The Tarnished in LOTR with Elden Ring

Tarnes and Thorin's group not only purchased enough dry rations and drinking water for the next three months at this human settlement but also bought over a dozen horses.

It was fortunate that the horses the Dwarves needed to ride were all ponies, otherwise this settlement might not have been able to meet Thorin's requirements.

"This isn't Rohan, honored guests. If you want to buy quality horses, I suggest continuing south. Walk for a month or so and you'll reach Rohan's territory."

This was the suggestion offered by the horse trader at the human settlement when he saw Thorin wanting to buy so many horses at once.

As a merchant, reading people was a basic requirement, so he could tell at a glance that the Dwarves had extraordinary origins.

Mainly because they were followed by a wizard and two knights in splendid armor, quite a rare combination.

Thorin didn't say much; he just had the horse trader prepare the mounts they needed.

Meanwhile, Tarnes and the others had also gathered the intelligence they needed and returned to the agreed meeting place: a small grove not far from the human settlement.

Because this human settlement had no inns or taverns at all, or rather, very few outsiders ever stayed in this settlement.

Without such demand, there naturally weren't facilities like inns. Tarnes and the others had noticed this and chosen the meeting place outside the village.

Thorin, Fili, Kili, and Dwalin, the four of them, brought the purchased horses together, while Balin led Ori, Dori, and Nori to buy and prepare the rations. When these two groups returned, Tarnes and the others had been waiting for quite some time.

Tarnes spoke first: "Millicent and I have already inquired in the village. It's not far from Rohan here. Walk south for a while and you'll reach Fangorn Forest. We didn't expect to deviate so far from our original route after leaving that Goblin underground kingdom. I'm afraid it will take more time than originally planned to reach Mirkwood."

Thorin's expression remained unchanged as he nodded slightly: "Rohan? No matter, we still have plenty of time."

Gandalf was silent for a moment, stroking his long beard: "Before heading to Mirkwood, I'm afraid I must bid you farewell temporarily."

The Dwarves all showed surprised expressions and became noisy, as did Tarnes and Bilbo.

Thorin raised his hand to signal the Dwarves to be quiet and asked in a low voice: "May I hear your reasoning, Gandalf?"

Gandalf had no intention of hiding: "Though I can't explain everything to you, giving you the general idea is fine. Do you remember Radagast?"

Thorin nodded: "That Brown wizard? Of course I remember. I also remember he gave you something."

Gandalf smiled: "My departure this time is because of what he gave me, a very dangerous sword. This sword came from Dol Guldur, which is said to be occupied by a necromancer. Being close to Fangorn Forest means Dol Guldur isn't too far from here either. Taking advantage of this opportunity, I'll go to Dol Guldur personally to see what's really going on."

Thorin said calmly: "Since it concerns wizard matters, please be extra careful, Gandalf."

Tarnes also asked with concern: "Are you going alone, Gandalf? Do you need help? Bernahl could go assist you."

Gandalf shook his head repeatedly with a smile: "I've already found help, one of whom you know, Lord Elrond. Plus two other helpers: Lady Galadriel and Saruman the White. Before entering Dol Guldur, I'll use magic to notify them and wait for their arrival before entering."

Only then did Tarnes feel relieved. With Gandalf's strength, those he called helpers must all be experts.

Then Tarnes' heart tightened. Just what kind of enemy was Gandalf facing that he needed three experts to go together?

If they didn't resolve this necromancer this time, when he encountered similar enemies in the future, he'd strike to kill immediately without being overconfident.

Whether it was because Tarnes' thought was too intense or not, a certain Hobbit's ring in his pocket completely became indistinguishable from any other ordinary gold-cast ring.

Gandalf looked at Tarnes with a sigh: "If it were the old me, I might have gone to Dol Guldur alone, at most using magic to notify Radagast for help when in trouble. But since meeting you, I've realized that when doing risky things, I should call on people I know to go together. That way we can look out for each other."

So you've lived this long and only now understand this principle?

Tarnes thought sarcastically to himself.

In the Lands Between, any qualified warrior knew that having multiple friends in a battle wasn't just about having extra lives.

With friends present, originally difficult battles could become exceptionally simple.

Of course, they could also become worse, since he remembered some enemies that grew stronger with more helpers.

"By the way, before you enter Mirkwood, I hope you'll visit Rhosgobel first. That's where Radagast the Brown lives, in the forest between Carrock and the Old Forest Road, near the southern edge of the dark forest. And after entering Mirkwood, you must stay on the forest paths. Never stray from the road. Tarnes, I'm entrusting Thorin and the others to you." Gandalf gave worried instructions before leaving.

He was mainly worried about Thorin and the other Dwarves. As for Tarnes, Gandalf was completely at ease.

Thorin nodded. After Gandalf rode away on the horse he'd bought, he looked at the others: "Then let's set out too."

But just as he finished speaking, Gandalf hurried back: "Don't rush, there's one more thing. A powerful shape-shifter named 'Beorn' also lives in Rhosgobel. He gets along well with Radagast and can help you too. Of course, he doesn't have a good impression of Dwarves, so I hope you, Tarnes, will make contact with Beorn."

Thorin remained silent, not bidding Gandalf farewell, just watching.

Gandalf thought Thorin would bid him farewell again and asked puzzledly: "Is something wrong?"

Only then did Thorin speak: "I was actually waiting to see if you'd remember another matter, because I just remembered it myself."

Gandalf asked curiously: "What matter?"

Thorin's eyes glanced at the adult stallion Gandalf was riding: "I was wondering when you'd pay me for the horse. This mount cost me quite a few silver coins."

Gandalf's smile faded as he turned and rode away with a cold expression.

"Still hasn't paid for the horse," someone among the Dwarves called out, maybe Gloin, maybe Dwalin.

Without looking back, Gandalf tossed a bulging coin purse behind him, which Thorin easily caught.

He weighed it a few times and satisfactorily put the purse away.

Several months later, Tarnes and Thorin's group finally returned from their detoured route to their original intended destination, arriving at Rhosgobel.

During these months, aside from occasionally encountering a few bands of human bandits, they hadn't met any Orcs, which made them somewhat uncomfortable.

Before entering Rivendell, they had been harassed by Orcs daily, which was extremely annoying.

But since leaving Rivendell, those Orcs that stuck like plasters seem to have vanished into thin air.

Though Thorin also found this strange, having no Orcs constantly eyeing him during the expedition was ultimately a good thing.

Bilbo also didn't think it was bad. His only regret was not being able to spend New Year in Hobbiton and enjoy a delicious meal.

The weather wasn't so cold anymore either, since spring had arrived.

Tarnes was thinking about whether everything was well in his territory after being away so long, how the Erdtree was growing, whether Stormveil Castle could still contain it, and similar concerns.

However, reaching Rhosgobel meant this expedition was already halfway through. At least that was encouraging news.

"What do you say, Thorin? Should we listen to Gandalf and greet the Brown wizard?" Balin asked while riding his pony.

Thorin shook his head directly: "No need. You've all seen that Brown wizard. His mind seems somewhat abnormal. I want to reach the edge of Mirkwood today, rest for the night, then enter and traverse the forest first thing tomorrow morning."

Balin also nodded in agreement: "Mm, Mirkwood has those pointed-ear Elves we all dislike. The faster we cross the forest, the less likely we'll encounter them, so our purpose of reaching the Lonely Mountain won't be discovered."

Thorin nodded and began calling for the others to continue forward, not lingering at Rhosgobel.

But whether it was Fili, Kili, or Bofur and the others, none had any intention of continuing forward.

Thorin asked curiously: "What's wrong?"

Fili first raised his hand, pointing ahead: "Seems like that Brown wizard is coming over himself?"

Thorin frowned directly: "Then we'll speed up and shake them off."

Kili added: "There's a bear as big as a small hill beside him... running much faster than our ponies."

Dwalin nervously gripped his axe: "That Brown wizard isn't bringing this bear to eliminate us, is he?"

Thorin said in a low voice: "Stay calm, Dwalin. Everyone else, take out your weapons and see what this Brown wizard wants."

As he spoke, he didn't forget to glance at Tarnes.

Since Tarnes had previously communicated with Radagast together with Gandalf, Thorin hoped Tarnes could meet with him.

Actually, without Thorin saying so, Tarnes was also preparing to communicate with Radagast.

Throughout the journey, he'd listened to discussions among the Dwarves and summarized a fact: none of the Dwarves, including Thorin, clearly understood Mirkwood's specific situation.

This made Tarnes feel somewhat troubled. Though Gandalf had left word not to stray from the paths, they first had to find the correct paths.

So when Thorin said he didn't want to see Radagast, Tarnes actually opposed it.

But before he could question Thorin's next plan, Radagast the Brown came over, bringing a giant bear.

This giant bear seems even bigger than a Rune Bear. Hmm, maybe I could summon more Rune Bears to graze in the forests of my golden tree territory.

That way, if any shortsighted Orcs still thought they could hide in the forest, they'd definitely encounter surprises when they went in.

As Tarnes was thinking this, Radagast arrived nearby, still sitting on his rabbit-pulled sledge.

The giant bear that came with him also stood upright under the surprised gazes of Tarnes and the others, then shrank in size with less fur, transforming into a robust middle-aged human male over two meters tall with a bare upper body.

Could this be the shape-shifter Gandalf mentioned? So that's what he meant by shape-shifting.

Tarnes' expression was quite colorful, even somewhat enthusiastic.

If this was a type of magic he'd never seen, Tarnes was quite interested in learning it.

He knew bear communion incantations, but completely transforming himself into a real giant bear. Tarnes admitted he really didn't know how.

Before Radagast reached Thorin and the others, his voice had already carried over: "Hey! Hey! Friend of Gandalf!"

Tarnes rode Torrent forward, then dismounted. Radagast stopped right in front of him.

The man who'd transformed from bear followed behind Radagast. The pressure Tarnes gave him made him, still not completely free from bestial nature after transformation, warily step back several paces.

Radagast noticed the man's behavior and cheerfully called: "Don't be afraid, Beorn. This is Tarnes, Gandalf's friend."

Tarnes nodded gently, then asked: "Was your transformation just now some kind of magic?"

Beorn looked at Tarnes uncomprehendingly, not because he thought the other was rude, but because he didn't understand why he'd ask this question.

Beorn answered: "That's an ability I was born with, not magic."

Tarnes nodded with slight disappointment: "I see."

So it seems I can't transform into a giant bear. He'd originally wanted to transform into that kind of giant bear to frighten some of his old friends in the Lands Between.

After all, everyone had been taught lessons by Rune Bears back then. If he transformed into a giant bear, he'd definitely see interesting expressions on their faces.

Beorn looked at Tarnes, who suddenly showed a disappointed expression, with some incomprehension. But his attention was soon drawn to the Dwarves, and his eyes began glaring at them.

He'd never seen so many Dwarves standing alive before him.

Tarnes immediately remembered Gandalf's warning that Beorn wasn't very friendly toward Dwarves. He stepped aside to block Beorn's line of sight.

"Radagast, do you know about Mirkwood?" Tarnes asked aloud, also intending to divert Beorn's attention.

Radagast said cheerfully: "Of course! Gandalf instructed me that if I saw you leading a group of Dwarves passing through, I must come greet you and discuss Mirkwood. Follow me. My wooden house is somewhat far from here, but Beorn's home is nearby, which is why I called him to come together. Let's spend today at Beorn's house. He and I have prepared quite a lot of local specialty foods."