Arthur was startled by the dwarf brothers' sudden bow, and after hearing them exclaim "At your service!" in incredibly loud voices, he quickly said, "There's no need to be so polite. If anything, I should be thanking you for helping escort these supplies."
Kili, the younger-looking dwarf with black hair, his eyes lit up upon hearing Arthur's words.
However, he didn't straighten up. Instead, he maintained his bowed posture and whispered to his older brother, Fili, "It seems Dwalin was right; this sorcerer does appear much more amiable."
Fili also whispered back, "Indeed."
Then, the dwarf brothers, with a tacit understanding, simultaneously straightened up. Kili, the younger brother, with a foolish grin, was about to extend his hand to shake Arthur's, but he was stopped by his older brother, Fili.
Fili, with a serious expression, earnestly said, "You are the benefactor who saved Thorin, Arthur. This is the treatment you deserve."
Kili glanced at his brother, then slowly nodded in agreement, chiming in with a wide grin, "Yes, we heard your story. We came to serve as escorts on this trip to repay your kindness for saving Thorin."
Dwalin walked over at this moment, patted the dwarf brothers on the shoulders, and said, "I told you Arthur is easy to get along with. But let's save the chatter until we set off. Arthur's homeland is waiting for these supplies, and we need to depart quickly."
Then he looked at Arthur, grinning at him, " Arthur, after we leave the city, I'll trouble you to lead the way!"
Arthur replied, "Of course. I still remember the way I came and left markers. I haven't encountered any orcs on this path either, so it can be said to be very safe."
Dwalin nodded, then bellowed to the other dwarves behind him to prepare for departure.
Arthur noticed that there were three full carriages just for various grains and crop seeds, each driven by a designated dwarf coachman.
The two dairy cows, seven sheep, and a dozen white-feathered chickens that Thorin mentioned were also loaded into special livestock carriages.
Arthur nodded to himself. If everything was transported by carriage, the speed would be faster than he had anticipated.
However, he might have to slightly alter his route, because Torrent, as a horse, could take him over mountains and across valleys, but these carriages clearly could not.
As for the number of escorts, Arthur initially felt that with himself, Dwalin, Fili, and Kili, only four escorts seemed insufficient after seeing the massive seven-carriage convoy.
But his doubts were dispelled when Arthur saw that the dwarves driving the carriages also had short swords or hand axes at their side or waist.
Although these dwarves were not specialized warriors like Dwalin, they were not completely defenseless when facing danger.
The sight of seven carriages leaving the city together attracted the attention of many dwarves within the town, especially when they saw the dwarf brothers, Fili and Kili, serving as escorts for a human, their curiosity grew even stronger.
However, curious as they were, the dwarves remained busy with their own affairs. It was only when they raised their tankards for a hearty drink at the tavern in the evening that they would have a new topic to freely speculate about.
The convoy arrived at the town's exit at a gentle pace, and Arthur immediately spotted Thorin, who was already waiting at the city gate to bid them farewell.
Standing beside Thorin was Gloin, the captain of the dwarf guard, with whom Arthur had a harmless, minor misunderstanding when he first entered the city.
"Thorin, why are you here?" Arthur greeted first. He was about to dismount from Torrent's back when Thorin waved him off.
Thorin smiled, "I just came to see you off, no need to be polite. Besides, this will easily block the road; seven carriages stopped here would make people entering the city complain."
Arthur also smiled, and proactively leaned down to shake Thorin's hand one last time, "You're right. Thorin, once my homeland is stable, I will personally invite you to visit the Erdtree and introduce you to my people. It was you, Thorin Oakenshield, who provided help in our darkest hour."
Thorin released his hand, patted Torrent's saddle, and watched Arthur leave the city with his eyes.
Arthur then noticed that the dwarf captain, Gloin, with the fiery red long beard, seemed a bit downcast, looking at him as he passed as if he had something to say.
Arthur thought for a moment, then took the initiative to speak gently, "Gloin, I still remember you said this morning that you owed me a barrel of ale. Remember to have it ready next time I come."
Upon hearing this, Gloin's previously dejected mood instantly lifted.
The jovial dwarf warrior nodded vigorously, laughing heartily, "Hahaha, I will definitely have the finest ale ready for you, Master Arthur!"
Then Gloin watched as Arthur gently tossed a small, smooth white stone glowing with a golden light towards him. He reached out and accurately caught it in mid-air, his expression a little stunned.
Arthur, worried that his carriage convoy would block the road, had already ridden Torrent past Gloin.
However, he turned around, waved to the dwarf captain, and his voice carried back, "This Warming Stone is for you. It symbolizes that our misunderstanding has been resolved, and it also symbolizes our newly established friendship, Gloin!"
Thorin recognized the Warming Stone in Gloin's hand as the same stone Arthur had thrown on the ground earlier to heal his injured kinsman. So he patted Gloin's back and said, "Take it, Gloin. This magical stone can effectively heal wounds. Perhaps you'll find a use for it someday."
Gloin's fiery red beard twitched a few times, and he finally pounded his chest vigorously towards Arthur.
These dwarves are truly interesting.
Arthur nodded to Gloin, turned around, and couldn't help but smile inwardly.
On the other side, Thorin happened to see Fili and Kili sitting in a carriage.
Originally, Fili and Kili were chatting and laughing, discussing what kind of experiences they would have on this trip. But when Fili saw Thorin, he immediately composed his expression and also let out a light cough to remind his younger brother, Kili.
Kili, reminded by his brother, immediately adopted a serious, upright posture.
Thorin's smile from earlier towards Arthur also vanished. His expression was like that of a stern father, his gaze following Fili's movements: "Fili, on this journey, you represent the Durin royal lineage. Especially, do not lose face in front of the sorcerer. But I believe you can truly demonstrate the courage and strength of the Durin line to Arthur, for you have grown into an excellent warrior. Be safe. I await your and Kili's return in the Blue Mountains."
Fili nodded vigorously, assuring Thorin, "I will bring everyone back safely."
Then Thorin looked at Kili, his gaze softening slightly, "Kili, I know you've also been curious about what the world outside is like, but don't cause too much trouble for your brother and Arthur. If there's anything you can't handle, ask Fili and Dwalin for help. Never try to be a hero by yourself."
Kili, like his brother Fili, could only nod vigorously like an obedient sparrow when faced with Thorin's admonitions, indicating that he had heard.
"Goodbye, Uncle Thorin," the dwarf brothers finally said in unison to Thorin.
Thorin nodded, his gaze fixed on the direction the carriage convoy departed, only reluctantly withdrawing his gaze when the seven carriages completely disappeared from view.
Three days later, nearing noon.
Although the dwarves' pace was even faster than Arthur had anticipated, they spent almost the entire day traveling, except for three meals.
However, Dwalin and the other dwarves were, after all, made of flesh and blood, and still needed ample rest at night.
Therefore, Arthur, checking the map and the marks he had left on his way, estimated that it would take about four more days to reach the Erdtree.
Although Arthur was eager to return home, he knew that being anxious was useless, especially since the dwarves were already accompanying him at their fastest speed without any complaints.
Along the way, Arthur and his group did not encounter any orc attacks.
Arthur heard Fili and Kili excitedly say that the last time Thorin encountered an orc attack was very rare, because orcs mostly did not operate in the west of Middle-earth.
It was not that these evil creatures were unwilling to come over, but because there were Elves and Humans acting as a defense line in the east, and their patrolling cavalry were constantly clearing out orcs that ran over from the Misty Mountains or other places.
" Arthur, I heard human merchants who came to the Blue Mountains for business say that they had seen exceptionally tall orcs near the Misty Mountains when they passed by. However, they didn't get a good look at what the other party looked like, because they were frightened by the other party's chilling roar and quickly left," Kili said, excitedly gesticulating.
Fili smiled and added for his brother, "No, no, Kili. What you're talking about isn't an orc, it's called a Troll. These terrifying big guys turn to stone when they see sunlight, so they almost all hide up in the Misty Mountains and don't come down. The human merchants who told you this were lucky enough, and the weather might have been bright sunshine, otherwise they would have become chunks of meat in a Troll's pot."
Arthur listened with interest to the conversation between the Dwarven brothers, and after hearing Fili talk about Trolls, he couldn't help but ask, "They turn to stone when exposed to sunlight? Do such creatures really exist? I thought they were some kind of mechanism made with Glintstone Magic, and their weakness was that they couldn't see sunlight."
Kili continued, "Besides the very large monsters like the Trolls Fili mentioned, there are also orcs in the Misty Mountains that are even shorter than us dwarves, I remember they're called Goblins?"
He finally looked at his brother with an uncertain grin and asked.
Fili also smiled and shrugged, "Perhaps? I'm not very clear either, just chop off their heads with an axe when you see them."
The few of them chatted for a few more moments, and then simultaneously heard the faint 'whooshing' sound of a rushing river and swirling water.
"It looks like we've reached the Brandywine River," Arthur said.
He glanced at the familiar Brandywine River in the distance; its clear water sparkled, still tirelessly flowing as it had when he arrived.
Then he looked up at the sun, which was almost at its highest point in the sky; fortunately, it was the warm sun of early spring, and the sunlight falling on them did not make them feel hot.
Arthur rode Torrent to the front of the group and found Dwalin, saying, "Dwalin, let everyone rest here for a while. You've been traveling all morning, everyone's worked hard, so let's make a fire and eat lunch. After lunch, we'll cross the Brandywine River ahead. Once we've crossed the river, it's only half the journey left."
Dwalin, however, looked at Arthur with some confusion and asked, "Rest now? But we still need to find a spot where the water is slower and very shallow, so it's convenient for the carriages to cross the river. There's no telling how much time that will take."
Arthur let out a kind laugh, then pointed to himself, "Dwalin, you usually treat me as a wizard, and sometimes even call me 'wizard.' But why, at a time like this, have you forgotten that I am a 'wizard'?"
Though an unrecognized wizard, Arthur thought to himself.
Dwalin's eyes lit up, and he patted his smooth head, "I haven't been out with a wizard before, I didn't expect you could make the carriages cross directly through a turbulent river. Then I'll go call our kin to rest."
After Dwalin finished speaking, he mixed Common Tongue with dwarvish, which Arthur didn't understand, as he spoke to the drivers.
The drivers showed happy expressions, pulled the reins of the pack horses, and tied them up.
" Arthur, Kili and I are going to look around nearby."
"If we really encounter orcs, I'll help you shoot a few arrows fiercely at their heads!"
Kili and Fili, riding their horses, happily greeted Arthur and then went out to scout and patrol, only returning for lunch when it was ready.
It was clear that although the Dwarven brothers said orcs rarely came here, they had not relaxed their guard because of it.
Arthur nodded, "Be careful on the way."
Fortunately, Fili and Kili did not discover any traces of orcs, and Kili even brought back a few wild prairie rabbits he had shot with arrows, adding some temporary meat to the caravan's meal.
After lunch, amidst the excited and astonished cheers of the dwarves, Arthur pulled out his staff and used the ice Glintstone Magic that Lani had taught him in The Lands Between, creating an ice bridge on the surface of the river that carriages could cross.
"Magic, wow... that's really cool. Can I learn it?" Young Kili looked at the staff that had suddenly disappeared from Arthur's hand, his eyes filled with longing and admiration.
It wasn't until his brother Fili patted him that Kili snapped out of it and followed Fili onto the ice bridge.
Every dwarf couldn't help but tentatively stomp their feet on the ice bridge, but the hard ice was controlled by Arthur's magic, and it wasn't so easy to crack.
Fili and Kili, like the other dwarves, after feeling the hardness of the ice bridge, Kili said to his brother, "Fili, if I ask Arthur to teach me some Glintstone Magic, do you think he'll agree?"
Fili suddenly looked at his brother upon hearing this, he saw Kili's bright eyes, slightly opened his mouth, and finally patted his shoulder, encouraging him, "Then go ask, Kili. These past few days, we've all known that Arthur is a very gentle and easygoing person, he wouldn't get angry over such a question."
Then he joked, "Of course, if you succeed, don't forget to ask for me too. Actually, I'm also very interested in Arthur's wizardry."
Kili nodded vigorously, gathering his courage to ride his horse and catch up to Arthur, who was riding Torrent ahead.
"Hmm... Kili, you mean you want to learn Glintstone Magic from me?" Arthur looked down at the dwarf with slight surprise, the other's eyes filled with hard-won courage and anticipation.
But I've never taught anyone...
Arthur pondered for a moment, and this silence made Kili nervous.
Fili, who had ridden over, saw the situation and silently rode beside Kili, not daring to make a sound.
Finally, under Kili's somewhat disappointed gaze, Arthur slowly shook his head.
But Arthur's next sentence made Kili happy again.
"I'm sorry, Kili, I'm not good at teaching others. But if you don't mind, once we reach my homeland, how about I introduce you to a Glintstone Magic teacher? He's an excellent teacher, and the first Glintstone Magic I learned was taught to me by him."