able to hold for long, though, for more trolls crowded behind the front ranks, the sheer weight of them driving the force forward.
Thinking that all of them were doomed, Dagna screamed in rage and whacked so hard at the troll reaching for him that his nasty hammer tore the creature's arm off at the elbow.
The troll didn't seem to even notice as it came forward, and Dagna realized his error. He had over-swung the mark and was vulnerable.
But the troll backed suddenly, and Dagna ducked and cried out in surprise, as the first of the torches, compliments of Galen Firth, entered the fray. The man reached over and past the ducking Dagna and thrust the flaming torch at the troll, and how the creature scrambled to get back from the fire!
Trolls were mighty opponents indeed, and it was said - and it was true - that if you cut a troll into a hundred pieces, the result would be a hundred new trolls, with every piece regenerating into an entirely new creature. They had a weakness, though, one that every person in all the Realms knew well: fire stopped that regeneration process.
Trolls didn't like fire.
More torches were quickly passed up to Dagna and the four others and the trolls fell back, but only a step.
"Forward, then, for Fender and Bonnerbas!" Dagna cried, and all the dwarves cheered.
But then came a shout from the other side of "Trolls in the tunnels!" and another warning shout from directly behind Dagna.
All the tunnels were blocked. Dagna knew at once that his dwarves were surrounded and had nowhere to run.
"How deep're we?" the general shouted.
"Roots in the ceiling," one dwarf answered. "Ain't too deep."
"Then get us through!" the old dwarf ordered
Immediately, those dwarves near to the center of the tightening ring went into action. Two braced a third and lifted him high with his pickaxe, and he began tearing away at the ground.
"Wet one down!" Dagna yelled, and he knew that it was all he had to say to get his full meaning across to his trusted comrades.
"And tie him off!" came the appropriate addition, from more than one dwarf.
"Galen Firth, ye brace the hole!" Dagna roared at the human.
"What are you doing?" the man demanded. "Fight on, good dwarf, for we've nowhere to run!"
Dagna thrust his torch forward and the troll facing him hopped back. The dwarf turned fast and shoved at Galen.
"Turn about, ye dolt, and get us out o' here!"
A confused Galen did reluctantly turn from the fight just as daylight appeared above the area to the left of the cooking fire. The two dwarves supporting the miner gave a great heave, sending him up, where he caught on and scrambled onto the surface.
"Clear!" he reported.
Galen understood the plan then, and rushed to the hole, where he immediately began hoisting dwarves. After every one he had to pause, though, for the dwarves up above began handing down more wood for the fire.
Dagna nodded and urged his line on, and the five fought furiously and brilliantly, coordinating their movements so that the trolls could not advance. But neither did the dwarves gain any ground, and Dagna knew in his heart that his two companions, Fender and Bonnerbas, were surely dead.
The tough old dwarf pushed the grim thoughts from his mind, and didn't even begin to let them lead him back down the road of grief for his lost boy. He focused on his anger and on the desperate need, and he forged ahead, warhammer and torch flailing. Behind him, he felt the heat increasing as his boys began to strengthen the fire. They'd need it blazing indeed if they meant to get the last of the group clear of the tunnels and up into the open air.
"Down in front!" came a call aimed at Dagna and his line.
As one the five dwarves sprang ahead and attacked ferociously, forcing the trolls to retreat a step. Then again as one they leaped back and dropped to the ground.
Flaming brush and logs flew over their heads, bouncing into the trolls and sending them into a frenzied scramble to get out of the way.
Dagna's heart fell as he watched the effective barrage, though, for beyond that line of confusion lay two of his kin, down and dead, he was sure. He and the other four fell back, then, moving right to the base of the hole, just behind Galen, who continued to ferry dwarves up.
The tunnel grew smokier and smokier with every passing second as