The leading Dúnedain Ranger was stunned, stroking his somewhat stubbled chin, while the surrounding rangers all looked at him.
Tarnes could tell clearly that this person was the "Talion" he was looking for.
So he waved at him in a friendly manner and shouted, "Looking at your companions' reactions, you must be the Talion I'm looking for, right?"
The middle-aged ranger nodded helplessly and signaled the surrounding rangers to lower their weapons, though his tone still held some wariness. "You guessed correctly. I am indeed the Talion you're looking for, and I did go to the distant Golden Tree territory with a companion to visit the lord there. How can you prove you're the lord of the Golden Tree?"
Tarnes smiled in response. "That's simple."
Having said this, he already held a staff in his hand. With a gentle wave, [Starlight] magic appeared above Tarnes's head, its azure brilliance illuminating the surrounding area within dozens of meters in blue light.
"Will that suffice? Though I can provide more dramatic proof if necessary," Tarnes said with easy confidence, noting the surprised expressions on the rangers' faces.
Talion quickly raised a hand. "That's more than enough. Your magic alone proves you're a wizard worthy of our respect, whether you're the lord of the Golden Tree or not. Besides," he gestured at the desolate landscape around them, "in this forsaken place, only someone specifically seeking us out would dare approach so openly."
Then he looked at the rangers beside him and commanded, "You few continue patrolling outside. I'll take the guests up to the walls."
"Yes, Lord Talion." The rangers nodded and dispersed.
Then Tarnes rode forward and asked casually, "The walls?"
Talion nodded slightly, spreading his arms to show Tarnes the desolate, ruined plain. He explained with a bitter smile, "Yes, there's no way to build houses in this environment. Even if we built them, they'd be constantly harassed by Orcs, so those towering black walls are the suitable place for us to rest. Please follow me, honored guest. My son has greatly admired you after hearing your story."
Tarnes looked back at Melina, and without dismounting, he rode Torrent behind Talion.
While climbing up the black walls, both Tarnes and Melina noticed battle cries coming from other parts of the walls.
Noticing their expressions, Talion proactively explained, "Lord Tarnes, you should know the situation at the Black Gate. We face Orc attacks every day, and sometimes there are lackeys and spies who've joined Sauron leading Orc assaults. But compared to being on the plains, the walls can easily withstand these scum's attacks."
Tarnes asked thoughtfully, "Even so, your lives must be affected, right? So when you previously visited Golden Tree territory to see me, was it to solve these Orc attack problems?"
Talion shook his head slightly. "No, as long as the Dark Lord Sauron lives, his lackeys will never stop these endless attacks. My purpose in visiting the Golden Tree was only because I heard it's very peaceful there. I wanted to find a stable refuge for my family and some tribesmen who don't wish to fight."
He smiled with resignation. "After fighting Orcs for so many years, honestly I'm somewhat tired too. But if no one stays here to block these Orcs, they'll rush out and destroy the peace outside, which is even less what I want to see. But my family shouldn't suffer here with me, so I took time to visit the Golden Tree to understand the real situation there."
Melina asked, "Are you the only ones defending here? If I remember correctly, isn't Gondor quite close to here? Haven't they sent soldiers to help you?"
Talion showed a hesitant expression and replied, "Gondor... the areas they need to defend are far more extensive than the Black Gate. Their own forces are somewhat overwhelmed. That they can freely supply us with food and weapons means we can't ask for more from them."
Just as Talion was explaining the Black Gate's current basic situation to Tarnes and Melina, a group of rangers with wounds that had been simply bandaged walked over from ahead.
"Lord Talion."
The weary rangers nodded in salute to Talion, who looked at the wounded rangers with a frown. "How do you all have arrow wounds? Were there many Orcs attacking today?"
The ranger captain exhaled wearily and replied, "Aye, today's assault was fiercer than any we've seen this week. Most of the orcs came as archers this time. We couldn't avoid their arrows entirely while defending the battlements."
Then he forced a smile. "But don't worry, Talion. We dealt with all those Orcs."
Hearing this news, Talion frowned deeply and said quietly, "Go to the medical station with your brothers quickly. Remember to check if the wounds are poisoned. We have plenty of kingsfoil and other herbs. Don't be stingy with them."
The ranger captain nodded and called his team members to follow.
Talion looked at the team that was clearly missing several members, his frown deepening.
Tarnes and Melina didn't interrupt, only nodding slightly to the rangers who looked their way before continuing to follow behind Talion.
Talion didn't continue the previous topic but silently led Tarnes and Melina forward.
Melina whispered in Tarnes's ear, "It seems the situation here is much more serious than we thought."
Tarnes nodded slightly and, after hesitating for a moment, asked Talion, "Talion, do you always live in such a high-intensity combat environment?"
Talion was clearly absorbed in his own thoughts. Tarnes had to ask two or three times before he responded, showing an apologetic expression. "Ah, sorry, I was distracted just now. As for your question, if it had always been such a high-pressure situation here, we couldn't have settled here in the first place."
Tarnes asked curiously, "When did this situation begin?"
Talion also showed a confused expression and answered, "About one or two months ago, the Orcs inside the Black Gate suddenly became collectively agitated, and the frequency of attacks increased."
One or two months ago?
Tarnes's expression became strange. That seemed to be around the time when he and Thorin had killed Azog and occupied the Mountain.
Could it be that the situation at the Mountain caused changes here at the Black Gate?
Then Talion continued, "Later, scouts also discovered that Sauron's most powerful Nazgûl had flown back into Mordor, though their numbers were two fewer."
Well, it really was related to the changes at the Mountain.
Just as Tarnes was about to say something, a young, delighted voice reached his ears.
"Father!"
Immediately after, a ranger who resembled Talion but was younger appeared before them, excitedly running over.
Only then did Talion's son notice that his father was followed by two people he'd never seen before, making him immediately realize his father was leading guests on a tour.
He said somewhat awkwardly, "Uh, am I interrupting you?"
Tarnes smiled and shook his head. "No, we're just following your father around casually."