Chapter 15 Chapter fifteen

Now, we're turning the focus back to Bilbo and the dwarves.All night they dared not relax their watch, and until the next morning they heard or saw no sign of danger.However, there are more and more birds, and their partners fly from the south to join them, and the crows that originally lived in the mountains are also constantly circling in the sky. "Something strange must have happened," Thorin said. "The time for migratory birds has passed, and these birds usually live in the same place all the time. These are frightened birds, and there are a lot of vultures in the distance." Gather with the crows, it seems war is coming!"

Bilbo pointed ahead. "There's that blackbird again!" he cried. "It seems that when Smaug broke the wall he escaped alive. Those snails were not so lucky!" Indeed, it was the old black bird.It flew towards them and stopped on a nearby rock.It flapped its wings and chirped for a moment, then tilted its head, as if listening; then it chirped again, and then tilted its head to listen again. "I think it's trying to tell us something," said Balin, "but I can't understand the bird's language, it's too fast and difficult to understand. Can you understand, Bilbo?"

"Not quite," said Bilbo (in fact, he didn't understand a word at all): "but the old chap looks very excited." "I really hope it's a raven!" said Baring. "I thought you didn't like them! You seemed to hate them when we came over." "Those are ravens! They are very wicked, suspicious birds, and rude. You must have missed the nicknames they call us behind our backs. But the ravens are different, and they, like Sol's people, once They are quite close. They often bring information to us, and we will reward them with some shiny things, so that they can receive them in the nest. They have a long lifespan and a good memory. Moreover, they will also send Wisdom is passed down from generation to generation. When I was a boy, I knew a lot of Douqiu. This place used to be called Uqiu, because there was a very wise Douqiu couple living here; old Kak and his wife Live on the rooftops here. I think the old birds must have all gone, though."

Before he finished speaking, the black bird flew out with a croak. "Maybe we can't understand it, but this old bird seems to understand what we say," Baring said. "Watch what happens next!" Not long after, there was a sound of flapping wings outside.The black bird flew back again, and there was also a Duwu who looked quite miserable.It is almost blind, it can only fly with difficulty, and the hair on its head is completely bald.It landed awkwardly before them, flapped its wings slowly, and walked towards Thorin. "O Thorin son of Thorne, and Balin son of Fontein," he quacked (and Bilbo could understand, for he spoke in human language, not bird language): "I am Lo, son of Kak. K. Kuck is dead. He was very close to you before. It has been one hundred and fifty-three years since I broke out of my shell, but I have not forgotten what my father told me. Now, I am the ferryman in the mountains Lord of Black. We are few in number, but have not forgotten the kings of old. My people are all assembled here too, for there have been rather drastic changes in the south, some good news for you, some not. Listen Clear! The birds are returning to the valleys and hills from the south, east, and west, because the news of Smaug's death has gone!"

"Dead! Dead?" the dwarves shouted in unison: "Dead! Then what are we afraid of? These treasures are ours!" They all jumped up, dancing and celebrating. "Yes, dead," said Roque; "the black bird, may his feathers never fall, saw its death. We may believe what it says. Three nights before it saw the dragon Shot from the sky while fighting the humans of Ithgar." It was some time before Thorin could quiet the dwarves, and continue to listen to the news from Dow.Finally, when it had described the course of the whole battle, he continued: "Thorin Oakenshield, the time for celebration is over. You can return to the mountain safely, and all the treasures will belong to you. This is the case for now. Birds are not the only ones gathering here, Treasure Guardians Word of the death travels far and fast, and the legend of Thor's riches has not been forgotten through the years, and many are still eager to claim the treasure. The host of the elves has set out, and the carrion birds are with them Flying above their heads, hoping to get the flesh and blood of the war dead as food. The humans by the Long Lake blamed the dwarves for the tragedies they encountered. Now they are suffering heavy casualties, and those who survived are also homeless. towns were completely razed.

Whether you live or die, they also want a piece of your treasure.You have to rely on your own wisdom to decide what to do next, but compared with the descendants of Turin who once lived here, the thirteen dwarves are really pitifully few.If you are willing to listen to my advice, please don't trust the mayor of Long Lake Town, please cooperate with the person who shot down the evil dragon.His name is Bard, he is a descendant of Ji Ruien, and his ancestral home is the town of River Valley that used to have a good relationship with you.Dwarves, humans, and elves may have a chance to live together peacefully again after the dragon's ravages, but you'll have to be generous with your gold.I'm done! "

Thorin replied angrily: "Rok, son of Kark, please accept our thanks, we will not forget you and your people. But, as long as we live, no one can take anything away from us. If you are willing, please collect information nearby and tell us; at the same time, I also beg you, if there are young and strong messengers among your kindred, please send them to the northern mountains and the dwarves in the west and east. Here, tell them the danger we are facing. But you must go to the Iron Hills and inform my cousin Dane; he has many experienced soldiers under his command, and is the nearest here. Please come quickly! "

"I won't judge whether your approach is right or wrong," Rock Gaga replied, "but I will try my best to assist you." Then it flew away slowly. "Go back to the mountains!" Thorin shouted. "Our time is short." "There's not enough food!" Bilbo was always practical in this respect.Moreover, he felt that this adventure was actually over at the moment of the dragon's death, and he would rather give up the reward he deserved in exchange for a peaceful ending.But he was wrong, the adventure was not over yet! "Go back to the mountains!" the dwarves, deaf to what he said, just shouted to themselves.So, he went back with the crowd.

Since you already know some changes in the situation later, you will understand that the dwarves still have a few days to prepare.They carefully investigated the entire cave, and sure enough, as they expected, the only exit was the main entrance.All other entrances (except, of course, the secret door) had been blocked and destroyed by Smaug, without even a trace.So they began to work day and night, strengthening the fortification of the front gate and rebuilding the road at the gate.In the caves they found many tools used by ancient miners and stonemasons, for which the Dwarves were very good.

While they were working hard, Duwu kept bringing new news.In this way, they learned that the Elf King brought his troops to the lake, which gave them some breathing time; more fortunately, they also heard that three ponies had escaped Smaug's pursuit, and now they Running around the banks of the River Run, not far from the supplies they had left behind.So while the others worked hard to build, Fili and Kili, led by Doo, found the pony and brought back as many supplies as they could. Four more days passed, and by that time they knew that the combined forces of Men and Elves were beginning to advance towards the side of the mountain.But their morale was even higher, because, if distributed properly, they already had enough food to last them for weeks.Most of this is dry food for humans, and they are already tired of eating it, but on the battlefield, dry food is better than nothing.At this time, the gate has been closed by a high wall made of square rocks. The wall is thick and high, and it will be a nightmare for the attacking side.There are many perforations in the walls, allowing them to shoot bows and arrows, but there is no entrance.They used ladders to climb in and out, and ropes to carry their goods; and at the bottom of this wall an arched opening was made to let the spring water flow out, and Thorin also deliberately changed the course of the river, so that the spring water flowed before entering the waterfall. A small lake had formed beside the wall, and now it was impossible to approach the high wall without swimming and crossing a narrow path that clings to the wall.The previously found ponies were led near the old bridge, and after all the supplies were unloaded, they were driven away in the hope that they would return to their masters by themselves.

Then, one night, many fires suddenly lit up near the ruins of River Valley Town. "They have come!" Balin shouted. "Their camp is very large. This army must have come along the river under the cover of night and forest." The dwarves could hardly sleep that night.When it was still daylight, they found a group of people approaching.From behind the wall they watched the men enter the valley and slowly climb up, and they could clearly distinguish the armored human and elf archers among them.Soon after, the front end of the team climbed over the falling rocks and came to the vicinity of the waterfall.When they found the moat and the newly built high wall in front of them, they were naturally very surprised. As they stood there pointing, Thorin said, "Who are you?" He shouted in a medium voice: "You come to Thorin, son of Thorn, in full armor, In front of the king's palace, it looks like a battle is about to start, what do you want to do?" The other party didn't answer, some people turned and left, and others followed after carefully looking at the defense in front of them.The camp of the troops moved to the flat land between the mountains that day, and their conversations and songs echoed among the rock walls, something they hadn't done for many days.Among the human voices were the harps and sweet songs of the elves, and these wonderful music floated toward them, as if the air was warmed, and they could still smell the fragrance of the flowers blooming in the forest. Bilbo really wanted to get out of this dark, gloomy stronghold, and join in the singing and dancing around the campfire.Some of the younger dwarves were also shaken, and they murmured that it would not be so, and they could receive these people as friends.Thorin's face became ugly. So, the dwarves also took out the harps and musical instruments they found in Baoshan, and played their own music to appease everyone.But their song was not the song of the elves, but more like the song they sang in Bilbo's hobbit cave. Beneath the dark towering mountains, The king is finally home! His enemies are dead, the dragon is slain, All enemies thereafter will also fall like this. Swords are sharp, spears are pointed, The arrows are fast, the guards are strict; Seek gold with courage; Dwarves are no longer to be pitied. Ancient dwarves have high spells, The sound of the hammer flying, deep in the dark, The empty hall was noisy. silver necklace Torrents of starlight, crowned with Golden silk weaves dragon flames, strings fly, From the harp notes flowed a beautiful song. The throne under the mountain has been liberated! Oh, lost countrymen, come together to defend! Come on!Come on!Cross the wilderness without rest! Kings of the same clan need to fight together. calling through the icy mountains, Go back to the ancient cave! The king is waiting at the gate, There are gems everywhere, bags of gold. The king came home at last, Under the dark towering mountains. The dreadful dragon is slain, All enemies thereafter will fall like this! The song made Thorin very happy, and he smiled again, looking very excited.He also began to calculate the distance to the Iron Hills, and how long it would take for Dan to march as soon as he received the news to reach the Lonely Mountain.But Bilbo's mood was getting lower and lower, and the content of the song and the conversation made him feel very uneasy: everyone seemed to be ready for the battle. Early the next morning, a group of spearmen crossed the river and walked up the edge of the valley.They carried the green banner of the Elven King and the blue banner of the Long Lake, and they went all the way to the high wall. Thorin asked them again in a strong voice: "Who is it that comes to Thorin, Son of Thorn, King of the Mountain in full armor, and intends to fight?" This time, he got the answer. A tall, black-haired man stepped forward, his face somber, and he shouted; "Hello Thorin! Why do you shut yourself in like a cornered poor? We are not your enemy, we Glad to see you're still alive. We didn't expect anyone to be alive when we came, but since there's still guards here, it's time for us to have a meeting and talk to each other." "Who are you and what do you want to discuss?" "I am Bard, and I shot the dragon and freed your treasure. Does this have nothing to do with you? Besides, I am also the son of Giraion, the king of the valley. A part of your treasure, It was stolen from my ancestors by Smaug. We cannot Dao is not qualified to discuss this matter with you?Not only that, but in the last battle, Smaug also destroyed Isgar on the Long Lake. I am still a subordinate of their mayor. I can ask you on his behalf, whether you have taken into account the tragedy that his people suffered.They reached out to you when you were hungry and cold, and you have so far returned them only with disaster and death; though, I know you did not mean to do so. " Even if the speaker is a little arrogant and pessimistic, it is indeed quite a high-sounding truth.Bilbo expected Thorin to admit right away that the other had a point, though he knew that no one would remember that he had found the dragon's trap.His foresight was indeed quite correct, and everyone had indeed forgotten about it. However, he ignored the attraction of the dragon's treasure to everyone and the influence it had on the minds of dwarves.In the past few days, Sorin was in the treasure mountain. Although most of his energy was spent on searching for family heirloom diamonds, and he dismissed other handicrafts, his desire still accumulated to a new high. "You put your most selfish reasons last and foremost," replied Thorin. "No one is entitled to share in the treasures of my people, for Smaug also took their lives and their dwellings. The treasures were It does not belong to it, nor should it be used to make up for the damage it caused. When the time comes, the assistance and goods that the people of Changhu Town gave us at the beginning will be converted into gold and returned to them. However, no one can force us to send Not a penny. As long as you are still planting troops in front of my house, I will treat you as enemies and thieves. I can't help but wonder what you will give to our countrymen if you come to find us killed such compensation." "That's a good question," Bud said, "but you are not dead, and we are not robbers. Moreover, you have become rich people now, and you should pay back to those who are in your life." A well-meaning person who lends a helping hand when you are poor. Besides, you still haven't responded to my other requests." "I have said before that I will not negotiate when there are soldiers at my door. Especially the children of the Elf-king, I remember how they treated us badly. In this dispute , they don’t have any qualifications to participate at all. If you don’t leave, I’m afraid you will have to taste the taste of our bows and arrows! If you want to talk to me again, first drive the elf troops back to their forest, then put down their weapons, and come to find I." "The Elven King is my ally. When my compatriots were displaced, although we had only friendship before and no favors owed, he still extended a helping hand." Bard replied: "We are willing to give you time to take back what you have Think about it before we come back!" Then he walked back to the camp. A few hours later the standard-bearer returned, and the trumpeter blew his trumpet: "In the name of Isgar and the forest," one read, "we declare to Thorin Oakenshield, the self-proclaimed King of the Mountain, that we hope that he will consider the conditions he has put forward before, otherwise he will be regarded as an enemy of the coalition forces." At the very least, he should give one-twelfth of the treasure to Bard, the heir of Ghirian and the dragon slayer. Bard himself will use the treasure to repay all the allies who helped Isgar. Except In addition, if Sorin wants to be respected by the nearby residents like his ancestors, he should also give part of the treasure to the humans of Long Lake to make up for the damage they have suffered." Thorin immediately picked up the horn bow and shot an arrow at the announcer.Feathered arrows whized into his shield, which trembled slightly. "Since this is your answer," he yelled in response, "we will encircle this mountain range and you will not leave here unless you are willing to lay down your arms and negotiate. Guard the gold. May it be your food, if you will!" The messenger left quickly, leaving the dwarf to ponder his situation.Sorin became very gloomy. Even if other people knew that he had made a mistake, they did not dare to speak out. Moreover, most people seemed to have the same idea as him, except Fat Bombur, Fili and Qi force.Of course, Bilbo didn't approve of this treatment at all. He had had enough of being in the mountains, trapped in a situation he didn't like. "It's full of the dragon's stench here!" he muttered. "It makes me want to throw up. Lately, even dry food seems to get stuck in my throat, and I can't swallow it at all."