From Hogwarts to Strixhaven.

Chapter 264 Meeting with the King of Woodland (600010000)

"Where on earth do these giant spiders come from!" Balin with a white beard ran wildly among the raised roots of the trees, following the large dwarf army.

"We have been living with their webs for so long. To be honest, I don't find it strange that they appear at any time!" Dwalin pulled the spider web on his beard and took the time to answer his brother's question. "The only thing I find strange is how we got into their webs!"

"Shoot it! Kili!" Fili shouted, and the big spider waved its eight legs and chased him relentlessly. After all, no one could tolerate lunch suddenly jumping up and running away.

These unfortunate dwarves had an unlucky number when they set out, thirteen, which was why they had accepted Bilbo into their company when they passed through the Shire, even though he seemed a liability.

Once the dwarves and the hobbits separated along the way, accidents were inevitable. They coaxed the Snitch up a tree to act as a lookout, and then they encountered a giant spider in the forest.

In the event of an ambush, no dwarf could offer effective resistance, not to mention that their vigilance had been greatly weakened by the long journey and the dark forces in the forest.

Now they can run freely in the forest, thanks to the invisible hobbits!
"Why did we lose the wizard too?" Thorin cried, chopping off one of the spider's legs with his sword. "Gandalf has left us to do his own thing, and we cannot afford to lose another wizard!"

"None of us knows how to find the wizard in the Black Forest! We don't even know the direction!" Pangbo was very frustrated. This cook had not played his role for a long time and had not been able to have a good hot meal.

"Don't be careless! Thorin!" Balin reminded his prince that a giant spider was about to launch a sneak attack from the tree. When Thorin raised his head, the spider was already flying in the air.

"Whoosh!"

A sharp arrow pierced the air and nailed the spider in mid-air to the tree trunk.

"Nice shot! Kili!" Thorin praised his nephew loudly.

"What? It wasn't me!" Qili's voice came from the other side.

"Who is that...?" Thorin had already seen who was shooting the arrow. A golden-haired, agile elf jumped over the treetop and aimed the arrow on the string at Thorin.

"Put down your weapons, dwarves." The elf's voice sounded young and powerful. As he spoke, countless sharp arrows shot out from all directions, knocking down all the spiders that were chasing the dwarves. Then the elves hiding in the bushes appeared one by one, each of them equipped with an exquisite longbow, a sharp scimitar, and even a bright dagger inserted at the waist.

This is an army that can move through the woods. It is almost the exact opposite of the roving dwarves: tall versus short, slender versus strong.

The dwarves, who were outnumbered, had no choice but to surrender, otherwise they would be pierced into hedgehogs by the elves' arrows.

"Collect all their weapons and search every corner!" The leading blond elf gave orders, and the others naturally obeyed. All the weapons hidden on the dwarves were found out, even the big iron spoon that Pombo used to cook soup was not spared.

But the elves missed one person, Bilbo, who was wearing the ring. The brave Bilbo fought several big spiders alone and gave his short sword an interesting name - Sting.

Compared to the huge spider, this dagger is just like a sting. The spider that is stung by it can only wail and fall from the tree to its death.

When Bilbo caught up with the main group, the elves had already tied up the hands of all the dwarves. So Bilbo did not show up rashly, but prepared to follow the elves quietly to see where they would lock up the prisoners.

"Lord Legolas, all the dwarves have been tied up." The elf captain reported to his superior.

"Very good, let's go back." The blond elf, Legolas, nodded and prepared to order the troops to march.

But suddenly, an elven voice came from the forest: "Wait a minute!"

Legolas frowned, "Are any of us left behind? Tauriel!"

The reddish-brown-haired captain of the guard looked around and replied, "No, we are all here."

"Respected Silvan elves, I salute you! These dwarves are all well-educated and good people, and they are with me." Golden Horn jumped out of the forest carrying Ivy. With the magical effect of the West Wind Horseshoe, he finally caught up with the large group of dwarves.

"Wizard! Why are you here just now!"

"Wizard! Where the hell have you been?"

Before the elf could answer, the dwarves started to make a noise. They had never seen Ivy's magic fail to do anything along the way, and just by seeing Ivy, they felt that they had a chance of escaping.

"Wizard?" Legolas asked doubtfully, "How do you prove yourself? Just because you understand our language doesn't mean I will believe you are a wizard."

Ivy smiled slightly and spread out his palms. A butterfly made of magical light took off from his palms, danced around Legolas, and finally landed on the bow arm behind his back.

"I believe you are a wizard, but matters concerning the dwarves must be judged by the King of the Woodlands, for you are stepping on his land." Legolas nodded politely and invited Ivy to join them.

After Ivy's repeated requests, the elves believed that the dwarves would not run away for no reason, so they untied the ropes on their hands, but did not return the weapons to them.

"Why do wizards always seek the help of elves?" Thorin whispered in dissatisfaction. "They can't be trusted."

"I believe that's nothing but false prejudice, whether it's the elves against the dwarves, or the dwarves against the elves." Ivy rode on Golden Horn without looking around. "The Black Forest is the land of the Silvan elves, and even the trails we walked on were built by them. Now that we've been discovered, it's necessary to say hello." Thorin obviously disagreed with Ivy's opinion, so he didn't say a word during the rest of the journey.

The elves gathered around Ivy, and everyone wanted to reach out and touch the hair on Golden Horn's body, but their good fighting qualities as warriors made them hold back, and they just kept glancing in Ivy's direction.

The Woodland Kingdom is an underground building modeled after the ancient elven kingdom of Menegroth. The huge palace is hidden under the cover of green forests and rocks, but compared with the architectural style of the orcs, the Silvan Elves are undoubtedly far superior.

Even though the palace is hidden underground, it still remains bright and tidy. There are not only running water and green plants, but also metal mirrors that reflect light everywhere. Different from the cold and hard architectural style of the dwarves, the elves' architecture is softer and more beautiful, but also very impressive.

After entering the palace of the Woodland Kingdom, the captured dwarves were not immediately imprisoned, but were kept under guard, awaiting the king's decision.

Legolas entered the messenger room and soon brought Ivy and Thorin before the king.

Thranduil, the Woodland King, sat high upon a carved throne, with a crown of wild berries and red leaves on his head, and a scepter carved from oak in his hand.

"Who is standing below?" Thranduil asked. In fact, his son Legolas had already passed on the names of Thorin and Ivy. He asked this just to make it seem more formal.

"The green-robed wizard, Ivy Dum, greets you, respected King of the Woodlands." Ivy bowed slightly.

Thorin, who was standing next to him, felt that he had nothing to say and just snorted coldly.

"A wizard, a dwarf who won't tell his name." Thranduil seemed unfazed by Thorin's rudeness. "What are you doing in my kingdom?"

"It goes without saying that it is for the treasure in the Lonely Mountain and for the power to rule the seven dwarf clans." Thranduil asked himself and answered himself, walking down from the high throne, "But if you dare not even reveal your true identity, will anyone recognize your right to rule? Thorin, son of Thorne, grandson of Thor?"

"Since you know my name, why waste so much time talking to me!" Thorin tried to raise his chin, just to prevent Thranduil from looking down at him.

"What a dwarf." Thranduil smiled and shook his head. "What about you? Wizard? Why do you help a stubborn and arrogant dwarf? As far as I know, their entire family is troubled by dragon disease and has done many crazy things. It is also because of this that the Lonely Mountain attracted Smaug to come."

"Because I signed a contract with Thorin." Ivy answered easily. Anyway, he didn't have any deep hatred with the elves. "Under the introduction of the grey wizard Gandalf, I will go to the Lonely Mountain with the dwarves, kill the evil dragon Smaug entrenched in it, and then get my share of the treasure."

"Gandalf?" Thranduil asked curiously, "Why didn't he come with you?"

"In fact, we parted ways in front of the Black Forest, and he went to deal with the threat further south. It is said that there is a necromancer hiding in Dol Guldur, and that is the responsibility of the White Council." Ivy said.

"It's a pity that I can't toast with him in the palace." Thranduil shook his head. "With the help of the wizard, it seems that it is only a matter of time before you retake the Lonely Mountain. Although the dragon is no longer a problem for you, I still am."

"Here is a deal, Thorin. One benefit for another. As long as you promise to return the pure white starlight gem in Lonely Mountain that originally belonged to me, I will let you go and even provide you with supplies and guards. You don't have to doubt this, because this is the king's promise." Thranduil came to Thorin, stared into his eyes and said.

Thorin just smiled and said, "Go to hell, Thranduil."

"I'm afraid only time can change your mind, Thorin. Reflect on yourself in my dungeon!" Thranduil returned to his throne and waved his hand to let the palace guards take Thorin out.

After the dwarf left the royal court, Thranduil looked at Ivy next to him and said, "Dwarfs are always so stubborn, but I think years of wandering have taught him how to give in and compromise."

"I'm afraid my dwarf friends won't compromise easily." Ivy shook his head. To be honest, he was beginning to get annoyed with the dwarves' stubbornness.

"Then I will have to let him calm down in prison for a while. But don't worry, wizard, they will get wine and food, and except for losing their freedom, they will not suffer any harm in my cell." Thranduil was not surprised. The elves always had a long time to wait, so the King of the Woodlands was not lacking in patience.

"Thank you for your kindness. It seems I must stay in the Woodland Kingdom for a while longer." Ivy's identity as a wizard allows her to receive preferential treatment wherever she goes. Even though she has an old grudge with the dwarves of Lonely Mountain, Thranduil is not going to imprison a wizard. Of course, the premise is that Ivy does not try to take them away from the elves' dungeons.

"You can stay as long as you want. If you have any additional needs, please let us know." Thranduil said generously.

"In fact, I do have a small request. I hope to get some elven food and wine as a sacrifice to worship Gondolin, which has long fallen." Ivy drew out the Beast Bite Sword and held it in his hand, and made his request.

"Is that the weapon of the King of Gondolin?" Thranduil couldn't help but lean forward. "They are my relatives. I will certainly meet your request, wizard. But the sacrifice is only food and wine. Doesn't it seem a little shabby?"

"I also brought a head from the Orc King of the Misty Mountains. I think that must be enough." Ivy sheathed the Beast Bite Sword and tilted her head back. "It's next to the saddle bag on the back of my companion Golden Horn."

"It was this weapon that cut off the head of the Orc King? That must be enough!" Thranduil said happily, "Gandolin fell under the siege of the Orcs. The head of a king is certainly a suitable sacrifice. Turgon in the Hall of Mandos will surely be delighted. I want to send my son Legolas as a witness to participate in this sacrifice. What do you think, wizard?"

"Of course, it's my honor." Ivy nodded. He remembered that Legolas was a member of the future Fellowship of the Ring and the only elf among them. Although he was not sure whether he would still be in Arda during the War of the Ring decades later, it was obviously very important to have a good relationship with the elves.

"Also, please allow me to meet Thorin in your dungeon. I would like to discuss your proposal with him." Ivy added.

"Of course! You can move freely in my kingdom because you are different from those dwarves, wizard. You are a sensible and civilized person. I trust you."

Thus ended the meeting with the King of the Woodlands. Although the expedition was temporarily put on hold, Ivy's own goal had been achieved.

(End of this chapter)