chapter 5: The War Council
A few minutes passed, and Cirler returned with two members of the Dark Brotherhood. They were both armed and wearing heavy armor. As soon as they came into sight, I recognized them. Their faces were hidden behind masks, but their weapons were unmistakable. The first was a man dressed in black robes and carrying a staff. The second was a woman with a bow, and she was wearing light chainmail. They both carried massive axes hanging from their belts.
"This is Morldor. He heads the Brotherhood in this part of the forest. And this is his second-in-command, Gromurk." Cirler said.
I stood up proudly and gestured for them to come closer. The two approached hesitantly, taking tentative steps towards me.
"Is this the young lordling you spoke of?" Morldor asked, eyeing me up and down. His voice was deep and menacing.
"Yes. I am Lord Bilbo. And this is my father's adviser, Brathor." I said, bowing low.
Morldor cocked his head to the side and looked at me curiously.
"Lord Bilbo, I presume?" He asked.
"That's right." I said, nodding.
"And you are the young lordling. I have heard many things about you. You have fought your way to the top of the ranks at such a young age. That is quite impressive." He said, narrowing his eyes at me.
"Thank you." I said, feeling a bit nervous under his gaze. "I guess you must be the one in charge around here, huh?"
"Quite right. I am Morldor, leader of our little group here in this section of the forest. These are my second-in-command, Gromurk, and my main warrior, Gorm."
"Gromurk? That's a funny name." I commented.
"I named myself that because I was born with a club foot." He said, revealing his prosthetic leg. "At least, that's what my parents told me. I have no idea how true that story actually is."
"Well, nice to meet you. I'm glad you came to join our fight against the dwarves. We need all the help we can get." I said cheerfully.
"Very well. We are not going to let those filthy dwarves destroy our home." Morldor replied, nodding in agreement.
"Great! So do you guys mind if I ask you a few questions about the basecamp?" I asked.
"Go ahead. Ask away." Morldor said, turning his attention back to the area.
"So, uh, how big is it? How many people live there?" I asked.
"About twenty or so. Most of them are very skilled fighters. But the leader is a special case. I don't think we could take him alone." Morldor said, shaking his head. "The basecamp is pretty much a fortress. They have walls surrounding the entire camp.