Birbo managed to avoid the orcs with great difficulty, but he did not know where he was. He had lost his cloak, his hood, his food, his pony, his buttons, and all his friends. He could only continue walking aimlessly until the sun began to set behind the mountains. The shadow of the mountain fell on Birbo. He looked back curiously and then looked at the slope leading to a large plain. There were only a few sparse trees in the middle.
"Good heavens!" He said," I seem to have passed through the Misty Mountains and arrived at the other side of the mountain! God, where are the dwarves and Gandalf? I only hope that they are not still within the orcs 'sphere of influence!”
He continued to walk aimlessly, crossing the narrow valley and reaching the end. He walked down the slope, but he kept feeling that something was wrong. Now that he had found the magic ring, should he return to that terrifying dark tunnel to find his friends? He had just made up his mind to take responsibility and go back to look for his friends when he suddenly heard a sound.
He stopped and listened carefully. It did not sound like the voice of an orc, so he walked forward carefully. He was now on a rocky path. On his left was a rock wall, and on the other side was a slope that led down. From above, one could see that there were many shrubs and low plants in the valley below. Under the bushes in one of the valleys, there were sounds of conversation.
He dived closer and saw a head wearing a red hood through the gap between the rocks. It was Ba Lin, who was in charge of standing guard. He almost clapped his hands in delight, but held back. He was still wearing the ring because he was worried that something bad would happen to him. Therefore, even though Ba Lin was looking in his direction, he didn't notice anything.
"I'll give them a surprise!”he thought, as he crept closer to the bushes in the valley. Gandaph was arguing with the dwarves. They were discussing what had happened in the tunnel and trying to decide what to do next. The dwarves complained, while Gandalf insisted that if Mr. Baggins was still in the hands of the orcs, they should not continue to move forward. At the very least, they had to determine his life and death, or even rescue him.
" After all, he is my friend," the wizard said."He's not a bad man, I'm responsible for him, I really hope you didn't make him disappear.”
The dwarves wanted to know why he was brought here, why he could not travel with his friends, and why the wizard did not choose a companion with more common sense. " He has caused more trouble than he has helped," someone said."If we have to go back to that complicated tunnel to find him, I suggest we just let him die.”
"I brought him here," replied Gandalf angrily."I would never take a useless man on an adventure. If you don't want to help me, I can do it myself. You can think of a way to solve these problems yourself. As long as we can find him, you will definitely thank me in the end. Dori, why did you leave him behind?”
" If an orc suddenly grabbed you in the dark, tripped you, and kicked you in the back,""You'll throw him down too!"
"Then why didn't you pick him up?”
"Oh my god! You still have the nerve to ask! The orcs scratched and bit in the darkness. Everyone rolled on the ground and bumped into each other! You almost cut my head off with your Enemy Sword, while Thorin was waving his Bite Sword and stabbing everywhere. Then, you suddenly gave off that blinding light, and we saw the orcs wailing and running away. You shouted,'Everyone, follow me!' Everyone should go with you. We also thought that everyone had done so. As you know, we didn't have time to calculate. After that, we killed all the guards, rushed out of the gate, and hid here. Now we've come to this, and the Snitch's gone.”
"The Snitch is here!" Bilbo walked to the middle of the group and took off his ring.
Wow, everyone jumped higher and higher! Then they started cheering in surprise. Gandalf was as surprised as the others, but perhaps happier. He called Balin back and asked him how the sentinel could let someone walk up to him without making a sound. In fact, after this incident, the dwarves viewed Birbo in a new light. Even if they had doubted his identity as a top Snitch under Gandalf's guarantee, it was now gone. Balin was the most innocent of them all, but everyone thought it was Birbo's skill.
Indeed, Bilbo seemed to float under their praise and snickered inwardly, not saying a word about the ring. When they asked him how he did it, he said,"Oh, you just have to walk very carefully and very quietly.”
" This is the first time in history that someone has been able to walk past me carefully and quietly without me noticing! Even a mouse can't do this!" Balin said,"I take my hat off to you.”He did as he was told.
"Ba Lin is at your service!" he said.
"Mr. Baggins at your service!" Birbo replied.
They all wanted to know what Bilbo's adventures had been after he had been separated from them, and so he sat down and told them everything except for finding the ring ("not yet," he thought). They were particularly interested in the part about the guessing game, and they all shuddered at his description of Gollum.
"I couldn't think of any puzzle when he sat down next to me," said Bilbo at last."So, I said,'What's in my pocket?'He couldn't guess it even after three tries. So in the end, I said,"You promised me before that you would take me out!"”However, he rushed over to kill me. I turned around and ran, missing him in the darkness. Then I followed him, because I heard him talking to himself, and he thought I knew the way out and was heading in that direction. Then he sat down at the entrance of the exit, and I couldn't get past him for a moment. In the end, I had to jump over his head and escape through the door.”
"What about the guards?" They asked,"Haven't you encountered it?”
"Oh, yes! There were so many of them that it was scary, but I managed to avoid them all. The door only opened a crack. I was stuck in the doorway and lost a lot of buttons." He looked sadly at his torn clothes. "However, at least I managed to escape. That's why I'm able to stand in front of you.”
The dwarf looked at him with more respect than before, and Birbo described the process of dodging the guards, jumping over Gollum, and squeezing out of the door in a relaxed tone, as if it was all a piece of cake.
"See, didn't I tell you?”Gandalf smiled." Mr. Baggins is more powerful than you think.”When he said this, he gave Birbo a strange look. The Hobbit began to wonder if he had guessed that there was a truth that he had deliberately concealed during this process.
Then, it was his turn to ask questions. Even though Gandalf had explained everything to the dwarves, Birbo still wanted to know how the wizard had escaped and what they had experienced in between.
To be honest, the wizard did not mind repeating his wisdom, so he began to explain to Birbo," He and Elrond had already noticed the presence of evil orcs in this area before this. However, their main entrance used to be in the other direction. The road was easier to walk, and they often caught travelers who accidentally approached at night. The orcs had just built a new door beside the passage at the top of the mountain. This should have happened recently, because until now, no one had heard of this entrance.
" I have to see if I can find a kind-hearted giant to block the door again," Gandalf said."Otherwise, this area will soon be deserted.”
At first, Gandalf realized what had happened when he heard Birbo's shout. The moment the orc was killed, he seized the opportunity to slip into the rift before it closed. He followed the soldiers all the way to the vicinity of the hall. Then, he sat down and began to prepare the most powerful magic in the darkness.
" That was an unforgettable experience," he said."After a successful attack, you must escape!”
Of course, Gandaph wouldn't be stumped by such a small matter. He was especially knowledgeable about fire and light magic. (That was why the Hobbits had always been obsessed with Old Tucker's fireworks display during the summer solstice banquet.）We've heard of the rest, except that Gandalf knows the back door, the lower door as the orcs call it. It's where Birbo lost all his buttons. In fact, anyone who knew the terrain of this area would know that there was an exit, but only wizards could stay calm in the tunnel and lead them in the right direction.
"They built this gate many years ago, partly to provide an escape route when needed, and partly to provide the passage they need to go to other regions. They would still attack in the dark and cause great damage to this area. They were guarding the entrances and exits so that no one could block the road. After this lesson, they would definitely strengthen their defenses.”said Gandalf, laughing.
The others also laughed heartily. Although they had suffered heavy losses, they had at least killed the leader of the orcs and many of their enemies. Moreover, they had all escaped safely. So far, this adventure had been quite successful.
However, the words of the Magus woke them up. " Since we've rested enough, we must set off immediately," he said."When night falls, there will definitely be hundreds of orcs coming out to kill us. Even long after we left, they could still smell our footprints. We have to get as far away from here as possible before it gets dark. If we're lucky, there should be moonlight tonight. They don't care much about the moonlight, but it's more convenient for us to have the moonlight to illuminate the road.”
"Oh yes!" He answered more of the hobbits 'questions in one fell swoop."You got the time wrong in the orc cave. When we were captured, it was either Monday night or Tuesday morning. We walked a very long distance, passing through the center of the mountain range and now arriving at the other side. This was a rather convenient shortcut, but it was still quite a distance away from the original route. We were too far north, and there would be a bumpy road ahead. We're still at a very high place. Let's hurry up and set off!”
"I'm so hungry!" Birbo suddenly realized that they had not eaten for two or three days. Imagine what a torment it was for the Hobbits! After the nervousness and excitement from before had subsided, he realized that his stomach was growling and his legs could not help but tremble.
" There's no other way," Gandalf said." Unless you want to go back and ask those orcs to kindly return your luggage and pony to you.”
"Thank you for your suggestion!" said Birbo.
"Well, then we'll just have to tighten our belts and keep going. Otherwise, he could only be made into dinner by the other party. This was much worse than not eating dinner!”
As they hurried on, Bilbo looked around for something to eat, but the blackberries had just begun to bloom, and of course the hawthorn fruit was nowhere near enough. He found some non-toxic leaves and chewed them. When he crossed the river, he drank some spring water and ate a few wild berries he found on the shore. However, these were just a drop in the bucket and could not extinguish the raging fire in his stomach.
They continued forward, and the rugged path disappeared. The shrubs, long grass, rocks, thyme, sagebrush, fragrant mint, and rock roses had all disappeared. They found themselves on a slope full of falling rocks. This must be the ruins of a landslide. When they started to walk down, small stones kept rolling under their feet. Soon, larger pieces of gravel were disturbed and fell down. Before long, the entire hillside was in a commotion. The slope above and below them seemed to have begun to move. Everyone hugged each other in panic and fear. In the chaos and shocking noise, they watched themselves and the entire hillside slide down.
The trees at the foot of the mountain had saved their lives. They slid into the pine forest that stood on the hillside, which was also the place that connected the hillside to the dark forest below. Some of them grabbed onto the trunk and climbed onto the lower branches. Some people (like the unlucky little Hobbits) hid behind trees to avoid the falling rocks. Soon, the danger was over. The largest and heaviest rocks rolled into the forest behind them.
"Alright! That gave us a fright,"said Gandalf."I'm afraid that even the orcs chasing after us will have a hard time coming down.”
" I think so too," Pang Bo mumbled,""But it won't be hard for them to throw rocks at our heads.”The dwarves and Birbo were not in high spirits, but massaged their swollen, bruised legs and feet gloomily.
"Nonsense! We will leave this area. We have to move quickly! Look at the sky!"
The sun had already set behind the mountain. The shadows around them had deepened, but because the trees on the distant hillside were shorter, they could still see the sunset on the distant plains. They limped along as fast as they could, up a slope of pine trees that slanted southward. Sometimes, they had to push aside the dense fern leaves to continue moving forward. At the same time, the forest grew darker and quieter. That night, there wasn't even the slightest breeze that could bring Breath of the Sea into the forest.
"Do we still have to continue walking?" Birbo asked. It was so dark that he could only see Thorin's beard swaying around him. The dead silence made the dwarf's breathing an annoying noise. "My toes are bruised, my legs are hurting, and my stomach is shaking like an empty bag…"
"Just a little more!" said Gandalf.
After what seemed to be an endless trek, they came to a clearing where the moon had risen and shone serenely. Although there was nothing special about the surroundings, they all felt that this place was a little strange.
At that moment, they heard a howl from afar. It was a shrill, piercing howl. A closer response came from the right, and there was also a response from the left. This was the wild wolf howling and the moon howling. They were calling their friends!
There were no wolves near Mr. Baggins 'burrow, but he recognized the voice, which he had often heard described in legends. One of his relatives (from the Tuck family) was a traveler who had deliberately imitated the voice to scare him. Hearing this sound in the forest was too exciting for Birbo. Even the magic ring could not do anything to the wild wolves, especially the evil wolves that roamed this area. These wolves 'sense of smell was even sharper than that of the orcs. They did not need to rely on their vision at all and could still easily capture their prey!
"What should we do? What should we do?”He shouted in panic,"I just dodged the orcs and was caught by the wolves!"”He said that it had become a proverb, though we now mostly use the phrase 'one wave after another' to describe equally disconcerting situations.
"Hurry up and climb the tree!" Gandaph shouted. They immediately ran to the forest at the edge of the grassland, looking for pine trees with relatively low branches, or thinner trees that were easier to climb. You should have guessed that they found a place to hide with unprecedented speed and immediately used all their strength to climb up the highest branch. If you were nearby (of course, you had to be at a safe distance) and saw the dwarves sitting on the branches with their beards floating in the wind, you might not be able to help but laugh because they looked too much like naughty old people pretending to be children.
Philip and Kili were hiding in a tall larch tree that looked like a Christmas tree; Dori, Nori, Ou Li, Ou Yin, and Gloin were hiding on a giant pine tree. Its twigs were as neat as a wheel, and they extended in all directions. Beaver, Beaufort, and Pang Bo were all huddled on a thin cedar tree, trying to find a place to rest on the sparse branches. Gandaph was taller than everyone else, so he easily found a tall pine tree that no one else could climb and looked down at the scene in front of him. He hid himself quite well, but when he went down, you could still see his eyes shining in the night.
As for Birbo? He couldn't climb any trees at all. He could only run around in panic, like a poor hare being hunted by a hound, looking for a hiding place.
"You've left the Snitch behind again!”Nori said to Duoli.
"I can't carry the Snitch around every time, can I?”"It's fine if we're in the tunnel, but climbing trees?" Do you think I'm a porter?"
"If we don't do something, he'll be eaten!”Thorin said, as the howls around him grew closer and more urgent. "Duo Li!" he shouted, because Dori was in the easiest tree to climb and was closest to the ground.”
Although Dori liked to complain, he was actually a very kind person. But even though Dori climbed to the lowest branch and dangled his arm upside down, poor Birbo could not catch it. So Dori risked climbing down the tree and let Birbo climb up on his back.
At that moment, the wolves howled as they charged into the clearing. Hundreds of eyes suddenly popped up and stared at them. Dori still held Birbo tightly. He waited until the other party climbed up the tree before he jumped up. That was really close! A wild wolf bit his cloak the moment he climbed up the tree and almost tore him off. Not long after, wild wolves were everywhere, howling and pouncing on the trees. Their eyes were shining, and their tongues were hanging outside in hunger.
These mount wolves (the wild wolves in the Great Wilderness were called this because they were used as mounts by the orcs) could not climb trees. At least Birbo and the others were temporarily safe. Fortunately, the weather was quite warm and there was not much wind. The tree branches were not suitable for sitting for long periods of time, but if they were surrounded by the cold wind of wild wolves, it would be a place that would really kill people.
This open space in the forest was obviously the gathering place of the wild wolves. More and more wolves were gathering here. They left guards under the trees where Dori and Birbo were hiding and sniffed around until they found all the trees where people were hiding. They also sent guards to guard the trees. The other hundreds of wolves sat in a circle in the middle of the grass. In the middle of the circle was a huge gray wolf. It spoke to them in the terrifying language of the mount wolves. Gandalf could understand it, but Birbo could not understand it, but he felt that every word they said was terrifying. Every once in a while, the pack of wolves would echo their leader's words in unison, and the terrifying roar almost made the Hobbit fall off the tree.
Although Birbo doesn't understand, let me tell you what Gandalf heard! Wargs and orcs generally do not venture far from the mountains, unless they have been driven out, forced to find a new home, or ready for war (which I am happy to tell you has not happened in a long time). In that era, they would sometimes launch a surprise attack to seize food or capture slaves who worked for them. Then, they would usually ask the mount wolves to help and share the results with them. It seemed that there would be a large-scale surprise attack tonight. The mount wolf was here to meet the orcs, but the orcs were late. There was no doubt that this was caused by the death of the orc leader, as well as the commotion caused by Birbo, the dwarves, and the wizards. The orcs might still be thinking of ways to capture these guys.
Despite the many dangers of this land, brave men from the south have recently journeyed here to cut down trees and build homes in the valleys or forests by the river. They had a large number of people, and they were well-equipped and brave. During the day or when they moved together, even the mount wolves did not dare to attack easily. However, this time, they planned to attack a few villages near the mountain with the help of the orcs. If their plan succeeded, there might be no survivors in the vicinity except for the slaves selected by the orcs the next day.
This sounded creepy, not only because of the fate of these brave lumberjacks and their wives and children, but also because Gandalf and his friends were also facing a great crisis. The wargs were furious and troubled when they saw these people at their gathering place. They thought that these people were allies of the lumberjack and were here to spy on them. They would inform the humans in the valley of their attack plan later. In this way, the original plan of the orcs and wolves to slaughter unarmed humans in the dark would become a difficult bloody battle. Therefore, the mount wolves didn't plan to let these guys leave this place alive to report the news, at least not before dawn. They also believed that before that, the orc soldiers would come to meet up. These orcs could climb the trees or cut down the trees to capture the enemy in one fell swoop.
You should know now why Gandalf is getting more and more afraid! Even though he was a wizard, he would still have such a reaction when trapped in such a situation. At the same time, he secretly made up his mind that even if he was trapped on the tree and couldn't do much, he would definitely let these guys get what they wanted. He collected a large pile of pine cones from the tree he was on, ignited them with blue flames, and threw the scorching fireball at the place where the mount wolves gathered. The first shot hit a wolf. Its back was shot, and its fluffy fur immediately burned. It began to run around in pain, howling non-stop. Fireballs were thrown out one by one. Some were emitting blue flames, some were emitting red flames, and some were emitting green flames. They exploded on the ground, emitting sparks and smoke of various colors. A particularly large pine cone hit the mount wolf leader's nose, causing it to jump ten feet high. When it landed, it angrily attacked the other wolves to vent its anger.
The dwarf and Birbo cheered loudly. The wolf pack's rage was extremely terrifying, causing the entire forest to be in an uproar. Since ancient times, wild wolves had been afraid of fire, but this kind of fire was the most terrifying and cunning enemy. As long as a spark touched their fur, unless they immediately rolled and put out the fire, they would be immediately swallowed by the fire. Soon, the entire grassland was filled with wolves that were rolling around, trying to extinguish the sparks on their backs. The other wolves that were on fire were crying and running in all directions, but more of their compatriots were caught in the flames. In the end, they were all chased away by their companions and ran down the slope to find water.
※※※
"What happened to the forest today?" The Giant Eagle King said. It sat under the moonlight, overlooking the ground from a lone rock in the eastern corner of the mountain. "I heard the wolves! Are the orcs causing trouble in the forest again?”
It dived towards the clouds, and the guards on both sides immediately followed closely behind. They soared in the air and looked down at the small gathering spot of the mount wolves on the ground. However, the eagles had excellent eyesight and could see small things far away. The Eagle King of the Misty Mountains had eyes that could look directly at the sun, and could even see the rabbits running a mile away under the moonlight. Therefore, it could clearly see the people hiding in the trees, as well as the wolves running and howling in the flames below. In addition, it also saw the moonlight shining on the Orcs 'helmets and spears. These evil creatures lined up and marched into the forest.
Eagles were not gentle birds. Some were very weak and cruel, but the ancient eagle tribe of the northern mountain range was the king of birds. They were proud, strong, and kind-hearted. They did not like orcs, nor were they afraid of them. When they were distracted by these creatures (which was rare because they didn't eat them), they would swoop down and make them scream and run back into the cave to stop their evil work. The orcs were afraid of the eagles and hated them, but they could not touch their steep and difficult nests or drive them away from the mountains.
Tonight, the Eagle King was very curious and wanted to know what was going on down there. Therefore, it summoned many giant eagles to join them. They flew away from the mountain range and slowly spiraled down, gliding toward the gathering place of the orcs and mount wolves.
This was great news! Something terrifying happened below. The burning wolf fled into the forest, but it also caused the forest to burn. It was the middle of summer, and it had not rained for a long time. Soon, the dead trees, piles of pine needles, and yellowed branches and leaves were all burned. In the forest outside the clearing, everyone was fleeing in all directions, but the wolves still refused to leave the trees. They were so angry that they kept jumping and roaring under the trees, cursing the dwarves in their terrifying language. Their tongues were hanging outside, and their eyes were flashing with a red light as fierce as flames.
Then, all of a sudden, the orc roared and rushed out. They thought that the battle with the lumberjack had already begun, but they soon discovered the truth. Some of them even sat down and laughed, while others waved their spears and hit their shields with their spears. The orcs were not afraid of fire, so they quickly came up with an interesting idea.
Some of the orcs gathered all the wolves, some piled up leaves and dead branches under the trees, while others went out to put out the fire, beating and extinguishing all the flames, leaving only the flames near the trees where the dwarves were hiding. They also added many dead branches and fallen leaves around these flames. Soon, the dwarves were surrounded by thick smoke and flames. The orcs did not allow the flames to spread out, only letting it slowly shrink in range. Finally, the flames began to lick the fuel under the tree. Birbo's eyes were hazy from the smoke, and he could feel the temperature of the flames. In the thick smoke, he could vaguely see the orcs dancing in a circle around the campfire. Outside the group of warriors who were dancing with spears and axes, the wolves stood far away, waiting for the show to start.
He could hear the orcs begin to sing a terrible ballad:
There are fifteen birds on the five trees,
The feathers fluttered in the strong wind!
These ridiculous birds don't even have wings!
What are we going to do with these funny little things?
Roasted alive and stewed in a pot:
Fried bird or cooked and eaten while hot?
Then they stopped. If you can, fly away! Come down, little bird, or you'll be burned alive in your nest! Sing, sing, little bird! Why aren't you guys singing?"
"Let's go! Children!" Gandalf shouted back,"This is not the time to play with birds. Even naughty children who play with fire will be punished!"”He said this mainly to provoke them and let them know that they were not afraid of them. However, the wizard still felt a chill down his spine. The other party did not care at all and continued to sing.
Burn, burn all the leaves and branches!
Smoke was rising from it, and it was charred black! Turn into a torch
Light up the night sky for us, yo-hoo!
Roast them and blow them up!
Let their beards catch fire and their eyes shine;
Their hair stinks, their skin cracks,
Fat melted, bones charred black
Lying in the ashes, staring at the sky!
All dwarves should die like this,
Light up the night sky for us, aha!
Yahalihei! Ya hu!
Ya hu! As soon as he had finished, the fire spread to Gandalf's tree; In a moment, it spread to the other trees. The bark caught fire, and the branches below began to crackle.
Gandaph immediately climbed to the highest point of the tree, and his staff began to emit a dazzling light like lightning. He was ready to jump into the place where the orcs gathered. This might cost him his life, but his thunderous leap might kill many orcs. However, he did not jump down in the end.
At that moment, the Eagle King swooped down from the sky, grabbed him with its claws, and disappeared into the clouds. The orc let out a piercing howl in anger and disappointment. The Eagle King cried loudly, and Gandaph was talking to him. The giant eagles that were traveling with him swooped down again, charging into the forest like huge black shadows. The wolves gritted their teeth and growled. The orcs stomped their feet angrily and threw their spears into the sky in vain. The giant eagle shuttled between them, and the strong wind pressure pressed them to the ground. Some of them staggered backward, and their sharp claws tore at the Orcs 'faces. The other giant eagles flew close to the treetops and rescued the dwarves who had taken the risk to climb to the highest point.
Poor little Birbo was almost left on the spot again! Fortunately, he managed to grab Dori's legs in time, because he was the last to be taken away. They left the scene of flames and chaos just like that. Birbo was swaying in the air, feeling that his arms were about to break in half.
On the ground not far away, the orcs and wild wolves were running around in the forest, and a few giant eagles were still circling the battlefield. The flames on the tree suddenly sprang up and engulfed the entire tree in an instant. Birbo almost couldn't escape this calamity! Soon, the fire below became faint, turning into a blurry red light on the black ground. They were already high up in the sky, spiraling upwards. Birbo would never forget the terrifying experience of grabbing Dori's ankle. He wailed,""My hand, my hand!" But Dori shouted,"Ouch! My leg, my leg!"
Even when he was at his strongest, Birbo was very sensitive to height. Even a small cliff would make him dizzy. He didn't like ladders, let alone climbing trees (because he didn't need to hide from wolves before). Therefore, you could imagine how uncomfortable he felt when he saw the river and mountains below and the black forest!
The pale peaks of the mountain range were getting closer and closer, and the rocks illuminated by the moonlight protruded from the shadows. Whether it was summer or not, it looked so cold that it made people shiver. He closed his eyes, not knowing if he could hold on any longer, and then he began to imagine what would happen if he did-he felt sick.
To him, this flight had ended at the right time. His hands could no longer hold on. Panting, he let go of Dori's ankle and landed on the rugged ground of the eagle's nest. He lay there without saying a word. The scenes of his life seemed to have passed before his eyes. On one hand, he was surprised that he could escape this disaster, but on the other hand, he was worried that he would accidentally fall down and fall into the deep valley. After three consecutive days of amazing adventures and not eating a single grain of rice, his head began to feel a little uncomfortable. He was not paying attention and actually complained loudly,"Now I know what it feels like to pick up bacon from the frying pan with a fork and put it back on the shelf!”
"No, you don't know!" He heard Dori answer," Because Bacon knew that he would return to the frying pan sooner or later, and we prayed that we would not. Besides, the eagle is not a fork!"
"Oh, no! It doesn't look like sand at all-no, I mean forks!”Birbo got up and looked at the giant eagle resting beside him. He did not know what stupid words he had just said, nor did he know if the giant eagles would care. When you're the size of a Hobbit, and you're in the nest of a giant eagle, you'd better not be rude to them!
The eagle was only sharpening its beak and combing its feathers on the rock, not paying much attention to the two clowns in front of it.
Soon, another giant eagle flew over. " Eagle King orders you to bring the captives to the cliff," it shouted and flew away again. The eagle in the nest grabbed Dori and flew out, leaving Birbo alone in the same place. He only had a little energy left to think about what " captive " meant, and to worry about whether he would be eaten alive like a rabbit later. The giant eagle flew back, grabbed his coat, and flew out of the nest again. This time, he only flew for a short distance. Soon, the trembling Birbo was put down and stood beside the rock wall on the side of the mountain. There was no other way to reach this place other than flying. Unless one jumped down desperately, there was no other way to leave this place. Here, he found that everyone was sitting with their backs against the rock wall, and the Eagle King was talking to Gandaph.
In Birbo's opinion, they would not be eaten this time. The Magus and the Eagle King seemed to have interacted before, and even had some friendship. In fact, Gandalf, who often traveled between the mountains, had once helped these eagles and healed their leader's arrow wound. Therefore, you should also understand that the so-called " captives " are " captives rescued from the orcs ", not captives of the giant eagle. Birbo listened to Gandalf's conversation and realized that they could finally leave this terrible mountain once and for all. He was discussing with the Eagle King how to send him and Birbo away and let them fly over the plains and return to their original planned path.
The Eagle King was unwilling to send them near any inhabited places. " They will shoot us with huge yew bows," it said."Because they'll think we're trying to catch their sheep. To be honest, they were not wrong. No! We're happy to be able to foil the orcs 'plans, and we're happy to repay you, but we're not willing to risk our lives to fly to the southern plains for the dwarves.”
" Alright," Gandalf said." Then send us to the furthest place you want to go! We already owe you a lot. It's just that we're very hungry now!”
"I'm starving!" whispered poor Bilbo, and no one else heard him.
"We might be able to help with this!”Eagle King said.
Soon, a raging fire rose beside the rock wall. The dwarves gathered beside it to roast, and the fragrance of food filled the air. The giant eagles brought dry branches, a rabbit, and a lamb. The dwarves were in charge of cooking the food. Birbo, who was weak, could not help. Moreover, he had long been used to having the butcher prepare everything and only needed to cook the dishes. He did not know how to skin the food. Since Orin and Gloin had lost their tinderbox, Gandalf went to rest after dutifully starting the fire (the dwarves were not used to using matches until then).
Thus, the adventure in the Misty Mountains came to an end. Not long after, Birbo's stomach once again felt full. Although he preferred bread and butter, the roasted meat on the tree branch was not too bad. So he felt a rush of sleepiness, curled up into a ball, and fell asleep on the hard rock floor, as comfortable this time as on his feather bed at home. However, all night, he dreamed that he was searching every room in the house for an item that he could not remember.
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