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Lurker in the Mirk
Valinor
Jul 31 2014, 2:08pm
Post #51 of 53
(557 views)
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Sempai, it's always a pleasure to read your posts.
The Elves and Men were convinced that Thorin and his companions must be dead, until they found out otherwise when they reached Erebor. Both folk were armed because word of Smaug's demise would heve reached many others besides tiemselves--particularly Orcs and evil Men. I think people tend to forget this. Neither Elves nor Men expect the Company to be still alive.
Bard wanted compensation and aid for the people of Lake-town, who had helped the company at need and were now devastated because of the wakening of the Dragon. Bard appropriately uses his status as the slayer of Smaug to press his claim. Some have said that the Lake-towners were feckless for not going with the Company. But would Thorin accept any volunteers who was not a Dwarf? I think not.
The claim of the Wood-elves is the more questionable. Yes, Thranduil wanted to add to his treasury, but finding the Dwarves alive made him more reluctant to take action. The films do furnish Thranduil with an additional motive, to reclaim the gems that were denied him by King Thror. This at least gives his claim a veneer of legitimacy. Emphasis mine. Thanks for pointing this out!
And just re Bard and Thranduil going for the treasure, even if both were just out for treasure-scooping with no legitimate claim whatsoever, I don't see what the problem is. A treasure horde for the ages, and yes, its in Erebor, but no one's home (as far as they could tell) and the nearest next-of-kin would take days to get there. Treasure=economic power, not least the means to beef up militarily. It makes to pre-empt the enemy, especially living in a dangerous neighbourhood like that, even it means going into the looting business for themselves. But well, at the end that's moot due to unfolding events as you pointed out too.
This topic is rather heavy/angry in vibe. I much rather focus on more pertinent questions, like who's getting helmet hair 
Fan of both books and movies; it seems I have severely misnamed myself... for the moment. But call me Lurker.
 Appreciating Thranduil, thread by thread: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII
(Tis true! More appreciation threads for Thranduil exist than ME movies)
 Thrall Wars!: What business do Elves, Dwarves or Men(?) have with drooling thralls, yea, with smartphones in tow, unto the slopes of Erebor? ... oh, yes, the Hobbit's lingering in some shadows, ever ready to swoop to the hairy rescue. Take cover if you dare!
Teh partsies: Prologue (aka the 'tater-mash of whatever came before), Two, Three, Four (new! posted 16 Jul)
"BoFA"= The Battle || "BotFA"/"tBofTA" = The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
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 Middle-earth dispatches out of the lurkmirk
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Otaku-sempai
Immortal
Jul 31 2014, 2:30pm
Post #52 of 53
(547 views)
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I can't honestly say that I am always the voice of reason; and I have posted from time to time without first fact-checking myself.
I will acknowledge that Bard did have a secondary motive in heading up the expedition to Erebor; he saw an opportunity to seize funds that would allow him to rebuild Dale and get out from under the thumb of the Master of Lake-town. While this is a worthy goal, it is not entirely a selfless one. Still, that is no reason to dismiss it.
'There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world.' - Gandalf the Grey, The Fellowship of the Ring
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Lurker in the Mirk
Valinor
Jul 31 2014, 2:35pm
Post #53 of 53
(552 views)
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Bard did have a secondary motive in heading up the expedition to Erebor; he saw an opportunity to seize funds that would allow him to rebuild Dale and get out from under the thumb of the Master of Lake-town. While this is a worthy goal, it is not entirely a selfless one. Still, that is no reason to dismiss it. Of course. In this case, why look a gift horse in the mouth? Let's just get what we can! 
Fan of both books and movies; it seems I have severely misnamed myself... for the moment. But call me Lurker.
Appreciating Thranduil, thread by thread: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII
(Tis true! More appreciation threads for Thranduil exist than ME movies)
Thrall Wars!: What business do Elves, Dwarves or Men(?) have with drooling thralls, yea, with smartphones in tow, unto the slopes of Erebor? ... oh, yes, the Hobbit's lingering in some shadows, ever ready to swoop to the hairy rescue. Take cover if you dare!
Teh partsies: Prologue (aka the 'tater-mash of whatever came before), Two, Three, Four (new! posted 16 Jul)
"BoFA"= The Battle || "BotFA"/"tBofTA" = The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
=======
Middle-earth dispatches out of the lurkmirk
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