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

Chapter 83 The Little Human Boy Living in the Valley

Maybe it was because he had just recovered from a serious illness, or maybe it was because the bed he slept on last night was very soft and comfortable, in any case, Bilbo was able to have a good sleep without any worries.

So when Bilbo opened his eyes, the first rays of morning sunlight just came through the window and gently kissed his eyelids.

"Um...ah..."

Bilbo sat up in bed and stretched contentedly, making comfortable sounds.

Then the hobbit put on his clothes neatly. The clothes had been washed by the elves while he was unconscious and were placed at the head of the bed.

Bilbo jumped off the bed, which was almost two-thirds of his height, nimbly. His big furry feet stepped on the soft carpet. He pushed open the door and walked out with curiosity in his eyes.

The early morning sunlight shines through the exquisite long windows, casting patches of light on the stone walls of the elven palace.

The air was filled with a light scent of pine, which made Bilbo feel comfortable both physically and mentally.

The stone pillars surrounding the statue are covered with dense vines, which sway gently in the dim light, telling the passage of time.

In the dim light, the scenery on the mural seemed to be given life, with the lush forests, winding streams and rolling mountains in the distance jumping on the stone walls.

Oh.

Bilbo's eyes widened immediately, absorbed in the morning scene.

Bilbo had not noticed any of this last night because it was night.

Because there were not many elves in the palace, Bilbo thought that he might have gotten up too early and they were all still sleeping, so Bilbo tiptoed around the elves' palace, looking around like a curious baby.

As he walked, a mural caught Bilbo's attention.

This mural is different from other landscape murals. The content on it is more like a record of what really happened.

The painting depicts a brave human warrior, wearing armor and holding a broken white holy sword in his hand. He stands among the corpses of his fallen companions, fighting against the dark knight who is swinging a war hammer at him.

Even though the figure of the Dark Knight was only drawn in the elf's painting, Bilbo felt it was hideous and terrifying.

He could even hear the desperate cries of the soldiers on the battlefield, the sharp and rapid sound of swords clashing, blood splattering, and screams ringing out.

Bilbo's heart was beating wildly in his chest, as if he were in the midst of that bloody storm.

Then his eyes were drawn to the dark knight's fingers, because the sudden appearance of other colors on a figure who was completely dark would naturally attract attention.

Ring? Is that a ring?

Bilbo only glanced at the golden circle for a moment before losing interest and looking away.

He turned around and saw that beneath the mural of interwoven light and shadow, a meticulously crafted white female human statue stood quietly opposite the mural.

Her face was beautiful and peaceful, and her long, delicately sculpted eyelashes seemed to tremble gently, as if telling an ancient story.

Bilbo stood on tiptoe and saw that on the stone slab held in the hands of the human female statue, a broken sword was placed on the light blue damask of the stone slab.

But even though the sword was broken into pieces, its fragments still gleamed coldly in the morning light, and its former splendor and glory remained undiminished.

Then Bilbo felt that he had seen enough of the things in the palace, so he nodded contentedly and walked out easily, swinging his arms.

He walked along the stone path dotted with moss, passed through the pavilion with a waterfall hanging down, and finally came to a wide balcony. He closed his eyes among the lush trees around him and took a deep breath of joy.

Elrond, who had gotten up early and finished his business, noticed the hobbit and slowly walked over to him, asking softly, "Not with your fellow travelers?"

Bilbo started at the sudden voice and recognized Elrond.

However, he was not too nervous when facing the lord of the valley.

One reason was because of the other two lords he knew, Tanes and Thorin. The former usually acted like his friend, and the latter would sing along when the dwarves sang happily.

This made Bilbo's concept of "lord's majesty" very vague.

The second reason is that Elrond himself is a very gentle and wise lord, which makes Bilbo feel very relaxed when facing him.

Bilbo thought for a moment and replied, "The dwarves probably haven't gotten up yet. Tanis and his friends are nowhere to be found. Gandalf, well, I don't know where he's gone either."

Elrond nodded slightly and said no more, looking at the valley scenery outside the balcony.

Bilbo also looked outside, but it was obvious that he had something else to say.

Besides, he himself was not very good at holding back his words, or maybe Bilbo really needed someone to talk to, and Elrond happened to be here, making Bilbo feel that he was someone he could talk to.

So Bilbo couldn't help but whisper to Elrond, "Actually, except for Tanis and Gandalf, most people think I shouldn't embark on this journey."

Elrond looked at the hobbit gently and asked softly, "Is that so?"

Bilbo nodded.

Elrond took a small step closer to Bilbo and continued gently, "But I have heard that hobbits are very adaptable to their environment."

Bilbo was stunned and asked unsurely, "Really?"

Elrond hummed a faint "hmm" and looked at Bilbo seriously. "I also heard that they really enjoyed the comforts of home."

Bilbo smiled smugly at this, but quickly controlled his expression. He glanced around and said in a deliberately low voice, "I've also heard that it's not wise to ask the elves for advice. Their answers are both yes and no."

Now it was Elrond's turn to look at Bilbo with a little surprise. Bilbo's expression immediately changed, and he felt that what he had just said had offended the Elf lord.

Oh, Bilbo, look at what comes out of your mouth.

He lowered his head, not daring to look directly at Elrond, and complained in his heart.

"Hahaha."

Who knew that Elrond would actually chuckle, causing Bilbo to look up in surprise.

The Lord of Rivendell raised his hand and gently placed it on Bilbo's shoulder. He said, "Bilbo Baggins, you are welcome to stay here for the rest of your life, if that is your wish."

Then Elrond left as quietly as he had come, leaving Bilbo stunned.

Suddenly, the sound of swords and knives coming from not far outside the balcony reached Bilbo's ears and attracted his attention.

Bilbo looked in the direction of the sound and found that it was Tanes, wearing a plain but thick knight's armor and holding a basic one-handed sword, practicing sword skills with the person opposite him.

Mr. Bernal and Miss Millicent also stood aside with their arms folded over their chests, watching Tanes spar with the man.

But old Mr. Egon was not there. No one knew where he had gone.

However, the person sparring with Tanes was hidden by the green branches, so Bilbo couldn't see clearly who was sparring with Tanes.

Or should I say teaching? I don't think anyone can compare to Tanes in martial arts. Even Mr. Bernard is not as good as Tanes in my opinion.

Well, that's right.

Bilbo thought so in his heart. He narrowed his eyes, changed his position and stood on tiptoe, trying to see clearly who was sparring with Tanes.

But when Bilbo saw the figure opposite him clearly, his face turned into surprise.

Wait, the person sparring with Mr. Tanes is... a child?
Bilbo opened his mouth slightly, and was shocked to see the child wearing child-sized armor but sparring with Tanes with a long sword that only adults could use.

But after a brief shock, he immediately became interested.

So Bilbo ran over with a "patta patta" sound.

"One, two, one, two, one, two, three. Very good. You have mastered the rhythm very quickly. To be able to wield a weapon that only adults can use so skillfully at the age of seven or eight, it seems that you have practiced a lot on your own. Who taught you?" Tanes put away his sword and took a few steps back.

He was generous with his praise and praised the little boy who was sparring with him.

Tanes habitually gets up early in the morning to do morning exercises. Warriors like Bernal and Millicent, who are very strict with themselves, also come here to practice.

Tanes, who felt that his morning exercises alone were not enough to satisfy him, proposed the idea of ​​a three-way melee to the two of them.

Bernal and Millicent naturally agreed. Halfway through the fight, this little boy, who was obviously a human, suddenly ran out and asked Tanes with longing eyes if he could teach him a few sword moves.

Tanes had wanted to refuse, thinking it was just a normal boy's sudden impulse after seeing them practicing.

But soon all three of them noticed the thick calluses on the palms of the little boy's hands, which were only caused by holding weapons for a long time.

So Tanes nodded and agreed.

When Tanes praised, Millicent raised her hands and clapped softly, and Bernal nodded gently.

The little boy took off his helmet, revealing his black hair and sweaty face.

He was clearly exhausted. After taking a few breaths, he finally sheathed his sword and respectfully performed an elven ritual of respect towards Tanes, who was a few steps away. He replied, "Thank you for your guidance, respected Mr. Tanes! My swordsmanship was taught to me by Lord Elrond, and his two sons, who are also my brothers, Elrohir and Elladan."

Bernard smiled. "Very polite little fellow, and your body possesses talent and gifts. How about it, Tanes, would you like me to teach him instead?"

Tanes waved his hand and said, "Let him rest for a while, Bernard. He's not Fili or Kili; he's still a child. Your training method will only force him to grow faster, preventing him from growing normally in the future."

"But I also want Uncle Bernard to teach me a few tricks, and so does Sister Millicent!" The little boy said in panic after hearing this. He was afraid that Tanes and the other three would leave.

Tanes gave the little boy a reassuring smile and said, "Don't worry, I just want you to rest for a while. I believe Elrond must have told you that haste makes waste, uh..."

He was about to call out the little boy's name, but he realized that he had never asked him since he met him, and he was speechless for a moment.

The little boy immediately said sensibly, "Estair (Note 1), this is my name, Mr. Tanes. Please forgive me for not telling you my name first, as I was so excited to see your sword skills. I heard your names from Lord Elrond."

Tanes nodded and said, "It's okay, Estel. Let's rest for a while now. How about we have breakfast together later?"

Estel nodded immediately, his grey eyes filled with childish excitement. "Yes, I like the elves' drink of Miruvo best. It's very sweet, but it's a pity that Lord Elrond only lets me take a small sip each time."

"That's because the growing bodies of human children cannot withstand the energy contained in Miruvo, Estel." Elrond's voice sounded along with his footsteps, causing Estel's excited face to immediately tense.

"Good morning, Elrond. And Bilbo, how are you feeling?" Tanis raised his hand to greet him.

Now it was Elrond's turn to look behind him with wide eyes in surprise. He noticed that the hobbit had followed him without him noticing.

Hey, that's right.

Tanis felt very relieved to see Elrond's expression of shock at Bilbo being behind him.

I can't keep being scared by Bilbo's stealth talent.

Bilbo said immediately, "I saw Tanes sparring with a human child and came to see because I was interested."

Then he responded to Tanes: "I feel great, Tanes."

Tanes nodded reassuringly: "That's good."

At this moment, Estel blinked smartly, looked at the hobbit who was not much taller than him, and took the initiative to greet him: "Hello, Mr. Bilbo Baggins."

"Hello, why is there a human child in Rivendell?" curious baby Bilbo asked directly.

Estel's grey eyes dimmed, and Elrond sighed and said, "His father fought bravely to the end during an attack by Orcs, and I adopted him."

Bilbo quickly apologized to Estel: "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Estair gave a knowing smile, "It's all right, Mr. Bilbo, I understand what you mean."

Elrond's eyes showed a loving expression. He touched the other's head, then looked at Tanes and said with a smile: "Actually, I had planned to introduce this child to you, Tanes. But I didn't expect you and him to meet in advance. Is this fate that brought you together?"

Tanes looked at Elrond in confusion, somewhat bewildered.

Elrond continued to smile as he asked, "Tanis, will you accept Estel as your apprentice?"

　Note 1: Estel is Aragorn, but at this time Elrond had not yet told him his real name and life experience.

　　Note 2: Miruvo is a kind of nectar brewed by the elves of the valley. It is a warm and fragrant liquid that can help the drinker get rid of fatigue and regain hope and vitality.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)