Dis hurried through the slushy streets of the Mannish town feeling very small and wishing she were smaller. So small that no one would notice her. The growing evening tinged everything grey and she feared the shadowy figures that seemed to leer out of every tavern door as she passed.

A sharp wolf whistle followed her down the street and now Dis began to understand why so many of the newly exiled female dwarves had adopted male styles of dress. She crossed her arms over her chest and wished for it to grow darker. To hide the way her too-small coat pinched her figure. To hide the braiding of her beard and hair. To hide anything that marked her out as a female dwarf and therefore an object in Mannish interest. She walked faster through the drifts of wet snow towards the edge of the town and the safety of her people's camp. She walked too fast.

Her foot slipped on smooth cobblestone and she fell, her hands flying out to catch her fall. And out of her hands flew the small pouch of coins she had earned as a laundress that day. Dis scrambled in the snow to stand and reach the hard-won money. But another hand reached it first. Two others held her elbows and lifted her to her feet.

'My gratitude, sirs.' Said Dis in a fluster, reaching out her hand for her purse and looking around at the four soldiers that had come to her aid. They smiled down at her but none made a move to return her property.

'I am in your debt, my thanks. Can I have my property back?' Dis said impatiently, she was even colder now and wanted to get home. The soldiers glanced at each other and the blonde-haired one holding the purse spoke.

'I've heard dwarves don't like to be in debt. Is it true?' Dis was bewildered by the question but the pride of Durin in her blood answered for her.

'Of course. We do not borrow nor remain in debt. We work for what we get.'

'Even women dwarves?' Said another, looking her up and down with a grin. Dis took a step back.

'Well..yes.'

'And you are in our debt, you said so yourself.' Dis remained silent.

'So you'll have to pay us back.' Dis shook her head.

'If its money you want, you've pick the wrong dwarf. There are only a few coins in that purse and they are to feed my family, I cannot pay you.' The blonde soldier seemed to smile understandingly and nodded his head.

'Oh we quite understand young miss. But I'm sure we can find another way for you to pay your debt. How about you come to our barracks tonight. Just knock on the gate and say you want in.' The soldiers turned to leave. Panic flooded through Dis.

'Wait!' The soldiers turned. 'My purse, you haven't returned it.' The soldiers chuckled.

'This?' Said the blonde one, tossing it from hand to hand. 'Oh we'll keep this, just to make sure you turn up.' And they walked away, leaving Dis standing in the snow.

-

Dis lay awake, eyes open in the darkness. When her mother had asked about her wages, Dis had said the washerwoman had offered her a second day's work and would pay her then. Her father could not find out the truth. Nor her grandfather for that matter. Such a slight on an heir of Durin, enough to start a fight, if not a battle. No, she must sort this out herself. She would get her money back. There was no way she was taking the soldier's offer up, but how else to get into the barracks without being recognised.

Dis sat up sharply, an idea sparking in her mind. Her hands flew to her tightly wound braids, pulling at the clasps. She paused a moment but everyone around her seemed to sleep soundly. Quickly and messily she undid the braids, pulling her frizzled hair and beard loose. Gently, gently she stood, feeling in the dark for where Frerin had dumped his clothes earlier that evening and pulling them on as silently as possible.

Nerve-wrackingly, she picked her way through the sleepers in the tent to the exit and paused to look down at her father's shadowy form, his weapons glittering at his side. She had a new idea.

-

'Bam! Bam! Bam!' The warhammer made such a din on the barrack's gate the soldier on duty feared it would split the wood. He hastily grabbed his spear and rushed to open the inspection hatch. He peered out into the dark and saw no one.

'Down here you great lout!' Said a gruff voice and soldier started when he saw the person it came from. A fearsome dwarf stood, clad in mail and iron boots. His hair was wild and unkempt and his face was streaked with the grime of a long trek. On his back was strapped a huge axe and in his hand he held a warhammer taller than himself.

'Wh-what do you want?' Stammered the awed guardsman.

'Isn't it obvious! I want to be let in! And not just me, the rest of my regiment's not far away and we'll all be wanting food and shelter.'

'I..I...'

"And drink too, mind you! We've had a weary trek. A long one too.' The fearsome dwarf added, as if as an after thought. The young guard trembled.

'I'll..uh..I'll just fetch my superior.'

'Aye, you do that laddie.' Said the dwarf with a grin that showed all his teeth.

The guard disappeared and returned a moment later with a blonde soldier with an annoyed expression. He peered out of the inspection hatch.

'And what do you want?' He said impatiently.

'Like I told the young whelp, me and my regiment need lodgings for the night.'

'What regiment? You look more like a mercenary to me. This is the barracks of the Western kingdom, we've no reason to house your kind here.' The soldier sneered his answer but the dwarf only chuckled.

'You're sadly ill-informed. We've been contracted by your superiors. And our food and lodgings are your responsibility.' The soldier opened his mouth to speak but before he could the dwarf cut him off.

'And before you do anything as damn foolish as call me liar to my face,' he said, twirling the warhammer lazily, 'You'd better consider how the rest of my company will react to being told they've nowhere to rest their weary feet.' The mercenary showed another toothy grin. This time the soldier was a little less abrupt.

'Alright, I see your point. But look, we've no room.' The dwarf's face turned grim. 'But uh- here! Take this, find lodgings for your company in town.'

The dwarf took the little purse and roughly up-ended the contents into his palm. He shook his head in disgust.

'Pennies! And where do you think I can house 30 fighting dwarves with this?!' The soldier swallowed and paled visibly.

'Alright, I...uh...wait here.' He was back in a flash and handing another purse out of the hatch. 'Here, a gold piece for each of your men, um, I mean dwarves. That is more than enough. Now will you go, there's a wench coming over and we don't want to share.'

The dwarf chuckled and shook his head as he accepted the money.

'Oh you're fair generous master soldier, for a man who might be in for disappointment. But I'll thank you all the same. And here, take this.' The dwarf handed over the first purse and turned his back. He shouldered his warhammer and walked into the darkness. When he was a few steps away he called over his shoulder;

'Keep it as a reminder - that a dwarf will always pay his dues!'