The commotion caused by Bernal and the others naturally woke up the sleeping dwarves.
However, before Thorin and his companions awoke, Arthur, guided by Bilbo, had already hurried over.
"Bernal, is anyone hurt?"
Arthur, riding Torrent with Bilbo behind him, rushed over.
Bilbo nervously clutched the brass dagger Arthur had given him, and he breathed a sigh of relief after seeing Bifur, Bofur, Oin, and Gloin were all present.
Bernal plunged his greatsword into the ground and answered Arthur with a relaxed tone: "If a few scrapes that only broke the skin count as injuries."
Arthur dismounted and walked towards Bofur and the others, while Bilbo remained on Torrent's back.
Even after such a perilous escape, Bofur and Bifur still held their torches tightly in their hands, and it was these flames that allowed Arthur to see the trees Bernal had cut in half.
Bernal walked up to Arthur and said, "Those are the ones who attacked the dwarves, monsters disguised as trees."
Arthur frowned, looking at the trees that were still moving despite being cut in half, and shook his head: "They are somewhat like tree-type monsters, similar to the Erdtree's avatars, but there are some differences. Although they move at will, they don't have human-like limbs."
Bernal nodded: "I noticed that too. Their attack methods are simply using branches or roots, which is quite singular. However, a singular attack method doesn't mean they aren't dangerous. If I hadn't been here this time, these dwarves would probably have lost two or three of their members."
He said, looking at Oin and Gloin.
Gloin and Oin were being checked by Bifur and Bofur for injuries. The former, hearing Bernal's words, immediately pulled his older brother Oin, who was behind his ear, and bowed deeply to Bernal.
Although, given the dwarves' stature, bowing was quite a strain for them.
Bernal raised his hand and waved, indicating that it was no matter.
Thorin also arrived with the remaining dwarves, shouting in dwarvish, and ran to Oin and his companions with his axe, surrounding them.
However, they quickly realized the danger was temporarily averted and all breathed a sigh of relief.
Thorin walked over and asked Arthur, "What happened here? What did Oin and Gloin encounter?"
Arthur pointed at the still struggling, writhing tree trunks and said, "It's those things, Thorin. Do you recognize this type of tree-like creature?"
Thorin followed Arthur's finger and looked over, a surprised expression on his face, and immediately shook his head, saying, "I swear I have never seen such a strange creature."
Gandalf's old voice boomed from behind them: "They are Huorn, Arthur, Thorin."
Arthur turned around and looked at Gandalf, who was walking over with his staff: "You know them?"
Gandalf stood beside Arthur and nodded: "Yes, I just didn't expect to see them again. Theoretically, these creatures should only exist in Fangorn Forest and be guarded by the ancient race, the Ents. Without the Ents' supervision, these Huorn become very strange and wild, and extremely dangerous."
Bernal re-shouldered his knight's greatsword and said, "Apparently, these creatures called 'Huorn' aren't being guarded by the Ents you mentioned. Oin and Gloin were just going to the toilet when they were tied to a tree by them."
Gandalf frowned and mused, "This is indeed a bit strange. Theoretically, these Huorn should have an Ent guarding them..."
Arthur then said, "Perhaps it's because of the hobbits that these Huorn have become so dangerous and irritable."
He looked at Bilbo, who was sitting on Torrent behind him, and quietly said to Gandalf, "After all, Bilbo said earlier that many years ago, the hobbits of Buckland had a major conflict with the Old Forest, and perhaps the Ents of the Old Forest died then."
Gandalf nodded thoughtfully: "I think you're right."
Then Arthur asked, "Can Huorn communicate?"
Gandalf coughed: "Well... theoretically, you can communicate with them, as long as you understand Entish."
Bilbo, sitting on Torrent, heard Gandalf's words and asked curiously, "Entish, is that the language of these tree-people? Do you speak Entish, Gandalf?"
Gandalf did not answer, but changed the subject: "Thorin, tell your people not to go near the Old Forest tonight. We will depart early tomorrow morning."
Thorin nodded and turned to instruct the dwarves to return to their warm tents.
Besides Bifur and Bofur, who were supposed to be on night watch, Gandalf specifically warned these two dwarves: "Do not, under any circumstances, approach those trees that Sir Bernal cut down out of strange curiosity, do you hear? They are still alive; they are not dead."
Bofur and Bifur nodded repeatedly.
Bilbo, on the other hand, immediately turned into a curious baby, pestering Gandalf with questions: "They're already like that, and they're still not dead?"
Gandalf looked at Bilbo and said, "That's because their roots were not cut by Sir Bernal, Bilbo. Their essence is still plant, as long as the roots are there, they will sprout new branches one day."
Bernal also walked over and said with a smile to Bilbo, "I think if we use fire, they should be completely eliminated."
Bilbo subconsciously said, "But that would cause a fire, wouldn't it? And they can't pose a threat anymore, so let's just let them go, Sir Bernal."
Gandalf said, "The kindness of hobbits always surprises me. I imagine our Sir Bernal certainly won't do anything else to the Huorn. But Bilbo, you should worry about yourself not encountering anything strange when you pass through the Old Forest tomorrow morning."
Bilbo asked back, puzzled, "Me? Why would I encounter something?"
Arthur walked over, pulling Torrent's reins, and said, "I think Gandalf is trying to remind you to be careful. After all, you yourself told us that the trees in the Old Forest hate hobbits like you the most. I guess Oin and Gloin were attacked by that willow tree tonight because their height is somewhat similar to that of hobbits."
Bilbo shivered instinctively, a forced smile on his face, and said, "It shouldn't be that coincidental. After all, over the years, besides hobbits, many dwarves and humans have been troubled by the Old Forest."
Gandalf sighed, shook his head, and said nothing more.
The wizard's appearance worried Bilbo, and he quickly looked at Arthur and asked, "You'll protect me, right?"
Arthur nodded as a matter of course, "Of course, as long as you're in my sight."
Bilbo loudly promised, "I certainly won't leave your sight, Arthur."
By the time Bilbo was coaxed into the tent by Arthur, it was already very late.
Therefore, despite the dwarves' snoring and the uncomfortable branches, Bilbo fell into a deep sleep from exhaustion.
At dawn, a thin mist like gauze, the road on the plain stretched to the horizon, flanked by lush green grass and the occasional wild flower.
A slightly cool breeze swept through, the tips of the grass swaying gently, accompanied by the morning frost, also bringing the chill before winter.
The bonfire was buried in sand, losing its warmth, stubbornly emitting its last wisp of white smoke.
And the expedition team that had camped there last night had already departed.
Bilbo wrapped his clothes tightly around him, riding on his pony, but still couldn't help but shiver.
It was only the second day after leaving Bag End, and Bilbo already missed his warm bed dearly.
Bofur, who was ahead, turned back and said, "I think you should put on another thick coat, Bilbo, winter mornings are colder than you think."
Bilbo rubbed his cold nose with his hand, and replied with a small complaint, "That's because I never thought I'd wake up so early. This time is supposed to be for sleeping. It was fine leaving so early yesterday, but why do we have to leave so early today too?"
"And there's no breakfast every time, goodness, can't these dwarves eat their fill before setting off?"
Bofur just smiled at Bilbo's trivial complaints.
Arthur helped Bilbo take out a fleece-lined coat from the saddlebags hanging on both sides of the pony, and the hobbit quickly put it on, finally feeling warm.
Gandalf rode leisurely on his horse, smoking his pipe.
After seeing him, Bilbo also craved a smoke, took out his pipe, and said to Gandalf, "Give me some fire too, Gandalf."
Gandalf chuckled and extended the finger wearing the Ring of Fire, snapping it gently, and the tobacco in Bilbo's pipe lit up.
"I'm willing to call this sorcery the most convenient sorcery," Bilbo said, full of praise.
Gandalf added, "It should be the most convenient sorcery for 'smoker' hobbits."
At this moment, Thorin shouted loudly from the front, "Approaching the Old Forest, everyone be careful."
This startled the hobbit, making him immediately nervous; he still remembered Arthur's and Gandalf's words from last night, and subconsciously urged his pony closer to Arthur.
He was about to say something to Arthur, but then he noticed that Arthur's hands had, at some point, acquired several silver-white, gourd-shaped glass bottles, with faint golden powder seemingly wafting from their mouths.
"You... what are you going to do?" Bilbo asked hesitantly.
Arthur replied concisely, "Protect you all."
Then he unscrewed these glass bottles and scattered their contents into the air.
The golden powder, as if sentient, covered the entire expedition team, and a faint golden translucent bubble lit up on every dwarf touched by the pollen.
The dwarves were surprised, and Arthur's voice came in time, his voice loud and gentle, "Don't be nervous, this pollen forms a shield that can block one fatal attack for you."
Gandalf's curious gaze swept over repeatedly, and he said in surprise, "How many incredible secrets do you still have on you that even I find astonishing?"
Evidently, the wizard discovered that Arthur had not lied; the golden pollen could indeed withstand a fatal attack.
Arthur said, "Perhaps you've only seen less than ten percent of what I have?"
Bilbo curiously poked the translucent bubble that enveloped him, but the bubble did not change because of his finger.
The expedition continued along the road outside the Old Forest, and Bilbo didn't know how much time had passed; he only knew that Thorin had said they could eat when they were about to leave the Old Forest at noon. But it seemed like a long time had passed, and they still hadn't left the Old Forest.
Instead, the trees on both sides of the road were becoming more and more numerous, not at all like they were heading out.
...
Wait.
A great fear suddenly struck Bilbo's heart, his listless expression instantly vanished, and he anxiously looked up.
At some point, the sky had been obscured by crisscrossing branches, and the sun could only barely be seen filtering through the gaps in the leaves, making it impossible to tell the time or direction.
Bilbo shouted loudly, "Stop! We must stop!! The direction is wrong, we are not heading out of the Old Forest at all, we have already walked into the Old Forest!"
Thorin stopped, he took out the map and compared it to the road beneath their feet, frowning as he said, "But we are walking on the road marked on the map."
As he spoke, he pointed to a landmark not far from the road, a sign placed there to prevent travelers from getting lost.
Dwalin laughed loudly, "Is our master burglar homesick, or hungry?"
The dwarves burst into laughter, all thinking Bilbo was making a fuss over nothing.
Bilbo showed a speechless expression, but he also didn't have enough evidence to convince these dwarves, so he could only continue to shout loudly, "But now we are surrounded by towering trees everywhere, look up, the sunlight is almost completely blocked."
The dwarves, led by Thorin, all looked up, their laughter faded, and they began to discuss amongst themselves.
Thorin still frowned, "But on the map..."
At this moment, Arthur looked around with a serious expression, uncharacteristically interrupting Thorin's words, "Thorin, Bilbo is not wrong. We are already in the Old Forest, the map is useless now."
Thorin sat on his horse, looking over in surprise, "How is this possible? I've been very, very carefully comparing it to the map."
Gandalf narrowed his eyes, looking at the countless trees around them, and said with a faint voice, "That's because the trees of the Old Forest are different from other forests, Thorin, they can move, just like those trees Oin and Gloin encountered last night."
Arthur said, "When Bilbo spoke just now, I focused my attention on those tree trunks. Just now, I noticed that those trees are a bit closer to us. Get your weapons ready, Thorin, I'm afraid something big is coming."