"My goodness, Thorin, I'm begging you to just let him look at the map."
Gandalf's voice, nearly driven mad by Dwarven stubbornness, rang out in the pavilion, causing Elrond to look over with some surprise.
After all, for even Gandalf to lose his patience showed that Dwarven obstinacy was truly extraordinary.
However, Thorin also somewhat realized that coming this far and still refusing to show the map was wrong.
But seeing Elrond's Elven appearance, his stubborn temper flared up again as he said stiffly: "That is a hereditary artifact of my people. It should be kept by me, including its secrets."
Balin also nodded.
Though Balin appeared to be a very kindly Dwarf, he truly had little fondness for Elves either. He was simply more polite and wouldn't openly display his distaste like other Dwarves.
Gandalf huffed indignantly: "Stop playing this Dwarven stubborn game with me! Your arrogance will be your downfall someday. Standing before you now is one of the few people in Middle-earth who can read this map. Quickly show it to Lord Elrond."
Elrond said nothing and showed no other expression, his gaze simply scanning back and forth between Gandalf, Thorin, and Balin.
Tarnes also watched quietly, waiting for Thorin's answer.
Thorin didn't speak directly but thought in silence.
Balin assumed Thorin had refused, so the corners of his mouth turned up beneath his snow-white beard, showing a smile.
But the next second, Balin's expression froze as he watched Thorin reach into his clothing and pull out the map, walking forward.
"Thorin, no." Balin instinctively tried to stop him but was refused by Thorin's raised hand.
Gandalf finally breathed a sigh of relief internally, though Thorin gave the map reluctantly. The short few steps took a very long time, and his eyes remained fixed on Elrond throughout.
Balin was the same, even looking at Elrond with some displeasure.
Elrond made no hostile gestures toward the Dwarves' nearly "rude" stares. Instead, he very politely accepted the map with both hands and opened it.
With just one glance, Elrond raised his eyebrows, his gaze sharpening.
"Erebor."
He recognized what was drawn on the map, then looked seriously at Thorin: "Why do you concern yourselves with this map?"
After an internal struggle, Thorin was about to confess to Elrond when Gandalf spoke first: "Er, mainly academic questions."
Huh?
Not just Tarnes, even Thorin closed his mouth again, looking over with some surprise.
Gandalf continued: "Lord Elrond, you know how these ancient artifacts sometimes contain secret information..."
Elrond was speechless, directly taking the map and turning to walk into the pavilion. As he passed Tarnes, he gave him an expression that said, "I'd be a fool to believe you."
Gandalf glanced at Thorin, then followed with his staff: "You can still read the old Dwarvish, can't you?"
Elrond said nothing but held the map up, carefully observing it through the moonlight.
Soon, he spoke in a language Tarnes couldn't understand: "Cirth Ithil."
Gandalf's eyes widened slightly in realization, then he explained to Tarnes, Thorin, and Balin: "Moon-letters... of course, an easily overlooked detail."
Ignoring what Gandalf was saying, Elrond muttered to himself: "So the legend is true. Moon-letters only appear under moonlight and must meet the conditions of lunar phases. The moon phase must be exactly the same as when the moon-letters were written."
He turned around and sighed as he looked at Thorin.
Thorin asked in a low voice: "Can you read it?"
Elrond showed a regretful expression, carefully folding the map and solemnly returning it to Thorin.
Thorin tilted his head, looking at Elrond in confusion.
Gandalf also asked: "Lord Elrond, what do you mean? Can't even you decipher the moon-letters?"
Elrond sighed deeply: "It's not that I cannot read the moon-letters on this map, but that your fortune is poor."
Thorin asked with some trembling: "What do you mean our fortune is poor?"
Elrond said seriously to this Dwarf of Durin's royal house: "The text on the map was written on Midsummer's Night, in the light of a crescent moon two hundred years ago. Unfortunately, your visit to Rivendell has not been blessed by fate, Thorin. Tonight's moonlight is not that night's moonlight."
Gandalf murmured: "It's winter now... so to decipher the text on the map, we'd need to wait here until next summer?"
Elrond added: "And we'd have to ensure the exact same moon phase as that night."
Thorin immediately said loudly: "Making me wait here so long is impossible! With that time, I could easily lead my people to the foot of the Lonely Mountain!"
Gandalf first closed his eyes, then frowned at Thorin: "Without unlocking the map's secrets, what could you do after reaching the Lonely Mountain? Search bit by bit on that towering peak for the secret door?"
"Secret door?" Elrond looked at Gandalf with interest, chuckling softly when he saw the latter's expression, realizing his slip.
Thorin stood somewhat dejectedly in place while Balin said something comforting to him.
Gandalf helplessly asked again: "Lord Elrond, is there truly no other way to read the moon-letters on this map?"
Elrond replied gently: "There is no other way, at least none recorded in the knowledge I possess. However..."
His words took a turn at the end, making the hopeless Gandalf and Thorin suddenly look at Elrond again.
"However, my ignorance doesn't mean your friend doesn't know. Since meeting him, I no longer dare claim to know all the world's knowledge. Why haven't you thought to ask Tarnes?" Elrond smiled at Tarnes, who was somewhat surprised at being mentioned.
Tarnes had been thinking about how to comfort Thorin when he heard Elrond's words and pointed at himself: "Ah? Me read moon-letters?"
Elrond nodded.
Tarnes instinctively shook his head: "No, you're joking, Elrond. I'd never heard of moon-letters before this. If you can't decipher them under these conditions, how could I possibly..."
But before Tarnes finished speaking, inspiration flashed in his mind, and he froze: "Wait."
Elrond first showed surprise, then faced Gandalf and Thorin with a faint smile: "It seems our friend has indeed thought of another way to break the moon-letters."
Thorin said somewhat excitedly and respectfully: "Please help us, Tarnes. This expedition is truly important to me. I cannot waste nearly half a year here."
Tarnes first calmed Thorin down, then asked Elrond cautiously: "Elrond, you understand moon-letters very well, so I want to ask you a question: Can the mechanism requiring the same moon phase for reading be seen as some kind of mimicry or illusion? This question is very important. Please answer me accurately."
Upon hearing this, Elrond also became serious: "That's a good question, Tarnes. I can answer you with certainty. It is indeed some form of protective mimicry, since the Dwarf who wrote these moon-letters probably didn't want just anyone to read them."
Tarnes breathed a sigh of relief: "Then I'm reassured and can try."
Elrond showed an interested expression: "What do you plan to do, Tarnes? I'm truly curious what other method in this world could read moon-letters at the wrong time."
A sacred seal appeared in Tarnes' right hand, its pale golden radiance drawing everyone's attention.
He said: "In my homeland, there's an incantation that can cure all abnormal conditions, dispel special effects, remove all mimicry, and reveal the true nature of things."
Tarnes didn't mention that even divine illusions and mimicry could be dispelled.
Because he knew that even if he said it, Gandalf and the others would think it fantastical.
The incantation Tarnes spoke of was Law of Regression, one of the Golden Order Fundamentalist incantations.
He looked at Thorin: "Thorin, please place the map on the stone table."
Thorin showed no resistance to Tarnes' request, very cooperatively placing the map spread out on the stone table.
The next moment, Tarnes' body was completely covered in golden blessed radiance. Though it was night, he seemed bathed in brilliant sunlight.
Beneath his feet, a huge golden triangular phantom appeared from nowhere, flickering with dazzling golden light.
But this phantom only lasted two or three seconds before receding like a tide, leaving only a faint golden afterglow swirling around Tarnes.
"Thorin Oakenshield, I should take back my earlier words. Fate has not failed to bless you. Quite the opposite. Since you met Tarnes, fate has been by your side and never left." Elrond sighed at seeing this miraculous scene.
Thorin also showed a heartfelt smile, rarely not contradicting the Elf's words: "I have always been honored to know Tarnes."
Golden sparks seemed to flicker in his eyes before returning to normal.
Elrond noticed changes on the map and immediately walked quickly to the stone table.
Tarnes recovered from casting the incantation and asked somewhat nervously: "How is it, Elrond? Has the moon-letters' mimicry been broken?"
He was mainly worried that the Law of Regression wouldn't work either, which would greatly impact Thorin's expedition plans.
As Thorin's friend, Tarnes obviously didn't want to see such a thing happen.
Elrond smiled faintly: "Of course. The moon-letters on the map have been revealed. They read: 'Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks. The setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole.'"
On the map on the stone table, blue fluorescent text had appeared in the lower right corner. Elrond was reading these words written in ancient Dwarvish aloud for everyone present.
Listening, Balin nodded. He had memorized these words.
Thorin crossed his arms in thought.
"Durin's Day. What's that?" A voice not belonging to anyone present came over as Bilbo struggled up nearby steps.
Tarnes' eyes widened slightly. This wasn't the first time he'd failed to sense the Hobbit's presence.
Previously at Farmer Davy's village, while talking with Gandalf, Bilbo had also suddenly appeared behind him.
He even wondered if this Hobbit had some stealth talent, or if all Hobbits had this gift of going unnoticed.
Seeing everyone in the pavilion looking at him, Bilbo looked somewhat embarrassed and said to Tarnes: "Oh, it's like this. After eating dinner, I felt much better and could get out of bed to walk around. So I went to return the finished plates and that little table to the Elves. Then I wanted to find you and Gandalf. The Elves told me you were here, so I came over. I just arrived and saw you casting an incantation, so I didn't want to interrupt."
Balin smiled warmly. This kindly Dwarf obviously had no objection to Bilbo's arrival and actively explained: "Durin's Day marks the beginning of the Dwarven New Year, when the last autumn moon and the first day of winter's sun shine simultaneously in the sky."
Then his expression changed, startling Bilbo: "What's wrong?"
Balin pressed his lips together and said bitterly: "But Durin's Day just passed the day before yesterday. The next Durin's Day won't be until a year from today."
But Thorin laughed loudly: "No, no, Balin, don't be discouraged! It's not that Durin's Day just passed the day before yesterday, but that we have nearly a year to reach the Lonely Mountain! And after arriving at the Lonely Mountain, we'll have plenty of time to find the mountain pass where the keyhole is located!"
The Dwarf leader nodded vigorously and thanked Tarnes: "Thank you very much, Tarnes. I don't know how many times I've thanked you, but without you, I probably still wouldn't know how to reach the Lonely Mountain, find that secret door, and enter inside."
Seeing Thorin so full of hope, Balin was infected by this emotion, then quickly calmed down: "You're right, Thorin. This way we can ensure we're at the location the map indicates when Durin's Day arrives. Only then, and it must be then, will the door open."
Though Bilbo had arrived midway and couldn't understand what they were discussing, seeing Balin's expression change from bitter to calm, he happily nodded for his Dwarf traveling companions.
Elrond then carefully rolled up the map and returned it to Thorin, looking at Tarnes and Gandalf.
He said in an "as expected" tone: "So this is your purpose. To enter the Lonely Mountain?"
Thorin put away the map and, hearing Elrond's words, righteously retorted: "So what?"
Elrond turned and looked down at Thorin: "Because others believe this is not a wise course of action."
Gandalf caught the meaning in Elrond's words but asked for confirmation: "What do you mean by that?"
Elrond turned sideways and said meaningfully to Gandalf: "After all, you are not the only guardian of Middle-earth. Let you and your Dwarf friends wait here a few more days. Distinguished guests will arrive soon."