Fire and Water

           Nowifyouwish,likethedwarves,tohearnewsofSmaug,youmustgobackagaintotheeveningwhenhesmashedthedoorandflewoffinrage,twodaysbefore.

           Themenofthelake-townEsgarothweremostlyindoors,forthebreezewasfromtheblackEastandchill,butafewwerewalkingonthequays,andwatching,astheywerefondofdoing,thestarsshineoutfromthesmoothpatchesofthelakeastheyopenedinthesky.FromtheirtowntheLonelyMountainwasmostlyscreenedbythelowhillsatthefarendofthelake,throughagapinwhichtheRunningRivercamedownfromtheNorth.Onlyitshighpeakcouldtheyseeinclearweather,andtheylookedseldomatit,foritwasominousanddrearyeveninthelightofmorning.Nowitwaslostandgone,blottedinthedark.

           Suddenlyitflickeredbacktoview;abriefglowtoucheditandfaded."Look!"saidone."Thelightsagain!Lastnightthewatchmensawthemstartandfadefrommidnightuntildawn.Somethingishappeningupthere.""PerhapstheKingundertheMountainisforginggold,"saidanother."Itislongsincehewentnorth.Itistimethesongsbegantoprovethemselvesagain."

           "Whichking?"saidanotherwithagrimvoice."AslikeasnotitisthemaraudingfireoftheDragon,theonlykingundertheMountainwehaveeverknown."

           "Youarealwaysforebodinggloomythings!"saidtheothers."Anythingfromfloodstopoisonedfish.Thinkofsomethingcheerful!"Thensuddenlyagreatlightappearedinthelowplaceinthehillsandthenorthernendofthelaketurnedgolden.