Bella-Dis

The sun had just sunk in the distance when I saddled a pony. As I rode out I could hear the voices of the watchmen scrutinising as to what I was doing, but they were small and far away. If they had lost anyone in the battle South of Dale, they would probably be riding with me.

As I passed through the outskirts of Dale, I could see the lights of families in their houses. I tried to put all thoughts of my own family from my mind. Perhaps I thought if I stared long enough at the pony's mane, the memory of life before Fili and Kili died would vanish.

I rode on. Eventually the glow of Dale had disappeared and the Mountain was barely the size of my thumb.

A few more miles and I noticed a few lingering shapes out of the corner of my eye. As I slowed the pony I could hear branches snapping as they began to catch our scents. The pony sensed it- she began trying to back away and whining. I dismounted and gently lead her along, trying to shush her. It only took a few more steps before I realised I was surrounded.

I had my spear slid into the pony's saddle bag. It was one movement away should I need it.

Suddenly before my eyes the largest of these creatures rose up. His skin was blotched and wreaked of something foul, and his eyes were two pits of blackness that regarded me with revulsion. As if I was awful to look at.

When he opened his mouth to address me I could see bits of rotting bone and greying flesh wedged between his brown teeth, even in the darkness.

As he spoke I found, to my great surprise, that I could understand him. Mother had told me that some Orcs spoke the common tongue like we did, and only a handful still spoke the old language that the Pale Orc had once spoke. This one's voice was slimy and retching.

He warned me that a Dwarfish princess I may be, but that would not save me if I did not flee.

I cleared my voice and replied that I wished to face whichever of these things was the leader in single combat, if they understood what that was.

The head Orc with the ever so eloquent tongue gave me a putrid smile and I suddenly realised he had been crouching down. When he stood up he was over 9ft tall. His shadow was enormous in the light of the torches and left me swamped in darkness. I had to arch my neck all the way back just to see his eyes where I stood. All around me I could hear the other Orcs giving low, gut-wrenching laughs. The poor pony had started trembling beside me. She began to rear her head more and more. I took a firmer hold of her reigns and tried to calm her.

As I mounted her I announced that I would be waiting before the slopes of Erebor until the next sunset. If he did not show himself before that time, I would bring the mountain's full strength against him and destroy his wretched race for good.

This enraged many of them; one made to run at me with his rusty blade. All it took was one slide of the second part of my arm, and he was silenced.

"Remember," I told them all, "Sunset."

As I rode through them and broke away into the night, I could hear their arguments and screeches, and finally the booming tones of their leader silencing them.

You have made the offer, I told myself, it is up to him to accept it or not.

I allowed myself no more doubts and rode on. I could feel the spear tapping my thigh with every gallop the pony took. As it did I looked up at the stars that were emerging through the night time clouds. It comforted me, strangely. As if Fili and Kili were watching me. Not just them. My grandfather, Thrain, and his father, Thror. The seven dwarf lords who held the seven rings in their halls of stone. All of them were watching over me now, assuring me I had chosen honourably. No one should face him but me, the one who had spoken up and started the fight.

As I tried to gather these thoughts, eventually I found myself passing the few lights left on as Dale slept, and the familiar shape of the mountain, slivery in the moonlight. The braziers on the front gate glared in the distance, and as I approached I could hear armour clanging as it was put on, swords singing as they were sheathed.

Before I could determine what they were doing I heard someone shout:

"She is returned!"

An ecstatic cry went up as a trail of guards swept out to meet me. I dismounted from the poor pony, who was probably glad to be lead back to the stables and finally be left to sleep. With my spear in hand, I stepped back over the threshold into home. I heard bare footsteps sprinting from the halls, followed by my Mother's voice calling my name. Father was with her, as well as Dwalin, Bofur and Nori.

"I'm no child," I barked at them all, "I'm more than capable of taking care of myself." Whilst I made it sound like nothing more than a childish escapade, they would see soon enough when the Orc came to the mountain demanding to face me that it was anything but. As Father stared at me in confusion, Mother glared at me. As Dwalin merely looked relieved I was unharmed, Bofur tried to avoid looking at anyone.

I looked up at the pillars of the halls which had been carved to look like my forefathers. None of them would have shied away from what I had done.

Before Mother could scold me she saw the matted blood on my spear.

"Oh Bella," She whispered, "What have you done?"