In the Third Age, the most dangerous and fiercest airborne fire-breather was born in the Grey Mountains. He was especially big for a young dragon and one could see he would be a dragon famous for his calamities. His deep red scales and piercing yellow and red eyes was enough to put fear in a strong man's heart – just on sight. He was truly terrifying
In 2770, Smaug desolated the city of Dale, leaving almost no survivors. So much death in Dale that day, but Smaug had his eye on another prize. Erebor. However, this story isn't about Smaug or the Dwarves of Erebor, we know all about that already. This story is about a young girl called Adrodia Humarias. She was one of the lone survivors of the destruction of Dale. She had lived there since birth and, as many did, suffered great loss on that horrific day.
Here follows that account of Adrodia Humarias, aged 15 in the year 2770 TA.
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It was a surprise to wake up to the horns of Dale late one morning. They only sound on special occasions. Wedding funerals or the coronation of Girion, Lord of Dale. Over the loud sounds of the horns I could hear the sound of wailing children and high pitched screams. Mama and Brania – my younger sister, burst into the room, panic flashed across their faces. I was hurried out of bed, still in my nightgown. I was extremely confused, I had no idea what was going on at all. There was no time for explanations I was washed through crowds of terrified faces and trembling bodies. It was not until the first ball of fire hit our house that I started to piece together pieces of this traumatic puzzle. As I looked up, I saw a flash of golden-red and the point of a long dark tail whip by. Smaug had come. I looked back at the place our house once stood and a single tear fell down my pale face. I did not feel sad. I was unable to feel anything except fear. Another fireball. Buildings falling. Heat. Wind. Fear. Everything was such a blur but I'll never forget my mother. The last I saw of her, she was hit by Smaug's extremely strong tail. She flew through the air as our eyes made a final contact, until she hit a wall head-first. I didn't feel sad. I couldn't feel anything except fear.
Brania looked up at me, her big, brown eyes brimming with tears. I had no time for tears. I ran, frantically, pulling Brania beside me, knowing that any breath could be our last. Buildings fell down left, right and center. Screams and cries echoed in my mind but I didn't stop running. I couldn't stop running. But Brania could. I had to carry her for a while, which slowed us down a great deal. I caught my bare foot on a bit of rock, standing up from the ground. I fell, dragging my sister down with me. Before I could cry out in pain a jet of fire shot down, very near me, but too near Brania. She turned to ash in the blink of an eye. I didn't feel pain – though my flesh burned. I didn't feel sad. I felt anger. But I kept running. I found myself by a place I didn't recognize. I was far from the city of Dale by now. If you called call it a city. There were no buildings, just rubble. There were no people, just bodies. There was no noise, just a sight.
Smaug had moved on to the Dwarven Kingdom of Erebor. I felt a bit safer. As fear disappeared, I was flooded with other emotions. In the space of ten minutes, I was deprived of all I cared about. My home, my family, my friends. I turned around to look at Dale.
I sat down on a rock near the burning trees, thinking about where I was going to go now. It was too dangerous to go back so I had to go forward. I'd never been good at geography and I'd never really left Dale before. However, I did know how to survive. There was a town called Esgaroth about two miles away and I was sure I could make it there before nightfall. Then I could find a place to stay, I started walking, hopefully. If I followed the River Running South then I would end up by Long Lake. There lay the town of Laketown (the Elves know it as Esgaroth). From what I knew, the town was rich and it did a lot of business with the dwarves. But now the Dwarves have no kingdom. They will be outcasts like me.
As I predicted, I get to Esgaroth by dusk. Who knows what will happen now…
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Adrodia spent the rest of her happy life in Esgaroth until she died when she was eighty during a peaceful sleep. Her spirit protected her family for generations, until Smaug wiped out Esgaroth too. Her great, great, great grandson Bard was the one who slayed Smaug and she was able to leave Middle Earth, for now she felt justice and peace.