Allen stayed in Dale for nearly ten days. Meanwhile, the armies gathered at the Lonely Mountain gradually dispersed under the leadership of their respective lords.
Through the efforts of countless soldiers, the Half-orc corpses that had filled every hollow in the mountains were cleared away, then burned in a secluded ravine.
Even in winter, they could not leave tens of thousands of Half-orc corpses to rot. Middle-earth had suffered the ravages of plague before.
As everyone busied themselves, the winter temperatures quietly dropped. Fortunately, the year's first snowfall had yet to arrive.
Unlike the weather, Dale grew livelier by the day. People and supplies poured into the city, where reconstruction had already begun.
The day after the meeting, Allen handed Bilbo Baggins's one-fifteenth share of the treasure over to Bard.
On the very day he pledged allegiance to Allen, Bard had asked his friends to spread word of Dale's reconstruction. Merchants and others in related trades had already been eager to act.
Once birds carried news of the Battle of Five Armies throughout the north, the Running River quickly bustled with activity, as though time had turned back two hundred years.
This also fulfilled Allen's promise. The young ruler of the Rhovanion City-state disliked going back on his word.
Moreover, Artimenner would arrive in Dale before long to help Bard complete the project under Allen's instructions.
Allen had consulted the Dwarven master engineer overseeing the reconstruction. One-fifteenth of the Lonely Mountain's wealth was more than enough to restore Dale, with money left over.
Restoring Dale would also take considerable time. In the original course of events, Bard had spent at least three or four years rebuilding it before formally declaring himself King of Dale.
Of course, he could still proclaim himself Lord of Dale now, while also declaring himself Allen's