The first attack had come three months previous, in the dead of night when the babes were abed and the youths gathered to drink and tell tales of the warriors returning with news that Moria was now theirs. The first raid hit the hardest as no one had been prepared. The warriors had stood until each and every one had been cut down simply by sheer numbers, and the Goblins sacked each and every house and where they could they killed the mothers and stole the babes from their beds. The attack was quick and brutal, as was every raid after each one claimed more lives as the oldest of the younglings took up arms to protect the remaining women and children and where cut down by a deadly foe and their own inexpiriance of battle. As women died to protect their babes and the small ones themselves were carried off.
Dis had died protecting the settlement, driven to a terrible rage when she found the Goblins eating the children they had stolen, they said she had witnessed her own child killed in this fashion and it drove her to a battle rage the likes of which none had ever seen. There had been one final raid after this which had been the most devestating, leaving so many dead, the streets littered with bodies.
Bofur and Bombur, the eldest of the few youths left had arranged the burials then, doing the best they could, rallying those they could to help, following the old rituals as best they could with only the barest knowledge of them and commiting each body to the earth so that it may be reborn.
Yes, it was a hard decision to make, but no one disputed it. They were ready to leave in less than a day, and as dawn broke after their second night they began their exodus across Middle Earth and to the only place of safety they had left. The women and children were huddled in the middle, the Youths mingled with them, for though they had proven themselves capable enough to defend, there was still a need to protect them too.
"Where do we go?" Balin asked, though he already knew.
"The Blue Mountains." Thorin replied softly. There was nowhere else, they would need to rebuild their entire lives, but it would be safe, until the time to take back Erabor came. Though now there would be none but he to rule it. It made his throat catch just slightly, but he hardened his heart against the emotion again. He had lost much, all here had, but he had to put aside his own grief now, he had to be strong if he intended to lead his people.
"Aye." Balin said softly, offering him a look of compassion that Thorin ignored.
The pace was slow, with so many injured, and children in their midst and Thorin felt anxious, always alert to danger. They stopped only when they had to and only long enough to eat and sleep. There was danger everywhere and all knew it, and the journey was long... too long perhaps.