At the Last Moment

"You can't choose me! Gandalf, you want me to take your place and help King Théoden guard Hornburg? Isn't that pushing Kingdom of Rohan into a fire pit?"

Gandalf: "..."

Russell was heartbroken. "Gandalf, you big-eyed fellow, Théoden considers you a close friend, how could you want to harm him? What grudge do you hold against him?"

Gandalf: "..."

"Don't look at me like that, I'm telling the truth. This hole of mine, even if all the Rohan fell into it, it still wouldn't be filled!" To prove himself, Russell shouted, "Aragorn, will you believe me?"

Aragorn did not turn around, remaining motionless on his horse, as if he had lost all hearing.

"See? I'm quite confident in this area!"

Russell clapped his hands. "Gandalf is such a smart man, how could he have lost his mind?"

Could it be that he got arrogant after being promoted to White Robe?

Watching Russell frantically make fun of himself to shirk responsibility, Gandalf almost spat blood in his face. Of course he knew Russell was a trap, but did he have any other choice?

It's precisely because we have no other choice that we knowingly jump into a trap!

"Cough cough!"

Gandalf coughed lightly and reasoned with him, "Russell, Rohan's geographical location is extremely important. If it falls into Isengard's hands, and Sauron of Mordor attacks from both sides, Gondor will surely perish."

Russell didn't speak, but looked down at the two ants fighting.

Gandalf gritted his teeth and continued, "The elves are gradually declining and are heading to Valinor. The dwarves' homeland of Rhea has been destroyed and they are only active in a few areas. Only the human kingdoms are struggling to resist Sauron's power. Rohan cannot be lost."

Russell remained silent; he noticed that both ants were male.

Gandalf's face twitched, and he said again, "Russell, I know your strength very well. You will definitely have a place in the White Council. As long as you take this national crisis in Rohan as your own, Helm's Deep will surely be safe and sound."

Russell didn't speak. He had just misjudged; one of the ants looked male, but it wasn't.

Gandalf gasped, then unleashed his trump card. "After this is done, I'll teach you... the Illumination Spell!"

Russell stomped on two ants, killing them, and looked up at Gandalf: "Don't try to fool me. That's not some kind of Illumination Spell, but the power of God. Even if you taught me step by step, I couldn't possibly learn it."

"No, I guarantee you will learn it!" Gandalf said firmly.

"Make a deal!"

Russell nodded firmly. "Gandalf, go in peace. Leave Helm's Deep to me, and I will make sure it is safe and sound."

Gandalf frowned. "You're wrong. It's Gandalf the White. Although I've never cared about white or Grey Robes, this is a matter of faith, and it cannot be compromised."

"I apologize, I'll repeat myself... Gandalf the White, rest in peace!"

"Okay, then I'll leave it to you!"

Having said this, Gandalf the White rode off into the distance, disappearing into the forest. There was no need to worry about his safety; Gandalf had three Magic Treasures to his success in Middle-earth: ruthlessness, cruelty, and a large circle of friends. The first two were self-evident, as Saruman's fate proved; and as for the last one, he had undoubtedly already made arrangements with the Ents.

"What? You said Gandalf went to find reinforcements?" Théoden of Rohan, clad in armor and with golden hair flowing down his shoulders like a lion, looked displeased upon hearing of Gandalf's departure.

"Your Majesty, Gandalf is worried that Saruman has other reliance on him, so he went into the forest to find strong reinforcements." Seeing Théoden's displeasure, Russell explained for Gandalf.

"No, you misunderstand, Wizard Russell. I do not believe that Gandalf deserted his post. We have known each other for many years and I know his character."

Théoden waved his hand, his displeasure stemming from another reason. "Hornburg has seen many battles and has never been captured. There are 2,000 guards in the city, all elite warriors of Rohan, and another 2,000 cavalrymen waiting on the steppes outside the valley. With an attack from both sides, Isengard's army is bound to be defeated. Gandalf is being too cautious."

Théoden's displeasure stemmed from his sense of honor. The King of Riders on horseback felt underestimated; even with Uruk-hai, victory in this battle could only belong to Rohan.

He firmly believed in this; there was no such thing as "what if," and even if there were, he wasn't afraid!

"Report!"

Outside the hall, the messenger rushed in without waiting for Théoden's response.

"Your Majesty, a scout reports that Isengard's army has come out in full force..." The messenger's hands trembled as he said this, "The enemy numbers as many as 30,000!"

30,000!?

Théoden jumped to his feet, his face full of disbelief. "Impossible, the Uruk-hai Legion couldn't possibly have 30,000. Isengard couldn't afford to support that many soldiers."

In the hall, Aragorn and the others turned pale. 30,000 Uruk-hai soldiers— Saruman could conquer Middle-earth on his own without Mordor's help. But... wasn't 30,000 too many? Isengard was just a fortress, not a country. Where did they get such a powerful force?

Not only did Aragorn and others not believe it, but Russell did not either. Although he knew very little about Middle-earth, logistics was a universal concept in any world.

Isengard couldn't feed 30,000 people, Saruman couldn't afford it even if he sold the Mage Tower!

"Of the 30,000 troops, only half Uruk-hai from Isengard, the rest are Orcs. The scouts even spotted Ringwraiths riding dragons..." The messenger swallowed hard and said with difficulty, "Our enemies are not only Isengard, but also Mordor."

Théoden was struck dumb and nearly fell over. Aragorn asked, "Are you sure you're not mistaken? Mordor's power is far to the east, Orcs are blocked on the Pelennor Fields. There's no reason for them to suddenly appear behind us."

The messenger was also unaware of the situation; he simply recounted the intelligence relayed by the scouts.

"Whether they are Mordor's Orcs or not is no longer important. The enemy's numbers far exceed ours. We cannot sit idly by and wait to be killed..." Théoden rallied his spirits and ordered, "Have the cavalry on the plains withdraw to avoid contact with Isengard's army. If necessary, use surprise tactics."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"Conscript the people of the city to fight. Let the women and children take refuge in the caves. The rest of you go to the armory to collect equipment. This battle is a matter of life and death for Rohan. No one can escape." Théoden issued his second order.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"Mobilize the militia and, before the enemy arrives, cut down as many logs as possible; they'll come in handy when we defend the city..." At this point, Théoden turned to Russell: "Wizard Russell, did Gandalf say when he would arrive with reinforcements?"

Russell paused for a moment, then said to Théoden, "Your Majesty, Gandalf will arrive at the last minute."

Théoden paused, then smiled wryly, realizing what was happening. "At the last moment, I really wish it had been sooner..."

Théoden understood Russell's meaning: the so-called last moment meant that when Hornburg was about to be breached, reinforcements would arrive to boost the morale of the defending soldiers.

But this trick can only be used once!