A Wizard, clad in a gray robe, holding a gnarled staff in one hand and a long-stemd pipe in the other, walked into Hobbiton. Instead of heading directly to his destination, he first made his way to the Green Dragon Inn.
The Hobbit Inn was not particularly friendly to the Wizard's considerable height. He had to stoop all the way to the bar, where he called out to the innkeeper, "A pint of ale for , please!" Then he plopped down onto a low stool and straightened his back with a sigh of relief.
The inn fell silent for a mont, and all the Hobbits looked at him with a mixture of surprise and curiosity. The innkeeper was a chubby little old man. When he saw the Wizard, he paused, then, with a look of pleasant surprise, exclaid, "Gandalf! When did you co to the Shire?"
The grey-robed Wizard smiled and greeted him. "Hello, Mr. Boffin. I am traveling, and I happened to pass through the Shire, so I ca here to rest my feet and catch my breath."
The innkeeper clearly knew Gandalf. He handed him a pint of ale, saying, "This one's on ."
"Gandalf, you haven't been to Hobbiton in a long ti. It feels like it's been more than ten years. Where have you been all these years?"
"Oh, thank you!" Gandalf said simply, taking a sip of his drink. "I've been traveling around. In recent years, I've been to the East." He then casually asked, "By the way, have there been any new happenings in the Shire recently that you could tell about?"
"New happenings? There are quite a few!" The innkeeper beca enthusiastic at the ntion of this. "...Gandalf, you wouldn't believe it, but besides you, another Wizard has co to the Shire recently. But he's much younger than you, and he's currently staying in our village, living with Bilbo Baggins!"
Gandalf's curiosity seed piqued. "Oh, a young Wizard? Could you tell about him?"
The innkeeper, as if he had found the perfect audience, imdiately began to speak volubly. "That young Wizard's na is Kael. Like you, he enjoys traveling. He went on a journey once before and made quite a na for himself. It's said he helped the residents of Buckland resist the invasion of trees from the Old Forest, so he also has the title 'Tree-Cutter'..."
As he listened to the innkeeper's endless narrative, an image of Kael gradually ford in Gandalf's mind. A flicker of thought passed through his deep blue eyes, and the smoke he exhaled obscured his expression.
anwhile, at Bag End, Kael had been very busy these past few days. His Mandrakes had entered their adolescence. They had beco moody and taciturn, and one had even tried to escape, climbing directly out of its pot because it was uncomfortable. Fortunately, Kael had discovered it in ti and used Petrificus Totalus to freeze the Mandrake, which had almost made it out into the yard. Otherwise, if it had truly escaped and matured in the wild, its cry would have been deadly.
To prevent the two Mandrakes from escaping again, Kael simply used Transfiguration to create a small glass greenhouse near Bag End. This was partly to provide them with a suitable growing environnt and partly to prevent their escape. Moreover, as the Mandrakes matured, their cries beca even more dangerous. To prevent himself or Bilbo from suffering, he also set up multiple glass covers for the two Mandrakes, to block their sounds as much as possible. Due to a late cold snap, Kael also had to put socks and scarves on the two Mandrake pots to prevent them from catching a cold. The socks and scarves were lovingly contributed by the skillful Bilbo, woven from wool in a single evening. It could be said that the Mandrakes were being cared for as diligently as children.
That afternoon, just as Kael and Bilbo were enjoying their afternoon tea, a knock sounded at the door of Bag End. The two exchanged puzzled glances. Who could be visiting? Bilbo put down his biscuit, hurried to the door, and opened it. He saw a tall figure blocking the doorway, so tall that he couldn't even see his head. Bilbo stepped back a few paces, tilted his head back, and looked up. Seeing the visitor's appearance, he showed a surprised expression. "Gandalf! What brings you here?"
Kael, who was drinking tea, heard Bilbo's surprised voice and paused, imdiately putting down his teacup. He leaned over to peer towards the doorway. Standing at the door was indeed the grey-robed Wizard, Gandalf. Leaning on his staff, he bent down and chuckled as he greeted Bilbo. "Hello there, Bilbo. I just happened to be passing through the Shire and thought I'd stop by your place for a temporary rest. I wonder if I'm welco?"
"Of course, you are most welco!" Bilbo said quickly, then stepped aside and invited him in. "Please co in, Gandalf. You've co at a perfect ti; we're just having afternoon tea. You're welco to join us!"
"Oh, it seems I've arrived at just the right mont," Gandalf said with a happy expression. Bending down to enter Bag End, he handed his hat and staff to Bilbo, and his eyes imdiately fell on Kael sitting in the living room. Their gazes t, and a sparkle appeared in Gandalf's eyes as he smiled and said, "It seems there's another guest here besides ."
Kael stood up and walked towards Gandalf, politely introducing himself. "Nice to et you, Gandalf. I am Kael, and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance!"
Gandalf looked the young, black-haired, black-eyed Wizard up and down. His gaze lingered for a mont on the black wizard's robe he wore, a flicker of surprise in his expression. "Do you know Goldberry, the River-daughter of the Old Forest?"
Kael noticed Gandalf's gaze and understood that he had recognized Goldberry's blessing on his robe. He smiled and nodded. "Yes, I know Goldberry and Tom. I was previously invited to stay at their ho for a period of ti. They are both very friendly and good people."
Hearing this, Gandalf regarded Kael with even greater importance. Although Goldberry and Tom Bombadil did not participate in the conflicts of Middle-earth, those who were invited to be their guests were generally upright individuals. Not to ntion that Kael also wore a blessed robe woven by Goldberry from black swan feathers and silver threads—a privilege not granted to ordinary guests.
"Alright, co and have afternoon tea together," Bilbo called out, inviting the two to sit down with him. The three sat around the fireplace, enjoying tea and sweet biscuits while chatting.
"Gandalf, where have you been all these years?" Bilbo asked curiously.
Gandalf took a biscuit, tasted it, and then slowly said, "Oh, I've mostly been traveling in the East these past few years. First, I lived with the Elves for a few years, then I went to the Northern Wastes, and finally, after staying in the Misty Mountains for a while, I returned to the plains of Eriador."
Hearing Gandalf's words, Bilbo's face showed a longing expression, and he couldn't help but ask, "Gandalf, are Elves as beautiful as the legends say?"
Gandalf looked at Bilbo, a hint of a smile in his eyes, and said, "The beauty of Elves cannot be simply summarized with a single word; you have to witness it yourself to truly understand. If you are curious about them, you can go to the Elven territories; they welco all friendly visitors."
Although Bilbo longed for it, he still shook his head. "I'm just an ordinary Hobbit; adventuring is not for . It's too dangerous, and it would make miss breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, lunch, afternoon tea, and also dinner and supper. That would be terrible!"
Seeing this, Gandalf did not continue to persuade him. He instead looked at Kael, who had not interjected, and asked with a curious expression, "Wizard Kael, where did you co from before? Looking at your hair and eye color, did you co from the Far East?"
Kael shook his head. "No, I haven't been to the East. The place I co from is very far away. This is my first ti coming to Middle-earth."
Hearing this, Gandalf looked deeply at him. His profound wisdom granted him the ability to discern truth from falsehood; he could tell that Kael was not lying, and at the sa ti, he fell into confusion.
(End of Chapter)
***
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My Patreon For More Chapters On All
Of My Fanfics!!] [ [email protected]/owthtl]
[ 300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter]
[ 500 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter]
[Thank You For Your Support!]
Reviews
All reviews (0)