I reforged the glory of the magic ring in Middle-earth

Chapter 16: Dwarf Brothers
Tanes was startled by the dwarf brothers' sudden bow. After hearing them say "At your service" in a loud voice, he quickly said, "Don't be so polite. I should rather thank you for helping to protect these supplies."

Qili, the black-haired dwarf who looked a little childish, had his eyes light up when he heard Tanes' words.

However, he did not stand up straight. Instead, he kept bowing and whispered to his brother Fili: "What Dwalin said seems to be true. This wizard does look much kinder."

Fili also replied in a low voice: "That's right."

Then the dwarf brothers stood up at the same time in tacit understanding. The younger brother Kili showed a silly smile and was about to reach out his hand to shake hands with Tanes, but was stopped by his brother Fili.

Fili put on a serious expression and said seriously, "You are the benefactor who saved Thorin. This is what you deserve, Mr. Tanes."

Kili glanced at his brother, then belatedly nodded and agreed with a smile, "Yes, we heard your story, and we're here to escort you in return for saving Thorin."

Dwalin came over, patted his dwarf brother on the shoulder, and said, "I knew Mr. Tanes was easy to get along with, but let's save the small talk for when we set off. Mr. Tanes's hometown is still waiting for this batch of supplies, so we must set off as soon as possible."

Then he looked at Mr. Tanes, grinned at him and said, "Mr. Tanes, please lead the way after we leave the city!"

Tanes replied: "Of course I remember the way I came and left a mark. I have not met any orcs on this road either, so it is quite safe."

Dwalin nodded, then shouted at the dwarves behind him to prepare to set off.

Tanes discovered that there were three carriages loaded with various grains and crop seeds, each driven by a special dwarf groom.

The two cows, seven sheep and a dozen white-feathered chickens that Thorin mentioned were also loaded into horse-drawn carriages specially used to transport livestock.

Tanes nodded secretly. If all the goods were transported by carriage, the speed would be faster than he expected.

However, he might have to change his route slightly, because Torret, as a spirit horse, can carry him over mountains and across rivers, but these carriages obviously cannot.

As for the number of guards, when Tanis first saw the huge convoy of seven carriages, he felt that there were only four guards, including himself, Dwalin, Fili and Kili, which was not enough.

But when Tanes saw that the dwarves driving the carriage also had short swords or hand axes in their hands or on their waists, his doubts were dispelled.

Although these dwarves were not professional warriors like Dwalin, they were not powerless in the face of danger.

The sight of seven carriages leaving the city together attracted the attention of many dwarves in the town, especially when they saw the dwarf brothers Fili and Kili acting as guards for a human, their curiosity became even stronger.

However, despite their curiosity, the dwarves were still busy with their own affairs. It was just that when they drank in the tavern at night, they would have an extra topic to talk about and let their imagination run wild.

The convoy arrived at the exit of the town at a steady pace, and Tanes saw Thorin who had arrived at the city gate in advance to wait for farewell.

Next to Thorin stood Gloin, the captain of the dwarf guard, with whom he had a minor, harmless misunderstanding when he entered the city.

"Thorin, why are you here?" Tanes greeted first, and just as he was about to get off Torret's back, Thorin waved his hand to stop him.

Thorin smiled and said, "I'm just here to see you off. You're welcome. Besides, it's easy to block the road. Seven carriages parked here will cause complaints from people entering the city."

Tanes smiled as well, leaning forward to shake Thorin's hand for the last time. "That's true. Thorin, when my homeland stabilizes, I will personally invite you to visit the Golden Tree and introduce you to my compatriots. It was you, Thorin Oakenshield, who came to our aid in our most difficult time."

Thorin let go of his hand, patted Torret's saddle, and bid farewell to Tanes with his eyes as he left the city.

At this time, Tanes noticed that the dwarf captain Groin with a long fiery red beard was a little depressed, and looked at him passing by as if he had something to say.

Tanes thought for a moment, then took the initiative to speak gently, "Gloin, I remember you said this morning that you owed me a barrel of ale. Remember to prepare it when you come next time."

After hearing this, Groin's originally depressed mood instantly became high.

The adorable dwarf warrior nodded vigorously and said with a laugh, "Hahaha, I will definitely prepare the best ale for you, Master Tanes!"

Then Groin saw Tanes gently throw a small piece of round white stone with golden fluorescence to him. He stretched out his hand and caught it accurately in mid-air, his expression a little stunned.

Tanes, fearing that his wagon train would block the road, had already ridden Torret past Gloin.

However, he turned around, waved to the dwarf captain, and said, "This [Warm Stone] is for you. It symbolizes that our misunderstanding has been resolved and also symbolizes our newfound friendship, Gloin!"

Thorin recognized the warming stone in Gloin's hand as the same stone that Tanes had thrown on the ground to heal his injured compatriots. So he patted Gloin on the back and said, "Take it, Gloin. This magical stone can effectively heal wounds. Perhaps you will need it someday."

Groin's fiery red beard twitched a few times, and finally he pounded his chest hard in the direction of Tanes.

These dwarves are so interesting.

Tanes nodded to Gloin, turned around, and couldn't help but smile in his heart.

On the other side, Thorin happened to see Fili and Kili sitting in the carriage.

Originally, Fili and Kili were chatting and laughing about what kind of experience they would have on this trip, but when Fili saw Thorin, he immediately restrained his expression and coughed lightly to remind his brother Kili.

After being reminded by his brother, Qili immediately sat up straight.

Thorin's previous smile towards Tanis faded. His expression was like that of a stern father, and his eyes followed Fili's movements. "Fili, you are representing the royal family of Durin this time, so be sure not to lose face in front of the wizards. But I believe you can truly demonstrate the courage and strength of Durin's lineage to Tanis, because you have grown into an excellent warrior. Stay safe, I will wait for you and Kili to return to the Blue Mountains."

Fili nodded vigorously and assured Thorin: "I will bring everyone back safely."

Then Thorin looked at Kili, his eyes softening slightly. "Kili, I know you've always been curious about the outside world, but don't cause too much trouble for your brother and Mr. Tanes. If there's anything you can't handle, ask Fili and Dwalin for help. Don't try to do it alone."

Like his brother Fili, Kili could only nod vigorously like a well-behaved sparrow to show that he heard Thorin's instructions.

"Goodbye, Uncle Thorin." The dwarf brothers finally said goodbye to Thorin in unison.

Thorin nodded, his eyes fixed on the direction where the carriage convoy left, until the seven carriages completely disappeared, then he reluctantly withdrew his gaze.

Three days later, it was almost noon.

Although the dwarves were advancing faster than Tanis had imagined, and they spent almost the entire day on the road except for their three meals, dwarves like Dwalin were still mortal after all, and they still needed adequate rest at night.

Therefore, Tanes compared the map with the marks he left when he came here, and estimated that it would take about four more days to reach the Golden Tree.

Although Tanes was eager to return home, he knew that it was useless to be anxious. What's more, the dwarves were already accompanying him on the journey at their fastest speed without any complaints.

Along the way, Tanes and his companions did not encounter any attacks from Orcs.

Tanis heard Fili and Kili talking at once, saying that the last time Thorin was attacked by Orcs was a very rare occurrence, because Orcs mostly did not act in the west of Middle-earth.

It was not that these evil creatures were unwilling to come, but because there were elves and humans in the east as a line of defense, and their patrolling cavalry were constantly clearing out the Orcs running over from the Misty Mountains or other places.

"Mr. Tanes, I heard that human merchants who came to the Blue Mountains to do business said that they saw extremely tall Orcs near the Misty Mountains they passed by. However, they didn't get a close look at what the orcs looked like. They were frightened by their creepy roars and quickly left." Kili said as he gestured excitedly.

Fili smiled and added on behalf of his brother, "No, no, Kili. Those aren't Orcs you're talking about. They're called Trolls. These terrifying creatures turn to stone when they see the sun, so they mostly hide in the Misty Mountains. The human merchants who told you this are lucky, and the weather might be sunny, otherwise they would have become meat in the Trolls' pot."

Tanes listened to the conversation between the dwarf brothers with great interest. After hearing Fili mention the trolls, he couldn't help but ask, "Those creatures that turn to stone when exposed to sunlight really exist? I thought they were some kind of magical device, with the disadvantage that they can't see the sun."

Qili continued, "Besides the giant monsters like the trolls that Fili mentioned, there are also orcs in the Misty Mountains who are even shorter than us dwarves. I remember they are called goblins."

He finally looked at his brother uncertainly and asked with a silly smile.

Fili also smiled and shrugged. "Maybe? I'm not sure, but if you see them, just chop off their heads with an axe."

They chatted for a while, and then at the same time they could faintly hear the sound of the river rushing and the water swirling.

"It looks like we're near the Brandywine River," Tanes said.

He glanced at the familiar Brandywine River in the distance. The clear water was shimmering, still flowing tirelessly as when he came.

Then he looked up at the sun that was about to climb to the highest point in the sky. Fortunately, it was the warm sun of early spring, and the sunlight shining on his body did not make him feel hot.

Tanes rode Torret to the front of the group and found Dwalin. He said, "Dwalin, let's all rest here. We've been traveling all morning and it's been hard. Let's light a fire and have lunch. After lunch, we will cross the Brandywine River ahead. Once we cross the river, we'll only have half the journey."

Dwalin looked at Tanis in confusion and asked, "Rest now? But we still need to find a place where the water is shallower and the flow is slower, so that the carriages can cross the river. I don't know how long this will take."

Tanis laughed good-naturedly and pointed at himself. "Dwalin, you usually treat me as a wizard, and sometimes call me 'wizard'. But how come you forget that I am a 'wizard' at a time like this?"

Although he is an unrecognized wizard, Tanes thought to himself.

Dwalin's eyes lit up, and he patted his smooth head. "I didn't come out with the wizard, and I never thought you could get the carriage through the turbulent river. I'll tell my compatriots to rest now."

After Dwalin finished speaking, he spoke to the drivers in Common Tongue mixed with Dwarven language, which Tanis could not understand.

The drivers showed happy expressions, pulled the reins of the pack horses and tied them up.

"Mr. Tanes, Kili and I are going to take a look around."

"If you really encounter an orc, I'll help you shoot a few arrows at their heads!"

Qili and Fili rode over on their horses and greeted Tanes happily, then went out to stand guard and patrol. They would come back to enjoy lunch when it was ready.

It was obvious that although the dwarf brothers said that Orcs seldom came here, they did not let their guard down in their hearts.

Tanes nodded: "Be careful on the road."

Fortunately, Fili and Kili did not find any trace of Orcs. Kili, the younger brother, even brought back a few prairie rabbits shot by his arrows, which temporarily added some meat to the caravan.

After lunch, amid the excited and surprised shouts of the dwarves, Tanes took out his staff and used the ice magic that Lani had taught him at the border to create an ice bridge on the surface of the river that could allow the carriage to pass.

"Magic, wow...it's really cool. Can I learn it?" Young Kili looked at the staff that suddenly disappeared from Tanes' hand with a look of longing and amazement.

It wasn't until his brother Fili patted him that Kili came to his senses and followed Fili onto the ice bridge.

Every dwarf couldn't help but stomp their feet tentatively on the ice bridge, but the hard ice was controlled by Tanes' magic and was not so easy to crack.

Fili and Kili, like the other dwarves, felt the solidity of the ice bridge. Kili said to his brother, "Fili, if I ask Mr. Tanes to teach me some magic, do you think he would agree?"

Upon hearing this, Fili looked sharply at his brother. Seeing Kili's piercing eyes, he opened his mouth slightly, then patted his shoulder and encouraged him, "Then go ahead and ask, Kili. We've all learned these days that Mr. Tanes is a very gentle and easygoing man. He won't get angry over questions like this."

Then he joked, "Of course, if you succeed, don't forget to ask for me too. In fact, I'm also very interested in Mr. Tanes's witchcraft."

Kili nodded vigorously, mustering up his courage and riding his horse to catch up with Tanes who was riding Torret in front of him.

"Um...Kili, do you mean you want to learn magic from me?" Tanes looked down at the dwarf in slight surprise. The other's eyes were filled with the courage and expectation that he had finally mustered.

But I never taught anyone...

Tanes thought for a moment, and the silence made Kili nervous.

When Fili rushed over and saw this situation, he rode his horse silently beside Qili, not daring to make a sound.

Finally, under Qili's somewhat lost gaze, Tanes slowly shook his head.

But Tanes' next words made Qili happy again.

"I'm sorry, Qili, I'm not good at teaching others. But if you don't mind, when we get back to my hometown, how about I introduce you to a magic teacher? He is an excellent teacher, and the first magic I learned was taught to me by him."

　Thanks to everyone's love, it's now ranked fourth on the fantasy new book list (pupil earthquake)
　　I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all readers, especially those who have never given up on this book from the beginning!
　　I, I, I will start working hard to write more words tomorrow to give back to everyone (strong man kneels down)

　　
　
(End of this chapter)