The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 76 Fierce Battle in the Dense Forest (Revised)

The Elf-path is a hidden path from the previous era, a road little known to most.

Looking at the familiar scene, Ino was somewhat taken aback; this was the place where he had first arrived in Middle-earth.

He felt the dense forest was a bit eerie, so he chose the grassland. But two days later, he found himself back at the starting point.

"Alright, release these ponies and let them go back to their owners."

Ino dismounted and then spoke to Bilbo and Thorin beside him, since these horses were all aid from Bion.

After releasing all the horses, the dwarves also looked around at the dark, dense forest that lay before them.

They also knew that taking the old forest road or detouring through the forest river would waste a lot of time, and that if they wanted to reach Lonely Mountain before the end of autumn, they were destined to cross this forest.

"Don't we have any other options?"

Looking at the gloomy and terrifying dark forest before him, Bilbo's face showed fear.

"We must reach the Lonely Hill before Turin Day arrives; only then can we find the gate to enter it."

Thorin looked at Bilbo, his eyes showing no fear, only fanaticism.

This fervor became increasingly apparent as they got closer to Lonely Mountain.

Thorin's behavior frightened Bilbo, who even involuntarily took a small step back.

Seeing this, Ino smiled silently. Perhaps the dragon disease had seeped into the very bones of the dwarves.

"Before we set off, I hope everyone will put a detoxifying stone in their mouths. The dark, dense forest, shrouded in darkness, contains bewildering toxins in the air."

As he spoke, Ino took a whole slab of dung from his suitcase and held it in his hand.

Although Gandalf had explained before leaving that the human before them was a wizard, the strange stone still made all the dwarves take a second look.

"It can cure poison?" Thorin asked with some doubt in his eyes.

"As you can see! It's used as an antidote, but the choice is yours."

Although she was suspected, Ino understood. After all, they had only known each other for a day, and even Bilbo was only fully accepted by the dwarves at the last moment.

Thorin first looked at the deep, dark forest, hesitated for a moment, and then took the initiative to break off a small piece and put it in his mouth.

With Thorin leading the way, the remaining dwarves also lined up to carry the dung stones.

"Ugh...this taste."

"Stinky, rancid swill..."

"Like Philip's smelly socks."

"You even secretly smelled my feet?"

Seeing this chain reaction, Ino almost burst out laughing, but he ignored Thorin standing to the side.

Why aren't you eating?

Thorin's gaze sharpened, and at the same time, his hand gripped the hilt of the sword hanging at his waist.

The other dwarves also stopped laughing and became wary.

"Me? Because I have this. It isolates everything!" Ino drew her wand and tapped it lightly on her head.

The Household Magic Bubble Spell is often used to isolate pungent, rancid, and irritating ingredients such as onions, peppers, and canned herring during cooking.

Faced with the undeniable facts, Thorin said nothing and turned to walk into the dense forest.

The other dwarves, however, responded with apologetic smiles.

"I apologize to you on his behalf. My uncle can be like that sometimes; he can be quite stubborn and frightening."

The speaker was Thorin's nephew, the dwarf Kil'li, who was also the archer in the story who secretly fell in love with a woodland elf.

"I don't mind! I just hope you can recapture Lonely Mountain as soon as possible," Ino said truthfully.

Having promised Gandalf, he was determined to ensure Thorin's safe passage through the Mirkwood; this was no big deal.

Moreover, the promise was made entirely based on the development of the story. After all, although the Dark Forest was terrifying, the original story also involved the help of elves, making the journey relatively safe.

However, once he left the dense forest, everything was no longer his concern, since that was all the promise he had made.

……

A dark, dense forest.

The entrance to the Elf Path is formed by two rows of large trees leaning against each other, which looks more like a secret passage leading to some dark cave.

Although it was Ino's first time entering, he knew that in the story, the group would encounter a dark creature similar to an eight-eyed giant spider, so he had his wand in hand early on, ready to defend himself at any time.

Upon entering the Elf's Path, the surrounding space is very narrow, winding through the woods, with some sections only wide enough for one person to pass at a time.

As the group ventured deeper, the light at the entrance gradually disappeared behind them.

The surrounding forest was deathly silent, so quiet that only the sound of footsteps could be heard, and if they stopped, even the sound of everyone breathing could be heard.

Before anyone knew it, a light mist rose from the forest, then grew thicker and thicker, and the visibility around them decreased.

So now, all anyone can see is the back of their teammates in front of them.

"The sun shines again!"

A determined voice rang in the ears of all the dwarves, its tone firm and powerful.

Then they saw a golden light rise at the very front of the procession, like the rising sun in the early morning.

The light pierced through the darkness, and within a radius of tens of meters, all the fog dissipated as if it had encountered a natural enemy.

"That was a good move..."

"It should have been used a long time ago. Who was behind me just now? Can't you watch where you're going? You kept poking my butt with the hilt of your sword."

"If you ask me..."

The first rays of sunlight restored the dwarf group's former vitality, and they began chattering excitedly to express their opinions.

"Don't be careless! We haven't even covered a tenth of the distance yet. Nobody knows what lies ahead."

Ino raised his wand, not forgetting to give the dwarves a word of advice.

After a brief period of commotion, the dwarves gradually quieted down, gripping their weapons tightly and remaining on guard.

Ultimately, each of these dwarves was an elite warrior with their own unique skills.

……

Time passed slowly.

Walking through the silent, dense forest, I lost track of how much time had passed.

Just when everyone was exhausted, the sound of flowing water came from afar, which invigorated everyone. The young Qili and Feili quickly ran towards the water source.

"Stop! That stream is polluted by dark magic!" Ino shouted.

Perhaps it was the effect of the Sunshine Spell, but without realizing it, he gradually gained a voice in the team.

The most obvious sign was that Qili and Feili stopped immediately after hearing the sound.

"If you want water, drink what you bring. If you're out of water, just come and ask me for some. I promise there's plenty of water. But try to avoid touching anything here if you can."

Ino explained to the dwarves.

"He's right! We need to get to Lonely Mountain as soon as possible; everything else is secondary."

Thorin, who had been silent all along, stepped forward to define the nature of the matter. Then he looked around and saw a series of tired faces.

"Now we can rest for a moment, but Qili must remain vigilant!"

As the last king of the Turin lineage, Thorin's every word was strictly followed by all the dwarves.

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(End of this chapter)