Chapter 22: Stubbornness!

General POV]

The meal was accompanied by a pleasant atmosphere. It even seemed that we had not had a chase, as everyone was enjoying the food while making, from time to time, some jokes.

The expedition team members were really tired. After finishing the meal, Thorin did not give the order to leave immediately; instead, he told them to take a rest.

Grateful for Thorin consideration, the expedition team members chatted, smoked or went to sleep.

Aldril was the only one who did not rest, however, as the rise in attributes caused him to recover from the fatigue he felt.

As he recovered, he began practicing the new moves he had learned, eager to master them as quickly as possible.

"Bloom!"

A loud telekinetic wave could be seen as Aldril beckoned with his fingers. He was currently practicing a move characteristic of witchers.

"Aard's sign," a simple magical signal used by witchers, causes a telekinetic blast, rendering opponents helpless to defeat them easily.

"Whew, whew."

Aldril breathing could be seen heaving. This particular movement made him a bit tired, perhaps because his body is not used to using magic or because he is not yet in his best shape.

"Whew, the way I see it, I'm turning into a the Witcher," he said with a wry smile as he calmed his breathing. "I can feel my body slowly getting used to handling this magic, though it's still a bit exhausting.

It may not be as advanced as Gandalf, but this magic would help him in his future fights. "Alright, now it's time to practice the new sword moves."

...

And so the hours passed. Aldril was currently wielding the sword with great dexterity and agility.

His feet moved as if in a dance, moving with elegance. Each strike, each movement, was precise and calculated, demonstrating how well versed the witchers were in close combat.

"Swish."

With the sound of a sword breaking the air, Aldril completed the movements he had learned.

With a sigh, he stowed the sword on his back, as he found it more comfortable and it allowed him to run without fear of the sheath getting in the way.

He was in a very good mood. He originally thought it would take him a few days to learn all the moves, but unexpectedly, the practice he had in a few hours allowed him to become familiar with the movements very quickly.

As long as he continued to be consistent in his training, he should adapt and improve even more in a matter of weeks.

[Aldril POV]

"Maybe it's because of my constitution or something else hidden in my body, but I tend to learn things very quickly," I said to myself as I wiped my sweaty face with a rag and looked towards the camp.

As I turned my head to look at the camp not far away, I saw that all the expedition team members were resting.

"I should also get some rest," I said as I sat down on a nearby rock and began to think about future events.

"I didn't have time to think because of the orc attack and because of my excitement to learn the new moves, but now that I am calm there is one thing that bothers me and that is that the plot has changed a bit."

"Of course it would change, my presence alone will alter the plot," I said to myself with a helpless sigh.

Now I should use the plot only as a guide and not rely on it one hundred percent.

I pondered for a few moments while I drank some water. "Now there was no need to think much about the plot; I should concentrate on improving the acquired skills as well as gaining more attribute points."

This is the key to making myself stronger and being able to survive the coming events. With that said, I closed my eyes to fall asleep.

[General POV]

As Aldril slept, an event was taking place in a corner of the ruined house where the group had camped.

Gandalf and Thorin were chatting and, by the serious look on both of their faces, it was a very important talk.

"That group of orcs was too big to be just scouts, Thorin. This can't be a coincidence. Besides me, who else did you tell about the expedition?" said Gandalf as he looked at Thorin with a solemn look.

"No one, I told no one," Thorin said as he shook his head in denial.

However, Gandalf did not believe him, "You already lied once, Thorin! Don't you want to lie to me again," he said, but this time with anger in his voice.

"What are you talking about, at what point did I lie?" said Thorin incredulously and a little flustered by Gandalf's growing anger.

"You lied at Bilbo house! You didn't go to that meeting. Maybe the others didn't see anything unusual, but you don't fool me. You know better than anyone that you are the king, heir to Durin, and therefore the Dwarves would take up arms if you asked them to. They would follow you blindly if you asked them to!"

At Gandalf's words, Thorin was silent. Perhaps he was wrong to lie to the others. That lie could be interpreted to mean that all the other dwarves were traitors and cowards who broke their oath to follow their king.

Seeing the regret in Thorin's eyes, Gandalf calmed down a bit and in a low, but serious voice said, "They are probably looking for you to kill you."

After Gandalf finished speaking, Thorin was surprised and immediately something clicked in his mind.

"They not only want to kill me, but also Kili, Dáin and Fili. They want to murder the whole lineage of Durin! Those bastards want to leave the Dwarves leaderless!"

That explains why those orcs were not just scouts; they want to find him and all his family lineage that is still alive, and they have focused their attention on him and his nephews, since his cousin Dáin is still safe in the Iron Hills.

 After being silent for a few moments while he thought, Thorin looked at Gandalf and in a serious voice said, "If they are looking for us, we must hasten our journey even more. We must move."

Nodding, Gandalf looked up at the sun on the horizon and said casually, "It should not happen at the moment. Orcs don't like the sun."

"Then it's a good time to leave. We'd get a big head start on them before it gets dark."

Gandalf shook his head and looked at the resting people.

"We experienced a battle last night and ran for most of the night. Do you think they will be able to continue in their present state? Besides, the horses are too tired," Gandalf said as he looked off into the distance at the group of resting horses, only to see Aldril horse stomping merrily as he pestered the other horses.

"Well, only Aldril horse looks in good condition," he thought.

Hearing Gandalf explanation, Thorin looked at him and with some irritation said, "Then what are we supposed to do?"

Calmly, Gandalf said something that certainly irritated Thorin very much, "We are near Rivendell. We can go there to rest and fill our supplies. Besides, the orcs dare not cross Lord Elrond territories, besides..."

But just as Gandalf would go on with his explanation, Thorin's angry voice interrupted him, "No! I will not go near an Elf's territory!"

"Listen well, Thorin. Lord Elrond can help us decipher the message on the map."

"Help us? Did the Elves help us when the dragon attacked Erebor? Did they help us when those damned orcs sacked Moria and desecrated our ancestral place? No, they just stood by and watched!"

"Now do you really want me to ask for help from the people who turned their backs on my grandfather and father?" said Thorin with venom in his voice. Gandalf's suggestion made him very angry, bringing out the grudge he held inside.

"But you're not them! I didn't give you the map and the key to cling to the past!" Seeing Thorin's stubborn behavior, Gandalf began to get angry again, causing his tone of voice to become serious.

"That is the key to the kingdom of Erebor and you had no right to keep it!" said Thorin still in his stubborn demeanor.

"Humph!"

With a snort, Gandalf turned and started to walk away, leaving Thorin alone. He certainly knew that dwarves were stubborn, but this time Thorin overcame stubbornness with irrationality.

Clearly, the shouting woke some people up and among them was Bilbo, who, seeing Gandalf upset and watching him walk away from the camp, quickly got up and approached the angry Gandalf.

"Is everything all right, Gandalf, where are you going?"

"I'm going to look for the only rational person in this group."

"Who is it?" asked Bilbo innocently.

"Certainly myself, Mr. Baggins!" said Gandalf in a loud voice, causing the sleeping Aldril to wake up and draw his sword instinctively, only to watch Gandalf walk away from the camp.

"What did I miss?" wondered Aldril, still half asleep.

****

Hello! your favorite author here!

What did you think about the Xbox conference? personally I loved it, much better than that Summer game fest crap.

What is the game you are looking forward to the most? I'm still waiting for a Dino Crisis Remake.

Remember to support me on patreon "patreon.com/Mrnevercry" Help me reach 100 subs!