The dwarves listened and shook their beards because they knew that they would have to enter the forest soon. This would be their biggest challenge before they passed through the mountain range and arrived at the base of the evil dragon. After dinner, they began to tell their stories, but Beweng seemed to be sleepy and did not pay much attention to their stories. They were mainly talking about gold, silver, jewelry, and how to make beautiful things with ingenuity. Beavon did not seem to be interested in these things. There were no gold and silver ornaments in his hall. Other than knives, there were very few things made of metal.
They drank the mead from the wooden bowls in front of them and watched the night gradually fall outside. New firewood was added to the flames in the hall, and the flames of the torches were extinguished. Everyone was still sitting by the fire, watching the dancing flames. The surrounding pillars were so tall that it was as dark as the scene in the forest. He didn't know if it was magic, but Birbo thought he heard the sound of a breeze blowing through the treetops and the hooting of owls. Soon, he began to doze off, and the sound seemed to be getting further and further away. Suddenly, he woke up with a start.
The door slammed shut and Beweng left. The dwarves sat cross-legged on the ground and began to sing. Some of the lyrics were like this, but there was a lot of other content, and they sang for a long time:
The wind blows, withering the barren land,
But no leaves in the forest were disturbed:
Shadows lurk day and night,
The silent darkness hid in the ground.
The cold wind blew from the mountains,
Like the tide rolling high;
The branches wailed, the forest cried,
The leaves were placed on the pile of ashes.
The wind blew from west to east,
Everything in the forest stops running,
The fierce wind still blows across the land.
A sharp sound was released.
The grass hissed and the grass bowed.
The weeds keep shaking, the wind keeps roaming,
Beside the cold lake on the ground,
The clouds in the sky were also torn apart.
It crosses the bare mountain,
He swept his gaze across the evil dragon's nest.
Black and dark, falling on bare rock,
The air was filled with smoke.
It leaves the world and flies
The vast ocean in the night.
Moonlight rides on a windswept sail,
The stars shone brightly.
Birbo nodded again. Suddenly, Gandaph stood up.
"Time to sleep!" He said,"It's time for us to go to bed, but I don't think Beweng needs it. We can sleep peacefully in his hall, but I must warn you that Beweng said something before he left: Before the sun rises, you'd better not go out and run around. Otherwise, you'll be responsible for it.”
It was only then that Birbo realized that the hall had already been paved with beds, which were placed on the platform protruding between the pillar and the outer wall. He had a little straw mat and woolen blanket, into which Bilbo was very happy to burrow, whether it was now or in the hot summer. The fire gradually extinguished, and he fell into a deep sleep. However, he woke up in the middle of the night. There were only a few embers left in the flames, and judging from the breathing of Gandalf and the dwarves, they were asleep too. The ground was sprinkled with the light of the moon, shining in through the hole in the roof.
There was the sound of an animal howling outside, and there seemed to be a huge animal poking at the door. Birbo was very curious about what kind of animal it would be. He wondered if it would be the skinned Bon. Would he turn into a big bear and come in to kill everyone? Finally, he hid under the blanket and covered his head, and though he was terrified, he fell asleep.
When he woke up, the sky was already bright. One of the dwarves accidentally tripped over his body, causing him to roll off the platform. It was Beaufort, muttering about it when Birbo opened his eyes.
" Lazy bones, get up quickly," he said."Otherwise, you won't have breakfast!"
Birbo jumped up. "Breakfast!" He shouted," Where's breakfast?”
" Most of them are in our stomachs," the other dwarves said as they walked around the hall."The rest are on the balcony. We've been trying to find Beon since the sun came up, but we couldn't even see his shadow. However, as soon as we went out, we found that breakfast was already on the table.”
"Where's Gandalf?" Birbo hurried out, wanting to find something to eat.
"Oh! "Somewhere out there," they told him. But he did not see any trace of the wizard until evening. Before sunset, he walked in. The dwarves and hobbits were eating happily, while the considerate animals were still serving them. Since last night, they had no news about Beon, which made them quite confused.
"Where is our master? Where did you go?" they said in unison.
"One question at a time, don't answer before dinner! I haven't eaten anything since breakfast this morning.”
In the end, Gandalf managed to push away his plate and cup with great difficulty. This fellow had finished two whole loaves of bread in one go (covered with butter, honey, and cheese) and drank at least half a bottle of mead. Finally, he took out his pipe. "I'll answer the second question first," he said."Oh my god! This was really the best place to blow smoke rings!”Indeed, for a long time he did not say anything, but let the smoke ring fly around the pillars, changing into all kinds of shapes and colors, and finally floating out through the vent on the roof. It must look strange from the outside: Green, blue, red, silver-gray, yellow, and white smoke rings of all sizes kept popping up. Some big ones chased the small ones, some small ones chased the big ones, and some combined together. It looked like the number eight, and in the end, it flew into the distance like a flock of birds.
" I was tracking the bear's tracks," he finally said."Last night, there must have been a big bear gathering here. I soon learned that Beweng couldn't have transformed into so many bears at once, because there were too many of them and their sizes were very different. I should say, there were little bears, big bears, regular bears, super-large bears, all dancing from midnight until almost dawn. They came from all directions, the only exception being the west side of the river, which was where the mountain range was. In that direction, there was only a single footprint leaving, not coming. I followed the trail all the way to Carlock. From then on, the footprints entered the river. However, the water flow there was too fast, so I could not cross the river. You should still remember that it wasn't too difficult to get to Carlock from the ferry, but on the other side, there were extremely steep rock walls and extremely rapid flowing water. I would have to walk a few miles before I could find a place to cross the river, and then I would have to walk back a few miles before I could continue to follow the footprints. By then, it would be too late for me to follow. The footprints lead straight to the pine forest east of the Misty Mountains, where we had our little feast with the warg a few days ago. Now, I think I have answered your first question.”Gandaph sat back down and did not speak for a long time.
Birbo thought he understood what the wizard meant. " What should we do?"What if he lures all the wargs and orcs back? We will all be captured and killed! I thought you said he wasn't on their side!”
"I did say that. Don't be silly! You'd better go to sleep. Look at your head.”
The Hobbit felt very dejected, and really could not think of anything to do except to go to bed. While the dwarf was still singing happily, he had already fallen asleep. His mind was still thinking about the mystery of Beweng. In his dream, hundreds of black bears appeared in the moonlight of the inner courtyard, slowly dancing slowly. Then, when everyone else was still asleep, he woke up to the same scratching, sniffing, and yelling outside the door.
The next morning, they were all woken up by Beweng himself. "You guys are still here!" he said, picking up the hobbit and smiling."Looks like at least it hasn't been eaten by a mount wolf, orc, or an evil bear!”He poked Mr. Baggins in the stomach very rudely and said,"The little rabbit ate too much bread and honey. It seems that it has become fat again!”"Come and eat more!" he giggled.”
Therefore, they had breakfast with him again. Beweng seemed to be in a very good mood. He told many interesting stories and everyone laughed with him. It didn't take them long to understand why there was such a change in attitude. It was because he had told the truth himself. He had crossed the river and ran into the mountains. Hearing this, everyone understood that at least when he appeared in the form of a bear, he could run very fast. He quickly confirmed that they were telling the truth from the charred gathering place of the wolves, but he also discovered more truths. He caught an orc and a mount wolf wandering around in the forest and got new information from them: The Orc patrols were still chasing after the dwarves with the mount wolves. Due to the death of the Orc leader, the burns of the mount wolf leader, and the heavy casualties of his subordinates, their anger was even more difficult to calm down. When he interrogated these two guys, they were only willing to say this. However, he still felt that the situation was not as simple as it seemed. Soon, the orc army and the pack of wolves would be mobilized. On one hand, they wanted to hunt down the dwarves, and on the other hand, they wanted to take revenge on the humans and animals living there, because they believed that these enemies must be protecting the dwarves.
"Your story is really good!" Beweng said,"But when I was sure it was true, I liked it even more. You must forgive me for not believing your words. If you have lived on the edge of Gloomy Jungle for a long time, you will know that you cannot trust anyone except your close friends. Therefore, I could only rush back as fast as I could to ensure your safety and provide as much help as possible. After that, my impression of dwarves would have to be upgraded again. He killed the Orc leader, he actually killed the Orc leader!”He laughed happily.
"How are you going to deal with that orc and mount wolf?”Birbo suddenly asked.
"Come and take a look!" Beweng said, and they followed him out of the house. An orc's head was stuck in the door, and the mount wolf's fur was nailed to the tree outside. Beavon was merciless against his enemies, but now that he had become their ally, Gandalf felt that he should tell him the whole story and the real reason for this adventure, so that he could get his complete help.
Therefore, he promised to help them in this way: He would give everyone a pony, and Gandalf would get a horse. These animals could carry them to the forest and help carry food that could last them for a week. The luggage had been specially packed, making it very convenient to carry. Nuts and dried fruits were stored in sealed jars, red clay jars were stored with honey, and cakes that had been baked twice could be preserved for a long time. A small bite of this cake could go a long way. He knew how to make these cakes, but like most of his food, there was honey in them. They were delicious, but the more he ate, the thirstier he became. According to him, they did not need to bring drinking water on this side of the forest because there were streams and springs for them to drink along the way. "However, the path through Gloomy Jungle is very dark, dangerous, and difficult," he said."Over there, food and water are hard to find. There were no nuts now (though by the time they reached the other side, the season would have passed), and of all the things that grew there, only nuts could be used as food. In that forest, the wild animals are very strange and ferocious. I will provide you with leather bags that can carry water and some bows and arrows. However, I doubt if you can find anything to eat and drink in Gloomy Jungle. I know that there is a river in the forest, and the strong black water cuts through your path. You must not drink the water there or bathe in it, because I heard that there is a powerful magic in the river that can make people drowsy and forget everything. I think that in that dense forest, regardless of whether the prey is edible or not, you have to stay far away from the road before you can shoot anything. However, you must not leave that path! I can only give you this advice. Once you enter the forest, I will not be able to provide any help. You must rely on luck and courage to properly use the food I give you. When we reach the entrance of the forest, I must ask you to send the horses back. I wish you all a smooth journey. As long as you have the chance to return, my door is always open for you.”
Everyone bowed and took off their hats many times. They kept saying,"Great King of the Wooden Hall, at your service!”However, deep down in their hearts, their hearts were heavy because of his solemn words. They all felt that the adventure before them was much more dangerous than they had imagined. Not only that, even if they managed to survive this, the dragon would still be waiting for them.
They had been busy preparing for their departure the whole morning. Soon, they had their last lunch with Beweng. As soon as dinner was over, they climbed onto the horses they had lent them, said goodbye to him, and rode steadily out the door.
As soon as they left his fence, they immediately turned north and headed northwest. Under his advice, they were not prepared to go south on the main road to the forest. If they went in that direction, they would have to cross the spring that surged down from the mountains and the river that converged with the river beside Carlock. If they still had the pony, they might be able to barely make it through. After crossing the river, the road led to the edge of the forest and arrived at the entrance of Old Forest Road. But Beweng warned them that Orcs were now using this road to travel; He also heard that the eastern part of the Old Forest Road was covered by the forest. If he followed the road, he would come to a dense forest that he could not pass through. Even if they managed to reach the other side of the forest, the eastern exit was still a long way from the south of the lone mountain. They still had to go north and experience a very difficult journey before they could reach the lone mountain. As for the northern border of Gloomy Jungle, the area near Carlock was also very close to the river. Although the Misty Mountains were also quite close to this place, Beweng suggested that they could take this road, because riding north from here for a few days would bring them to the entrance of a little-known road in Gloomy Jungle. That road passed through the forest and almost directly reached the foot of the Lonely Mountain.
" As for the orcs," Beweng said,""They don't dare to cross the river, hundreds of miles north of Karak, and they don't dare to approach my residence. However, if it were me, I would urge my horse forward as soon as possible, because if they launch a general attack soon, they will cross the river from the south, sweep through all the villages in the forest, and surround you. Besides, the mount wolf is much faster than your pony. Although it looked like they were walking into a trap, the further north they went, the safer they would be. Because that is also the place where they are the least defended. They also have to walk a relatively long way to catch you. Hurry up and set off!"
It was precisely because of this that they would silently rush forward. As long as the road was flat, they would ride their horses and gallop. The dark mountain range was always on their left, and the river in the distance kept approaching. When they set off, the sun had just moved to the west. Now, the sun had already set to the west, scattering tens of thousands of golden lights. It was hard for them to imagine that there were orcs chasing after them. When they were dozens of miles away from Beon's residence, they began to laugh and sing loudly, completely forgetting the dark road in the forest in front of them. When night fell and the mountain peak reflected golden light, they began to set up camp and arranged shifts to keep watch. Even so, most people still had the screams of orcs and the howls of wolves in their dreams.
The next morning was still a beautiful sunny day. There was a kind of fog drifting on the ground like the heavy autumn dew. The temperature was also slightly lower, but soon, the red sun rose from the east and the fog disappeared. They rode like this for two whole days. All they could see were sparse trees, grass, flowers, and birds. Occasionally, small groups of wild deer strolled in the wilderness or drank water by the river. Sometimes Birbo could see the stag's beautiful antlers sticking out of the bushes, which he, a country bumpkin, had thought at first were withered branches! On the evening of the third day, they hurried on their journey because Beweng said that they should be able to reach the entrance of the forest by the morning of the fourth day. On this day, they traveled without stopping until the moon poked its head out. When the moonlight weakened, Birbo thought he saw a big bear in the surrounding woods. But if he had plucked up the courage to ask Gandalf about it, the wizard would have said,"Shh! Don't say anything else!"
Although they had traveled very late, they still set off before dawn the next day. When the sun had just peeked out of the horizon, they could see the forest silently welcoming them, waiting for them like a dark high wall. The birds became silent, the deer disappeared, and even the rabbits disappeared. By the afternoon, they had reached the edge of Gloomy Jungle. When they rested, they rested under the trees on the outer edge. The branches of these trees were very thick, and they were covered with tree warts. The branches were rather twisted, and the leaves were dark green. Nameless vines grew on the trunks, drooping all the way to the ground.
"Alright, this is Gloomy Jungle!”Gandalf said,"The largest forest in the northern world. I hope you like what you're seeing, but now you'll have to return the ponies you borrowed!”
The dwarves seemed ready to complain, but the wizard warned them not to do anything stupid. "Beweng is closer than you think. You'd better not break your promise. It's not wise to make him your enemy. Mr. Baggins's eyesight is much better than yours, and you don't see it, but he notices a bear following us every night, or watching our camp from a distance in the moonlight. Not only to protect you and guide you, but to keep an eye on his ponies. You don't understand how generous Beweng was to let the dwarves ride so fast; You'd better not take the risk of bringing the pony into the forest, or the consequences will be unimaginable.”
"What about your horse?" Thorin said,"Why didn't you mention sending it back?”
"Of course I didn't mention it, because I wasn't going to send him back.”
"Then what about what you promised him?”
"I will naturally handle it. The reason why I didn't send the horse back is that I still have to ride it!”
At this moment, they found out that Gandaph was going to part with them at the edge of Gloomy Jungle, and their hearts sank. However, no matter what they said, they could not change his mind.
" We've already discussed this at Carlock's place," he said."There's no point in arguing anymore. As I said before, I have more urgent matters to attend to in the South. In order to take care of all of you, I was already late for a period of time. Before everything is over, perhaps we will meet again, or perhaps we will never meet again. The key lies in your luck and courage, as well as your judgment. Besides, I will send Mr. Baggins with you. I've told you before that you can't judge a book by its cover. Birbo, cheer up, don't pull a long face! Thorin and his companions should also cheer up! After all, this is your adventure. Think about how much treasure you can get in the end. Forget this forest, forget the dragon, at least rest well until tomorrow morning!”
The next morning, he still said the same thing. Therefore, they had no choice but to fill the stream in front of the forest entrance with water and unload the luggage from the small horse. They split the luggage equally as much as possible, but Birbo still felt that the luggage was a little heavy. He did not like the sight of carrying this heavy burden and trekking through the forest in the future.
"Don't worry!" Thorin said,"It will soon be light. When we start to run out of food, I believe you'd rather carry more weight.”
Finally, they said goodbye to the ponies and told them to go home. They marched happily, seemingly quite excited to be able to leave Gloomy Jungle behind. When they left, Bilbo swore he saw a bear running after them.
Finally, it was Gandalf's turn to say goodbye. Birbo sat on the ground, feeling sullen, wishing he was riding a wizard's horse. After he finished his breakfast (which was rather shabby), he once ventured into the forest to explore. He realized that the forest during the day seemed to be no different from the forest at night. Moreover, there was an extremely secretive feeling."It seems that something is observing and waiting in the dark!”he muttered to himself.
Gandalf said to Thorin," I also bid farewell to everyone. Farewell! You should go straight through the forest. Do not leave the road! If you go against my advice, then you have a one-in-a-thousand chance of not being able to find your way out. If this happens, I think whether it's me or anyone else, I'm afraid we won't be able to see you anymore!”
"Do we really have to go over?”wailed the hobbit.
"Yes, you must!" The wizard said,"If you want to go to the other side of the forest, you must do this, or you must abandon the mission." Mr. Baggins, I'm not going to let you back out at the last minute. Just thinking about this makes me feel ashamed for you. You have to take care of these dwarves for me!”he said with a smile.
"No, I can't! No!" "I didn't mean that," said Bilbo. I mean, is there any other way around?”
"Yes, if you want to go two hundred miles north and then twice the distance south, that's another way. Even if you were willing to take a long detour, it would not be safe. There was no safe place in this area. Remember, you've already crossed the edge of the wilderness. No matter where you go, there will be a lot of drama. Before you can bypass Gloomy Jungle from the north, you will encounter all kinds of fierce and brutal goblins, goblins, and orcs. Before you go around Gloomy Jungle from the south, you will enter the Necromancer's territory. Birbo, even you don't need me to describe the story of this evil female necromancer. I suggest that you don't go near any place that is under his supervision! Obediently walk on the path in the forest, raise your spirits, and hope for the best. As long as you are lucky enough, you will definitely be able to set foot on the other side of the forest in the future. After that, the Lone Mountain is to your east. Smaug lives there too. I hope he doesn't anticipate your arrival.”
" You really know how to comfort people," Thorin growled,""Farewell! Since you're not coming with us, then please don't say anything else!”
"Farewell then. This time, it's really goodbye!”Gandaph turned his horse around and galloped towards the west. However, he could not help but say the last few words. Before he left everyone's sight, he turned his head back and cupped his hands into a cup as he roared. They could vaguely hear his voice transmitted over."Farewell! Stay in your place and take care of yourself-never leave the road!”
Then, he rode his horse and quickly disappeared from everyone's sight. "Oh, goodbye, let's go!" The dwarf muttered. They were really unwilling to lose him, so they were all angry. The most dangerous part of the journey began now. Each of them carried a heavy backpack and a leather bag filled with water. They left the light of the outside world and plunged into the dark forest.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。