After bidding farewell to Bilbo, Tarnes went to Rivendell to meet with Elrond, recounting the story of his journey to the Mountain.
What Tarnes hadn't expected was that Elrond revealed he had already learned of the outcome of the Battle of the Mountain from Gandalf's message by carrier pigeon and had been looking for an opportunity to visit the Mountain to congratulate Thorin and the others.
Though Thorin's group of Dwarves had given Elrond headaches at Rivendell, Elrond bore no grudges about such matters.
The reclaiming of the Mountain symbolized that Middle-earth's northeast had gained another solid line of defense, which made Elrond more pleased than anything.
Tarnes was about to bid farewell to Elrond and leave Rivendell when he was suddenly stopped by the lord.
"Let the flow of time between us slow a little, my dear friend," Elrond said.
Tarnes looked over in confusion and asked, "Is there something else?"
Elrond cleared his throat and asked, "Estel... is he doing well with you? My two sons dote on him terribly, and I'm worried they've spoiled him to the point where he might do something improper."
Tarnes smiled and replied, "Estel is doing very well and is also very sensible and polite."
Elrond nodded, seeming to want to say something more.
Seeing Elrond's conflicted expression, Tarnes showed an amused look and said, "When has the renowned Lord of Rivendell ever hesitated so much before a good friend? What question can't he ask?"
Only then did Elrond stop hesitating and ask, "Gandalf also told me in his letter that your subordinates fought against Nazgûl and successfully killed two of them, obtaining rings that fell from their bodies, correct?"
Tarnes nodded. "Yes, you've met them. Bernahl and Igon."
Elrond replied, "I could sense their martial prowess from our first meeting. The Battle of the Mountain indeed brought them the achievements they deserved..."
Then the lord's tone changed, his expression becoming serious. "But I earnestly request that you never let those two wear the rings left behind by the Nazgûl. Though the rings can grant the wearer powerful strength, their souls will simultaneously be tainted by darkness. If possible, I hope you can give those two rings to me. I will be responsible for destroying them. Of course, I will also exchange treasures of equal value for them."
Hearing this, Tarnes smiled slightly and extended his hand. Two brilliant golden rings lay quietly in his palm.
Elrond looked at these rings with somewhat familiar designs and was stunned for a moment. "These are... those two rings?"
Tarnes nodded and said, "I discovered the curses remaining on the rings and had the Golden Tree thoroughly cleanse them. Though the power the rings give to wearers is less than before, there's no longer any worry about the wearer's soul being enslaved by the rings' creator."
As he spoke, he tossed one of them to Elrond.
Elrond deftly caught the golden ring, examined it carefully with amazement, then returned it to Tarnes without any reluctance.
Elrond sighed. "It seems I'm far from understanding the Golden Tree's miraculous aspects. To think it could purify these soul-enslaving rings into such wondrous forms."
Tarnes shrugged. "My homeland has quite a few of these tempting bad things, so I maintain high vigilance."
Then Tarnes quietly glanced at the serene Melina and turned back to Elrond. "If something can grant you powerful strength far beyond what you could obtain in a short time, the price you'll pay later will definitely be very painful. This truth is something I only understood after experiencing it firsthand."
Elrond breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Reliable and completely ungreedy strong individuals like you have become rare in this era. I'm very pleased that there's now one more. However, regarding your possession of two of the Nine Rings for Men, I agree with Gandalf's view. It's better not to let those human kings know. Otherwise, you might face an endless stream of troublesome human envoys. They won't bear you ill will, but they'll tirelessly ask you about the rings."
Tarnes withdrew his hand, put away the rings, and nodded. "I understand the principle of not flaunting wealth. If there's nothing else, I'll return to my territory first."
Elrond waved goodbye to Tarnes. "The next time we meet, I'll introduce you to Lady Galadriel. She's truly very interested in your power."
After bidding farewell to Elrond, Tarnes and Melina didn't delay much time before returning to Golden Tree territory, then hurried toward the Black Gate.
Though they only needed to make a slight detour to reach Gondor's capital, Tarnes was eager to get to the Black Gate, so he chose not to meet with Gondor's current Steward just yet.
The leaves along the journey changed from light green to dark green, and after about two months of travel, Tarnes and Melina finally arrived near the Black Gate.
However, the scenery around them wasn't particularly pleasant.
The towering Black Gate appeared in Tarnes and Melina's sight like an iron barrier stretching across Mordor's northwest corner. Three massive arches were embedded in thick walls extending from mountain cliffs, their surfaces covered with spikes and rusted metal patterns.
The Dagorlad Plain before the gate was desolate and barren, strewn with rubble and scorched earth. Two barren mountains surrounded by foul-smelling swamps stood facing each other like beast fangs, their surfaces riddled with holes and tunnels dug by Orcs, with crimson firelight flickering in the darkness.
The Towers of the Teeth flanked the Black Gate, their windows like hollow eye sockets that watched day and night over the road to Mordor. The thick smoke swirling from their peaks merged with the blood-red clouds on the horizon, condensing the miasmic atmosphere of the Dead Marshes into substance.
Melina, seeing this scene, gently tugged Tarnes's cloak and asked softly, "Are the people you're looking for really here?"
Tarnes looked at this place that clearly didn't seem suitable for human habitation and felt uncertain himself. "We haven't deviated from our destination, so we shouldn't have taken the wrong path. Let's go a bit further and see if we can encounter those rangers."
"Mm," Melina replied quietly.
Torrent snorted and carried the two toward the massive Black Gate for a while when suddenly the sound of something cutting through air reached them. Tarnes instantly tightened the reins, and Torrent wisely stopped.
An arrow embedded itself a dozen meters ahead of Torrent, and only then did Tarnes notice that the withered grass piles not far ahead were somehow packed with fully armed humans.
These humans wore deep gray or dark green hooded traveling cloaks, the fabric thick and worn, the edges stained with wilderness mud and frost marks. They carried swords, axes, and other weapons on their backs or at their waists.
The leading stranger shouted, "You two strangers, if you're here for sightseeing, you've come to the wrong place! This place has only death and gunpowder smoke. Turn back! Otherwise, the next arrow won't simply sink into the dirt!"
Tarnes frowned at them, thought for a moment, then quite straightforwardly announced his identity and purpose for coming here, since clear communication would facilitate future interactions.
"I am Lord Tarnes from the Golden Tree, here to visit a ranger called 'Talion.' Do you know him?"