A new year had arrived.
In the second year following the rulers' journey, at the beginning of spring, the old Rhovanion outpost was completed. The East Bight became covered in greenery, the gap in the forest was filled.
From that moment on, the name "East Bight" became history, and the world's maps welcomed an update.
Mirkwood was whole again.
But the cartographers at that time did not yet understand one truth, that whenever a certain great lord desired change, the maps were updated very quickly.
Following the completion of the Rhovanion outpost, the construction teams continued advancing southward along the Old Rhovanion Road, refining it as they went, gradually transforming it into something resembling the style of the Free Cities.
From then on, anyone traveling this road could tell at a glance where it led.
By midyear, the construction teams discovered a bonfire camp in the northern Brown Lands, alongside a tree with yellowing leaves and a small hut.
"This is it, the lord's marker."
With the bonfire camp as the center, the teams immediately began work. Facilities and buildings rose rapidly one after another.
Before long, the place had become a sizable settlement. Unlike other towns, however, most of its facilities were functional in nature, designed primarily for transport and engineering services.
Of course, it was possible to live there, the living conditions weren't bad, but compared to other towns, the atmosphere of daily life was thinner, less lively.
When the northern Brown Lands camp had reached a certain scale, and construction had begun on a great bridge leading from the northern Brown Lands to the Wold of Rohan, orcs caught wind of it.
They watched the camp for some time. Once they confirmed that Garrett truly wasn't there, some of them began to plot.
"This place is full of civilians, there's no army."
"Ha! Just house-builders and road-menders..."
"Let them build something in my belly instead!"
"I can't wait any longer, kill them!"
After confirming again that Garrett was not there, and that the northern Brown Lands truly only had construction crews, without even a single guard squad, the orcs launched a night raid.
But what they saw was the entire crew donning armor and seizing weapons in an instant.
On the spot, the construction team became a well-trained army.
Their project leader transformed into a capable military commander.
That night, the orcs cried out in agony.
"Retreat! Retreat! It's a trap!"
A trap?
"No."
The project leader, now the army's temporary commander, shook his head, refuting the orc chieftain's words.
"This is nothing more than the most basic discipline of a Free Cities resident."
"All units, counterattack!"
The engineers pursued the orcs, driving them back across the southern Brown Lands, only stopping near the rugged hills by the Argonath.
The terrain there was ill-suited for pursuit.
Beyond those rough hills lay the Dead Marshes, too dangerous, and unnecessary.
"Withdraw!"
The engineers pulled back, leaving the orcs utterly stunned.
"Just what kind of people are they?"
An update to intelligence on the lord's subjects was noted:
"Any attack against the residents of the Free Cities must be prepared as if for a formal battle."
"Every resident must be regarded as a trained soldier."
After the battle of the northern Brown Lands, the orcs grew cautious.
From then on, the northern Brown Lands were firmly within the lord's domain.
By the year's end, a new small city had already risen there, complete with walls and various defensive structures.
Inside the city and throughout the surrounding area, many trees had been planted. From afar, it appeared lush and green, like an oasis in the desert.
Although the colors weren't particularly healthy, the leaves and grass tinged slightly yellow, it had a charm of its own.
At the same time, the bridge to Rohan was completed, and construction began at the southern Brown Lands camp.
Some residents suggested renaming the two places.
The northern Brown Lands would be called Northward, and the southern Brown Lands Southward.
Northward and Southward.
Hearing those names, Garrett almost choked on his tea. They sounded more like directions on a map than names fit for real places.
Seeing that he was clearly not very pleased with them, the renaming of the northern and southern Brown Lands was put aside for the time being. The ones who proposed the names could not understand why their lord refused to adopt them, especially since those names had the greatest support.
In the year 2960, construction of the southern Brown Lands was completed. A road was paved along the river between the two towns, connecting them. With the northern settlement as the hub, the roads branched northward to link the Old Rhovanion Road directly to Dale.
To the south, a great bridge led to Rohan's Wold. The Wold connected with the East-West Road of Rohan, which extended directly to the Rohan capital.
In time, this sturdy bridge connecting the Wold and the northern Brown Lands became known as the North Bridge.
Once across the North Bridge and into the Wold, one entered Rohan's territory. Building projects there might prove a little more difficult, but fortunately, much of the necessary infrastructure already existed, no need for construction crews to work.
With the bridge complete, the gap between Rohan and the northern regions was closed, and travel became immensely smooth.
The first caravans crossed the bridge and river, climbed onto the Wold, and visited Rohan's many towns, traveling south along the East-West Road all the way to the capital.
After that first round trip, word spread everywhere of this new trade route.
The East-West Road, which spanned Rohan from north to south, came into heavy use.
Perhaps many who had never left the country still didn't know exactly where the cities of the Free Cities were, but they knew that if you wanted to reach the North Bridge, you took the East-West Road.
Across the North Bridge lay one of the Free Cities.
With the establishment of the northern and southern Brown Lands towns and the old Rhovanion outpost, all the land from Dale to the Brown Lands came under Garrett's dominion.
The Free Cities thus gained a new administrative district: the Rhovanion District.
This district mainly referred to a portion of the eastern Mirkwood and the two towns on the Brown Lands.
Vales of Anduin, Dale District, Rhovanion, Wayfort, the harbor cities...
By this point, the total territory of the Free Cities was no less than that of Gondor or Rohan, indeed, even larger.
Unnoticed, it had already surpassed them both, becoming the most expansive realm of Men in Middle-earth.
Perhaps even the word "Men" was unnecessary.
Garrett had also acquired a new title:
Lord of the North.
Under his protection, the northern peoples lived prosperous and peaceful lives. His allies benefited from that prosperity as well, relieved of supply concerns at the very least.
In truth, his reputation grew so great that some people quietly began to call him the High King of the North. But since he himself showed no interest in being crowned, the title remained a private whisper, never spreading widely.
"This truly is... remarkably reassuring."
In the Woodland Realm's palace, Thranduil looked at the updated map and nodded slightly.
Now all the land east of Mirkwood and west of Dorwinion belonged to Garrett.
Within that territory, to the north lay Lake-town and Dale; to the south stood the Rhovanion outpost, which in truth was already the size of a city, with a stronger garrison than most, and the three fully-armed towns of the northern and southern Brown Lands.
Whether Mordor or the Easterlings sought to invade, they would first have to confront at least three of these six impregnable cities before even threatening Mirkwood, or Erebor, behind them.
And to seize those six cities? That was easier said than done.
Leaving aside their own formidable defenses, one must not forget the many nearby allies: Mirkwood, Erebor, Rohan, the Iron Hills...
If war broke out, none of them would stand idle.
What's more, reinforcements would arrive quickly, within just a few days they could reach the front lines.
If the enemy failed to take their target cities in the first strike, they were in for real suffering.