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Destruction of Lake-town was an attack by the dragon Smaug on the town of Esgaroth. Smaug was eventually shot down by Bard with a Black Arrow.
Prelude[]
Lake-town supported Thorin Oakenshield and his company on their quest to reclaim Erebor from Smaug in TA 2941 and waited anxiously as the Dwarves entered the mountain. The night of their arrival, the sounds of Smaug could be heard from the lake as Bilbo Baggins awoke the Dragon. Some people tried to gather what they could and leave the town. Bard took a Black Arrow, knowing the Dragon would come to destroy the town. He attempted to reach the tower above the Town Hall but was pursued by the guards from order of the Master of Lake-town who considered Bard a troublemaker. Bard managed to give his son Bain the arrow and told him to hide it somewhere safe before getting captured and put in the town gaol.[1]
The Dwarves and Bilbo got stuck inside the mountain and Thorin decided to try and slay Smaug by getting to the forges and drowning him in molten gold. Their plan almost worked but Smaug's strength allowed him to break free of the gold and he flew out, smashing through the front gate. Knowing the Dwarves had conspired with the lake-men, Smaug approached Lake-town with the intent of destruction.[1]
In Bard's home; Tauriel, Kíli, Fíli, Óin, Bofur, Bain, Sigrid and Tilda all got into a boat and made their way through the town, attempting to reach safety.[2]
The destruction[]
Smaug passed over Lake-town a few times, his silhouette soaring past in the sky as the people below began to panic. Bard could hear the Master and his men loading a barge full of gold and treasures from the gaol and yelled for someone to let him out. Smaug finally swooped in and began breathing fire, the houses catching alight and people getting incinerated. Smaug ensured to take out the Town Hall early, noticing the dwarvish wind-lance and identifying it as the only threat to him. Some people fell into the water and struggled to get back onto the piers after Smaug's pass. Smaug continued to swoop above the city, unloading his furnace-breath onto the town. The Master and Alfrid left their quarters with the treasure and the Master noted that it was a pity they couldn't take more people with them, Alfrid assuring him they were hardly worth it. The Master's barge collided with the boat containing Tauriel, the Dwarves and Bard's children. The Master encouraged his guards to row faster, seeing Smaug swooping by quite close. As the Master's barge went underneath the city gaol, Bard used rope, lowering it so it got caught on the boat, (getting caught around the Master's neck in the process), which pulled the bars on the window through, allowing Bard to escape. Bard took a longbow and quiver of arrows, knowing he must try to slay Smaug even though he didn't currently have the Black Arrow or know where Bain had taken it. Bard took to the rooftops and saw the bell-tower was still standing and made his way towards it. Smaug noticed him and deliberately took a pass nearby, leaving the man hanging off a roof by one hand. He managed to pull himself up and make it to the bell tower. He took shots from the tower at the beast as it flew past, the arrows not strong enough the pierce its tough scales.[2]
Smaug approaches Bard
Bain saw Bard at the top of the tower and noticed they were currently passing the location he had left the Black Arrow earlier. He grabbed a hanging chain and swung across to the pier much to the alarm of his sisters. Tauriel told Sigrid and Tilda they could not go back and they were forced to move on as Bain left. Bain took the arrow and joined his father at the top of the bell tower. Just as Bain revealed the Black Arrow to Bard, Smaug took the top of the tower off with one of his passes, knocking the rest of the structure unstable and causing Bain to almost fall, still holding the Black Arrow. Bard pulled his son to safety and took the Black Arrow. Smaug landed and looked on to his rival, asking Bard who he was to stand against the might of a Dragon. He continued to taunt Bard as the bowman realised his longbow had snapped. Smaug noticed Bain and condescendingly asked Bard if it was his child, telling him that his son would burn. As Smaug began to walk closer to the tower, Bard took his broken bow and wedged both sides into the parts of the structure on either side of him, creating a makeshift turret. He used Bain's shoulder to rest the arrow on and aim. Smaug began to charge and Bain turned to look but Bard told him to just look at his father. Bard lined up the shot and as Smaug rose into the air, he let the arrow loose and it flew right into the weak spot where a scale had been broken off prior. The arrow impaled Smaug and he rose up, gasping for air, knocking over the tower in the process. Bard and Bain landed safely in the water as Smaug rose into the night sky and died, his body falling onto the city, crushing the Master's barge, killing the Master and his guards in the process.[2]
Aftermath[]
To be added
Appearances[]
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies- The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies: The Movie Storybook (mentioned)