They had a few more gaming sessions following the raid dungeon with the Balrog, including fighting the thing a second time when the dungeon reset. Talion decided to start saving his Rare Drop Dice in hopes of rolling for several Legendary Items at once at some unknown point in the future. Tyelpë agreed with this idea when he mentioned it, adding that, "I have been told by some other adventurers that, while the chance is admittedly very small, rolling these 'Rare Drop Dice' for Legendary items has the chance to give a Unique item instead."

He also admired the Third Cloak of Arachnida. "I have heard of Shelob," he said, letting the silk slide through his fingers again, "or at least, I've heard her name. I know better the stories of her mother, Ungoliant. It was she who helped Morgoth break the gates of Formenos and steal the Silmarils from Fëanor and his kin. She had a ceaseless hunger, and it is said that in the end she grew so starved that she couldn't bear it, and devoured herself."

"Yikes."

"Indeed," the elf said with a tight smile, "I would like to meet the weaver who made this, assuming it wasn't Shelob herself; I do not think that is an encounter I would come back from. But this is fine work indeed, and imbued with powerful magic; I'm curious to hear how it was done."

When Talion next logged on, he got two notifications right away.

The Rhovanion Expansion is now available! Head south to the Gap of Rohan to start exploring this new land - or search for the hidden routes through the Misty Mountains, if you dare…

Your quest item Tattered Note glows brightly! Perhaps you should see about getting it translated…

"Ah, another quest," the Ranger sighed, "as if we don't have enough already."

"It would be nice to take a quick break from all the ones we're doing for the White Council," Idril said, stretching, "We're all close to Level 35, so maybe this will put us over. Then Elrond can start giving us some of the heavier ones."

"We'll probably have to talk to him anyway to translate the note," said Ioreth, peering at it when Talion handed it to her, "This isn't a language I recognize."

"You don't think your elf boyfriend would know it?"

"We can stop on our way through and ask, but our best bet is probably Lord Elrond."

Tyelpë didn't know how to read the note, but he was able to identify the language. "This is a written form of the Black Speech of Mordor," he said grimly, examining the ashy script, "Sauron himself was known to use the elven Tengwar letters developed by Fëanor, but the orcs under his command developed an alphabet of their own - or, rather, many alphabets, as many as there are dialects of Black Speech. You should take this to Lord Elrond to be translated, in case it's something important."

They finished their trek through the portal network and arrived in Rivendell. It was the beginning of fall in the hidden elven valley and the leaves were just starting to turn, casting the whole region in shades of green, copper, and gold. Elrond seemed to be taking advantage of the changing seasons as well, because he received them out on a terrace overlooking the valley. "Ah, my friends, come, sit. Take some tea with me and rest a while. Your journey may have been short through the portal network, but that has its own kind of fatigue."

He wasn't wrong, and they all sat down with relief, setting down their weapons but still keeping them near at hand. Talion handed over the Tattered Note, saying, "A friend of ours said you might be able to translate this for us. Said it was Black Speech."

Elrond frowned at that and examined the script. "It is indeed the tongue of Mordor. This is a message of a bounty placed on the head of Thorin Oakenshield."

"I know that name," said Baranor, "I've seen him in the appendices somewhere..." He was already pulling out the book and flipping through it.

"He is the heir to the throne of Erebor, in Rhovanion to the east," Elrond said, his frown deepening as he continued to examine the Note, "It is fortuitous indeed that you have brought this news now; Gandalf intends to seek him out and persuade him to reclaim his throne."

"Reclaim?" Dirhael repeated, "What happened?"

The elf lord sighed. "You know of course that it has been long indeed since we received word of the happenings beyond the Misty Mountains. Now that the Gap of Rohan has reopened, much news has come all at once. Mordor has woken, and Sauron returned to Barad-dûr, and orcs in great numbers have come through the Ash Mountains to lay siege to the lands of Men beyond. Gondor is weakened by a Kin-strife only recently ended, and Rohan by foul sorcery that binds the mind and body of her king. And in the north, Erebor and Dale were lost years ago to the predations of a dragon, come down from the Withered Heath, and King Thranduil of Mirkwood and his people have retreated into their halls to avoid its fire.

"Slaying the dragon in question - known as Smaug - will go a long way toward healing the lands to the east, and if there is a second War of the Last Alliance, it will enable them to send aid against Mordor. Gandalf is here now, if you wish to join him in the search for Thorin," said the elf, passing the bounty back to them, "but I imagine he will understand if you have other things you wish to take care of."

New Quest Received! Oakenshield: Find Prince Thorin of Erebor and his companions. Reward: 50 gold, 100 XP.

"We could use a little break," said Idril, accepting the Note back before handing it to Talion, who sighed and put it back in his inventory, "Where is he?"

Elrond directed them to his rooms. On the way, they stumbled across a lone player sitting on a ledge and admiring the valley below. He introduced himself as Bilbo and was playing as a halfling thief who had dumped almost all of his points into Agility (for stealth), mostly so he could just explore the world rather than fight his way through it. "I'm not much of a fighter," he said as they walked toward Gandalf's rooms, "I got this quest on accident, really; the goblin carrying the Note tried to attack me, but it tripped and impaled itself on a tree branch."

"You must have high luck, then," said Baranor, "Well I don't know about everyone else, but to me it sounds like you could use a party to protect you, and our party could use a rogue for sneaking around, even if they don't fight. What do you say? Want to travel with us for a little bit just to see how it goes?"

Bilbo looked thoughtful. "I don't see why not. I mean, we're starting the same questline. Makes sense to do it together to make it easier on all of us."

As the leader of the party, Talion sent him an invite, and saw him accept and pop up on the Party Members list. Bilbo was barely Level 10, so the Ranger turned on XP Share to give him a boost from whatever enemies they fought along the way.

When they all arrived at Gandalf's rooms, they found a bearded old man in long grey robes smoking a pipe next to open doors leading out onto another terrace. When Talion checked his description in the Character Index of the appendices, it said, Gandalf the Grey (Maia/Wizard, Level ?): One of the five Istari, sent by Manwe, Lord of the Air, to oppose Sauron and Morgoth and their machinations in Arda. Gandalf is considered to be the Istar most friendly to the people of Arda.

"Gandalf?" said Ioreth, "Lord Elrond sent us. He thought we should join you in looking for Thorin."

"Ah, did he now." The wizard put out his pipe and stood, claiming his staff from where it was leaning against the wall. "I had intended to set out alone and he agreed with me, but you must have brought grave news indeed for him to change his mind."

Bilbo offered Gandalf his own Tattered Note, which the wizard read quickly. "...Grave news indeed. Well, we can depart as soon as you are ready."

The little halfling - "We're called hobbits" - hadn't actually discovered any of the fast-travel lodestones, meaning they had to go about it the slow way, but the rest of the party found that they didn't mind. It was nice to actually walk the land again, see how it was changing with the seasons, rather than run from town to town and city to city as fast as they could to finish their quests.

They also got to talk to Gandalf along the way, and he was almost as informative as Tyelpë. "It was not my intent to bring news of so much strife to the east," he said, as they walked East-West Road toward Bree, "but I felt that the passes had been closed by fear long enough. So I went and found a way through, and learned that the situation beyond the mountains is dire indeed. The Lonely Mountain is simply the easiest problem to resolve at the moment - kill the dragon and restore the rightful king."

"Does Thorin have the numbers to kill this dragon and hold Erebor against those who challenge him?" Talion asked.

"He has kin who rule in the Iron Hills north and east of Erebor, a cousin by the name of Dain Ironfoot," the wizard answered, "If he calls, they will answer. And given the size of the hoard Smaug is sitting on, it won't take much to convince adventurers to help as well."

"There's a hoard?" said Dirhael, wide-eyed, "Like a legit dragon hoard?"

"Oh yes. Thrór, Thorin's grandfather, received one of the Seven Rings of Power, which inspired in him an unceasing lust for gold. He amassed an enormous treasure hoard indeed - which in turn attracted the attention of Smaug the Terrible, who came down from the north. The dragon attacked Erebor and slew almost all of the dwarves who lived there to seize the gold. Thorin was very lucky; I understand he was out hunting that day, and so he escaped the dragon's fire. Thorin's father Thraín and Thrór escaped through a hidden passage somewhere in the lower hills… and later died trying to retake the mountain." Gandalf sighed. "The treasure will draw adventurers, it is true, but I fear the consequences of such riches being released into the world once more."

"Entire armies will come once the dragon is dead, trying to claim the hoard," Talion agreed grimly, "hence the reason I asked if Thorin can hold the mountain after slaying the dragon."

"Agreed," said the Maia, "and I do not doubt that the gold is cursed now, after laying so long under the belly of a dragon."

"Dragon Sickness," Ioreth read aloud from her appendices, "An illness of the mind caused by a curse, Dragon Sickness, also known as Gold Sickness, induces a state of rage and paranoia in any who take treasure from a dragon's hoard, regardless of whether or not the dragon is still alive. While cursed, you have a 50% penalty to Wisdom and Intelligence, and, regardless of whether or not it's true, you fear that even your closest friends and family want to take the treasure from you and will do anything to keep it - even kill. The curse will endure indefinitely if the dragon is alive. If the dragon is dead, the curse will endure for a number of days equal to one-quarter the number of days the dragon hoarded the treasure divided by your Wisdom score. For example, if the dragon has brooded over the hoard for 100 days, and your Wisdom score is 25, the curse will persist for 1 day. If the dragon has hoarded the treasure for 100 years, and your Wisdom score is 25, the curse will persist for approximately 58 and a half days (rounded up). Note: You may log off to avoid most of the curse duration if greater than 24 hours, but the curse will persist for the next 24 hours you are logged in."

"... how - how - how long has Smaug been in Erebor?"

"A little over a hundred and seventy years," Gandalf answered.

Baranor finished the math first. "Assuming a Wisdom score of 25, which some of us have and some of us - Idril - don't, almost 100 days for the curse," he said, "a little over three months out of the game."

"Oh hell no! Fuck this dragon and the hoard he rode in on!"

Even Gandalf burst out laughing at that, and they continued on their way towards the Blue Mountains in the far west of Eriador.

They stopped in Bree, partially because Gandalf needed to talk to the innkeeper at the Prancing Pony about passing a message to the Dúnedain, and partially because Bilbo needed at least a knife if he was going to end up in a fight involving a dragon.

Tyelpë greeted them happily, and also provided a small, light sword and a set of Thieves' Tools for the halfling. He was less happy to hear that they were off to fight said dragon. Still... "I understand that Smaug is small for a dragon, which will make him easier to take down," he said, "His grandsire, Ancalagon the Black, who still wreaks havoc in Beleriand to the west, is at least as large as the mountain his descendant resides in, if not larger, and of equivalent age to reach such an enormous size. Still, dragonfire burns the same regardless of the size of the dragon in question. Take care when you face him, my friends."

"We will," Talion said, and touched the chain still around his neck. He'd barely taken it off since fighting Durin's Bane the first time, and now it would come in handy again when they faced off against the dragon.

Ioreth nodded in agreement. She had used Hydro Blast more than a few times since then, mostly on enemies but sometimes on the party, directed skyward so it came down like rain when they were passing through the southernmost reaches of Eriador, where it was essentially a desert despite plants growing and close proximity to the ocean.

"Are they dating?" Bilbo whispered to the teens.

"Oh, if only," was the distinctly Idril-sounding reply, followed by an "Ow!" when Ioreth got her in the knee with the butt of Ithildin.

West of Bree, the East-West Road entered the very edge of the Old Forest, which was… odd. There was a constant feeling of being watched by the trees, and that said trees were not happy about their presence. It also seemed dark like dusk in the forest, even though they could clearly see the edge of the trees and the bright daylight beyond. Yet whether it was because of Gandalf or their numbers or some other unknown characteristic (high luck?), nothing happened while they passed through the trees, or when they crossed the Brandywine Bridge beyond over the Brandywine River.

Dirhael took a brief moment at the apex of the bridge to peer down into the dark water. "So it's not actually brandy or wine, is it? That's disappointing."

"The proper name is Baranduin, 'Golden-Brown River' in Sindarin," said Gandalf, coming to stand next to him and also peering down into the water, "but the hobbits through whose lands we are about to pass made several word-plays of that name in their own tongue, one of which is Bralda-hîm, meaning 'Heady Ale', hence the translation Brandywine."

"Oh, it's been years since I've had a decent brandy," said Bilbo, joining them at the railing, "Do they have any taverns in these lands? Could we stop for a bit?"

"A short while, I think," said Gandalf, "It should be about lunchtime when we reach the Green Dragon, and a hot and hearty meal will do us a great deal of good on our way to the Blue Mountains. While often mistrustful of outsiders, 'Big Folk' as they call us, the hobbits of the Shire are also known for their love of good food and drink, and also their hospitality."

The hobbits watched them warily as they approached, peering around corners and over hedges, but once they spotted Bilbo, another hobbit, and Gandalf, whom they apparently knew, in their party, they relaxed considerably and went about their days. The Green Dragon Inn was happy to serve them, and while the 'Big Folk' couldn't actually eat inside due to their comparatively large sizes, the food was as good as Gandalf said, and they were content to eat on the grass out front and watch the Shire move around them.

"This place is so peaceful compared to the rest of this world," Idril said after briefly getting up to help the hobbits right a cart that had tipped over, a task for which she had received a wheel of cheese as big as her head.

"The Dúnedain and the Rangers of the North work hard to ensure it remains so," Gandalf said, putting a swipe of butter on a slice of still warm bread, "but it helps that there is little here that Sauron's servants consider valuable. The Shire is not known for power or riches which would attract trouble, only the things of home, which Sauron and Morgoth both disdain."

"They're missing out."

You have accepted the hospitality of the Shire and proven friendly to its inhabitants. As long as you maintain this, you will receive a 5% Health boost for 24 hours every time you eat and drink within the borders of the Shire. This effect does not stack.

Received Health Buff "Hearth and Home" - Total Health increased by 5% for 24 hours.

"Awesome!"

"That's handy," said Talion, "Hopefully we won't need it, but still, that's handy."

Once they arrived at Belegost, one of the dwarvish cities in the Blue Mountains, (and discovered the local lodestone, which had already been activated by someone else), it didn't actually take them that long to find Thorin Oakenshield. This time after they asked around a little bit, both Talion and Bilbo succeeded on a perception check, which let them see the ghostly blue footprints that led right to the dwarf eating in a tavern after a long morning in the forges.

The city was mostly dwarves with a few scattered Men and adventurers, but Idril and Dirhael stood guard at the door anyway while the rest of them went to talk to Thorin. Talion also kept a sharp eye and listened with only half an ear as Gandalf talked the stubborn dwarf around, more interested in observing a particular pair of Men shooting glances at Thorin and muttering to each other. They didn't look like mercenaries hired by Sauron, but given their party had found their Notes on random goblins, it was likely there were others who knew about the bounty and wanted to collect.

"Fine," Thorin said finally, "I have heard the portents; when the Ravens of Erebor start flying back to the mountain, Smaug's time there is near an end. But we are not the only ones who have heard. The news you brought back from Rhovanion has spread quickly indeed; the dragon Smaug has not been seen for sixty years, and perhaps the treasure of the mountain lies unguarded… but the front gate is still sealed, and there is no other way in. What do you propose to do about that?"

"If you are willing, we will discuss that tonight, in private," said the wizard, "Gather those you trust and meet us in the upper room of the Silver Tankard. There we will lay out the beginnings of a plan."

Thorin hummed, and briefly eyed the party of adventurers with the Maia before taking the last hunk of bread with his meal and departing, chewing thoughtfully. Gandalf watched him go, then glanced at the Men Talion had been eyeing, who paled and slipped away. "Bilbo, Talion," the wizard said quietly, "The two of you are the best at stealth among us all. Would you mind keeping an eye on Thorin for the rest of the day, just in case?"

Quest Complete! Oakenshield: You have found Prince Thorin of Erebor and persuaded him to retake Erebor. Reward: 50 gold, 100 XP.

The dwarf prince worked in a smithy on the market street, so the two of them spent the last few hours of the day seeming to browse the wares while keeping watch for any suspicious characters. Not that either of them really expected anything to happen; the forge had any number of sharp objects near at hand for Thorin to defend himself. Some of them were even weapons.

The Ranger and the hobbit also spent some of the day talking, telling one another a little about themselves. When he learned about what happened to bring Idril into the family, Bilbo said, "Ah, I thought there was something familiar about her. I was in the House of Lords when Castamir was tried, you know. It's been less than three years, but already it seems like a lifetime."

"Bilbo… Baron Bilbo Baggins?"

The hobbit laughed and nodded. "The alliteration makes it easy to remember, doesn't it?"

"Indeed it does," Talion said with a smile, "I remember that you were one of the few who condemned Castamir whole-heartedly."

"I would never have done anything else." The nobleman frowned deeply. "He betrayed our country, he betrayed our king, and he betrayed our people, some of them to their deaths or worse. I am not by nature a violent man, but I still think he got off too lightly."

"He was executed."

"And it was quick, wasn't it? Barely two weeks after the trial ended, he got the lethal injection, whereas the living have to deal with the consequences of his actions. Those who've lost family members will be living with that grief for years, and those soldiers who were crippled in the fighting will endure for a lifetime with reminders of his betrayal written in their very bodies." Then he sighed, and a little of the passion bled out of him. "But I wish Idril the best of luck in stepping out of her father's shadow. It will not be easy, but even just seeing what I have of her, I do not doubt she has the strength to do it."

But Talion never did get the chance to ask how Bilbo came to play Lord of the Rings, for the sun began to set, marking the end of the work day. Thorin must have sent a messenger off before they arrived, for soon after the evening bells rang through the city, a number of dwarves gathered at the smithy and followed the prince to the Silver Tankard, Talion and Bilbo a safe distance behind with a few purchases they had made. They all gathered together in the upper room, and Gandalf, Baranor, and Ioreth warded it as tight as they could before they sat down at the table.

The wizard pulled a worn parchment from his sleeve and spread it flat on the table, revealing a map. "Far to the East," he said, "over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak - the Lonely Mountain. The time has come to take it back from the dragon Smaug."

"'When the birds of the old return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end,'" one of the dwarves, an older one by the name of Óin, said, joining his fellows in peering at the map.

"Where did you get this?" Thorin asked - nearly demanded - of Gandalf.

"It was given to me by your father by Thráin, for safekeeping, along with a key," the wizard answered, producing the key in question. It was old and heavy, wrought of a solid piece of iron, worn dark with years.

"If there is a key," said Kíli with dawning joy, "there must be a door!"

Gandalf nodded with a smile. "Thorin, earlier you said that the front gate is sealed, and that there is no way into the mountain. You are half right. The gate is sealed, but as you see marked by these runes here on the map, there is a hidden passage somewhere on the northeastern side of the mountain that leads to the lower halls. That is how your father and grandfather got out the day Smaug came, and it will be how you can get in. - But."

The dwarves had begun to get a little rowdy with renewed hope, but they quieted down again, eyes riveted on the wizard.

"Dwarf doors are invisible when closed, made so either by cunning or magic. The location to this door lies hidden somewhere in this map, and I do not have the skill to find it. However, there are others in Middle-Earth who can. Lord Elrond has offered to use all his arts to search, but he will not do so without you before him giving him permission. Just in case, he did not wish to risk damaging the map without the leave of its rightful owner."

"We have sought aid from the elves before," the dwarf prince nearly snarled, either having not noticed Ioreth or not noticed she was an elf, "and they have given us none, not the day the dragon came, not when we were starving in the wilderness, not now when we've been breaking our backs to scrape out a living!"

"Lord Elrond is not King Thranduil, Thorin," Gandalf rebuked him sternly, "and while I do not doubt that he took umbrage at some insult your grandfather gave while under the influence of one of the Seven, I also do not doubt that Thranduil sought to protect his people from the dragon's fire, same as you. He was there in Beleriand when Glaurung the first dragon was made and came forth in the Nírnaeth Arnoediad, the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, ages ago. If any among the Eldar have felt the pain of dragon fire, it is him."

Thorin subsided with reluctance but still said, "If he had truly experienced what we have, he should have understood our pain and lent us aid that we would not have suffered as he did."

Balin, one of the older dwarves with a long white beard, picked up the map and examined it as if his eyes could see with pure effort what Gandalf's could not with magic. "The odds are still against us. After all, these here may be adventurers, but what are we? Merchants, miners, tinkers, toy makers. Hardly the stuff of legend."

"There are a few warriors amongst us," Thorin answered him.

"Old warriors," Balin returned.

"I would take each and every one of these dwarves over an army from the Iron Hills," the prince said, "for when I called upon them, they answered. Loyalty, honor, a willing heart. I can ask no more than that."

Balin laid the map down with a sigh. "You don't have to do this, Thorin. You have a choice. You've done honorably by our people. You have built a new life for us in the Blue Mountains, a life of peace and plenty. A life that is worth more than all the gold in Erebor."

"From my grandfather to my father, this has come to me," he replied solemnly, fist going tight around the key, "They dreamt of the day when the dwarves of Erebor would reclaim their homeland. There is no choice, Balin. Not for me."

The old dwarf seemed to have expected that answer and nodded. "Then we are with you, laddie. We will see it done."

Thorin turned to the party of adventurers. "And you? I cannot promise you any kind of riches, for I have none unless the dragon is slain and the mountain retaken."

"I cannot speak for anyone else, but I have gold enough for now. I'm willing to help you take back your home," said Talion, "and I know of at least one other who will come purely for the chance to slay a dragon."

The others all agreed to go as well.

New Quest Received! Erebor: Reach the Lonely Mountain. Reward: 200000 XP. Note: You may NOT travel through the lodestone portals for this quest.

The players' eyebrows went up at that, and more than a few of them exchanged glances. A quest reward that had no gold, but enough XP to put each of them up at least three levels wasn't something they had encountered before. And then the qualifier, that they couldn't use the lodestones, even to cross Eriador to Rivendell to speak with Lord Elrond?

Well, there was nothing for it now. They'd already accepted the quest; they'd have to see it through at some point.

They set out the very next day with as many supplies as they dared carry - but Gandalf wasn't with them. "I have some urgent business of my own to attend to," he said grimly, "Last night I received word from the Lady Galadriel that the Nazgûl are abroad once more. I must investigate, for all our sakes, but I will join you in Rivendell to speak with Lord Elrond, if not sooner. Move swiftly, my friends, and do not use the portals; though they are guarded, they are also too easily watched, and there are many of Sauron's servants who will seek to stop you from reclaiming your lands and homes."

He had found a horse for sale in the town's stables and set off at a gallop, nearly flying east ahead of them. Their party had some of their own, mountain ponies bred by the dwarves for their hardiness, but they were slower and could not hope to keep up such a pace as Gandalf set - not that they wanted to.

"The Nazgûl," Talion murmured as they set off, carefully pouring a measure of water over his bow and watching it soak into the wood before summoning and nocking an arrow, "The promo images and concept art were bad enough - I don't ever want to encounter one of those things in-game."

"I feel the same," said Ioreth, riding along next to him with Ithildin occasionally flaring off Detect Good and Evil spells as an early warning system, "but I don't think we'll have a choice, unless we avoid whatever climactic final battle there is with Sauron. And ten to one, whatever passes for Morgoth's servants will be worse."

Talion groaned quietly.

"What are these Nazgûl?" Bilbo asked from Ioreth's other side, seated primly on a pony of his own. He had much more experience riding a horse than any of the players, and had been the one to help them figure out how to do so; before now they had just walked everywhere or used the portals.

"Ringwraiths," Talion answered, "Sauron's servants. In-game lore has that, knowingly or not, they were kings of Men who took up Rings of Power that had been forged by the elven-smith Celebrimbor of Eregion... but those same Rings were corrupted by Sauron, enslaving the Nine to Sauron's will. Now they're nameless, faceless horrors that roam the world, casting dark shadows and terrorizing innocents."

Bilbo shuddered. "I wouldn't like to face those either. Here's hoping we don't encounter them on this trip."

"Hopefully the worst of it will be the actual dragon."

"Amen to that."

They were attacked for the first time a few hours out from Belegost. Gandalf was right to say that the portals would be watched, but the road was being watched, too. Ioreth's Detect Good and Evil gave them a warning that there was a pack of goblins and a few wargs waiting around the bend in the road ahead of them, and they all quickly organized themselves for a fight. The priestess buffed them all, then dropped to the rear of the group with Bilbo, Balin (the oldest after Thorin), and Ori (the least trained) - after making sure that there were no attacks coming from behind as well.

Talion was in the middle of the pack with Kíli, who had a bow of his own, even though he himself admitted that he used it more for hunting than fighting. Even so, when they rounded the bend and came across the goblins blocking the road, he was able to join the Ranger in shooting over the others' heads even as the dwarves and adventurers charged the creatures. Half a dozen fell with arrows turning them into pincushions, before the two battle lines swept together. More than a few of the goblins ended up trampled by sharp hooves even before the dwarves started swinging their swords and axes, and the wargs fared only a little better; though the dwarvish ponies were by all rights prey animals, they were still just as fierce as their owners and kicked hard at any foe that came in range, even as their eyes rolled in fright.

It took only a few minutes to clean up the goblins and wargs with only minimal injuries, which Dirhael fixed up with his paladin healing ability. Then they started going through the bodies. "I've not heard of goblins coming this far west; our troubles are mostly with Morgoth's orcs coming over the Blue Mountains," said Thorin, kicking one of the goblins onto its back with a grimace of disgust, "Did they know we were coming?"

"It's possible," said Talion, still mounted, an arrow nocked again on his bow, sweeping the area and looking for any escapees or second waves that might be coming, "We weren't exactly shouting for the whole wide world to hear that we were coming to look for you, but neither did we actively conceal our reasons for heading west, and news about the situation in Rhovanion has spread quickly. I don't doubt that there are others who thought as Gandalf did that Smaug is the easiest problem to resolve - and now are trying to stop us from doing exactly that."

That made the prince scowl, but he still stooped down to rifle through the goblin's things. All of them came up empty-handed, even Talion when he came down to use his apparently stellar perception checks. "Nothing," said the Ranger, crouched next to one of the corpses, elbows resting on his thighs, "and that in and of itself is suspicious, at least to me. What do you all think?"

"I agree," said Idril, flipping another corpse with a frown, "They don't even have the little symbols for the various goblin tribes - it's like they left all identifying information at home."

The dwarves murmured amongst themselves, too. Thorin looked over what was left of the attack party, then said, "It's possible this was just a raiding party venturing further afield for more loot - possible, but not very likely. We will proceed as if we are being actively hunted."

That meant Talion ranging afield, scouting ahead, sometimes with Bilbo, sometimes not. He worked on teaching Pass Without Trace to the halfling rogue, and by the time they reached the Shire again several days later, he was successful in casting the spell more times than not. They stopped at the Green Dragon again, this time for the night, and the dwarves and hobbits stayed in the inn while the "Big Folk" camped on a hill nearby, overlooking the surrounding land. One of the dwarves was on watch inside, and one of the adventurers was too on the hill, looking for anyone approaching suspiciously or otherwise sneaking around.

Hobbits could move quietly and subtly indeed, but they didn't sneak. That would mark any strangers or suspects out clear as day.

Talion sat up against the trunk of a tall tree, looking out over the rolling hills of the Shire. He was taking the first watch, his bow on his lap, but Ioreth was drowsing against his shoulder. He leaned his head against her own but stayed vigilant until it was time to wake Dirhael for the mid-shift. Idril would take over at dawn, and then they would shuffle for the next night, and the next - for however long it took to finish the quest.

But the night was quiet, the Shire peaceful, the stars twinkling overhead in unknown constellations. No sign of any trouble anywhere, not even among the hobbits.

Unfortunately, that didn't carry over into later days. They were attacked twice on the road just between the Shire and Bree - one party was that of simple bandits, but the second was of unidentified goblins, same as before. Again, they had no identifying information, which left them all even more frustrated than before.

What was more frustrating - for the dwarves, rather than for the party - was that their weapons needed sharpening after seeing so much sudden combat, but they had ended up with only one decent whetstone between them - two, when the party let them borrow the one they shared.

But then Talion and Ioreth's eyes met, and they got up from the tables in the Prancing Pony together. "Come on," said the priestess, taking up her staff, "We know where you can have your weapons sharpened - or at least get some more whetstones for the journey, so you can do it yourselves."

"Say hi to Tyelpë for us!" Dirhael called after them.

"Come say it yourself!"

There were groans behind them and the scrapes of benches as they all stood up and headed out into the streets.

The setting sun cast even run-down Bree in warm shades of gold as they made their way to the elven smith's shop. It was empty except for Tyelpë, which let them all crowd in, and the elf laughed and greeted the dwarves in their own language, which seemed to shock them. "It isn't often we share the secrets of our tongue with outsiders," said Balin, smiling as he watched the smith sharpen Fíli and Kíli's swords with a whetstone that shimmered oddly and sent out the occasional blue spark when the blades were scraped over it, imbuing them with a little magic that would let them cut deeper and hold an edge longer, much to the young dwarves' delight, "It's to the point where that's the mark of someone our people can all consider a friend and worthy of trust, if they know even a few words of our most secret speech. That he knows so much means much indeed."

"We already knew all of that," said Ioreth, exchanging a fond glance with her husband, "but it's nice to hear that others think so as well."

Without warning, Tyelpë froze, staring off into space, and then the rest of the world ground to a halt around them. All the NPCs stopped moving, the ambient sounds dying away without even so much as an echo. Leaves stopped rustling and waving in the wind, buildings stopped creaking as their occupants moved around - all of the little details that made the world come alive, seem real, stopped all at once.

Talion whirled to check on his family, and though none of them made any sound, they were still there, looking just as scared and confused as he was, and more players out on the street as well, made more obvious still when all the NPCs suddenly depopulated.

A system notification appeared just as suddenly.

INTRUSION ALERT! Security breach detected - assessing threat - initiating emergency log off for all active players and mandatory server shut down in 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 -