Chapter 634 635: Moving Forward and Struggling

After watching the White Wizard Saruman depart, Barad-dûr returned to silence.

Not long after, Sauron also transformed into a black mist and left Barad-dûr, going to guard Mount Doom behind Mordor.

Yes, Sauron had lied to Saruman earlier; he was not unable to leave Barad-dûr, and his strength had actually recovered for the most part.

The reason he showed weakness to the White Wizard was, on one hand, to mislead him and gain more benefits.

On the other hand, it was because Sauron was afraid that the Ringbearer Squad would take advantage of his absence to secretly destroy the One Ring at Mount Doom, so he needed an excuse to be stationed in Mordor.

In summary, although Saruman was willing to cooperate with the dark forces, he was ultimately used as a pawn by Sauron.

Over the next two days, Sauron also re-evaluated his forces in Mordor.

He dispatched the first batch of Orc warriors, manufactured by Saruman a few days prior, to be stationed at the only path leading to Mount Doom.

As for Orc, which had obvious weaknesses, Sauron had already defined them as expendable materials.

Therefore, two days later, an Orc army consisting of tens of thousands of Orc and a small portion of Orc, led by Bolg, officially advanced towards Rohan.

As the saying goes: even waste has its value.

And this Orc army, mainly composed of Orc, was the cannon fodder Sauron sent to test the human forces.

Only the large number of Orc stationed in Mordor, and the second batch of Orc that Saruman was about to produce in Isengard, were Sauron's true trump cards for ruling Middle-earth.

On the other side, among the Ringbearer Squad, except for the Four Hobbit Children and Boromir, everyone else was exceptionally skilled.

Therefore, the team's progress was very fast, and in less than two days, they passed through the wilderness jungle and arrived at Moria, where the seven Dwarf clans lived.

This was also because Gandalf deliberately kept the team low-key; otherwise, their travel speed would have been even faster.

"Old friend, long time no see!"

The current Dwarf King Thorin received Gandalf and the others in the newly built Dwarf palace in Moria.

Upon meeting, Thorin warmly embraced Gandalf.

The average lifespan of the Dwarf is around two hundred and fifty years. Sixty years had passed, and Prince Durin, who was over one hundred and eighty years old back then, was now old and frail.

Thorin, whose hair and beard had turned gray, no longer had his former arrogance; instead, his face showed a hint of kindness.

"Yes, a very long time has indeed passed, but so many things feel as if they happened just yesterday..." Gandalf looked at Thorin's wrinkled face, a look of emotion also appearing on his own face.

Things change, people change. What could be more moving than watching your friends grow old?

After greeting Gandalf, Thorin also ordered a lavish feast to be prepared for the Ringbearer Squad, allowing Frodo and the others to fully experience the warmth of the Dwarf.

In the lively atmosphere, Thorin seemed to regain some of his former splendor, raising his goblet and toasting each member of the Ringbearer Squad.

Even Elf Prince Legolas was not neglected.

When the banquet ended, Thorin, already a bit tipsy, enthusiastically invited the Ringbearer Squad members to stay in Moria for a few more days.

However, Gandalf ultimately declined, citing the need to travel.

Knowing that the Ringbearer Squad had an important mission, Thorin, to show his hospitality, finally presented the best steeds of Moria to everyone and had his cousin Dáin escort them on their departure.

Dáin Ironfoot, as Thorin's cousin, was a little older than Thorin. However, he had not suffered any hidden injuries in his youth, so even in old age, his body remained strong, capable of running and jumping.

Dáin, with over a dozen of his subordinates, escorted the Ringbearer Squad all the way over the most difficult Misty Mountains, reaching the borders of Lothlórien, where the Ñoldor Elves lived, before departing.

"I didn't expect you Dwarf to be so warm-hearted; anyone who becomes your friend must be truly happy." Pippin, riding a pony, chatted with Gimli beside him after entering Lothlórien.

Along the way, the Four Hobbit Children, apart from the initial hardships of traveling with Mike, had a smooth journey thereafter.

Especially during the part of the journey escorted by the Dwarf, Dáin took meticulous care of everyone.

This also left Pippin with a very good impression of the Dwarf.

"You're already friends of the Dwarf; if you wish, you can often visit Moria in the future..." Gimli, hearing Pippin's praise, happily extended an invitation.

After all, the Dwarf's character is straightforward like that; if they like you, you're a friend.

Of course, the Dwarf also has a stubborn side; with Pippin's lively personality, if he were to live in Moria permanently, he would probably encounter some difficulties sooner or later.

Gandalf watched Pippin and Gimli chatting animatedly, and couldn't help but shake his head slightly.

It was at this moment that an ancient and melodious song reached the ears of the Ringbearer Squad.

The song was very beautiful, but listening to it for too long could make one feel heavy-hearted.

Then, accompanied by the song, a migrating group of Ñoldor Elves appeared before everyone.

"Where are they going?" Frodo asked curiously.

"Once the One Ring is destroyed, the spiritual energy of Middle-earth will also disappear. The Elves rely on spiritual energy to live; without it, they will need to leave..." Gandalf explained the reason to Frodo.

This was also why the beautiful songs of the Elves carried a hint of sorrow.

After all, no one would be in good spirits when leaving their homeland.

"Is that so?" Frodo watched the Elves, whose faces carried a faint sadness, pass by, and couldn't help but touch the One Ring hanging around his neck.

He hadn't known before that destroying the One Ring would have such a great impact.

"Alright, since we've arrived in Lothlórien, let's go meet Queen Galadriel." Gandalf suggested.

Afterward, the atmosphere in the team was no longer as lively as before, and everyone silently followed the Wizard to the Ñoldor Elves' settlement in the Golden Forest.

The once beautiful Elves' settlement, after losing the Elves' meticulous care, already had a hint of dilapidation.

"Welcome to you all—"

Queen Galadriel greeted everyone with a gentle smile.

This Queen Galadriel and her husband were still here, likely doing the final cleanup work.

"After dinner, everyone can rest safely here for the night. Celeborn and I will guarantee your safety!" At the lavish Elves' dinner, Queen Galadriel assured everyone.

The Ringbearer Squad's mission was too important; if no one helped them, for safety's sake, even when resting, they would need to specifically arrange people to be on alert.

And getting a good night's sleep was a very happy thing for the Ringbearer Squad, who had a tight schedule.

"Then we will trouble you." Gandalf accepted the Elven Queen's kindness.

After all, by the time everyone arrived at the Golden Forest, it was already evening.

Although the Ringbearer Squad's mission was important, it wasn't so urgent that they needed to travel through the night.

Time came to midnight...

When everyone was fast asleep, Frodo, with the One Ring hanging around his neck, was still recalling in his mind the scene of the Ñoldor Elves migrating that afternoon, and their sorrowful expressions.

Then he thought of the gentle Queen Galadriel.

Frodo, being kind by nature, seemed to have difficulty accepting that his mission was causing the Elves to leave their homeland.

Even the Queen Galadriel's smile, in his eyes, seemed forced.

Ultimately, this guilt became a great mountain, crushing Frodo and making him breathless.

The more he thought, the more chaotic his mind became. After tossing and turning several times, the Hobbit still couldn't fall asleep.