A magical journey that begins at Hogwarts

Aaron took a deep breath and quickly drew back the bowstring.

An arrow shot toward the lead orc at incredible speed.

The lead orc immediately dodged, but was still hit in the arm by an arrow. In pain, he dropped his spear to the ground.

"what!"

The lead orc screamed in agony, but as soon as he opened his mouth, an arrow pierced his throat.

"kill!"

Thorin roared, and the twelve dwarves and Bilbo followed closely behind him in the charge.

Just then, Gandalf's voice suddenly rang out, "This way, you fool."

The crowd's charge came to an abrupt halt, and they were momentarily at a loss.

Thorin turned around and saw Gandalf lying under a boulder less than ten meters away from them, where there seemed to be a cave entrance hidden.

"What are you all standing there for?" Aaron said angrily. "Run!"

"Hurry, everyone!" Thorin led the way and ran over, then guarded the entrance to cover his teammates' retreat.

One by one, the members of the expedition jumped into the cave entrance, and the dire wolf scouts quickly surrounded them.

Thorin killed a dire wolf that pounced on him with a single sword strike, and after making sure no one was missed, he was the last to jump into the cave.

Several orcs looked around the entrance. It seemed that the dire wolves couldn't enter this cave; even they could only enter one by one.

Aaron returned the arrow to him, saying, "Keep guarding for now!"

The two men each fired arrows, killing two orcs and intimidating the other orcs, preventing them from approaching.

Without their leader, the remaining dire wolf scouts, despite their numerical advantage, were at a loss as to how to proceed with this easily defensible cave.

Woo...

The sound of horns came from afar, followed by the rapid clatter of horses' hooves.

The sounds of arrows piercing the air, sharp weapons cutting into flesh, the howls of dire wolves, and the screams of orcs mingled together, filling one with curiosity about what was happening outside.

Although it is unknown which righteous person came to their aid, their crisis has been temporarily resolved.

Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief, the corpse of a half-orc rolled down.

Thorin pulled a silver arrow from the corpse, his face immediately darkening. "An elf."

"Is that an elf?" Aaron looked at Gandalf, seemingly understanding why the other had left the party midway.

"We can't see where the passage leads. Should we go?" Dvalin noticed a light deep inside the cave, turned around, and asked the group.

"Of course we have to go," Nori said directly. This was the only way; there was no way to avoid it.

“That’s the wise thing to do,” Gandalf said with a smile.

"You know where this road leads, right?" Aaron asked.

"Well... you'll understand when you get there."

The group walked along a narrow, steep path that could only allow one person to pass at a time, and stopped at the exit.

“This place…is so beautiful.” Aaron stared at the valley before him, his eyes wide with wonder. “If the Shire is a place to retire, then this is definitely a vacation paradise.”

Nestled in the valley is a beautiful city, with pine trees covering the high ground and beech and oak trees growing in the lower areas.

Several waterfalls cascade down the mountainside, invigorating the city before flowing into the river below.

"What is this place?"

“The Imratri Valley,” Gandalf explained with a smile, “which is what people generally call…”

“Rivendell,” Bilbo said involuntarily.

"you know?"

"This is the territory of the elves. The books describe it as a fairyland. I never thought I would actually see it with my own eyes."

“This is the last refuge of the Eastern Sea,” Gandalf continued.

Thorin walked impatiently up to Gandalf and said in a questioning tone, "You have been plotting to lure us here to seek refuge with our enemies."

"Your so-called enemy just saved us!"

"Who knows if they have ulterior motives?"

Upon hearing this, Aaron was speechless. Thorin's resentment towards the elves was truly extraordinary.

“You have no enemies here, Thorin Oakenshield. The only hostility in the valley comes from you,” Gandalf said.

"Do you think the elves will bless our expedition?" Thorin shook his head. "They will try to stop us."

"Of course, but we have questions that need to be answered."

Thorin was speechless for a moment. The map his father left him contained the way to enter Lonely Mountain, but few people could decipher it, and there happened to be one in Rivendell.

He considered the elves his enemies, and asking them for help would naturally feel humiliating, but he had no choice but to do so in order to unlock the secrets of the map.

“Success in this matter will require some skill, sir.” Gandalf looked at Thorin meaningfully, meaning, “When you get to Rivendell, you better stay calm and don’t cause trouble.”

"We also need a captivating charm, so I'll take charge of the negotiations."

"Charming allure?" Aaron curled his lip in disdain. "You're shameless. Could you change your clothes before you say that?"

Honestly, if you go in with an empty bowl, you'll probably come out with a full one.

“Gaius,” Gandalf rolled his eyes at him. “I remember saying that you should at least know the most basic manners.”

Following a rugged path down into the valley and crossing several narrow stone bridges, the group arrived at a spacious platform.

Two elven warriors stood at the entrance to Rivendell, swords in hand; apart from their pointed ears, they were almost indistinguishable from humans.

"Mislanda".

A male elf descended the stairs and bowed to Gandalf.

“Lind,” Gandalf greeted with a smile.

"You're still called Mislanda?" Aaron asked.

“Never mind, that’s what some elves call me.” Gandalf shrugged, then looked at Lind. “I need to speak with King Elrond.”

"King Elrond is not here."

"Not here? Then where is he?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the melodious sound of a bugle came from behind.

Upon hearing this voice, Gandalf seemed to understand something and turned around with a smile.

A troop of elven riders crossed the stone bridge back to Rivendell. Thorin, seeing this, thought the elves were about to attack them and immediately ordered everyone to assemble and prepare for battle.

The thirteen dwarves warily picked up their weapons and, without saying a word, shielded Bilbo in the middle, leaving him bewildered and completely confused.

Snapped!

Aaron slapped his forehead and turned his face away speechlessly.

Where is the respect you promised? You expect to ask for help with this attitude?

You acted like you were facing a major enemy as soon as they returned. Is that any different from provocation?

And can't we be a little more intelligent?

This is someone else's territory! Even if you're unhappy with the elves, you should at least be mindful of the situation!

Gandalf was also quite annoyed. Fortunately, he was the one in charge of the negotiations; otherwise, he would have been treated as an unwelcome guest and kicked out.

Chapter 242 The Riddle in the Secret, Let's Get to Know Each Other

"Gandalf."

“King Elrond,” Gandalf said with a smile, “my friend, where have you been?”

“We went hunting the Orc army from the south and killed a few near the secret passage.” Elrond dismounted and gave Gandalf a hug. “For the Orcs to dare approach our borders, something or someone must have attracted them.”

“It could be us,” Gandalf said, and Thorin took a few steps forward expressionlessly.

King Elrond noticed the dwarf prince, and his expression became serious. "Welcome, Thorin, son of Thorne."

"I don't think we've met before."

“You look like your grandfather. When I met Thor, he was the king of the hill.”

"Really? He's never mentioned you," Thorin said casually.

Elrond didn't mind the other party's indifferent tone. Elves have incredibly long lifespans, and putting aside their status, Thorin's grandfather was a junior in his eyes.

"Since you've come all this way, let's have a meal before you leave!"

King Elrond spoke these words in Elvish, but Thorin couldn't understand them, and neither could the dwarves behind him.

"What is he saying? Is he insulting us?" Groin said angrily.

“No, Mr. Groin, he wants to invite you to dinner,” Gandalf explained immediately.

The dwarves huddled together and discussed for two seconds.

Groin's attitude softened slightly. "In that case, lead the way!"

As Aaron climbed the stairs, he curiously surveyed the valley. It was more peaceful and tranquil than the Shire, but compared to the hobbit settlements, Rivendell had elite troops and offered a greater sense of security.

"Thorin, have you met this Elvenking before?" Aaron asked, puzzled. "Although this is the first time we've met, I don't think King Elrond is the kind of person who would stay out of things that don't concern him."

“It’s not him.” Thorin shook his head with a complicated expression. “It’s another elf.”

“Oh!” Aaron raised an eyebrow. “In that case, I hope you remember what Gandalf said and toned down your arrogance a little. After all, we’re asking for a favor.”

Thorin paused slightly. "We'll see!"

Upon entering the banquet hall, the elves prepared beautiful music and exquisite green food to entertain the guests who had traveled from afar.

However, the dwarves didn't appreciate music and were disgusted by the food on the table.

Aaron and Bilbo exchanged a glance, both amused and exasperated.

There wasn't a single piece of meat on the plate; apart from some snacks, it was all fresh vegetables.