Death had come to the battlefield.  His warning to the Grandmaster had caused his leader to keep him and a few others out of sight and away from the main charge.  Ithilnaur could do nothing, but watch as the Rangers had the upper hand in their valiant charge against the vast numbers of the enemy legionaries.  He wanted to weep with such pride and anguish as his friends and companions went out to throw the enemy back into the sea.  He knew, though.  It was just an illusion.  It was no more than a shadow of a victory that would never be.  The attack on the moon grove just previous to this invasion by someone whom had used the Ruinous Arts to twist the mind of an Elven woman had told Ithilnaur all was not well.  It had told him that someone was coming...or something, and had he not been there to stop her...the Elves would have lost their sacred moon grove to one of their own twisted by enchantments.  Fortunately, he had, but then the call to this battle had come, and he had warned the Grandmaster.<br/><br/>Now, all he could do was watch the valor of his friends on the battlefield, because he had dared to challenge Vulcan over the idea of a straight forward attack.  The storm came...it howled and crashed around the battlefield, and with it came the dark portal...a power of the Ruinous.  From it came not more legionaries, but Lieutenants and Ruinous Ones...powerful demons, and the Rangers suddenly found themselves from hunter to prey.<br/><br/>Furious at this twist of fate; Ithilnaur noted the enemy gate was between them and their comrades.  The Grandmaster having kept him back had perhaps given the youngest Ranger a chance to undo some part of this evil deed.  Out swept Elthalion:  the Elven blade gifted to him by the Elves, and down came the starlight upon his foes even now raining carnage on his friends.  A moment later, a new gate appeared...one from the Grandmaster Vulcan, and Ithilnaur saw his chance.  Calling forth the dozen with him; they charged the new enemy ranks with all their might and skill...briefly giving their comrades the respite they needed even as the Grandmaster called for them to retreat.  Fury of fire and starlight came crashing down upon the demons from behind, and they were surprised...believing the Rangers had committed themselves completely to the battle.  Small though Ithilnaur's force was; it was enough to break through the enemy ranks and scatter them for a moment.<br/><br/>But...no more than a moment...<br/><br/>He noticed Astraia near the golden portal with a few of her comrades as they fought and guarded the Grandmaster's gate.  This was where he needed to be, and he saw the weakness he had created in the enemy lines from the counter-attack.  Immediately, he summoned the remaining half dozen of his people into the fray along the weakest part of the path...cutting those down that still were not quite aware of an enemy behind them.  Elthalion flashed in response to every new foe it slew, and a shield of flames wreathed around Ithilnaur in his fury.  His small group cut a path to Astraia and her few survivors - aiding other Rangers as they did so.  Only once he was close enough did he realize he alone had made it to her side.  Not one of the other twelve had made it with him...all had perished in the counter-attack...to sacrifice themselves to save the few they could.  Tears threatened Ithilnaur's eyes he went with Astraia into the golden portal, and then turned to salute the Grandmaster with Elthalion raised high.