By the time Allen and his companions left Mirkwood along the Elves-path and entered the Anduin River Valley, the heavy snow had stopped for several days. The sun had finally appeared in the sky again, yet the temperature had fallen even lower. It was colder now than before the snowfall.
Fortunately, the Anduin River Valley was sheltered by Mirkwood and the Misty Mountains, so the winds blowing through it were nowhere near as fierce as those out in the wilderness.
More heartening still, as they continued onward, they began to see farmstead residents voluntarily clearing snow from the roads to keep traffic flowing between their farms and Wilderness Town.
When those hardworking people noticed that the approaching riders carried their king's Crown Three-Star Banner, they began saluting the cavalry in the middle of the road. Some Recruits who had returned home even broke into cheers when they spotted Allen.
Although he rarely appeared before his people, everything Allen had done over the years had earned him tremendous prestige in the countryside.
The one carrying the royal banner was not a Twilight Knight, but a young Khergits man from Horse-herding Village named Asudan.
He was Tuoju's son, as well as the man in charge of a watch post.
The post stood between Horse-herding Village and the Elves-path. A dozen or so young herders, equipped with horses, kept watch over the broad surrounding area.
As soon as Allen led his party out of the Elves-path, Asudan recognized the king. He hurriedly brought the spare royal banner out of the watch post, ready to ride alongside His Majesty back to Wilderness Town.
After all, this was a sizable cavalry force. Without a familiar means of identification, it could easily alarm the residents at work, while large cavalry units would move in to surround