>>5415952Now wait just a second. That's Laketown, NOT Dale. Laketown had to be built because the Dale had been attacked by Smaug during his assault on the Lonely Mountain. Dale was deserted until after the Battle of the Five Armies, and the scene depicted in that image takes place after Bilbo has a conversation with Smaug. Smaug believed Bilbo to be one of the men of Laketown, and left his hoard to destroy the city.
