Bilbo had always eaten very sparingly, only once or twice a week. There were only two heads of lettuce left, hidden in a jar in the farthest corner of the pantry. At that moment, a voice came from behind: "Bilbo, where are your remaining delicious vegetables?"
Bilbo flinched and spun around, finding Gandalf behind him. Gandalf, walking down the hallway, had a glint of interest in his eyes. He had tasted the vegetables Karl had prepared and knew their exquisite flavour. Even raw, they were more memorable than any carefully prepared dish.
"Uh..." Bilbo hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to speak. These vegetables were his treasures, and he had planned to enjoy the last of them with tomorrow's breakfast. However, Gandalf's gaze was too oppressive.
"There are two heads of lettuce left. They're in a ceramic jar in the farthest corner of the pantry, covered with a damp cloth." Bilbo finally gave in and pointed toward the kitchen.
Before Gandalf could finish speaking, he had already turned and headed for the kitchen. Gandalf pushed past the dwarves blocking his way and went straight to the pantry, the dwarves muttering: "Hey! Watch it!"
But by the time he arrived, it was too late; three dwarves had gathered in the pantry. One of them held two bright green heads of lettuce that seemed to shimmer in the light. The lettuce leaves were plump, and the veins clearly visible; even in the dim light, their extraordinary quality was evident.
"Fili, Kili, Bifur!" Gandalf's voice suddenly rose. "All of you, put those two vegetables down immediately! Hand them over to me!"
The three dwarves flinched at the call, but seeing the tempting look of the lettuce in their hands, they had no intention of stopping as Gandalf had ordered. Fili, a young dark-haired dwarf, had already grabbed a head of lettuce and taken a large bite. "Mmm!" His eyes instantly widened, and he chewed faster. Seeing this, Kili and Bifur cared about nothing else and began fighting over the second head of lettuce, each tearing off a large piece and stuffing it into their mouths.
In an instant, only a few scraps and leaves remained of the two heads of lettuce on the table. Seeing this, Gandalf angrily grabbed his staff and threw it to the ground with force. "Thud!" The sound of the staff striking the ground was not loud, but an invisible wave spread through the floor. In an instant, the entire house trembled, and the picture frames on the walls shook. The tableware on the table clinked slightly, and all the dwarves froze in their movements.
"Please, Gandalf," Fili mumbled, still with a mouthful of lettuce. "They're just two vegetables, is such a strong reaction necessary?"
"Yes, they're really delicious... I've never tasted such good food before," Kili added, chewing as he spoke.
Bifur licked the juice from his fingers, still wanting more: "Maybe... should we spit them out?"
Gandalf glared at them angrily, but in the end, he shook his head helplessly. He turned and left the pantry, silently considering another assessment of Karl. Vegetables that dwarves — who loved meat — would fight over were themselves extremely rare.
Soon, the dwarves finished their dinner — or rather, they had eaten all the food stored in Bilbo's house. The dried meat, the vegetables in the pantry, the wine and ale in the wine cabinet... were almost completely sold out. Bilbo, trembling with anger, looked at his empty pantry, unsure of what to say. These dwarves were so wild and overly familiar; they didn't act like strangers at all.
"Mr. Baggins, don't worry!" a plump dwarf patted his belly and let out a satisfied burp. "Once we reclaim the Lonely Mountain, we'll compensate you tenfold, no, a hundredfold, with plenty of food!"
"Assuming we come back alive," another dwarf muttered, after which his companion elbowed him.
Suddenly, another knock came at the door: "Bang! Bang! Bang!" The knock was louder than ever before. Bilbo sighed; this was already the umpteenth time that evening. He was about to open the door, but Gandalf beat him to it.
Gandalf walked through the chaotic living room, unbolted the door, and opened it. Outside the door stood a man — rather, a dwarf — but clearly different from the other dwarves inside the house. He was wearing a cloak over a thick fur coat. At his belt hung a broad battle axe with a handle wrapped in black leather. The most striking thing was his face; handsome, yes — it seemed a bit strange to call a dwarf "handsome." But his features were indeed more refined, and his contours sharper than those of an ordinary dwarf. Yet on that handsome face was a hint of weariness and a touch of... a keen, piercing gaze.
"Gandalf, didn't you say this place was easy to find? I even got lost several times," said the newcomer, his voice deep and captivating. There was a slight reproachful tone in his voice, but it was more like a friendly jest.
Gandalf smiled and stepped aside: "Thorin, you're always so impatient. Come in, everyone is waiting for you."
At this moment, Bilbo came up from the side and timidly interjected: "Uh, this door was just painted... Could you be a little more careful?"
Thorin shifted his gaze to Bilbo, stepped forward, examined the hobbit, and slowly walked around him. His gaze swept from Bilbo's curly hair down to his large bare feet. "So this is the hobbit?" Thorin asked.
Gandalf nodded: "Bilbo Baggins, I recommend him as the best burglar."
Thorin stopped and turned to face Bilbo, though the dwarf was not much taller than the hobbit. But the difference in their auras made Bilbo involuntarily step back half a step. Thorin slowly said: "Mr. Baggins, do you have any combat experience? Do you know how to handle an axe or a sword?"
"I... I'm better with a wrench," Bilbo said uncertainly, trying to stay calm. "After all, wrenches are for repairing pipes and furniture, not fighting..."
Thorin laughed, but there was neither kindness nor overt contempt or mockery in his laughter. He turned to his fellow dwarves watching from inside the house and spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear clearly: "He doesn't strike me as a burglar; he looks more like the owner of a general store."
"Hahaha!!" The dwarves burst into laughter.
Bilbo blushed, partly from embarrassment, partly from bewilderment; he didn't know what to say. Gandalf exhaled a ring of smoke, which slowly spread through the air: "Thorin, don't jump to conclusions."
"Everyone has their own strengths; one only needs the right time to show them."
Thorin muttered indistinctly but did not continue the discussion. His gaze shifted to Gandalf, and his expression became serious. "And the one you mentioned? The witcher?"