thranduil`s Elves and Dáin`s Dwarves united against the huge army of Trolls and Orcs.

Gandalf`s plan against the much larger host of the Orc and Trolls was to man the southwestern spur of the Lonely Mountain with the Elves while the southeastern was manned with Dwarves and Men and lure the Orcs and Trolls into the valley between.

At first the plan worked well. The Orcs and Trolls poured into the valley and was charged from the west by the Elves. As the enemy turned against them Men and Dwarves assailed them in the rear from the east. The Trolls and Orcs turned around to face the Men and Dwarves and the Elves attacked again. The strategy seemed as a success, the Orcs and Trolls were pinned in the valley, fighting on two fronts. But this was only for a short while for Bolg, the cunning and clever leader of the Trolls, had sent a part of his army upon a path that ran from the north up over the Lonely Mountain and divided above the fortified main entrance and thus the Elves, Men and Dwarves lost the advantage of higher ground and they were now assailed themselves from above and in the rear. The enemy in the valley had now time to regroup and bring in fresh troops.

Bolg himself and his strong bodyguard of Trolls now entered the battle in the valley, Dáin and his dwarves and Bard and his men of Esgaroth were been pushing off and away and were loosing ground in the east and the Elves were been pushed down in the West.

It was an hopeless situation for the Elves, Men and Dwarves. In the Mountain Thorin and his 12 dwarves had only been able to look down upon the battle and as he saw the desperate situation evolve he made a courageous decision to throw his few dwarves into the battle and if possible get to Bolg and slay him.

He and his company broke the newly built wall in front of the entrance and leapt into the affray yelling "to me, oh kinsmen, Elves and Men" and they trusted into the heart of the enemy towards Bolg and his guard. They fought heroically and the Trolls were driven back with great casualties. Thorin himself went right against Bolg and his personal guard but as the valley opened up further ahead the flanks of the Dwarfs became unguarded and they were too few. Soon the battle turned and Thorin and his company was encircled. There was Fíli and Kíli slain protecting Thorin who was sorely wounded by a spear.

But just in time the Eagles of Hithaeglir came in from the west and charged the Orcs and Trolls upon the mountain and they casted them down from the upper ridges. When the Elves, Men and Dwarves now was freed from the attack from above they went down into the valley to Thorin`s assistance though they were still outnumbered and would most likely have all been killed if it was not for Beorn.

As things looked worst he came out of nowhere and cutting through the enemy like a razor-sharp blade with his bear strength he came to Bolg and slew him. As the Orcs and Trolls saw their leader and his guard slain they lost hope and moral and were scattered. They ran in fear from the battle and most were lost or slain. But back at the scene Thorin lay as dead but he lived long enough to see the end of the battle before he died.