Chapter Summaries

Aaron and the expedition escaped an Orc and Warg ambush by taking refuge in a cave that led to Rivendell, where they hoped to learn how to decipher Thorin’s map. They arrived just as Elven riders returned, and Thorin’s hostile response threatened to undermine Gandalf’s negotiations.

• Radagast lured most of the Warg scouts away while Gandalf led the expedition across the plains, but Kili’s attack revealed their position and the scouts surrounded them.
• Aaron killed the Orc leader and urged Thorin to charge, but Gandalf redirected the company to a hidden cave, where the dwarves and Bilbo held off the remaining Orcs.
• After Elves attacked the Orcs outside, the expedition followed the cave passage and discovered Rivendell, where Gandalf said they needed answers about Thorin’s map.
• Gandalf learned that King Elrond was away, and Thorin prepared the dwarves to face the returning Elven riders as if they were enemies.

At Rivendell, King Elrond deciphered the moon letters on Thorin’s map, revealing a clue to the hidden entrance to Erebor and the need to arrive by Durin’s Day. Gandalf then brought Aaron to meet Queen Galadriel and Saruman, drawing the reluctant boy into the attention of Middle-earth’s powerful figures.

• King Elrond welcomed Gandalf and the Dwarves to Rivendell, identified Orcrist and Glamdring, and invited them to a meal.
• Gandalf persuaded Thorin to show King Elrond the family map, and Elrond revealed its moon letters under the crescent moon.
• The moon letters instructed the company to look for the entrance at the gray stone when the setting sun illuminated the keyhole on Durin’s Day.
• King Elrond warned Gandalf that other guardians of Middle-earth were involved, and Gandalf brought Aaron to meet Queen Galadriel and Saruman.
• Saruman suggested that Aaron leave, but Gandalf insisted on introducing him and declared that Aaron was special and would help them succeed.

Aaron stayed in Rivendell as Gandalf and Saruman argued over the dwarves’ expedition, then caught up with Thorin’s company after the dwarves left without him. When Aaron sensed Stone Giants beneath a cliffside path, he warned the company to flee, and they watched the giants emerge and battle after escaping.

• Aaron signed in at Rivendell and spent 200 Magic Points to learn the Patronus Charm.
• Gandalf showed Saruman, Queen Galadriel, and King Elrond a Morgul Blade, but Saruman dismissed the evidence of a returning threat and opposed the expedition.
• After the dwarves left Rivendell without him, Aaron borrowed an elven-bred horse and gathered food, water, and weapons from Lindir before riding after them.
• Aaron caught up with Thorin’s company, and they continued toward the Lonely Mountain along a narrow mountain path as a storm broke.
• Aaron heard breathing in the cliff and urged the company to flee; Thorin led them onward, and Bilbo nearly fell but was rescued.
• After the company escaped, a Stone Giant rose from the path and fought two other Stone Giants, leaving the expedition stunned by the battle.

As the expedition was captured by Orcs, Aaron fought his way through their underground city and rescued Bilbo after he fell into the depths. While Aaron returned to find Thorin and the Dwarves in the Orc King's grasp, Bilbo discovered a Golden Ring and was confronted by Gollum.

• Bilbo tried to leave the expedition, but Aaron gave him a special blanket before Orcs ambushed and captured the group.
• Aaron killed three Orcs, found Bilbo fighting another, and jumped after him when they fell into a chasm.
• Aaron landed safely with Bilbo, left him to find an exit, and returned to discover Thorin and the Dwarves before the Orc King.
• The Orc King learned Thorin had a bounty on his head from Azog the Defiler and ordered his captives prepared for slaughter.
• Bilbo picked up a Golden Ring after Gollum dragged away a wounded Orc, but Gollum spotted him and approached.

Aaron helped Thorin and the dwarves escape Orc City, while Bilbo escaped Gollum and rejoined the expedition. The party continued onward with Bilbo back among them, carrying the Golden Ring.

• Bilbo threatened Gollum and agreed to play a riddle game for directions out of Orc City.
• Aaron ambushed the Goblin King and freed the captured dwarves, but the King escaped when the ground opened beneath him.
• Gandalf arrived to help the dwarves fight their way through the goblins, and he killed the Goblin King on a wooden bridge.
• The bridge collapsed, and Aaron, Gandalf, and the dwarves survived the fall before fleeing the pursuing goblins into daylight.
• When Gandalf realized Bilbo was missing, Aaron explained that Bilbo had tried to help and said he had left him a way to return.
• Bilbo appeared behind a tree, returned Aaron's blanket, and rejoined the expedition after escaping Gollum with the Golden Ring.

Bilbo returned to the expedition to help Thorin reclaim his home, but Azog and his Wargs soon cornered the party at a cliff. As Thorin lay gravely wounded and Azog prepared to kill him, Bilbo and the dwarves attacked while Aaron tried to organize a rescue.

• Bilbo explained that he had returned because Thorin and the dwarves had no home, and Aaron applauded his decision.
• Wargs pursued the expedition to a cliff, where the party climbed into pine trees as Azog arrived and declared that Thorin was his target.
• Aaron and Bilbo used a burning pinecone and arrows to scatter the Wargs and wound Azog, but the party’s tree began tipping over the cliff.
• Aaron helped Gandalf hold up Ori and Dori while Thorin charged Azog, who knocked him down and left him badly wounded.
• Aaron threw Ori, Dori, and his Magic Carpet from the tree to free his hands, but Bilbo attacked the Orc about to behead Thorin before Aaron could act.

After the Great Eagles rescued the expedition, they carried it to the Lonely Mountain, where Thorin recovered and apologized to Bilbo. Azog later caught up with the group, and as a giant bear chased them toward a nearby house, Aaron discovered its door was barred from the outside and opened it.

• The Great Eagles rescued the dwarves and Bilbo from the Wargs, and Aaron used his Magic Carpet to carry the unconscious Thorin.
• Gandalf healed Thorin, who thanked Bilbo for saving him and apologized for doubting him as the expedition saw the Lonely Mountain.
• More than half a month later, Aaron and Bilbo spotted Azog searching nearby and encountered a giant black bear that Gandalf identified as a Skin-changer.
• Gandalf led the expedition toward a nearby house as Azog's orcs pursued them and the bear charged after both groups.
• The expedition reached the house, but its owner did not open the door; Aaron found it barred from the outside and unlatched it.

Aaron and the expedition stayed at Beorn’s house, where Aaron warned Bilbo about the dangerous ring. Beorn escorted them to Mirkwood, and Gandalf left to investigate a mark while the others prepared to cross the forest.

• Beorn drove off the Orcs outside his house, while Azog abandoned his ambush plan and rode to Dol Guldur after receiving his master's summons.
• Aaron bought Captain Jack's Compass and recognized the ring Bilbo had found, warning him that it could bewitch its owner and others who saw it.
• Beorn explained that Azog had killed or enslaved his people, then lent the expedition horses and escorted them to Mirkwood as a black bear.
• At the Elven Gate, Gandalf found a red mark and decided to leave the group, telling them to stay on the forest path and warning Thorin not to enter Lonely Mountain without him.
• Gandalf asked Aaron to protect the expedition, and Aaron agreed to act within the limits of his ability.

Lost in Mirkwood, Aaron and Bilbo encountered Giant Spiders that captured the dwarves, and Aaron revealed his magic while helping Bilbo rescue them. Aaron unleashed a raven-shaped Patronus to defeat the spiders, drawing the attention of Legolas and a group of elves.

• Aaron stopped Bilbo from disturbing a sleeping Giant Spider, then warned the company that the forest was disorienting them and urged them to stay together.
• Bilbo climbed into the treetops to find their bearings, while Giant Spiders ambushed Thorin and the dwarves and wrapped them in webs.
• A Giant Spider captured Bilbo, and Aaron used Spider Strike to save him before turning invisible and letting the spider carry Bilbo to the nest.
• Bilbo named his short sword Sting, escaped the webs, and freed the thirteen dwarves while Aaron drew a swarm of spiders away.
• Cornered by the spiders, Aaron cast the Patronus Charm and sent a raven-shaped Patronus to kill them.
• Legolas sensed the spell's energy and led the elves toward its source as Aaron put away his Wand, exhausted by the magic.

Aaron Gaius was confronted by Legolas in Mirkwood, and their standoff ended when Thorin and the Dwarves arrived, prompting the Elves to capture the expedition. Imprisoned in the Woodland King's palace, the group considered their chances of escape and their leverage over the king.

• Legolas ambushed Aaron, but Aaron fought back with two Wands before persuading Legolas that he was merely crossing the forest.
• Thorin and the Dwarves arrived, and Legolas surrounded them with Elves and ordered the expedition disarmed and taken prisoner.
• Aaron told Legolas that Elrond had given Thorin Orcrist and cited his own ties to Rivendell and Galadriel, but Legolas had the group taken to the Woodland King's palace.
• Legolas and Tauriel locked the expedition in separate cells, while Kili flirted with Tauriel and Aaron teased him about his chances.
• Bilbo asked about escaping, but Balin said the cells could not be opened without the king's permission and noted that the Dwarves could use the Lonely Mountain's treasures as leverage.

Thranduil offered to free Thorin, Aaron, and Bilbo in exchange for the White Gem, but Thorin refused, citing the Woodland King's betrayal of the Dwarves. Aaron offered to heal Thranduil's face in exchange for their release, but Thranduil would free only Aaron and Bilbo, leaving the captives to seek another way out.

• Thranduil accused Thorin of seeking the Arkenstone and offered aid in exchange for the White Gem, but Thorin rejected the deal and called him dishonorable.
• Thranduil revealed that Dragon Fire had scarred his face and sent the captives back to their cells after Thorin condemned him for abandoning the Dwarves.
• Aaron offered to heal Thranduil's face for their release, but Thranduil said he would free only Aaron and Bilbo because he valued the White Gem more.
• Back in the cells, Aaron said he could heal Thranduil with his potions and expected someone else to seek him out, while Thorin warned that the king might break his promise.
• Legolas visited Aaron, refused to release the Dwarves or return Aaron's Wands, but tossed Sting to Bilbo because he considered the Hobbit too weak to pose a threat.

Aaron negotiated with Legolas for the dwarves’ release while secretly preparing a prison break. After carving a key from a wine cork and opening his cell, he sent Bilbo to scout the Woodland Realm and find the keys; Bilbo followed their carrier into the wine cellar while invisible.

• Aaron demanded his Wand back and asked Legolas to release every dwarf except Thorin, and Legolas agreed to try to persuade his father.
• Aaron explained that freeing the other dwarves would give them a better chance of rescuing Thorin, then revealed his plan to escape by picking the cell lock.
• Aaron bought wine, carved its cork into a key with Sting, and opened his cell before Tauriel arrived.
• Tauriel and Kili talked about her love of starlight and his promise to return to his mother, growing closer as she returned his rune stone.
• Aaron asked Bilbo to use the Magic Ring to scout an escape route and find the keys; Bilbo followed the key-carrying Elf into the wine cellar.

Bilbo helped Thorin’s company escape the elven cells through an underground waterway, but Bolg’s Orcs ambushed them at the dam. The dwarves escaped downriver with Tauriel’s help, while Aaron realized Kili had been struck by a poisoned arrow and concealed the evidence.

• Bilbo stole the keys, freed the dwarves, and led them into barrels that rolled into the underground river.
• Legolas ordered the sluice closed, but Orcs led by Bolg attacked the elves and the dwarves before they could be recaptured.
• Kili reached the sluice lever but Bolg shot him in the leg, and Tauriel arrived to help fight off the Orcs.
• Aaron pulled the lever, sending the barrels over the waterfall as the Orcs pursued the company downriver.
• Aaron caught Bolg’s arrow and noticed black poison on its tip, but he threw it into the river after Kili silently pleaded with him.

The expedition escaped Bolg's Orcs by river, but Kili was badly wounded by a poisoned arrow. Aaron began treating him as the group sought a way forward, and they ended the chapter bargaining with a wary boatman from Long Lake Town.

• The Dwarves fought off Orcs along the river while Legolas and Tauriel helped cover their escape, and Thorin saved Legolas from an Orc attack.
• After the expedition reached a slower stretch of river, Kili collapsed from his wounded leg, and Aaron bandaged him and promised to do his best to treat the poison.
• A bowman from Long Lake Town confronted the group, then agreed to rent them his barge after Balin negotiated with him.
• Balin claimed the group were merchants from the Blue Mountains visiting relatives and friends, while Aaron privately noted how readily Balin lied.

Aaron and Thorin’s company bribed Bard to help them reach Long Lake Town, where they sought supplies and medicine for Kili. After evading the town’s corrupt officials, Bard prepared to take them to his home by a route the group might find difficult to accept.

• Thorin asked Aaron for supplies, food, and weapons, and Aaron paid Bard to help the company enter town and find medicine for Kili.
• In the Woodland Realm, an Orc told Thranduil that Kili was dying, mocked Thorin, and spoke of the Supreme One before Thranduil killed him and ordered the realm sealed.
• Bard hid the dwarves in fish barrels and negotiated their passage past Percy and Alfred at the checkpoint.
• Alfred threatened Bard, but Bard got the boat through inspection and paid an acquaintance to keep quiet about the company.
• Aaron warned Bard that his home was likely watched, but Bard insisted it was their only option and said he knew another route.

Aaron and the dwarves escaped the watchers by crawling through Bard’s toilet into his home, where Aaron used magic to conceal himself and then mocked the drenched dwarves. As they warmed up, Bain revealed that Girian’s Black Arrow had once wounded Smaug’s left wing, giving the company a possible clue for their coming fight.

• Thorin agreed to Bard’s humiliating toilet escape plan, and Aaron refused until he revealed that he was a wizard who could turn invisible.
• Bard guided the group to his home while Aaron used a Disillusionment Charm, then Aaron dispelled it in front of Bard’s family.
• Dwalin and the other dwarves climbed out of the toilet, and Aaron laughed at them while Bard’s daughters asked why dwarves were coming out of it.
• Bard and his children gave the shivering group blankets, clothes, and hot water, while Aaron shared his wine and Bain discarded its key-shaped cork.
• Balin recalled Girian’s final attack on Smaug, and Bain said Girian had struck the dragon’s left wing with a Black Arrow.
• Aaron urgently asked Bain where the wound was, hoping to learn how the company could defeat Smaug.

Aaron and the dwarves struggled to prepare for their journey to the Lonely Mountain while Bard learned Thorin’s identity and warned Aaron that the prophecy also foretold Long Lake Town’s destruction. Bard tried to stop them, but Aaron insisted they would not abandon their quest.

• Bard brought the dwarves crude wooden weapons, and Aaron went with him to buy medicine for Kili while disguised in Bain’s clothes.
• Aaron bought medicinal herbs at the town pharmacy as Long Lake residents began discussing the dwarves and the prophecy of the returning King of the Lonely Mountain.
• Bard recognized Thorin’s royal lineage and told Aaron that the prophecy foretold Long Lake Town becoming a land of devastation.
• Aaron said the dwarves, Bilbo, and he would continue to the Lonely Mountain, and Bard took him back to try to persuade them to stop.

Aaron and Bard tried to stop Thorin’s company from taking weapons, but the Dwarves were caught and Thorin won the townspeople over by promising to restore Long Lake Town. The chapter ended with Aaron nudging Thorin into promising to rebuild all of Esgaroth.

• Aaron learned Thorin and the Dwarves had gone to the armory, and he predicted they would escape by boat while Bard went to stop them.
• That night, guards caught the Dwarves stealing weapons and escorted them to the Mayor’s residence as the townspeople gathered.
• Aaron warned Bard not to act rashly and offered to rescue the Dwarves if necessary, even suggesting he take the Mayor hostage.
• Thorin revealed that he was the heir of Erebor and promised to restore the Dwarves’ homeland, winning the townspeople’s support.
• Bard warned the crowd that the dragon could destroy them, but Aaron interrupted Thorin and prompted him to promise to rebuild all of Esgaroth.

Thorin persuaded the Mayor and the townspeople to support the expedition, while Aaron stopped the poisoned Kili from joining the journey until he recovered. Aaron asked Bard to shelter himself and Kili, promised to protect Bard’s family, and revealed that he planned to kill Smaug with a fifty percent chance of success.

• Bard warned the townspeople against supporting Thorin, but the Mayor welcomed the dwarves after Thorin offered to share their wealth.
• Aaron told Kili to rest while he prepared an antidote, then brought Thorin and Fili in to convince Kili to stay behind and recover.
• Aaron visited Bard and asked him to shelter himself and Kili, explaining that Kili’s poison could prove fatal without treatment.
• Aaron told Bard that Smaug would attack Long Lake Town if the dragon survived, and offered gold so Bard’s family could leave in spring.
• Bard refused to abandon the townspeople, and Aaron promised to protect Bard’s family before revealing his plan to kill Smaug and estimating his chances of success at fifty percent.

Aaron arranged for Bard to help prepare against Smaug, then spent his Magic Points on a Magic Crystal and sent a Thoughtform to Long Lake Town while he traveled with Thorin’s company to Erebor. After the expedition departed, Bofur woke too late to join them and learned Kili was poisoned and recovering at Bard’s house.

• Aaron convinced Bard to help fight Smaug with the Black Arrow and planned to prevent the Master from interfering by bribing Alfred.
• Aaron bought a Magic Crystal, gave it to a Thoughtform, and sent the clone to Long Lake Town while he continued to Erebor with the expedition.
• Thorin’s company left Long Lake Town without Kili, Bifur, and Bofur, as Kili was injured and Bifur was staying to care for him.
• The Thoughtform stopped Bofur from chasing the departed boat and told him that Kili had been poisoned by Bolg’s arrow and was at Bard’s house.