Or a car chase. Those take a long time.
EXT. STREETS OF DALE - EVENING
BARD leads BILBO, GANDALF, and BALIN through the streets of Dale, gesturing with his arms as Turgon was doing in the last scene.
BARD
And the warehouses were largely undamaged because, of course, Dragons have no interest in eating grain, so they only took us a few weeks to rebuild and are almost restocked. The towers we have yet to raise again, but we have begun the work and expect them to be done by next spring.
BILBO
Splendid!
BARD
Not yet, not quite yet. Dale of old was splendid, and our new city is as yet but an echo of its former self. But we will persevere. We are determined not to forget our past glory.
They come to an immense relief carving, which the camera pans over. Dale of old. Dale burning. A line of carven people from moving Dale to Esgaroth. Barrels floating in the lake. Esgaroth aflame. A carving of Bard with his bow drawn and the thrush by his ear. The camera suddenly flicks along the path the arrow would take to a carving of the Dragon in the sky.
BARD
(off screen)
Nor will we forget our past sorrows.
Suddenly, Bilbo, Bard, Gandalf, and Balin hear a screeching sound behind them. RAGNA comes careening around a street corner at the wheel of a sports car. Behind her are nine black SUVs with tinted windows. Ragna screeches to a halt.
RAGNA
Get in!
Bilbo, Bard, Gandalf, and Balin quickly climb into the car. Bard and Balin are in the backseat with Bilbo between them. Gandalf sits in the passenger seat. Ragna takes off again. Bilbo glances back at the SUVs through the rear windshield.
BILBO
Who are they?
RAGNA
I have no idea.
GANDALF
There are nine of them. They were once men; great kings of men. Then Sauron the Deceiver gave to them nine Rings of Power. Blinded by their greed, they took them without question, one by one falling into darkness. Now they are slaves to his will. They are the Nazgûl: Ringwraiths, neither living nor dead. At all times they feel the presence of the Ring, drawn to the power of the One. They will never stop hunting you.
BILBO
What?!
BALIN
Hey Bilbo, do you still have that magic ring?
BILBO
I -
Ragna suddenly makes a sharp turn, throwing everyone in the car to one side.
EVERYONE
AAAAAHHHHHHHH!
Gandalf leans out the window and begins shooting fireballs from his staff. The SUVs have to swerve to avoid them.
A fireball hits one SUV, causing it to explode in a huge ball of flame. A high-pitched screech is heard.
Bard retrieves his bow and quiver from behind a seat. He climbs out the window and perches on the back of the car, shooting arrows at the SUVs.
Bard pops the front tire of the nearest SUV. The SUV flips forward and crashes upside-down beside their car, Ragna has to swerve to avoid it. As they drive away, another SUV crashes into the upside-down one. Both erupt in flames.
They are outside Dale now. and driving through some pine forests towards the Long Lake. As they leave the pine forests, the remaining black SUVs gain on Ragna's car. Gandalf and Bard are still shooting at them, though now with little effect. Bard runs out of arrows.
BARD
Ragna! There is another quiver by your seat. Give it to me!
Ragna reaches down beside her seat and picks up a quiver of arrows.
RAGNA
Balin, take the wheel!
BALIN
I can't drive!
RAGNA
Bilbo, take the wheel!
Before Bilbo can tell her that he cannot drive either, Ragna has climbed out the window and is standing on the running board of the car. She inches along it, holding the quiver out for Bard to take.
Bilbo quickly climbs into the driver's seat. He takes the wheel, but his feet cannot reach the pedals. Balin chucks a piece of stone at the pedals, and it lands on the accelerator. The car begins to move faster. Bilbo does his best to steer.
Ragna has reached Bard and handed him the quiver. She climbs into the backseat.
The car drives over a slanted rock and catches some air. The SUVs behind it do the same. As the last one comes up off the ramp, one of Gandalf's fireballs hits it, causing it to explode. A piece of flaming car hits the side of Ragna's car, setting it on fire. Balin leans out the window and tries to blow the fire out but only succeeds in making it spread.
RAGNA
Head for the lake!
Bilbo sets a course for the lake. Bard, glancing over his shoulder, sees that they are approaching the water and climbs into the backseat. Gandalf continues shooting fireballs.
Their car, the back of which is now significantly burning, reaches a long, rickety wooden pier. It rumbles straight down the pier towards the water.
EVERYONE
AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
The car drives off the end of the pier and lands in the lake with an enormous sploosh and a huge rush of steam. The remaining black SUVs stop along the lakeshore. A HISSING VOICE comes from one of them.
HISSING VOICE
Give up the Halfling!
Ragna, Bilbo, Bard, Gandalf, and Balin swim to the surface.
RAGNA
If you want him, come and claim him!
The SUVs try to drive into the water. A huge tidal wave in the shape of watery horses suddenly rises up and washes them away.
Ragna, Bilbo, Bard, Gandalf, and Balin climb up onto the pier.
BILBO
Dale is certainly more exciting than I remember it!