Near Anduin Valley, Carrock.
After some discussion, this was the farthest the Great Eagles were willing to fly. They gently set everyone down, then flew back toward the Eagle's Nest.
Li Wei had no idea what had happened while he was away, but everyone seemed unharmed, if somewhat exhausted.
"Bilbo, I once said there was no place for you among us... That was the greatest mistake of my life."
Thorin pulled Bilbo into a tight embrace.
"What happened?" Li Wei quietly asked Gandalf.
"Thorin was surrounded by Wargs and exhausted himself. He nearly died to their jaws, but Bilbo rushed in and saved him."
"I see."
Luck might have been a coincidence, but courage was always inevitable.
Li Wei looked at Bilbo, then glanced at his pocket.
This thing...
Perhaps Bilbo possessing it was also part of the grand symphony, but no one was born to suffer, nor was anyone fated to endure torment.
Still, Bilbo's resistance to magic was truly remarkable. He had held the One Ring for a full sixty years, been tempted by it all that time, and yet could still willingly give it up.
If there was a way, he did not necessarily have to stand by and watch Bilbo be corrupted. Even if there was no way to solve the gradual corruption of his mind, they could try addressing it at the source.
But if so, there would be much more to do after this Journey to the Lonely Mountain.
After a brief rest, the group descended from Carrock and continued toward the Lonely Mountain.
A few days later, on the other side of the valley, Gandalf stood on high ground, staring at the Wargs and Orcs scattered throughout the forest, across the plains, and along both sides of the river. His brow was tightly