Near the Anduin Valley, at the Carrock... this was the farthest the Great Eagles were willing to fly with everyone after discussion. They gently set the group down, then turned and soared back toward their eyries.
Garrett didn't know what had happened while he was battling Azog, but judging by appearances, everyone seemed safe, just a bit exhausted.
"Bilbo, I once said that there was no place for you among us... That was my gravest error."
Thorin embraced Bilbo warmly.
"What happened?" Garrett quietly asked Gandalf.
"Thorin was surrounded and overwhelmed by wargs, nearly slain. It was Bilbo who rushed in and saved his life."
"I see."
Luck might be coincidence, but courage was always a choice.
Garrett looked at Bilbo, then glanced meaningfully at his pocket.
That thing...
Perhaps Bilbo possessing it was indeed part of the Great Music. But no one was born to suffer, and no one deserved to be slowly consumed.
Still, one had to admit, Bilbo's resistance to corruption was truly strong. He would bear the One Ring and endure its influence for sixty years, yet was still able to voluntarily give it up.
If there were a way, perhaps they didn't have to watch Bilbo be gradually consumed. Even if the corruption of the mind couldn't be prevented, they might still address it at its root. But that meant, after this journey to the Lonely Mountain, there would be many more tasks ahead.
After a brief rest, the company descended from the Carrock and continued their journey toward Erebor.
Several days later, on the far side of the valley, Gandalf stood atop a rocky outcrop, looking down at the forests, plains, and rivers teeming with wargs and orcs. His brows furrowed deeply.
"They've mobilized their entire force. I'd wager even their advance scouts number in the thousands," a dwarf called from below.
"It's a full-scale invasion!"
Gandalf's frown deepened at those words. His eyebrows had endured considerable stress these past few days.
"ROAR!"
Suddenly, a bestial roar rang out overhead. Everyone instinctively reached for their weapons and looked up to see a massive bear baring its teeth and glaring down at them.
"By Durin's beard, it's enormous! Larger than any bear I've ever seen!" a dwarf exclaimed, trembling.
Thud!
The giant bear suddenly leaped down, and Garrett reached for his sword.
"Wait!" Gandalf quickly intervened, stepping between Garrett and the bear.
"Beorn, I know it's you. Calm yourself. I am Gandalf the Grey, friend of Radagast the Brown, you know him well."
The giant bear stared intently at Gandalf, making the wizard's scalp tingle.
After a moment, the bear backed up two steps and stopped baring its fangs. Its enormous form gradually shrank, fur retracting, limbs thinning, until it transformed into a man well over two meters tall.
The dwarves were thunderstruck. They rubbed their eyes, thinking they were dreaming.
"He is of the skin-changer folk. They possess the ancient magic to take beast form," Gandalf explained.
"A wizard, a warrior, a hobbit... and gold-hungry dwarves. What business brings you near my lands?"
Beorn looked down upon the group from his imposing height. His expression remained neutral when his eyes passed over Garrett and Bilbo, but he scowled when observing the dwarves.
"We mean no harm, merely passing through," Gandalf explained carefully.
The skin-changers had suffered a tragic fate. They were driven from the mountains by orcs and forced to dwell in the valleys. Most of their already dwindling numbers were captured and tortured to death by orc-kind.
Beorn might well be the last of his people. Gandalf certainly didn't want him and Garrett to come to blows, better not to see the skin-changers vanish entirely.
"Very well, I'll trust you."
Beorn nodded. Though he disliked dwarves and harbored little love for strangers, he could trust a companion of the Brown Wizard.
Gandalf exhaled in relief.
Thank Eru, the skin-changer would be spared.
"Speaking of which, what brings you to these parts?" he inquired.
"I'm avoiding the orc armies. Lately they've been acting like mad beasts, swarming everywhere. Even I don't want to cross through them."
Beorn shook his head, troubled.
"The last time I witnessed so many orcs was during their attempt to expand north of the valley. But that region is desolate now, nothing left to plunder. I truly don't understand why they've mobilized again."
"Ah... about that..." Gandalf glanced at Garrett, chuckling awkwardly.
Garrett shrugged helplessly.
"That's not important. The key point is, we share a common foe. We can stand against them together. Actually, we require assistance. That would make dealing with the orcs far easier..."
Beorn remained silent for a moment. He studied Gandalf, then the dwarves, and finally let his gaze rest on Garrett for a long time, then slowly nodded.
"The enemies of orcs are my allies. Very well, I can aid you. I know a path that can avoid their patrols. During daylight, you can use it to leave this place. I'll keep watch for you."
---
That night, beneath the moonlight, a giant bear stood atop a rocky hill, warily scanning the surroundings.
Inside the dwelling, the company had eaten their fill and slept soundly.
In the distance, an orc was making a report.
"We've spotted a giant bear on the rocks. Should we...?"
The bear appeared formidable, but on second thought, it didn't seem that strong. With additional warriors, they could probably bring it down.
"Leave it alone. Go around. No need to invite trouble."
An orc patrol leader issued orders: "Our targets are the dwarves, and that accursed..."
At this, his breath caught. Just thinking of that figure made him shudder.
"If you encounter him, do not engage directly. Return and summon the main army. Then we'll go kill him!"
"Yes."
The night passed swiftly.
---
At dawn, Beorn brought out his homemade honey-cakes and mead to treat the company. He also provided horses and pointed out the route, allowing them to leave quickly.
Meanwhile, the roaming orcs had failed to locate their targets. After several days, for various reasons, they gradually withdrew and temporarily retreated from the plains.
That day, at the forest's edge, the entrance to the Woodland Realm, Beorn's horses were released, save for one being led by Gandalf.
"This place has already been tainted by the shadow of evil... the omens are dark. Garrett, might I ask a favor of you?"
"What is it?"
Gandalf approached, turned his back to the group, and whispered to Garrett, "I need to confirm something in the coming days. Do you know of the 'Nazgûl'?"
"I know a bit. They're servants of Sauron."
Flicker.
A shadow passed through Garrett's eyes. Bilbo suddenly glanced at him and scratched his head in confusion.
"Oh no, no, Garrett, don't speak that name so casually..."
Gandalf winced in frustration. Even though the Ring had been lost, the Dark Lord wasn't truly destroyed. Speaking his name without proper wards could cause a faint resonance.
Though it wasn't as if Sauron could reach through mere words to strike someone down, it still wasn't wise to draw such attention.
"Many among the Wise refer to him as 'the Nameless One.' But that's beside the point. I need to discover if the Nine have truly been summoned once more. For that, I must undertake a long journey."
"You want me to accompany you?"
"No, I'll go alone. What I would ask is, when I return, would you be willing to join me at Dol Guldur? There might be something there."
"There's definitely something there..."
If Garrett remembered correctly, Sauron was currently dwelling in that fortress.
"What?"
"Nothing. I'll come. When will you be back?"
Gandalf provided a timeframe that was far from brief.
"Understood. I'll see you then."
"Good. Should either of us arrive early, we'll wait three days at the main entrance."
Gandalf mounted his horse and rode away, parting from the company once again.
Garrett, meanwhile, entered the dark wood with the expedition.
"What did Gandalf say to you?" Bilbo asked curiously. The nearby dwarves pricked up their ears as well.
They were clearly intrigued by the hushed conversation between Garrett and the wizard. But some matters, while not exactly secrets, were beyond their understanding. Telling them would only sow confusion.
"He warned that the forest has been corrupted by dark powers. It's extremely dangerous. We need to stick to the main road as much as possible, it's relatively safer there."
Bilbo nodded gravely. "Understood. I'll be careful."