Preparations on All Sides

The revelry in the banquet hall continued, with the Dwarves and the Hobbit still eating, drinking, singing, and dancing.

Standing nearby with a bright smile, Ymira silently calculated whether Allen's stores would be enough to entertain the Dwarves for three days.

Meanwhile, Allen, Thorin Oakenshield, Balin, and Gandalf had finished eating and gone to the meeting room to discuss the expedition's next steps.

With the Vitality necklace around his neck and his left arm in a sling, Allen laid out his plan without preamble.

In three days, he would arrange for the expedition to accompany Wilderness Town's caravan to the Woodland Realm. The entire journey would take less than ten days.

Thorin Oakenshield immediately objected when he heard the plan, but then fell silent.

His objection had been instinctive. After all, his impression of Thranduil, the Elven king, could hardly have been worse.

Yet he also knew that Allen's arrangement was their best option. The other routes would not only take much longer but would also be exceptionally dangerous.

The Dwarven prince was no longer the man who had first set out from the Blue Mountains. The hardships along the way and the Lonely Mountain now so close at hand both inclined him to accept Allen's proposal.

After further persuasion from Gandalf and old Balin, Thorin Oakenshield reluctantly agreed to Allen's proposal.

With the hardest part settled, everything else was much simpler.

Allen and Thorin Oakenshield agreed that the Dwarves would leave with the caravan in three days, while Allen would set out a week later and catch up with them.

After all, Allen was still recovering. They could hardly ask an injured man to keep trekking over mountains and rivers with them.

In his current state, Allen would only be a burden to the company.

Thorin Oakenshield therefore accepted his proposal and told Allen that they would head straight for the Lonely Mountain, hoping he would not delay too long.

Afterward, Allen privately brought up another matter with Thorin Oakenshield: their wager.

Thorin Oakenshield said he would honor his loss and do everything he could to fulfill his promise.

Allen's request was not particularly difficult. Half joking, he simply said that he hoped Thorin Oakenshield would avoid angering the king of the Woodland Realm.

That could have repercussions for trade between Wilderness Town and the Woodland Realm.

Thorin Oakenshield considered it for a long time before agreeing. He, too, was concerned about how he should face the Elven king, given their poor relationship.

Thorin Oakenshield had no good solution and could only take things as they came. Now that Allen had made this request, he thought it over at length before reluctantly accepting.

Of course, Allen's real reason certainly was not concern that his relationship with Thranduil might deteriorate.

If Allen delivered the Dwarves to Thranduil's doorstep, the king might well thank him.

It was simply that Allen would need Thranduil's help with certain matters in the future, so he had to improve relations between them first.

Now that Thorin Oakenshield had agreed, Allen was delighted. He would not have to maneuver between the leaders of the two factions.

Over the next three days, Allen treated the expedition's members well, allowing them to get some proper rest.

Before their departure, he also helped Thorin Oakenshield and the others prepare supplies and horses for the journey, and even provided them with some gold coins so they could purchase supplies in Lake-town.

Soon, it was time for the Dwarves to depart. Allen watched them leave Wilderness Town.

They would travel to the Woodland Realm with the caravan guarded by Deshavi.

Meanwhile, considerable strength had quietly gathered in Lothlórien.

As early as the previous year, Gandalf had made the arduous journey to Eriador, found the Dúnedain leader there, and told him of the threat lurking in Dol Guldur.

Now, in the struggle against darkness, the Dúnedain Rangers had extended a helping hand to the White Council.

Saruman, long established in Orthanc, had also arrived in the forest with some of the Bounty Hunters in his service.

His original intention was not to fight the darkness. He wanted to act first and drive Sauron out of the area surrounding the Withered Heath, still hoping that he could be the first to find the One Ring.

The reinforcements Lord Elrond brought were nothing short of magnificent: a company of elite Noldor Elven warriors stationed in Rivendell.

Some of these warriors had even fought in the War of the Last Alliance during the Second Age. Their weapons and armor could be traced back to Eregion, the renowned city of craftsmen in the Second Age where the Rings of Power had been forged.

These Elven warriors would form the backbone of the coming battle.

Moreover, Lord Elrond had invited a legendary Elf: the Golden Flower Lord, Glorfindel, who had only recently returned to Rivendell.

This mighty figure among the Elves had once frightened off the Witch-king of Angmar merely by appearing during the Battle of Fornost.

In the Elder Days, he had fought a Balrog single-handedly to cover his people's retreat, and both had perished.

In the end, by divine grace, he had emerged from the Halls of Mandos and returned to the world with even greater power, coming once more to Middle-earth as a divine emissary.

Lothlórien would send more than a thousand fully armed Silvan Elves into battle under Lady Galadriel's leadership.

They were already prepared for battle and had assigned scouts to watch Dol Guldur's movements day and night.

On the day after the banquet, Gandalf declined Allen's offer of military assistance and rode toward Lothlórien.

The Pale Orc, Azog, had returned to Dol Guldur ahead of Gandalf. At his master's command, he began organizing an army of Half-orcs to march on the Lonely Mountain.

The Half-orcs here were not the Snaga who lived in the Misty Mountains, but the Uruk-hai Sauron had bred using magic.

These creatures were formidable fighters. They stood nearly as tall as humans, obeyed orders, and maintained good discipline. Even sunlight could do little to diminish their strength.

On the battlefield, they were a match for ordinary human warriors. Sauron had also equipped them with crude iron armor, and their numbers exceeded ten thousand.

Nor was that all. To seize the strategically vital Lonely Mountain, Sauron had assigned Azog more than a thousand Wargs from the Misty Mountains, along with dozens of Trolls from Dol Guldur.

These Trolls were another new breed developed by Sauron, called Olog-hai. Though their strength varied, they did not fear sunlight, which made them especially terrifying.

Once these soldiers were ready, Azog would lead them straight to the Lonely Mountain in accordance with Sauron's orders.

In addition, Azog had dispatched his own kin to the Misty Mountains with Sauron's orders, summoning the Half-orcs who lived there.

Tens of thousands of Snaga converged on Mount Gundabad from across the Misty Mountains through dark tunnels. Once armed there, they too would march toward the Lonely Mountain.

With such strength, Sauron was confident that he could drive away that foolish, greedy dragon even if the Dwarves failed to expel Smaug.

Of course, Azog had not abandoned his pursuit of Thorin Oakenshield. He had already ordered his son, Bolg, to race toward the Woodland Realm with his personal guards.

During that week, Allen met with the various battalion commanders of his army and joined a small number of them in a battle in the forest.

One morning, a villager arrived on horseback and reported that the spiders had appeared again in the forest near the logging site.

This could not be tolerated. If Wilderness Town left them unchecked, they would soon spread everywhere.

To eradicate them, Firentis sought Allen's approval, then sent his personal guards throughout the town to relay orders. He intended to muster one battalion of spearmen and one of archers.

An hour later, the spearmen and archers assembled on the training ground under Alayen and Bunduk. Firentis briefly explained their mission, then led them down the road toward the logging site.

Allen followed as well, his left arm still in a sling.

More than two hundred men jogged down the road, yet still managed to maintain a basic formation.

Once inside the forest, the experienced spearmen split into squads of ten. One squad joined the Nord Royal Guards in protecting Alayen, while the others operated in groups of three squads, keeping close enough to support one another as they followed tracks through the forest and slowly searched ahead.

Three squads of archers followed behind the spearmen, ready to support them at any moment.

The remaining seven squads, led by Bunduk, followed behind the infantry and watched their flanks.

As they advanced, they called out from time to time to confirm one another's positions and ensure no one became separated.

Allen, Firentis, and Firentis's personal guards followed at the rear.

Normally, Firentis marched at the very front. But with Allen injured, he was uneasy, especially since Hollimion and Allen's personal guards had yet to return from Horse-herding Village.

They had not gone far into the forest before more than a dozen Great Spiders attacked the front of the column.

These creatures were said to be descendants of Ungoliant. They were enormous and possessed some intelligence, though not much, or they would never have leaped out to attack so many people.

Allen's spearmen clearly knew how to deal with them. When they saw the spiders scuttling out of the shadows, they did not panic.

Instead, they raised their sharp Elves Spears and worked in small groups, each group confronting a single spider and driving it back.

The archers also drew their bows and fired, covering the spearmen fighting at close quarters.

Their primary targets were the spiders hanging overhead or climbing in the trees. Once those creatures selected a target and pounced from above, they could easily inflict casualties on the troops. That lesson had been learned in blood.

Meanwhile, once Bunduk's main force of archers had taken up position, they fired at will at the spiders that had not yet engaged the spearmen. Wave after wave of arrows soon slaughtered the dark creatures.

After killing more than a dozen Great Spiders, the men began clearing the battlefield and collecting arrows that could still be used.

It had been a simple battle, and Allen was very satisfied with their combat performance.

The day after returning from the forest, Allen convened a meeting before his departure.

Those attending were Ymira, Firentis, Jeremus, Bunduk, Alayen, Deshavi, Hollimion, Artimenner, and Klethi.

Klethi had become much more composed and no longer caused trouble as she once had. Allen had always regarded the young girl as a junior in his care.

Now she occasionally helped Ymira, maintaining contact with Beorn's family and entertaining the Great Eagles at Carl Rock.

The meeting lasted from noon until dusk.

At the beginning, Allen explained to everyone why they needed to participate in this war and what benefits victory would bring Wilderness Village.

At the very least, they could gain one-fifteenth of the Lonely Mountain's wealth. It would also deepen the friendship between humans, Elves, and Dwarves, open trade routes, and increase Wilderness Town's commercial activity.

If the battle went well, Wilderness Town would enter a period of rapid development over the next decade. With the surrounding Half-orcs no longer holding them back, Allen would be able to carry out many of his plans.

Moreover, if they played a major role in the war, the names of Allen and Wilderness Town would resound throughout Rhovanion and might even reach Rohan and Gondor.

All of this would greatly benefit both Allen and Wilderness Town.

Finally, Allen emphasized the dangers of the coming battle and asked whether anyone present had any reservations about participating in the war.

They all looked at Allen in silence, their eyes holding nothing but resolve.

During the remainder of the meeting, Allen settled Wilderness Village's plans for the coming war.

First, Allen would set out ahead of the army with his personal guard of Twilight Knights, heading to Lake-town to meet Thorin Oakenshield. After they found the secret door in the Lonely Mountain, Allen would leave the mountain and lie low in Lake-town.

By then, all of Allen's work would be finished. The rest would be up to the Burglar and the Dwarves.

Allen could not participate in the battle between the Dwarves and Smaug inside the Lonely Mountain. It was far too dark within, and as a human, he could easily die there.

Allen had to find a battlefield better suited to him. He and his personal guards would wait near Lake-town, rallying Bard and the town's guards to fight the dragon Smaug.

Allen had thought it through. Even with the Noldor Rune Bow and Noldor Arrows, he was not confident that he could inflict a fatal wound on Smaug. It would still largely depend on Bard's Black Arrow.

If necessary, Allen could therefore act as bait and create an opportunity for Bard to deliver the killing blow. He had already prepared himself for that possibility.

Firentis would lead most of Wilderness Town's army toward Lake-town, arriving there in mid-October.

This force would include four hundred light and heavy cavalry under Firentis's direct command, one hundred heavy infantry and five hundred light spearmen commanded by Alayen, and two hundred archers and one hundred crossbowmen led by Bunduk.

They would pass through the Woodland Realm and camp in the forest near Lake-town, waiting for Allen's summons.

After Smaug was dealt with, they would follow Allen toward the Lonely Mountain.

Once they reached the Lonely Mountain,

Allen intended to adapt to the situation. If Thorin Oakenshield managed to leave the Woodland Realm without trouble, Allen would enter the Lonely Mountain and help the Dwarves defend it.

Otherwise, Allen would station his troops in Dale and defend the city alongside the Elves.

The apprentices Jeremus had trained during this time would form a Medical Corps and accompany the army to the battlefield.

They would establish an infirmary far behind the lines in Dale, providing immediate treatment to soldiers wounded in battle.

Allen expressly forbade Jeremus from participating in the war, which made the doctor very unhappy.

Allen had no choice. Jeremus was extremely important to Wilderness Town, and his own fighting ability was still very poor. A war like this would be far too dangerous for him.

Ymira would be responsible for organizing all the logistical preparations needed for the army's departure.

Whether it was preparing tents, rations, and equipment or recruiting Auxiliary Troops, all of it would fall to Ymira in the days ahead.

These Auxiliary Troops would carry supplies and accompany the army to Lake-town when it marched.

Once they had finished setting up the camp, they would leave for the Woodland Realm to take refuge.

Allen did not want them lingering on the battlefield for too long. It was simply too dangerous.

The villagers living in Horse-herding Village, north of Wilderness Town, would also move into Wilderness Town during the war.

Once all his people had entered Wilderness Town, the entire town would be placed under martial law.

Deshavi would also continue patrolling the area around Wilderness Town to prevent any surprise attacks by Half-orcs.

To guard against small Half-orc forces being sent to harass Wilderness Town during the Battle of Five Armies, Allen left behind one hundred archers and several hundred reserve soldiers.

In truth, Allen was not particularly worried about Wilderness Town's defenses. He believed Sauron would gather all his strength to attack the Lonely Mountain and might not even bother with someone as insignificant as him.

In addition, Allen intended to ask Beorn's kin to help him in this battle.

His plan was to have Beorn and Wulf, the two adult Skin-changers, accompany him to the Lonely Mountain and operate alongside the cavalry.

The remaining four would stay temporarily in Wilderness Town, where they could be looked after.

But all of this depended on Beorn's consent.

On his last day before leaving Wilderness Town, Allen went to Beorn's manor to visit his friends, Beorn and his family.

Upon arriving at the manor, Allen saw Marian smiling as she stroked her belly, and forced back the words on his lips.

Allen knew that this battle might well last into winter, when Marian would be close to giving birth.

As a husband and a father, Beorn would not be able to remain at his wife's side.

This gave Allen pause. He turned the matter over and over in his mind, trying to find a tactful way to ask Beorn for help.

Beorn noticed Allen's conflict. He had already learned of Allen's coming battle plans from Klethi.

The Skin-changer was not a man who cared for formalities. Looking at Allen's troubled expression, he spoke plainly.

"Allen, don't worry about asking. Wulf and I will definitely take part in this battle. This isn't just about our friendship. It's also about our people's hatred of Azog. We would be very happy to ruin his plans."

After speaking, the burly man, who stood over two meters tall, scratched his head and continued somewhat sheepishly, "Allen, you know Marian's condition. Could I trouble you to have Jeremus take good care of my wife when the time comes? His medical skills are excellent. With his help, I wouldn't have to worry so much about things at home."

Naturally, Allen had no reason to refuse Beorn's request. After discussing their departure time with him, he left the manor.