Aaron swiftly approached the three trolls and tied them up one by one with the rope that had bound him earlier. Then he returned to Vereesa's side and woke his companions in turn.
Vereesa stretched her body and surveyed the scene in the cave, exclaiming, "Aaron, did you take down three trolls all by yourself?"
The High Elves had been fighting all kinds of trolls for eight or nine thousand years. As longtime enemies of these savage brutes, the elves knew very well how difficult they were to deal with, especially their terrifying regeneration, which was nothing short of a nightmare.
In Vereesa's eyes, Aaron's ability to take down three trolls alone already put him on par with the elite among rangers.
If rangers had to fight trolls in such a cramped cave, they would probably struggle to defeat even one. There was simply too little room here.
Just as the three were considering what to do with the trolls before them and how to proceed, Aaron suddenly heard a commotion coming from the tunnel behind him.
When Aaron turned around, he saw several dwarves charge in, brandishing axes and longswords. The sight before them seemed to catch them off guard, but they quickly introduced themselves. "I'm Lom. We're here to kill trolls. Who are you?"
Vereesa approached Lom and briefly explained the three companions' situation. Lom furrowed his brows and said, "We'd better leave quickly. Those orcs will find out what happened here. These trolls are their allies, though the trolls sometimes catch orcs to eat, too."
Meanwhile, the other dwarves dispatched the three helpless trolls as swiftly as possible. Everyone then hurried to leave. From their conversation along the way, Aaron learned that these dwarves had been unable to escape back to Dun Morogh because the orcs had blocked their route, leaving them no choice but to stay and resist.
Over several years of struggle, these dwarves had suffered devastating losses, losing over ninety percent of their people. Even so, they continued their resistance, determined to fight until they drove the orcs from their home.
According to the dwarves, they had just fought a group of trolls. Aaron could not help feeling fortunate that these dwarves had killed the three trolls' companions. Otherwise, they would never have been able to handle over a dozen trolls at once.
Aaron also discovered that, though they were all dwarves, Falsta, as a Wildhammer Dwarf, was naturally at odds with these Bronzebeard Dwarves. The bearded dwarf argued with his kin all along the way. Fortunately, Vereesa managed to persuade the dwarves not to let their disputes escalate.
Vereesa then asked these local inhabitants to guide the three of them to Grim Batol. After a heated discussion, the dwarves agreed to take them there through their secret passages. However, Lom made it clear beforehand that he would only guide them as far as Grim Batol and would not accompany them beyond that, earning himself Falstad's mockery.
"Thank you," Vereesa said to the dwarves. "But are you saying that passage leads straight into the mountain?"
"That's right, but it's not an easy route... and the orcs don't patrol alone."
"What do you mean by that?" Falstad asked.
Lom mimicked Falstad's earlier mockery, returning a derisive look. "Haven't you heard they have dragons?"
Aaron hardly knew what to say about the passages these dwarves had mentioned. They were made for dwarves, after all, and walking through them was particularly uncomfortable for him. Of course, Vereesa had it even worse. High Elves really were very tall.
According to Lom, this passage led to an abandoned gold mine, whose transport route led straight to Grim Batol. Unfortunately, some red dragons that showed signs of injury seemed to patrol that route, posing a serious threat to anyone hoping to enter Grim Batol.
The exit that finally appeared before them left Aaron unsure whether to laugh or cry. Even the dwarves could not crawl through it.
Vereesa examined the exit and asked in confusion, "Where's the passage you mentioned?"
Lom smiled smugly and pointed to the rocks before them. "These rocks can't be moved from outside, so the orcs think they're one solid piece. That's why they haven't discovered this route."
"But they know you're hiding here?"
"Yes, my lady. With their dragons to rely on, they don't think we're a threat. And we really can't get past those dragons to drive off those greenskins. It's damned frustrating."
"Then shall we start moving these rocks now?"
"I suggest waiting until nightfall before going out. Leave too early, and you'll be easily spotted."
After consulting Falstad and Aaron, Vereesa decided to wait a little longer. Everyone could use the time to rest and eat something.
Though these dwarf resistance fighters, or guerrillas, looked rather miserable, they still shared their food with the three companions. Even Falstad received enough dried meat and fruit to fill his stomach.
As Aaron gnawed on some dried meat that was rather hard on his teeth, he suddenly noticed Lom leaving alone. His explanation to the others was that he wanted to check the nearby branching passages.
After what had happened with Kreel, Aaron's vigilance had shot up, almost to the point where everyone looked as though they were in league with Deathwing.
Watching the dwarf leave the group alone, Aaron instinctively felt that he was leaving something unsaid, so he quietly got up and followed. Judging by the soft footsteps behind him, Vereesa seemed to have followed as well. Perhaps the ranger had noticed something, too.
The murmuring ahead forced Aaron to stop. In truth, moving stealthily through a tunnel was rather difficult for him. The soles of his boots were somewhat hard, and the slightest carelessness when stepping on the ground would make a sound.
"-There was nothing I could do, boss! You don't want them knowing you exist, do you?" A silence followed. "That's right, a female elven ranger with a pretty face and a perfect figure. That's her. There's also a black-haired human ranger." Another silence. "The other one? A barbarian from Aerie Peak. Says his mount ran off when the trolls captured them."
Aaron judged that the speaker was Lom, but he could not hear whoever Lom was talking to. He wondered whether something was wrong with his ears, but after glancing back at the equally confused Vereesa, he was certain she had not heard clearly either.
Aaron quietly peeked around to look. The dwarf seemed to be alone, but judging by the indistinct object he held in his hands, he was probably communicating with someone from a distance.
"Who's there?" Lom suddenly turned his gaze toward them and called out.
Aaron tried to pull his head back, only to feel himself bump into something. Looking up, he discovered that Vereesa was peering out above his head.
"Come out. I know it's you, human paladin and Lady Vereesa."
Aaron and Vereesa exchanged a glance, readied themselves for battle, and stepped out of hiding.
"I didn't expect you to find me even after I hid this far away." Lom seemed somewhat displeased at being discovered. "What are you doing here?"
"Mr. Lom, don't you think your behavior was a little too deliberate?" Aaron held up his shield and looked at the dwarf.
"That's none of your business... what?" The object in Lom's hand suddenly gave off a faint glow. It seemed the person communicating with him remotely had not ended the conversation, but had instead given Lom some new instructions.
"Are you sure that's all right? Fine, I understand." After listening for a while, Lom suddenly approached the pair and offered Vereesa the pendant in his hand, which was set with a red gemstone. "He wants to talk to you. He isn't your enemy."
Aaron and Vereesa exchanged a glance. Vereesa reached out and took the pendant. A light flashed across its surface, then it fell dormant. Nothing changed for quite some time. Vereesa looked up at Lom and asked quietly, "This thing isn't broken, is it?"