The Only Hope

Webber led his squad like birds startled by the twang of a bow, desperately weaving through burning ruins and smoke-choked alleys.

They avoided the main roads as much as possible, choosing narrow, hidden paths instead, relying on Webber's hazy memory of the terrain and his judgment of sound as they struggled toward the harbor.

Along the way, they brushed past scattered squads of Sauron soldiers several times, and even had a few groups of Saurons sprint straight past the broken walls and rubble where they were hiding.

But what surprised and relieved Webber was that these Sauron soldiers seemed to have no interest in their existence at all!

Every one of them wore an anxious expression, their eyes fixed fiercely on the direction of the harbor, shouting loudly in the Sauron language as their footsteps never paused, as if something earth-shattering were happening up ahead and they had no time at all to care about these few "little mice" who had escaped from the Shantytown Area.

"Boss, why... why aren't they chasing us?" Tom asked in a low, incredulous voice, supporting Mia as he panted heavily.

Webber tilted his head to listen. The cannon fire coming from the distance was no longer just the dull, thunderous boom of Sauron artillery, but was mixed with a crisper, more continuous roar—the sound of the well-trained broadside volleys unique to Carnford warships!

And the focus of the battle cries and explosions was concentrated entirely in the dock area!

"It's the fleet! Carnford's fleet is here! They're exchanging fire with the Saurons!" An astonishing light burst in Webber's eyes. He lowered his voice, his tone filled with the excitement of finding life at the end of a dead road.

"The Saurons' main force has all been drawn to the docks! They're racing against time!