The hobbits' bravery and loyalty did not receive a good response at first.
Because in the dark and magnificent hall of the dwarf king, Thorin ordered everyone to find the Arkenstone and asked them to search every corner.
"That is the supreme treasure passed down by my father. It is worth more than a whole river of gold." He said, "Whoever finds the gem and accepts it himself, I will definitely be at odds with him."
After hearing these words Bilbo began to feel frightened, for the gem was in his pocket.
He wanted to take the gem out and give it back to Thorin.
But he remembered that Smaug had said before that all the treasures here were cursed by it, and whoever dared to steal or possess them would be tortured until he fell into madness.
So at that time, the hobbit was completely out of worry for his friends and fear of the unknown - he was not sure whether Smaug's words were true, and he didn't want Thorin to be hurt because of it. He felt that if he could wait until Silver When the king or wizard comes back, they confirm that there is no so-called curse on it, and it will not be too late to hand it over to Thorin.
But he forgot that this gem was too important to the dwarves. It was so important that he was a little unbalanced by the treasure of the wizard in the mountain. The sensitive and manic Thorin would rather stay and fight with the orcs regardless of the reason, regardless of the danger. , also want to find this Arken gem.
He hesitated and struggled for a moment, but finally did not tell him the fact that the Arken gem was with him.
However, Bilbo instinctively felt that he had picked up a hot potato. He kept praying in his heart, hoping that the Silver King could quickly defeat the dragon Smaug and come back before things became more and more out of control.
"I shouldn't have picked up this thing." Bilbo sat in a dark tunnel, thinking sadly, "Do I really have the talent of a snitch?"
He was rubbing the magic ring with one hand, and the brilliant gem that looked like it was wrapped in moonlight and contained countless starlights with the other hand.
Others were carefully examining the large and small caves and found that only the main door was still open. All other doors had been destroyed or blocked by Smaug, leaving no trace left.
Except for the secret door of course.
Therefore, they began efforts to strengthen the fortifications of the main entrance and to rebuild a road from the underground palace to the outside. Although Thorin said he didn't believe the Elf Prince, he still sent Kili, the youngest and the one with the best eyesight, to the observation tower in Raven Hill to observe the situation, and at the same time ordered people to repair various fortifications.
At the same time, I have to look for the Arken gems, and I am very busy.
Because Bilbo had no experience in fortification, he was sent to find the Arken Stone, but he didn't know that this was similar to letting a monkey guard the peach orchard.
Bilbo pretended to rummage through the mountain-like pile of gold and jewels for a while, then sat down absentmindedly, thinking about this.
One moment he thought of his home in Bag End, another moment he remembered the scene of talking with the dragon, another moment he remembered them playing hide-and-seek with Smaug in the mountains, and the next moment he remembered the meteor-like throw of the Silver King.
"I hope this is all a dream. When I wake up, I will still be in my warm and pleasant home in the Shire." Unknowingly, the tired hobbit leaned on the cold stone steps and fell asleep in a daze.
Suddenly, I don’t know how long it took.
Bilbo was awakened by the sound of footsteps. He subconsciously stuffed the gems in his hands into the rag bag he used to rest his head, and stuffed the magic ring into his pocket.
Then, he saw our dwarf king coming from the corner of the aisle. He wore armor inlaid with gold, an ax inlaid with rubies on his waist, and a golden crown on his head. He looked really kingly.
"You're here!"
Since entering this dark mountain, Thorin's expression has become increasingly gloomy and manic, showing a long-lost smile. "Mr. Baggins!" he shouted, "come on, take off your old clothes and put on this!"
As he spoke, he put a small piece of mail on Bilbo. It was made of silver steel, which the elves called mithril. It was also matched with a belt made of pearls and crystals.
The small mail armor was half big and almost fit, which made Thorin look very happy.
He said.
"Although the ears of dwarves are not as sharp as those of elves, I have not forgotten what you said at the gate, my friend. When you were in the troll forest, you did not betray us; when you were in the orc town, you went through thousands of hardships to return. Come to our side; when we were in Mirkwood, you fought bravely; in Thranduil's palace, you helped us escape; when we were all about to give up, you were the first to find the secret door; facing the dragon's flames, You didn't back down! Bilbo Baggins, although dwarves are rude and stubborn, they are not completely unreasonable. I appreciate everything you have done and appreciate your loyalty! I take back what I said in Bag End. You are not A grocer, you are an admirable person! Maybe not a warrior, but yes, you are a qualified friend! So, please accept my gift! May our friendship last forever!"
This was almost the longest thing Bilbo had ever heard from Thorin.
Moreover, the dwarf king's evaluation of him has changed from disdain in the Shire to respect and admiration now. It must be said that Bilbo was very touched and embarrassed.
"I think it's great!" he said, "but I think it might be a little funny. As you know, I've never worn armour, and it makes me look weird. I hope the hobbits in the Shire don't get too excited about it." laugh at me."
Thorin looked at him with a smile, but did not tell him that this shiny little piece of mail alone was enough to buy the entire Shire.
"You will be invulnerable when wearing it." Thorin said, "I hope this armor will protect you in the next battle."
This caused the shadow that had been diluted by joy and shyness to surge up again.
Bilbo opened his mouth, trying to persuade our dwarf king, but was interrupted by Thorin's next words. "Moreover, now I know that true friends are worth a thousand dollars!"
"What do you mean?" Bilbo's heart skipped a beat.
"I was betrayed." Thorin Oakenshield, who was sunny one second, became gloomy and fierce the next: "Someone among the dwarves must have hidden the Arken Stone! I am sure of this! They are all me According to the law, they also have the right to inherit the throne! If any of them deliberately found the gem and refused to hand it over, I can completely understand and curse them! Like the Ring of Thror, the Heart of the Mountain is a symbol of royal power. If you own it, you will have the endless treasure and the inheritance of the kingdom under the mountain! The dwarves will not ignore this! This is our nature! No one can disobey it!"
Bilbo was frightened by his expression, and listened to what he was saying.
He would rather curse his relatives than believe that they would find the Arken Stone and hand it over obediently. The contrast between the one moment when he was boasting about admiring the hobbit's loyalty and the next moment when he was suspicious of the compatriots who accompanied him all the way down was really huge.
"Thorin..."
"But I believe you are definitely not such a person." Thorin said to himself, and suddenly laughed again, "Bilbo Baggins, although you are a snitch, I know that you are actually an honest man. Good sir, if you find the gem, you will definitely give it to me! Do you think so?"
Bilbo opened his mouth and said, "Yes, I will."
