Walking Into a Trap with Eyes Wide Open

Although Dwalin and the others were reluctant, they knew that Balin was the right person, and they had no other choice.

Fili and Kili each jumped onto the back of a goat, cut the ropes connecting them to the chariot, and rode them at breakneck speed toward Ravenhill.

"Gaius, get on." Dwalin mounted the last goat, leaving a spot for Aaron.

"Forget it!" Aaron glanced at him with some disdain. "I don't like being around rough men."

"When did you start joking around?"

"This is no joke." Aaron shook his head, offering no explanation, but instead tapped his shoulder lightly with his Wand, transforming into a raven and soaring into the sky.

Dwalin:...

I'm just being nosy and worrying about nothing!

And so, the group followed the trail to the foot of Ravenhill to meet up with Thorin.

"Charge!"

At Thorin's command, everyone began to climb the mountain.

The orc guards along the way were completely powerless against these four elite dwarves, and they slaughtered their way to the top of the mountain.

What made them uneasy was that the top of the watchtower was empty; Azog was gone, or rather, he had hidden himself.

"Where is he?" Kili said. "There seems to be no one here. Azog may have escaped."

"I don't think so," Thorin murmured. As his old adversary, he knew all too well what kind of orc Azog was: treacherous, cunning, ruthless, and powerful—all the qualities of a villain were embodied in him.

That makes sense, though. They came to Ravenhill without any attempt to conceal themselves, and Azog had already discovered them. Given his personality, it's impossible for him to be foolish enough to stay put and then fight him to the death.

"Fili, you take your brother and search the lookout tower."

Be sure to stay hidden, report any suspicious activity immediately, and do not act without authorization.

Do you understand?

"Wait a minute." Aaron hurriedly stopped the two. "The enemy is in the dark while we are in the light. It's better not to split up, otherwise we'll be easily defeated one by one."

"More enemies are coming," Dwalin said as he approached. "They're goblin mercenaries, about ten of them."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a goblin, howling like a little devil, charged at him.

"Take care of them first," Thorin said, then drew his sword and charged forward.

Fili, Kili, and Dwalin were not afraid at all. They might not have been able to defeat the orcs from the previous week, but goblins were only so-so in terms of fighting strength. They would be ashamed if they couldn't beat them.

River Valley City.

Legolas, riding a white horse, hurried over with Tauriel in tow.

"Gandalf, another enemy has arrived," Legolas said anxiously. "It's Bolg leading the Gundabad Orcs, and they're about to kill us."

"Gandaba?" Gandalf seemed to have thought of something. "It seems this was all planned. Azog is holding back our army, while the Bolg launch a surprise attack from the north."

"Was it the last straw that broke the camel's back?" the Thought Form mused. "But judging from the current situation, this orc army is probably not the last straw, but the final weight."

We were outnumbered and barely managed to gain a slight advantage, but with the arrival of the Bolg, the balance of power will tip in favor of the orcs again.

Damn it! Life is unpredictable, like a large intestine enclosing a small intestine!

No wonder my ancestors said that the situation on the battlefield is always changing in an instant. I didn't believe it before, but now I have to.

"The situation isn't that bad," Gandalf said calmly. "The orcs have reinforcements, and so do we."

"Hmm?" Aaron raised an eyebrow, only then remembering that Gandalf had said that after Queen Galadriel rescued him from Dol Guldur, he sent the Brown Wizard Radagast to fetch reinforcements.

Now that the battle has escalated to this point, and the orc reinforcements are already in dire need of reinforcements, there's no reason why their reinforcements shouldn't come!

"Gandalf, you are truly prescient! Your image in my mind has immediately become much more impressive."

Gandalf's lips twitched slightly, but he just smiled and didn't say anything.

"North? Where is north?" Bilbo asked. "Tell me."

"Ravenhill." The Thought Form- Be glanced at the Sun, which was obscured by clouds. "If I'm not mistaken, that's where Azog is."

"Oh no!" Bilbo's expression changed drastically. "Thorin is there, and so are Fili, Kili, and Dwalin. They're all there."

Upon hearing that Kili was also in Ravenhill, Tauriel's pupils dilated slightly, and her heart jumped into her throat.

"It's not just them." The Thought Form scratched its head. "My mortal body is there too."

Hearing this, Bilbo and Gandalf were not worried at all. On the contrary, they breathed a sigh of relief, and even the worry on their faces lessened a bit.

"Hey, hey, hey, what do you mean by this?"

The Thought Form felt its fragile soul had been brutally attacked, oh dear, oh dear.

"This is the only good news," Gandalf said bluntly. "With you there, Thorin and the others are not in any danger, and with a bit of luck, they might even escape unscathed."

Thought Form:...

Who are these people? They think too highly of me!

"You're a clone?" Legolas stared in astonishment at the Thought Form. "How did you manage to clone yourself? I can't tell the difference between you and the original at all."

"Talent, I have to rely on my one-in-a-million talent." The missing body raised its chin proudly, and secretly complained in his heart: You can see that there is something wrong.

The Thought Form is created by using half of the original body's magic. It has flesh and blood and emotions. Not to mention you, even Warlock Dumbledore, who can become a Holy Magus at any time, cannot tell the difference.

"Can he really guarantee the safety of Kili and the others?" Tauriel asked with some doubt.

"Absolutely." Gandalf calmly, "I have never met anyone with a greater desire than him. The fact that he dared to go means that he is confident enough to return safely."

The Thought Form smiled sheepishly and didn't offer any rebuttal.

With at least two thousand points of Mana Magical Energy Apparition or Animagus to escape. At worst, I can use the Disillusionment Charm to hide for a while.

If it really comes to the worst, he can use Water-Repelling Charm to jump into the icy river. He doesn't believe that orcs would risk freezing to death to rescue people from the icy river.

"Their situation is still very dangerous," Tauriel said. "We need to find a way to inform them."

"No need." The Thought Form pointed to its own head. "Although I am a clone, this clone of me is not some third-rate thing. I can communicate with my original body at any time."

The news that Bolg would attack from the north has already been conveyed to him, Thorin and the others will also know.

"Well done," Gandalf praised.

"Um...should we go and help them?" Bilbo asked with some concern. "I'm not trying to spoil the mood, but I wouldn't be worried about anyone else, but...he's Thorin!"

Upon hearing this, Gandalf gasped and inexplicably felt a toothache.

Bilbo's concern was not unfounded; he had actually forgotten about that.

Thorin's father and his relatives both died at the hands of Azog. As the saying goes, enemies meeting are bound to be furious. Even though he knew Ravenhill was a trap, he couldn't help but lose his rationality when he saw Azog.

In a moment of heightened passion, it's not impossible that he might stay there and fight Azog to the death.

"Aaron, can you persuade him to stop?"

"What do you think?" The Thought Form rolled its eyes. "You know how stubborn Thorin is. All I can say is that I'll do my best."

If he really won't listen to reason, just knock him out and carry him back.

Upon hearing this, the group exchanged bewildered glances, speechless with disbelief.

This approach is somewhat unfair, and it seems there's no better way.

Ravenhill.

Having just dealt with a group of goblin mercenaries, Aaron received a message from his Thought Form, causing him to frown deeply. "Thorin, I have a message from my telepathic body. Bolg is leading a group of Gundabad Orcs to attack us. We must leave here immediately."

"We've almost succeeded," Dwalin said angrily. "That filthy orc is right here. We should continue."

"No, that would be exactly what we're doing," Thorin said calmly. "This is Azog trap, a terrible snare."

Aaron was somewhat surprised, but more than that, he was delighted.

Thorin Oakenshield has changed his ways, so he doesn't have to waste his breath anymore.

Thorin glanced regretfully at the top of the watchtower, then reluctantly gave the order to retreat.

However, as soon as they mounted the goats, the hidden assassin, Azog, could no longer contain himself.

Thorin wanted to kill him, but he also wanted to kill Thorin!

Thorin Oakenshield was once just a down-on-his-luck dwarf prince who repeatedly escaped the clutches of orcs. But now he has obtained the Arkenstone and is the rightful dwarf king.

Even if the orcs win the war and occupy Lonely Mountain, as long as Thorin lives, he can unite the dwarf tribes, making it extremely difficult to kill him then.

"Thorin Oakenshield." Azog called Thorin's name as he stepped out of the watchtower. "Is the mighty Dwarf King going to slink away in disgrace?"

"You don't know anything. This is called 'preserving the green hills so that there's no fear of running out of firewood.'" Aaron said nonchalantly. "Don't think we don't know that Bolg is bringing the Gundabad Orcs over. Once this place is surrounded, we won't be able to get out of here even if we want to."

"That's it, Azog." Thorin sneered. "You're lucky today, you've escaped with your life. You won't be so lucky next time."

After saying that, Thorin prepared to leave with his men.

"Thrain," Azog sneered, uttering Thorin's name. "The scene of me killing that dwarf was truly a sight to behold; the fear in his eyes is still vivid in my memory."

Oh, and what's your name again?

Thor, your king was beheaded by my own hand and thrown on the ground like trash.

Two generations of dwarf kings died at my hands. It's understandable that the third dwarf king, fearing for his Durin, and the descendants of Durin, might want to be cowards!

Holy crap!

Aaron inwardly groaned; Azog was just too damn mean.

This series of actions not only laid bare family feuds and national hatred, but also repeatedly rubbed people's self-esteem into the ground, which is unbearable for anyone.

"Thorin, calm down, calm down, you must calm down."

"I can't calm down." Thorin gripped the reins tightly, his hand unconsciously tightening, and the next second he dismounted from the goat's back. "Today I must kill him."

"We can't stay calm either," Dwalin said angrily. "The dwarf king has been insulted, and we can't pretend we didn't hear it."

Fili and Kili nodded in succession and stood beside Thorin.

Aaron:...

Holy crap! What are you three doing here?!