"Respected Master Aedric." The sinister-looking man, protected by two shield-bearers, approached Weathertop. He cautiously hid his head behind the shields, raising a metal horn to shout loudly. "The difference in our numbers is more than tenfold. Even with an elf companion, you cannot guarantee victory. So, surrender!"
Behind him by the road, his men were donning armor, checking weapons, and taking axes toward a nearby grove—clearly preparing for assault.
"First, I need to know your name." Aedric, hiding behind the wall, saw everything through the arrow slit and called out. "Second, how did you know I have an elf companion?"
"You may call me Wulf, respected Master Aedric." The sinister man's mouth showed a trace of a smile. "Everyone knows that humans living in Bree are generally short. A woman as tall as your companion simply doesn't exist. And those wilderness wanderers wouldn't hide their identity, so the only possibility I could guess is—elf! I also guessed that your elf companion tracked us all the way and recently brought you news, which is why Weathertop's ruins look as they do now."
Wulf? Aedric had no recollection of this name.
"You're quite clever!"
"No, no, no." Wulf humbly lowered his head, but his upturned mouth corners couldn't hide his pride. "I'm just an ordinary man from the Black Land. However, Lord Zigûr taught me much."
"Who is Zigûr?" Aedric continued shouting, trying to extract information about their identity. Among the characters he knew, almost all were protagonists or famous supporting characters of certain eras. Suddenly encountering strange names required investigation.
"You don't know who Lord Zigûr is?" Wulf seemed very surprised. "Since you know nothing, why repeatedly sabotage the Lord's plans?"
"Plans?" Aedric continued probing. "I know nothing about any plans. You'd better explain clearly!"
"Master Aedric, I'm not here to answer your questions." Wulf's face looked very unpleasant.
Aedric shouted, "Then what's your purpose? Treasure?"
"Treasure?" Wulf adopted a mocking tone. "Only fools like Big Bill and those country bumpkins in Bree would believe a ten-year-old map could still lead to treasure. My purpose here is you."
Me? Aedric didn't respond. He'd considered this answer before. Just didn't expect them to make such a big commotion. Was it necessary? Both pursuers and wargs. Also, who was that comment aimed at? My plan only fooled country bumpkins and fools, huh! Just wait.
Aedric lowered his head, searching through prepared ammunition.
Standing on the hillside, Wulf couldn't see the situation atop Weathertop. He pulled out parchment covered in Black Speech writing from his breast. "Lord Zigûr issued a bounty on you—three hundred gold coins alive, half if dead. So I hope Master Aedric will obediently come out, avoiding bloodshed. Moreover, I only want you. Your companions can leave freely."
Three hundred gold coins?! When did I become so valuable? What's my status to enjoy the same treatment as Thorin Oakenshield? Wait! Could Zigûr be that warlock conducting human experiments?
If so, that would make sense. Aedric, holding up a round boulder, suddenly understood. He helped Luna rescue the kidnapped Isa and Carl. Eliminated bandits occupying the Golden Wheat Sheaf tavern. Destroyed the Goblin-brain orc tribe with the elf twins. Every incident is related to this warlock. Being bounty-hunted seemed reasonable.
"Master Aedric." Having received no reply, Wulf grew impatient, raising his horn again. "I'll give you half a day. Before sunset, without a clear answer, we'll choose to assault!"
Not that he wanted to wait—his men crafting ladders and siege equipment would take until evening anyway. Shouting now could pressure those on Weathertop.
Coincidentally, Aedric was also waiting for reinforcements. However, he didn't want to lose the verbal battle, shouting back, "No need to wait until evening. Right now my companion can give you an answer!"
He glanced at Luna. The elf woman nodded, flashing out from her hiding place. Arms extended, bow drawn like a full moon.
Wulf was shocked. Seeing the elf appear, his face lost its previous composure, shouting, "Protect me!"
The two shield-bearers reacted quickly, raising shields to firmly protect all three's vital points, loudly reproaching, "I came to negotiate and shouldn't be subjected to—"
Before finishing, an arrow thudded into the ground before them.
"Yes, respected yet very cowardly Master Wulf." Aedric's mocking voice drifted down from the summit. "I understand this courtesy, but only this once. If anyone crosses this slope path again, don't blame us for being rude. Leave quickly, or you'll regret it!"
Wulf and the two shield-bearers slowly retreated but, unwilling to weaken their side's morale, shouting, "Master Aedric, remember—you personally pushed yourself and your companions into a desperate situation."
"Wulf, I warned you!" Aedric waited for exactly this—the other party chattering and ignoring warnings. "You asked for this."
He stood up, hands straining, lifting the stone, aiming slightly, and throwing hard. The stone bounced repeatedly on the slope path, pressing a long trail through wild grass. Then, leaping from the first level's narrow path, it precisely struck one shield-bearer.
The collision shattered the shield instantly, along with several ribs beneath. The shield-bearer spat a large mouthful of dark red blood, falling backward motionless—unconscious or dead was unclear. The stone rolled around on the ground, somehow rushing off the slope path and flying down the mountain.
"Quick, drag him! Hurry!" Wulf couldn't care about much else, ordering before turning to run downhill, as if deadly ghosts chased madly behind.
"Boss, your luck is really good." Morgan blinked, raising his thumb in praise. That stone bounced several times on the grass slope, rolled for several seconds, then flew out—yet still hit precisely. Simply incredible.
As for that dragged-down shield-bearer, he was extremely unlucky.
"Of course." Aedric dusted his hands, turning. "Morgan, water skin. I've been shouting for too long—my throat's getting hoarse."
The originally tense Hobbit, seeing the boss's confident appearance, relaxed and handed Aedric the waterskin. Presumably, the reinforcements must be very powerful.
Suddenly, commotion arose below the mountain. The three looked down. The stone that rolled down coincidentally injured two pack horses tied in place. Shrill neighing and wargs smelling blood wanting to approach made other animals violently restless.
Wulf first sent people to calm the horses, then immediately ran to the wargs to negotiate with their leader. These naturally evil, greedy, and cruel creatures possessed their own language. Some humans understood this language; some wargs understood some Common Speech. So communication between both sides had absolutely no difficulty.
One man, one warg, muttered for quite a while. Finally, Wulf gave the lame horses to the wargs. After feasting, the wargs scattered, undertaking patrol and guard duties. Transaction successfully completed.
Seeing no more excitement below, the three busied themselves reinforcing Weathertop's defenses and finding more suitable throwing ammunition.
Time passed bit by bit. The sun crossed half the sky, gradually setting into the western wilderness. Wulf didn't climb the slope again. His men used hemp rope, wood, and nails to craft several ten-meter-high ladders and five-meter-wide, two-meter-high, two-finger-thick wooden shields.
No shouting, no mobilization, no drum or horn sounds representing attack. Big Bill and his men, forced by fierce-faced Black Landers wielding short whips, carried two wooden shields climbing toward the summit. Any sign of resistance brought lashing and continuous wailing.
Living in Bree, having barely traveled, these local ruffians couldn't compare to these wilderness wanderers who lived by robbery and human trafficking. One moment allies, the next moment cannon fodder!
Under knife, sword, and whip threats, they trembled, shuffling step by step toward the peak. Walking two steps, they'd check Weathertop's situation, afraid of head-sized stones smashing down from the hillside. Everyone saw that shield-bearer's fate. After returning to camp, he struggled at most half an hour before going completely silent.
They came for treasure, not to die. But the gleaming blades behind made scalps tingle. Not walking meant holes appearing in their bodies anytime. Those ferocious-looking evil wolves further shattered escape thoughts. In this wilderness, how could two legs outrun four? Even elves struggled, let alone humans.
"These guys have no humanity." Aedric clicked his tongue. "Actually using allies as cannon fodder."
Watching Big Bill's group slowly climbing the narrow path, he waved to stop Luna from shooting arrows. "Save arrows for those guys behind. Big Bill's group has never experienced real battle—their courage is probably nearly shattered. Letting them lead benefits us."
At least they walked slower, buying more time. If replaced by those desperadoes, combat would engage quickly.
"I'll follow your lead." Luna lowered her longbow.
Morgan checked the Black Thorn crossbow—steady hands showing his heart was no longer tense.
At the mountain's base, those two wooden shields protecting Big Bill's group gradually rounded the second turn, stopping midway. Then they stood the shields by the cliff edge, everyone hiding.
Those armored Black Landers, each holding a shield raised to protect vital points, lifted ladders over ten meters high, quickly advancing to the narrow path, then stopping below the wooden boards. Over ten men, relying on five-meter-wide protection, erected ladders and began climbing upward. Not planning to walk those five turns at all.
Watching enemy movements, Aedric's palms sweated. Wulf definitely had siege experience. His men's movements were clean and efficient, their actions orderly—clearly battle-hardened veterans.
Damn it. A good plan for luring the enemy out. Didn't expect to attract not prey but a mad dog! Let you also taste my power.
"Get back down!" Aedric roared, lifting nearby stones and throwing them down consecutively. Accompanied by rumbling sounds, they smashed toward those Black Landers climbing up like ants.
"Hide, crouch down, hide in wall corners!" Wulf shouted loudly. His men followed orders, nimbly hiding. But Big Bill and his men reacted half a beat slower—neither dodging nor using bodies to support the shields. Two large stones rolled and hit their targets.
Two loud crashes—shields fell, pressing three or four people underneath.
"Idiots!" Wulf's furious cursing was clearly audible even at the top. "Counterattack! Counterattack!"
Suddenly, seven or eight Black Landers emerged from wall corners! Drawing bows, raising crossbows, aiming, firing—a series of fierce, skilled actions. Seven or eight cold glints shot toward Aedric. Both accurate and fast.
Aedric's spine suddenly chilled. He immediately crouched, hiding behind the stone wall. Arrows whooshed overhead.
This needed no words. Luna flashed out from another direction. Bowstring twanged, sharp arrows like lightning cutting through the golden sunset, piercing a Black Lander's throat. Before screams arose, they were swallowed back. He collapsed with a thud. Blood gushed out, slowly flowing down the steep slope.
Other archers, seeing this deadly arrow, showed fear. Without orders, they retreated under the cliff walls.
Wulf's face darkened. He didn't forcibly order archers to continue shooting. Forcing them to exchange fire with a never-missing elf, shooting upward from below, was no different from suicide. These were desperadoes chasing wealth, not disciplined armies. Too many casualties could easily cause mutiny.
He lowered his head briefly, thinking, then suddenly raised it, opening his mouth to emit terrifying wolf howls one after another. Responses came from all directions. Over ten black shadows flew across the wilderness, flanking toward Weathertop's north side.