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

Chapter 41 Thorin's Request

After the hug ended, Thorin looked at the majestic Stonewell City and expressed surprise and admiration: "In just a few months, you already have such a wonderful city. The speed at which you have rebuilt your hometown is far beyond my imagination, Tanes."

Tanes stood beside Thorin and expressed his gratitude generously: "If it weren't for the food and livestock you initially provided, I wouldn't have been able to transform the territory into what it is today in such a short time. Even if I can use witchcraft, I can't conjure food out of thin air. Otherwise, my compatriots from my hometown would only starve even if they came here. Just accept my gratitude, Thorin."

He looked at Thorin with a look that said, "It has nothing to do with me."

Thorin didn't think too much about it, but gladly accepted Tanes' thanks.

At this moment, Fili and Qili exchanged a glance, then simultaneously stepped forward, bent down, and shouted, "Teacher Tanes, hello! We've come to see you!"

Tanes had to admit that he was startled by the dwarf brothers' sudden loud voices, mainly because he didn't expect them to do this in front of so many people.

"Well, how are you guys doing lately? Are you practicing prayer every day?" Tanes asked.

Fili and Kili stood up. Kili spoke before his brother and said happily, "Fili and I have learned half of the prayers written in the Beast Prayer Book you gave us."

Fili added calmly, "And we also feel that if we can truly learn the prayers in that book, we can apply what we have learned to create our own prayers as dwarves."

Tanes' eyes lit up. If Fili and Kili could really succeed, then this series of prayers would be something he had never seen before.

This made Tanes himself feel itchy. He had already mastered all the prayers at the border, so the dwarf prayers that Fili mentioned were so attractive to him.

Therefore, Tanes also responded with a happy smile: "I am looking forward to that day coming soon. Then it will be my turn to ask you two to teach me a new prayer."

Fili and Qili were surprised to hear this. Fili quickly said, "With our status, how dare we teach you, Teacher Tanes, to pray..."

Tanes comforted the dwarf brothers and said, "On the road of learning, the most experienced are the teachers. Don't be nervous. I am also eager to learn the new prayers you have researched."

Thorin then joined the conversation. He looked at Fili and Kili and said sternly, "Well, Fili and Kili, since Tanis has said so, you must listen to him."

Fili and Kili were scolded by Thorin, and the dwarf brothers stood at attention and nodded frantically.

"Haha, Thorin, don't scare my lovely students. But this is not a place to have a good chat. Let's go into the city first." Tanes greeted.

The dwarf caravan brought by Thorin slowly drove into the city of Stonewell. This fortress of the Storm King welcomed its first friendly caravan.

The convoy moved slowly along the cobblestone road. The collision of horse hooves and stone surface made a crisp and pleasant sound, breaking the usual silence of the street.

Mills was standing at a street corner in Stoneville. Today it was his turn to clean the street. This was a job he found in the Golden Tree Territory.

He had just finished his work when he happened to encounter this caravan, and his eyes were closely following the sturdy dwarves.

The dwarves on the carriage were wearing leather armor, their muscles faintly visible under their coarse cloth coats.

Each cart in the fleet is loaded with cargo, from rare ores brought from the distant Blue Mountains to meticulously handcrafted Dwarven furniture.

Mills imagined how these goods would enrich his life. Perhaps the crystal-clear ore would become a beautiful sight on his mantelpiece, or perhaps the carved dwarf wooden chair would add a touch of warmth to his cabin.

"Perhaps I should buy Doris and the other children some toys made by the dwarves. I remember that the toys made by the dwarves were very exquisite. Even I have seen those wonderful children's toys in Rohan before."

Mills muttered to himself.

Thanks to the treasures discovered by Roger before, the gold coins sent by Elrond before, and several transactions with the dwarf caravans before, there is a currency that can be circulated in the territory of the Golden Tree.

Even those like Mills, who had only been there a month, received their wages, so they had some spare money to buy a few things to improve their lives.

He still remembered how, when he received his slightly heavy bag of money, his companions, who had also received their wages, all showed expressions of disbelief. After all, back in his small village in Rohan, working for the lord was a matter of course, and the wages were unimaginable.

Because Doris's mother knew how to farm, she was assigned to work on the farm and earned more money than herself, which made her smile from ear to ear.

Other compatriots who knew how to herd sheep also received their wages. Since there were so many people, there was no shortage of herders. That was why Mills, who was born in Rohan, chose to be a cleaner in Stonewell City.

In fact, there was no such position originally. Tanes also felt that there were not many people living in Stonewell City now, so there was no need to hire someone specifically to do sanitation and cleaning.

This was the suggestion of Kenneth Hyde. This ancient nobleman of noble birth said that finding some helpful things for these Middle-earth humans who had defected to the Golden Tree and paying them on time like the Golden People would help these people adapt better and faster to their identity change as citizens of the Golden Tree territory.

Although Tanes was not sure whether this would be useful, Kenneth Hyde must have thought more deeply about it than he did, so he agreed without hesitation.

Just as Mills was lost in the somewhat incredible memories of the past month, Tanes, riding on Torret, spotted him standing there, broom in hand. He smiled and called out to Mills, "Mills, don't stare at the cargo on the cart. Go inform your compatriots. I'll have these dwarves stop on this street and ask them to come over and see if there's anything they want. Also, help me inform the Golden People of Morn City that a new dwarf convoy has arrived."

Mills was stunned, and quickly and respectfully bowed to Tanes, then immediately replied, "I understand, Lord Tanes!"

Tanes slowed down Torret's progress, came to the carriage where Thorin was, and spoke to him for a few words.

Thorin nodded and shouted a few words to the dwarf grooms in the caravan behind him. The carriages loaded with cargo slowly stopped, then turned around and drove towards the empty street.

Thorin continued to follow Tanes all the way to the mayor's hall of Stonewell City.

Nepheli Lu was inside, swinging her battle axe at the air, feeling a bit bored, just as a form of exercise to relieve her boredom.

When she heard the door open, she immediately stopped what she was doing and went to greet it.

"Tannis, it's really too boring to stay here... Oh, who is this?" Nepheli Lu was about to complain to Tanes that she was not the kind of person who could sit in the house and look through documents all day, but Tanes stepped aside to reveal Thorin who was following behind her.

Tanes smiled slightly and introduced Neferi Lu: "This is Thorin Oakenshield, the dwarf leader of the Blue Mountains. It was he who provided us with the first batch of our most valuable supplies."

Neferi Lu immediately greeted Thorin and said, "Thank you. If it weren't for the food you sent, we would still be hungry and suffering from the attacks of the Orcs. Tanith would not have been able to summon these cities so quickly with his magic. May the breeze always accompany you on your journey and guide you home when you get lost." Thorin smiled politely at Neferi Lu and said, "I heard Dwalin mention you, Neferi Lu, the bravest warrior beside Tanith. I thank you on Dwalin's behalf for your axe skills training. He showed off to his friends when he got home."

Tanes looked at Neferi Lu in surprise and asked, "When did you instruct Dwalin? I didn't even know about it."

Neferi Lu invited Thorin in and said to Tanes with a smile, "While you were teaching the dwarf brothers how to pray, I saw that dwarf practicing axe skills while passing by the farmland. So I went up to help him correct some of his movements and taught him some tricks."

Tanes nodded thoughtfully.

Fili and Kili had just followed Thorin in. They heard Neferi Lu's words, and Kili took over, saying, "That was no simple trick, Lady Neferi Lu. Dwalin single-handedly defeated five dwarf warriors surrounding him in the training ground, including Gloin!"

Fili nodded repeatedly. Thorin turned around after hearing their conversation and smiled in agreement, saying, "I was surprised by Dwalin's expression at the time. I didn't expect him to go to such lengths."

Tanes glanced at Nepheli Lu, who blinked. "I really only corrected some of his minor combat movements. He's an excellent fighter himself."

Tanes shrugged his shoulders. After the dwarf brothers came in together, the two lost knights standing guard outside the door took the initiative to close the door of the city lord's hall for the people in the hall.

"Squeak-"

With the heavy sound of the door closing, Thorin and the others were seated.

The chairs that Thorin, Fili, and Kili sat on were specially adjusted for dwarves so that their conversation with Tanis would not be affected by the dwarves' physique.

Then, the waiter, who was a member of the Golden People, stepped forward and served the prepared high-quality hot tea to everyone who was seated.

"Replace Thorin and the others' tea with fine wine." Seeing this scene, Tanes said to the three waitresses.

He also remembered that the dwarves preferred strong wines to these light teas.

Thorin shook his head. "Thank you for your kindness, Tanes. But the wine will be enjoyed in the evening. Hot tea will be fine."

Tanes sat at the first seat, looked at Thorin and asked, "Besides thanking me, you must have something else to ask me this time, right?"

Thorin paused, then smiled. "As expected, nothing can be hidden from a great wizard. I do have something else to ask you."

Tanis glanced at Fili and Kili and found that they also had surprised expressions, which meant that the dwarf brothers did not know what Thorin wanted to tell him.

He asked thoughtfully, "So what could possibly be the reason you'd go to all the trouble to come all the way from the Blue Mountains?"

Thorin didn't answer immediately, but reached out his hand just enough to touch the warm white porcelain teacup on the table.

His gnarled thumb traced the cup as he spoke, "I intend to call the Council of Ered Luin, the Dwarf representatives of the Blue Mountains, to the Seven Kingdoms of the Dwarves, and propose to them my plan to reclaim the Lonely Mountain."

Then Thorin motioned Fili and Kili, who were standing in their seats in surprise and wanted to say something, to stop talking. He looked at Tanes and said, "I would like to invite you to attend this meeting, Tanes."

Now it was Tanes' turn to show surprise. He pointed at himself and asked, "Me? But this is your Dwarven Kingdom's meeting. Will my participation as a human cause dissatisfaction among your compatriots?"

Thorin smiled when he heard this: "If you were just an ordinary human, it would indeed cause dissatisfaction among the dwarves of the seven kingdoms. But don't forget that you have another identity, that is a wizard."

"wizard?"

Thorin nodded, emphasizing the word "wizard." "That's right, 'wizard.' In our homeland, the Lonely Mountain, lies a sinister dragon. To reclaim the Lonely Mountain, we must inevitably battle this fire-breathing dragon. They all know the horror of the dragon; the flames it spews can instantly burn dwarves to ashes. Therefore, they will certainly not easily agree to my proposal. But with you, a powerful wizard, here, the chances of the representatives of the Seven Kingdoms agreeing to my proposal are very high."

Tanis thought, "Well, Gandalf did tell me about the Lonely Mountain. He should be on his way north now to investigate the matter."

Thorin's eyes lit up. "Gandalf, the wizard in grey? If you count him, I have the support of two wizards, you and him! Now the dwarf representatives of the Seven Kingdoms will have to agree to my plan to retake the Lonely Mountain."

Tanis made a hollow gesture. "Calm yourself, Thorin. I do not know Gandalf's location at this moment, and I am not sure if he would be willing to attend the meeting with you."

Thorin realized he was a little excited and apologized. "Ah, that's right... Sorry, I was a little too excited just now. When I saw the hometown you rebuilt in the desolate land of Minsilias on the road, it made me too eager to reclaim my own hometown."

Tanes smiled and said, "I understand your feelings, Thorin. You lent a helping hand to the Golden Tree when it was at its lowest point, so I will definitely agree to your request. Not to mention attending the Dwarf Council in the Blue Mountains, even if you ask me to accompany you to face the evil dragon, I will agree."

Thorin raised his head and looked at Tanes in disbelief, his voice trembling: "Tanes, is everything you said true? Even if you want to face the evil dragon with me?"

Tanes nodded vigorously and said with a smile: "Why? A powerful 'wizard' challenges an evil dragon. Isn't this something strange?"

Thorin quickly shook his head. "No, I just... I just didn't expect you to agree so easily. I even prepared a lot of excuses. What's more, you're the first person who's willing to support my plan without me promising any reward."

Tanes said, "As I said, your reward has already been paid: the grain, the seeds, and the animals that brought me and gave hope to the golden tree."

Fili excitedly stood up from his chair and said, "Uncle Thorin, I am willing to go with you to retake the Lonely Mountain!"

Qili didn't say anything, but he stood up as well, and the way he nodded frantically made his thoughts clear.

Thorin first looked at his two nephews gently, then his expression turned serious again: "Please sit down quietly and listen to what I have to say, Fili, Kili."

Fili and Kili were once again silenced by Thorin.

Tanes made a face as if he was listening attentively. Thorin continued, "The Dwarven Council will be held in six months. My relative, Dain, is far away in Ironfoot Hill. Even sending a message by carrier pigeon would take a long time."

Then, Thorin showed a determined expression, his eyes seemed to have already set eyes on the distant Lonely Mountain: "After the meeting, whether the Seven Kingdoms agree or not, I will gather people and march to the Lonely Mountain!"

(End of this chapter)