At that moment, Tuck, the raven who served Thorin II, King under the Lonely Mountain, struggled through the sky. Though he had grown up on the Lonely Mountain and endured many bitter winters, even he could not fly normally in weather like this.
It was even colder now than it had been that morning.
Tuck's task was simple: watch for the moment the two forces below him engaged, then fly north to report to Thorin II.
Simple as the task was, only a larger, more cold-resistant raven could carry it out now. The smaller birds could no longer withstand the increasingly frigid currents in the sky.
Just as Thorin had told him, the two forces below were drawing steadily closer. It would probably not be long before they met.
Approaching the Easterlings from the east was, of course, the allied infantry of Dwarves and humans. The elite Dwarven infantry stood at the front of the formation, carrying sturdy steel shields and sharp steel axes. As the formation's toughest front line, they were ready at any moment to meet the enemy's charge. Of course, if the Easterlings refused to charge, they might instead become the hammer that smashed into the enemy, for the valiant Dwarves never feared war.
Leading them was Dáin Ironfoot, once King of the Iron Hills and now second in command at the Lonely Mountain.
Allen's elite infantry stood on the Dwarves' flanks, guarding their sides as supporting troops. In every respect, their fighting strength fell far short of the Dwarves', though they were still much stronger than the Recruits behind them.
The nearly three thousand Militia wore only leather armor, but their spears were sharp enough to reap enemy lives freely under the Dwarves' protection.
Meanwhile, under Ashur's orders, the Easterlings gradually assembled. He had brought over