The Path to the Dragon's Lair

After the meeting set the course, Gandalf hurriedly departed.

The gray-robed wizard, along with the white-robed Saruman and brown-robed Radagast, were all members of the White Council. This organization, also known as the Holy White Council, was tasked with dealing with the growing threat of Sauron. The dark power in Dol Guldur was becoming more potent, with rumors of the Necromancer and the Witch-King of Angmar looming over it. The White Council members were preparing to investigate, which explained Gandalf's sudden departure.

Once Gandalf left and the expedition acquired much-needed supplies from the Woodland Kingdom, the group prepared to head toward the Lonely Mountain in search of the secret passage. Though they anticipated having to wait for Durin's Day to open the passage, Thorin and his companions preferred not to waste time or linger too long in the Woodland Kingdom. The dwarves, with their mistrust of elves, would rather camp out near the Lonely Mountain than stay in the elven realm.

As a member of the expedition, Wayne planned to accompany them. With his magic flying carpet at his disposal, traveling between the two locations would be convenient. But before leaving, Wayne ordered the refugees from Lake-town to sail along the Running River to other nearby settlements, purchase supplies, and begin rebuilding their homes. He also provided them with a generous amount of gold. This was a long-term investment for Wayne, who, as an immortal witcher, thought far ahead.

The journey to the Lonely Mountain was rugged but uneventful, with no enemies encountered along the way. Thanks to Wayne's flying carpet, even the most challenging terrains posed little difficulty. The Woodland Kingdom was not far from the Lonely Mountain, only a two- or three-day trek on foot, and soon, the expedition arrived near the ruins of Dale and the gates of Erebor.

Upon seeing the majestic, sealed doors of the Lonely Mountain, the dwarves were overwhelmed with emotion. Tears flowed as they sang their ancient songs of exile, filled with the sorrow of losing their homeland.

However, this was not their final destination. Following the map left by Thorin's father, they trekked along a rugged path that wound around half of the mountain until they finally arrived at the cliffside where the secret passage was supposed to be located.

Unfortunately, they were met with a solid stone wall pocked with countless holes. After hours of searching, no one could find the keyhole. Dejected, many began talking about packing up and heading home.

"Since there are still a few months before Durin's Day, why not try each keyhole or even dig through the stone with mining tools?" Wayne suggested. "With your strength, it wouldn't take long, right?"

Wayne couldn't help but feel frustrated. In the original tale, the dwarves gave up too easily, almost preparing to abandon the quest. But with the keyhole confirmed to be on the wall, it seemed ridiculous to not at least try every possibility, even if it took a few days.

Dwarves, known for their stubbornness and strange ideas, sometimes made decisions that seemed irrational.

Wayne's reminder renewed Thorin and the others' determination. Energized, they set up camp beside the stone wall and began searching every hole systematically, testing each one as a potential keyhole.

The results were quite promising. After about three days of diligent testing, the dwarves finally located the correct keyhole and successfully opened the secret passage leading into the Lonely Mountain.

This was undeniably thrilling news, but Wayne stopped Thorin and the others, who were eager to immediately begin the mission to retrieve the Arkenstone. He cautioned them that they needed to be fully prepared. Although the Arkenstone was close at hand, so was the evil dragon, Smaug. Entering the mountain too hastily could very well wake the dragon and cost them their lives, so careful planning was essential.

Initially, Thorin was reluctant to delay any further. They had waited hundreds of years for this moment, and now that their hope was within reach, it was hard for him to contain his impatience. However, Wayne's firm stance as a critical member of the team made them reconsider. After a discussion, the group agreed to wait for one more week before proceeding.

Since Wayne lacked the invisibility of the One Ring, he offered Bilbo two of the five bottles of invisibility potions he had obtained earlier. Throughout their journey, the hobbit's resilience and bravery had earned him the respect of the entire team. The dwarves now saw the small burglar as a trusted companion and hoped he would survive the perilous mission ahead.

Receiving Wayne's potions gave Bilbo a significant boost in confidence, and he thanked Wayne sincerely for his generosity. As fellow Shire folk, Bilbo and Wayne had known each other for over a decade and had become fast friends during the journey. 

In terms of preparation, there wasn't much the dwarves could do. Against Smaug, a creature of immense power, their ordinary weapons and armor were essentially useless. Whether facing the dragon's crushing bite or its fiery breath, even the heaviest armor would provide little protection. The dwarves' weapons would hardly be able to pierce Smaug's dragon scales, rendering them almost helpless in combat.

However, this was before they met Wayne.

As part of the team, Wayne wasn't one to hold back. He provided Thorin and the other dwarves with two North Wind Bombs each as their primary means of attack. While Smaug's defenses were formidable, and typical explosives might only scratch the beast, the North Wind Bombs, which could unleash intense frost, would surely affect the fire-breathing dragon and give the dwarves a fighting chance. 

Not only that, Wayne stationed Deathclaw Robin at the entrance of the Lonely Mountain Palace, right at the spot where Smaug had previously broken through the gate and flown away from the Lonely Mountain in the original story. Since the Deathclaw couldn't enter through the narrow secret door of the Lonely Mountain and would be at a disadvantage inside, where Smaug's flames would easily target it, Wayne decided to keep Robin outside, ready to act if the dragon tried to escape.

As for Wayne himself, he removed his blood-red, heavy dragon-scale armor and donned a lighter, green dragon-leather armor, better suited for agile combat. Over the week leading up to the battle, Wayne used his flying carpet to inform King Thranduil of the Woodland Kingdom about their progress. He let Thranduil know that they had found the secret passage and would soon launch their official attack, so the Silvan elves could make their own preparations.

On the day of the battle, Wayne meticulously checked all his gear, treating the fight as though it were a high-level demon-hunting mission. He drank six different Witcher potions to enhance his physical capabilities and, carrying the Sword he entered the palace within the Lonely Mountain through the secret passage alongside Bilbo.

Before leaving, Wayne placed a firm hand on Thorin's shoulder and spoke sincerely:

"Thorin, if all goes well, you won't need to join the battle later."

"But I want you to be ready mentally. You are about to witness the treasure of the Lonely Mountain, and your long-held wish is on the verge of being fulfilled."

"Your decisions will affect the fate of many people. Don't let them down."