Compromise

"Oh my god."

"Where are we?"

"Am I dreaming?"

"Or are we all dreaming?"

"I must have stumbled into a fairytale world."

"."

Everyone stared at the sight before them.

They were all stunned.

A valley lay before the members of the Company.

A vast valley, surrounded by raging rivers.

In the distance, mighty waterfalls poured down from towering peaks, sending mist billowing skyward. Under the autumn sun, they formed rainbows that stretched across the valley.

Steep cliffs rose along all four sides of the valley.

A great river rushed past.

It circled the valley at its center, day and night without pause.

Rows of elegant yet imposing spire-shaped buildings stood one after another.

The buildings, mainly white and gold, were arranged in tiers, each one linked to the next as they rose ever higher.

It was the finest, most traditional fantasy architecture.

Lush trees, fountains, gardens, and plazas dotted the city.

From afar, it looked like a magical valley straight out of a fairytale.

And the castle at its center was the most beautiful hanging garden in the world.

Even though Morgan knew where they were and had been prepared, the sight before him still left him stunned.

In all his life, this vast valley had amazed him more than any city or building he had ever seen.

In his previous life, flying all over the world had been part of his job.

Whether it was some challenging architectural wonder created by human hands and admired around the world,

or some landscape carefully shaped to look as if it had formed naturally,

none of it, in his eyes, came close to this place.

Only now did he realize that a place like this, a legendary paradise straight out of a fairytale, truly existed.

Everyone gazed at the scenery in wonder.

Everyone except one.

The moment Thorin Oakenshield saw the sight before him, his expression darkened.

As a former minister of the Kingdom Under the Mountain, and now the king of Durin's Folk,

Thorin Oakenshield had never actually been here.

But he had heard of this place many times, from books and from other people.

Then he recalled what Gandalf had said during their argument not long ago.

And how Gandalf had volunteered to lead the way.

Thorin Oakenshield understood almost at once.

He was about to confront Gandalf when Gandalf spoke first.

"The Valley of Imladris."

"But it's usually known by another name. Does anyone know what it is?"

Gandalf looked at the amazed group and asked with a smile.

Morgan tore his gaze from the breathtaking scenery and answered with a smile, "Rivendell!"

"That's right. This is Rivendell."

"If there's anywhere on the eastern shores of the Great Sea in all of Middle-earth that's safe and comfortable, it's here."

Gandalf smiled and continued his introduction.

Thorin Oakenshield finally couldn't hold back. He stepped forward and demanded, "This is what you've been planning all along, isn't it?"

"To seek shelter from our enemies?"

Gandalf seemed to have expected this reaction from Thorin Oakenshield.

He merely shook his head calmly. "There are no enemies here, Thorin Oakenshield."

"The only hostility you'll find in this valley is the hostility you've brought with you."

Gandalf spoke calmly.

Everyone understood what he meant.

Noticing the tension between the two, the other members of the Company quickly fell silent.

Thorin Oakenshield seemed to realize that his tone had been out of line.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to speak calmly. "Do you think the Elves will bless our quest?"

"No. They'll only try to stop us!"

Gandalf remained calm. "Of course they will."

"But we have questions that need answers."

"Thorin, we still haven't figured out the secret of the map."

"You know what that means."

When Gandalf finished speaking, Thorin Oakenshield fell silent at once.

Yes, the map of the Lonely Mountain held a secret that would lead to the hidden entrance deep within the mountain. It was the problem that troubled him most.

Thorin Oakenshield had once suspected that Gandalf knew the answer and was deliberately deceiving him.

But when he had touched the key to the Lonely Mountain's hidden entrance,

Thorin Oakenshield quickly dismissed the idea.

Noticing Thorin Oakenshield's silence, Gandalf pressed his advantage and continued:

"Thorin, we have no food, no horses—we have nothing. Bombur and Bofur are wounded, and there are Orcs outside..."

"If we don't come here, where can we go?"

"If we want to succeed, we need to use a little tact."

"Respect, and a little charm."

"You don't need to do anything else. I'll handle the talking."

After hearing Gandalf out,

Thorin Oakenshield remained silent for a long while before finally giving in with two words: "All right."

Thorin Oakenshield had finally relented.

He was unwilling to give in, more than anything.

But Gandalf was right.

The Company had lost their temporary camp.

They had no food or horses, a horde of Orcs was outside, Bombur and Bofur were wounded, and the group needed a proper rest.

Most importantly, they needed to uncover the map's secret.

Thorin Oakenshield couldn't think of any other option than accepting Gandalf's plan.

As Gandalf had just said, sometimes you needed to use a little tact.

This quest was of the utmost importance. They couldn't afford to fail, even if it meant asking their enemies, the Elves, for help.

As long as they succeeded, it would be worth it.

Once Thorin Oakenshield had firmly settled on that decision,

he looked again at the beautiful valley that had amazed so many people.

It seemed much more pleasing to him now.

The Company continued on their way.

Gandalf still led the group.

Morgan followed close behind him.

Bilbo followed Morgan.

As far as Bilbo was concerned,

apart from Gandalf, whom he got along with rather well, the next person he felt closest to in the Company was the human, Morgan.

The Dwarves treated him well enough, but Bilbo could tell when their words carried a hint of teasing or mockery.

Bilbo also knew that the Dwarves had only agreed to let him join the Company because of Gandalf.

They protected him along the way for the same reason.

Bilbo knew all of this perfectly well.

Being looked down on by the Dwarves made him angry.

But more than anything, Bilbo wanted to prove himself.

Just as Gandalf had said back at Bag End in Hobbiton,

he wanted to prove that he was no worse than his father, grandfather, or great-grandfathers, and he also wanted to show Gandalf, who believed in him, that Gandalf hadn't been wrong to trust him.

So Bilbo, a novice adventurer who had been frightened by a wild boar at the very start,

had already been brave enough to take up his short sword and fight the Orcs when they caught up with the Company in the forest.

That was quite an improvement.

It was just that the situation had been so dangerous at the time that no one had noticed.

As for who Bilbo most wanted to befriend in the Company,

apart from Gandalf, it was of course Morgan.

Part of it was because Gandalf had told him to.

But Morgan's personality was also a factor.

Bilbo had never seen the slightest trace of contempt, teasing, or mockery in Morgan's words or expression.

That was why Bilbo was happy to spend time with him.

"Morgan, from what you said just now, have you been here before?"

Bilbo quickened his pace to walk alongside Morgan and asked casually.