Where Are You Going to Find Reinforcements This Time?
A battle between legendary mages must be incredibly impressive, otherwise it would be too embarrassing if word got out. Gandalf wasn't someone who cared about empty fame, but he and Saruman had been colleagues for many years and were like brothers. He couldn't bear to see Saruman die and become a laughingstock, so he sabotaged the battlefield to indicate that an earth-shattering battle had taken place there.
Russell and Gandalf shared similar thoughts: Saruman was a worthy opponent, and he deserved a glorious death.
"Those pits..."
"Don't worry, it's all filled out!"
Gandalf nodded. It was so comfortable talking to intelligent people; they understood everything without needing to be told. The two exchanged a smile, gathered Saruman's body, and left Isengard.
Outside the fortress, more than two thousand cavalrymen stood with awe on their faces. First, the entire Isengard was frozen into an ice field, and then there were continuous explosions. Although they had not seen it with their own eyes, they could imagine how terrible the fierce battle must have been.
"The Wizard is so powerful!"
The warriors secretly thought that King Théoden had been prescient in ordering them to guard the gate; otherwise, many of them would have surely been killed.
Théoden rode forward nervously and said, "Two Wizard, Saruman, he..."
"Saruman has been executed and paid for his crimes with his life." Gandalf said solemnly.
"Yes, Saruman is dead. He was a very troublesome enemy," Russell added.
With such a commotion, even a fool could see that Saruman was very powerful. Théoden nodded repeatedly, then laughed and said, "No matter how powerful Saruman is, he is no match for the two of you."
"No, no!" x2
"You two need not be modest. The ringleader has been beheaded. On behalf of the souls of the dead in Rohan, Théoden thanks you for your righteous intervention."
"No, no!" X2
With the great battle over, Treebeard led his people away. The Ents prepared to settle near Isengard, where water was plentiful and the soil was fertile, making it the best place for Ents to make a home.
Of course, it's not unreasonable to say that they're too lazy to move and just lie there!
More than two thousand cavalrymen returned in triumph. On the way, Gandalf recounted the intelligence he had obtained. "King Théoden and King Gondor could not withstand the army of Mordor. They need the aid of the Rohan the Cavalry."
Théoden frowned. Rohan had been Gondor's brother for many years, following Gondor's lead. The Oath of Eorl was a testament to the friendship between the two countries, but things were different now. "Gandalf, Rohan can send troops, but I have a request."
What are the requirements?
"When Rohan was invaded, Gondor turned a blind eye. I have no liking for Denethor II. If he were still in power in Gondor, the Rohan cavalry would never have crossed the White Mountains." At this point, Théoden turned to Aragorn: "Rohan and Gondor are allies, but this Gondor ... must be led by Gondor of Númenórean bloodline."
Théoden's reasoning is sound. When Rohan was in crisis, Gondor remained inactive, and Théoden could let bygones be bygones. But to get him to send troops to aid Gondor, the King of Gondor must intervene; the Regent should stay out of it.
Gandalf shook his head inwardly. He knew that Théoden was very dissatisfied, and that it was already a great honor for him to say such a thing.
The most embarrassed person was Boromir, whose biological father was the Denethor II, a typical power-hungry man. He wanted to say a few good words for his father, but he didn't know where to begin.
"King Théoden, I, Aragorn, in the name of the sons of Elendil, swear that I will reclaim the throne and, as King of Gondor, request your aid," Aragorn said solemnly, drawing his Holy Sword.
"No problem! Aragorn, signal with the beacon fires, the Rohan cavalry are ready to fight for the Western royal family!"
The two leaders made a vow, Gandalf convened a meeting of the Fellowship of the Ring. Just like before the Battle of Helm's Deep, they needed to find reinforcements first.
"It's not just Orcs; Sauron's minions include many degenerate humans, the legions of the Haradrim in the south, and mercenary pirates at sea. We need reinforcements..."
"Gandalf, where are you going to find reinforcements this time? Will you be able to return before the battle is over?" Russell was an honest man from a young age, always telling the truth and never lying to save face for others.
Gandalf rolled his eyes at him and said to the crowd, "Next, Boromir and I will head to the capital, Minas Tirith, to persuade the Regent to bring back the true heir to the throne!"
"No problem. Gondor has been waiting for a true king for far too long. I believe my father will agree," Boromir said through gritted teeth.
He had it all planned out: if the regent disagreed, he would tie him up, announce his sudden death, and then he would take over as regent and welcome Aragorn back to inherit the throne.
Boromir had longed for the throne, but he knew there was a gap between himself and Aragorn, the one who could lead Gondor to its restoration. Moreover, the war concerned the very survival of Middle-earth, and he could not bear the pressure.
Boromir realized that he was more than capable of being a general, but not of being a king.
Aragorn patted Boromir on the shoulder and said to Gandalf, "I'll go to the capital with you. You're all on my own..."
"No, you can't go, it's too dangerous." Gandalf insisted, and everyone knew the reason, so he didn't elaborate.
"Where are the reinforcements, and who will go?" Russell asked.
"Aragorn, go south and find brave men who will fight for the king's banner. This is your mission!" Gandalf said in a rather mystical manner.
"South?"
"Remember to walk the path of death; the spirits there will offer you some help." Gandalf smiled deeply at Aragorn's puzzled expression.
Upon hearing "the undead, "Russell suddenly realized. "Gandalf, you want Aragorn to command the Army of the Dead to fight for him in the name of Gondor's heir?"
During the Second Age, there was a group of mountain people Sauron. After the Kingdom of Gondor was established, the mountain people immediately switched sides and pledged allegiance to the Gondor royal family. They swore to sever all ties with Sauron and would never hesitate to fight against Sauron in any war.
When war came, these men broke their oath and refused Gondor's call, and were cursed by Isildur, the king of Gondor at the time. They hid in the mountains and lived in seclusion, and as time passed, they became dead because of the curse, their souls unable to escape.
"The undead army is powerful; are they reinforcements?"
Russell remembered it clearly: the performance of this Army of the Dead was nothing short of a bug. It was like a green virus, sweeping across the battlefield in an instant, as it attacked you without you attacking it.
"Undead!?"
The others looked at Russell with strange expressions, and the others avoided his gaze. Only Gandalf was different; his eyes clearly said, "You're an idiot," without any attempt to hide it.
This is strange, he is clearly a mature Maiar!
Russell felt targeted; the old man had killed Saruman and was now stabbing him in the back!
"What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"
"The undead have no physical form; we can't hit them, and they can't hit us. They can do nothing but scare people," Aragorn explained.
"No way?" Russell's eyes widened. Could he be looking at a fake Lord of the Rings?
Or is the invincible Army of the Dead in the movie just a plot device?
"Russell, as a mage, you don't even know these basic facts." Gandalf dusted off his white robes and continued, "Not to mention that the undead have no fighting ability, even if they did, I wouldn't consider them as reinforcements."
"Why?"
Gandalf sighed, "Because Sauron is a necromancer!"
Russell suddenly realized, then coughed lightly. "You may not know, but I fell off my horse and lost my memory a while ago. I've forgotten a lot of things. Really, Aragorn can vouch for me!"
Aragorn: "..."
Sorry, I forgot!