The farmer's house was not large, so it became a bit crowded after Arthur and Thorin's group entered.
Fortunately, most of those who entered were dwarves of smaller stature, otherwise it might not have been possible for everyone to fit inside.
Arthur's gaze slowly swept across David's home; the interior furnishings were simple and somewhat rustic.
Several wooden tables and chairs were neatly arranged, their wood grain clearly visible, with faint traces of time etched upon them.
Some farming tools were stacked in a corner of the house; they appeared to be frequently used but were all meticulously organized.
The fireplace occupied the central position of one wall, its presence being the warm core of the house.
The fire crackled as it burned, emitting a soft light that illuminated the pencil drawings of David's family, making them come alive.
These portraits, sketched with simple lines, depicted the wife's gentleness and the son's liveliness; their eyes seemed to gaze through the paper, meeting Arthur's from afar.
David's hands steadily held two pots of steaming hot tea, the rising heat permeating the room.
The farmer's brow carried a hint of apology: "Sorry, I never thought I would host so many people; the tea sets are not quite enough."
Thorin looked up, took the teapot from the other party's hand, and politely replied: "It's fine; for you to provide such a haven on such a cold and damp night is already a tremendous help to us."
Arthur's gaze lingered on the portraits for a moment, then he asked: "Are these your wife and child? Are they not here?"
David's body stiffened slightly, then he gently shook his head, a trace of loneliness flashing in his eyes: "They went back to their hometown, to a village not far outside the Deep Valley. The farmhouse needs someone to look after it in winter, so every year at this time, only I am left here, accompanied by crowing chickens, bleating sheep, and neighing horses."
Then he showed a relieved expression: "Thankfully, my wife and child are not here, otherwise, if I encountered that monster, I really wouldn't know what to do."
Gandalf took his pipe from his mouth, exhaled a puff of smoke, and asked with a chuckle: "David, tell us in detail about the monster's appearance."
Then he looked at Arthur and the others, adding to David: "These people are all top-notch warriors; you can trust them completely."
David recalled his encounters over the past few nights, nodding with lingering fear: "Okay, Gandalf, I trust you."
Then he swallowed, looked at Arthur and the others in the room, and said in a trembling voice: "I actually haven't seen that monster head-on, of course, if I had seen it, you wouldn't have met me tonight."
David made a joke as if to keep himself from being scared.
However, Arthur did not laugh, but pressed on: "And then?"
"Uh, and then, I was actually woken up by the bleating of sheep and the trembling of the ground the night before last. At that time, a terrifying and huge figure passed by my bedroom window. I quietly peeked out, but in the night, I didn't see too clearly. I only knew that the other party could stand upright like a person, with a sheep tucked under its armpit as easily as a person tucking a hen. And then it came the day before yesterday, and last night, and each time it took two sheep."
Igon's old voice boomed, asking: "Skin color? Any scales, claws, fur, or anything like that?"
David fell into recollection, carefully recalling the monster's back, and shook his head: "I couldn't see the skin color in the night, but there was no fur, nor scales or claws."
At this point, even the farmer himself showed an uncertain expression: "But it even wore old and loose clothes, and a knife of similar length to mine hung at its waist. It was just like the giants spoken of by bards; I don't know if it can speak."
Igon sighed: "Such information might not be enough."
Bilbo, who had been listening intently to their conversation, also nodded thoughtfully: "Hmm, Old Man Igon is right; I've read many books and indeed haven't heard of such a monster. It would be great if there could be a more detailed description."
David immediately showed an apologetic expression and said: "Sorry, I was really too scared, so these past few nights I truly only dared to hide at home, not even daring to go out during the day, fearing that monster might be lurking in the Deep Valley. Although that monster has never appeared during the day, only at night."
Then he said sincerely and eagerly: "If you all can kill that monster, I am willing to offer a generous reward."
David looked around, his gaze finally settling on Thorin, because when he had invited these people in earlier, all the dwarves had deferred to Thorin.
He said: "Judging by your attire, you are preparing for a long journey, aren't you? Then you will certainly need money and other necessities. Although I am not a rich man, I have accumulated a small amount of savings over the years by raising animals. I can give you a reasonable bounty for hunting the monster, and also a letter. If you continue eastward, you will surely pass through the village where my wife and children are within three days. Give them my letter, and you will be able to replenish food and water in the village, and also have a good place to rest."
Thorin said: "Hmm, a fair price."
Then he turned to Arthur and asked: "Are you also going to participate in this hunt, Arthur?"
Arthur nodded with anticipation: "Why not, Thorin? This is a monster I've never seen before; it makes my heart itch."
Bernal spoke at this moment, smiling: "Count me in. Arthur, let's compete to see who ends that monster's fate first, how about it?"
Arthur glanced sideways, raising an eyebrow slightly, and retorted: "What's the point of that?"
Bernal shrugged indifferently, his voice full of ease: "Just a small competition, after all, I've lost to you so many times, I have to find a chance to win one back, right?"
Kili heard their conversation and said: "If Teacher Arthur and Teacher Bernal both participate, then there's nothing left for us to do. I don't think there's any monster that can withstand a single blow from either of you."
The other dwarves also expressed their agreement, and the farmer's house gradually filled with the dwarves' laughter, leaving David bewildered.
It was as if the terrifying monster that had kept him awake for days was a weak stray dog by the roadside, ready to be slaughtered.
Thorin's face also involuntarily broke into a smile, then he turned and called out to Balin, who had already closed his eyes to rest: "Balin, please help Arthur, Bernal, and this Sir David draft a contract regarding the hunting of the Deep Valley monster."
Balin opened his eyes, revealed a kind smile, nodded, and then took out a pen and a thick stack of paper from his person, and began to write briskly.
David was at a loss, looking at Gandalf in confusion: "Why... why are we suddenly signing a contract?"
Gandalf smiled: "Believe me, a contract written by dwarves can be considered a formal document in any country."
The farmer nodded blankly; although he didn't understand, it seemed very official.
However, he quickly grew anxious again: "No, this isn't the time to write contracts. That monster might be here any moment. I need to extinguish the lights quickly."
Balin's cultured voice then resounded: "Alright, Sir David, and Sir Arthur, Sir Bernal, once you've reviewed the contract, you can sign it, and it will take effect immediately."
The contract Balin drafted wasn't as long as the one Bilbo signed, but it still filled two pages.
Arthur and Bernal took the contract, quickly scanned it, signed their names, and handed it to David.
The farmer held the contract, which still smelled of ink, and looked at the words on it, suddenly feeling a sense of absurdity.
Balin saw that David was slow to sign, so he considerately offered: "If you can't write, I can do it for you."
David shook his head. Although he didn't know many characters, he could write his own name.
He let out a heavy sigh. David could tell these people and the dwarves were serious, so he reluctantly signed his name.
Just as he finished writing his name, the pen stroke barely complete, a heavy thudding sound suddenly came from outside, cutting short the rustling of paper.
The heavy footsteps echoed like drumbeats in the quiet air, accompanied by a rough panting.
The dwarves' previously boisterous laughter ceased abruptly. Their faces, once filled with cheer, were now etched with tension and vigilance.
Their ears pressed against the wall and the ground, trying to catch more information.
"Baa—"
Although the heavy footsteps stopped, the sheep in the sheepfold cried out in panic.
The sheep's startled bleating directly awakened the sleeping domestic chickens in the coop. They flapped their wings, struggling to rise from their half-asleep state, emitting a series of urgent clucking sounds.
This sudden commotion also affected the horses deep within the stable. Thorin's horses, which had been quietly chewing on wild grass, were disturbed by the unexpected noise.
They raised their heads, their large eyes flickering with unease and alertness in the dim light, and the white mist from their nostrils intertwined in the air.
Hooves gently tapped the ground, accompanied by snorts, and their neighs stood out particularly.
Ori, the dwarf closest to the window, cautiously extended a finger, and under the tense gaze of the other dwarves, slowly pried open a crack in the window, letting his gaze slip through.
Dori, beside Ori, quietly asked: "Did you get a clear look at the monster?"
The dwarves' eyesight was naturally different from humans. Although they couldn't see as far as the Elves, they could certainly make out the scene outside at night with the help of the dim moonlight.
Therefore, Ori naturally saw the monster's appearance, and as the most knowledgeable dwarf in the Lonely Mountain Expedition, he also recognized what the monster was.
Ori withdrew his gaze from the window crack, then looked at his companions in the room, who were eagerly watching him, and whispered: "It's a Troll."
A Troll?
Although the dwarves were nervous, they were clearly not as panicked as before.
Indeed, sometimes the unknown is the greatest source of fear.
But Gandalf stopped what he was doing and looked up in surprise.
Kili sighed in relief and said: "No wonder it didn't dare to appear during the day; it's because they're afraid of sunlight."
Bilbo blinked and said: "A Troll? Wait, is it the one I read about in books?"
Bofur nodded and replied: "Yes, so don't worry. Perhaps we won't even need Sir Arthur and Sir Bernal. It's just a Troll; we can handle it on our own."
Bilbo hummed and said: "You might be right, Bofur, but where are Arthur and Bernal?"
Bofur froze, then suddenly looked in the direction where Arthur and Bernal had been, only to find that the two who should have been there had disappeared.
Millison, who had remained, noticed Bofur and the other dwarves' gazes and gently said: "As for those two, they already went out with their weapons when Ori secretly opened the window."
No sooner had Millison finished speaking than a Troll's painful howl came from outside the window, along with the slight tremor of its heavy body collapsing onto the dirt.
The conversation between Bernal and Arthur also drifted in through the crack in the window that Ori had opened.
"Arthur. I won this time, didn't I?"
"Alright, Bernal, I admit you won. But you didn't have to cut a huge gash in the farmer's ground just to win, did you?"
"Heh, if I had been any slower, your Glintstone Magic would have smashed into that big guy's head."
"Now what? This monster was cut in half by you. How do we dispose of the body? What species is this monster anyway? Its blood and spilled guts really stink."
"You can't blame me. Who would have thought this big guy's body was just like a normal person's? I thought it wasn't wearing armor because it was confident in its physical strength, so I didn't intend to hold back at first."
The two voices grew closer and closer until the window was knocked upon by one of them.
"Tap tap tap."
The window was pulled open from the outside by Bernal, revealing his somewhat embarrassed expression.
He looked at David and said: "Your sheepfold might need a thorough cleaning."
David looked at Bernal with confusion and shock. Even if he was dull, he knew that the monster that had terrified him for several nights had been so casually dealt with.
From the commotion just now and the conversation between the two, David knew that the monster hadn't even been able to resist and had died very simply.
It was as easy as him slaughtering a chicken normally.
Gandalf stood up at this moment and said: "No need for so much trouble. If it's a Troll, its body will turn to stone at daybreak. David, you just need to get a good night's sleep and wake up the next day to clear away some oddly shaped stones."
Arthur looked at Gandalf, who seemed to be planning to go out, and asked: "Where are you going?"
Gandalf sighed and said: "My good lad, I need to explore the direction it just came from. Trolls don't come down from the mountains easily; something must have happened to make this foolish Troll run into human territory to steal livestock."