Before the Second Age, Eriador, the land of Enedwaith, and even the regions east of the Misty Mountains had all been covered by endless stretches of forest.
Over the following millennia, through the reckless felling by the Númenóreans and countless wars during the dark years, only scattered remnants of the once-dense ancient forests remained. The northern edge of these surviving woodlands was what people called the Old Forest.
During the middle of the Third Age, the Old Forest belonged to the territory of the Kingdom of Cardolan, whose borders stretched east to the Barrow-downs and west to the Baranduin River.
In the year 2340 of the Third Age, a hobbit named Gorhendad Oldbuck left the Shire and settled in the region between the eastern bank of the Brandywine River and the Old Forest—what would later become Buckland.
The hobbits living there cut down some trees to clear space for building houses.
They erected high hedges between their homes and the Old Forest. Legend has it that the trees of the Old Forest once tried to cross these hedges and invade Buckland.
The hobbits fought back, felling hundreds of trees and setting fire to the creeping growth, creating a burnt clearing that remains there to this day.
This deepened the Old Forest's enmity toward the hobbits.
Therefore, in the Shire, many hobbits believed that the trees of the Old Forest were "awake" in some sense and bore them ill will.
Bilbo Baggins was one such hobbit who believed the Old Forest was "awake." He shrieked as he recounted the rumors and stories he knew about the Old Forest, vehemently opposing Thorin's plan to spend the night there.
But Thorin asked, "Have you personally been to the Old Forest, Master Burglar?"
Bilbo was instantly struck dumb.
His face reddened as he gestured wildly in the air (his frying pan had been taken over by Bofur, who continued cooking): "That has nothing to do with whether I've been there or not! If I had gone there, you certainly wouldn't be seeing me alive now. It's a dangerous place. Why would I go there? No hobbit who values his life would enter the Old Forest! Much less spend the night there!"
"Don't get too excited, Bilbo. I understand your feelings," Tarnes said gently, placing a hand on Bilbo's shoulder to calm him.
Hearing Tarnes's voice, Bilbo lowered his hands, though his mouth continued its output.
"Tarnes, you need to listen to me on this. Though I'm a hobbit who's stayed home and never traveled, I've read more words than these dwarves have eaten grains of rice! As a hobbit, I know the Old Forest's situation better than anyone. In Hobbiton, the Old Forest's ill reputation is known to women and children alike," Bilbo said.
Thorin didn't seem angry at Bilbo's attitude. On the contrary, he said seriously, "Continue. Tell us everything you know about the Old Forest."
Bilbo put his hands on his hips and nodded. "Good. Since you want to know, I'll tell you."
The other dwarves gathered around, forming a circle around the fire that had been lit on the grass. They ate the breakfast Bofur had prepared in the frying pan while watching Bilbo intently.
Tarnes, Gandalf, Bernahl, Millicent, and Igon stood beside their respective mounts.
Bilbo's mouth twitched. "Though I'm not sure why this suddenly turned into a storytelling session, as long as you heed my warning and understand the dangers of the Old Forest, that's fine."
He then cleared his throat and began to speak eloquently: "Just the accounts from travelers who've come to Hobbiton from outside already prove the Old Forest's dangers. All travelers who pass through there, whether they bear ill intent or not, are violently lashed by branches. The trees move without wind, whispering in the night, sometimes dropping branches or raising roots as people pass by."
"Those terrible moving trees also make people entering the forest lose their way, leading them deep into the woods. There are also rumors that the paths in the Old Forest change direction and even watch those who enter. Paths that seem peaceful and safe on the surface lead people to the forest's most terrible depths."
After saying all this, Bilbo felt rather parched.
Bofur thoughtfully handed him a water skin. After thanking him, Bilbo drank deeply with loud gulps.
He set down the water skin and looked at Thorin. "That's all of it. Do you still want to spend tonight in the Old Forest?"
Thorin shook his head. "No. You've laid out the dangers, so I don't intend to spend the night inside the Old Forest."
Bilbo broke into a happy smile.
Then Thorin continued, "However, all the dangers you mentioned are because travelers entered the Old Forest, and these so-called 'trees' bear malice toward you hobbits. So today's destination remains unchanged, still the Old Forest. But we won't go inside. We'll camp and lodge outside it."
Bilbo's smile froze on his face, his whole body stiffening.
As the hobbit's expression crumbled, the dwarves laughed. They finished breakfast noisily, and the company set off again.
The dwarves were very cheerful, telling stories and singing songs as they rode.
Bilbo rode on his own pony, his face grim as he fell into deep thought.
Tarnes patted Torrent's back, bringing him close to Bilbo. "Are you still worried about the Old Forest?"
Bilbo was slightly startled by Tarnes's sudden question. "Uh, oh! Yes, because every hobbit says it's dangerous, including my grandparents and parents. I grew up hearing rumors about the Old Forest as a child."
Gandalf also approached, saying, "But those are ultimately just rumors. You haven't witnessed anything yourself, have you?"
Bilbo replied irritably, "But those hobbits who went to the Old Forest and never returned are all real, Gandalf."
Tarnes looked at Gandalf. "You've been to so many places. What do you know about the Old Forest, Gandalf?"
Hearing this, Bilbo also looked curiously at the elderly wizard.
After taking a puff of his pipe, Gandalf said cheerfully, "I don't know much more than you do, Bilbo. The only thing we need to be careful about is not entering the Old Forest alone at night. The trees there are indeed different from other forests."
Bilbo frowned. "So you actually know there's danger there. Why didn't you stop Thorin?"
After another puff, Gandalf said, "If we don't spend the night on the road outside the Old Forest, I'm afraid we'd have to reach the Barrow-downs in the deepest part of the night, Bilbo."
Then he asked with a smile, "Would you rather spend the night outside the less dangerous Old Forest or spend the night at the Barrow-downs, where wight-cries fill the air?"
Bilbo said helplessly, "Do we really have to choose between just these two options?"
Tarnes spoke up, "Honestly, I rather admire you hobbits for daring to settle near these two places."
"There's nothing strange about it," Bilbo said. "We've lived this way for years. As long as you don't actively go to the Old Forest or the Barrow-downs, you won't encounter any danger."
Then he muttered, "But now I'm actually heading toward the Old Forest. This is madness."
Hearing Bilbo's muttering, Tarnes laughed good-naturedly. "That's the meaning of adventure, Bilbo. Go to dangerous places you've heard about, witness with your own eyes how they differ from the rumors, then take these experiences back and tell others. Think about it, when everyone in Hobbiton discusses the Old Forest's dangers, not one of them has actually been there. But then you stand up, confidently tell them you've been there, and share what you found inside. That feeling is actually quite wonderful."
Bilbo savored this thought and nodded. "I suppose that's true. Alright, you've convinced me."
Tarnes smiled. "Of course, more importantly, I'm confident I can protect you and the other dwarves' safety. Otherwise, I wouldn't let Thorin go near the Old Forest either."
Bilbo shrugged. "Then I'll leave everything to you."
Gandalf chimed in playfully, "And help out this old man too, Tarnes."
Tarnes merely rolled his eyes at Gandalf's words.
Gandalf needing protection? Now that was a joke.
Who was it that wielded the ritual sword with such prowess during the orc attack?
Thorin's expedition continued, soon crossing beyond hobbit territory. Bilbo had arrived in the outside world he'd never seen before.
The terrain here was very open, with decent, respectable residents, flat roads, and the occasional inn or two.
From time to time, they could see dwarves or farmers strolling by, busy with their livelihoods.
These dwarves paid no attention to Thorin's company, because while groups of a dozen or so weren't common, there were other similar large parties on the road.
Moreover, Thorin had pulled up his hood, so the dwarves passing by didn't notice that the rider was the King of Durin's Folk.
The expedition drew no particular attention here, perhaps because it was relatively close to Hobbiton and no strange people appeared.
The expedition continued eastward along the road, soon reaching a place where the locals spoke strangely, in Gandalf's words, they were speaking some variant dialect of Common Speech.
These locals also sang songs that Bilbo had never heard before.
Of course, Tarnes and his companions hadn't heard them either.
Then Thorin led the company off the main road onto a side path.
Bilbo couldn't tell how long they'd been traveling. He only remembered that when the sun was high, the company stopped again for lunch, then continued their journey.
Now they were deep in the wilderness, uninhabited, with no inns or taverns visible, and the road conditions were growing worse.
This made Bilbo want to ask Thorin if he'd taken the wrong route.
But seeing that Tarnes and Gandalf beside him showed no opposition, he thought such matters weren't his place to question, so he remained quiet.
The sky gradually darkened, changing from fiery red to twilight to black in less than an hour. The ground ahead was no longer visible, even with torches.
Especially before dark, Thorin had already spotted the lush, deep green forest not far ahead, where the trees seemed to block out the sky—clearly the "Old Forest" Bilbo had described.
And now, in the darkness, that Old Forest appeared even more sinister, causing Thorin to voluntarily halt his pony.
He raised his torch and looked toward both sides of the overgrown path, pointing to a small hill on the right. "We'll rest there tonight."
"Oh, finally we can rest!" Kili behind Thorin, cried out cheerfully.
Fili wanted to do the same, but after receiving a look from Thorin, he could only swallow his words and watch his exuberant brother enviously.
For Tarnes, however, Kili's cheer was nothing special, as the dwarves had been noisy throughout the journey—one more cheer made little difference.
Bilbo also sighed in relief. With Tarnes's help, he somewhat awkwardly dismounted from his pony's saddle, nearly losing his balance.
He felt his legs had gone soft, his backside seemed numb, and his legs were trembling.
Bilbo swore that if Tarnes's hands hadn't gripped his arms like vises, he would have fallen flat on his rear.
"What's wrong with me?" Bilbo asked.
Tarnes recalled Torrent to his whistle and replied, "You've been riding too long. It's perfectly normal—don't worry."
Bilbo looked at the still-energetic dwarves and pointed at them. "Then why are they fine?"
Gandalf had already tethered his horse and walked over with a chuckle. "I think when a hobbit compares physical constitution with dwarves who've spent years traveling, clearly the latter wins."
Bilbo sighed. "Well, I'll need help setting up my tent. I need to rest my legs."
Tarnes smiled. "That's no problem."
He then turned and called to Millicent and Igon, "Our dear hobbit needs assistance."
But before Millicent and Igon could respond, Bofur's voice came over, "What does he need done?"
Tarnes looked at the dwarf with some surprise. He'd already noticed that since this morning's departure, this dwarf seemed to constantly hover around Bilbo, intentionally or not.
Whenever Bilbo needed something, Bofur always responded promptly and came to help.
Tarnes smiled at this thoughtful dwarf. "His legs are numb from riding. He needs someone to support him. As for the rest, let Bilbo tell you himself."
Igon also came over, calling loudly, "Then I'll help carry things!"
Bilbo seemed somewhat overwhelmed by the two's excessive enthusiasm, saying "no need" while being led up the small hill by Igon and Bofur to rest.
Bernahl and Millicent both approached Tarnes. Bernahl looked toward the distant forest and chuckled. "It seems that Old Forest indeed has something strange about it."
Millicent nodded. "Yes, ever since that forest came into our view, I've felt many gazes watching us."
"It seems all three of us feel the same," Tarnes said. "Though there's still some distance between here and that forest, just to be safe, Bernahl, you and Igon will take the first half of the night watch. Millicent, you'll join me for the second half."
[Chapter Complete]
***
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