Chapter 57: Vision of the future?

[General POV]

"Damn, that was way too close," Bombur said as he exhaled a sigh of relief. He was utterly exhausted; he had never run so much in his entire life.

"I need a smoked chop to regain some energy," he muttered, as his enormous, hefty backside hit the ground. He needed to rest a bit.

"Seriously? Ugh, you're thinking about food at a time like this?" Dwalin asked incredulously, his hands resting on his knees, showing just how worn out he was.

"He probably burned all his calories during that sprint and needs to replenish them," Aldril said with an ironic smile, causing the other dwarves to burst into laughter. Bombur, in particular, patted his stomach while laughing.

"That's right, which is why I need you to bring out some food, Aldril, or I'll die of exhaustion," Bombur responded. He didn't mind Aldril's comment about his weight; he already considered him a friend, and among friends, it's normal to tease each other without any malice.

Gandalf watched this with a smile. At some point, he had taken out his pipe, added some rolled leaves, and magically lit them. He took a puff, then blew out the smoke. His relaxed demeanor caught Thorin's attention, who couldn't understand how Gandalf could be so calm after everything they had just gone through.

"Hey, Gandalf, you said the house belongs to the bear, do you know him?" Bilbo, who had been curious for a long time, finally asked. At first, he had been too nervous to speak, but Gandalf's carefree behavior put him at ease.

Bilbo's question piqued everyone's interest; they were also curious about the bear. Aldril, who was in the middle of unpacking food, paused. Even though he knew who the bear was, he kept silent to avoid raising suspicion.

Gandalf took another puff from his pipe as he looked at the curious eyes of the group. After a few moments, he sat down on a nearby haystack and said, "His name is Beorn. He's a skin-changer, often very temperamental and territorial when he's in his bear form." Gandalf gestured for Aldril to bring some water. Aldril complied, handing him a canteen, and after taking a sip, Gandalf continued.

"But when he's in his human form, you can reason with him. However…" he paused as he glanced at the dwarves before adding, "As far as I know, he doesn't like dwarves."

His words made the dwarves nervous. It was unsettling to hear that it was risky to stay in the cabin. They didn't want to imagine what would happen if Beorn returned and found them, especially if he got angry and transformed into that giant bear.

Gandalf noticed the nervous expressions on the dwarves' faces and could guess what they were thinking. He waved his hand dismissively, "He's probably patrolling his territory right now; he likely smelled the orcs. So there's no problem staying here, but don't touch anything, just find a place to sleep." With that, he lay down on the haystack he had been sitting on, claiming it as his bed.

"Ah, whatever, I'm really tired," Bofur said, slightly relieved by Gandalf's words. Besides, now that he thought about it, what did they have to fear with Aldril and Gandalf with them? They hadn't killed the bear because Gandalf said it wouldn't be wise, so Bofur didn't care anymore. He lay down on another haystack and fell asleep instantly.

The others followed Gandalf's and Bofur's lead, finding places to rest, while Bombur continued to pester Aldril for some food.

With a sigh, Aldril took out some cooked legs from his ring and handed them to the delighted Bombur. This was a feature of his ring; apparently, the food was well-preserved inside. He still needed to learn more about his spatial ring, but with time, he would figure it out.

Aldril surveyed the area, looking for a suitable place to rest. The cabin was spacious, with plenty of scattered hay because there was a small pen with sheep and cows further ahead.

"I suppose it's better to sleep on hay than on the cold ground," Aldril murmured as he lay down on a haystack near Bilbo. There was a free spot next to Bombur, but he didn't want to deal with his snoring and smelly farts.

It only took a few minutes for the air to fill with snores. The dwarves had this quality; they only needed to lie down for a moment to fall asleep. Aldril stayed awake for a few more minutes, re-reading the skills he had, just to pass the time. After a few more minutes, sleep finally claimed him.

Bilbo waited a few moments until he was sure everyone was asleep. He carefully took out the golden ring he had picked up in the goblin kingdom and examined it closely. It was extremely beautiful to his eyes, truly precious.

But for his fortune, the ring had not yet awakened, so he wasn't under its influence. He was simply inspecting it because it was the first time he had seen such a beautiful ring, and besides, if he put it on, he would become invisible. While Bilbo was examining the ring, Aldril was having a very strange dream.

-Aldril's Dream-

Aldril found himself on a vast and dark battlefield. He didn't know what was happening, dwarves, elves, and humans were fighting together. The sky, once bright, was now gray, adorned with eagles and dragons battling in the air, creating a truly breathtaking sight.

He looked down and saw Anglachel in his right hand, the black sword forged by Eöl. Its blade emitted a dark glow, the coldness of the blade contrasting with the heat of the flames that adorned the battlefield. In the distance, a light caught his attention; there stood someone very familiar and dear to him.

His mother, Tindómiel, was holding Anguirel aloft, surrounded by elves. Her figure radiated with the silver-white light of Anguirel, filling him with inspiration just by seeing her. He averted his gaze from his mother, for in front of her stood Sauron. He could recognize him—the armor and height were all too familiar. Behind him, an army of orcs was preparing for battle.

At that moment, a brilliant light shone in the sky, dispersing the gray clouds. The figure of a radiant ship appeared, sailing through the sky with grace and elegance. In the distance, an imposing figure loomed, covering the surrounding mountains. The ship advanced fearlessly towards the towering figure.

Aldril was awestruck by these sights, but it didn't last long, as his body moved involuntarily. He gripped the hilt of Anglachel tightly, its dark light shining even brighter as a dark figure materialized before him. Its mere presence radiated evil, cruelty, and destruction—a tall being clad in dark armor stared at him fiercely.

Beside this figure, a radiant being appeared, equally tall, with fists glowing with golden light. At some point, Aldril's body moved alongside the other being, both charging towards the dark figure. With a powerful leap, he clashed his sword against the dark figure's mace. It was at that moment that everything around him faded away, something was waking him up, but before he fully awoke, a sinister, sharp voice spoke.

"When the stars fall from the firmament and the seas devour the land, the Son of Light shall wield the sword forged in shadows. In the Last Battle, the brave shall rise against the Primordial Darkness, and the Fire of the Silmaril shall once more shine at the pinnacle of the heavens. The fate of Arda will be decided, and creation shall meet its end… or its rebirth, for this is…"

-With Bilbo-

The ring was extremely precious. Bilbo had been toying with it for a long time. He glanced up slightly, inspecting the surroundings to ensure everyone was asleep. He noticed Aldril, who was breathing heavily. It was strange, but he figured Aldril was just having a bad dream. Satisfied that everyone was asleep, Bilbo carefully slipped the ring onto his finger, and to the external eye, his figure vanished.

It was at that moment that Aldril suddenly opened his eyes, startling Bilbo so much that he quickly removed the ring and turned away, hoping Aldril hadn't noticed him. But a soft whisper from Aldril caught his attention.

"Dagor Dagorath," he heard him murmur. Curious, Bilbo turned to look at him, only to find Aldril clutching his forehead. This worried him, so he put the ring away, got up, and approached Aldril.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his concern evident in his voice. Hearing him speak, Aldril looked up and frowned. "Yes, I'm fine, I just don't remember what I dreamed about," he said, his gaze distant, as if it was true that he remembered nothing.

"Oh, that's normal. Sometimes I don't remember what I've dreamed either," Bilbo replied, relieved that he hadn't been caught. "If you can't sleep, we can talk," he added. He wasn't very sleepy, so talking with Aldril would be a good way to pass the time.

Shaking his head slightly, Aldril looked at him and gave a grateful smile. "Thanks for worrying, but I'm really tired, Bilbo, and you should sleep too. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," he said before lying back down on the hay and closing his eyes.

"You're right," Bilbo agreed, rubbing the back of his head. Seeing Aldril lying down, he did the same. Perhaps it was time to sleep; he could play with his ring another time.

***

-The Next Morning-

When Aldril opened his eyes, he found all the dwarves gathered together, discussing something he couldn't quite hear. Getting up, he stretched, his bones cracking as he did so. He took some water from his ring and washed his face—he really needed a shower, as it had been a day since his last one, and he felt grimy. Calmly, he walked over to where the dwarves were.

"What's going on?" he asked curiously. His question caught the attention of the dwarves, who made space for him to look through a small opening. "Look out there," Kili said nervously. Following Kili's words, Aldril leaned in and looked.

Outside stood a tall, muscular figure. His bare torso reflected his chiseled muscles, and a long, black beard adorned his stern face. Aldril was surprised, this figure looked nothing like the actor from the movie. This man, who must be Beorn, looked more like a massive Viking warrior.

At that moment, Gandalf approached. "Oh, it seems Beorn has returned. We're fortunate he didn't come inside and kill us," he said calmly, causing everyone to stare at him wide-eyed.

"What?" Gandalf asked, puzzled by their reactions. "Anyway, Aldril, come with me. We should greet the owner of the house."

With that, he moved toward a door that led to the courtyard where the giant stood. How the bear didn't enter through that door was a mystery Aldril didn't plan on solving.

Something still bothered him, he knew he had a dream, but couldn't remember it. Deciding not to dwell on it further, he sighed and followed Gandalf.

****

For those who are curious, look for the Dagord Dagorath, it is the end of the world described by Tolkien, Aldril will play an important role, his presence will accelerate this end of the world.

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