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

Chapter 42 Thorin's Plan

Night falls, but the territory of the Golden Tree is still brightly lit.

In the city of Stonewell, which used to sleep in peace, the folk songs sung by the dwarves were heard.

Ballads floated out from the windows where the dim lights were swaying, and the notes bloomed in the night sky, flying to the streets and into the night sky.

Tanes liked these dwarves very much. They seemed to be full of energy all the time, born to show off and bring happiness to people.

In the city lord's hall, Thorin looked at his compatriots who were drunk and had already stepped onto the table, clapping their hands along with the songs. He said to Tanes with some embarrassment, "I'm sorry, my people have caused you trouble."

Tanes looked at the bustling hall with a smile on his face and said nonchalantly, "It's okay, Thorin. This city hasn't been this lively for a long time. Let them dance for a while longer. After all, they've eaten all the food on the tables where they danced, so there's no food wasted."

Thorin glanced at his fellow dwarves, who had already started playing a throwing game, accurately throwing fruit, cheese, and ham into each other's mouths. He slowly smiled and said, "My compatriots haven't been so relaxed outside the Blue Mountains for a long time, Tanes."

Then he saw Kili trying to join in the dwarves' food game, and his expression changed slightly.

Fortunately, Fili noticed Thorin's expression and pulled Kili in time. He picked up the wine glass and nudged Kili's waist with his elbow. Kili looked down and saw Fili's eye hint to him, then glanced at Thorin and immediately sat back in his seat, pretending to try hard to finish the bacon on the plate.

Thorin's expression returned to normal.

There were not only dwarves in the city lord's hall where the dinner was held, but also some golden people and Mills and others.

As for the elves sent by Elrond to help, they did not attend the dinner.

Tanis had invited them in the past, and the elves had readily agreed, but after hearing Thorin's name, they politely declined Tanis' invitation.

"We don't want any discord at your banquet, respected wizard," the leading elf explained gently. "The dwarves of Durin, led by Thorin Oakenshield, once had a conflict with another branch of our compatriots far away in Mirkwood. The dwarves' stubbornness and prejudice will surely make them mistake us for fellow Mirkwood people. To prevent such a misunderstanding, we will not disturb your dinner. I wish you a pleasant evening, Lord Tanes."

Therefore, apart from the elves, there were only humans and dwarves at the dinner.

The demihumans were in their own caves. Rather than attending human banquets in sturdy castles at night, they preferred to sleep in deep and spacious caves.

During this time, Tanes did not forget the subhuman request that Kenneth Hyde submitted to him before going to Longdedale.

Not long after he returned, he summoned a demihuman queen.

The demi-human queen, whose height would rival that of a mountain troll if she stood up, expressed her gratitude to Tanes very rationally, and then happily led the demi-humans to live and work in peace in the countryside near the city of Moren.

If the demihumans gathering around the Demihuman Queen during the day and sleeping beside her at night can be said to be living and working in peace and contentment.

Anyway, Kenneth Hyde, who is most familiar with the sub-humans, said that this is normal sub-human life.

The lingering echoes of the banquet drifted away on the night wind, and the laughter of the Golden People gradually faded into the air. The clock hands silently passed by, and the lights in the banquet hall began to dim. In the silence, the snoring of the dwarves rose and fell.

Their sleeping figures, spread out in a haphazard manner between the tables and chairs, appear both bold and unrestrained.

There wasn't a single speck of food residue on the gold and silver cutlery on the table. These dwarves really managed to have fun without wasting any food.

The golden people, with lingering joy on their faces, saluted Tanes on the main throne and said goodbye to each other in a low voice.

They remembered these dwarves as a simple, innocent joy that needed no pretense.

Mills and others also said hello to Tanes and went back.

Outside the city lord's hall, the night was deep and the sky was dotted with stars.

The moonlight, infected by the liveliness of the banquet, seemed to be swaying gently.

Thorin and Tanes came outside together. Because the former was careful about his image and did not drink too much, he did not fall drunk on the floor like the dwarves in the hall.

As for Fili and Kili, unfortunately, they were snoring loudly.

However, Thorin's red cheeks revealed that he was a little drunk.

He enthusiastically pulled Tanes' arm, raised his head to look at the bright moon in the starry night sky, and said, "I am really happy today, Uncle Tanes."

"Just be happy." Tanes followed Thorin's words.

He had not been drinking and was therefore sober.

Thorin's fingers slowly loosened, he turned around, and his eyes were blurred as he looked at the twin golden trees that were so close.

Their lush branches and leaves emanated a gentle and peaceful light. Those points of light twinkled in the night like stars in the sky, decorating the entire city of Stonewell like a golden dream.

The surrounding air became soft because of the light of the golden tree. A breeze blew, and the treetops swayed gently, making a rustling sound, and golden blessing fragments fell quietly.

"The magnificent golden tree," Thorin admired softly. "Its light shines even in the darkest night, like a sun that never goes out, bringing hope and warmth to people all the time."

Tanes smiled when he heard Thorin's praise. The golden light before him seemed to open a door to Thorin's past memories, leading him to the golden age in his memory.

Thorin's voice was low and trembling, like a distant echo, carrying with it an endless attachment to the past: "Master Tanes, do you know? This golden light reminds me of the Lonely Mountain. In the past, countless gold flowed from the Lonely Mountain. Dwarves, humans, and elves all gathered near the Lonely Mountain. The dwarves worked hard to dig out the gold veins hidden deep in the earth, while humans and elves sang in the green fields at the foot of the mountain."

Thorin's words filled the air with a strange atmosphere, as if the glory of the Lonely Mountain was right before his eyes, and the flowing gold seemed to be right in front of him.

"But the mountains of treasure eventually attracted the attention of the evil dragon from the north. It brought fire and death and destroyed the human towns at the foot of the mountain. The breath of death still lingers among the ruins. Then it broke into the Lonely Mountain and occupied it. My people were driven out of their homeland, lost their pride, and have been displaced for so many years." Thorin's voice gradually became low.

Thorin clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, and the terrifying voice of the evil dragon seemed to still ring in his ears.

Tanes listened to Thorin's nostalgic narration and gazed into the distance, as if he wanted to penetrate the tunnel of time and return to the Lonely Mountain, and see the dwarf homeland that was once prosperous but now desolate.

A scene of towering mountains appeared before his eyes. Inside the mountains was a golden riverbed, but an evil dragon was crawling and sleeping on it.

Tanes patted Thorin's shoulder gently and said, "Your hometown will surely bloom with its own light again, just like my hometown, Thorin."

"Yes, it will. It will." Thorin took a deep breath and nodded vigorously.

Then Tanes asked, "Speaking of which, when do you plan to leave for Lonely Mountain after the meeting?"

Thorin looked troubled. "I can't say for sure. We'll have to wait until the meeting in half a year. If the dwarf representatives of the Seven Kingdoms disagree, we'll probably have to wait another year or two. If they agree... to be honest, before I came to you, I had little confidence they would agree."

Tanes smiled and gestured for Thorin to relax, then asked, "Why are you so unconfident? This isn't the Thorin I know."

"Because 140 years ago, in 2799, we Dwarves had just concluded a war with the Orcs, the Battle of Azanulbizzar." Thorin said with a gloomy look, "Although the Dwarves won that war, it was a bitter victory. On the night of victory, there was neither feasting nor singing, and only about half of the Dwarves could still stand or have any hope of recovery. The pain of that war still affects us to this day."

Tanis nodded thoughtfully. "So that's how it is. If the representatives of the Seven Kingdoms agree to your plan, it means they will have to prepare for war with a dragon. I'm afraid that's something the Dwarven Kingdoms, who haven't yet recovered, are unwilling to face."

Thorin nodded and smiled at Tanes. "You are right, Master Tanes. So I am really happy that you can stand by me and support me."

Tanes said, "Although you may not believe it, I have actually killed many dragons in my hometown. I don't know what the situation is with the dragon deep in the Lonely Mountain, but past experience tells me that facing such a sky overlord, using an army to fight it is not a good option. I don't look down on you dwarf warriors, Thorin, but please believe me, many people will be so scared that they forget to breathe when facing a dragon rushing down from the sky. Those who are not mentally strong will only die in vain when facing such a behemoth."

Thorin was silent for a moment, but the memory in his mind told him that what Tanes said was not wrong.

Most people, even well-trained warriors, were frightened and stood there in a daze when Smaug attacked.

Thorin said with difficulty: "You are right. What I need is not an army, but warriors who are full of courage and ready to die."

Seeing Thorin's expression, Tanes was afraid he might go from one extreme to another, so he quickly said, "You misunderstood me. I'm only saying that we shouldn't send the army to confront the dragon head-on, but we can still have them provide assistance. For example, if the dragon is severely injured after entering the Lonely Mountain, and if it's determined to escape, it would be difficult for us to stop it given its size. What if there's a group of well-trained archers lying in ambush outside?"

Simply put, Tanes was advising Thorin not to lead his army to fight Smaug head-on.

Thorin's eyes lit up and he said, "Yes, we dwarves once forged black arrows that could penetrate dragon scales. We could ambush several wind crossbows at the main gate."

Thorin then frowned. "However, not many Black Arrows were forged at that time. I'll look for the forging technology for Black Arrows after I return. I should be able to find it. I also need to select a warrior who was trapped in the Lonely Mountain with me and who can severely damage the evil dragon..."

Tanes smiled and said, "Don't be anxious, my dear Thorin. Take it one step at a time. You won't have to face the evil dragon tomorrow. As for warriors who can severely damage the evil dragon, you can choose a few from those you trust. I will also select about three candidates. I promise you that these three will definitely be heroes who are worth ten thousand."

Thorin's brow relaxed, as he thought of Neferi Lu whom he met today, so he smiled and said, "I can't refuse your kindness. And I promise you, after we recapture the Lonely Mountain, you will definitely have a share of the treasure in the mountain."

However, Tanes didn't know that Thorin thought he would send Neferi Lu. He had someone else in mind to slay the dragon, and he already had a definite target in mind.

Thorin took another breath of fresh air and said to Tanis, "It's getting late. I'll go inside and wake up Fili and Kili. As representatives of Durin's royal family, these two got carried away and got drunk at the banquet. It's really my fault for not teaching them well."

Tanes silently prayed for the dwarf brothers in his heart while following behind Thorin. He smiled and said, "For the sake of my teacher, Thorin, let them relax a little."

Thorin replied helplessly: "Okay, but just this once."

When Tanes re-entered the city lord's hall, the waiters in charge of cleaning were looking at the drunken dwarves snoring on the ground with some embarrassment.

They were important guests of His Majesty Tanes, so the waiters were reluctant to wake them up forcibly, for fear of making the dwarves unhappy.

"Don't worry about them. The dwarves are strong enough. Let them sleep here." Thorin saw the waiter's embarrassment and said to Tanes.

Tanes ordered the servants, "Then bring some blankets and cover them."

"Yes, Your Majesty Tanes." The waiters bowed slightly and walked away.

Tanes glanced at Thorin, then at the sleeping dwarves below him, and pointed: "Do you want to sleep here with them, or go to the room I have prepared for you?"

Thorin glanced at Kili, who turned over, hugged his legs, and talked in his sleep. He showed an expression of disdain, sighed softly, and gently pulled his legs out. He said, "I don't want to sleep on the cold floor. Besides, how can I refuse a room prepared for me by a wizard?"

　Thank you all readers for your votes~ I will continue to ask for recommendation votes and monthly ticket rewards~
　　I've been adjusting my work and rest schedule these days. I used to stay up too late, but now I can write 6 words a day.
　　Thanks to [It Didn't Rain on a Rainy Day], [Mr. Cooing Pigeon], and [Mo Ye Xiang] for the tips!!!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)