Nar at the gate of Moria

"Erebor had been sacked many years ago. Thror, now old, poor, and desperate left the Dunland, heading to Khazad-Dum with his only companion Nar, and crossing the Redhorn Pass came down into Azanulbizar.

When Thror came to Moria the Gate was open. Nar begged him to beware, but he took no heed of him, and walked proudly in as an heir that returns. But he did not come back. One day Nar heard a loud shout and the blare of a horn, and a body was flung out on the steps. Fearing that it was Thror, he began to creep near, but there came a voice from within the gate:

"Come on, beardling! We can see you. But there's no need to be afraid today. We need you as messenger."

Then Nar came up, and found that it was indeed the body of Thror, but the head was severed and lay face downwards. As he knelt there, he heard orc-laughter in the shadows.

Nar turned the head and saw branded on the brow in Dwarf-runes so that he could read it the name AZOG. That name was branded in his heart and in the hearts of all dwarves afterwards.

That was the beginning of the War of the Dwarves and the Orcs, which was long and deadly, and fought for the most part in deep places beneath the earth."
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Pen & Ink work, a quick illustration. First illustration to my "war of the dwarves and orcs" - serie.