The Goblins' movements naturally couldn't be hidden from Arthur, Thorin, and Dain in Lake-town, or rather, from the scouts Dain sent out who discovered these Goblins suddenly circling from Mirkwood to the old site of Dale.
As the celebratory banquet in Lake-town for the defeat of the orcs drew to a close, Bard appeared and asked the townspeople to wait, as he had something to explain to them.
Subsequently, under the curious and bewildered gaze of the townspeople, Bard explained everything that Lake-town might face in the future, and hoped that they would follow him to the old site of Dale to rebuild that city-state.
"I will not force every one of you to follow me to Dale, nor will I expel you like the previous Mayor after making you leave your property. For those who do not wish to go, I will personally go to Mirkwood and plead with King Thranduil of the Woodland Realm to accept you. As for those who are willing to follow me, I will, as before, do my utmost to ensure our survival and rebuild Dale."
That's what Bard said.
However, his words clearly could not comfort the hearts of all Lake-town residents. Except for some of Bard's followers, most of them merely had a good impression of Bard, knowing he was much better than the Mayor who sucked their blood, but that didn't mean they could easily entrust their future to Bard.
Perhaps they might be swept up by the fervent atmosphere of Bard's followers and agree to Bard's words, following him to Dale.
But once they, feeling lost, discover that life in Dale is not as good as in Lake-town, it's easy for seeds of complaint against Bard to be sown. Even if the dwarves win the Battle of Lonely Mountain and defeat the orcs afterward, this seed will not disappear.
This is human nature; they cannot be blamed, and it's not something that can be eliminated with a few words.
Bard himself knew this, but he didn't have many options.
After discussions with Arthur, Gandalf, Thorin, and Dain, he also understood that Lake-town simply could not withstand an orc attack.
Either go to Dale and rely on the remaining city walls for defense.
Or, just as Dale was abandoned over a hundred years ago, abandon Lake-town again, though this time Bard didn't know where he could take them.
The Woodland Realm would shelter them, but clearly, it wouldn't allow them to live there for a lifetime.
But if the dwarves could win this war and Lonely Mountain regained its former prosperity, then Dale could also become good again, just like before.
Bard admitted he was taking a gamble, but there weren't many better options at the moment.
However, after Bard finished speaking, Thorin and Dain, the two dwarves, immediately came to his side to explain to the residents of Lake-town that the dwarves were willing to help them rebuild Dale, and promised that if Lonely Mountain could be reclaimed, a portion of the gold from Lonely Mountain would be shared with them as a reward for their support to the dwarves in this war.
With this promise, the bewildered residents of Lake-town finally felt truly at ease.
However, Bard did not rush the residents to pack their belongings and head to Dale, as Thorin and his companions still needed to wait for Thráin's army in Lake-town and rendezvous with them.
A few days later, Dain suggested sending out scouts, having a team of War Ram Knightss go to Dale first to check, as no one could say for sure if there would be orcs in Dale now.
Bard naturally nodded in agreement; he certainly didn't want to mobilize his compatriots to pack up and go to Dale, only to find a grinning group of orcs waiting for them there.
Thorin then told Dain to have the members of the Lonely Mountain Expedition who came with him to Lake-town also join this reconnaissance mission.
After all, among the dwarves he brought, many frequently traveled between Dale and Lonely Mountain when Dale was still prosperous.
Dain thought for a moment and then nodded in agreement; having dwarves familiar with Dale as guides was better than blindly rushing into Dale.
The final selection was Balin and Gloin.
Balin was chosen not only because he was very familiar with Dale, but also because this amiable dwarf had considerable prestige among the Iron Hills dwarves, and Dain's War Ram Knightss were willing to follow his command.
As for Gloin, Thorin originally wanted Balin and Dwalin, the brothers, to go, but Dwalin stated that he wanted to stay by Thorin's side, so Gloin was sent instead. In reality, Gloin's main task was to protect Balin.
The next day, as Balin led Gloin and the War Ram Knights squad across the frosted gravel path, the ruins of Dale were bathed in a leaden-gray morning light.
Broken human statues lay in the center of nettle-covered squares, their hollow eye sockets gazing at the startled birds rising from beneath their War Goat hooves.
Gloin spat, his voice echoing in the cold wind: "Even rats wouldn't care for this dreadful place."
He was right; Dale was eerily quiet at this moment, with no sound other than the startled birds.
Balin still wore his amiable smile and agreed with Gloin's words: "You're right, let's focus on checking if the walls are still sturdy enough, and then we'll head back."
No unexpected situations occurred during the inspection; the walls of Dale were still sturdy, and some areas only needed simple reinforcement to continue their duty of defending against enemies.
As Balin and his companions were about to return, their War Goats suddenly reared their front hooves, snorting white mist as a warning.
At the same time, Balin and his companions also felt the ground slightly vibrate and heard a sound like fingernails scraping against rock layers.
A group of Goblins, appearing from who knows where, crawled out from outside the old site of Dale, and more Goblins continued to pour in behind them.
These hunched creatures were covered in dust, with blood-streaked mucus dripping from their tusks. Like a herd driven by an invisible whip, they searched for something, screaming as they crashed through rotten doors, even pulling out and gnawing on hibernating lizards from stone crevices.
Fortunately, Balin and his companions were on the other side of Dale, so they were not immediately discovered by these Goblins, but the Goblins were about to run into their group of dwarves.
"Retreat to the cliffs outside Dale!"
Balin reacted quickly, pulling his reins tight, and his War Goat's front hooves almost vertically scaled the remnants of a tavern wall.
These War Goats could leap across cliffs as if on flat ground, so carrying dwarf Knights and stepping on houses to jump onto rooftops was no challenge at all.
Broken tiles splattered under the War Goats' hooves, while more Goblins continuously poured out from cellars, wells, and even latrine pits.
Relying on the War Goats' ability to climb almost ninety-degree vertical slopes, they leapt onto the houses of Dale and then jumped to the mountains adjacent to Dale to escape.
Subsequently, Balin and his companions looked out from the ruins of Dale, cold sweat soaking their clothes.
Thousands of Goblins roamed the wilderness outside Dale, covering the land like rotting moss.
What made Balin and the others even more solemn was that some of these Goblins suddenly turned northeast towards Ravenhill, their figures dragging winding black marks across the snow like short knives.
Balin took a deep breath and said in a heavy tone, "Let's go back. We need to tell Thorin and Dain what we saw as soon as possible."
"What did you say? Why are there so many Goblins appearing..."
When Thorin, Dain, and Bard heard the news from Balin and Gloin, they all fell silent.
Balin hesitated for a moment and added, "And those Goblins, if I'm not mistaken, are the ones we encountered in the Misty Mountains. We killed their king, and Azog must have discovered this, using these enraged Goblins."
Dain slammed his fist on the wooden table, overturning the wooden mug filled with ale. "How can even that wretched place, Dale, not be spared! Azog, that worm, wants to fill even the latrine with his minions!"
Bard glared at Dain, thinking, if you compare Dale to a latrine, then what do the Lake-town residents who are about to move in become?
Dain also realized this, cleared his throat, and skipped the topic of Dale, continuing, "Ravenhill overlooks the entire eastern foothills of Lonely Mountain. If the Goblins occupy that vantage point, Azog will likely be able to see the movements of all our soldiers clearly."
Bard's voice was like a taut bowstring. He asked, "What should we do now?"
Gandalf, who had arrived, merely lit his pipe after hearing the news, puffing out smoke continuously. The pipe lit up and dimmed, each flicker deepening his wrinkles.
When the smoke finally swirled up to touch the tent ceiling, the old wizard gently tapped out the ashes and said, "Ravenhill cannot be given to Azog, otherwise the war will be extremely disadvantageous for us."
Then he stood up, and Bard nervously asked, "Where are you going?"
Gandalf said without looking back, "To find Arthur, of course. Only he might have a way to deal with the Goblins in Dale and Ravenhill now."
Arthur had been in a hurry to bring the soul collector back to Golden Tree Territory before, and he hadn't returned for several days.
Bernal, Millison, and Igon also hadn't been home for a long time, so they all went back with Arthur to clear their heads.
Upon hearing this, Bard quickly said, "Then I'll go with you. I also wanted to ask him for a favor."
Gandalf stopped, turned back, and gave Bard a meaningful look. "Then you can tell him when he comes back with me. Some of a wizard's methods are not convenient for outsiders to see."
He temporarily did not want to expose Arthur' long-distance teleportation portal, at least not until the war on Lonely Mountain was over and the surroundings were safe.
Seeing Gandalf say this, Bard could only give up.
Gandalf returned with Arthur at dusk, not only bringing Bernal, Millison, and Igon back with him, but also a fiery red army.
As twilight cast a dark golden hue on the outline of Lonely Mountain, unnatural ripples suddenly appeared on the surface of Lake-town's lake. The wooden pier emitted a faint tremor, and the fishermen, who had just finished a day of fishing, looked towards the outside of Lake-town with surprise and uncertainty.
The Redmane soldiers were the first to appear, marching in perfectly synchronized steps.
They wore fiery red armor, looking like burning flames, exceptionally striking, with longswords and shields engraved with lion patterns hanging from their waists and backs.
The Red Lion Knights who followed were even more magnificent.
They rode red warhorses, their manes and tails meticulously groomed.
The Knights wore red cloaks, embroidered with golden lion crests, fluttering in the wind, with long spears hanging beside their saddles, the spear tips occasionally glinting with cold light.
The residents of Lake-town were all shocked to see the arrival of the Red Lion Legion.
They stopped their work, came out of their homes, stood in the streets and alleys, and excitedly watched this fiery red army.
Children ran around excitedly, pointing at the soldiers of the Red Lion Legion, their eyes filled with curiosity and longing. Men and women whispered to each other, discussing the origin and purpose of this army.
When the massive figures of three Lion Guards and five War Ram Knightss appeared separately, the surroundings fell silent. The fishermen slumped on the bows of their boats, completely unaware that their fishing nets had quietly slipped into the lake.
If it weren't for the large scimitars tied to the Lion Guards' forelimbs and the Red Lion Legion's insignia on the War Ram Knightss, they would have already panicked and started to flee.
A few children instinctively hid behind their mothers' skirts, yet couldn't help but steal glances at those walking flames.
The dwarves soldiers unconsciously tightened their grip on their weapons upon seeing the arrival of the Red Lion Legion, because this army, merely by marching, made them feel a strong sense of threat.
Only when they saw the familiar faces of Arthur, Bernal, and Gandalf at the front of the Red Lion Legion did they breathe a heavy sigh of relief.
It turned out to be their own people.
Thorin, Dain, and Bard also rushed over immediately after receiving the news of the Red Lion Legion's arrival.
Thorin's eyes widened slightly; he had thought that Storm Legion of Stormveil was already Arthur' most elite army, but he hadn't expected there to be an even superior Red Lion Legion.
Dain's eyes gleamed with envy when he saw this elite legion, especially when he saw the Lion Guards and War Ram Knightss.
He let out a hearty laugh, his voice almost shaking the icicles from the eaves. "So that's it, Thorin, no wonder you've always been confident about reclaiming Lonely Mountain. Look at this army; if we can't take Lonely Mountain with their help, we should all be ashamed and commit suicide."
"I've already heard about Dale and Ravenhill from Gandalf," Arthur said directly when he met Thorin and Dain. "I've brought the Red Lion Legion from Golden Tree Territory. This legion is one of the best at siege warfare in my territory. General Radahn, who commands them, is still on his way, but he'll be here soon, in just a few days. Once General Radahn arrives, I hope you will join us in attacking Dale. Bard, your people should also come along, as a special detachment to prevent any unforeseen circumstances."
Dain was startled. "What about Ravenhill? Don't we need to deal with it?"
Arthur shrugged. "Ravenhill? Leave it to Radahn. He will personally lead a team of Redmanes to take Ravenhill."