When it came to this, Luke also hesitated.
As for the material for the staff's body, he had a large section of willow heart that he could use, but willow heart was only the most suitable magic wood he had encountered so far, not the best choice for a staff body.
Now that he had precious magic gems like the Elf Gem, he naturally wanted to find a tree with the strongest magic properties to forge a powerful staff.
In that case, willow heart seemed a bit ordinary.
"Gandalf, you are well-traveled and knowledgeable. Do you have any recommendations for staff materials?"
Gandalf pondered for a moment and said, "As far as I know, among the trees with the strongest magic properties in Middle-earth, the Ents are certainly among them. They are the Tree-herders created by Yavanna, the Goddess of Plants. Even the Huorn in the Old Forest are controlled by the Ents."
"Radagast has a good relationship with the Ents of Fangorn Forest. Perhaps you could entrust him to help you get a branch from an Ent to make a staff."
"Next would be the Mallorn trees of Lothlórien. Those are divine trees that grow in Valinor, the Blessed Realm in the West. They are descendants of the divine trees created by Yavanna, the Goddess of Plants, in imitation of Laurelin, one of the Two Trees, and they contain powerful magic."
"Lady Galadriel once brought the seeds of the Mallorn trees to Lórien and planted them, which is how it earned the beautiful name of the Golden Wood. If you wish to use a branch from a Mallorn tree to make a staff, you will need to go to Lórien and obtain Lady Galadriel's permission."
"There is also a tree that is even harder to find. It is called the White Tree, a descendant of Telperion, one of the Two Trees, and also a symbol of the Númenórean and Gondor. In Minas Tirith, the holy city of Gondor in the south, there is a White Tree planted, but it has already withered."
Hearing Gandalf's words, Luke also fell into thought.
Excluding the hard-to-find White Tree, the other two could be considered.
However, relatively speaking, the Mallorn trees of Lórien seemed easier to obtain, especially since Galadriel had already invited him to be her guest in Lórien and had also promised to make a magic wand for Arwen.
As for Fangorn Forest, he heard that the Ents there were not very good-tempered, and he also had conflicts with their close relatives—the Huorn of the Old Forest. He wondered if that would have an impact?
Never mind, he would see then!
Luke decided to consider this matter after the journey to the Lonely Mountain was over.
However, speaking of staffs, Luke had also promised to make a magic wand for Gandalf.
The body of the magic wand had already been completed, only the core was missing.
Lady Galadriel gave him five strands of her hair. These strands contained magic and the light of the Two Trees, possessing incredible power, making them the best choice for a wand core.
Three of them belonged to the three siblings, Elrohir, Elladan, and Arwen. Of the remaining two, one was originally intended to be tried as the core for Gandalf's magic wand, but it turned out not to be compatible with Gandalf.
Just like the Elf rings they each wore, Gandalf belonged to fire, while Galadriel was water; their magic did not blend.
So, Luke could only regretfully, with a full smile, pocket the remaining two strands of hair.
Galadriel's hair carried her blessing, containing the power to resist darkness and protect the heart.
What was most terrifying about Sauron was not his destructive power, but his power to corrupt the heart and cause people to fall. The nine Nazgûl were originally human kings, but Sauron corrupted their hearts through the nine rings, eventually making them his most loyal servants.
The one ring was something even a Maia like Gandalf dared not touch.
With Luke's current strength and willpower, if he were to face Sauron directly, he would be unable to resist the mental erosion of dark power.
But with Galadriel's hair, he didn't have to worry about his mind being corrupted and twisted.
Guided by the Palantír, Luke and Gandalf hurried towards the High Pass of the Misty Mountains.
Halfway there, they encountered a thunderstorm.
"Protego!" Luke cast a spell on himself and Gandalf. Even in the pouring rain, their bodies remained clean, without a single drop of rain.
"Luckily you have your magic," Gandalf said with a smile, "but Thorin and the others are in for it. They're probably drenched by now."
But he looked at the thunderstorm in the mountains and the huge rumbling sounds, gazing worriedly in the direction of the High Pass.
"It is said that Rock Giants frequent this area. I just hope they don't encounter them, otherwise it would really be a landslide and they would lose their lives!"
"Gandalf, are you sure you don't have the gift of prophecy?" Luke looked at him with a complicated expression, then handed him the Palantír, signaling him to look at its contents.
Gandalf heard this and had a bad feeling, quickly looking into the crystal ball.
He saw several Rock Giants, as tall as mountains, in the image, playing by throwing huge rocks at each other, creating a scene of a landslide.
And Thorin and the others, like ants, were hiding in the crevices of rocks, trembling and dodging the various falling boulders.
In such a situation, it was fortunate that they had protagonist's luck; not a single one had been crushed to death so far.
Seeing this situation, Gandalf couldn't sit still.
Rock Giants mostly slept, and even if someone passed by, they would only be mistaken for a mountain, but now they were unlucky enough to encounter them.
"Luke, hurry! We must get there before they are crushed to death!"
Luke didn't delay, casting magic on Gandalf's and his own legs, quickly rushing towards the High Pass with a light, floating gait.
With Gandalf's Ring of Fire dispelling fatigue, the two hardly paused for rest, moving quickly the entire way.
Finally, after running for several hours, the two finally arrived at the High Pass.
Seeing the Rock Giants up close, the impact and shock were even more pronounced. The Rock Giants were over a thousand feet tall, taller and larger than the tower on Weathertop, with their upper bodies directly disappearing into the clouds.
It was these Rock Giants stirring the clouds that created the thunderstorm.
It was fortunate that these Rock Giants preferred to stay in the mountains and loved to sleep, sleeping for hundreds or thousands of years, and were neutral, not participating in the conflicts of Middle-earth.
Otherwise, it would be a disaster for any side.
"Protego!"
Innumerable huge shattered rocks flew towards Luke and Gandalf, blocked by a magic barrier.
Against the sky full of shattered rocks, Luke and Gandalf moved forward with difficulty.
Seeing that the Rock Giants were still happily throwing stones, Gandalf angrily said, "These mischievous fellows don't care if there's life underfoot; they always play by themselves."
Saying that, he raised his staff and struck it heavily, erupting a dazzling light, his voice like thunder: "Quiet down, you naughty rascals! All of you stop your games!"
The Rock Giants were attracted by the dazzling light and all stopped their movements, curiously lowering their heads to look at Gandalf.
"Don't play the stone-throwing game anymore! Look at what you've done to this place!" Gandalf sternly reprimanded, adopting the demeanor of a dean of students.
Luke looked up at the Rock Giants in the sky, then at the imposing Gandalf in front of him.
Luke was indeed intimidated by Gandalf's demeanor, but looking at the motionless Rock Giants above, he felt a bad premonition and quietly asked, "Uh, Gandalf, are you sure this really works?"
"I don't know, I'm just trying." Gandalf stood tall, his expression unchanged, speaking in a low voice.
What? Luke's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at him.
The next second, he saw the Rock Giant above move.
Picking up the huge rock in its hand, it threw it towards Luke and them.