The next day, the enemy's horn sounded earlier than usual. Soon, the messenger came alone along the narrow path toward the dragon's cave. Some distance away, the messenger stopped and signaled to them that due to the change in the situation, he had come to ask Thorin if he was willing to meet the messenger again.
"This must be because Dane came to help!”When Thorin heard what the other party said, he immediately said,""They must have heard the news of his advance. This should be enough to suppress their arrogance!”
"Tell your people not to bring any weapons when they come, and don't bring too many people.”Thorin shouted at the messenger.
Around noon, the flags of the Forest and Long Lake Coalition Army were raised again. This time, about twenty people approached the dragon's cave that Thorin was guarding. They put their swords and spears on the ground at the entrance of the narrow passage and then walked towards the cave door. While the dwarves were assessing the situation, they noticed that Bard and the Elven King were in the team. In front of them was an old man wearing a cloak to cover his entire body and carrying a wooden box with an iron frame.
"Thorin!" Bard said,"You still won't back down?”
"My heart will not change just because of a few sunrises and sunsets!”" Are you here to waste my time?" Thorin replied. The elven army still hasn't retreated according to my orders! Before you comply with my conditions, there is no room for negotiation between us.”
"Is there no condition for you to give up a portion of the gold?”
"None of what you have can move me.”
"Where's Thorne's family heirloom diamond?" he said, and the old man lifted the lid of the box and held up the shining gemstone. Pure white light flowed out from the old man's hand, reflecting the scorching sun.
This sudden change stunned Sorin, and for a moment, the surroundings were deathly silent.
Finally, Thorin's angry voice broke the silence.""This precious diamond belonged to my father, so it should be inherited by me! Why should I exchange gold for my treasure?”"If you thieves are willing to answer, I would like to know how my family heirloom ended up in your hands.”
" We're not thieves," Bard replied."As long as you pay the price we deserve, this treasure will naturally be returned to you.”
"How did you get it?”Thorin's anger grew.
"I gave it to them!" Birbo, who was hiding behind the wall and peeping outside the hole, was now very afraid and could only speak quietly.
"You! How dare you!" Thorin turned around and grabbed him with both hands. "You damned Hobbit! You're a miniature version of a robber!”He was so angry he couldn't think of a suitable adjective that he could only grab Bilbo and shake him violently.
"I swear on my ancestor's beard! I wish that Gandalf was here! If it wasn't for his insistence, you wouldn't even be here! I curse him! May his beard fall off! I'm going to kill you on a rock!" he shouted, lifting Bilbo high.
"Stop! Your wish has come true!" said a voice. The old man holding the box took off his hood and cloak. "I am Gandalf! It seemed that he had appeared at the right time. If you are not satisfied with the Snitch I have chosen, please do not hurt him. Put him down and listen to what he has to say!”
"You all colluded!" Thorin gently placed Birbo on top of the wall. "I will never have any dealings with the mage or anyone else who has anything to do with him. You rat, what else do you have to say?”
"That was close! That was close!" said Bilbo,"There's no need to be so unpleasant! Do you still remember that you promised me that I could choose one-fourteenth of the treasures that belonged to me? Perhaps I was too honest. Someone told me that dwarves only know how to be hypocritical in front of others. Of course, when you say this to me, I still look like I'm very useful. Rats, hmph hmph! Thorin, have you forgotten your promise to owe me a favor for generations to come? I'm happy to give away my share. What do you have to do with that? I suggest you stop pursuing this matter!”
" I won't pursue it," Thorin said with a serious expression."I won't care about you anymore. I hope we never meet again!”Then he turned to the wall and said,"I've been betrayed! You guessed it right. I can't let the family's precious diamond fall into the hands of outsiders. In order to exchange for this precious diamond, I am willing to pay one-fourteenth of its value in gold and silver in exchange for this treasure. This is what the traitor said he deserved. It's now your property and you can distribute it freely. However, I doubt how much he can get. If you want to keep him alive, take him back. I'll cut off all ties with him from now on!”
"Go down and find your friends!" He said to Bilbo,"Or I'll throw you down.”
"Where are the gold and silver you promised them?”asked Birbo.
" We'll give it to them as soon as we have a way," he said."Get down!"
" Before we receive the gold and silver, the family heirloom diamond will stay with us," Bard shouted.
" For a dwarf who has the title of 'King Under the Mountain', you really look a little down and out," Gandalf said."However, there's still a chance.”
" Yes, yes," Thorin said absentmindedly. His obsession with the treasure had made him calculate whether he could rely on Dan's help to get the family diamond back without spending a single cent.
After such a long adventure, Birbo jumped off the high wall empty-handed. Now, he only had the armor that Thorin had given him. Many dwarves felt ashamed and regretful when they saw him leave.
"Goodbye!" He shouted to the dwarves,"I hope we can meet again as friends."”
"Get lost!" " You're wearing chainmail made by my compatriots," Thorin shouted." You don't deserve such noble armor." Although arrows can't penetrate this armor, if you don't get out of my sight, I'll aim at your feet and pull the bow! Hurry up!"
"Don't be in such a hurry!" "Your deadline is tomorrow," Bard said. We'll be back tomorrow afternoon to confirm if you've taken out enough gold and silver to exchange for this gem. If you don't play any tricks, we will leave, and the elven army will return to the forest. We'll take our leave first!"
As the allied forces of humans and elves marched towards the camp, Thorin took the opportunity to secretly send messengers to inform Dan to hurry over.
※※※
A day passed quickly. The next day, the west wind blew, and there was a dark and gloomy atmosphere everywhere. Early in the morning, the humans 'campsite was alerted. Scouts rushed into the campsite and reported that a group of dwarves had appeared in the eastern corner of the mountain range and were advancing into the valley. Dan had arrived! He had been traveling without rest all night and finally arrived at the valley before the enemy's expected time. Every dwarf was wearing knee-length chain mail, and below the knees were steel ring armor. This kind of armor was elastic and protective, and only the Dann Dwarves could make it. Most of the dwarves were short and muscular, but these veterans were much stronger than the average dwarf. Their weapons were heavy crane beak shovels that they used with both hands, and they also had a short sword at their waist and a small round shield on their back. Their beards were braided and stuffed into their belts for neat movements; Everyone wore iron helmets and iron boots, and their faces revealed a murderous expression.
The bugle horn sounded, and the elves and humans began to take their positions. Soon, the dwarves could be seen rushing into the valley. The troops stopped near the river and the eastern slope of the mountain range, but there were still a few dwarves who crossed the river and headed for the camp. They then put down their weapons outside the camp and raised their hands to express their peace. Bard came out to meet them, and Birbo followed beside him.
" Dane, son of Nain, sent us here." When questioned, they replied,""We are in a hurry to meet up with our compatriots in the mountains because we heard that they have recovered the ancient kingdom. However, what right do you people have to set up a siege formation on the plains?”Of course, this was just a polite exchange between the two sides before the battle."You shouldn't be here. We're going to cross your camp. If you don't give way, we'll have to fight!”They planned to launch an attack on the flat ground between the river bend and the mountain range, because this flat ground did not seem to have any natural barriers to defend.
Of course, Bard also rejected the dwarves 'request to enter the mountains directly. He decided to hold the dwarves in the mountains and give them the gold and silver to exchange for the precious diamond before giving in, because once these murderous dwarves entered, he did not think that Thorin would keep his previous promise. These dwarves with amazing endurance carried a lot of supplies. Although Dane's troops had just marched for a day and night, most of them were still carrying huge backpacks. Judging from the scene in front of them, their supplies were enough to withstand a week of siege, and after that, there would be more dwarven reinforcements. Because Sorin had a large number of dwarves, the defenders could reopen some of the sealed mountain gates if they had more manpower. The attackers would have to surround the entire mountain range, and they would be faced with the dilemma of insufficient manpower.
In fact, this was the dwarves 'strategy (because Thorin and Dane frequently used the Duwu to transmit information). However, the fact that the road was blocked was right in front of them, and the dwarven messengers could only mumble and walk back to their own positions. Bard immediately sent messengers to the entrance of the cave to check, but they did not find any gold. As soon as they stepped into the shooting range, they were immediately attacked by arrows, forcing them to retreat. At this time, the attacking side's position also began to stir, because the coalition forces discovered that Dan's dwarves were advancing along the east coast.
"Foolish fellow!" "They actually want to attack us from the bottom of the hill!" Bard laughed. Perhaps they were familiar with the mineshaft, but they really knew nothing about fighting on the ground. Our archers and spearmen are now lying in ambush on their right flank. No matter how strong the dwarves 'chainmail is, we will beat them to a pulp. Before they recover their strength, let's attack from both sides!”
However, the Elven King said," Even if I can't avoid it, I will try my best to delay this war that started for gold. The dwarves are not powerful enough to pose a threat unless we act rashly. Let's wait a little longer and hope that there will be an opportunity to compromise. Even if we have to fight with weapons in the end, our advantage in numbers is enough to win.”
Unfortunately, he had overlooked the dwarves 'thoughts. The news that the precious diamond had fallen into the hands of the enemy made them furious. They had also figured out the reason why Bard and the allied forces had not acted yet, and decided to take advantage of their disagreement to attack.
Without warning, the dwarves silently rushed forward and prepared to attack. The bow was fully drawn, the arrow was nocked, and the battle was about to begin…
Darkness covered the earth at an even more astonishing speed. Black clouds appeared with overwhelming power. Rare winter thunder and strong winds raged on the mountain, and lightning illuminated the mountain peak. Amidst the rumbling of thunder, another group of black shadows surged out like a tide. They were not fog brought by the wind, but monsters flying from the north. Even sunlight could not penetrate the tight formation of these monsters.
"Stop!" Gandaph appeared alone between the advancing dwarves and the defending allied forces. He raised his hands and ordered. "Stop!" He roared with a thunderous voice, and his staff burst with dazzling white light like lightning."Evil has descended! They were much faster than I had expected. The orcs had already made their move! The Orc King Pogg (son of Azog) had already led his army south. Dane, it was you who killed his father in Moria. Everyone, be careful! The bats were following their team like locusts, and the orcs were riding their mount wolves and attacking us!”
For a moment, everyone was shrouded in shock and confusion. Even when Gandalf warned everyone, the darkness continued to expand. The dwarves stopped and looked at the sky. The elves let out a cry of surprise.
"Come on!" Gandalf said," We still have time to discuss. Please, Dane, son of Nain, quickly join us!”
This was the unexpected and tragic battle known as the Battle of the Five Armies. On one side were the troops formed by the Half-Orcs and Wild Wolves, and on the other side were the allied forces formed by the Elves, Humans, and Dwarves. The situation before the war began was like this: After the beastman king of the Mist Mountains was killed, their hatred for the dwarves reached an unprecedented peak. Messengers kept coming and going between their colonies, cities, and fortresses. They decided to conquer the entire Northern Continent this time. The orcs gathered their troops in an extremely secret way and quietly met up underground. They hid in the hills and valleys during the day and came out at night, while using tunnels as a means of transportation. In the end, the orcs gathered a large number of troops at the foot of the Gundaba Mountains in the north (where their capital was located) and prepared to silently march south to catch the enemy off guard. At the same time, they also learned of the death of the evil dragon, so their morale was greatly boosted. They began to travel day and night. In the end, they suddenly appeared behind Dane's troops. Even the dwarves who used the Duwu to send messages did not notice their elusive appearance. It was not until they stepped onto the flat ground between the lone mountain and the other hills that their tracks were discovered. We are not sure how much information Gandalf has, but it is clear that the situation has changed so quickly that it is beyond his expectations.
Therefore, he, the Elven King, Bard, and Dan began to draw up a battle plan. Since the orcs were the public enemy of all races, everyone abandoned their prejudices and united against them. The only hope for the allied forces was to lure the orcs deep into the valley and into the encirclement of the mountains. The defenders had to defend the eastern and southern slopes of the mountains. However, if there were enough orcs, they could directly attack the mountain and then attack the defenders from both the top and the bottom of the mountain. This would put the defenders in danger. Unfortunately, there was no time to draw up other battle plans or summon reinforcements.
Soon, the black clouds drifted to the southeast with thunder. A group of bats flew low along the mountain, blocking the sunlight and filling everyone's hearts with fear.
"Retreat up the mountain!" "Retreat to the mountain!" Bard ordered loudly. Quickly enter our defensive position!”
The elves formed their formations along the southern slope and the rocks below, while the humans and dwarves defended their positions along the eastern slope. Bard and a few humans and elves climbed to the top of the eastern mountain range to observe the movements in the north. Soon, they could see that the plains in front of the mountain were covered in groups of black shadows. Not long after, the enemy's vanguard bypassed the mountain and began to charge into the valley. These vanguard were the fastest wolf riders, and their wild howls accompanied their unstoppable momentum as they ran. A small number of humans were placed in front of the enemy's attack, acting as a feint. Before they received the order to retreat to the two sides to lure the enemy, many of them had already died under the fierce attack. Just as Gandaph had expected, the Orc army gathered behind the vanguard that had been blocked. Once the front line was opened, they immediately rushed to the flat ground between the eastern and southern slopes in a rage, wanting to fight the enemy. Their reddish-black flags were densely packed, and it was difficult to count them. The troops were like a furious reddish-black tide, violently surging forward.
This was an extremely tragic war, the most terrifying war Birbo had ever experienced in his life, and the war he hated the most at that time. Needless to say, what happened later naturally became his proudest and favorite memory. However, the role he played in it was really insignificant. In fact, I have to make it clear that he put on his ring at the beginning of the battle and avoided everyone's attention, but it did not mean that he could avoid all the danger. In the battle formation of the Orc army, such a ring could not provide complete protection. Similarly, the ring could not stop the eyeless axes and arrows. However, the Lord of the Rings could still effectively help you avoid the sharp edge or prevent the Orc Warriors from aiming at your little head.
The elves were the first to launch an attack among the defenders. They had a deep grudge against the orcs. Their swords, spears, and sabers flashed in the darkness like cold flames. Every warrior's chest was filled with killing intent that would not stop until they killed all the orcs. After the enemy rushed into the valley, they immediately suppressed the enemy with a rain of arrows. Every arrow seemed to pierce into the enemy's body with raging anger. After the rain of arrows, thousands of Elven spearmen charged at the enemy with deafening roars. For a moment, the rocks were covered in the orc's black blood.
After the Elven army's charge ended, just as the orcs finally recovered from the fierce attack, a deep roar filled the valley. The dwarves of the Iron Hills shouted," Don't forget Moria!”And " Long live Dane!" He waved his heavy crane beak shovel and launched an assault from the other side. The humans from the lakeside held their swords and charged alongside them.
The orcs began to panic. Just as they changed their formation and prepared to face the attack, the elves once again sent a large number of troops to charge into the enemy's formation. Many orcs began to retreat towards the river, wanting to escape from this trap. The wolves in the orc army also took the opportunity to devour the corpses and dying wounded on the battlefield. Just when the alliance army thought victory was in sight, a frightening shout came from the top of the mountain.
The orcs had already circled around the top of the mountain from the other side. Many troops appeared on the slope above the entrance of the Dragon Cave. The other orcs rushed down the slope to attack the defenders on the slope. Even if many of their companions fell from the cliff, they could not stop their speed. There was a narrow mountain path leading to the eastern slope and the southern slope, and the defenders did not have enough troops to defend these two paths for a long time. The victory that was almost in their hands instantly vanished, and the defenders could only barely resist the first wave of fierce counterattacks from the terrifying black tide.
Time slowly passed. The orcs gathered in the valley again. Hordes of mount wolves followed them in, and behind them were the imperial guards of the orc king, Pogg. These Imperial Guards were all abnormally tall and held sharp steel scimitars. Soon, the dark clouds began to cover the sky. Giant bats were still flying above the elves and humans, greedily sucking the blood of the injured. Bard's eastern slope was under fierce attack, and the defenders were forced to retreat slowly. The elves were surrounded near the outpost of Wuqiu, while the elven nobles defended the king.
A shocking cry attracted everyone's attention, and the sound of a horn came from the entrance of the dragon's cave. They had all forgotten about Thorin! The barrier wall at the entrance of the dragon's cave fell into the city with a rumble under the operation of the mechanism. The king of the kingdom under the mountain rushed out of the dragon's cave first, followed by his loyal companions. They took off their cloaks and wore shining armor, their eyes flashing red with anger. On the dark battlefield, the dwarves looked like red hot gold in the embers of fire.
The orcs at the top of the mountain threw a large number of stones at them, but they still rushed down the hill and charged into the battlefield. The formation of the wolf riders was completely scattered. They were either hacked to death or scattered in all directions. Thorin waved his axe wildly, as if no weapon could hurt him.
"Follow me! Follow me! Elves and humans! Follow me! Comrades, charge!" His voice reverberated in the valley like the horn of victory.
All the dwarves under Dane's banner abandoned their original enemies and rushed to help Thorin. Many humans also rushed over, and even Bard could not stop them. The elven spearmen on the other side also launched a counterattack. The orcs were once again suppressed back to the lower ground, and the valley was filled with orc corpses. The mount wolves were completely scattered. Thorin rushed towards Borg's guards, but he was unable to break through the line of the guards.
At this moment, many humans and dwarves had sacrificed themselves behind him, and many long-lived elves who should have lived happily in the forest had also sacrificed their blood. As the battle line expanded, his progress became slower and slower. He had too few troops, and his flanks were defenseless. Very quickly, the counter-attackers were counterattacked. The battle generals who had been leading the attack were forced to form a circular formation and suffer attacks from all directions. The orcs and wolves launched wave after wave of merciless surprise attacks. At the same time, the Orc King Pogg's Imperial Guards howled and launched an offensive. Sorin's weak front line began to crumble like a sand castle facing a huge wave. The allies outside the encirclement had no time to worry about anything else because the orcs had strengthened their offensive. The defenders on the eastern and southern slopes were attacked by more than twice the number of troops. The remaining elves and humans on both sides were completely suppressed.
Birbo was helpless and could only watch the tragedy happen in front of him sadly. He and the elves guarded the position of Uchu. Part of the reason was that there was a higher chance of escaping from there, and part of it was because (of course, this was the Tucker in his blood vessels)
If he had to die on the battlefield, he would rather fight side by side with the Elf King. Similarly, Gandaph sat on the ground and fell into deep thought. He seemed to be preparing the final spell to destroy both jade and stone.
It seemed like the final deciding factor had been reached. "Everything is about to end!" Birbo thought, The orcs will soon take the dragon's den. We will either be slaughtered or captured as slaves. After all the adventures I've been through, this situation still makes me want to cry. I would rather that evil dragon was still alive to protect that damned treasure than to watch Pombo, Balin, Philip, Kili, and the others die without a burial place. It was the same for Bard, the humans, and the elves. I'm so pitiful! I had heard so many songs about war and had always understood the principle of glory in defeat. However, when I actually experienced it, I still felt very uncomfortable, not to mention that feeling of disappointment. I wish I wasn't here!"
The dark clouds were swept away by the strong wind, and the afterglow of the setting sun illuminated the west. Under this rare light, Birbo took the opportunity to size up the situation on the battlefield. He shouted, and an exciting scene appeared in front of him. A group of noble black figures appeared in the light in the distance…
"Giant eagle! Giant eagle!" "The Eagle King is here!" he shouted.
Birbo's eyesight was rarely wrong. The giant eagles rode the wind and appeared in groups. Judging from the number, it seemed that all the eagles in the north were under the Eagle King's command.
"The giant eagle is here! The Eagle King is here!" Birbo waved his arms and shouted. Although the elves couldn't see him, they could still hear the noise he made. Soon, they began to shout as well. Many curious gazes began to search the sky, but at this moment, everyone could only see the outline of the southern mountain range standing in the sky.
"Old Eagle is here!" Birbo shouted again, and at the same moment, a stone dropped from the mountain hit him hard on the head. He fell to the ground with a thud and lost consciousness.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。