I reforged the glory of the magic ring in Middle-earth

Chapter 91 The Influence of the Ring

That night the dwarves slept soundly, except Bilbo.

He did fall asleep while resting, but soon woke up from a nightmare and sat up in his tent.

Then Bilbo began to gather his things, packing up everything, including dirty clothes, leftover food, and carpets.

Except for the tent, of course.

He carried his backpack and peeked out of the tent. Only after he found that all the dwarves, especially Bofur and Gandalf who often noticed him, were asleep did he come out with his backpack.

Tanes and the others were by the campfire and didn't notice us, so it was a good time for me to leave quietly.

A bonfire was burning in the camp, and the light of the flames drove away animals or other things that came out to hunt at night in the wilderness.

"Ok?"

Bernard, who was on night watch, noticed the movement on Bilbo's side at the first time, but Bilbo's tent was blocked by the dwarves' tents, so he didn't know what exactly happened.

He nudged Tanis with his elbow, but found that Tanis had already been looking towards Bilbo's tent.

"What happened to our hobbit?" Bernard asked in a low voice.

Tanes frowned. "I don't know. He seems to have packed up his things and is preparing to leave the camp? Why is that?"

Bernard chuckled softly. "Perhaps he's tired of this journey? Of course, I don't mean that he can't stand the harsh conditions during the journey, but perhaps he can't stand not having any expected role in the team?"

Tanis mused, "Well, it's possible. Anyway, I have to go see him. Gandalf said that this is already the other side of the Misty Mountains. Even if Bilbo wants to go back, he can't get back to the other side safely alone."

Bernard shrugged. "Anyway, go talk to him. Even if you withdraw from this expedition, you can't turn back here. You've already collapsed the cave entrance. If Bilbo wants to go back, he'll have to find a new way through the Misty Mountains."

"Then the night watch mission will be temporarily handed over to you." Tanes pressed Bernard's silver shoulder armor, stood up and walked in the direction Bilbo left.

Bilbo did not go far, for it was night, and the wilderness was pitch dark after he left the camp.

It was pitch black all around, and every step he took was accompanied by tiny noises in the forest, like snakes crawling in the grass, or night insects moving among the branches.

In the distance, the howling of wolves broke the silence of the night, making Bilbo's heart beat faster and his nerves tense.

He stopped and listened carefully, trying to determine the source and distance of the sounds, but he only felt an inexplicable fear spreading.

Bilbo was too frightened to go on.

He subconsciously reached into his pocket and fumbled for the golden ring, as if the ring could give him courage.

Bilbo seemed to really feel that after touching the ring, his timidity disappeared, and the darkness around him seemed no longer so scary.

He even felt that he could see clearly in the dark.

Just as Bilbo was about to start walking, Tanis's voice came from behind him: "If you are really afraid of being alone, I can accompany you to relax late at night."

"Oh, Tanes..." Bilbo breathed a sigh of relief for some reason, and the "courage" he got from the ring disappeared instantly.

He pulled his hands out of his pockets, looking a little embarrassed and uncomfortable.

Of course, anyone would feel uncomfortable if they were caught running away in the middle of the night.

Bilbo said awkwardly, "Why are you here?"

Tanes came over and did not use the starlight spell. Instead, he lit a lantern and hung it around his waist. The warm orange light instantly enveloped the two of them.

Tanis said, "Of course I saw you packing up and leaving the camp alone. What's the matter, Bilbo? Why do you suddenly want to leave the expedition alone?"

After he finished speaking, he glanced at his surroundings, cleared a piece of rubble, sat down, and patted his side to signal Bilbo to come sit over.

Bilbo sat down obediently, hugged his knees with his hands, and didn't know where to start.

Tanes comforted him, "It's okay. You can think about it slowly, even if you don't want to say it in the end. Remember what I said? I said that if you feel tired or uncomfortable and don't want to join the expedition, I will respect your wishes. Even now, it's the same, but we have to wait until we reach a safe place, and then I will let Bernard escort you back."

Bilbo hesitated for a moment, then said, "Actually, I don't feel tired or uncomfortable."

He smiled. "To be honest, you have all been very nice to me, especially the dwarves. The stories I read in books at first all said that the dwarves were very stubborn, bad-tempered, and difficult to get along with. But in fact, for so long, Thorin and his companions were not like what the books said. On the contrary, they took great care of me and considered my feelings. I heard from Bofur that Thorin was originally reluctant to go to Rivendell, no matter how you and Gandalf persuaded him. In the end, we all know..."

Bilbo shrugged, and Tanis knew what he meant.

Then Bilbo sighed and said, "I like this expedition very much, whether it's you, Gandalf, or the dwarves. I really like you all, but it is because of my love for you that I feel I should leave."

Tanes listened silently and asked appropriately, "Why do you feel that way?"

Bilbo gave a wry smile. "Because I feel quite useless in this party, Tanis. Before entering Rivendell, I caught a cold and passed out during the Orc attack, which delayed the party for some time in Rivendell. And then there was what happened today in the Goblin kingdom. Thorin was able to react quickly enough to push me to safety, but it took me a long time to react. And I lost my footing on the suspension bridge and fell, forcing you and Lady Millicent to come down to help me."

"I really feel useless. I haven't made any contribution to the team, nor have I been able to help you solve any problems." He sighed heavily. "So I'm wondering if I should leave, return to my Bag End, give up those adventures, and be an ordinary hobbit. Enjoy seven delicious meals every day, and finally lie comfortably in my own bed, reading stories in books or thinking about where to go tomorrow to while away the time. I think maybe this is my life, instead of joining an expedition that will be recorded in history books."

"I am just a nobody, not a hero or warrior in those epic legends. If Middle-earth were a book, I would be a passerby whose name wouldn't even appear in it."

Bilbo said a lot, and he felt much better after saying all these things.

Then he looked at Tanes anxiously, worried that the other party would think he was being too pretentious and wanted to give up on such a small matter.

But the result was beyond Bilbo's expectations. Tanis said gently, "I understand how you feel, Bilbo, but I don't think what you said is entirely right."

Bilbo looked surprised, not knowing where he had gone wrong. Tanis continued, "You weren't as useless as you think. Back in the Old Forest, you were the first to spot the Huorn, disguised as normal trees, approaching us. And in that battle with the trolls, without your help, Fili and Kili wouldn't have been able to defeat them so easily. And without you throughout the journey, the dwarves would have been left with only cold dry food, instead of enjoying warm, delicious meals. They had the strength to sing and tell stories because of the meals you cooked."

Bilbo replied in disbelief, "But that's just food any hobbit can make. I can't even call it a delicacy. It's just something you boil over a fire and sprinkle with seasoning."

Tanis nodded, then smiled and said, "You are right, Bilbo. Any hobbit can do that, but... where are those hobbits you are talking about?"

"Of course they are in Hobbiton... Oh, I think I know what you want to say. It's just comforting words like I also have things I can do in the team." Bilbo was not stupid. He had read many books and naturally understood the meaning of Tanis's words.

Bilbo opened his mouth and gestured. "I just, well, I don't know. I know what you're saying is right, but I feel like I'm a burden to you all if I stay. I don't think any hobbit has had as much trouble as I have lately. Whether it's Elves or Orcs, or the sorcery you and Gandalf have wrought, it's more than any hobbit has ever seen in their lives."

But Tanes asked curiously, "Why are there no dwarves?"

Bilbo thought Tanis would say something profound and never thought he would ask such a question.

Tanes made his self-pity feel awkward and he replied, "That's because dwarven traders occasionally come to Hobbiton. They bring weapons, food, farm tools, and kitchen utensils from the Blue Mountains to sell. Of course, everything except the weapons is usually sold out."

Tanes asked curiously, "Why besides weapons?"

Bilbo explained, "Because Hobbiton is safe. It's not as dangerous as outside."

"Then do you feel happy after experiencing all this outside?" Tanes asked.

Bilbo replied without hesitation, "Of course I am happy."

Then he was stunned after he finished speaking, and then showed a helpless expression: "Tanis, this is not enlightenment at all, right?"

Tanes nodded. "You're right. I've never been very good at speaking. Sometimes I envy people like you who are so eloquent. If I had half of your abilities, many of my friends would still be around."

He paused, then continued, "Bilbo, the truth is, you want to leave the team only because of your sense of responsibility. You want to contribute to the team, but you find that the team doesn't need you, so you start to feel stressed and think that you haven't done your job well in the team..."

Bilbo quickly raised his hand to stop Tanes. "Wait, wait, let's not talk about how those two sentences suddenly connected. Just saying that I left the team because of my sense of responsibility doesn't make sense. According to what you said, if I really had a sense of responsibility, I should have left the team in the middle of the night without saying a word."

Tanes shrugged. "I told you I'm not very good at talking."

Bilbo nodded in agreement. "Indeed, I see. Mr. Bernard told me that you are usually very direct when you talk to people."

He stood up and dusted off his butt.

Then Bilbo took a deep breath, exhaled, and said in a relieved mood, "But talking to you for so long does make me feel a lot better... At least I don't want to leave so badly anymore. Let's go back before Gandalf and the dwarves wake up. Otherwise, it would be embarrassing if they knew I suddenly ran out in the middle of the night."

Tanis stood up and prepared to go back with Bilbo.

Bilbo reached into his pocket and said casually, "By the way, Tanis. I actually found something when I was following you and Lady Millicent in that cave. Can you help me take a look at it?"

Don't show it to him!
When Bilbo touched the ring, this sound suddenly came from the depths of his heart, and he was in a trance for a moment.

Tanis was walking ahead of Bilbo at this time, not noticing Bilbo's expression. "Of course, Bilbo, what is it?"

Don't show it to him!
Bilbo immediately withdrew his hand from the ring and came to his senses. "Oh, yes... it's my courage. At least when facing the goblins who are chasing us, I am no longer as frightened as I was when I met the orcs before."

Tanis turned around and smiled gently, "Of course, my brave Bilbo."

Bilbo saw Tanis's smile, ignored his previous trance, and followed him.

"Oh, right, Bilbo." Tanis suddenly stopped, making Bilbo inexplicably nervous for some reason.

He resisted the urge to put his hand back into his pocket and asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"

Tanis said, "You just said you would go back before Gandalf and the dwarves woke up. I'm afraid that won't happen. The dwarves are all asleep, but Gandalf isn't. In fact, he noticed you leaving and wanted to catch up, but he didn't follow me when he saw me chasing after him."

Then Tanis stepped aside, revealing Gandalf standing silently at the outskirts of the camp not far ahead.

"Gandalf..." Bilbo lowered his head a little embarrassedly.

He felt that it was really wrong for him to run out alone in the middle of the night and make Tanis and Gandalf worry.

Gandalf also shook his head gently and said softly, "It's good that you're back. I was really worried that you would encounter some danger if you went out alone."

These caring words made Bilbo feel even more guilty.

Tanis patted Bilbo's shoulder and said, "Go back and don't think too much, Bilbo. If you don't rest, you won't be in good spirits all day tomorrow."

About two weeks later, Thorin and his companions finally arrived at a medium-sized human settlement.

　PS: In the original book, Thorin and his companions were still chased by the goblins, or orcs, after they came out of the cave.

　　In the movie, he was caught up by Azog as soon as he came out of the cave because the Goblin King sent someone to notify him (because of Azog's bounty).

　　In this book, the cave was also collapsed by the protagonist, and the Goblin King was killed instantly by three arrows from Egon without having time to send anyone to notify.

　　Therefore, neither the Goblin Swarm nor Azog will appear.

　　And even if Azog knew the location of Thorin and the others, he would not dare to come. An elite army was directly eliminated by the wizard. He was not stupid enough to rush over to help.

　　So Gandalf did not call the eagle to help.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)