Harry Potter: The Bard of Hogwarts

On the vast plains of Rohan.

Five hundred fully armed cavalry charged forward, each holding a spear, as well as flails and bows and arrows.

Especially the bows and arrows, which fully exploited the mobility of the cavalry.

Hooves trampled, dust flew.

After galloping for about half an hour, the entire team dispersed. The five hundred cavalrymen, executing orders without hesitation, split into five groups of a hundred, starting to explore the surroundings.

As the commander, Théodred was well aware of the dangers of dividing his forces, as the greatest strength of cavalry lay in the charge that came from their numbers.

And with their already limited cavalry, being scattered meant they could potentially be defeated one by one.

But he had no choice; or rather, knowing the danger, he could not avoid it. Their duty was to clear a path and remove any obstacles for the tens of thousands of Rohan people behind them.

The once glorious Rohan and prosperous Edoras now struggled to muster a mere five hundred cavalry.

…

The scouting party led by Théodred continued their calm exploration of the plains for half a day.

Until a short horn blast suddenly sounded.

"Prepare for battle!"

A concise order, and the hundred-plus soldiers quickly spurred their horses into a charging formation without any delay.

However, with a few sharp beast cries, the newly formed formation became disordered.

"Warg riders, everyone switch to bows and arrows!"

Théodred decisively gave the command, having seen this kind of orc unit during the Battle of the Isen.

Giant wolves naturally countered horses; in small-scale encounters, even if they launched a cavalry charge and won by luck, their casualties would be heavy.

As everyone switched to bows, countless dark shadows appeared in their view.

Twisted-faced orcs, giant wargs over two meters long, each one charging at the Rohan cavalry.

From a distance, these wargs didn't seem much different from ordinary wolves, but as they drew closer, many Rohan soldiers showed a hint of fear.

The wargs' blood-red, ferocious eyes, massive bodies, and thick fur not only exuded a strong sense of oppression but also made the Rohan soldiers doubt their weapons' effectiveness. They weren't sure if their arrows could pierce the beasts' hides, and the enemy seemed to number at least two or three hundred.

"Don't panic! Aim for the wargs' eyes, fire two volleys, then retreat quickly. We'll outlast them; wargs can't outrun horses over long distances."

Théodred boosted his soldiers' morale.

The information he shared came from the Isen battles, lessons learned at the cost of many Rohan lives.

…

The wargs' powerful limbs propelled them quickly into bow range.

"Boom~"

Before the arrows could fly, a scorching wall of fire suddenly erupted.

The flames, seemingly alive, spread rapidly, engulfing the two hundred or so warg riders within moments.

Various horrific screams echoed within the fire.

In the sky, Ino slowly lowered his wand.

For other enemies, even Dark Wizards, he wouldn't use fire.

But for these orcs, spells like Sectumsempra or Avada Kedavra would be a mercy. Six months of travel had shown him too many hellish scenes.

Burning these pests alive was the best revenge. A painless death was far too kind for them.

As the wails from the flames died down, Ino dispelled his magic. He nodded to Théodred from the sky before flying off on his broom.

These warg riders weren't the first group; he had already destroyed three waves before them, and they wouldn't be the last.

As Saruman's mass-produced soldiers, they were expendable. Given enough time, there would always be more.

Thinking this, he wasted no time, his broom streaking through the sky like an arrow.

On the ground, the Rohan soldiers stood stunned, gazing at the charred remains.

"Your Highness, is this how you crossed the plains?" a young soldier asked his commander curiously.

"Not at first…" Théodred sighed deeply.

"He always claimed to be a painter, a minstrel, but I think he's Rohan's hero."

Speaking of heroes, Théodred's expression changed from sorrowful to one of deep respect.

"A true legendary hero! He drove away the darkness, the shadow over Rohan, with fire."

…

Helm's Deep, the last stronghold of Rohan.

Situated north of the White Mountains and south of the Westfold, it was a narrow valley with sheer cliffs on both sides and a deep cave at the rear.

The name sounded pleasant, but it was essentially a vast natural cave, capable of housing Rohan's non-combatants and storing vast supplies.

On the fourth day after leaving Edoras, everyone successfully reached the fortress.

Notably, from the second day onwards, there were no more orc skirmishes. Saruman seemed to have realized something and stopped sending sacrificial troops.

But whether the enemy realized or not, Ino didn't care. They were as good as dead anyway. Even if Saruman was a Maia, without backing, he was no higher than a Balrog in rank.

Standing on the granite-built walls, Ino mused that Middle-earth was all about background and backing.

Smaug was dead, the Balrog died cleanly too. But Gandalf… others' deaths were deaths; his death was a promotion.

While his thoughts wandered, a familiar voice called from behind.

"What are you thinking about?" Théoden, inspecting the defenses as usual, spotted his old friend from afar.

Hearing the familiar voice, Ino turned around slowly.

"I was thinking, once this battle is over, you probably owe me money."

Even the battle-hardened King of Rohan, Théoden, burst out laughing at this answer.

"That's certain! And I must commission you to paint for Théodred, though he has to pay for it himself."

"Theódred?" Hearing the name, Ino shook his head instinctively. "He doesn't seem too smart! Even more reckless than you."

Ino couldn't help but recall the Battle of the Isen, his first encounter with Théodred.

The young prince had bravely led a small group of knights, charging into a thousand-strong orc phalanx to cover the retreat of his soldiers.

As a warrior, he was undoubtedly brave; as a commander, he was competent.

But as Rohan's only heir, Théodred was overly reckless.