"Oooh~ Oooh~" The piercing sound of dwarf horns echoed throughout Erebor.
"War is coming!" King Bard of Dale frowned deeply. Among the northern forces, Bard's strength was the weakest.
With his population, even gathering three hundred human soldiers was a challenge. He was definitely the one who least wanted war.
"Bain! You stay in the city and take care of your mother and the others. I need to head to Erebor." Bard quickly packed his things, mounted his horse, and rode towards Erebor.
...
"Thorin! What's happening? Why have you sounded the Horn of the Lonely Mountain?" Bard asked as he followed a dwarf guard to meet Thorin Oakenshield, who was standing on the city wall, gazing into the distance.
"The Orcs are coming!" Thorin sighed.
"Orcs from the north?" Bard asked, confused.
"We're not sure yet. Our scouts only spotted a large northern orc army marching towards Erebor, but we can't confirm if they're from Gundabad," Thorin replied with frustration.
"Didn't your scouts identify their totems?" Bard asked instinctively.
"They hid their totems and banners, leaving no clues. You know that Rynar and his forces just had a battle with orcs from the eastern wastelands, so we can't be sure if these are northern wasteland orcs or Gundabad's orcs," Thorin sighed again.
These days, even orcs sought outside reinforcements.
If during the First Battle of the Lonely Mountain the orcs had been this united, there wouldn't even be a place for Thorin or Rynar in the north now.
"What should we do?" Bard hesitated before finally speaking.
"I've already sent for aid from Dain at the Iron Hills. They should arrive before the orcs do," Thorin said, glancing at Bard.
"And what about the woodland elves?" Bard couldn't help but ask.
"Bard… you understand the enmity between the woodland elves and the dwarves of the Lonely Mountain," Thorin sighed in resignation.
The proud dwarf king simply couldn't bring himself to ask former enemies for help.
"My gods! Thorin, you're dooming the entire battle! If you won't ask the elves, I will!" Bard was incredulous.
He now had a deeper understanding of dwarven stubbornness; even in such dire circumstances, they were as unyielding as stones in a latrine pit.
Without waiting for Thorin's response, Bard quickly descended from the wall, mounted his skinny horse, and left Erebor.
"Balin! Go explain the situation to Rynar," Thorin commanded.
Rynar had likely already heard the horn of the Lonely Mountain, but Thorin decided it was better to inform him directly. If Rynar were caught off guard by an orc ambush, it would be disastrous.
"Oh, Your Majesty, I don't think we need to go looking for King Rynar," Balin said, lifting his eyes to glance at the sky.
"Hmm?"
"He's already coming to us!" Balin pointed upwards.
"Roar!" A low growl of a dragon echoed as Caslow, riding the now-recovered Kalador, descended onto the walls of Erebor with Rynar.
"Hey! Thorin! Balin!" Before the dragon had fully landed, the fearless Rynar leapt off its back.
"Oh! It's great to see you, King Rynar!" Thorin smiled, opening his arms.
"Honorable King of Zaltarion, I salute you!" Balin bowed in respect.
"Good to see you both!" Rynar smiled as he hugged Thorin briefly, then helped Balin to his feet.
"Now, tell me, why have you sounded the horn of the Lonely Mountain?
You've got no idea how much it startled me, King Aranthor, and King Elenthor. Is it an orc attack?" Rynar fired off his words like rapid-fire.
"It's about the orcs. We've already started preparing for battle," Thorin pulled Rynar over to a map.
"This is the Grey Mountains! A massive orc army is descending from here!
They've hidden their banners and emblems, so we're not sure if they're from Gundabad," Thorin explained, clearly troubled by the identity of the orcs.
"What about their weapons and gear?" Rynar examined the map and asked.
"You know, northern orcs are well-equipped!"
Thorin shrugged helplessly, indicating that identifying northern orcs by their equipment was unreliable. The northern orcs were still at an advantage.
"Then all we can do is prepare for a full-scale battle," Rynar said with a sigh.
"Yes, this uncertainty is truly frustrating..." Thorin slammed his fist into the wall in anger.
"Sorry, Thorin, but this battle may fall entirely on your shoulders. We don't have the strength to fight on two fronts..." Though he hated to admit it, Rynar had to acknowledge that his forces couldn't sustain two battlefields.
In fact, if not for the 1,500 Rapid Infantry reinforcing his position, Rynar would have considered combining his forces with Aranthor's to defend a single city.
"My friend, I understand your difficulties..." Thorin sighed again, knowing that the situation in the south was likely worse. After all, Azog, the Pale Orc, was not someone to be underestimated.
"Take care of yourself... I must return to Riverguard," Rynar waved goodbye after a moment of silence.
"This won't be an easy fight..." Thorin murmured, watching the dragon fly away.
...
"So, we're not participating in this northern war?" Aranthor couldn't help but ask.
"We are! But we don't have the strength to change the tide!" King Elenthor furrowed his brow in deep thought before speaking.
"Looks like we're of the same mind!" Rynar lifted his head and smiled at Elenthor.
"So, what kind of secret code are you two working with?" Vanervi, sitting in a chair, couldn't help but complain as she watched their exchanged glances.
"I and Elenthor both mean to send our air knights. That way, if there's trouble in the south, they can return quickly. Right, Elenthor?" Rynar looked over at the silent elven king.
"Exactly. We can't leave them unaided, but if we send our regular soldiers, we won't have enough.
They are both powerful and can retreat quickly if needed," Elenthor agreed with the plan.
"Alright then, it's settled. There's no way we're exposing our people to the orcs while sending our soldiers north. If I dared to give such an order, my people would overthrow me," Aranthor said with self-mockery.
"Whatever you decide, it's fine with me. I don't have any air knights anyway!" Vanervi, the country bumpkin, added, hinting that he was outclassed by these lords with high-end forces.
All he had left were rangers and archers, plus a few rare assassins.
"Let's leave it at that. Keep an eye on the northern battlefield, and pay attention to the orcs from Dol Guldur," Rynar told Aranthor and Elenthor.
"Hahaha! Don't worry, I won't let the orcs near Riverguard," Aranthor laughed heartily.
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