Hogwarts wizards who signed in to Middle-earth...

After wiping out a squad of orcs, everyone was exhausted and stayed behind to rest.

The dwarves excitedly discussed the battle they had just fought, comparing who had killed more orcs.

Gandalf, however, remained silent, smoking his pipe and lost in thought, looking somewhat worried.

Dui noticed his expression, walked over and sat down beside him. "Gandalf, what's wrong?"

Facing Duy, Gandalf did not hide anything. He sighed and said, "Orcs usually live in the Misty Mountains. The fact that we are encountering them in the Wasteland can only mean that the number of orcs in the Misty Mountains has increased to a huge number, forcing them to come down from the mountains and plunder into the Wasteland."

"The current situation is not good news for us if we are to cross the Misty Mountains to reach Lonely Mountain!"

"So what are you planning to do?"

"After we cross the last bridge, I plan to leave temporarily to scout ahead and avoid encountering the orc army," Gandalf revealed his plan to Dui.

After listening, Dui thought for a moment and decided, "I'll go with you then. I have some knowledge of hidden magic, so even if we encounter an orc army, I can guarantee that we can escape safely."

He then tapped a stone at his feet with his wand.

The stone vanished instantly before their very eyes, disappearing without a trace.

However, upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that the stone is not truly invisible; rather, it blends seamlessly into its surroundings like a chameleon, making it difficult to spot.

Gandalf's eyes lit up at the sight. "Duir, how many more surprises do you have up your sleeve that I don't know about?"

So, without anyone else knowing, Gandalf and Duy had already decided to go ahead and scout the way.

After resting for a while, the group set off again.

Over the next few days, the group encountered no more orcs and made it smoothly to the final bridge.

Finally, the bridge spans the Cangquan River. After crossing the bridge and heading east, you'll reach the Cannibal Forest.

From here, we are not far from the secluded valley and the misty mountains.

Before Dui and Gandalf could even tell the expedition team about their plan to scout ahead, Thorin and Gandalf had a falling out.

The incident began with the Lonely Mountain map drawn by King Therain II in Thorin's possession. The map showed the location of the secret entrance to the Lonely Mountain, but the password to open the secret entrance was recorded in lunar script, also known as dwarven runes.

This lunar script is very cryptic and difficult to decipher; it requires specific time and conditions to see its contents.

To unravel the map's secrets, Gandalf suggests going to the Valley of the Dead and asking Elrond, the renowned elven sage of Middle-earth, for help in deciphering it.

However, Thorin harbored resentment towards the elves, and stubbornly refused to go to their territory.

"I disagree with going to Rivendell!" Thorin said. "The elven settlements offer us dwarves no benefit, and Elrond is now in power there. He is a relative of Gilgalad, who has allied with our enemies!"

The enemy Thorin spoke of was Thranduil, the Elvenking of the Woodland Kingdom in Mirkwood.

When the dragon Smaug occupied Lonely Mountain, the dwarves sought help from the nearby Woodland Kingdom, but Thranduil refused.

Thranduil had commissioned the Lone Mountain dwarves to craft a white gemstone necklace for his wife, but was refused due to a dispute over payment, which sparked a conflict between the Woodland Kingdom and the Lone Mountain dwarves.

"Elrond is a wise and just elf," Gandalf tried to persuade him. "His domain is a safe place where we can get advice and help. Moreover, he might be able to decipher the coded messages on the map, which will be crucial for our journey."

"I don't trust the elves!" Thorin insisted. "They always use cunning tricks and sweet talk to deceive people. I don't want to owe them anything, and I don't want them to know our plans."

"That's prejudice, Thorin," Gandalf said sternly. "Not all elves are your enemies. Elrond is one of the wisest men in Middle-earth, and he knows the ancients intimately. We need his help, or we may face even greater dangers and difficulties on our journey ahead."

"I would rather face danger than bow down to the elves!" Thorin replied, showing no intention of compromising.

"You're a hard, stinking rock!" Gandalf was so exasperated by Thorin's stubbornness that he shook his head and turned to leave.

"Gandalf, where are you going?" Bilbo asked.

"Go ahead and scout the way, lest some stubborn people think there aren't enough dangers already."

Gandalf stopped and turned to look at Dui.

"Duir, you're coming with me."

"Oh? Okay."

Dui glanced at Bilbo, indicating that he shouldn't worry. "You watch the carriage for me while I go with Gandalf to check the front."

After saying that, he left the group with an angry Gandalf.

Seeing the two people closest to him leave, Bilbo looked at the dwarves somewhat awkwardly, unsure of what to say.

They could only huddle in Dui's carriage, trying their best to remain invisible.

Thorin made no response to Gandalf and Duy's departure, and instead directed the dwarves to rest on the spot.

front,

After they could no longer see Thorin's group behind them.

Gandalf's anger vanished instantly, and he said to Dui, "No matter what, we must get to the Valley. Only Elrond can decipher the code on the map; otherwise, even if we reach the Lonely Mountain, we'll be trapped."

Seeing that Gandalf's anger had disappeared, Dui asked curiously, "You're not angry?"

Gandalf shook his head. "It's not that I'm angry, just looking for an excuse to leave temporarily. These dwarves are as stinky and hard as the rock under Ork's ass; if I argued with them, I would have been driven to my death a thousand times over."

The fact that he used such an adjective suggests that he is still somewhat angry. Dui listened to Gandalf's hypocritical words with amusement.

"Gandalf, now that we're out, what's next? Are we really just going to scout ahead?"

"We can't join them yet," Gandalf said. "Thorin is very stubborn, and he's unlikely to agree to go to the Valley unless we knock him unconscious, so we need a chance to change his mind."

"What was the trigger?"

"A crisis that puts them in danger will change their stubborn mindset once they encounter a danger they cannot face."

"You want them to be in danger?" Dui's eyes widened, looking at Gandalf in disbelief.

"This is the territory of the Troll Forest, not far from the Misty Mountains. It's hard not to encounter danger here," Gandalf said with a smile. "Although it sounds a bit boastful, if we're with them, we can easily handle those dangers, which won't put too much pressure on them."

"So the only option is to bring you out first, and then protect them secretly. As long as we make sure their lives are not in danger, there won't be any problems."

"I never expected you to be like this, Gandalf!" Dui thought to himself, clicking his tongue in surprise.

But he still frowned slightly. "What about Bilbo? Why didn't you call him out earlier? Why did you have to suffer with the dwarves?"

“That would be too obvious!” Gandalf shook his head. “Bilbo needs to grow. He can’t rely on us too much. Besides, sharing joys and sorrows will make his relationship with the dwarves closer and more harmonious, which will be more helpful for our journey ahead.”

Well, poor Bilbo, Dui can only offer him a few seconds of silence.