Epilogue

Rubble shifted, then, it fell. A small hole was opened up as a final large stone was loosened enough from the surrounding wall of rocks that it fell open. Just big enough for a single body to pass through at a time.

A burly dwarf known as Habard pulled his way through the hole, his eyes blinking wildly as the blinding light that had been vacant for the past days burned his eyes. Tears formed in his eyes from the bright mess but eventually, they adjusted and he could finally see again.

With his restored vision, he turned around to help the first person of the group that had been whittled down to a meger numbers. Only twenty, of the thousands that had been locked away had survived the horrors witnessed in the past week.

The first was a small boy, followed by his brother who were each passed up by their uncle. The man himself was next to come up who after situating his nephews at the bottom of the rock slide, moved back up the rocky slope to assist Habard in pulling out the rest of the group.

Next was a young woman, her face streaked from the tears that had run trails through the mask of red that stained her face, neck, and the front of her dress. Blood from her recently deceased husband of only a month.

Habard shivered at the sight and made a mental priority to make sure the woman was bathed before she was able to catch sight of her reflection.

He had found her just the day before. Rescued her from a swarm of goblins that had laid carnage to another group of dwarves she had been banded with in hopes to find a way out. The rest of her group had already been killed, their bodies half devoured by the time they had crossed paths.

It took less than a few of their group to eliminate the goblins and they had nearly moved on when another of their group noticed something move beneath one of the corpses. Habard had been the one to pull the woman free of her late husband's body. She still had yet to speak a word.

They worked quickly and quietly, not wanting to alert any of the masses within their location. One by one the survivors where lifted from the dark depths of what used to be their home, now nothing but a hell hole that they despised. Finally, the numbers remaining to be brought out dwindled as the next half hour went by.

"My lady," called Habard. "You next."

From the darkness he heard a soft protest followed by others insisting that she be next. Habard reached his hand down into the darkness and waited for the next hand to be lifted up to him. A small pale hand attached to a heavily freckled arm rose up into the daylight. He gave a firm grip as the uncle of the first two survivors, kneeled beside him to grab the other arm that rose up from the darkness.

Each of them lifted the woman, slowly and carefully. The moment the light touched her hair it became inflamed as the deep red was alighted and her hazel eyes burned with the haunting agony that they all shared. But, like only a few of the survivors, there was a fierceness and determination found there as well. A flame of will that was the whole reason any of them were escaping at this moment.

As she was lifted fully from the darkness, Habard helped steady her, then proceeded to help her climb down the slippery slope as another took his place to assist in the retrieval of the last three men still in the cavern below.

"Please, take a seat here my lady," called an older woman who had found a flat rock to sit on.

Habard help the woman sit down as she was shaky on her feet. Now in midays full light, he noticed the deep gash that marred the left side of her face. He frowned at the sight but was brought back to attention when she spoke up.

"Thank you," she said softly as she settled on the rock beside the woman.

As the final survivors emerged from the ground, the group set about covering the hole in a way to leave just enough cracks to let a small trickle of light into the darkness below. It would act as a beacon to any other survivors. Goblins would be too frenzied and stupid to carefully remove the stones without causing a rockslide, but dwarves, dwarves would know how to safely remove them. It was just a matter of if there were any left to find the hole.

"My Lady," Harbard addressed the resting woman. "What next?"

Asha lifted her eyes to see the small group gathered around her. Looking to her for guidance. She wanted to frown at such a small number but she was grateful that any of them made it out from the nightmare they had just escaped.

She contemplated their options. It was a limited list. They could find refuge with their allies. But it would be a long journey and they had hardly any supplies. And while the winter was nearly at its end, she knew they would not be able to travel far. The closest distance wise would be Erebor. But she doubted that would be an option given the lack of response to their call for aid.

Next would be Lord Frilaur's lands and beyond that, the iron hills. But as she looked around at the eyes of her people she realized neither option would do. Refuge was not an option. It was retribution these people needed, something new. There would be no going back to a normal life after what they had just seen, heard, and felt. At least not for a long while. For some perhaps never.

"Dhom has fallen...and with that so has its crown," she looked down and rubbed a grimy hand over her swollen belly. "We will build a new life, a new culture, a new future."

THE END

Book II of this series is now being posted under the name Fortunate Encounters which takes place during the events of the book/movies. As always any feedback via review or PM is appreciated. Thank you all for your support and please check out some of my other stories which some have been recently edited.