At dawn, the group packed their belongings and set off, bathed in the first rays of the rising sun, leaving the town of Bree behind.
Rynar opened the map, frowning as he studied the patch of forest on the western side of the Misty Mountains along the East Road.
"The Troll Forest?" Rynar couldn't help but feel anxious.
Whether in games or movies, that area was home to wandering trolls, and it was also a critical part of the Hobbit storyline where the three Elven swords—Glamdring, the Foe-Hammer; Orcrist, the Goblin-Cleaver; and Sting, Bilbo's personal sword—would make their shining return.
"There is evil hidden within this forest…" Gandalf suddenly appeared beside Rynar, murmuring in a low voice.
"Trolls? My knights will chop their heads off!" A cold gleam flickered in Rynar's eyes.
"Let's hope so…" Gandalf gave Rynar a deep, thoughtful look.
"Clang!" Rynar casually drew his sword, the Dragon Slayer.
"Everyone, stay alert!" Rynar raised the long sword, riding up and down the ranks to ensure his voice reached every member of the group.
The knights silently tightened their belts, fastened their swords, and hung their lances in the most convenient spot on their saddles.
The knights in the front row held their lances upright, their eyes scanning the dense forest around them.
The Battanian Archers unstrung their mithril bows and notched arrows to the bowstrings.
"Stay vigilant, keep the formation tight. If we encounter danger, don't panic. Use your shields to block attacks from all directions. Keep moving, don't let yourself become a stationary target!"
Reynard, on horseback, patrolled the outer perimeter, loudly reminding the knights to stay on guard.
"My lord, I noticed some of the knights are close to leveling up," Caslow said, riding up quickly to whisper in Rynar's ear.
"Oh?" Rynar raised an eyebrow, opening the system menu.
Sure enough, the first ten apprentice knights under his command were on the verge of reaching full knight status.
Rynar smiled happily. While apprentice knights were still technically knights, the title of "knight" sounded much better, and the power boost that came with it was substantial.
Moreover, a fully-fledged knight had a few impressive skills, which set them apart from apprentices.
Compared to apprentice knights, knights had a few additional, highly practical skills:
Shield Wall – Condense battle energy into the shield, forming a 2-meter-long, 1-meter-wide energy shield in front of the knight. Requires a shield.
Sword Counter – After successfully blocking an enemy attack, the knight can immediately launch a counterstrike, with battle energy that adds armor-piercing effects. Requires a sword-type weapon.
Flashing Sword – Summons a sword of condensed battle energy from the heavens to strike the enemy, causing burn damage. The attack range is 10 meters.
"Caslow, I have a task for you," Rynar said with a glint in his eyes.
"My lord, I'm always at your command," Caslow quickly replied.
"You can teach them those skills, right?" Rynar asked in a low voice.
"Of course. A lot of the skills for dragon knights overlap with regular knights," Caslow responded, a bit surprised but quickly whispering back.
"Great. Then you're in charge of training them," Rynar said, clapping him on the shoulder.
"Wait, what?" Caslow's face immediately filled with confusion.
"Well, we don't have a proper mentor here, so you'll have to fill in. Reynard's busy leading the squad, so the job is yours," Rynar said, patting Caslow's shoulder encouragingly.
"My lord, are you conscripting me for this?" Caslow said, covering his face in mock dismay.
"Ahem, let's call it 'utilizing talent to its fullest,'" Rynar replied, his face calm and unbothered.
---
"Thorin, we need to be more cautious from now on. Tell your dwarf companions that our movements may have been exposed. Orcs might already be tracking us," Rynar said as he approached Thorin.
"What?" Thorin exclaimed in surprise.
"This forest ahead won't be easy to traverse. The trolls hiding within won't let us pass so easily," Rynar said, sighing helplessly as he glanced at the group.
He knew all too well that the Troll Forest didn't just have the three trolls from the movies. Many more were lurking within.
"Rest assured, my lord, I'll make sure everyone stays on high alert," Thorin replied after some thought.
"I hope so."
---
That night, by the campfire, Balin was telling Bilbo the story of Thorin and the pale Orc, Azog, just as Rynar had remembered.
"And what happened after? What about that Orc?" Bilbo couldn't help but ask.
"Dead! Mortally wounded and died in a dark cave," Thorin said coldly as he approached.
"Get some rest. We still have a long way to go tomorrow," Rynar said as he walked over.
"Yes, yes, going to sleep," Bilbo hurriedly spread out his blanket and lay down by the warm fire along with the others. Rynar, meanwhile, headed to his own tent to rest.
His military tent was large enough to accommodate 10 fully armed knights.
They had set up 13 tents, with one each for Rynar, Caslow, and Reynard, and the other 10 knights taking turns keeping watch.
---
"Damn! Someone's missing!" Rynar heard someone shout as he groggily woke up.
"Shit! Damn it! I forgot that there's supposed to be a troll attack tonight in the storyline!" Rynar leaped out of bed, grabbed his Dragon Slayer sword, and rushed out of the tent.
"What's going on?" he asked, grabbing Ori by the arm.
"Bilbo and Kili are missing!" Ori answered in a panic.
"Reynard! Wake everyone up! Prepare for battle!" Rynar shouted.
"Thorin! Your people really know how to cause trouble!" Rynar said, shaking his head.
"Wait, where did you tie up the horses?" Rynar suddenly remembered. In the original plot, they tied the horses in the woods, only for the trolls to steal them.
"Kili and Fili tied the horses in the woods," Dwalin said suddenly.
"Check if the horses are still there!" Rynar quickly ordered.
Someone ran off to check, and not long after, Balin returned, shouting, "They're gone!"
"Dammit! There must be at least a dozen trolls!" Rynar groaned.
"Knights! Assemble!" Rynar yelled.
"Help! Help!" Suddenly, Fili came tumbling out of the bushes.
"Trolls! They've captured Bilbo and stolen our horses!"
"Lead the way!" Reynard said coldly.
"Yes, yes, follow me!" Fili, startled for a moment, quickly led the way.
---
"I'll tear you all to pieces and dip you in sauce!" roared a troll, towering at three to four meters tall.
Below, Bilbo and Kili were dodging the giant hands that were reaching for them.
"Still haven't caught those little mice?"
"How should we cook these horses?"
"I think we should eat them raw."
"Make a stew. I've got some squirrel droppings to add for flavor."
"Hm? Do you hear that? Sounds like horses... like human cavalry," one of the trolls roasting over the fire raised its head, looking toward the rustling trees with suspicion.
"For the honor of the knights! Charge!"
"Kill! For justice!"
"For the glory of Zaltarion Empire!" That was Reynard.
Suddenly, a torrent of steel burst from the forest. Lances gleamed like a forest of spears, and armored knights smashed through every obstacle in their path.
One of the trolls chasing Bilbo and Kili was instantly knocked down by a charging knight, and the following knights immediately plunged their lances into it.
Feeling the immense resistance in his lance, the knight quickly dropped it and swung a war pick at the troll as he passed by.
"Roar!" The troll howled in pain.
Unfortunately, its howls were short-lived.
It was quickly overwhelmed by the torrent of steel, and in the glow of the knights' torches, only chunks of crushed, mutilated flesh remained on the ground.