The human's of Bree most certainly didn't live within nature... It was a painful reminder that for all that elves were hippies who lived in tree's that had been sung into beautiful palaces and homes of glorious elegance.
We had long since understood the glory that which was 'plumbing' to an extent, as Rivendel's water system ran through the city and could flush our toilets.
So thankfully... Thankfully, Arwen was willing to have us detour around the main section of Bree, allowing us to merely ride through the outer hamlets and villages that dotted the landscape as we road even further west at a great pace.
It took the rest of the day, but on the back of this horse that had a lineage of divine beast blood. We made it to the hilly lands and pure old forests that protected the lands of the Shire.
"The Shire... A place that even us elves admire for it's peace and tranquility." Arwen said softly as she pointed out the Brandybuck river and other notable landmarks.
But inwardly I was thoughtful about how old dear old Bilbo was... How old was he at this point before I remembered a funny fact. Bilbo got dragged onto his first adventure in the Hobbit book at the grand old age of literally 50!
"For millennia these Hobbit's have lived here in peace, Otharion... Honestly, they are the better fusion of men and dwarves all things told." Arwen continued with a light giggle at the thought.
I gave a wry chuckle before I said helplessly. "Dwarves and men are two different races. Just calling the Hobbit's the mix of them both, even if the better result is kinda-"
Arwen then cut me off as she said firmly. "Otharion... I say this as both your teacher and elder as an elf. Getting to close to humans and even dwarves will lead you to heartache. A hollowness born of loss as we elves do not lose our grief and they ALL die at some point."
I remained silent as we rode around the Shire, digesting that reminder that it wasn't uncommon for elves to just... Die of heartache as we felt our emotions so much deeper than any other race.
When we got hit with the major depression of a close friend. Or heaven forbid a human lover, elves could be emotionally crippled and many just die of being simply too depressed to have the motivation to live.
"Hmm, also. What kind of wood are you looking to have for your bow?" Arwen asked curiously.
And for a moment I considered if I could get to the Fangorn Forest to the deep south. As it wasn't like Saruman was evil and corrupted yet. And if I could meet with the Ent's, maybe I could even drink some of the Ent sap to make myself grow bigger as well.
Still, I answered after a moment of thought. "Probably the wood of a tree that was once an Ent."
Arwen made a soft humming noise of thought before she spoke. "The ents... It has been a very, very long time since I have seen one of the forest keepers."
There was a moment of silence before Arwen said quietly. "So long as the tree you take the wood from is already fallen. Then it won't be a problem. But we must gently take the wood from the fallen, no axes or saws."
Knowing all too well of the Ent's hatred of men, orcs, and goblins with their axes and mauls that cracked their wooden bodies. And saws whose teeth tore their forms into dust.
I remained in silent agreement for a while as we rode past and down to towards the southwest of the Shire. Where it passed through a large hole in the High Hay which was a huge hedge wall that the Hobbits used to keep the encroaching old forest from reaching into their lands.
But as we entered the Old Forest in truth that spanned past Bree and separated the Shire as well from the Barrow Downs... I could feel a darkness in the air, a whisper of dirty things that filled the air.
"The Barrow Down's foul air is strong here." I said with a slight frown.
With Arwen letting out a noise of likewise distaste as she said evenly. "It is indeed, but this forest is old Otharion... It is older than the race of men itself and the wights of the unresting dead will not dare roam these lands."
My mentor then took a breath, saying. "Now, let us look for the wood you wish to take with you."
Our more idle conversation cut off as Arwen brought her horse to a much slower trot as we started moving slower as well for the next couple of hours of exploration.
Then, with a series of loud thumping noises, I could hear my beloved Runebear. Whom I had aggressively adopted, running through the forest as it caught us with us finally.
And as Sergei reached us and made a loud grumble of annoyance at finally finding me. He seemingly tripped over something and ate dirt with his huge form roaring in fury as he seemingly hit a small pit in his run.
"You overgrown rocky bear. You need to watch where you are running." I teased Sergei, who gave me a pitiful moan of annoyance as he got back up with what could only be a giant pout on his face.
Then I looked to where he had tripped and realized he hadn't tripped so much on a pit. But instead, a thin tree that had been buried under a massive pile of leaves.
"That tree was tall but thin, Otharion. I am now curious about it." Arwen said as I slid off the horse to go check on Sergei to make sure he hadn't broken a leg or something with how he was being a big baby.
And after checking Sergei and making sure that yes... He was being a big baby and just wanted a hug around his head that was bigger then my entire body at this point.
I went over to the fallen tree as well and paused thought as I realized why Arwen was interested in fact.
"It was a tree that grew too fast... And was punished by being broken by strong winds, as well as being struck by lightning!" I said with interest as I picked up the thin and lightning scarred trunk of wood with a grunt of effort.
But I could feel it. The unrelenting power of lightning was burned within this thin tree's main trunk. And by thin, I mean it was barely thicker than a good-sized bowl at it's base yet it dared to tower over its fellow trees.
Truly an arrogant tree, but something I myself could take a lesson on with my talents and my... Still, a somewhat human mind that made me restless in the utterly calm safety of Rivendell.
Still this tree itself was perfect...
Granted, not for making a bow that could channel the golden holy Order blood within me. But I could the lightning coursing through this wood. Should I sing and carve this wood into a bow and set of arrows. It would make a powerful lightning-attribute bow!
'And maybe I could even make a talisman for casting lightning incantations as well?' I mused to myself. Though even with my Elden Ring crafting cheat, which I got with my reincarnation.
I knew that the truly powerful draconic lightning incantations would require me to bathe in the blood of dragons... Or gain the blessing of a dragon like with what Vyke did with Lannsseax.
Inwardly, I wondered with some childish amuesment at the thought. 'Imagine Smaug's reaction to the smaller form of Lannsseax until she utterly bodies him with her powerful dragon lightning.'
"Now the question is Otharion... How are you going to bring this wood back to Rivendell?" Arwen patiently questioned me.
While I knew she was testing my problem-solving skills... I had another solution as I looked at her 'innocently' before I pointed at the lightning scarred tree and called out. "Sergei! Fetch!"
And Arwen's face pinched is I didn't do any 'problem solving' or consider the amount of wood I was going to bring back.
I just had a slightly smaller than an elephant was tall bear grab the tree with his mouth with a grumble before he looked at me and seemingly asked 'What now?'
And with elven grace, I climbed atop Sergei and said brightly to Arwen. "Sergei and I can just bring this tree back home!"
Arwen's face pinched at my childish refusal to leave anything behind and she asked me with a sigh. "Otharion... Are you really going to have your friend drag that whole tree back to Rivendell?"
And with zero, zero shame. I firmly nodded. But added with a look of determination. "Yes! And should his jaw get tired, I can drag it too!"
There was a pause before Arwen looked at me with a dull expression, and she said teasingly. "Or... Or we can take it, Bree, let them hold onto it while we go back. And then Father can send a cart along with some goods for trade to bring it back. We did just clear the Easter Road of goblins and such, remember."
All the while I knew that dragging this tree was going to slow us down heavily. But I really, really wanted this wood as this was honestly the best crafting material I had found so far.
But having some other elves who did trade just bringing it back... Just didn't occur to me in the slightest. And it was obviously the better idea even if it galled at me to not have the option of taking it directly home to get to work on it!
Still, after a moment of thought, I knew she was right so I said with a light smile. "You are right Lady Arwen. Alright, Segeri, come on! Let's drag this up to the nearest human town."
And even as I made my next set of concrete plans at this point. Making a bow and some lightning-enhanced arrows of course. But then, once I had myself that bow and arrows, I was going to truly head into the world of Elden Ring and see what it was like.
As when I originally popped into the world and looked around. I was in a normal forest in what seemed like the deep autumn with golden leaves surrounding me. Where I then found Sergei playing in the mud, and I took him home with me by feeding him some spiced elk jerky.