Category: The Desolation of Smaug

With a warning that shook the foundations of Lake-town, Smaug had announced his coming. Though the people of Lake-town are very much aware of the danger of their reality, there is not much they can do. The bridge to the shore and their boats are their only means of survival. However, the dragon is only taunting them, toying with their fear, leaving them in suspense.

Bolg: “Send word to Dol Guldur Oakenshield has reached the Mountain! Go! You! Come with me.”

Meanwhile, in Lake-town, Legolas kills Orcs on his path toward facing Bolg. When he does face him, the ensuing fight leaves Legolas bleeding. For the first time in his long life, he sees his own blood coming out of his nose. After the initial shock of it, his anger toward Bolg rises to a level higher than it was before. He mounts a horse and goes in pursuit of the great Orc. 

The dragon has unleashed his fury. He may have been dormant for decades but his wrath and sense of vengeance has not remained idle. It would appear that he has been waiting and expecting Thorin to come and try and reclaim his throne. Now that the company has arrived it leaves Smaug only to execute his long standing plan of dealing death to all Dwarves who enter his kingdom. 

Lake-town would already have been in a state of preparedness had it not been for the Master and Alfrid who hindered Bard in his plan. Now, there is no telling whether they will have anyone defending them from the dragon. The Dwarves still wait outside the door of Erebor. Thorin’s madness is beginning to take shape and with it his ability to govern with reasonable decisions. 

The world is in peril. Residents of Lake-town have experienced the same earthquake-like event that the Dwarves have felt under their feet. They are all aware of what has been aroused within the mountain to produce it. They all fear for their lives and the turn their fates will take once that sound escapes the confines of a mountain. And still within that same mountain a lonely Hobbit is conversing with a dragon.

Although Bilbo entered the dragon’s lair as politely as could possibly be, took measures to be stealthy and quiet in his search of the Arkenstone, still the dragon awoke. The enormity of Smaug has caught poor Bilbo by surprise, leaving him in fear and under the protection of the Ring. 

While the Dwarves wait on the plateau outside of the mountain for Bilbo to retrieve the Arkenstone, and Bilbo sneaking quietly ever deeper into Erebor, Gandalf and Thráin take towards the bridge that brought the Wizard there in the first place, so they can finally escape Dol Guldur. 

Dwalin is pounding on the hidden door of Erebor with all his strength, and Nori with all his skills as a thief is listening for hollow spaces. The two cannot work together since Dwalin’s thumping is interfering with Nori’s listening skills. However, with both their strengths there is no chance of opening the door and the light is fading. 

A small seemingly insignificant creature leaps up on top of Gandalf provoking a fight between the two of them that leads Gandalf through the undiscovered hallways through Dol Guldur. Since every wall is decorated with iron spikes, there is no way to hide from danger. When Gandalf finally overcomes the creature, he places his hand on his forehead and recites a Quenyan spell. 

They fought the spiders of Mirkwood, they escaped incarceration in the Woodland Realm, they made their case in front of the people of Lake-town, and now they finally reached their destination, the slopes of Erebor.