[NancyBrooke]

Fire and Water - Chapter Summary:

To repay their help to the Dwarves Smaug attacks the Men of Lake-town. But he finds them alerted and ready. They have thrown down the bridge, forcing Smaug to fly over the town again and again. He makes several passes, burning as he goes, but the opposition, lead by a “grim-voiced fellow,” (whose name, Tolkien tells us parenthetically, is Bard) has organized archers and bucket brigades. But the men are quickly outmatched: Smaug destroys the roof of the Great House at the center of Esgaroth with his tail and lights more fires than the lake-men can keep up with. Soon, they begin to flee, among them the Master of the town; those in boats Smaug anticipates hunting down later for sport.

Only the company of archers led by Bard remains, and we learn he is a descendent of Girion, Lord of Dale. But they are running out of arrows, the flames are approaching, and his men are deserting him. Just at Bard prepares to loose his last arrow, out of the dark flutters an old thrush to his shoulder. It whispers to him the information Bilbo had discovered: that Smaug’s only vulnerability is the unarmored hollow of his left breast. Bard waits as the bird advises and, just as Smaug is making one last low pass, the moon rises and glitters on Smaug’s jewel-encrusted underside – showing out the bare spot. Bard offers a plea to his last arrow – a black arrow, an heirloom of his house – and shoots it with such force it buries itself completely in the dragon’s breast. With a great shriek, Smaug shoots into the air, turns over, and falls crashing into the town, dead.

The men of Esgaroth gather on the shore, and begin to grumble about the Master and his early departure from the town. Into the midst of their debate strides Bard, who has survived the drowning of Esgaroth, and many begin to call for “King Bard.” But the Master deflects their blame onto the Dwarves whom all assume to be dead and, as Bard goes on to organize the camps many begin to talk greedily about the wealth of the mountain, now left unguarded. When messengers are sent upriver to seek help from Thranduil they find a host of Elves already approaching: notified by birds, the Elven king has also come investigating the availability of the dwarves gold. Tolkien tells us the news has travelled far: Beorn in his home on the other side of Mirkwood has heard it, as have the Goblins.

Thranduil diverts his force to the shores of Laketown to aid the refugees. Then, eleven days after the death of Smaug, a large party of Men and Elves proceed North up toward the Mountain.


A short but action-packed chapter!

[SpaceWeavil]

I'll get onto my thoughts on the chapter once the dust has settled and I've had a chance to look over it again (while since I read it) First though apologies in not doing an opener to this thread. I did intend to do it this morning before all my disasters broke out, and on coming home just now to do it, found that Nancy had started the thread anyway.

So once again, apologies for being so late with this.

[SpaceWeavil]

The one thing that hit me on this chapter is just how much is packed into so few pages Still, I thought a few bits of the description in amongst it all were just as good as the action. Favourite bit was;

[NancyBrooke]

The thing I find most interesting about this chapter (other than the non-stop action and images of Smaug flying over Lake-town), is that for the first time (I think) we are given a perspective outside that of Thorin's party: all the action in this chapter takes place outside the Dwarves awareness.

Also, how the Elves of Mirkwood and Men of Lake-town view the Dwarves is an important part of the plotline here. Both parties suspect the members of Thorin's party are dead, and that the gold is up for grabs, beginning a story line crucial to later events.

Tolkien is beginning a separation from the Dwarves as the center of the story.

[Eyborg]

This is one of my favourite chapters in the book. Like has been mentioned before, the action is great. I can't wait to see this scene in a movie! *crosses fingers that it will happen someday*
And just like Nancy said, the focus is moving in this chapter from the dwarves as the center of the story, to the elves & men. This is actually the chapter that made me start developing a special interest in the Men of Middle Earth, rather than the elves (oh yes...)

Oh, and I just find it too cool when Bard, right after he has shot the dragon, and just before the dragon falls on the town, manages to jump off the platforms (or whatever you call what the town was built on in the middle of the lake) into the lake right on time, and swim to the shore... Wow! I guess you can call me a pervy Bard fancier... he he