Chapter 87: Preparations for the Plan, and the Coronation of Thorin II

Over the next few days, Allen busily prepared everything needed for this baiting operation; he was the type of person who would give his all once he began a plan.

According to the reconnaissance results from Cress, the enemies entrenched near the High Pass were likely over a thousand Orcish.

Allen speculated that there should be some elites among them, but more were likely the remnants who had fled back from the Lonely Mountain.

If he wanted to lure them out, the soldiers Allen brought could not be too many; he had to give those already battered Orcish the confidence to emerge from their caves and besiege the Humans who had intruded upon their territory.

And after luring the Orcish out, Allen would still need to take the "bait" and hold out for a period of time under the Orcish siege, waiting for reinforcements to arrive.

One must never underestimate the Orcish; even the common Orcish known as Snaga, while a bit foolish, could fight to the death without retreating when commanded or guided by a target, especially when there was a large disparity in numbers between the two sides.

Their favorite tactic was to use their own bodies to tackle the enemy, creating attack opportunities for their teammates.

Facing such a situation, Allen could only bring elites, and they could not be the highly recognizable Skin-changers; if the Orcish spotted a Skin-changer, the plan would likely fail before it even began.

Allen thought for a long time and decided to bring Holimion and the twelve Twilight Knights under his command.

There were also the thirteen Swadian Knights who had followed Allen to Middle-earth from the very beginning.

As well as fifteen Rhodok Sharpshooters whose horsemanship was already quite superb.

Finally, there were forty Khuzaid Horse Archers to round out the numbers; this group of nearly ninety elites formed the "bait" Allen had prepared for the Orcish.

With a ten-fold difference in numbers, theoretically, those Orcish should bite the bait set for them.

Originally, Allen had also wanted to bring those ten Nord Royal Guards; their horsemanship had also been practiced well over the years, but unfortunately, after the New Year, as Alayen's personal guards, they had already been taken to the Mirkwood Road.

If he specifically called them back, time would be a bit rushed, so Allen abandoned this idea.

As soldiers acting as "bait," their horsemanship had to be superb, because Allen was very worried that while traveling through the valley, the Orcish would charge down from the mountains and catch him off guard.

If the people he brought had good enough horsemanship, they could perform a strategic transfer when encountering unexpected situations; at the very least, they could avoid being surrounded, as the terrain there was truly unsuitable for cavalry combat, and they could barely manage to run away.

Yesterday, Desaiwei, who had gone out for reconnaissance, had already returned, bringing back detailed information about the lower valley of the High Pass.

As one of the very few places that allowed large troops to pass, the lower valley of the High Pass in the Misty Mountains still maintained a state that was basically passable, unlike the Mirkwood Road, which had been completely abandoned.

For this, one had to thank the Battle of Azanulbizar that broke out between the Dwarf and the Orcish over a hundred years ago; from that time on, more than half of the Orcish in the Misty Mountains were cleared out, and without the harassment of this scum, this road was able to be maintained for merchants traveling between Eriador and Rhovanion.

However, with the Orcish becoming rampant again, the lower road of the High Pass had also become impassable in recent years, and people had turned to walking the upper road of the High Pass.

That was the road Gandalf chose for Thorin's Company; however, the encounter between Allen and the Dwarf also showed that it was not safe there, as they were ambushed in the front hall of the Orc Town, most of them were captured by the Orcish, and they went through quite a lot of twists and turns before leaving there.

Because the road in the valley had been abandoned for over a decade and the Orcish who occupied it year-round would not maintain it at all, the road there was only barely rideable and could not support the combat needs of large-scale cavalry.

Otherwise, Allen would not have spent so much effort thinking about a baiting plan; as long as he kept cavalry stationed near the valley year-round, once a problem arose, he could directly lead a large cavalry force to charge through that valley and trample all the trashy Orcish to death.

After all, that valley was only about fifty kilometers long; as long as the road was good, once the cavalry galloped, they could tread every corner of the valley in less than two hours.

Allen intended to wait until the Orcish entrenched near the High Pass were eliminated, and then, after the Mirkwood Road was initially opened, he would divide a portion of the people to complete the leveling of the valley road.

After all, as long as Sauron was not destroyed, the Orcish of the Misty Mountains, having a master, would be endless; it was estimated that it wouldn't be long before they multiplied again, and Allen had no way to send troops to clear them out in the deep tunnels time and time again, so possessing a field suitable for his own combat was exceptionally important.

Of course, these were all things for the future; now that Allen had prepared the bait to attract the prey, he naturally still needed the hunter to capture the prey.

For this, Allen had already issued an order to Fatis to begin conscripting infantry and archers.

At this moment, on the parade ground outside the city of Wilderness Town, eight hundred soldiers had already gathered; they were sweating and drilling on the parade ground, and bursts of war cries echoed over the parade ground.

Even the archers had to seize the time to familiarize themselves with melee combat abilities; these Woodland Residents selected as archers were not incapable of melee combat.

It was just because their archery skills were top-notch that they were chosen as archers; capable of drawing bows multiple times in a short period and having more powerful arms, they were equally strong in melee combat, only their equipment was slightly crude due to their different positioning.

To solve this problem, after receiving Allen's order, Fatis redistributed all the equipment in Wilderness Town to ensure that everyone participating in this battle could be fully equipped.

These eight hundred soldiers were the hunters Allen had arranged; they would hide near the entrance of the valley, waiting for Allen's signal. As soon as the fireworks were lit and exploded in the sky, they would, under the leadership of Bandak, charge into the valley at full speed at the first moment to support their lord.

In addition to the hunters, Allen also arranged a retreat; Fatis would lead three hundred cavalry to set off from near the Old Ferry after receiving the signal and run toward the direction of the valley.

If the plan had no problems and was implemented smoothly, then it would be considered an exercise; if an unexpected situation occurred and Allen's soldiers were soundly defeated in the valley, then these cavalry could still meet up with Allen and the others running out of the valley on the wilderness near the Old Ferry, so as not to let Allen's...

To complete these preparations, Allen was truly kept busy for several days; on the day before departure, he confirmed the plan with Gandalf and Bilbo Baggins again, and both of them indicated there were no problems.

Bilbo Baggins already wanted to go back very much; it was not that this Hobbit was dissatisfied with Allen's hospitality, as he enjoyed the treatment of a guest of honor in Wilderness Town, and the surrounding scenery was extremely beautiful, especially Beorn's garden, where the flowers could bloom very beautifully even in winter.

It was just that the Took blood in Bilbo Baggins's veins that craved adventure had been completely satisfied, and now, the Baggins blood that hoped for comfort had completely gained the upper hand.

The sleep-inducing armchair, the cozy and comfortable Bag End, the rich and beautiful Shire, and the friendly and talkative neighbors frequently appeared in Bilbo Baggins's dreams, making his desire to go home rise ever higher.

However, accidents always appeared when they shouldn't; just as Allen had finalized the march route and was preparing to set off the next day, a group of Dwarf arrived at Wilderness Town to visit him, the future King of the Rhovanion City-State.

It was a group of Dwarf led by Thorin; this group of Dwarf had originally intended to go to Lothlorien to bring back their king, Thrain II, but they returned empty-handed.

It turned out that Thrain II's condition at this time was extremely poor; he had suffered immensely during the time he was imprisoned by Sauron, and being able to survive through these long years was entirely reliant on the resilience of the Dwarf and the obsession to see his son one last time.

【Speaking of which, the best app for listening to books currently is Wild Fruit Reading; install the latest version.】

Relying on these, Thrain II was able to hold on until the rescue by Gandalf and the others; this should be the grace of Eru Iluvatar, or the protection of Aule, after all, in Allen's impression, this King Under the Mountain should have died decades ago.

Regarding Thrain II's condition, Lady Galadriel, who controlled Nenya, stated her judgment: this current King Under the Mountain was already at the end of his rope.

As long as he left Lothlorien, it was estimated that he wouldn't even be able to hold on for a month, even if this Dwarf king's surface wounds had already healed at this time, but his life force, which was about to be exhausted, could not be replenished at all.

Only by staying in Lothlorien, staying by Lady Galadriel's side, and under the protection of Nenya, could Thrain II continue to hold on, but as for how long he could hold on, Lady Galadriel also could not give a specific time, only a judgment of ten to twenty-plus years.

Even a Dwarf as stubborn as Thorin was devastated by this news; he and his father had not seen each other for decades, and yet when they met again, his father was about to be summoned by the great god Aule to the Halls of Mandos; how could Thorin accept this?

Thrain II, who had been tortured for decades, was quite open-minded; he was already very satisfied to be able to see Thorin one last time before he died.

At the time when he was rescued by Gandalf in Dol Guldur, he had entrusted his old friend to say one thing to Thorin on his behalf.

"I love you, my son."

However, this request was rejected on the spot by Gandalf; the confident Grey Wizard assured Thrain II that he would definitely be able to say this sentence to Thorin himself.

And now, Gandalf's assurance was realized at this moment; the father and son who hadn't seen each other for a long time talked alone for a good while, especially when Thrain II learned that his son had already reclaimed the Lonely Mountain, he was even more moved to tears.

After all, it was also because he wanted to reclaim the Lonely Mountain that he was caught by Bolg on the road and offered to Sauron, which led to the decades of misfortune that followed.

Since the Lonely Mountain had now been reclaimed from the hands of Smaug, the title of King Under the Mountain of Durin's Line was once again well-deserved; this three-hundred-year-old King Under the Mountain requested the rulers of Lothlorien, Lady Galadriel and Celeborn, to act as witnesses.

Subsequently, in the palace at the very top of Cerin Amroth in Caras Galadhon, Thrain II held a coronation ceremony for his son Thorin; under the illumination of the stars, amidst the blessings of Elven singing, and under the tearful gaze of many Dwarf, he handed the throne of the Kingdom of Erebor to his son Thorin.

From that moment on, the former Thorin Oakenshield became the Thorin II of today; of course, he still lacked a grand banquet and an enthronement ceremony to announce to his friends and those evil enemies that he had already become the King Under the Mountain, and the Dwarf would surely march toward prosperity again under his leadership.

After completing all this, Thrain II had no more regrets; he was already prepared to head to the Lonely Mountain, wanting to take one last look at the Lonely Mountain before he died.

However, Thorin II did not want to be separated from his father by life and death at this time; in order to be able to see his father again in the future, after discussing with Thrain II, this new Dwarf king sincerely pleaded with Lady Galadriel.

He hoped his father Thrain II could reside here for a long time, and expressed his willingness to pay any price in return.

The beautiful Lady Galadriel naturally would not refuse this request; kind as she was, she indicated to Thorin II that no reward was needed, and that Lothlorien would always welcome him to visit his father.

Afterwards, Thorin II stayed in Lothlorien for a few days to properly keep his old father company, then left that place and arrived at Wilderness Town to visit Allen and the others.

While listening to Thorin II's words, Allen observed his friend from time to time; it was clear that through this reunion with his father, Thorin II's past arrogance and prejudice toward Elves had completely vanished.

At the very least, regarding the Elves living in Lothlorien, Thorin's opinion had certainly undergone a earth-shaking change.

When this Dwarf mentioned Lady Galadriel, his face was filled with respect, and he praised Lady Galadriel's beauty more than once, saying it even surpassed the Lonely Mountain's royal treasure, the "Heart of the Mountain."

Such words were incredible praise coming from a Dwarf, and coming from the King under the Mountain himself, it was even more rare.

Allen only hoped that this change in Thorin II's view of Elves could slightly include the Silvan Elves living in the Woodland Realm, and include King Thranduil.

So that it might make things a little easier for him when he leads the tripartite alliance in the future.

Thorin II could not stay long in Wilderness Town; his main purpose for coming here was to invite his three friends to attend his coronation ceremony in two months.

"My friends, on this journey to reclaim the Lonely Mountain, you helped me a great deal; no amount of thanks can express the gratitude I feel in my heart. I have come here to invite you to attend my coronation ceremony. I hope that when I am officially crowned King, you can stay by my side to witness my glory. I hope you can agree to this request of mine."

Facing Thorin II's invitation, the three of them—Allen, Bilbo Baggins, and Gandalf—could not refuse. If it were merely a banquet to celebrate the Dwarves reclaiming the Lonely Mountain, then Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf would not attend, as they had already lingered too long, but how could they not attend their dear friend's moment of glory?

After receiving a satisfactory answer, Thorin II took the Dwarves and hurried back; in order to make this coronation ceremony worthy of the title King under the Mountain, they still needed to do a lot of preparatory work.

Allen's plan, however, would not change because of this; tomorrow, he would still head to the valley beneath the High Pass.