He shook his head, his face full of helplessness and exhaustion, and turned to Bilbo, speaking in a low voice.
"Karl gave the company a chance to retreat, not to march back to their deaths. And now Thorin and the others have undone all of Karl's efforts."
To be honest, Thorin was like that... he wouldn't even let others finish speaking.
Bilbo opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he only gripped the hilt of his sword and lowered his head. Gandalf continued muttering under his breath.
"Elrond and his people seem to have already engaged the orcs. By the time Thorin and the others arrive, the dust will have settled. By then, they will either find Karl's corpse, or they will see a battle already over, or... they will find themselves in danger."
But Gandalf knew it was too late to speak; Thorin had made his decision, and the dwarves had followed his lead. All he could do was pray — pray that Elrond's patrol had arrived in time. And hope that Karl had enough strength left to leave room for redemption.
He raised his head and looked toward the entrance of the valley. The setting sun had painted the sky a bloody red. In that direction, the faint outlines of a cavalry unit slowly advancing into the valley could be seen.
Thorin and his dwarves had just reached the entrance when they saw a group of riders approaching at a leisurely pace. They rode on horses, their light golden armour reflecting the light, their ranks perfectly aligned, like a flowing golden stream. At the very front rode Karl and Elrond, with Elrond holding the reins and leading the horse, but not sitting in the saddle.
At the sight of Karl, Thorin's heart stopped. Karl was relaxed, his head turned as he spoke with Elrond. Though the distance was too great to make out his expression clearly, his posture indicated he was uninjured.
Thorin stopped in his tracks, and the dwarves behind him halted as well. A crowd gathered at the entrance, craning their necks to watch the approaching column. Thorin was extremely tense, his hand gripping the sword hilt tightly, his palms sweating profusely. His gaze was fixed on Karl's figure, his eyes filled with a mixture of anticipation, fear, and prayer — hoping to see Karl safe and sound.
Gandalf's unfinished words echoed in his mind like a ghost. "Lord Elrond and the others have already..." already what? Was it already too late? Had they already found Karl's body? Or were they already fighting the orcs, and Karl had been caught up in the chaos... Thorin dared not think further.
As the group drew nearer and details became clear, Thorin could make out Karl's face. He saw that Karl's clothes were clean and intact, only his boots were covered in dust and a few drops of blood. Most importantly, Karl was breathing, moving, speaking — conversing with Lord Elrond.
Thorin's tense body instantly relaxed, the tension receding like a wave, and a wave of relief washed over him. Then a genuine, radiant smile spread across his face. He raised his sword, as if raising a victory flag. Mustering all his strength, he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Karl! You're alive!"
The loud, joyful sound echoed at the entrance of the valley, startling several birds from the nearby trees. Balin and the others cheered; Dwalin stomped his feet; Kili and Fili shook hands. Bofur and Bifur embraced and spun in a dance, while Balin, beaming with joy, stroked his beard.
"This is wonderful! This is wonderful!"
"I knew it! Karl is so strong, how could anything happen to him!"
"Welcome back, hero!"
The group stopped a few metres ahead, and Elrond raised his hand, signalling them to halt. Then, under the eager gazes of Thorin and the dwarves, Karl approached them first. Elrond gestured with his eyes toward the Elven company behind him. The Elven warriors, wary of the dwarves' commotion, slowly removed their hands from their sword hilts, though their gazes remained cautious.
When Karl approached, the dwarves surrounded him from all sides, filling his space completely.
"Karl! Are you alright?" Dwalin spoke first, clapping Karl on the shoulder with his thick hand.
"Are you injured? Let me see!" Balin stepped forward, examining Karl from all sides.
"What about the orcs? What about the ferocious wolves? Did you deal with them?" Kili and Fili pushed forward, their eyes full of admiration.
"How did you do it? Handle a whole company on your own?"
The dwarves surrounded Karl, as if examining a precious work of art. Someone tried to lift Karl's clothes to check for wounds, but Karl immediately stopped them. They tried to lift Karl up and toss him in the air, expressing their joy and celebrating their victory.
"Wait, wait, I'm fine, really." Karl raised his hand to stop them, helplessness on his face. "Not a scratch. As for those orcs and wolves... well, they've been dealt with."
The dwarves calmed down a little, but the excitement and awe in their eyes remained unchanged. They stepped back a little to give Karl some space, but still surrounded him.
The Elves remained on their horses, watching the scene with some curiosity. They exchanged glances and spoke softly in Elvish.
"So these were his companions?"
"They are dwarves... no wonder they're being hunted by orcs."
"It seems this man is highly respected among them."
"His ability to single-handedly handle the Gundabad wolf patrol is truly admirable."
Elrond observed the dwarves surrounding Karl with a thoughtful expression. He did not disrupt the joy of the reunion, but simply rode around the crowd on his horse and approached Gandalf. Gandalf stood at the foot of the steps, watching the scene with a satisfied smile on his face. When Elrond approached, he gave a slight bow and a salute.
"Gandalf, it has been a long time," Elrond said softly.
Gandalf straightened up and replied in Elvish with a smile: "Lord Elrond, my friend."
Elrond handed the reins to an Elf, then took a crude scimitar that lay beside the saddle. These were trophies taken from the slain orcs. He took the blade, walked over to Gandalf, and embraced him. After they parted, Elrond handed the scimitar to the Elf, then turned to Gandalf and continued speaking in the Common Tongue.
"You look well, Gandalf. It seems this journey has been eventful."
Gandalf gave a wry smile: "Indeed, it has been difficult. From the Shire to here, we have encountered trolls and orcs. The dwarves nearly roasted alive, if not for Karl..."
He paused, looking at Karl surrounded by the dwarves, his eyes full of gratitude. "Lord Elrond, thank you for helping Karl. If your patrol had not arrived in time, he would have had to face the orcs alone..."
Elrond's lips twitched, and he shook his head with a strange expression. "No, Gandalf, you misunderstand. If we had arrived any later, that orc patrol from the south would likely have been wiped out..."