Dawn (A Hobbit Fanfic)

Chapter 1 - Kahlahari, do yourself a favour for once and shut up.

~-Seven decades ago-~

The Elvish army halted at the top of Ravenhill, their armour glinting in the weak light that managed to come through the smokey air. The hilltop was large enough for the full army to see what was happening, but we remained in formation so only the front lines could see.
The king, mounted on his megaceros deer, strode lazily and arrogantly to the front lines. It was difficult not to look like an arrogant prick astride such a beast, but he made an art of it. He brought the animal to heel between his generals, who were also his children; me and my brother.

When I'd seen the still smoking pile of ash and rubble that was once the city of Dale, I thought it couldn't get any worse.
I had been wrong. The very gates of Erebor seemed to spew fire as increasingly burned and injured Dwarves fled out. A small group of Dwarves stood so close to the entrance that the heat nearly scorched them. They had their weapons drawn and seemed to want to go back inside to end the beast.

That was what we were here for, so I raised my sword to order the army to engage. I couldn't fully raise my arm because my bulky armour got in the way. Big pauldrons are overrated. My father insisted I wear this instead of my lighter get-up, because it would protect me better, and it demanded more authority. It fit perfectly, as was to be expected of customly fitted armour. But it was also very heavy and I couldn't move as freely as I would have liked. My father put his sword on mine, in a 'belay that order' sort of way.
"Kahlahari, no," he called down to me in our native tongue. I lowered the sword a little, more out of shock than obedience.
I looked up, glaring at my father, as I often did since my mother had died many decades ago. "Surely we didn't march all the way to the Lonely Mountain just to stand and watch?" I asked. I looked behind me and saw that not a single soldier had followed my order.

Cowards.

"This is a fight against a Fire Wyvern. They cannot possibly win."
"They can't if we stand here and do nothing!"
"I will not risk the lives of my people and my children to save a battle that is already lost! We will return home."
He was looking at a point past me now. When I looked behind me at the fleeing, wounded, desperate Dwarves, most of them were looking our way in hope. My father might not want to lift a finger, but I was headstrong, and couldn't condemn the remaining Dwarves to their deaths.
Father's tone had left little room for argument, yet I did not let that stop me.
"They will die, and their blood will be on our hands!" My anger would surely be audible trough my voice now. I didn't raise it but it did break somewhere along the way. "How would you like to watch them stand on a hill as a dragon burns down the forest and invades our halls?"
"They are mortal, Kahlahari. They will die today, tomorrow and a hundred decades from now. But we are immortal and I will not risk spilling that blood."
He turned his mount around and trotted off, his army followed him, but I did not. The order of the king outweighed the order of the general and sometimes the soldiers preemptively didn't follow mine because they knew my father would overwrite them in about five seconds. I understood that, his word was law after all, but I did find it to be quite bothersome. At least pretend you're listening to me.
"You bring your whole army to the top of a hill to stand there as a- a beacon of- of hope... and you turn away from them! Allies are supposed to watch eachother's backs and protect eachother." My voice was raised now and I started tripping over my own words in rage. How very un-Elvish of me. "What worth have your words?"

I should've probably kept that last part in my head. My father turned around looking very angry and Legolas's expression read something like 'very well done sister, you've gone and gotten yourself killed'. Which was a very reassuring look, thanks a bunch dear brother, remind me to gut you later for not getting involved. I'm not even asking you to join my side, just say something.
"I owe no promises to these mortals."
Yes, you do, since you were the one who promised in the first place. It may have been Thror's grandfather you made the allegiance with, but it still stood. At least, it was supposed to.
Instead of saying that, I panicked and said the stupidest thing imaginable. "And I owe no allegiance to a king who would see a whole kingdom be incinerated rather than shift his royal butt to help them!"
Yeah! Way to go Kahlahari!
Legolas groaned and went ahead, leading the army home while our father and I fought for the last word.