Roswehn of Dale

An unexpected visitor

There had been great celebrations in the city after the victory.

Thorin was dead, as Gandalf had imagined. His sacrifice had been unfortunately necessary to free Erebor and Dale from the nightmare of Sauron and his servant Azog, heroically killed by the Dwarf.

After the funeral of Thorin, Fili and Kili, Dàin Ironfoot was elected new King under the Mountain. Regan had met him during the celebrations for the victory to which the Dwarves had obviously been invited: she immediately liked him. A proud Dwarf with a red beard and a lively and fierce personality.

Bard had taken full powers in the City of Men. He had introduced Regan to Dàin and the surviving Dwarves as "guardian and protector of the kingdoms of Dale and Laketown". He had told everyone of her ingenious idea of ​​spreading pitch around the Great Hall to protect the people.

Her parents looked proud, and Hannes, finally recovered, had even turned a blind eye when his daughter demanded a dance with Bard.

Gandalf and Bilbo, however, had disappeared before the party. Regan was very sorry about that, there were so many things that she wanted to ask the Wizard and also the Hobbit. Bilbo was a little creature that fascinated her for his genuineness, and she was thinking of going to see him at the Shire.

One day she would saddle her horse and make a long journey: she wanted to go to Rivendell, in the Lothlórien, to meet Lady Galadrièl, who was said to be a powerful but benevolent witch; she wanted to see Baggins Shire, the Blue Mountains to the west, and then, of course, the Lindon where her heroine, Queen Regan, had lived the last years of her life. Who knew if the hut of which Thranduil had spoken to her was still standing?

But most of all, she dreamed of visiting Mirkwood.

Even the Elf girl had vanished before the celebrations, as did King Thranduil. The Elves had not taken part to the feast in honor of Bard and Dain, nor were they be seen at Thorin's funeral. Regan understood that probably the king's heart was facing the displeasure of his son's departure, and that he would not be in the mood to celebrate anything. She only hoped that after the burial of Kili, to which Tauriel (as she was called, Bofur told her) had assisted, the elf woman had decided to go back to Mirkwood, and that she had not made the decision to let herself die somewhere far away from everything and everyone.

She wanted to ask Bard to let her leave on her journey, but in those first months after his election as a King it had not been possible. There was too much to do, an entire community to rebuild and Bard needed her.

Dàin Ironfoot had kept his promise to the inhabitants of Dale: part of the gold of Erebor was given to the city of the Mortals. A large part: it took ten horses in three days back and forth from Erebor to carry all those coins and precious stones. In the end, the coffers of the new Royal Palace overflowed with gold and the city could finally be rebuilt.

Bard called the best craftsmen and builders of Gondor and Rohan to help restore Dale. They brought with them raw materials and enough projects to create a fabulous realm. Great space was given to the market: it was completely rebuilt, it had return to be the jewel of the East and the West. As promised to Regan, Bard intended to make Dale economically self-sufficient. Laketown also had to be rebuilt: no longer for residential use, but as the administrative seat of the local economy.

The orphans, the sick, the elderly left without relatives were protected by the common funds: each unfortunate individual had to be given a sum of money to maintain.
Bard gave Regan the important task of taking care of the health and well-being of the citizens, she had to report to the King every week on the conditions of the inhabitants. He gave her the task, knowing her culture about the Elves, to look for contacts with Lord Elrond of Rivendell (which enthused her) and Lord Celeborn of Lothlórien to inform them about the reconstruction of Dale and its market. Her father Hannes, who, for the first time, decided to take an active part in running the city, turned out to be a valuable advisor in foreign affairs.