Prologue

                                    

                                          
Every breath that she took was riddled with pain, the ash sinking further into her lungs as the unforgiving flames around her licked at her skin. Her hands pushed against the stone underneath her, willing for her strength to return before the masses of frightened townspeople trampled her to death. Using what little of her strength she had left she pushed herself to stand among the swarm of people racing for their very lives, as soon as she gained her footing she felt a force barrel into her causing her to topple against the hard ground, a market stall falling with her as she desperately attempted to cling onto whatever she could.
                          
From her position on the floor she witnessed the horrors around her. Mothers held newborn babes against their chests, fathers and sons lay crumpled on the floor waiting for their end to come with tears in their eyes, burnt corpses littered the floor and stone fell from the skies. The crackling of fire did little to dim the screams of terror that surrounded her.
                          
The city of Dale was burning.
                          
Once again she pushed herself to stand and despite the burning feeling that encased her limbs and lungs she urged herself onwards, mingling with the crowd as they fled from the ruined city and the beast that had destroyed it.
                          
It wasn't until she was sure that she was safe from the wrath of the dragon did she fall against the floor, her body begging for her to rest as she gasped for the fresh air that she had long been deprived of. Even now she could still hear the city as it fell to its knees. Her eyes fluttered shut as she allowed the exhaustion to take over her, welcoming the darkness as if it were an old friend.
                          
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Not for a second did she forget that day, the flashes of orange and red haunting her with every step that she took as she travelled far and wide across Middle-earth. Nor did she forgive the beast that had struck tragedy upon the Lonely Mountain. It was during her travels that she heard whispers that the heir to the throne lived on, a hope glimmering in her heart as she wasted not a second in following where the whispers lead her.
                          
It was then that she travelled to the Blue Mountains, and it was there that she pledged her sword to Thorin II Oakenshield.