Starting from The Lord of the Rings
Chapter 47

Deadline

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Aromatic scents wafted from the cooking pots and grills.

There was no need for any shouting; the dwarves only had to sniff the air to know whether the food was cooked or half-done.

Morgan and Bilbo had now learned this ability from the dwarves as well.

Over the course of their journey for more than a month prior.

Because food was scarce, if one ate too slowly, while they wouldn't go hungry, there would certainly be nothing left of the dried meat or other delicacies.

To keep from falling behind in the scramble for food with the dwarves, Morgan and Bilbo had both learned to identify the doneness of food by the scent alone.

Nearby, a circle of dwarves had gathered around a card game.

The main players were Fili, Bofur, and Gloin.

Bofur, who had been holding a terrible hand, was already dreading how much he would lose this round.

However, when the scent of meat drifted over, Bofur's eyes lit up instantly. Without a moment's hesitation, he threw down his cards and shouted, "Breakfast is ready, time to eat, no more playing!"

Bofur tried to run, but was grabbed by the faster Gloin, who shoved his own hand of cards in front of Bofur's face and growled, "Trying to run? Look at what I've got!"

The other player, Fili, also chimed in at the right moment, grinning, "Take a look at my cards too, Bofur."

"Haha, Bofur is trying that trick again."

"Gloin won't fall for it a third time."

"Well played."

"Haha, we should do that next time."

"Time to eat."

"Wow, breakfast smells amazing today."

"Bombur's cooking has gotten even better."

"It's just because the elves provided plenty of spices; I could do that too."

"Good heavens, Dori, can you not mention your cooking?"

"Fili is right, Dori's cooking is a nightmare; I still remember."

"Hey, come on now, it's not like I wanted it to be that way."

"Haha, look, Dori is finally feeling shy."

"How annoying."

"Hahahaha."

Amidst the picturesque scenery of Rivendell, under the warm sun of early autumn, on a beautiful, clear day.

Morgan enjoyed this hearty breakfast together with the dwarves.

After the pleasant breakfast.

Morgan headed to a quiet corner of the garden alone to begin practicing White Duck Swordsmanship.

He spent the morning focusing on White Duck Swordsmanship.

In the afternoon, he practiced Archery.

This was the training schedule Morgan had set for his stay in Rivendell.

He aimed to master Level 2 White Duck Swordsmanship and Level 3 Archery as quickly as possible.

Morgan's Rivendell vacation was incredibly dull.

Compared to Morgan, the dwarves' vacation was far more comfortable.

Rivendell had an endless supply of meat—all kinds of meat.

And endless wine—all kinds of wine.

Come to think of it, Lord Elrond had been very generous to the Company, granting almost every reasonable request.

Of course, the dwarves' requests were mostly limited to food and drink.

The dwarves were not shy about taking advantage of the accommodating elves.

Several small barbecues a day, plus a late-night roasted meat party.

Eating and drinking without restraint every day, combined with a lack of exercise.

Aside from sitting together telling jokes and playing cards, the dwarves' only form of exercise was going to the largest fountain square in Rivendell to bathe—the kind where they stripped down completely bare.

One could only imagine the sight of dwarves with dark, thick body hair, looking like oversized human-shaped rats, bathing in the fountain.

It was a sight that made all the elves who witnessed it unable to look, finding it an eyesore.

After the elves reported this to Lord Elrond.

Lord Elrond informed his old friend, Gandalf.

After Gandalf stepped in to persuade them, the dwarves finally reined themselves in.

They had been eating and drinking without restraint, with far too little exercise.

This resulted in the dwarves' figures expanding at a rate visible to the naked eye.

It was only when Thorin Oakenshield finally discovered this terrifying situation that the dwarves' consumption of food and drink was brought under control.

Bilbo's vacation in Rivendell was also quite comfortable.

Unlike Morgan, who was undergoing grueling training, and even more unlike the dwarves who were indulging in revelry, Bilbo preferred to spend his time in the library of Rivendell.

The Elves of Rivendell were wealthy, possessed long lifespans, and the place had never seen the flames of war since its construction.

Over countless years, the collection of books accumulated in the Rivendell library had become truly astonishing.

Because of this, Bilbo spent almost every entire day in the library.

As for Gandalf, he was even more free and leisurely.

Due to his relationship with Lord Elrond, Gandalf was far more familiar with Rivendell than anyone else in the Company.

Gandalf would often dine, smoke, and chat with the members of the Company.

But sometimes, when he grew tired of the dwarves' roasted meat, he would go to dine with Lord Elrond for a change of pace.

The rest of the time, he was either wandering around, chatting and drinking tea with Lord Elrond, or fishing in the great river in front of Rivendell.

Fishing was a sport that tested one's patience to the extreme.

It was certainly not for the dwarves; no matter how much free time they had, they were unwilling to waste a single second on something as dull and boring as fishing.

In the eyes of the dwarves, fishing was even more boring than Morgan's rain-or-shine training.

Bilbo was also uninterested in fishing.

Only Morgan had a bit of an interest in it.

However, due to his training, he did not have much time to accompany Gandalf fishing.

Gandalf did not mind; it was just a way to pass the time.

Just like that, six days flashed by.

The evening of the seventh day.

In the small garden in front of the guest rooms of the Company in Rivendell.

A vigorous bonfire was burning fiercely.

The meat sprinkled with spices on the grill emitted a rich, savory aroma.

The members of the Company sat around the bonfire, feasting heartily.

This was a very ordinary dinner barbecue party for the Company in Rivendell.

Balin, the white-bearded dwarf, drained his cup of fruit wine in one gulp, wiped the stains from his beard, and looked at Thorin Oakenshield beside him, saying, "Thorin, we have been resting in Rivendell for some time now. It is time to continue our journey; we don't have that much time to spare."

"I know. I was just about to bring it up with Gandalf. We shall leave in the next two days."

Thorin Oakenshield nodded and said in a deep voice, then continued to tackle the piece of meat in his hand.

At the same time.

Deep within Rivendell, in an exquisite and luxurious attic.

Gandalf was dining with Lord Elrond.

"Lord Elrond, today is already the seventh day. I wonder when the person you mentioned will arrive?"

Gandalf chewed and swallowed the last sweet, fresh fruit on his plate.

He then set down his cutlery, wiped the stains from his mouth with a white napkin, and asked.

"What, tired of staying here?" Lord Elrond smiled.

"Of course not."

"It's just that if we continue like this, Thorin and the others will surely lose their patience soon."

Gandalf shook his head as he spoke; he clearly had a sufficient understanding of Thorin Oakenshield.

"I don't know the exact time either, but calculating the days, it should be within these next two days."

Lord Elrond smiled and comforted him.

Just then, a small, beautiful bird with snow-white feathers suddenly landed by the window.

Thanks to "Lao Jiu Ge" and "Book Friend 20181004135142553" for the tips, thank you very much~~~

End of Chapter
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