After the meeting concluded, the participating representatives returned to their respective territories via the fireplaces.
The newly formed Fellowship of the Ring temporarily remained in Rivendell, where Gandalf explained the true plan again.
"So, we are not escorting the ring to the West, but secretly heading East to Mordor?" Boromir asked.
The other members of the Fellowship were also very surprised to hear the real plan.
Gandalf nodded: "We released the fog to confuse Sauron's sight. Therefore, the fewer people who know about this, the better. Furthermore, the connection between the Ring and Sauron is growing deeper. The closer the Ring is to Sauron, the more likely he is to sense its existence."
"Only by luring Sauron out of Mordor, and having him as far away from Mordor as possible, can you seize the opportunity to sneak into Mordor and finally cast the Ring into Mount Doom."
Luke also said: "At that time, I will set up a Portkey to teleport you to the Pass of Cirith Ungol, which is closest to Mordor. You can sneak into the Mordor region from there."
"As for going any further, sending you into the heart of Mordor is impossible, because that area is covered by Sauron's power. If you are not careful, Sauron will detect you, and it will be difficult if you arouse his vigilance."
Frodo and the other members of the Fellowship were already very satisfied with this result.
After all, with Luke's help, they had saved most of the journey; otherwise, the distance from Rivendell to the outskirts of Mordor was thousands of miles.
If they walked on foot, they would not only endure long, exhausting journeys but also face numerous hardships and obstacles.
Inside the Royal Palace of Minas Tirith, the King's City of Gondor.
The aging Regent, Denethor II, was sitting on his black throne and received a letter from his eldest son, Boromir, sent from Rivendell.
The letter was written by Boromir immediately after the meeting, so the content did not contain the true plan, only mentioning the appearance of the Ring and the decision of the council to send the Ring to the Blessed Realm in the West.
The news of the Ring's appearance surprised Denethor, but at the same time, it sparked a flicker of delusion in his mind.
Gondor's national strength was currently weak, having lost many territories. To the east lay the threat of Mordor, and to the south, frequent harassment from the Haradrim and islanders.
This left Denethor, who had always been dedicated to restoring Gondor's power, frustrated by his inability to realize his ambitions.
He thought that if he possessed the one ring, perhaps he could stand against Sauron.
Since inheriting the position of Regent, the once spirited and ambitious Denethor II had watched the nation's power decline daily in his hands, adding a touch of gloom to his imposing demeanor.
The deep furrows in his brow would only slightly relax when he faced his beloved wife and eldest son.
But ever since his wife gave birth to their second son, Faramir, and her health grew increasingly frail, eventually succumbing to a long illness, Denethor II completely closed off his heart and redirected his anger toward Faramir.
The current Denethor II had become increasingly stubborn and severe, resembling a lonely and cold monarch.
Denethor II saw in the letter that Boromir had joined the Fellowship of the Ring and decided to escort the Ring across the sea to Valinor, causing his tightly furrowed brow to deepen.
In Denethor II's view, although Valinor in the West was a sacred, immortal realm, that legendary place was too far removed from reality and offered no help to Gondor.
Denethor was deeply distrustful of those legendary Valar, even harboring resentment toward them.
Back when his beloved wife passed away from frailty, and the nation's power was declining with continuous disasters year after year, he had prayed countless times for the mercy of the gods.
But the miracle he prayed for never appeared.
Therefore, he stopped trusting deities and outsiders, trusting only himself.
And Boromir, as his most beloved eldest son and his most satisfactory heir, if any accident were to befall him at sea, that was something he absolutely could not accept.
Therefore, seeing in the letter that Boromir had joined the Fellowship of the Ring, Denethor II was dissatisfied with his eldest son's decision for the first time.
But when Denethor II saw that Boromir mentioned in the letter that a Descendant of the Human King had appeared at the council, his face turned completely gloomy, and his eyes were filled with dark intensity.
This inevitably reminded him of the events that transpired just before he inherited the position of Steward of Gondor.
"Is that you, Thoron Tzel!" Denethor muttered to himself, his tone extremely complex.
Back when his father, Ecthelion II, was in power, a young man named Thoron Tzel came from the North and joined the Gondorian Navy, successfully leading the Gondorian Navy in a surprise attack against the Corsairs of Umbar.
In that battle, he burned a large number of enemy ships and personally killed the Port Admiral, greatly weakening Gondor's southern threat and earning him extremely high prestige within the Gondorian Navy.
Thoron Tzel was thus deeply trusted by Ecthelion II, becoming his important advisor. He offered many useful suggestions, helping Gondor avoid numerous potential dangers.
Denethor II naturally noticed this person. He was knowledgeable about history and sharp-witted. Given that Thoron Tzel's appearance and demeanor were strikingly similar to the ancient Kings of Gondor, this filled Denethor II with vigilance and suspicion toward him.
After multiple secret investigations, Denethor II was highly certain that Thoron Tzel was a descendant of the Gondorian Royal Family. Moreover, upon discovering Thoron Tzel's good relationship with Gandalf, he suspected they were collaborating to seize control of Gondor.
Perhaps Thoron Tzel also sensed Denethor II's suspicion and distrust, so he left Gondor before Denethor II inherited the position of Steward.
Despite this, Denethor II never lowered his guard or vigilance, and he was highly unwelcoming toward Gandalf.
In Denethor II's opinion, ever since the royal bloodline of Gondor died out, it was his line of Stewards that saved the almost-doomed Gondor, taking on the heavy responsibility of governing it, and they had never slackened for nearly a thousand years.
Therefore, he would absolutely not recognize a royal descendant from the North who brazenly sought to usurp the state power painstakingly managed by twenty-six generations of Regents.
Even though the first Regent had sworn to wait for the return of the royal bloodline, Denethor II would never acknowledge the identity of that Thoron Tzel.
If that day truly came, Denethor would rather destroy Gondor than simply hand over the rule of Gondor and be forced to grovel at the other party's feet and swear allegiance!
Thinking of this, Denethor II couldn't help but crush the letter in his hand. He then rose angrily and went alone to the White Tower, where he uncovered the black cloth, revealing the palantír beneath.
He pressed his hands tightly against the surface of the crystal, gazing into it, observing the situation within the domain of Gondor.
This was something he did frequently to easily dispatch troops across various regions from a distance and to check for disasters or enemy activity within the national territory.
Although Gandalf had warned him to use the palantír cautiously because Sauron also possessed one and could potentially use it to corrupt and influence him.
But ever since he suspected Gandalf and that royal descendant were plotting to seize control of Gondor, Denethor had completely lost trust in Gandalf and naturally no longer believed his words.
Or perhaps Denethor simply felt he had no other choice. Feeling his rule was in danger, he only wanted to use the palantír to observe all of Gondor's territories.
Only when he saw on the palantír that Gondor was still under his control could he slightly relax.
But he did not know that every time he used the palantír to survey the territories of Gondor, an invisible mental force within the stone was constantly influencing and corrupting him.
Under the influence of this mental force, Denethor II became even more stubborn, and a flash of madness appeared deep in his eyes.
He was like a lonely king guarding his power, filled with distrust and vigilance toward the outside world.
Mordor, Barad-dûr.
Sauron gazed through a palantír the size of a millstone, observing Denethor II as he appeared in the stone, and silently read the Regent's memories through the crystal.
"The one ring, I have finally found you! You want to send it to Valinor? Ha, dream on! This time, the forces of Darkness will achieve victory!"
Following Sauron's command, the southern port of Umbar.
One hundred large warships, along with countless smaller vessels, set sail grandly from the harbor, heading north.
The Pirate Fleet entrenched at the Port of Umbar was composed of Haradrim and Black Númenóreans, allied with Sauron. They were powerful and sailed unchecked across the entire Bay of Belfalas.
For a long time, they gained the upper hand in naval confrontations with the Navy of Gondor, at one point forcing the Gondor Navy to retreat and consolidate in Pelargir.
It wasn't until a decade ago that Aragorn, operating under the alias Thoron Tzel, led the Gondor Navy in a surprise attack on the Port of Umbar, killing the Port Marshal and burning a large number of ships, inflicting heavy losses on the Corsairs of Umbar.
Only then were the Corsairs of Umbar prevented from continuing their brazen acts, averting the threat to Gondor from the southern seas.
But now, more than ten years later, the Port of Umbar once again has a Marshal, and many of the warships they originally lost have been recovered.
As this fleet of pirate ships left the Port of Umbar and crossed the Bay of Belfalas, they were spotted by a patrolling Gondor Navy vessel.
The Gondor Navy immediately became highly vigilant, believing the Corsairs of Umbar were coming to attack Gondor. They prepared their entire force for a desperate fight, only to discover that the pirate ships ignored them and continued heading north.
The Navy Commander at Pelargir, upon receiving this news, felt relieved despite his confusion, and immediately sent the message back to the Royal City of Gondor via express courier.
Regent Denethor II in the Royal Palace of Minas Tirith showed little emotion upon receiving the news. After glancing at a map, he calmly instructed his subordinate Secretary: "Send the news of the Corsairs of Umbar heading north to Rivendell. Also, order the First Commander of the East (Faramir) and the Southern Navy Commander to prepare for full defense against an attack from Mordor."
The letter from Gondor was quickly delivered to Elrond in Rivendell.
Elrond's expression became solemn as he read the contents of the letter.
Luke happened to be beside Elrond at the time, and seeing the change in his expression, he couldn't help but ask, "Is something wrong, Lord Elrond?"
Elrond handed the letter to Luke. "A letter from Denethor II states that the Corsairs of Umbar have been spotted crossing the Bay of Belfalas and sailing north. They are numerous—at least a hundred large warships and countless small vessels!"
—
Luke took the letter, read it carefully, and showed a thoughtful expression.
"The Corsairs of Umbar are agents of Mordor. Their sudden movement north must be at Sauron's instruction. Among the northern ports, Lond Daer has been abandoned for a long time, so it cannot be their target. The only possible objective is the Grey Havens."
He instantly looked up and met Elrond's gaze. "Sauron's actions strongly suggest he already knows our plan!"
Elrond nodded. "Sauron's intention is to attack the Grey Havens and completely blockade its sea route, preventing us from sending the ring to Valinor."
Although both had prepared for Sauron to learn of the plan—and in fact, that was originally their goal—the speed at which Sauron learned it caught Luke and the others off guard.
"The most important thing now is to notify the Grey Havens immediately, instructing them to prepare their defenses. Furthermore, Lord Círdan has not yet returned from the sea, and the Grey Havens currently lacks someone in authority. It absolutely cannot be lost!"
Elrond looked worried. Círdan, the Lord of the Grey Havens, had not yet returned. The only person capable of taking charge was his Secretary, Galdor. The aggressive approach of the Corsairs of Umbar meant a great battle was inevitable.
He wondered if the people of the Grey Havens could withstand the attack from the Corsairs of Umbar.
Elrond wanted to personally supervise the battle, but Rivendell also required his presence, and he could not leave.
Luke understood Elrond's concern. He said, "Lord Elrond, you don't need to worry. I will dispatch one hundred Elite Aurors to reinforce the Grey Havens. I believe their intervention will be enough to deal with those pirates."
Elrond's worried expression eased slightly upon hearing this. He had great confidence in the strength of Luke's Auror Wizards; even a hundred Wizards were certainly far more powerful than ordinary Armies of Thousands.
Furthermore, due to the relationship between Elrond and Luke as father-in-law and son-in-law, the ties between Hogwarts and Rivendell were close.
Many Elves in Rivendell now possessed wands and had learned many useful spells, making their overall strength significantly greater than that of Elves elsewhere.
Although they still could not compare to the Elite Aurors among the Wizards, as Aurors were proficient in almost all powerful spells, save for the Three Unforgivable Curses.
They even had the chance to learn the Three Unforgivable Curses after passing Luke's test.
Only Luke's Trusted Subordinates received such treatment.
After all, even though Hogwarts accepted Students of all races with Magical Talent and taught Common Spells.
Luke could not treat everyone truly equally; powerful Advanced Spells and Dark Arts would certainly not be taught in the Classroom.
Only by becoming an Auror or a Hogwarts Professor, etc., would one have the opportunity to access such Profound Magic.
Getting back to the main topic, after Luke and Elrond discussed the matter of the Grey Havens, they inevitably turned to the Fellowship of the Ring.
Since they had decided to confuse Sauron's sight and attention, and then secretly transport the ring to Mount Doom for destruction.
The Fellowship of the Ring could not attract attention. In fact, they needed to create signs that the Fellowship was heading west to the Grey Havens, making Sauron more certain that they truly intended to escort the ring across the sea to the West.
Therefore, after deliberation, the Fellowship Members, including Frodo, split into two groups.
Frodo, Sam, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli formed one team, secretly transferring to Lothlórien via the vanishing cabinet.
Bilbo, Meryl, Pippin, Boromir, and Gandalf formed the visible team, traveling semi-openly toward the Grey Havens to draw attention.
Bilbo volunteered to disguise himself as his Nephew Frodo and join the westward Expedition Team.
Originally, this disguise mission was assigned to either Meryl or Pippin, but those two characters were too mischievous and lively, and failed to act the part when disguised as Frodo, making them easily recognizable.
Therefore, the task was ultimately handed to Bilbo, who was very familiar with Frodo.
Bilbo drank the Polyjuice Potion containing Frodo's hair and transformed into Frodo's likeness.
Bilbo, disguised as Frodo, looked exactly like Frodo when standing next to him, except for having a more mature Demeanor. Even Sam, Meryl, and Pippin, who knew them best, couldn't distinguish between the two without careful inspection.
To make the disguise more convincing, Luke specifically prepared a golden ring for Bilbo that looked identical to the one ring. It was also enchanted with a powerful Confundo and Dark Arts Aura, making it impossible for anyone not intimately familiar with the ring to tell that it was fake.
Thus, Bilbo, disguised as Frodo, traveled west with Meryl, Pippin, Boromir, and Gandalf.
Gandalf traveling west with them was also intended to make Sauron believe the plan even more.
Furthermore, based on Gandalf's suggestion, the team abandoned the idea of traveling directly to the Grey Havens via fireplace, citing the ring's ability to destabilize Floo Network Teleportation.
They chose instead to travel by Pegasus, lent to them by Elrond.
Gandalf and Frodo rode on the same Pegasus, while Boromir shared another with Meryl and Pippin.
The Pegasus was large enough to comfortably carry two or three adults, so even with Boromir, Meryl, and Pippin, it didn't feel crowded.
Under the cheers of everyone in Rivendell, the five left on their Pegasi. Except for a few like Elrond, Luke, and Glorfindel who knew the truth, everyone else believed that 'Frodo' was real and that they were carrying the One Ring to the Grey Havens to sail into the West.
As the Pegasi carried them out of Rivendell and soared into the sky, a red-eyed crow outside the valley caught sight of this scene. It then took flight from the woods with a caw, heading toward the Misty Mountains.
But at this moment, the riders on the Pegasi were completely unaware of this.
Meryl and Pippin, perched on the Pegasus's back, looked down at the land below and shouted loudly with excitement.
Even the steady Boromir couldn't help but feel his heart swell with emotion.
Boromir had studied at Hogwarts before and had traveled to the castle in Pegasus-drawn carriages at the start of every school year, but those had always traveled on the ground. Aside from flying brooms, he had never experienced the sensation of riding a Pegasus through the air.
Now, influenced by the excitement of the two hobbits behind him, he joined in their loud cheering.
Boromir also knew that this journey was meant to draw the enemy's attention to buy time for the other Fellowship of the Ring, and that the danger was significant—perhaps even more so.
But Boromir was not afraid. As the heir to the Regent of Gondor, he also desperately wished to see Sauron destroyed so that Gondor could avoid the continued threat from Mordor and no longer fear the crisis of total destruction.
Therefore, he had stepped forward to join the public Fellowship team to draw most of the enemy's attention and reduce the pressure on the other small squad.
While the group was riding the Pegasi, feeling refreshed among the clouds in the sky, Gandalf, who had been smiling, suddenly changed his expression. He quickly looked toward the distant horizon behind them and shouted loudly, "Be on your guard!"
Boromir and the other three hobbits also turned their heads to look back, and they instantly gasped in shock.
In the distant sky, a black cloud was drifting toward them. Upon closer inspection, they realized it was tens of thousands of Blood-sucking Bats.
Seeing so many bats pursuing them, Gandalf quickly shouted, "Get down! We have no advantage in the sky!"
As he spoke, he steered his Pegasus to descend rapidly toward the ground.
Boromir didn't dare be careless either. He shouted for Meryl and Pippin behind him to sit steady and hold on tight, then dove toward the ground at nearly a ninety-degree angle.
However, the bats were just as fast and soon caught up, frantically swarming and attacking the riders and the two Pegasi.
The sky-blotting Blood-sucking Bats attacked from all directions. In an instant, Boromir, Meryl, and Pippin were wounded, with scratch marks appearing on their faces and bodies.
Boromir tried to fight back, but the Pegasus beneath him had become panicked and restless after being attacked by the bats, its body and wings injured as it struggled desperately to escape the onslaught.
The violent movements forced Boromir, Meryl, and Pippin to cling to the Pegasus with all their might. Otherwise, if they were thrown off, they would fall from thousands of feet in the air and be smashed to a pulp!
Gandalf's side was also under attack by thousands of Blood-sucking Bats. Reacting quickly, he immediately held his staff high and released a Holy Light Barrier, blocking the swarming bats.
When he saw the situation with Boromir and the others, he immediately increased his magic. The Holy Light Barrier transformed into a wave of light that expanded outward, knocking the bats away.
"Land on the ground quickly!"
Boromir quickly regained control of the frantic Pegasus and took the opportunity to descend toward the ground.
They finally managed to land successfully before the Blood-sucking Bats could attack again.
Boromir quickly jumped off the horse's back, pulled Meryl and Pippin behind him, then drew his longsword in one hand and his wand in the other.
Having studied magic at Hogwarts for seven years, Boromir's magical talent wasn't particularly outstanding, but he could use common spells proficiently.
He waved his wand to cast a Protego spell for defense, then swung his longsword to kill any bats that drew near.
Meryl and Pippin were a bit nervous. Protected by the Protego spell, they were safe for the moment, but they still drew the daggers Luke had given them and looked around warily.
On the other side, Gandalf stopped using his staff for spells and kept Bilbo close behind him. He swung Glamdring, forming an airtight net of blades that shredded any approaching Blood-sucking Bats into pieces, not caring at all as foul-smelling blood splattered onto his grey robes.
Gandalf attacked while protecting Bilbo behind him, moving to regroup with Boromir.
In a short time, the ground was piled high with bat corpses, and foul-smelling blood soaked the earth.
However, this did not deter the other bats; instead, it triggered their bloodlust, making them attack even more frantically.
There were tens of thousands of bats, and even after a long time of slaughtering, they had only killed a small fraction.
But before they had a chance to breathe, the bats suddenly seemed to be controlled, stopping their attacks and forming a dense, airtight encirclement before emitting silent sound waves in unison.
The sound wave of a single bat might be negligible, but the sound waves emitted by tens of thousands of bats together caused even Gandalf's expression to change drastically.
Boromir and the three hobbits couldn't hear the sound waves, but they soon felt tightness in their chests, shortness of breath, and splitting headaches. It grew worse and worse, until it felt like their brains and internal organs were about to burst.
Boromir knelt on the ground, leaning on his sword hilt with a pained expression. The magic he was maintaining lost its support and dissipated instantly.
Bilbo, Meryl, and Pippin also clutched their heads, letting out groans of pain.
Gandalf's face was also flushed red. Holding his staff with both hands, he slammed it hard against the ground and roared with a voice like thunder, "Evil, begone!"
The voice boomed like thunder, canceling out part of the bats' sonic attack. At the same time, the Holy Light he released sent out layers of light waves, knocking the bats away.
"Go! We cannot stay here!" Gandalf shouted. He grabbed Bilbo and placed him on the Pegasus's back, then nimbly and vigorously jumped on himself, riding the Pegasus westward along the ground.
Boromir didn't hesitate for a second. He placed Meryl and Pippin on the horse's back, one in each hand, then quickly jumped on himself and chased after Gandalf.
The Pegasus's wings were dripping with blood, and its ability to fly was greatly reduced. However, as descendants of Great Eagles and Divine Steeds, their speed on the ground was just as fast.
The two Pegasi carrying the five people were like two bolts of lightning on the ground, kicking up clouds of dust as they raced westward at top speed.
The bats that had been temporarily knocked away by Gandalf still refused to let go, chasing closely behind, determined to suck them dry.
After several hours of desperate pursuit and escape, everyone was exhausted.
Seeing the sky full of Blood-sucking Bats about to catch up again, Gandalf looked as if he had seen something. With a look of hope, he encouraged them loudly, "Faster! We're about to cross The Last Bridge! That is Hogwarts territory—we'll be safe once we get there!"
Hearing this, the people who were fleeing with their heads down all felt their spirits lift.
They looked up ahead and saw an ancient bridge standing over the river valley in the distance. It was indeed The Last Bridge to the west of the Trollshaws.
At the sight of The Last Bridge, everyone was filled with hope. Even the Pegasi beneath them seemed to understand, immediately accelerating and galloping toward The Last Bridge.
With the Pegasi's burst of speed, they successfully crossed The Last Bridge before the Blood-sucking Bats could catch them.
The Pegasi did not slow down, continuing to race westward along the Great East Road.
But as they saw the Blood-sucking Bats catching up once more, and as the group prepared to fight again—
Accompanied by the faint cracking sounds of Apparition, Wizards wearing Auror uniforms appeared on the wasteland.
They formed a semi-circle to protect the fleeing group behind them, while simultaneously raising their wands and aiming them at the sky full of Blood-sucking Bats.