After taking out an Orc squad, everyone was a bit tired and stayed put to rest.
The Dwarves excitedly discussed the recent battle, comparing who had killed more Orcs.
But Gandalf was silently smoking his pipe, head bowed in contemplation, looking somewhat worried.
Luke noticed his expression, walked over, and sat beside him, "Gandalf, what's wrong?"
Facing Luke, Gandalf didn't hide anything. He sighed and said, "Orcs usually live in the Misty Mountains. The fact that we're encountering them in the wilderness now can only mean that the number of Orcs in the Misty Mountains has surged to an enormous amount, forcing them to descend and raid the wilderness."
"If we are to cross the Misty Mountains to the Lonely Mountain, the current situation is not good news for us!"
"Then what do you plan to do?"
"After we cross the Last Great Bridge, I plan to leave temporarily and scout ahead to avoid encountering a large Orc army," Gandalf revealed his plan to Luke.
Luke thought for a moment after hearing this and decided, "I'll go with you then. I have some insights into hidden magic, and even if we encounter an Orc army, I can ensure we get away safely."
As he spoke, he pointed his magic staff at a stone on the ground.
The stone instantly became invisible under their gaze, disappearing without a trace.
However, upon closer inspection, it was clear that the stone hadn't truly become invisible but had blended in with its surroundings like a chameleon, making it very difficult to spot.
Seeing this, Gandalf's eyes lit up, "Luke, how many more surprises do you have that I don't know about?"
So, without anyone else knowing, Gandalf and Luke had already decided to scout ahead.
Once sufficiently rested, everyone set off again.
Over the next few days, they didn't encounter any more Orcs and arrived smoothly at the Last Great Bridge.
The Last Bridge spans the Mineithel River, and east of the bridge lies the Trollshaw.
From here, it was not far to Rivendell and the Misty Mountains.
Before Luke and Gandalf could tell the expedition party about their plan to scout ahead, Thorin and Gandalf had already fallen out.
The cause of the conflict was the map of the Lonely Mountain in Thorin's hand, drawn by Thráin II. The map recorded the location of the secret entrance to the Lonely Mountain, but the password to open the secret entrance was recorded in Moon Letters, which were Dwarf runes.
These Moon Letters were very secretive and difficult to decipher, and their content could only be seen at specific times and under specific conditions.
To unlock the map's secret, Gandalf suggested going to Rivendell and asking Elrond, a renowned Elven sage in Middle-earth, for help with the interpretation.
But Thorin held a grudge against Elves, and in his stubbornness, he refused to go to Elven territory.
"I refuse to go to Rivendell!" Thorin said, "Elven settlements offer no benefit to us Dwarves, and it is currently ruled by Elrond, who is a relative of Gil-galad, and Gil-galad once allied with our enemies!"
The enemy Thorin referred to was Thranduil, the Elven King of the Woodland Realm in Mirkwood.
When Smaug the Dragon occupied the Lonely Mountain, the Dwarves had sought help from the nearby Woodland Realm, but Thranduil refused them.
This was because Thranduil had once commissioned the Lonely Mountain Dwarves to craft a white gemstone necklace for his wife, but the request was refused due to a dispute over payment, which sparked conflict between the Woodland Realm and the Lonely Mountain Dwarves.
"Elrond is a wise and just Elf," Gandalf tried to persuade him, "His domain is a safe place where we can receive advice and assistance. Furthermore, he might be able to decipher the cryptic writing on the map, which is crucial for our journey."
"I don't trust Elves!" Thorin stubbornly insisted, "They always play cunning tricks and use sweet words to deceive people. I don't want to owe them anything, and I certainly don't want them to know our plans."
"That's prejudice, Thorin," Gandalf said sternly, "Not all Elves are your enemies. Elrond is one of the wisest individuals in Middle-earth; he has a profound understanding of ancient knowledge. We need his help, otherwise, we might encounter even more dangers and difficulties on our journey."
"I would rather face danger than bow to an Elf!" Thorin replied, showing no intention of compromising.
"You're simply a hard, stinky rock!" Gandalf was so exasperated by Thorin's stubbornness that he felt a heart attack coming on, shaking his head and turning to leave.
"Gandalf, where are you going?" Bilbo asked.
"To scout ahead, lest certain stubborn individuals complain there isn't enough danger."
Gandalf stopped and turned to Luke.
"Luke, you come with me."
"Ah? Okay."
Luke glanced at Bilbo, signaling him not to worry, "You watch my carriage for a bit; I'm going to check ahead with Gandalf."
With that, he followed the fuming Gandalf, leaving the party.
Seeing the two people closest to him leave, Bilbo looked awkwardly at the Dwarves, unsure what to say.
He could only huddle in Luke's carriage, trying to make himself invisible.
Thorin, however, showed no reaction to Gandalf and Luke's departure, busying himself with directing the Dwarves to rest in place.
Ahead,
After they could no longer see Thorin's party behind them.
The anger on Gandalf's face instantly vanished, and he said to Luke, "No matter what, we must go to Rivendell. Only Elrond can decipher the cryptic writing on the map; otherwise, even if we reach the Lonely Mountain, we'll have no way in."
Seeing the anger vanish from Gandalf's face, Luke asked curiously, "You weren't angry?"
Gandalf shook his head, "Not exactly angry, just finding a reason to leave temporarily. These Dwarves are as stubborn and irritating as a rock stuck under an Orc's backside; if I bothered to get angry with them, I'd have died of rage countless times already."
To use such adjectives, it seems he was still a bit angry. Luke listened with amusement to Gandalf's disingenuous words.
"Gandalf, we're out now. What should we do next? Are we really just scouting ahead?"
"We can't rejoin them yet," Gandalf said, "Thorin is extremely stubborn. Unless we knock him out, he'll be very difficult to convince to go to Rivendell, so we need an opportune moment to change his mind."
"What opportune moment?"
"An opportune moment that puts them in crisis. Only after he encounters an insurmountable danger will he change his stubborn mind."
"You want them to encounter danger?" Luke's eyes widened, looking at Gandalf in disbelief.
"This is the Troll Forest, and it's not far from the Misty Mountains; it's hard not to encounter danger here," Gandalf said with a smile. "Though it sounds a bit boastful, if we were with them, those dangers would be easily handled, and that wouldn't put enough pressure on them."
"So I had to pull you out first, then protect them from the shadows, as long as we ensure their lives aren't in danger, it'll be fine."
I didn't expect you to be like this, Gandalf! Luke secretly clicked his tongue.
But he still frowned slightly, "What about Bilbo? Why didn't you call him out earlier? He has to suffer with the Dwarves?"
"That would be too obvious!" Gandalf shook his head, "Bilbo needs to grow. He can't rely on us too much, and shared hardships will strengthen his relationship with the Dwarves and improve their teamwork, which will be more helpful for our journey ahead."
Alright, poor Bilbo. Luke could only mourn for him for a few seconds.