Bree, as an important thoroughfare in the Eriador region, was a relatively prosperous town with a bustling market and shops. Under the guidance of a Hobbit attendant arranged by the innkeeper, Kael arrived at a jewelry store.
The jewelry store owner was very enthusiastic when he saw Kael enter. "What kind of jewelry are you looking for, honored guest? Whether it's rubies, sapphires, diamonds, or anything else, we have it all. And not only do we have jewelry crafted by Human and Hobbit artisans, but even the craftsmanship of Dwarf artisans and Elf artisans!"
"Oh, there's even jewelry crafted by Elf artisans?" Kael was indeed attracted by the jewelry store owner's words.
Seeing Kael's interest, the owner immediately took out an Elf-crafted piece of jewelry: a silver brooch inlaid with white diamonds, exuding an elegant aura. It truly seemed to fit the Elven aesthetic. However, Kael was a little disappointed after seeing it. Although it was Elf-crafted jewelry, it was merely an ordinary piece of craftsmanship and had no magical properties.
So, after a glance, he no longer looked at it, but directly asked, "Do you have full moonstone here?"
The jewelry store owner was somewhat disappointed to see Kael uninterested in the Elf-crafted accessory, but upon hearing the next question, his spirits lifted, and he quickly replied, "We also have full moonstone here!" As he spoke, he took out another box. When he opened it, inside were indeed pieces of jewelry made from full moonstone.
"Besides this type of jewelry, do you have any raw full moonstone here?" Kael asked again.
The owner looked at him strangely, but still nodded. "We do, but we generally don't sell raw stones..."
Kael interrupted him. "I'll take all the raw stones you have, price is not an issue!" As he spoke, he pulled out a ring inlaid with a large ruby and threw it to him. "Is this enough?" Although moonstone can be used to make jewelry, its value is far from that of precious gems like rubies.
The owner quickly caught the ring, looking at the high-grade ruby set in the gold ring. He examined it carefully, and his eyes immediately lit up, a wide smile spreading across his face. He quickly nodded. "Enough, more than enough! Honored guest, please wait a moment, I will bring you all the raw stones from our inventory!" With that, he tucked the ring into a pocket in his chest lining, then quickly jogged into the back room. After a while, he emerged, panting, carrying a burlap sack on his back.
He carefully placed the burlap sack in front of Kael and opened it for him to see. "Honored guest, are you satisfied? There are 30 raw stones in total, all of the best quality full moonstone!"
Kael looked into the bag. The full moonstones inside varied in size, some as large as a fist, others as small as a pigeon's egg. Because they were intended for jewelry making, their quality was superior, shimmering with iridescent light. Kael nodded. "Not bad." To be honest, using them to make Floo Powder was a bit of a waste, but he currently had no other source of full moonstone, so he could only indulge himself for now.
"By the way, owner, where did you acquire all these raw full moonstones? Could you tell me?"
The jewelry store owner had no intention of keeping it a secret. "I acquired these from traveling merchants who passed through. I heard they also exchanged them with the Elves near the Misty Mountains. The Elves there are elusive, but they regularly come to the Brandywine Bridge and exchange goods with traveling merchants."
Having obtained another source of full moonstone, Kael left the jewelry store with a bag of full moonstone and returned to The Prancing Pony Inn to reunite with everyone. However, upon his return, Kael found that they had already become the center of attention. Everyone in the entire inn knew that Kael and his companions had defeated the Barrow-wights and swept through the Barrow-downs, and this news spread throughout the town at the fastest possible speed. And the reason for all this was that the talkative Dwarves had revealed it after getting drunk.
The terror of the Barrow-downs was known to everyone in the entire Eriador region, especially to the residents of Bree, which was adjacent to the Barrow-downs. The fear of the Barrow-wights had been passed down through generations, deeply ingrained in their bones and blood. Now, hearing the Dwarves say that the Barrow-wights had been dealt with, and that no more would appear for several decades, the residents of Bree were in an uproar. And as the main force in defeating the Barrow-wights, Kael and Gandalf received the most attention.
But Gandalf clearly did not intend to accept this glory. While Kael was not in the tavern, he directly pushed most of the credit for killing the Barrow-wights onto Kael. Thus, as soon as Kael entered the inn, he received star-like treatment.
"Let's welcome the Bane of the Barrow-wights—Wizard Kael—back! He's the one who rid us of those dreadful fiends from the Barrow-downs! Let's drink to him!" the innkeeper called, his face alight with pride.
"To the Bane of the Barrow-wights—Kael!" cried the crowd, mugs raised high. Even Gandalf joined in, nodding with a twinkle in his eye.
The innkeeper's smile grew wider as the revelers ordered another round.
Kael, after finally escaping the enthusiastic townsfolk, slumped into a chair across from Gandalf, letting out a long breath and offering a helpless, wry smile. "Gandalf, you really dropped all the trouble on me."
Gandalf chuckled, eyeing Kael's slightly disheveled appearance. "Young people should enjoy a bit of glory. I'm far too old for such fanfare, so I'll gladly let you have the limelight."
Kael shook his head. "You're the one who helped defeat the barrow-wights. Why push all the credit onto me?"
Gandalf's eyes sparkled. "If you hadn't cursed and gravely wounded the Witch-king of Angmar, we would never have achieved such a victory. You truly deserve this honor, Kael. Don't sell yourself short."
Word soon spread, and before long, someone went to investigate the truth of the tale. By midday, news returned to Bree confirming the dwarves' story.
The excitement in town only grew. The mayor of Bree himself came to the Prancing Pony, presenting Kael and his companions with a gold medal engraved with the title "Bane of the Barrow-wights."
From that day on, Kael's reputation as the Bane of the Barrow-wights was firmly established.
With the celebrations in full swing, the company decided to stay another night at the Prancing Pony before setting out at dawn.
That evening, Gandalf introduced Kael to a stranger in the corner of the common room. "Kael, this is a ranger friend of mine. He's just come from the Barrow-downs and wanted to meet you."
Kael sized up the newcomer. He was tall and striking, perhaps in his thirties, with black hair and piercing gray eyes. He wore a black cloak over travel-worn leathers, long boots, a bow slung across his back, and a longsword at his side.
His voice was deep and resonant, his gaze carrying the weight of distant roads and old sorrows. "I've long heard of your reputation—Tree-feller, Bane of the Barrow-wights, Black-robed Wizard Kael. I am Halbarad. It's an honor to meet you."