After hearing Gandalf's words, Tarnes asked: "Does it have to be now? It's getting late, Gandalf."
Gandalf didn't stop his footsteps but said: "I am a wizard, Tarnes. For a wizard, what's more important is to discover the truth of matters, not whether the timing is appropriate."
Tarnes's brow furrowed with concern. "Going alone is far too risky. I can't let you do that. Millicent and I should come with you. Bernahl and Igon can hold things down here, so we won't have to worry about leaving."
Gandalf smiled and nodded: "Faced with such enthusiastic concern from you, it would be inappropriate for me to refuse. However, I'm not sure how long this trip will take, maybe just one night, or possibly a whole day."
He looked at Thorin: "If you don't see me and Tarnes return by dawn, you can set out first. We'll meet at the village Davy mentioned. Within a week, Tarnes, Miss Millicent, and I will definitely catch up with you."
Thorin nodded slightly: "I hope you can be punctual, Gandalf."
Gandalf smiled faintly: "Oh, my dear Thorin, wizards are never absent."
At this moment, Bilbo reacted, his eyes widening: "Wait, Gandalf, Tarnes, are you leaving the group?"
Tarnes soothed: "Only temporarily, Bilbo. At the latest, we'll meet again after this week."
Bilbo nodded blankly, but he still felt somewhat unsafe after Tarnes and Gandalf left.
Tarnes looked at Bernahl and Igon, instructing: "Bilbo's safety is temporarily entrusted to you two."
Bernahl nodded calmly, while Igon laughed loudly: "No problem, Tarnes. Even a dragon couldn't harm your friend!"
Thorin looked at Fili and Kili: "You two go help Tarnes and the others prepare about a week's worth of provisions, then go to the stable and bring Gandalf's and Miss Millicent's horses."
Fili and Kili immediately stood up and ran out of the farmhouse.
However, when Tarnes and the others came out, they found the Dwarf brothers standing there in a daze, as if frozen in place. Their eyes were wide open, mouths slightly agape, and their expressions confused and bewildered.
Seeing this situation, Tarnes asked: "What's wrong, Fili, Kili?"
Fili came to his senses, first glanced discreetly at the farmhouse, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming Thorin hadn't followed him out, then said to Tarnes: "Uh, there's a small problem."
Kili continued his brother's words: "Originally we should have had eighteen horses in total, but now, even counting the farmer's horse, there are only fifteen. We're missing four horses."
Fili nodded: "Yes, but Kili and I can guarantee we properly tied the horses in the stable."
Tarnes frowned: "I think we should tell Thorin about this."
Fili immediately refused: "Uh, no, let's not worry him yet."
He glanced at the farmhouse again and pleaded in a low voice to Tarnes and the others: "Please, Teacher Tarnes and Gandalf, don't tell Thorin about the missing horses. Otherwise we definitely won't be able to sleep well tonight."
Kili also nodded repeatedly, obviously not wanting to be scolded by Thorin after he learned about this.
The dim moonlight gently fell on the rustic stable. The wooden fence swayed lightly in the breeze, making creaking sounds but not disturbing the horses inside.
Wait, why were there creaking sounds from the wooden fence?
With this question, Tarnes curiously walked a few steps closer to the stable, came to the other side, and discovered the truth behind the horses' disappearance.
The other side of the stable had been damaged at some point, and the sound was from the broken fence swaying in the wind.
Gandalf also looked over, frowning at the huge footprints left on the ground: "It seems more than one Troll came to Davy's house just now. It's just that the Troll you and Bernahl killed didn't have time to leave."
Tarnes looked at the positions of the stable and sheep pen, then nodded: "Mm, the stable is more on the outside, and we did hear the horses' panicked cries earlier. I originally thought they were scared by that Troll, but didn't expect other Trolls had stolen the horses."
Kili subconsciously asked: "Then why did that Troll spend extra time going to the sheep pen to steal sheep?"
Gandalf looked at Kili irritably: "Maybe because each Troll has different tastes, Kili. But I'd rather you tell Thorin about this now. One Troll coming down from the mountain is already a situation worth noting, let alone more than one. This is a change we should be vigilant about. Use that rock-hard brain of yours to think, Kili. Would Trolls risk being exposed to sunlight and come down the mountain for no reason?"
"Uh, maybe they just wanted to come down the mountain for a change of taste. After all, there are no sheep and chickens in the mountains..."
Kili instinctively talked back but was tugged by Fili's sleeve. After seeing Gandalf's increasingly serious gaze, his voice began to diminish.
Tarnes coughed lightly and quickly soothed Gandalf: "Gandalf, don't be so angry. Fili, I'll go with you and Kili to help explain the horse loss problem."
Only then did Fili hurriedly nod. At least with Teacher Tarnes there, he and Kili wouldn't have to face Thorin's anger directly.
Indeed, after Tarnes brought the two frightened Dwarves back to the farmhouse and explained the situation to Thorin, Fili and Kili weren't scolded by him.
But the price was that they had to be responsible for finding the lost horses. Otherwise, without horses tomorrow during the day, there would be no way for everyone to keep up with the group's marching speed.
This meant Fili and Kili also had to enter the deep valley with Tarnes and the others in this cold, deep night.
So Bilbo shouted loudly outside the farmhouse: "So why am I being brought out too? The horse loss has nothing to do with me!"
Fili and Kili looked at each other and said simultaneously: "But you're the master burglar we hired, Mr. Bilbo. We think you should be able to quickly find the Troll footprints and lead us there."
Bilbo looked at Fili and Kili in disbelief, then noticed their serious expressions and was even more speechless.
So he resignedly deflated: "Alright, alright, I knew this day would come, just much earlier than I thought. Looking for Troll footprints at night is still safer than looking for dragon footprints."
Tarnes had originally wanted to let Bilbo go back, but unexpectedly he agreed himself.
Gandalf also said: "Having a Hobbit help would indeed save a lot of trouble. Let's set out while the other Trolls haven't gone too far."
The mountain valley in the deep night, washed by a winter rain, seemed particularly quiet. Rainwater gleamed silver in the weak moonlight, and the moist soil gave off a cold breath. The small stream in the valley had become more turbulent after the rain. Occasionally, a drop or two of water slid down from above, splashing circles of ripples.
Gandalf held his staff in one hand and his ceremonial straight sword in the other. Tarnes had the same sword-and-staff configuration and had also cast the Glintstone Stars spell, illuminating the scenery in the deep mountain forest ahead.
They walked at the front, while the two Dwarves and Hobbit were in the middle, with Millicent responsible for the rearguard's safety.
Gandalf and Tarnes stopped, and Tarnes frowned after looking around.
Seeing the group had stopped, Bilbo instinctively asked: "What's wrong?"
Gandalf turned back: "There are too many weeds and trees ahead. We can no longer see the Troll footprints clearly, Bilbo."
Tarnes nodded, gazing at the winding deep valley ahead. Where they were wasn't suitable for walking.
The air in the deep valley was filled with a mixed breath of soil and moisture. The ground beneath their feet was randomly covered with wild grass that reached above their ankles, swaying gently in the wind. Trees were densely arranged on both sides, their branches and leaves intertwined, forming thick green shade that blocked most of the moonlight.
If not for Tarnes' Glintstone Stars overhead continuously providing bright light, relying only on torches' weak illumination would be enough to get them lost here.
Moreover, Tarnes noticed the ground here wasn't like the ground outside, soft and moist, where Troll footprints could be clearly left. On the contrary, the soil here was mixed with hard stones. To leave clear footprints on it would require very deliberate force.
Bilbo, using the light from Tarnes' Glintstone Stars overhead, squinted at a tree on the right side and raised his finger: "Do you see that tree? Is there something wrong with the trunk of that tree on the right? I'm not sure, just a feeling."
Following Bilbo's pointing finger, Tarnes indeed found something discordant on the trunk.
Kili, sharp-eyed, said: "Looks like several scratches made by sharp tools?"
Tarnes nodded, then carefully looked around this tree and found similar scratches: "Yes, and the trees behind it all have similar scratches..."
"And there seems to be something else..." Bilbo said hesitantly.
He stepped forward with his big, hairy feet, carefully approached, crawled on the ground, and then picked up something. Bilbo held up several strands of mane between his fingers, showing a delighted expression: "It's hair that fell from the horses. It seems this direction is definitely correct!"
Gandalf laughed: "Worthy of our burglar. You can find such inconspicuous things."
Millicent said from behind: "Then these knife marks must have been deliberately left by the Trolls. They also need to carve marks in this deep valley full of weeds and trees to recognize the path back to their lair."
Tarnes nodded: "You're right, Millicent. And the knife marks are relatively fresh, left in these past few days. Combined with what Davy said, it's very likely the Trolls left these road marks for convenience when going to Davy's farmhouse to steal livestock."
Fili and Kili exchanged excited glances, with the latter saying: "Then what are we waiting for? Let's hurry and follow. If those Trolls slaughter the horses, it'll be troublesome."
Tarnes didn't act immediately but canceled the starlight spell overhead, letting darkness return to the forest. Because the Glintstone Stars spell's illumination effect was too good, he worried the Trolls could see the light from his side from far away.
Gandalf took over Tarnes' illumination duties. He reached out to touch the top of his staff, creating very weak white light that wasn't easily noticed.
Only then did Tarnes turn back and say to where Fili and Kili had just spoken: "Don't be hasty, Fili, Kili. Patience is the key."
Using the light Gandalf created with his staff, Tarnes and the others quickly found the Trolls' lair by following the marks on the trees.
Rather, these Trolls hadn't thought humans would follow them, so they made no attempt to hide. The campfire's light directly exposed the Trolls' position.
There were two Trolls in total, each busy with their own tasks.
One was tall and muscular like iron. It used a huge moss-covered rock as a whetstone, forcefully grinding a gleaming sharp knife.
The other Troll appeared cunning and alert. It held a ladle, gently and rhythmically stirring the black pot over the campfire. The liquid in the pot boiled and bubbled, making dull sounds, with waves of steam carrying pungent odors spreading around.
The horses they had captured were casually tied to the thick trunk of a tree, huddled together and trembling.
"Is it ready yet, William? I'm so hungry I'm waiting, and my knife is almost ground away," the knife-grinding Troll stopped its action and turned around, asking in a simple tone.
At the same time, its hand wasn't honest, reaching directly toward the soup pot, wanting to grab something from inside.
Then its head was severely struck by its companion William with the scalding ladle: "How many times have I told you, don't touch my pot! Tom! And Bert hasn't returned yet. We eat together, understand?!"
"Ow, that hurt. I'm just hungry, not unwilling to wait for Bert," Tom protested, covering his head.
William pointed at Tom unceremoniously: "This is exactly what not wanting to wait looks like!"
Tom said aggrievedly: "But Bert is too slow. We've been waiting almost half an hour."
William scolded: "Isn't it because it wants to continue eating mutton! Mutton the day before yesterday, mutton yesterday, and mutton the day before that! My mouth is full of mutton's gamey taste now!"
After hearing this, Tom chuckled: "Then why don't we just catch that farmer tomorrow? It's been a long time since we tasted human flesh."
William rolled his eyes: "Forget it. That farmer looks thin and small, definitely all bones, and sour to eat. Before the livestock at that farmhouse are finished, I don't want to eat that farmer."
Then he heard Tom's confused voice: "William, what's that? Why is there a fireball floating in the air by itself?"
William turned to look, and a huge fireball instantly covered his face.
The Great Glintstone Shard tore through the night air like a comet, its blue-white radiance painting twisted shadows across the Troll camp. The magical projectile struck William square in the chest, sending the massive creature stumbling backward with a roar of pain and surprise.
Tom sprang to his feet, his grinding stone forgotten as he bellowed: "We're under attack!"
But before either Troll could fully comprehend what was happening, Millicent emerged from the shadows like a crimson phantom. Her prosthetic arm gleamed in the firelight as she drew her blade in one fluid motion, the Cleanrot Knight's Sword singing through the air.
The steel found its mark between Tom's ribs, sliding between bone and sinew with practiced precision. The Troll's eyes widened in shock as he looked down at the blade protruding from his chest.
"Impossible..." he gurgled, black blood frothing from his lips.
Meanwhile, Gandalf stepped into the clearing, his staff blazing with white fire. "Release those horses immediately, and we might consider letting you live," he called out, though his tone suggested otherwise.
William, still reeling from Tarnes' magical assault, wiped ichor from his wounded face and snarled: "Puny manlings! You think you can threaten us?"
The injured Troll hefted his massive club, muscles bulging as he prepared to charge. But Tarnes was already moving, his staff spinning in complex patterns as he wove another spell.
Golden light erupted from his catalyst, and the very air around William began to shimmer and distort. The Troll's charge faltered as gravity itself seemed to press down upon him, forcing him to his knees.
"Now, Fili! Kili!" Tarnes shouted.
The Dwarf brothers burst from their hiding place, sacred seals glowing in their hands. They channeled the beast incantations Tarnes had taught them, their bodies surging with unnatural strength and speed.
Fili's throwing knives whistled through the air, each one finding gaps in the Troll's hide, while Kili's arrows sang from his bow in rapid succession, peppering William's torso with fletched shafts.
But Tom wasn't finished yet. With a final surge of desperate strength, he grasped Millicent's blade and began to pull it free, his grip slick with his own blood.
"Not... done... yet..." he gasped.
Millicent's golden eyes flashed with cold determination. "Yes, you are."
Her prosthetic hand clenched into a fist, and she drove it into the Troll's throat with bone-crushing force. There was a wet, final sound, and Tom collapsed backward, his massive form hitting the earth with a thunderous crash.
William, seeing his companion fall, let out a howl of rage that echoed through the valley. But his fury was short-lived. Tarnes stepped forward, his blade wreathed in magical fire, and with one precise thrust, ended the creature's suffering.
Silence fell over the camp, broken only by the crackling of the dying fire and the nervous whinnying of the rescued horses.
Bilbo emerged from behind a tree, his face pale but determined. "Well," he said, trying to keep his voice steady, "that was certainly more exciting than I expected."
Gandalf chuckled, wiping his sword clean. "Welcome to adventure, Master Baggins."
As they freed the horses and gathered what useful supplies they could find, Tarnes noticed something troubling. The Trolls' camp was far more elaborate than it should have been, with carved stone furniture and organized cooking areas.
"Gandalf," he called softly, "look at this."
The wizard approached, examining the stone table and chairs that would turn to rock at dawn. "This isn't a temporary camp," Gandalf murmured. "They've been here for weeks, maybe months."
"But why would Trolls establish a permanent settlement so close to human lands?" Millicent asked, cleaning her blade with practiced efficiency.
Fili, who had been examining the Trolls' belongings, held up a tattered piece of parchment. "Maybe this has something to do with it?"
The parchment bore crude markings and symbols, but one image was clear enough: a white hand pressed against black stone.
Gandalf's face grew grave. "The White Hand of Saruman. It seems our troubles are only beginning."
As dawn approached, they gathered their rescued horses and prepared to return to Davy's farm. But Tarnes couldn't shake the feeling that this encounter was just the first of many challenges to come.
The Trolls' bodies were already beginning to stiffen as the first rays of sunlight crept over the mountains. Soon, they would be nothing more than stone statues, another landmark in Middle-earth's ever-changing landscape.
But the questions they raised would linger much longer than their physical forms.
[Chapter Complete]
***
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