Work Text:
Then came an orchestra of horns and trumpets from the West, and Elf, Ainur and Morgothspawn alike turned their heads to see what now came from the shores of the draining Ekkaia. For a moment, there was great fear in the host of Aman, for naught lay west and they feared that their flank had been overrun and collapsed, but the keen-eyed Eldar caught sight moments later of what came from the Ekkaian shores. Even Morgoth looked that way now.
For there came what was certainly the greatest host as had ever walked the earth, and in these final hours that was no mere feat: for the younger Children of Illúvatar now came to the aid of their elder siblings. Shouts of jubilation went up across the Elves and Ainur of Aman as they saw their reinforcements come.
Most numerous of this host were the Men, a wave of marching feet and galloping hooves and bright banners. Sigils as had never been flown together now blew in the winds of war, for there blew the White Tree of Gondor and the Crowned Star of Arnor, and besides them the Swan of Dol Amroth and the White Horse of Rohan; and yet too came the Black Arrow of Dale, and the ancient sigils of the Three Houses of the Edain of Sunken Beleriand, and even there was the Serpent of Harad and the Wolf of Dunland and the Golden Star of Rhûdel, for in this hour all Men who were not wholly lost to the will of Morgoth answered the call. Many more banners blew there which had never been seen in the west of Middle-Earth, and not all who did not walk rode horses - a cohort of great múmakil trumpeted their arrival loudly, and besides them rode men from the savannahs of Far Harad on the back of striped horses.
But above all, one device stood out: the banner of the Reunited Kingdom, as had been raised at the Harlond of Pelennor in Ages past, and at the head of the charge rode a grey-eyed king with his greatest descendant by his right; but on his left was a man who looked grim and had a passing resemblance to both, and though he bore no device all who saw his blade knew who had come then. And besides them rode Eorl and Húrin, and many more heroes of Men.
But Men were naught all that came. To the right of their infantry was a smaller host, though no less mighty, clad in shining armour that would turn all but the fiercest blades. An army that surpassed any gathered in their history, for now all seven houses of the Dwarves marched for war one last time, and at their head were the Fathers of their people and their spouses, with Durin the Deathless at the front, and he laughed as he marched towards the battle.
And yet this was not all. For if the folk of the mountains held the right, then the folk of the trees must hold the left; and there strode what might by rights be called a forest of Ents and Ent-wives, led by Fangorn in a great march, their voices like the rumble of the mountains. They bore no banners and carried no weapons but their limbs, yet their might could not be disputed by any, and behind them came the trees of Aman and the animals of the lands of Yavanna and Oromë, for now nature’s fury was roused.
And finally, it came to view that there was a fourth host, of a people least-expected by all: for between the legs of the Ents, and beside their march too, came a small people. They were not Dwarves, for they were mostly clad in leather and bore as many bows as they did spears and axes, and they had amongst them a small group of cavalry on the back of ponies; yet neither were they Men either, for they were much too small in stature and bore no great banners and few horns or trumpets. But none could ever doubt their courage, for the Hobbits too had come to the Last Battle, and perhaps better equipped for it than any might have thought. And between their ranks walked Men three times their height with great axes and strong bodies - and these were the skinchangers, known as the Beornings to those of the Third and Fourth Ages, and as they came closer to the enemy many did indeed turn into fearsome bears and other might animals of the earth.
Those forces as had been fighting already paused for a brief moment to take in this new arrival; and then Morgoth laughed, as from the hills in the east appeared a great host of his, all garbed in bright armour and carrying proud banners. The Great Armament of Ar-Pharazôn, returned now at the breaking of the world.
But it was Fëanor who laughed, and raised up his Silmaril towards the Host of the Aftercomers in greeting. ‘’Utúlie'n aurë! Utúlie'n aurë, aiya Eruhíni!’’ he called out, and Fingolfin took his cry up a moment later, and so did the whole host of Aman. And though Eruhíni might by dictionary’s rule include only the Eldar and Men, now it was clear that all who took up arms against Morgoth might fall under this term, from the highest Ainur to the youngest warriors who in their first life had never seen battle.
And the reinforcements answered in turn, echoing Fëanor’s words or calling out their own battlecries. And then did the cavalry break into a gallop, and deftly did Maglor weave the riders of the Amanyar into this charge before it fell upon the flank of Morgoth’s forces. In all of Arda no greater movement of riders had there ever been, for now the Swan Knights of Dol Amroth rode side by side with the Serpent Knights of Harad, and the elite of Maglor who held the Gap for four hundred years pulled together with the greatest rider of the Éotheod and the knights of Númenor before they crashed into the Morgothspawn, and naught could stop such a force. Thousands did the riders slay with their charge, and thousands more as they rode on as far as they could - and behind them came the Ents and Hobbits, and some of the Men who had served the Beornings too, and the skinchangers themselves with all the animals of the wild.
With this reprieve, the Elves and Ainur could fold into their lines the unwearied Men and Dwarves, who now joined them even as the Black Númenóreans and many more Men who had not renounced their allegiance to Darkness joined the ranks of Orcs and other foul creatures. Many were the reunions that were had even in this hectic battle; for Elros did bring his knights and his descendant Estel into the infantry line and there he met his brother Elrond again, and his cousins for the first time; the four Heroes of the Shire rode together again, and with them was Bilbo Baggins, and the Company of Thorin Oakenshield was their guard of honour, together with many fierce and stout Hobbits; and Húrin clasped arms with Fingon again with great laughter; and Legolas and Gimli found themselves once again together, keeping score as they had at Helm’s Deep and Pelennor and Morannon.
But though these meetings were jovial, and the reinforcements a great boon, the battle was not yet won. Morgoth now duelled not just the three Finwions and his ancient foes Tulkas and Eonwë but also Túrin, who was brought through the battle to Morgoth by an escort of no lesser than Maedhros the One-Handed and Ólorin Mithrandir. Thus did Túrin Turambar join the fated duel.
No one, in the end, reckoned how long it took, but it ended with Gurthang buried into Morgoth’s neck, and this broke his host. So did the Children of Illúvatar achieve their final victory in Arda Marred.