bookbashuk Chapter 368 Returning the Property to its Rightful Owner
Chapter 368 Returning the Property to its Rightful Owner
Chapter 368 Returning the Property to its Rightful Owner
"Dad!" Elses and Ellos had noticed their arrival long ago and were beaming with joy.
Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin also stood up.
Even the most mischievous Merry and Pippin became reserved in the presence of Bilbo, Gandalf, and Duy.
"Duir, Gandalf, let me introduce you," Bilbo said.
He pointed to the tallest of the young hobbits, who had blond curly hair and blue eyes.
"This is Meriadoc Brandyde, from Stagland. He is the only son of Saradoc Brandyde, the ruler of Stagland, and a cousin of Frodo."
When Bilbo introduced himself to Dui and Gandalf, Merry straightened his back, staring intently at Dui with excitement and admiration.
"Lord Duir, you may call me Merri. It's a pleasure to meet you!"
Looking at Merri, who was staring at him excitedly, Dui's eyes flashed with a smile. "Hello, Merri. I know your grandfather and father. I even visited Buckland back then. They helped me a lot. How are they?"
"They're all wonderful!" Merry replied even more excitedly. "My grandfather and the others told me about your exploits, saying you once helped the Bucks defend against the Old Forest's attack, calling you 'The Tree Cutter'!"
Upon hearing this long-unheard title, Du Yi's lips twitched slightly.
In his youthful impulsiveness, he provoked an attack from Huon of the Old Forest. He successfully repelled Huon's attack, but was given the title "The Treecutter" by the then-ruler of the Bucks, who was also Merry's grandfather.
Hearing that nickname, which sounds like "lumberjack," again brings back a flood of memories.
Looking at the young hobbit in front of him, Dui's eyes flashed, and he turned around and took out a dagger and handed it to him.
"Since this is our first meeting, I'll give you this dagger as a gift, hoping it will help you protect yourself from danger."
The dagger that Dui pulled out was one of the four daggers he had obtained from the ancient tomb.
These daggers were forged by the Kingdom of Kaldoran to fight against the Witch King of Angmar, and they possess the ability to suppress evil forces.
In the original timeline, Merry used one of these daggers to stab the Witch-King of Angmar during the Battle of Pelennor Plains, breaking his spell and helping Éowyn destroy the Witch-King.
Meili took a liking to the dagger in front of her, which was shaped like a willow leaf, exquisitely crafted, decorated with red and gold snake patterns, and sheathed in a black scabbard.
He looked up at Dui with a mixture of surprise and disbelief.
"Is this a gift for me?"
Dui smiled and nodded. "This is a dagger I used back then, forged by artisans from the former Kingdom of Kadolan. I don't need it anymore, so I'm giving it to you. Make good use of it."
Upon hearing Dui's words, Merri happily took the dagger, drew it, and looked delighted.
"Thank you, Lord Duir, I will definitely use it well!"
Bilbo and Gandalf were also somewhat surprised that Dui had offered the dagger to Merry.
Gandalf, in particular, was well aware of the dagger's properties and abilities, and secretly guessed the meaning behind Duy's gift of the dagger.
Could it be that Duir foresaw something?
The remaining Frodo, Sam, and Pippin all looked enviously at the dagger in Merry's hand.
The dagger's scabbard was inlaid with various gemstones, and the dagger itself, though weathered by time, remained rust-free, radiating a cold and sharp edge that clearly indicated its extraordinary nature.
Bilbo then introduced Dui to another hobbit.
He pointed to the youngest hobbit, who had brown hair and black eyes.
"This is Pireglin Tuk, from the territory of Tak. He is the son of Paladin II Tuk, the governor of the Shire, and a cousin of Frodo and Merry."
Upon hearing Bilbo introduce himself, Pippin immediately straightened up, looking both nervous and excited.
"Greetings, Lord Duir! You may call me Pippin. My father told me about you, saying that when you visited Tak Territory, you even demonstrated some amazing and interesting magic to him!"
Dui looked at Pippin, who was trying so hard to impress him, with a smile and nodded. "I remember the last time I visited Tak territory, your father was just a little kid. I can't believe he has such a grown son now. Time really flies! By the way, how are your grandfather and father?"
Pipin shook his head. "My grandfather passed away in 2982, before I was even born. My father is doing alright, though; he's always stayed in Tak territory."
Dui was taken aback by what he heard, and then felt a little disappointed.
He remembered that when he first arrived in Middle-earth, he came to Tarklands to sign in, where he was warmly received by Paladin Tuk (Pipin's grandfather), who even gave him a carriage to ride in when he left.
The carriage accompanied him all the way to the secluded valley during his expedition to Lonely Mountain, and remained there.
The carriage and the ponies that pulled it are long gone, but the memories of those days are still vivid.
For the first time, he clearly felt the passage and ruthlessness of time; his old friends had long since turned to dust.
No wonder elves choose to live in seclusion and never easily form relationships with other races; otherwise, the sadness and helplessness of watching loved ones die would be unbearable for the living.
Paladin had only met Dui once, and Dui didn't show much emotion beyond a sigh.
But he still thought of his family and relatives.
To Dui's relief, his wife Alwen was an elf with an eternal lifespan, so he didn't have to worry about her leaving him one day.
She also has two children, who have inherited Alvin's elven bloodline. As half-elves, they also possess eternal life.
Moreover, even if they give up immortality and choose to live as humans, Dui still has the elixir of life, ensuring that they don't have to worry about the pain of separation from their flesh and blood.
As long as his family is together, Dui feels that even a long life is not far off and he will not feel lonely.
Bringing his scattered thoughts back to reality, Dui looked at Pipin, who was restrained yet expectant in his eyes. Dui didn't need to read minds to easily see through his little thoughts.
He found it somewhat amusing, but instead of teasing her, he pulled out a dagger.
"Pippin, right? Here, take this dagger. I hope you make good use of it."
Having also received a dagger, Pi Ping was overjoyed. Without hesitation, he took the dagger, held it in his hand and played with it, and generously expressed his gratitude.
That innocent, straightforward, and covetous personality made Du Yi and the others chuckle.
Then Dui looked at Sam and saw his envious eyes, but also his cautious and hesitant attitude. Dui seemed to be deep in thought.
Sam, the gardener of Bag End, was not of noble birth like Merry or Pippin; he was just an ordinary hobbit. It was through becoming the gardener of Bag End that he was able to meet Frodo and become friends with him.
Sam didn't have any grand ambitions; his biggest wish was to marry the woman he loved and live an ordinary life.
But he also has a very shining quality: unwavering loyalty to his friend Frodo.
He remained devoted to Frodo, never leaving his side after their departure from the Shire. Even when Frodo was corrupted by the Ring and lost control, pushing him away, Sam secretly followed, risking his life to save Frodo after the attack by the giant spider Herobrine.
When Frodo was on the verge of collapse at Mount Doom and unable to complete the task of destroying the One Ring, Sam volunteered to carry him up the mountain, ultimately making a great contribution to the destruction of the Ring.
He even briefly possessed the Ring along the way, but was never tempted. Instead, he became even more determined to help Frodo complete his mission.
The One Ring has a powerful corrupting effect, but Sam's loyalty to Frodo far outweighs his desire for power.
Therefore, Dui had a very good impression of this seemingly ordinary hobbit gardener.
He also offered a dagger.
Although he had already given Frodo a gift beforehand, Dui still gave Frodo the remaining dagger.
Thus, the four daggers obtained from the ancient burial mound were returned to their rightful owners, falling into the hands of four hobbits.