“My rowan tree…”
In this large valley south of the Mist Mountains and east of Aisinger, an old and distant voice was floating in this ancient forest.
"Your brilliance is dazzling... under the summer... your tree crown is golden red... like a tall crown..."
When Gandalf and Anne met with Aragon, Jinli and Legras who entered the Forest of Fargon, the tall tree-beards were walking and strolling in the deep forest of Fargon, carrying two little Hobbit Piping and Meli.
Then, in great boredom, the tree whisper was chanting poems for the two hobbits in the ancient tone that the tree-grassmen liked. Because the tree-grassmen speak slowly and the tone is very long, it often takes a long time to finish a short passage, making the two little hobbits sitting on it listen to drowsy.
"What a beautiful poem..."
The tree whisker, who felt very good, did not notice the half-drooping eyes of the two hobbits, so it planned to change to another song and continue singing for a while.
After so many years, few people who can speak to it can still see themselves alive when entering the Fagong Forest. Therefore, the tree must not give up on this opportunity to chat with outsiders.
"Tree beard, how far are we?"
The Hobbit Piping, who was sitting in a fork above the tree beard, was a little impatient. So far, they had been wandering around the Fargon Forest for a long time!
But until now, they seem to have not reached their destination. Wherever they see are all the strange-shaped ancient trees. If there weren't trees that had to be taken with them personally and let them walk by themselves, they would have to get lost!
"Please don't worry..."
"Maybe, you will feel a little far... My home is deep in the forest, right at the foot of that mountain..."
After hearing the words of the Shuwu, the two hobbits stood up and began to look into the distance, and then they quickly gave up.
Because, in the distance, there are several hills, and they don’t know which one the foot of the hill refers to? Moreover, even if it is the nearest one, it will probably take more than half a day. Now they both complain a little, and they don’t know what Gandalf and the others are going to do, so why are they not willing to take them with them?
"I promised Gandalf that I will protect your safety... With my protection, you will definitely be very safe..."
"I believe...you guys, maybe they like my next poem?"
After comforting the two hobbits on his shoulders and head, the tree trumpet intends to continue to recite its poem that seemed to never finish.
"By the way, the tree beard! We heard Gandalf say before, you don't seem to have a good relationship with Lord Anne Witch? What the hell is going on?"
Meli didn't want to continue listening to this old tree man who was both talkative and slow to continue chatting about those boring ancient poems, so he quickly opened his mouth to open up the topic.
"That's right! Tree beard, I want to know why that is too! Did that little witch offend you?"
Piping was also interested in this topic. After hearing Meli's question, he came up immediately.
According to what Gandalf had told them secretly before, if the two Hobbits had not happened to appear in time and attracted the attention of the orcs and the little witches, and then gave everyone a step to go down, maybe that lawless little Anne would have fought with the tree people, right?
“Um…”
"This is because... that little human girl, she is an evil little witch... She also wants to burn our forest...my last Fagon forest..."
"And, she actually wanted to grill those cute little squirrels...the evil witch..."
Just as I was about to continue reading a tree beard with my original poem, after hearing the two hobbits ask about this, I groaned with an unknown sound of trembling in the ancient language of the trees.
Its tree beards don't like the little girl who plays with fire, and they don't like it very much! In fact, their tree herders don't like any creature that plays with flames or can use flames!
Because, flames will burn their trees and destroy their forests!
During the ancient war in the first era, the evil Veramogoth and his demons had burned the forests that the tree herders were responsible for taking care of, destroying ancient trees one after another. Similarly, they also burned many tree people to death...
Of course, they also don’t like humans or dwarves who play with axes and cut down trees! They will also destroy their forests, cut down their precious trees, build their ugly cities and make room for those farmlands?
In the eyes of Shuxu, their Numanor people were also a group of bad guys, all of them were invaders...
"No! Tree beard, I think you might have misunderstood something?"
"Sir Anne is actually a very good person. She is not evil. At most... sometimes she is just a little naughty?"
When Rivendale was at Rivendale, Pi Ping, who had sneaked into a dog with a little girl, quickly spoke out to defend Anne.
As for roasted squirrels, Piping had been catching them with Merry when she was in Charles. The thing was delicious! It was a bit difficult to catch, and there was not a lot of meat?
Therefore, Piping didn't think there was anything bad or evil about this. After all, tree people could grow up by eating soil, but hobbits or humans like them had to eat meat!
"Pi Ping is right!"
"Mr. Anne is actually not evil. She is a great little human girl! She is strong and has a very good human being. The insects will not look down on us because we are weak!"
"Maybe... the bad thing she has done is to secretly catch the sika deer that King Ailon pulls the cart and grill it and eat it?"
After hearing Pi Ping's words, Meli, who was sitting on his familiar shoulders, nodded and responded. He also liked the powerful little witch! He felt that the other party seemed to have similar personalities to the two of them. Moreover, although it was a bit weird sometimes, most of the time, she was easy to get along with, as long as it wasn't deliberately making her angry!
"Uh... Ayron? Sika deer?"
The tree beard pondered while walking. It suddenly felt a little confused just now, because it seemed to be a little familiar with the name Ailon? Although it has been sleeping too many times, it has forgotten a lot of things?
But it felt that it was very likely that it had heard or known the one named Ailon before? But for a moment, it could not remember who the other party was or where he had seen it...
"No! Merry! Are you crazy? You must not tell this!"
When he heard that Meley dared to casually tell me about the sika deer that Lord Anne and the two of them were pulling the cart at Lord Rivendell when he was at Rivendell, Pi Ping, who was sitting above, immediately exploded. He wanted to jump down and cover the other party's unshirkable mouth.
How can such a thing be said casually?!
You know, that strong cabbage deer is King Ailon's most beloved pet... It is said that the thing still comes from a divine kingdom called Amenzhou? It seems to be a auspicious beast?!
Pi Ping still remembers it very clearly. At that time, when King Ailon knew that his divine beast was missing, he was so angry! After scolding the guards, he was furious and ordered the soldiers to wander around the forest, trying to find the lost Kama deer that he would never come back?!
And if the other party knew that his beloved beast Kade had been captured alive by a powerful little girl and entered the belly of the three of them, it would have been a big incident, right?!
Now that I feel refreshed, Pi Ping is still drooling!
The magical beast produced in Amenzhou has a very unusual taste! That excellent taste and extraordinary taste bud enjoyment are definitely not comparable to those ordinary beasts here in Middle Earth.
Unfortunately, they didn't bring kitchen utensils at that time, nor did they have enough spices. In that kind of worrying environment, they could only barbecue on the grass...
"Melly! We have sworn that we must not talk about this!"
After warning Meli again, Piping suddenly remembered something.
He remembered that there seemed to be the same kind of karat in the golden forest? Unfortunately, Lord Anne did not conduct an expedition with them at that time, so they thought they were not capable, and in the end they did not dare to attack the divine beast in the golden forest...
"ah!?"
Meli seemed to realize that he had just said nothing, so he quickly looked at the old herdsman and tree beard who was listening to the conversation with curious expressions.
"Thufeng...you probably won't go to report to that King Ailon, are we friends, aren't we?"
After looking at the thick mossy beard of the tree beard with a pitiful look, Meli asked carefully. If the tree man was familiar with King Aaron, Meli felt that they would almost have to find a way to hide back to Charles earlier.
"Ailon...Who is King Ailon?!"
After thinking for a while, Shuju still shook her head in annoyance. It was now a little confused about who was the King of Ailon, but it was also very sure: it must have heard of this name before!
“…”
"King Ailon is a human, very tall, with black hair, blue eyes, and a little white skin... Moreover, he is also the owner of a large logging farm. It is said that he likes cutting trees especially? Believe me, tree beard, you will never like him!"
"That's right! That's it. King Ailon, there are rumors that in order to make money, he has to cut down at least a large area of ​​forest every year!"
After looking at each other with a glad look, Meli and Piping quickly told Shuxu everything about the King Aaron.
“Um…”
"Although... I feel like you two are not completely honest... but... I really don't like that guy... If I saw him, I would step on him..."
A logger? Or a human who specializes in cutting trees to make money? And he cuts down a large area of ​​forest every year?!
It's so shameful and cruel! If you cut down some wood for survival or necessary things, the tree must endure it and pass it! At most, just treat it as invisible?
However, if you cut down arbitrarily to make money, you will definitely not be forgiven!
So, if these two little hobbits were telling the truth and the facts were really like this, the tree must feel that when the next time he met the human named Ailon King, for the sake of the beautiful forests in the Middle Earth, it would definitely step on it with one foot, and would never give the other party a chance to quibble or escape!
“…”
“…”
After hearing the murderous words of Chushou, Meli and Piping secretly looked at each other again.
Then, they prayed silently, hoping that this tree-grassing tree would never encounter the elf king Ailon far away in Rivendell! Otherwise, then, something big might really happen! After all, that is much more serious than stealing katanas!
"By the way, tree beard! I just heard you mention that you have lived for so long, and it has been at least tens of thousands of years? But why are you just a few hundred tree people left?"
He didn't want to be more entangled on the sensitive topic just now, so he quickly asked.
In any case, he needed to quickly divert the old tree man's attention. He did not want to hear keywords such as Ailon King or Sika Deer appear again.
"Didn't you have ever given birth to little tree people in nearly ten thousand years?!"
Piping is really curious about this question.
The magical tree shepherds, and the moving kind who are ruled by them, will kill all the evil tree Hun that enters the Fagong Forest?
At first he thought: Treemen are the kind of moving big trees! They were originally ordinary big trees, growing bigger and taller, and then one day, they suddenly opened their eyes and pulled their roots out of the land as their feet to call them? This turned into treemen?
But if this is the case, the number of tree herders shouldn't be so small, right?
But if the other party was mate and gave birth to the little tree man, then where were the little tree man? Why have they never seen them before after visiting the Fagong Forest for so long?
"Um...Little Tree Man..."
After hearing what the Hobbit Piping said, Shuju muttered that she didn't know what she said, but her expression suddenly became depressed.
"We... haven't had a tree man baby for many years..."
The tree trumpet sighed again. This is a very serious problem. It has been entangled with the tree people for a long time, so that they have almost reached the brink of extinction now?
"Our tree wives... they are gone..."
The tree whisker turned his head and didn't seem to want to talk to these two hobbits about these things that made it feel uncomfortable and sad.
Their tree herders still live in the Fagong Forest, the tree shepherds have been bachelor for thousands of years... And if there were no other accidents, this state would continue, and then, they would likely continue to be in peace until the day when they are completely extinct?!
"Oh! I feel sorry... but can I ask, how did they die?"
Although Shi Zhi didn't seem to want to continue this topic, Pi Ping still wanted to continue asking.
Such explosive news can't be found elsewhere! If they finish the risk and return to Shire in the future, they can write down these things with old Bilbo Baggins, and then when they have time, they can still brag about Shire's relatives and friends, right?
"Die? No...they are not dead..."
When he heard that the Hobbits had misunderstood and thought that their tree wives were dead? The tree whisper quickly shook his head negatively, and the skin that was sitting on its head almost lost its balance and fell down.
"Tree wives...they are gone...now we can't find them either...we ourselves lost them..."
As he spoke, as if the tree beard, which had been hooked up with something particularly sad, began to speak loudly:
"We once crossed the Anduin River and visited the land where they lived, but... we only found a desert..."
"Everything was burned and destroyed by the war... The war caused great damage to their residence..."
"Our tree wives...they are not there..."
"We searched and searched again and again... and asked everyone we met..."
"Some people say they have never seen tree wives...some people say they are going west...some people say they are going north...some people say they are going south or east?"
"But no matter how we look for it... we just can't find them... we really lost them..."
The more you said it, the more sad and angry the tone of the tree beard appeared! If the people of the herds would cry, I am afraid it would be howling in tears now, right?
This may be part of the reason why people in the Fagong Forest hate orcs, humans, and almost all intelligent creatures so much?
In their eyes, it was the flesh and blood creatures who cut down their beloved forests and destroyed the habitat of their tree wives! This hatred is so great that it is bigger than the vast Fagon Forest now! Their resentment is so high that it is even taller than the tallest tree!
This matter has been countless years, and it is almost impossible for them to become as chaotic and crazy as those Huns. Therefore, when it comes to Huns hunting creatures entering the Fagong Forest, Chubing has always turned a blind eye, or even ignored it and used sleep to pass the time of loneliness?
"You guys in Charles... haven't seen our tree wife before?"
After saying that, Shuju turned his head and looked at the two little hobbits with some anticipation. They were said to have visited half of the Middle Earth. Perhaps, they have seen their tree wives?!
"I probably haven't seen you...whether you, Meli?"
After looking at the pitiful appearance of the tree beard, Piping could only shake his head regretfully. He was sure that they did not see a big tree that looked similar to the tree beard or could move in the Charles.
"Tree wives? What exactly do they look like? Let's talk about it first? Maybe, where have I seen it?"
Meli also thought about it seriously, and then he quickly turned his head and asked Shuxu. Because, he found that he didn't even know what the Chuxu wives looked like, how could he recall whether he had seen each other?
“Um…”
"What do the tree wives look like...we don't remember very much..."
The tree beard was stunned for a moment, then blinked its huge eyes, thought hard again, and finally, it suddenly became even more frustrated...
Because the time is too long, and they have been staying in the Fagong Forest for too long, and they have even forgotten what the tree wives look like...
"Maybe...we tree shepherds can only...do according to the request of that evil little witch..."
After seeing the Hobbits, they didn't know where their tree wives were, the tree wives could only accept their fate and sighed.
Although the tree whiskers really disliked the evil little human witch, it still accepted their fate! For their tree wives, for their next generation, and for their next generation, the tree whiskers decided to temporarily surrender to the little witch and do it according to the other party's orders...
"His Excellency Anne? What is her reason? Why do you do it as she asks?"
Pi Ping felt a little confused and inexplicable. Didn’t they just talk about the tree wives? Why did they suddenly get involved in the little witch Anne? What’s the matter with her?
"Yes! Shuwu, didn't you just say that you hate Lord Anne's Witch?"
Meli also asked curiously.
What exactly can make these powerful tree people willing to surrender to a little girl they hate? He thought this might be much more interesting than a tree wife or something!
I learned a lot of strange things today. Maybe, after returning to Charles, they can really learn from that old Bilbo and write everything they know into a thick book?
“Um…”
"Yes... the little witch is very evil... She makes us tree people respond to her army... We don't like war... but... she seems to know where our tree wife is..."
There is nothing better than letting a group of barbarians who have been in charge of tree wives to find their wives! So, after the little witch secretly said to it at that time, the tree beard could only sigh deeply again.
It really has no choice but to compromise...
“…”
"Treebeard? Are you really sure? As far as we know, Lord Anne Witch is sometimes naughty. Maybe she is lying to you?!"
After Piping and Meli looked at each other awkwardly, they could only persuade the old tree man with aggravated look.
They have more contact with the character of the little Anne witch, and they are more clear about it! So, they don’t really want this honest and honest old tree man to be deceived by an unscrupulous little girl, and then end up in vain in a bamboo basket?
In that case, the tree shepherds would be a little too cruel to them...
"No……"
"That little witch, she is a strong man who is not inferior to Vera, she will not lie to me easily..."
After hearing the words of the two hobbits, the tree whiskers finally shook his head slowly after turning its huge yellow-orange eyeballs for a while.
"She described it to me..."
"In that deep forest... there is a sea of ​​strange flowers... the plants there... are extremely vigorous in vitality... and... several special forms of green energy..."
"That...is our tree wife... several tree wives..."
Speaking of this, the tree beards even began to tremble.
Obviously, it was very excited now. If the evil little witch hadn't asked them to serve in her army first and meet her requirements before she would tell them where the tree wives were, perhaps, it would have called on its companions now and ran to the tree wives day and night at the fastest speed, wouldn't it have been?
Never underestimate the determination of this group of male tree people who have been bachelor for tens of thousands of years!
"But, by this alone, can you be sure that it is your tree wife? Haven't you all forgotten their appearance?"
"You're right!"
Piping and Meli were also a little amused and crying for a moment. They didn't expect that this tree shepherd could be sure that those things were their tree wives based on these inexplicable descriptions?
Haven’t they even forgotten themselves? Now, why can it be so certain? It sounds a bit unreliable for both of them to hear this matter! It’s a flower, an energy, or something, but it must be a tree wife?
"No... the tree wives will change into special forms... This... I'm pretty sure... that's them..."
"We've been waiting for too long...for too long..."
"Now... we're finally going to find them..."
"So...even if we are with the evil little witch... even if we are going to start a war... let us destroy the whole world... we are willing to do whatever we want..."
For the first time, Meli and Piping actually saw the cruel and cold expression on the face of the tree beard! Of course, there were those big yellow and orange eyes that were getting brighter and brighter...
———
On the Rohan Prairie, three horses stopped in the distance of this huge herdsman city, and looked at the palace towering on a huge stone mountain and a residential area surrounded by stone mountain below.
There are three horses and five knights here, and the one riding alone on the white tall horse is Little Anne! After she walked out of the Fargon Forest with the other four, she forcibly occupied the divine horse that Gandalf finally summoned!
Then, the dwarf Jinli naturally rode a gray war horse with the elf prince Leglas, while the white-robed wizard Gandalf squeezed awkwardly on the back of the maroon war horse with Aragon.
"Andoras, the Golden Palace of Medusi!"
"This is where the palace of the Rohan Kingdom, the Cavalry of Hieutun! We have finally arrived, and I hope everything is still too late..."
It was just here that Gandalf breathed a little relieved after seeing the palace and city in the distance. Now, he finally had to squeeze in a war horse with Aragon with passion. That was really a torture...
According to what the exiled Eomer who Aragon had encountered before, the current king of Rohanate Kingdom, Hieudon, seemed to have been controlled by Saruman with evil spells and became inseparable from us?!
If this is true, then they must act quickly!
Gandalf knew that some spells, once they lasted for too long, may have a very bad effect on the human brain!
Originally, Gandalf was a little worried. He was afraid that his magic would not be able to counter Saruman's control over the Cavalry of Hivudon? After all, Saruman was much stronger than him, Maiya, who was still limited in strength!
Although Gandalf is wearing a white robe now, he himself knows that this was given to him by Queen Kellandriel of the Golden Forest, and it actually has nothing to do with his own strength! He did not die in the battle against the Flame Demon, nor was he resurrected by Vera and lifted his strength limit.
However, after looking at the little girl riding on his Miyalas Cat, Gandalf nodded secretly. Although this little girl is causing trouble most of the time, if this little girl is there, it would be much easier for him to counter Saruman's spell!
"Huh? Is this finally here?"
Anne, who had been dozing on the horse's back, opened her eyes in a daze after feeling the horse stop.
"Then let's go in quickly? It's so exhausting! This horse is not fun at all. It runs too slowly and is still very bumpy!"
At this time, little Annie patted the white divine horse under her with dissatisfaction, wanting it to carry it to run towards the city gate in the distance.
Along the way, she didn't sleep well on the horse's back!
“…”
Riding one alone, he dares to say he is tired even if he doesn't let others ride with her? Gandalf and Aragon no longer know what prophecy to use to describe this bad little girl!
"Annie...Jieying said, it doesn't like you very much..."
After turning his head and looking at the white divine horse that was shaking the mane on his neck and constantly squirting loudly, Gandalf endured it, but still couldn't help but tell his partner's thoughts.
"Oh? Then it should feel grateful!"
After reaching out and grabbing the other party's white mane, cart over and look at the huge divine horse's eyes, Annie nodded and soon shook her head again.
"Uh, thank you...? What's the saying?"
Gandalf didn't quite understand the little brat's idea. Jieying didn't like her but she had to feel grateful? What logic is this? It's completely nonsensical!
"Because horse meat is not delicious! It's bitter and astringent?"
"So, I won't eat it because it doesn't like me! How about it? Should it feel a little thankful?!"
If this beautiful divine horse was a different animal and hated itself, it would have been roasted and eaten by Anne!
"What are you looking at? Look again, be careful I will eat you!"
After seeing the horse turning his head and glaring at her, not daring to speak, Anne glared back without any mercy!
“…”
"Yes, not only Jieying feels grateful, but I am also very grateful!"
Gandalf's lips were trembling, and it took him a long time to say something.
Fortunately, his mount is a horse, isn't it? Otherwise, its fate might have ended up like Rivendell and some magical creature in the Golden Forest!
That little brat really thought he didn't know what she did? He just didn't dare to say it out casually!
Thinking of this, it seems that Ms. Kellandriel also knew that the little girl had eaten her magical animal? Otherwise, she wouldn't have had the expression of driving people at that time?
"Let's go, let's follow you too..."
So, Gandalf could only look with the others with resentful eyes at the white divine horse in front of him who was starting to run towards the city gate while whimpering to the pain and the little devil in a blonde and red skirt on its back!
"I really don't understand why my father Ge Luoyin likes this little girl so much? But I don't like her at all!"
"I'm weird all day long, scheming, insidious and cunning, and don't look like a normal little girl!"
Jin Li, the dwarf in Leglas's arms, saw the little girl rushing out, and then he had the courage to mutter a few dissatisfaction.
"I don't like her very much..."
Leglas nodded and agreed with the dwarf in his arms. He also didn't like this little girl who especially liked to give people nicknames!
Look at what she called herself before? She liked to play with a slight eared face with a slight face that was so sharp that she said!?
The Silfan elves in their dark forest were originally sharp-eared and good at bows and arrows, and he did not deny this! But what happened to the nickname of this little white face? You can tell that it must be a good word, right?
"Okay, stop complaining, at least she is not too bad, and she is still on our side, right? Let's follow us quickly..."
After seeing that in the distance, there seemed to be a Rohan cavalry guarding the gate to surround the little girl who was running on horseback, Gandalf quickly asked Aragon, who was responsible for riding the horse in front of him, to follow quickly.
He really doesn't want this little girl to make a big fuss about the royal court of the Rohanate after making trouble in the Fagon Forest?!
On the Silaxigil Peak, Gandalf had seen the terrifying power of this little girl when she was angry, and that seemed not her true strength? So, he definitely didn't want to see that a little girl threatened to burn the entire Andoras again?
Chapter completed!