"I've always wanted to lead people to reclaim that place, but our scouts say it's still occupied by endless hordes of brutal orcs. Not only that, there are also many ferocious beasts and trolls..."
Balin let out a sigh.
"This matter still requires more thought. At least for now, I don't believe the time is right."
"But leaving that aside, what I want to say is, it's very dangerous there. This fortress is too close to Khazad-dûm, monsters from that place could reach here in just a few days, or even faster if they marched at full speed."
"But the same is true the other way around." Garrett smiled at Balin.
Indeed, the choice of location wasn't exactly prudent. Not only was Khazad-dûm right next door, but a little further south lay the land of the Dunlendings, and the hill-folk there weren't easy to deal with either.
Lately, they seemed to have allied themselves with Saruman.
From that perspective, for now, at least for the next few years, there wasn't much to worry about. Saruman would keep them obediently within their own territory.
In fact, even without Saruman's restraint, the Dunlendings wouldn't go looking for trouble without cause. They could just barely be considered neutral. As long as they weren't provoked, they usually wouldn't attack.
The only ones they truly hated were the Rohirrim, and most of their cooperation with Saruman came from that hatred.
As for who was right and who was wrong between the two sides... one could only say history was always complex and winding, full of things hard to judge, with no clear verdict to be made.
The only certainty was this: for the living beings of this world, orcs and the other dark creatures under Sauron's control were without doubt evil, because they sought to enslave all existence, even to destroy everything.
Enslavement itself went against the very nature of life, and as for destruction, that went without saying.
There was no room for debate on this, it was one of the rare things that could be judged absolutely.
"Mm. I believe you can hold this place."
Gandalf finished the soup to the last drop and agreed, "As long as you remain here, I don't think anything will risk attacking."
"But the warning still needs to be said, on one point I agree with Balin: for now, we do need to heighten our vigilance."
"After all, the walls aren't built yet, and the settlement is only in its infancy. At this stage, the territory is vulnerable. If our great enemy has any designs, it won't be just a minor skirmish."
Khazad-dûm was vast, extremely vast, and filled with dark creatures, most of them vicious.
Even after an entire army was wiped out during the Battle of Five Armies, the number of orcs remaining there still had to be counted in the tens of thousands.
"All right, I'll keep it in mind." Garrett shrugged and went back to tackling the freshly roasted meat on his plate.
Seeing his attitude, the two across from him said nothing more.
They had said what needed to be said; the rest could be left to him with confidence.
The meal ended quietly, without incident.
The next morning, the two mounted their horses and prepared to leave Riverside Fortress, while Garrett escorted them as far as the main road.
"Not staying a few more days?" Garrett asked, trying to persuade them.
"Such is the nature of journeys, hurried, and gone when duty calls."
Gandalf said, "Our paths will surely cross again one day."
With that, he swung up onto his horse.
"If you're still here when I return, I'll certainly pay you a visit," Balin added as he climbed up, with Gandalf's help, to sit behind him.
He needed the assistance, he really couldn't reach on his own.
"All right, then, until we meet again."
Garrett waved in farewell.
Clip-clop, clip-clop...
Just as Gandalf was about to set off, the sound of urgent hoofbeats came rushing toward them.
"Whoa—!"
"Garrett!"
A figure galloped up, halting sharply before the three of them. In the blink of an eye, he swung off his horse.
"Halbarad?"
"What's the matter? Why so urgent?"
"Intelligence."
Halbarad quickly glanced at Gandalf and Balin, confirming they were all allies before continuing:
"News from the ruins of Ost-in-Edhil, last night, a massive army of orcs gathered at the West Gate of Khazad-dûm. Along with them were several shadowy figures, like wraiths, but stronger and far more terrifying than ordinary barrow-wights."
"The Nazgûl."
Garrett and Gandalf spoke in unison.
Halbarad explained, "The report came from some recent graduates of our scouting program. They've never encountered the Ringwraiths before and mistook them for a more powerful type of barrow-wight."
"That makes sense. Have them keep well clear and regroup. Those creatures aren't foes ordinary men can handle."
"They've already done so, they're right behind me."
As he listened to the exchange, Gandalf silently swung down from his horse.
"It seems our trip to the Shire will have to be postponed."
"Agreed. These old bones of mine have long needed some exercise," Balin said as he too hopped down.
"An old warrior, but a heart still young."
Inside the fortress's main hall, a small war council was hastily convened.
Facing the looming threat of a conflict that would clearly be no small affair, Garrett appeared far more relaxed than the other three, who wore grim expressions.
He thought to himself, So busy building this fortress that I forgot to deal with them first. And now they've come knocking? All the better, saves me the trouble.
"So the question is, how many of them are there?"
"Many. No fewer than ten thousand, by estimate."
"Is that information reliable?" Gandalf frowned the moment he heard the number.
Halbarad's face was just as grave.
If Gandalf's concern lay purely in the size of the enemy, Halbarad worried about the broader situation. As a Ranger long familiar with the lands between these two realms, he knew more of the region's realities than most.
At present, Riverside Fortress held only a few construction teams, just a few hundred men in total. Even if every one of them had some training and could be mustered as soldiers, the numbers were far too small.
Not to mention, the enemy had several Ringwraiths on their side. And besides...
"I believe they must have made some preparations. They wouldn't launch such an attack recklessly. After all, all of Middle-earth knows whose domain this is."
Halbarad gave his assessment.
"On that point, I agree," Gandalf nodded. He couldn't resist lighting his pipe, hoping the smoke would help his thoughts flow faster.
"And what about us?"
Balin asked, "How many troops do we have?"
"At present, only a few hundred here at Riverside," Halbarad answered.
"That's not very encouraging."
Balin offered his suggestion: "Wayfort is nearby, we could call reinforcements from there. If we can hold out long enough and send word, Erebor will certainly dispatch their finest warriors to our aid."
Whoosh.
A ring of smoke drifted up into the air as Gandalf added, "And don't forget the Elves. Rivendell is close at hand. Elrond will not stand by and watch this place besieged."
"Time is short, I'll ride to Rivendell at once—"
"No need."
Just as Balin and Gandalf were thinking of solutions for him, Garrett suddenly waved his hand.