Outside the blacksmith's shop, several dwarf children passed by, their cheerful laughter breaking the silence within.
Thorin and Dwalin smiled warmly at the children who were curiously observing Arthur, and Arthur, in turn, gently waved his hand, greeting the passing dwarf children.
The children looked at each other, then giggled and ran off.
Thorin withdrew his gentle gaze from the children and then looked at Arthur, saying, "The Blue Mountains are the home of these children, but not for those of us of Dwalin's and my age. Our homeland is far to the north in the east, past the Misty Mountains, through Mirkwood, and north of Lake-town, that is my home, Erebor, also known as the Lonely Mountain. When I was twenty-four, an evil dragon from the north attacked my homeland, scattering my noble people, and it has been over a hundred years since then."
Hmm?
Arthur made a pausing gesture and cautiously asked, "Wait a moment, I want to ask a question, how old are you and Dwalin now?"
Dwalin was a bit confused but answered truthfully, "I am 167 years old this year, and Thorin is 193."
"So you dwarves are also a long-lived race! I thought Thorin was only in his twenties, but it turns out you're even older than Dwalin," Arthur suddenly realized.
Then he looked at Thorin and said, "Gandalf and I talked about the Lonely Mountain and that dragon, but I didn't realize that the dwarf homeland he spoke of was actually your homeland."
Hearing Gandalf's name, Thorin asked in confusion, "Gandalf? That wizard in the grey robe? Why did he mention the Lonely Mountain?"
Arthur recalled Gandalf's words from his memory and told Thorin, "Gandalf said he was worried that dragon might be cooperating with some dark entity, so he was going north to confirm."
After hearing this, Thorin's expression became even more solemn, and his brows furrowed.
But he did not express any opinion on it, only nodding his thanks to Arthur: "Thank you for telling me this. I also wanted to meet this grey-robed wizard. If I see him later, I will talk to him about the Lonely Mountain. My intuition tells me that meeting Gandalf is a fated event."
Then Thorin called Dwalin over and asked him to prepare the food and crop seeds Arthur needed.
Dwalin left the two with swift efficiency. After Dwalin left, Thorin said to Arthur, "You won't be able to carry these supplies back alone, especially live animals like cows and sheep. I will have Dwalin bring a few dwarves skilled in cultivating crops and caring for livestock to go with you. They will teach your compatriots how to raise animals and plant crops."
Arthur thanked him again, "Of course, I won't refuse your kindness, I'm truly grateful."
He had indeed not considered this point. Planting crops and raising animals, without professional guidance, would certainly lead to many unnecessary detours.
Nepheli Loux was born in the wild lands north of The Lands Between, but she was taken away by the 'Lord of the Hundred Eyes' from a young age. And from his understanding of Nepheli Loux, this female warrior was probably skilled in hunting, not farming.
There was even less need to mention Rogier, who was a wizard by origin.
As for the rest, there were only Knight Godrick and his twelve Royal Army soldiers, and Arthur did not think this knight and his grunts would be able to properly care for animals.
Moreover, the flora and fauna of Middle-earth might be different from those of The Lands Between, so Arthur thought it would be better to have the dwarves, who were skilled in these matters, guide him.
Therefore, Thorin's suggestion was truly crucial and important to Arthur.
Thinking of this, Arthur paused for a moment and sincerely thanked Thorin, "Thorin, you not only provided me with supplies to rebuild my homeland but also sent professionals to teach. I truly don't know how to thank you. I must give you something in return, otherwise, I won't be able to rest easy if I go back like this."
Then Arthur saw Thorin about to say something to refuse and immediately added, "Please don't refuse, Thorin. Didn't you tell me earlier that you longed to return to the Lonely Mountain? Then the dragon entrenched in the Lonely Mountain is your biggest threat, and the gift I give you might be of some help."
When Thorin heard Arthur say this, the words of refusal he was about to utter stopped at his lips and were eventually swallowed back down.
Then his gaze was drawn to something that suddenly appeared in Arthur's hand, staring intently at the shield-shaped amulet with a red dragon pattern and the one-handed frozen shell axe made of some creature's scales, its axe blade covered in a frozen shell and constantly emitting a cold chill.
The items in Arthur's hand were the 'Fire dragon Crest Talisman' and the frozen shell axe.
Moreover, this fiery red crest talisman was not an ordinary one, but one adorned with three fire dragons, capable of greatly reducing fire damage for its wearer.
The other weapon, the frozen shell axe, was a tribute from Castle Sol, the northernmost city in The Lands Between, and Arthur had picked it up in Liurnia of the Lakes.
Arthur had used this axe for a while and had not forgotten it later, also giving the frozen shell axe to Hugh to reinforce it to its limit with Somber Smithing Stones.
While reinforcing the frozen shell axe, Arthur heard the blacksmith Hugh talk about its origin.
It is said that this hand axe was made from the scales of a Flying dragon, also known as 'Freezing Mist', and the Battle Skill contained within its axe blade could, with the user's forceful stomp on the ground, spread an unusually cold frost forward.
...Because Gandalf mentioned to me that the dragon occupying your homeland can breathe terrifyingly hot flames. So I think if I give you these two items, they will come in handy then."
After Arthur introduced the effects of the amulet and axe in his hand to Thorin, he bent down and placed them into Thorin's hands.
Thorin solemnly extended both hands to receive the amulet and hand axe from Arthur. As a dwarf, he first focused his attention on the frozen shell axe, which was constantly emitting cold air.
As soon as Thorin gripped the frozen shell axe, he could feel a chilling sensation from the steel axe handle, and it did not warm with the temperature of his palm, maintaining that perfectly cool feeling.
Then Thorin turned around and tried to place the frozen shell axe on a hot, glowing iron bar on the forging table.
This iron bar, with Dwalin's help, had already begun to take the shape of a sword.
"Sizzle—"
"Snap—"
Two short sounds instantly came.
The dragon-scale-like pointed part of the frozen shell axe had just touched the iron bar when it immediately produced a large amount of mist.
Thorin initially thought this mist was scalding steam, but when it brushed past his face, he realized it was cold. Even the originally stuffy blacksmith's shop, its temperature had noticeably dropped significantly.
When the mist dissipated, and Thorin looked closely, the iron bar on the forging table had already broken into two pieces from the middle of the sword body. That short 'snap' sound just now was the sound of the hot iron bar breaking due to its inability to withstand such rapid cooling.
Not only that, but the two broken pieces of the iron bar were covered with a thick layer of frost, and even a large part of the forging table where the iron bar was placed was affected.
This was also why Thorin could feel the temperature in the blacksmith's shop drop significantly.
"Just with this magical axe, you could buy a hundred cows in the Blue Mountains, Arthur. If it were in a Human kingdom, with the contribution of offering this axe, you could even gain a noble title. And now, you've given this treasure, which people would fight over outside, to me as if it were just fruit..." Thorin stared blankly at Arthur, unsure what to say in the end.
Arthur, smiling, said, "I think you're exaggerating a bit, Thorin, but I'm glad you like it. By the way, the frozen shell axe harbors a mysterious power from my homeland called 'Battle Skill.' Do you want to find an open space to test its power?"
Because he had gone through several cycles of reincarnation in The Lands Between, he still had several frozen shell axes in his backpack.
Thorin caressed the cold axe in his hand, unable to put it down. After hearing Arthur's words, he nodded vigorously, and this dwarf, uncharacteristically, showed a hearty smile: "Of course! Perfect, Dwalin will take some time to prepare things. Follow me, Arthur."
Thorin enthusiastically called Arthur's name, carefully put away the other Fire dragon Crest Talisman that Arthur had given as a gift, then strode forward and grabbed Arthur's sleeve, pulling him quickly to the relatively open courtyard behind the blacksmith's shop.
Arthur surveyed the backyard, piled with slag, iron ore, or abandoned forging stations and furnaces, and couldn't help but say, "Actually, I've always had a question. I can feel that Dwalin and the others respect you a lot, which means your status among the dwarves is very noble. But I really didn't expect you to live in a place like this."
Thorin, however, said with a strange expression, "I don't live here; this is just where I forge. My living quarters aren't far from here. Most of us dwarves are like this, though; even royalty doesn't care if they get their clothes, faces, and hands dirty when forging. It's understandable that you wouldn't know this custom."
Arthur shrugged, then saw Thorin tighten his grip on the frozen shell axe and said, "Do you need me to teach you how to use the Battle Skill on this battle axe, Thorin?"
Thorin smiled and shook his head, kindly refusing, "Thank you for your kindness, Arthur. But this axe you gave me is truly miraculous. The moment I grasped it, the method and movements for using it already appeared in my mind."
Only then did Arthur relax, moving from Thorin's side to behind him, allowing Thorin to concentrate on testing his newly acquired weapon.
Thorin stood in the center of the courtyard, his gaze firm, his breathing steady. He tightly gripped the frozen shell axe, its blade glinting coldly in the early spring sunlight.
He stomped his left foot hard on the ground, and with that stomp, a bone-chilling coldness, like a wild beast tide, rapidly spread from the soil beneath his foot, covering half the backyard in the blink of an eye.
Frost mist permeated the air, like invisible sharp blades, appearing particularly eerie in the sunlight. The frost on the ground originated from Thorin's stomping left foot and gradually dissipated only ten meters away.
Immediately after, continuous ice explosions suddenly resounded on the soil consumed by the frost.
Only after the last sound ended did a gentle breeze scatter the cold mist.
But the lingering frost on the ground was not so easy to disappear.
Thorin's eyes lit up when he saw this. He held the frozen shell axe in his right hand and clenched his left hand tightly into a fist.
He then carefully fastened the frozen shell axe to his waist, then came back to his senses, spread his arms, and gave Arthur behind him a warm hug.
Although Thorin was already among the taller dwarves, he could still only hug Arthur around the waist.
However, Thorin clearly didn't care about this; he simply wanted to express his joy to his friend, Arthur.
"You truly gave me a miraculous and powerful weapon, Arthur! With this battle axe, I have even more confidence to reclaim Erebor, and I will reserve a share of the gold in Erebor for you then!" Thorin patted the battle axe at his waist, saying in a good mood.
Arthur nodded and then asked, "When you used the Battle Skill, did you feel any discomfort in your body? Although the Battle Skill of this axe is very powerful, its greatest strength lies in the sharpness and hardness of the axe itself."
He wasn't sure if this dwarf possessed magical power like Gandalf, but since he could use the Battle Skill just now, it indicated that Thorin had magical power, though the exact amount was unknown.
Thorin calmed down from his excitement, and as an excellent warrior, he immediately understood Arthur's meaning.
He thought back carefully and said, "When these ice mists came out from under my feet, I felt a bit more stamina consumed than usual for the same movements. There were no other changes."
Could he use a Battle Skill by only consuming stamina, not magical power?
Arthur was a bit surprised.
Because he had personally seen Gandalf inject magical power into the blade of the Ritual Straight Sword he gave him to use its Battle Skill.
How did it become stamina consumption in Thorin's hands?
Arthur, rarely, scratched the back of his head, feeling a bit itchy.
Since he couldn't figure it out and it didn't affect anything, he stopped dwelling on why Thorin could use the Battle Skill without magical power.
Arthur believed that the creator god who called himself "Iluvatar" in his dream would provide a reasonable explanation.
And at this moment, Dwalin also found them.
The dwarf warrior looked at the lingering frost on the backyard ground with some confusion, then said to Thorin and Arthur, "Thorin, the supplies sir Arthur needs are ready, and the dwarf personnel selected to guide animal husbandry and crop cultivation are also settled."
Thorin nodded: "And the guards? Have the personnel been selected?"
Dwalin's rugged face rarely showed a hint of a wry smile: "The problem lies there. The soldiers, upon hearing it was to be a guard for a wizard who saved Thorin, all clamored to come."
Thorin gently caressed the frozen shell axe in his hand, feeling the coldness of the axe head. After subtly glancing at Arthur, he leaned into Dwalin's ear and whispered two names.
Dwalin, hearing the names Thorin spoke, was slightly surprised and also lowered his voice to ask, "Thorin, are you sure you want them both to serve as guards? What if they encounter danger...?"
Thorin's face briefly showed hesitation upon hearing Dwalin's words, but then he said with a firm tone, "They have both grown into excellent warriors, but they have never seen the world. Following a wizard will benefit them greatly."
Dwalin could only nod, then apologetically nodded to Arthur without saying anything, and then rushed off again with his characteristic efficiency.
By the time Dwalin returned again to find Arthur, the sun was almost at its zenith.
During this time, at Thorin's enthusiastic invitation, Arthur enjoyed a hearty dwarf-style lunch—smoked meat, meat patties, ham, bacon, venison sausage, etc., with almost no vegetables.
But what impressed Arthur the most was not the table full of various savory meat dishes, but the endless tankards of ale raised to him.
Fortunately, Thorin knew that Arthur had important things to do, so he stopped after toasting Arthur ten tankards of ale.
This left Arthur's mouth constantly filled with the taste of alcohol mixed with meat, but luckily, he was wearing a helmet, so the smell wouldn't be noticeable when he spoke.
After lunch, Arthur and Thorin solemnly bid each other farewell, wishing each other an early rebuilding of their homelands. Then, led by Dwalin, they arrived at the dwarf carriage convoy that had been waiting for Arthur.
Arthur noticed that Dwalin seemed very familiar with two of the dwarves, letting out a dwarf laugh that he had grown accustomed to, and went forward to embrace them.
These two dwarves looked very young, their beards not very long, and they were quite handsome.
Moreover, the clothes they wore looked more exquisite than Dwalin's, but they were equipped with weapons.
The yellow-haired dwarf had a short sword hanging at his waist, and his clothes from top to bottom were bulging, which Arthur thought was due to hidden small weapons like daggers or throwing knives.
The other black-haired dwarf, with a more youthful face, carried a bow in his hand and a quiver on his back, with a short sword also tucked at his waist.
Arthur could feel that these two dwarves were as strong warriors as Dwalin. When their eyes met his, he nodded gently.
Then he felt that after seeing him nod, the two dwarves' bodies became a bit stiff, and their expressions visibly tensed up.
Dwalin also noticed that something was off with the two dwarves, patted their shoulders, and said, "Relax, sir Arthur is a very gentle person."
The yellow-haired dwarf quietly asked, "So he won't casually turn us into frogs or other animals?"
The black-haired dwarf frantically nodded repeatedly, indicating that he also wanted to ask that question.
Dwalin raised an eyebrow: "As long as you maintain enough politeness, alright, lads, gather your courage and say hello to sir Arthur."
After he finished speaking, he pushed the two towards Arthur.
The two dwarves stumbled, and Arthur looked at them with some confusion.
The yellow-haired dwarf and the black-haired dwarf looked at each other, and finally bowed to Arthur, shouting loudly one after another:
"Fili."
"Kili."
"At your service!"