Home was already behind him, and the whole world lay before him.
Young Bilbo stepped out of the Shire for the first time.
That night, Bilbo could not sleep. He lay down only briefly before getting back up.
Gandalf and Li Wei were equally sleepless.
One leaned against a rock, smoking his pipe, while the other stood on high ground, looking around.
Roar—
Strange cries and restless commotion echoed through the mountain forests and ravines, making everyone uneasy.
"What was that sound?"
Bilbo was puzzled. He had never seen Orcs before, so naturally he had never heard what they sounded like.
The disturbance directly woke several Dwarves, Thorin included.
"Those are Orcs, a vicious species. Judging by the noise, there are no fewer than several dozen of them."
Fili explained to Bilbo, "They are everywhere in the Lone-lands. They love attacking while people sleep, taking lives without a sound."
Bilbo was startled by this and began to feel a little panicked.
Everywhere?
Gandalf, smoking nearby, glanced at Li Wei, who was gazing into the distance from high ground, and silently shook his head.
They really had been everywhere in this wilderness before.
Now, that was harder to say.
As they realized Orcs were approaching, more and more people woke up.
Under Bilbo's puzzled gaze, Balin began telling of the battles they had fought, including how Thorin Oakenshield had earned his title.
Meanwhile.
In a dark forest where nothing could be seen, a squad of Orc scouts turned their gaze toward the place where the campfire burned.
"Tell the master. We've found the Dwarf scum."
The squad leader gave the order, sending some Orcs to continue tracking them while he hurried back to report.
Boom!
The downpour came without warning.
The next day, the group rode onward through the rain.
"Say,