"Finished shopping?"
"All done."
"The baker at that shop is still as enthusiastic as ever, and his skills are even better than before."
Garrett reached into the basket and handed Bard a piece of what he considered the finest pastry.
"This is the baker's newest creation. How is it?"
"Quite good."
Bard nodded while chewing, raising his eyebrows in approval.
Clearly he genuinely enjoyed it.
"If you like it, have more. There's plenty anyway."
"Better not overdo it."
After finishing one, Bard didn't take another.
"Supper time is approaching. I need to save some room for the main meal."
"Fair enough."
Garrett put away the basket with the pastries and followed Bard to a tavern. There, they had a simple but hearty meal of roast meat with vegetables, plus some bread.
It was a classic tavern combination, most folk wanting a filling meal would choose that selection.
If that still wasn't enough, one could add a bowl of thick soup, then soak in a piece of hard bread, letting the crust absorb the broth. That was another popular way of eating.
"Excuse me, bring me a tankard of mead."
After finishing the food on his plate, Garrett called to a passing serving girl and ordered a drink.
"Of course... oh! My lord!"
The girl covered her mouth in surprise, then hurried off to fetch a wooden tankard, filling it with freshly poured foamy mead.
Ever since Garrett had brought two giant bees back from Beorn, honey was no longer something that had to be imported. Both Wayfort and Dale's territory now had areas dedicated to beekeeping, usually with flowering trees planted nearby.
At first, the locals were startled by the bees, which were nearly the size of a person's head and shaped like large blocks. But once they realized that as long as they didn't provoke them, the bees never used their stingers, their fear faded. Sometimes, people even petted them when they encountered them along the roadside.
After all, those plump, chunky bees really did look quite cute.
Gulp, gulp...
"Ahh—"
"That hits the spot."
Garrett sighed in satisfaction after setting down his empty tankard.
A bit of mead after a meal was truly refreshing.
"Another one."
He couldn't resist having more.
"Want some?"
As he drank, Garrett looked across the table at Bard, who had ordered another bowl of soup and a hard loaf of bread.
"Mm... better not. I've got much to do this afternoon. I need to stay clear-headed."
As always, Bard was disciplined and restrained.
"All right then."
Garrett didn't press him. While waiting for Bard to finish eating, he casually munched on a carrot.
Crunch.
Once Bard was satisfied that Garrett only wanted to wander around, he stopped worrying about him. He hired a cart in Dale and returned to Lake-town to deal with his never-ending stream of affairs.
Watching Bard leave, he stood for a while, then turned toward the Lonely Mountain.
The guards at the gate stepped aside and offered respectful nods.
It was the same treatment given to royalty.
Though he hadn't been here in years, Erebor was still as magnificent and bustling as ever. If one listened carefully, the rhythmic ring of hammers could still be heard echoing through the mountain.
The dwarves were still delving deep as before, expanding ever further into the mountain range behind Erebor.
The Lonely Mountain might appear to be only so large from the outside, but in truth, this was merely an entrance. The space and potential within were no less than those of the realms of Men or Elves.
Behind the Lonely Mountain stretched an entire vast grey mountain range, of which the dwarves had only developed a small corner thus far.
And even just from exploiting that modest corner, they had already amassed enough wealth to attract dragons more than once, both the fire-breathing kind and the kind that walked on two legs.
Crossing the bustling marketplace and the grand bridges, He eventually reached the throne hall. Sure enough, Thorin was there.
"It's been some time."
Catching sight of Garrett from the corner of his eye, Thorin immediately turned with a smile to greet him. His advisors, who had been discussing matters with him, looked somewhat resigned but still offered their respects.
No matter how important the discussion had been, nothing took priority over this guest.
If it had been anyone else visiting, Thorin might have apologized and asked them to wait until business was concluded.
But now, whatever was at hand could wait.
"Indeed, it has been a while. How have things been lately?"
The two clasped hands.
"As usual, there's much to handle, I'm kept very busy. But I welcome that, because everything is progressing in the right direction."
"Excellent to hear."
"Have you eaten?" Garrett asked out of habit.
Thorin blinked.
"Actually, no."
"There's been so much to manage, I forgot. But now that you mention it, my stomach does feel empty. And you? Shall we share a meal together?"
"I already ate, but I don't mind having a little more."
Soon, they sat down at a table.
Before long, a large platter of fragrant roasted meat on the bone, very much in dwarven style, was brought out, along with some bread.
No vegetables. No fruit.
"Try dipping it in this sauce."
Thorin tore off a piece of meat, handed it to Garrett, and pointed at a rich sauce nearby, a thick blend of butter, roasted drippings, and other ingredients.
The combination was so heavy and rich that Garrett was quickly overwhelmed.
"That's enough for me. I'll just have a tankard of ale instead."
After drinking the cold ale, Garrett finally felt better.
Different from the refreshing sweetness of mead, dwarven ale had its own distinct character:
"Refreshing."
"I feel like I could eat another piece of meat."
"Then eat more. After all, you need to be well-fed to have strength for work." With that, Thorin handed Garrett another piece of meat, then turned back to his own plate, eating heartily in large bites.
The sight of it stirred Garrett's own appetite, though the meat still looked rather plain.
"Why aren't you having ale?"
"Ale?"
Thorin shook his head. "Not now. As you can see, I still have plenty of matters to handle. I need to finish eating quickly and return to them, otherwise, they'll end up following me to my very chambers."
"Truly a burdensome life."
Garrett shook his head and silently finished the rest of his ale.
"So, what brings you here this time?"
"Nothing much, just wanted to visit a friend."
"I see. Thank you for your concern. In the endless bustle of daily affairs, I'm glad to see you."
Their brief meal came to an end. As soon as they stood, the dwarves who had been speaking with Thorin earlier surrounded him again, resuming the business that Garrett's arrival had interrupted.
Garrett set down his tankard, stretched lazily, and walked out of the Lonely Mountain's gate, taking in a deep breath.
He still felt rather full.
To be fair, aside from being somewhat greasy, the taste was excellent.
That sort of food... the first bite was delightful, the second bite satisfying, but after that, it became something of an endurance test.
When he wasn't full, it was easy, he could eat as much as he wanted, even pure fat, with the appetite of a starving wolf.
But once his hunger was satisfied, it was another matter entirely.
"Sigh..."
For no particular reason, he let out a sigh and returned once more to Dale. He wandered around the plaza, pausing to look at the statue commemorating the "Dragonslayer" and the "Dragon-slaying Archer." Then he climbed to the palace at the highest point, gazing out from above at the Lonely Mountain and Ravenhill.
After that, no one in the city saw him again.
Whoosh.
By nightfall, when the warm glow of lanterns replaced the sunlight, the day's noise and bustle finally came to an end. People went home to their warm houses, chatting about rumors and curious tales.
It was at this time that a grey figure entered a small alley, straightened his robes, and sat down on a step.
Just like years ago, he leaned his staff against the wall, treating it no better than a walking stick left to dry.
"You look like you've been sitting here for quite a while."
Gandalf lit his pipe, and the faint glow revealed the figure beside him, pulling Garrett out of the shadows like a statue emerging into light.
"For quite a while, yes."
Garrett sighed and asked, "Have you eaten?"
"Not yet."
A still-fresh pastry was handed over.
"Made by that same baker."
"Oh, thank you. Very nice, he's improved indeed." Gandalf chewed thoughtfully, nodding approvingly.
"So then, what brings our Grey Wizard visiting this time?"
"A wizard is never late," Gandalf replied, deliberately sidestepping.
"Late?"
"I mean, when something happens, or when someone has need."
"...Perhaps."
"Every journey must eventually come to an end."
He watched the smoke rising from his pipe. "Death is a path that all must walk. An unavoidable path. But that doesn't mean folk cannot begin another journey. When life reaches its end, darkness sweeps over consciousness, all senses dissolve into nothing. But after that, you will hear—"
"What?"
"The cry of a newborn child, and the light returning before your eyes."
Garrett suddenly smiled.
So it was: in His mercy, He granted Men freedom. All humans who died in Middle-earth could shed the bonds of Arda, leaving behind the clamor of the world, or journey on to other realms.
And Men were also the only race free to decide their own fate, unbound by the Great Music.
"I understand."
Taking a deep breath, he rose to his feet.
The faint glow of flame flickered in the darkness.
"Let's get something to eat. I'm a bit hungry," he suggested.
"So am I."
Gandalf patted his stomach. "You have no idea how much I've traveled this past month, or how many troubles I've encountered. Scolded and driven from Rohan, poisoned by undercooked mushroom soup in Gondor, chased by orcs across the entire Brown Lands... the world has gone quite mad."
"Sounds rough. How about we find a place to drink, and you can tell me all about your adventures?"
"I'm afraid not." Gandalf shook his head.
This time Garrett was genuinely displeased.
"Not you too... Tell me then, what exactly keeps you so busy?"
"Busy looking for you."
Gandalf pursed his lips, grumbling. "Why do you think I'm here? Bard and Thorin practically threw me out of their halls, telling me to use what they call my 'wizard's intuition' to track you down."
"Ah?" Garrett looked rather bewildered.
"Don't treat people like fools. Some things are plain at a glance."
Gandalf gave his pipe a small shake, snuffing it out, then hung it from his staff. "They both came searching as soon as they finished their duties today, but no matter how they looked, they couldn't find you. Now come with me quickly. The guest of honor at tonight's feast cannot be absent."