[Hookbill the Goomba]

The noise of the war drums was getting louder and faster; the earth was slowly begging to shake, causing some of the older standing stones to crumble or fall down. A great stomping began somewhere in the south accompanied by the faint sound of fell horns.

Smilog ate some jelly babies.

"I say," mused The Barrow Wight, "what the devil do you think those fellows will do?"

"Kill us all?" suggested Khuz, "but just why is another question. Those Blue wizards really do have a bee in their bonnet about something."

"It's times like this," said Smilog, "that I wish I had paid more attention during those political meetings." They agreed that this may have helped. But now they faced the south and could see a great black mass in the distance marching to join the greater mass of the main army. A blue flame leaped up from somewhere in the middle of the army, revealing, for a second, evil faces covered in fur and nasty stuff. The Barrow Wight trembled and placed his sword back in it's scabbard.

Tollin walked forwards and said, "I think we should investigate. Look, there is a ridge over there that we might get a good view from and not be seen." lacking anything else to do, save sit and wait for death, the others agreed and they tracked along the path with their heads down. Smilog cast his hood over the top of his helm and placed a hand on his axe haft while The Barrow Wight wrapped his torn cloak close about his person. Tollin alone seemed confident of, well, anything.

Within a few minuets of walking from the cemetery, they came to the ridge and lay on the floor. Smilog crawled to the edge and peered out. "What can you see?" asked Tollin.

"Terrible things," replied the Dwarf, "there are millions of them. Werewolves, orcs, trolls, were ducks and I think there are a few rhinoceroses." He bent his eyes to where he thought the blue flame had come from, then, holding out a hand to The Barrow Wight said, "pass me your spy glass, I want to see if the Blue Wizards are out there." The dead man obliged and Smilog fixed it to his eye.

He swooped across the terrible force, it's banners displaying the most awful symbols imaginable. Then, all of a sudden, he dropped the spy glass. "Oi!" cried The Barrow Wight, "do you know how much that cost?" The Dwarf scrambled off the ridge desperately.

"I think he saw me!" he cried,

"Who?" asked Tollin,

"Pallando!" said a voice from behind them. They turned to see the Wizard standing tall and menacing, his staff pointed towards them. He laughed and cocked his head, "did you really think you could spy on me? Well, what think you of my little... party?" he grinned.

"I've seen bigger." said Tollin

"No you havn't!" objected the wizard, turning to face the Minotaur, "I've researched middle Earth history, there has never been such a force! Now. I seem to remeber that Alatar was about to kill you, Dwarf, but he's a bit busy at the moment, so I'll do it!" He stepped closer, a blue light illuminating his staff and an evil grin covering his face. He took another step...

All of a sudden there was a cry from above and an orange blur flew out of the sky and landed on Pallando, knocking him over the ridge. the Orange wizard, 'Flash', stood before them, obviously at the end of some long song and dance routine.

"And that's why I'm so great! Woof!" he cried in an upbeat tempo. He threw back his head and laughed upon seeing Smilog and the others. "Well, paint me purple and call me Sharon, it's you, Beard man!"