Adina and her father sat at the dinner table, playing a board game with an elaborate square object placed in front of them since the game required the player not to peak at the other player.

"Okay…B-3!" Adina barked.

"Missed!" her dad replied smugly as he moved his piece "B-6!"

"What?!" Adina gasped "You sunk my boat! Father, are you peeking?!"

"Nope." the Master replied confidently with his arms folded as he leaned back in his chair "I'm just better at it then you."

"Excuse me?" Adina barked "If I recall correctly I beat…"

The master suddenly shushed his daughter and the two fell dead silent as a sound from outside began to grow louder. Adina turned around and looked at the door. The sound was abundantly clear: the sounds of excited crowds. Within a few seconds members of the town council barged in, looking rather perplexed themselves.

"I-Is that an angry mob?" Adina inquired.

"No ma'am." said one of the older councilmen "Not exactly."

/

The guards led the girls towards the Master's great house. Most of the girls just silently kept walking except for Daniela who constantly discouraged people from touching her. The loud noise the Master heard was a crowd of people gathering around the girls and who had started following them from a few blocks away. At the hall, people poked their heads out of surrounding windows and even half-way opened doors to get a better look at the captives. The snow continued to blow through the air like icy, white rain and became trapped in everyone's hair and clothes. The Master then finally emerged from inside and walked out to the edge of the stairs, wearing a brown bear-skin coat with Adina and the city council in tow.

"What is the meaning of this?!" the Master demanded between two coughs "I'm extremely busy!"

Of course, he wasn't really busy.

"We caught them stealing weapons, my lord." Braga replied.

"Ah, I see." said a councilman "Enemies of the state, eh?"

"A raggedy bunch of thieves if ever I saw one." Adina said with her arms crossed and a smug look on her face.

"Hold your tongue, you spoiled brat!" Daniela barked "You do not know to whom you speak!"

Adina gasped in disgust as members of the crowd laughed. She looked to her father who looked only mildly annoyed by the insult.

"Oh yeah?" she said "To whom are we speaking too if I may ask, you midget little twat?"

"You're speaking to Traude!" Daniela replied "First daughter of Thrain, son of Thror!"

Everyone gasped in shock and began talking amongst each other as Traude stepped forward and presented herself, with her now wearing a brown coat that went all the way to her knees.

"We are the dwarves of Erebor. The wives of Durin's Folk." she said "We have come to reclaim our homeland. The homeland of our fathers and their fathers." The Master rubbed his chin and looked at Traude with sudden interest.

I can use this. he thought to himself before clearing his throat "I'm listening."

Traude sighed with pride and brought her hands out of her pockets and observed the crowd and scenery around her as the memories came flooding back.

"I remember this town when I was young." she continued "This was no forsaken town on a lake. This was the center of all trade here in the north."

"Yeah!" exclaimed a person in the back row.

"Preach it!" said a woman in the second nearest row.

"I would see those days return as much as all of you!" Traude went on "I would re-light the forges of Erebor and send wealth and riches flowing from the mountain once again!"

Everyone then cheered, drawn in by Traude's speech.

"DEATH!" roared a familiar voice who turned to be Bard as he emerged from the group and walked towards her. "That's what you'll bring upon us. If you awaken the dragon, all you will bring is fire, ash and ruin."

People in the crowd then groaned in annoyance, with some calling him a kill-joy and one person told her to "sod off!" but she ignored him. Nadja on the other hand had different things to say.

"Thank heavens, you're here to clear this up for us!" she said melodramatically.

"Shut up." Bard snapped, to Nadja's shock.

"I can deliver what this nayser can't." Traude replied with the crowd becoming more enthusiastic as they began showing their approval as people in their windows began clapping loudly. "I promise that if we're successful, all will share in the mountain's wealth. You will all have enough gold to rebuild Esgaroth ten times over!"

The crowd then cheered louder then before and soon everyone was clapping. Traude felt rather good about herself knowing that she had the citizen's approval, a look of pride on her face. Even the Master's council thought for a moment that the girls might pull this off. But Bard heard the stories about Dale. He didn't want a reprisal of such a terrible event such as that.

"Back up a minute here! That's all well and good but can we trust you?" Adina suddenly piped up.

Everyone fell dead silent and looked to Adina, her father and the town council.

"We know little to nothing about you." Adina continued with her arms folded "Who here can vouch for your character?"

The crowd stayed silent. Everyone then started to feel very awkward when suddenly Brianna cleared her throat.

"Me!" she called out from behind Barbara.

The crowd then murmured among themselves whilst perplexed by this little hobbit's sudden courage.

"I'll vouch for her." Brianna went on as she moved from behind Barbara into full view "Now I have traveled far with these young women through many perils, dangers and more and if Traude Oakenshield gives her word then she will keep it."

The crowd cheered in approval and Bard's concern grew all the more.

"Everyone, please! Listen to me!" he yelled as he turned to face the crowd "Have you forgotten what happened to Dale?! Have you forgotten those who were lost in the firestorm?!"

"No!" some people called out while most were reluctant to answer.

"And for what purpose?!" he continued as he turned and looked Traude directly in the eyes "The blind ambition of a mountain king who was so consumed by his greed that he could not see beyond his own desire!"

Everyone moaned in annoyance and began grumbling amongst each other. Traude looked about ready to punch Bard. It angered her to hear people speak ill of her family, even her grandfather. The dwarves were quietly mixed about this. Even if Bard had good points, it was their home they were going to. Nadja just smirked like she was turned on, much to her sister's annoyance.

"Hang on a minute!" the Master barked suddenly "If I recall correctly, it was Girion, lord of Dale" he said as she pointed directly at Bard "your ancestor who failed to kill the dragon in the first place!"

The girls, including Brianna and Traude, all looked at Bard who briefly glanced at the boardwalk under him while a few in the crowd began laughing at him.

"It's true, father." Adina said "We all know the story. He shot arrow after arrow and he just kept missing."

"Not a good look I'm afraid" said an older councilman Horace.

The words stung Bard more than he thought they would. He knew of his family heritage. He hated the fact that the Master kept demeaning him and his children, constantly reminding him of his ancestors' failure to slay Smaug. Now, it seemed the whole town would make him a laughingstock and mock his children after these dwarves were finished with their crazy adventure. He then walked up to Traude and glared at her, with anger in his eyes.

"You have no right." he said sternly "No right to enter that mountain."

"I have the only right." Traude replied before climbing up two steps and turning to the Master "I speak to the Master of the people of this lake. What is your name?"

"Gordon." the Master replied.

"Will you and your council see the prophecies fulfilled?" Traude asked "Will you share in the wealth of the mountain?"

Gordon thought about this for a few seconds. On the one hand, this sounded like a promising offer and with that kind of gold, riches and such, he wouldn't have to live in this shanty town. He could have a house on the lakeside all to himself. On the other hand, he was shrewd enough to remember that there was Bard to worry about and he probably still had supporters in the crowd.

"I say...my council and I will have a meeting about this!" he bellowed.

The crowd bemoaned this, the dwarves looked nervous as could be, Brianna shuffled her feet in place and a few people just flat out said "Get on with it!" Gordon waved his arms in response.

"It's the civilized thing to do!" he belted "If you don't like it, suck it up!"

And so Gordon, Adina and the council walked inside the town hall, with Braga and his guards moving everyone to the front, with some guards behind keeping the crowd back while the others stayed by the staircase. For the next three and a half minutes everyone stayed where they were, some even bringing pots to burn small fires to keep warm, the snow still falling quietly. Bard slowly paced around in the crowd before taking seat on a chair that had been left out. The girls meanwhile had crates bought for them to sit on while they huddled together around a large pot that had old wood put in it for a makeshift fire. As they waited, Frieda took another look at Kamilla as she heard her sister wince.

"You're not okay." she said.

"Don't be silly." Kamilla said "I'll get through it. Just a flesh wound."

"Bullcrap." Frieda replied "Dorothea, come here!"

Dorothea walked over and propped Kamilla's leg up to look at where the wound was. She saw that despite being covered with a bandage, some of the skin around her leg was turning purple.

"Oh dear, I was afraid of this." she said calmly "She's at risk of frostbite being in this weather."

"W-Wait what?" Kamilla said, suddenly very anxious "No that can't be. You'd have to amputate my leg!"

"I don't think it'll come to that." Dorothea responded "But I'll need to have it treated soon. Frieda, keep your sister warm. Bring her closer to the fire if you have to."

Frieda nodded and with Dorothea's help moved their crate closer to the fire. Meanwhile, an anxious Nadja finally walked over to Bard.

"Look, bargeman, I-I know we got off to a bad start" she said "But I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

Bard sighed. "Apology accepted. I'm sure your husband will be happy."

"I don't have one." Nadja said "In fact, I'm still a-"

She cut herself off but a little too late as Bard noticed.

"What?" he asked.

"I'm still a...well, a virgin." Nadja replied reluctantly.

"Seriously?" Bard inquired.

"Called it!" Bridget barked from the group.

"Shut up! Nobody asked you!" Nadja snarled before turning back to Bard, sighing tiredly "Anyway, I came over to apologize and I have." An awkward pause on her part ensued. "So I'm going to go back. Over there. With my sisters. In the snow."

"I know what you meant." Bard said nonchalantly.

Just then, the doors of the town hall opened and Gordon, Adina and the council members all walked out onto the front porch. Everyone immediately stood up, including Bard, the dwarves and Brianna.

"We have come to an agreement." a council man named Robb said.

"And?" Traude demanded.

Gordon cleared his throat. "I say unto you….welcome!"

The crowd exploded into cheers and clapping as Gordon spread out her arms.

"Welcome!" he went on "And thrice welcome, heir of the mountain!"

The girls were ecstatic with joy and clapped along with the crowd. Even Traude smiled and then turned back to Bard who, much to Traude's surprise, had a look of disappointment on his face. He then turned around and took leave, pushing through the crowd. Traude shrugged and the girls all climbed up the stairs to the town hall, with some guards and members of the crowd in tow.