Bard opened his eyes groggily as he moaned and sat up. He had a bruise on his forehead which hurt when he touched it. But as his vision cleared, he realized he wasn't in the street. He was in a jail cell. With the exception of the steel bars for the back window and on the door window, the entire cell was all wood like the wooden bridge it was built into and could fit about four to five people. But this wasn't where Bard wanted to be at all. Braga in the meantime was with his fellow guards playing poker. It was sort of a ritual of theirs for them to gather round and partake in activity for some time to avoid boredom, for not much happened in town.

Bard sighed in irritation as he leaned against the wall sitting up on the cot. Some two days this had been: these dwarves had come into his life, then they'd coaxed the Master of Laketown into letting them go through with their insane plan, then one of them got sick and now he'd landed himself in jail. But, at the very least, his children were safe.

"You couldn't stay out of it could you?" said a woman's voice.

His attention was then directed towards Adina, who was sitting in a chair across from the cell with her legs crossed and wearing her winter coat from earlier.

"I didn't have a choice." he replied "If what those dwarves said is true, then everyone in this town is in danger."

"Nothing's ever been asked of you." Adina said harshly as she uncrossed her legs and leaned forward ever so slightly "Not a thing. You could have just stayed at home and gone back to fishing. Stayed out of my family's business."

"What I find surprising is your fixation with me." Bard sarcastically said back "You didn't have to go to such great lengths to talk to me."

Adina shot up, looking very cross with Bard but also trying to hide how pinkish-red her face was from blushing.

"Now you listen to me. I didn't ask for this." she said while walking towards him "My dad and I are just trying to get on with life, same as anyone. So just lay off me alright? And I'll stay out of your way."

The potentially heated conversation was shattered when the rumbling from Smaug's angered rampage caused the buildings to shake just like what had happened much earlier. And then it was followed by a sudden creaking on the rooftop above them, as if something or someone was on the roof.

Turns out, there was something on the roof.

/

The goblins had managed to stay out of sight and be surprisingly stealthy as they crisscrossed the roofs of Lake-town, passing the prison where Bard was as they did so. This was easy for them. Though goblins could move during the day, it wasn't suited for them. They always required hoods or goggles to shield them from too much sun, also with them never straying far from places they could hide. But the night was different. The night belonged to them. With the light of the moon they could come down from the mountains, sneak into villages or a farm and lay waste to it, leaving with plenty of prizes and possessions robbed from the dead. And it was this kind of problem the Laketown people were unknowingly in.

After about a minute of sneaking around, one goblin with a hook hand held up his hook and they stopped in their tracks. He smelled the air, looking for the girl's scent. And sure enough it was close by. He then turned around to look at his fellow creatures and then did some sign language to avoid someone over-hearing his voice. Grinnah nodded and pointed his hand to the right. The other goblins nodded in approval and headed in the direction of Bard's house (to their far right) while the remaining goblins watched as they headed off, each of them mentally congratulating themselves for being so clever.

/

Bertha had searched all over town but hadn't come across any Kingsfoil at all. Kamilla's life potentially hung in the balance and the one herb they needed decided to just up and screw them over. She was just about to give up when she came across Hilda Bianca of all people who emerged from her home to sit down and have some fresh air after finishing dinner. She was perplexed to say the least to see poor Bertha stop right next to her and lean against the wall.

"M-Ma'am…please…" she said between pants "…w-w-where can I find…some Kingsfoil? It's an emergency."

Hilda hesitated to answer for a moment before answering. "Right there."

Bertha looked and laughed with joy. Right before her was a pig stall with some rather plump pigs. And one pig was munching on some newly picked Kingsfoil. Without even bothering to say thank you, Bertha ran over to the pig and snatched a good amount of Kingsfoil away from the nearest pig. The pig snorted in mild bemusement while Bertha examined the Kingsfoil carefully and saw that she had more than enough. She then looked down to the pig and smiled.

"You're a lifesaver." she said, patting the pig on the head.

She then turned around and began running like lightning back to Beatrice's house but briefly turned back around and looked back at Hilda.

"Thank you so much!" she exclaimed just before turning around and running off, leaving Hilda to awkwardly wave in confusion.

/

Beth had arrived about thirty minutes prior to the orcs' arrival and was helping clean up the kitchen, having already told everyone what happened to their dad. Ophelia and Frieda had soup along with Shane, Terrence and Beth. Kamilla was now moaning weakly with her right hand clenching her stomach as if it was tying up into little knots inside her. Shane went outside onto the front porch to dump some water when he suddenly heard a creaking noise and looked to his right.

"Hello? Who's there" he asked.

No answer. Shane did some eye searching as he slowly backed towards the door. Something just wasn't right. At all.

"Beth?" Shane said as he turned towards the door "Did you hear something from outside?"

"No." Beth replied from inside.

No sooner had she finished saying that then with a loud growl a particularly foul looking goblin with a missing eye and a nose-ring leapt from the roof and landed just behind Shane, causing him to turn around like lightning and see it and the mace in it's hands. It charged at him but he managed to slam the door shut and pressed himself against it, briefly glancing at Terrence and Shane who looked absolutely horrified and to Ophelia and Frieda who were in complete shock.

"Get away from the door!" Shane ordered.

No sooner did he say that then a smaller goblin burst in through the window, landing on one of the cushioned chairs. It drew a knife, cackling like a demon just as another, larger goblin burst through the back door and fired an arrow from it's bow which whizzed past Terrence, Beth, Frieda and Ophelia as they ducked down and the arrow bounced harmlessly off the wall and hit the floor, during which Ophelia picked up a fallen kitchen knife and threw it at the goblin. The goblin dodged the knife which became embedded in the wall near the door, with the goblin firing another arrow that Frieda deflected with a frying pan. As if things couldn't get any worse the goblin at the front door finally managed to use his mace to force the door open, breaking the handle and as Shane backed away the goblin swung at him with his claws, knocking him to the side onto the ground, knocking over a chair in the process.

A sudden burst of bravery suddenly overtook Frieda and she grabbed the arrow which had landed at her feet and then shoved the goblin back towards the door, stabbing it in the right cheek and managing to throw it onto the porch. However, he regained his footing and kicked Frieda backwards so that she landed right next to Shane. The goblin pulled the arrow out of his cheek, screeching in pain as he turned towards Frieda with hate-filled eyes, twirling his mace as he prepared to strike. Then another goblin fell through the roof with a sword drawn out and landed just a few feet away from Ophelia, Beth and Terrence.

"Under the table!" Ophelia barked as she ducked Terrence down along with herself.

As they did so, Beth grabbed the half-full glass water pitcher on the table just as the goblin charged at her and then she swung it at the goblin with the pitcher shattering upon impact with the creature's head, knocking it out of the fight. But as soon as she ducked under the table, at least two more goblins burst in from the roof, weapons drawn.

/

Bertha had rounded a corner and was about to cross a bridge when suddenly a huge, heavyset goblin leapt from the roof and she shrieked in terror as she fell to the ground. The goblin swiped his sword at her but she managed to duck as he stumbled forward. Bertha clambered up the bridge but the goblin saw her and then raised his sword towards her as she turned around with her face as white as the snow falling around her when all of a sudden an arrow flew from out of nowhere and hit the goblin right in the heart. The creature didn't even drop it's sword for it was killed instantly and fell backwards onto the boardwalk. Bertha sighed with relief and turned to see who her rescuer was only to see nothing but an empty rooftop.

/

Back at the house, the girls and Bard's children were busy fending off the goblins in the house but it proved hard, especially when they tried to defend Kamilla who was still in bed. Though for her part, Kamilla did what she could including throwing a flower vase at the goblins. But as with Bertha, help came from an unexpected source.

Just as a female goblin with goggles leapt onto the wooden railings of the front porch, Tadeusz emerged and stabbed the creature in the throat, pushing it over the edge as he did so. He and Lechsinka had spent much of yesterday and that morning crossing all the way to town which proved more difficult than they thought since they didn't have a boat. But when they got to town, they spotted the goblins and followed them to Bard's house, with Lechsinka saving Bertha along the way. Tadeusz drew out his second knife and then ran inside the house, stabbing another goblin in the back of it's skull then whirled around and slit it's throat for good measure. One goblin grabbed the smaller one that burst through the window then proceeded to throw it at Tadeusz. But, as expected with elves, he then turned hastily and slashed the screeching mini-goblin, with black blood splattering onto his uniform and some of his face. Lechsinka then fell through the roof onto the table and joined the fight making quick work of a rather tall goblin with a glaive.

One goblin with a hunched back which made it look like something that belonged in a belltower and who had an axe with him at the moment, attempted to attack Tadeusz but he grabbed it and threw the goblin against the window, knocking it out of the fight.

Then a goblin with a bizarre haircut armed with a sword leapt onto the bottom of the bed just inches away from Kamilla. Kamilla screamed in terror as the goblin raised his sword, but her scream caught Tadeusz's attention and he threw his knife at the goblin with the knife impacting it on the back of the neck, with the goblins lifeless body flopping onto the floor with the sword falling at Kamilla's feet on the bed. The elf and the dwarf briefly exchanged looks with Kamilla looking at Tadeusz in wonder as he returned to dispatching his attackers.

Lechsinka meanwhile faced off against two goblins with swords whom she knocked onto the wall and were now coming at her. But she drew out her knives like lightning and stabbed the goblins under the chin so that the blades actually came out through their skulls. When the two goblins fell over dead the knives naturally slipped out, blood dripping down the tip of the blades to her hands. Across the room, Tadeusz was finishing off a midget goblin right next to the bed when the hunchbacked goblin he'd thrown aside earlier re-entered the fight with his eyebrow gashed and goblin blood dripping from it as he swung his axe at Tadeusz. Tadeusz attempted to block it but while he was able to block the goblins axe swing, the creature proved remarkably strong and threw him to the ground much to his own surprise. The goblin smiled sadistically as he walked towards the edge of the bed where Tadeusz was, with his axe raised.

That's when Kamilla grabbed the sword next to her and then impaled the goblin right through the back of it's head with the blade coming out of it's mouth. He died immediately with the knife embedded in his skull but when he fell over he dragged Kamilla with him and they flopped onto the floor with Kamilla passing out as she hit the floor. Tadeusz blinked in surprise at this. It seemed Kamilla had now returned the favor of saving her life all the way back in Mirkwood and now she'd saved his.

Just then, there was a loud screeching noise from outside and the surviving goblins knew that was the signal to leave. They all hastily scrambled out of there, leaving the bodies of their fallen comrades in a bloodied, trashed house.

"Fall back! Regroup at the bridge!" Grinnah called from outside.

The goblins retreated as one called Scratch was barking further orders. A noise caused him to look up as Otto was kicked off the balcony by Lechsinka and then landed on the same boat Scratch was on with such force that he was catapulted all the way up to the balcony where Lechsinka stabbed him in his neck and in such a way that his body lifeless tore off at the neck and hit the water below in an additional pool of black blood while the lifeless head of Scratch was balanced on the knives for a few moments seconds before Lechsinka tucked them back into her quiver and the head fell into the water with a loud plop.

"Better him than me." Otto muttered to himself as he joined the others in retreating.

Lechsinka glared at the goblins as they ran off, climbing on rooftops or on decks when she suddenly felt a nagging pain on her left thigh and winced. It wasn't a deep cut but that didn't mean it didn't hurt any less then if it had been. She must have gotten it during her brawl. She chose to ignore it and returned into the house where everyone was emerging from under the table.

"There are others." Lechsinka said "Tadeusz, come."

"Sister!" Frieda cried out suddenly.

Lechsinka turned to see Frieda at her sister's side while Ophelia arrived on the scene and checked Kamilla's pulse. Her face suddenly turned into a look of shock much to poor Frieda's concern.

"Oh no." Ophelia whispered to herself.

"What?!" Frieda demanded "What's wrong with her?!"

"She's passed out." Ophelia replied "I think her infections got worse. If we don't hurry it could be fatal."

"No, no, don't you say that!" Frieda protested as she grasped her sister's left hand with both of hers with tears in her eyes "Not my sister, please!"

Lechsinka suddenly felt extreme pity for these dwarf women, much to her own surprise. She couldn't leave these women and the children of the owner of this house alone with goblins on the streets, but she had to know where they were going and why goblins bothered to travel so far from the mountains. It was one of the few times in her life she felt genuinely conflicted about something. She glanced at Tadeusz who was looking down at Kamilla while Frieda was quietly sobbing, with Kamilla's dark hair covering some of her face. The look of his face was one similar to that of Ophelia's at the moment, a strange mix of fear and sadness. It was then that Lechsinka made a decision.

"Tadeusz, I'll go after them alone." she said "You stay here."

"What?" Taduesz barked in surprise.

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing." Lechsinka replied as she headed out onto the front porch.

"Lechsinka, wait!" Taduesz said, grabbing her left arm "You can't do this. I'm supposed to be your guard"

"Yes I can, Tadeusz. Listen to me." Lechsinka replied calmly "You told me that girl needed your help. Well, now she does."

Tadeusz would normally have argued but he briefly looked back at Kamilla, proving Lechsinka's point. He couldn't leave this poor woman to die, especially after what had transpired a few moments ago. He then looked back to Lechsinka whose left arm had now slipped out of Tadeusz's grasp.

"Tadeusz, stay." she said softly "I can do this alone."

And with that, she leapt over the railings and landed on a nearby boat, then leapt onto the boardwalk street and resumed her hunt for the goblins. Tadeusz then ran over to Kamilla's side right next to Frieda while Ophelia looked to Shane, Terrence and Beth who were looking on.

"Beth, go to the door and see what's outside." she ordered.

"I'm on it." Beth said as she grabbed a knife and headed for the door.

"Okay, we need to think of something." Ophelia continued.

She did as instructed as everyone looked around for proper weapons though with Terrence it was easy as he just sat in a chair and observed the situation.

"See anything?" Frieda inquired.

"No, not yet." Beth replied "Wait a minute…I see someone!"

"Is it a monster?!" Terrence asked, frightened.

"No!" Beth said "It's Bertha!"

Everyone sighed with relief. They'd never been more happy to hear Bertha's name in their lives. Tadeusz looked to the door as Bertha entered, the Kingsfoil in her hands. He stood up immediately and walked over to Bertha and took the Kingsfoil out of her hands, much to Bertha's surprise.

"Athelas." Tadeusz said to himself "You dwarven genius."

"Um…excuse me?" Bertha piped up "What are you doing?"

Tadeusz hesitated for a moment, glancing at Kamilla, Ophelia and Frieda, with the latter two looking at him expectantly just before he turned back to Bertha with his confidence slowly returning to him.

"I'm going to save her." he said.