Tracks revealed

The next morning, on the road from the Shire to Bree.

Dressed as a ranger and riding on horseback, Allen scouted the area around the road. As the company's scout, this was his responsibility.

In truth, the stretch of road between the Shire and Bree was very safe. That was not because the forces of darkness had no interest in the region.

It was because the Rangers of the North were there. They silently guarded this secluded haven, keeping the Men and Hobbits who lived there safe from the minions of evil.

They were of Númenórean descent. After the fall of the Kingdom of Arthedain, their leader had stopped claiming the title of king and called himself a chieftain instead, hoping to preserve what little strength they had left.

Nor had that chieftain established another settlement for his people. Instead, he had led the survivors into a wandering life across Eriador.

If Allen remembered correctly, most of them should now be living between the Mitheithel and the Bruinen. That region was called the Angle, south of Rivendell.

Allen did not know who was leading that force at present. He had no memory of any information about it.

What Allen did know was that their current chieftain was the son of Arathorn II-the future King of Men, King Elessar.

The boy was only ten years old and was now under Lord Elrond's protection in Rivendell as his foster son. His Elvish name was Estel.

Of course, he would have many more names in the future, such as "Strider," the name better known to the people of the Shire, or Aragorn, who would distinguish himself in the War of the Ring.

Estel would probably leave Rivendell when he was twenty. Perhaps this journey would give Allen a chance to meet the boy destined for greatness and establish a friendly connection.

While scouting, Allen occasionally discovered traces of Aragorn's people, the Rangers of the North.

Clearly, however, this company of thirteen Dwarves, two Men, and one Hobbit had not aroused their interest.

Yes, Bilbo Baggins had joined the expedition after all. Allen had always had considerable faith in the Hobbit on that point.

Allen could not really imagine what change of heart this newly adult Hobbit had undergone.

He could only guess that, besides Bilbo Baggins's kindness, Gandalf's extraordinarily powerful talent for "human trafficking" had played a part.

Whatever the reason, Allen had breathed a sigh of relief when the Hobbit caught up with them, waving his contract. Fate was unpredictable, after all.

With the journey proceeding smoothly, the company reached Bree a few days later. They did not linger, merely replenishing their supplies before setting out along the East-West Road toward the Misty Mountains.

This stretch of the journey was hardly dangerous either. Apart from a few lurking highwaymen whom Allen ferreted out and killed, nothing unexpected happened.

Yet even without danger, the journey was far from comfortable, especially for a Hobbit.

Allen could see that Bilbo Baggins was struggling to adjust. He suspected the Hobbit was already missing his comfortable home at Bag End.

But Allen did not give the Hobbit any special treatment. He knew Mr. Baggins had to adapt to this life, and that he would.

Adventures might offer beautiful scenery along the way and thrilling stories to tell at the end, but most of the time they consisted of dull, endless travel. Occasionally, something happened that nobody welcomed.

It was now the seventh day since the company had left Bree, and they made camp on a patch of level ground beside a cliff.

It was a good spot, spacious enough for the company, their horses, and their baggage. With only one approach, it was easy to defend and quite safe.

Yet as Allen sat beside the campfire, he kept feeling that something was wrong.

A persistent sense of dread troubled him, but he could not put his finger on its cause. He kept turning it over in his mind.

Soon, several strange cries drifted over from the distance, startling the Hobbit as he quietly fed the horses.

With little experience of adventure, Bilbo Baggins immediately grew nervous and hurriedly asked the others what those sounds were.

Kili and Fili were young lads, after all. Wanting to tease the nervous Mr. Baggins, they began describing how terrifying Half-orcs were.

Thorin Oakenshield soon reprimanded them. Perhaps Kili and Fili were too young and had experienced too little; their hatred of Half-orcs was only superficial, unlike the deep, searing hatred of the older Dwarves.

Some of the Dwarves here had even fought in the Battle of Moria. Before long, old Balin began recounting what had happened in that great battle.

That familiar scene finally reminded Allen of what had been troubling him.

This was the very night when several Warg Riders discovered the company's trail. Before long, Azog's relentless pursuit would begin.

As the realization struck him, Allen knew he was already too late. Thorin Oakenshield was already standing at the edge of the cliff, striking a grand pose.

To avoid alerting any enemies that might be nearby, Allen quietly beckoned to Kili, who was skilled with a bow, and raised the Noldor Composite Bow in his hand. Kili clearly understood his meaning. He took up his own bow and arrows and followed Allen.

The others who were awake noticed their unusual behavior and cast questioning looks at Allen.

Allen signaled for silence, then led Kili quietly behind a tree at the cliff's edge.

He carefully peered around it, searching the forest across the ravine for enemies who might already be there.

With the moonlight to help him, Allen spotted two dark shapes on the far side at a glance.

They were two Warg Riders watching the camp. Though it was nighttime and they were a hundred or two hundred meters away, he could make them out.

Allen was certain that Thorin Oakenshield's whereabouts had been exposed.

To prevent what would follow, Allen intended to shoot the two scumbags across the ravine. But he did not know whether Kili's skill was enough to make such a shot.

Still, they could only try. Allen signaled for Kili to take the one on the left while he took the one on the right.

Once they had chosen their targets, Allen and Kili darted out from behind the tree and swiftly loosed two arrows across the ravine.

Allen's first arrow struck one of the riders dead on, while Kili shot the other off his Warg.

Allen's next arrow struck the Warg just as it reacted, sending it toppling to the ground. The other took an arrow from Kili as well, but it did not die. Instead, it bolted wildly into the forest.

At that sight, Allen knew Azog would still learn their whereabouts.

Allen and Kili's actions, along with the cries of the Half-orcs and Wargs across the ravine, had alerted everyone in camp.

The others had not interrupted while Allen and Kili were concentrating. Now that it was over, they all asked what the two had found.

Looking thoroughly frustrated, Allen said, "Two Warg Riders. I think they'd already spotted Thorin. Kili and I tried to kill them all, but one Warg got away."

As he spoke, Allen mounted his horse, preparing to inspect the scene and see whether he could catch the Warg that had fled into the forest.

Thorin ordered Kili, Fili, Glóin, and Dwalin to accompany him, leaving the others in camp. Gandalf came along anyway.

Half an hour later, they reached the place where the Warg Riders had died. Two dead Half-orcs and a dead Warg lay on the ground. A trail of blood led into the distance, surely left by the wounded Warg.

Allen paid no attention to the others as they examined the bodies and discussed them in hushed voices.

He rode after the blood trail instead, but it soon vanished. With no other choice, Allen returned to camp.

All the members of the company were now gathered around the campfire, apparently discussing something. As Allen approached, he heard Gandalf losing his temper.

The Warg Riders had discovered the company, and Thorin Oakenshield still had Azog's bounty on his head. In other words, everyone was now in grave danger.

Gandalf therefore strongly urged them to make for Rivendell as quickly as possible, seek temporary refuge, and obtain Lord Elrond's help.

After all, there were few people in all of Middle-earth who could read the writing on that map.

But Thorin Oakenshield did not agree. He was deeply unwilling to have anything to do with Elves.

For now, he merely assigned more people to guard duty and told everyone to get as much rest as possible. Starting tomorrow, they would have to quicken their pace.

This infuriated Gandalf. The old man spent almost the entire night complaining to Allen about the Dwarves' stubbornness. What could Allen say? He could only snatch a little sleep amid the complaints.

Over the next few days, the company abandoned its leisurely pace and rode hard. Since this was Bilbo's first experience of life in the wild, he found it particularly grueling.

Feeling somewhat guilty about this unexpected turn of events, Allen lent Bilbo a hand on several occasions.

Fortunately, Allen found no trace of Half-orcs during his scouting, even by the time the company crossed the Last Bridge. Of course, he knew it was only a matter of time.

Along the way, Gandalf and Thorin Oakenshield argued again.

Gandalf once more proposed going to Rivendell, and Thorin refused again. Their quarrel grew so bitter that, in the end, they stopped speaking to each other altogether.

Allen could do nothing about it. He could only carry out his duties as a scout and sleep as far away from Gandalf as possible at night.

Then one day, while scouting along the edge of a forest, Allen discovered an abandoned village. He knew they had reached the Trolls' territory.

In the film, three stone Trolls lived here. They had been driven down from the Ettenmoors.

Allen suspected they had not been driven out so much as fled. The three Trolls, named William, Tom, and Bert, had probably escaped because they did not want to be enslaved by the Half-orcs of Mount Gundabad.

Their capacity for destruction was staggering. In a very short time, the three had eaten all the humans living nearby, and they also attacked passing merchants.

That was why Allen wanted to kill them during this expedition-not merely for the three weapons in their cave, but to keep them from preying on travelers who passed through.

Besides, this was really Allen's only opportunity. It would be difficult for him to return to Eriador in the future.

Whatever happened, Allen had to find the Trolls' cave while it was still daylight. Then he would persuade Gandalf and the Dwarves to join forces and kill the three Trolls terrorizing the area.

After all, it was not just Allen and Gandalf here. The thirteen Dwarves could be a great help.

Though Allen was not particularly proficient at tracking, he soon found his target.

The Trolls had left far too many traces. They were ravaging this land without the slightest restraint.

Allen looked at the foul-smelling cave, then slipped quietly inside. He soon saw three Trolls sleeping soundly, with gold, silver, and other treasures scattered everywhere.

Allen had no intention of ambushing them. Trolls had thick, tough hides, and a surprise attack might not kill them. Nor did Allen believe he could defeat all three alone.

Having found his targets, Allen quickly left the Trolls' cave and returned to the company. He sought out Thorin Oakenshield and told him about the Trolls.

Allen made it clear that the company ought to eliminate the three Trolls. Even setting everything else aside, Dwarves traveled this road too. Killing them would benefit everyone.

Gandalf agreed with Allen, but Thorin Oakenshield said nothing. Instead, he looked at his people around him.

The Dwarves were divided. Some also thought they should kill the three Trolls, while others felt it would be better to avoid unnecessary complications and finish their expedition as quickly as possible.

Thorin Oakenshield actually favored the latter choice. He was stubborn, not stupid. With Half-orcs still pursuing them, pressing onward should take priority.

Seeing this, Allen felt rather helpless. He knew he could not expect too much of the Dwarves' sense of justice. They were only ordinary people, after all. If anything, they were already decent Dwarves.

Faced with this situation, Allen said resignedly, "Actually, I don't think I finished explaining. Besides the Trolls, there are plenty of shiny things in that cave. By my estimate, they'd fill several chests. Even if we won't do it for the travelers, I think we ought to kill those Trolls for the treasure."

Those words caused quite a stir among the Dwarves.

"Really? Is that true?" "Enough to fill several chests? How big are the chests?" "Then what are we waiting for? It's nearly dark. We should go and set an ambush right now." "Come on, let's go!"

The treasure immediately won over most of the Dwarves. Seeing their reaction, Thorin Oakenshield had little choice but to agree to the operation.