Thorin's voice, though not loud, reached everyone around him.
Bilbo pricked up his ears, unsure if he should be listening.
The closest dwarves looked over, and Gandalf chuckled as he smoked, though it was clear he too was curious about Thorin's question.
Arthur looked at the longing in Thorin's eyes and sighed softly, "That's not an easy power to master, Thorin."
Thorin, however, stubbornly replied, "But it's a powerful ability that can transform one into a Dragon. If I had that power when facing Smaug, the chances of defeating him would be much greater."
Arthur glanced at Igon, who then said, "Arthur is right, Thorin. Although the Dragon Communion Incantation restored my dignity, it's not something docile."
Kili walked over, having just heard Igon's words, and asked in surprise, "Wait, that's also a Prayer? Like the Beast Prayers Fili and I are learning?"
Igon said hoarsely, "Yes, and no. Beast Prayers, I've heard of them. They are Prayers created by Gurrang, the Beast Clergyman. This means anyone can learn them; there's no threshold."
Kili and his brother Fili, who had come over upon hearing the conversation, both nodded.
Although they still had two Beast Prayers they hadn't mastered, they indeed felt no difficulty in getting started.
Thorin then asked, "So, the Dragon Communion Incantation has a high threshold?"
Igon laughed loudly, his laughter even somewhat terrifying: "You guessed right, Thorin. Dragon Communion Incantation, Dragon Communion, as the name suggests, requires devouring a Dragon's heart to learn. And once you devour a Dragon's heart, that curse will follow you, making you crave Dragon blood, devouring more hearts, until finally, it turns you into an Earth Dragon that cannot fly and can only crawl on the ground."
Listening to Igon, Bilbo noticed the golden vertical pupils beneath his hood and immediately connected them to the Dragon's head, instinctively shivering.
Thorin fell silent. Learning the Dragon Communion Incantation required a Dragon heart, but where could he get one now?
The only giant Dragon he knew was still entrenched deep within the Lonely Mountain, and it was the very target he intended to eliminate on this journey.
Thorin ultimately gave up on the idea of learning the Dragon Communion Incantation, nodded, and respectfully said to Igon, "I believe your explanation of the dangers of the Dragon Communion Incantation, Elder Igon. Thanks to you, we managed to escape the Old Forest today. On behalf of all the dwarves in the expedition, I express my gratitude."
Arthur, seeing Thorin give up, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
After all, he actually had quite a few Dragon hearts stocked in his spatial backpack.
But just as Igon said, the side effects of the Dragon Communion Incantation were simply too powerful, and there was no need for Thorin to risk learning it.
After Thorin left, Bilbo quietly approached Igon and asked with concern, "Sir Igon, are you alright? Is using the Dragon Communion Incantation very painful or anything? I still have some snacks. Although they can't help relieve the pain, they can distract you."
Igon was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected this hobbit to ask about his well-being. He smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Sir Bilbo. But you don't need to worry about me. The Dragon Communion Incantation has restored my dignity, so I gladly accept everything about it. As for pain, ha, that's nonsense. Using the Dragon Communion Incantation doesn't make me feel any pain."
Of course, there was one thing Igon didn't say: every time he used the Dragon Communion Incantation, subtle parts of his body would transform towards that of an Earth Dragon.
However, after hearing Igon's words, Bilbo trusted him completely and didn't ask anything further, turning to prepare the tents for the night.
Arthur came over to Igon only after Bilbo had left.
Igon looked at Arthur and preemptively said, "You're not here to ask me where I'm feeling unwell, are you?"
Arthur was startled, then chuckled and shook his head: "No, how could I be? Of course, that doesn't mean I don't care about you…"
Igon interrupted, "Good then. I shouldn't be at the point of needing a cane to walk. Tell me, what do you need from this old man?"
Arthur pointed to the distant hills, the mountains dotted with giant rocks, and the numerous barrows visible within them, saying, "I'm here to discuss the watch. Tonight, I think it's best to pay extra attention to our surroundings."
Igon said, "Isn't this just like last night?"
Arthur said, "There are some differences. That is, I, you, Bernal, and Millison will not rest. You and Bernal will be responsible for watching the direction the team came from."
He paused, looking towards the path they had taken, where the Old Forest could faintly be seen in the distance.
Then Arthur spoke, "I'm not sure if those trees in the Old Forest will pursue us, as they were only scared away by your Dragon Roar. Those Huorn are truly too eerie; they move almost silently. If one doesn't observe carefully, it's impossible to detect their movements. Once you spot any trees approaching, immediately wake Thorin and the others."
Igon patted his chest and said, "No problem, leave this small matter to me."
Arthur patted his shoulder, then nodded to Bernal nearby, and finally walked towards Millison.
Millison was currently helping Bilbo unload bags from the horse's back. Upon seeing Arthur approach, her bright, agile golden eyes looked over.
"Tonight, you and I are responsible for guarding the Barrow-downs. You can rest for a while after dinner, and I'll wake you up in the latter half of the night," Arthur said gently.
Bilbo, seeing the two talking, made a gesture indicating he wouldn't disturb them and walked away, carrying the heavy tent poles.
Millison also returned a gentle smile and nodded, then looked at the dim yellow sky and said, "This should be my first adventure with you, wouldn't you say?"
Arthur smiled, "If we don't count our journey in The Lands Between, from the Ancient Ruins Cliff up to the Altus Plateau and all the way to Windmill Village, then yes, this is indeed the first."
Millison withdrew her gaze from the dim yellow sky, faced Arthur, and teased, "Or perhaps the ninth time? After all, you chose to respect me and went through eight identical journeys, preventing me from being captured by the Scarlet Bloom."
Arthur cleared his throat and looked towards the dwarves who had already started a fire, saying, "You don't have to worry about the Scarlet Rot in your body on this journey. Enjoy it; this world is very beautiful."
As the last rays of the setting sun bathed the entire camp, the busy figures of the dwarves appeared especially warm in the golden light.
The bonfire was lit, its blazing flames reflecting on the dwarves' bronze-red faces.
They gathered in a circle, and at Bilbo's call, the pots, bowls, and ladles in the dwarves' hands clinked.
Their cooking movements were rough yet skilled, the iron pots gleaming with metallic luster in the firelight, and various spices and ingredients danced and tumbled in the pots, stirring up tempting aromas.
"I don't think I'll ever be able to accept dwarves; they cook like an acrobat show! This is disrespectful to the ingredients!" The hobbit approached Arthur and couldn't help but complain.
Arthur comforted him, "Calm down, Bilbo, at least they didn't drop the ingredients on the ground, did they?"
Bilbo grumbled, "But the rations I brought this time are almost half gone, and it's only the second day. Won't I be gnawing on those rock-hard dry rations in another day?"
Upon hearing Bilbo's muttering, Millison couldn't help but laugh at the hobbit's words.
She also comforted the hobbit, "You don't have to worry about food, Sir Bilbo. After we pass through the Barrow-downs tomorrow, we will arrive in Bree, and we will resupply there."
Bilbo's spirits lifted, and his eyes brightened, "Bree? Oh, I know it! It's a town where both Men and hobbits live. That's great, maybe I can even resupply my tobacco there!"
As the cooking smoke curled upwards, a rich aroma wafted into everyone's nostrils.
Although the dwarves' craftsmanship was not as delicate and meticulous as Bilbo's, their passion and dedication to food were fully demonstrated in every bite.
On the gentle grassland, the dwarves spread out a few table mats and placed golden-brown roasted potatoes on them, their cracked skins revealing sweet starch within.
There was also some roasted bacon, but it had been specially treated, and under the dwarves' cooking, it had a rustic flavor.
The dwarf brothers, Fili and Kili, with steady steps and proud smiles on their faces, each carried plates filled with sumptuous dishes and very thoughtfully handed them to their two teachers, Arthur and Bernal.
Gloin noticed this scene, and a deep regret appeared in his eyes.
He had also wanted to take this opportunity to get closer to Bernal.
However, Gloin was not discouraged; his gaze unconsciously followed Fili and Kili's footsteps, and he silently pondered how to show his goodwill a step ahead the next time the expedition stopped for a meal.
Bilbo, Bofur, and Bombur squeezed onto the same table mat, their sharp eyes scanning the delicacies meticulously prepared by the dwarves.
His gaze seemed to penetrate the golden roasted potatoes, and his nose seemed to be able to tell if the seasoning was just right.
Bilbo, while critiquing the dwarves' cooking methods and the proportion of seasonings, ate all the food on his plate.
This was definitely not because it was delicious, but because he didn't want to waste even a tiny bit of food.
This is how Bilbo convinced himself in his heart.
Night came and went, time seemed to freeze in this tranquility.
However, inadvertently, the eastern sky gradually turned a fish-belly white.
That was the first ray of dawn, quietly and silently peeking out.
The sky gradually changed from ink blue to light green, and slowly, layers of orange-red glow began to accumulate on the horizon.
Nothing unexpected happened this night; no Huorns chased them from the Old Forest, and no strange things ran out of the Barrow-downs.
Except for the eerie, non-human sounds that ambiguously echoed from the Barrow-downs all night.
But fortunately, the dwarves all rested well, except for Fili and Kili who stayed up on guard; they were almost falling asleep on horseback.
Dwalin was about to wake Fili and Kili, but Thorin stopped him by raising a finger.
"Shh, let them sleep for a bit," Thorin whispered, his eyes full of indulgence.
He slightly slowed his mount's pace and, together with Dwalin, securely tied Fili and Kili to their respective ponies to prevent them from falling off when they fell asleep.
Bilbo rode on his pony, tightening his clothes while watching the dwarves' actions ahead, then curiously asked Arthur, who also hadn't slept all night but showed no signs of drowsiness, "Aren't you tired? Those dwarf brothers are practically asleep on their horses."
Arthur closed his eyes and felt his body, then opened his eyes and shook his head, "I do feel a slight mental fatigue, but as for drowsiness, that's not it."
"Well, asking a wizard such a question does make me feel a bit like a fool," Bilbo pouted, making fun of himself.
Another day passed, and just as Bilbo felt his backside was about to turn into two hard stones on the saddle, the expedition finally arrived at Bree.
A deep ditch encircled Bree Hill for most of its circumference, enclosing the town of Bree on the hillside.
Inside the deep ditch was a dense hedge, with a large gate on both the west and south sides of the hedge. At this moment, the expedition was at the West Gate of Bree.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Thorin dismounted and politely knocked on the closed West Gate of Bree.
There was a small door within the West Gate, and after hearing the knocking, footsteps and the sound of a swinging lantern came from behind the door.
"Where are you going?"
The night watchman of the West Gate opened the lower observation window on the small door and looked out at the dwarves, asking.
Thorin replied in a low voice, "We are going to the Prancing Pony Inn."
The young night watchman closed the observation window, opened the small door, and raised the lantern in his hand to shine on Thorin and his companions: "One, two, three… thirteen dwarves in total, five Men, and even a hobbit? Are you from the Shire? What are you doing in Bree?"
A silver coin appeared in Thorin's hand, and he tossed it to the night watchman, who instinctively caught it.
"We are just staying at the Prancing Pony Inn; the rest is none of your business, watchman," Thorin said in a deep voice, commanding respect without anger.
The night watchman's face lit up as he took the silver coin, and he said fawningly, "I didn't mean anything else, generous dwarf, please come in. It's my duty to ask travelers their intentions after dark."
Kili whispered to Fili behind him, "Does that mean we didn't have to give him that silver coin?"
Then he received a good-natured slap on the head from Fili.
He then laboriously opened the West Gate, allowing Thorin and his companions to ride in.
The streets of Bree were already sparsely populated; occasional pedestrians would curiously eye this unusual party consisting of Men, dwarves, and a hobbit, then hurried home indifferently.
Thorin stopped in front of an inn. A long wooden beam extended from under the inn's eaves, with a decoration carved with a white horse bas-relief hanging from it, clearly inscribed with "Prancing Pony Inn."
"We've arrived," Thorin said.