"Why hasn't Garrett come back yet?"
At the same time that Garrett was heading toward the Northern Waste, in a western outpost belonging to the Free Cities near Dol Guldur, Elrond and Glorfindel were meeting with the brown-robed wizard Radagast.
This animal-loving wizard was one of the most valuable intelligence sources for the Free Peoples.
All birds and beasts could serve as Radagast's eyes and ears. Even Saruman had to rely on him for news, though he privately disdained Radagast.
The three had long since agreed to gather here.
By now, a sizeable army had assembled, strong enough to repel the dark creatures emerging from Dol Guldur. Yet one person was still missing.
Garrett.
He was the core of the rescue operation and commander of the assembled forces. Without him, things were difficult to proceed.
As Elrond questioned Garrett's delay, Radagast recalled and said, "The Great Eagles told me he went north, beyond the Grey Mountains."
"Beyond the Grey Mountains... I only know of one place."
Dressed in gleaming, finely crafted armor and ready for battle, Elrond frowned, uttering a name that covered a vast and ominous region.
"The Northern Waste."
"That's no good place. What would he be doing there?"
"I don't know."
Radagast shook his head.
"The Eagles' sight cannot pierce beyond those mountains. There are remnants of evil forces there, and the environment is too harsh. Almost no small creatures can survive there. No birds, insects, or beasts can pass. I can't gather any information."
"It seems he won't be back anytime soon."
Elrond pondered for a moment, then said, "But we must act as planned. The longer we delay, the greater the chance of unexpected changes."
"Alert! Prepare for battle!"
A shout and the burst of a signal flare interrupted their conversation.
They followed the guards' gaze upward. Vast shadows moved through the forest. Some creatures crawled along the ground, others through the treetops, shaking branches and filling the air with rustling sounds.
"They're striking first!"
Just as the deputy commander of Garrett's army was preparing to lead the troops to meet the enemy, the monsters suddenly changed direction. Instead of attacking the Vales of Anduin outpost, they veered south toward another target.
"Something's wrong."
The deputy commander quickly realized their intent.
That direction led straight to the twin fortress-cities of the North Undeeps.
Though their defenses were not as strong as those of Dale or Wayfort, they were crucial transportation hubs and well-fortified.
Judging from the forces emerging from Dol Guldur, even counting orcs, Olog-hai, spiders, and Wargs together, the total was no more than ten thousand. Troublesome, yes, but not enough to take down those two strongholds.
To attack them head-on would be suicide.
Yet years of learning under Garrett, and lessons from history, had taught the deputy commander that the masters of these orcs were no fools.
They never acted without purpose. Either their sacrifice was meant to achieve something greater, or they were merely one prong of the attack.
Screech!
A sharp eagle's cry pierced the sky. Radagast looked up as a Great Eagle descended in a sweeping circle, bringing new intelligence.
"As I thought," the deputy commander said grimly.
It wasn't just Dol Guldur. Mordor, too, had revealed its claws. From the Black Gate, an army was marching northwest across the Brown Lands straight toward the twin fortresses.
Flying above them were several Nazgûl.
This was a two-pronged assault, Dol Guldur and Mordor striking from both sides.
But apparently, that wasn't all.
The Great Eagle continued its report.
"Wait."
"I understand Mordor's army, but what do you mean by another strong orc force skirting the borders of Fangorn Forest, bypassing Rohan's patrols, and reaching the North Bridge?"
Where had that come from? Was this turning into a three-pronged assault?
Not only the deputy commander, but even Elrond and Glorfindel looked bewildered.
"It seems Garrett's territory is in some trouble," Elrond said immediately, stepping forward. "We cannot stand by and do nothing."
Glorfindel rose as well, nodding in agreement.
Mordor had chosen its timing well, but it was also unlucky, for reinforcements were already nearby.
Strictly speaking, there were only two of them. But given how brightly one of them shone, the Nazgûl would need extraordinary courage to come within even a single step.
"The enemy's numbers have exceeded all expectations."
And yet Garrett still had not returned.
Remembering Garrett's instructions before he left, the deputy commander made his decision without hesitation. He rallied the army and, together with Elrond and Glorfindel, set off toward the twin fortresses of the North and South Undeeps, racing to reinforce their defenses.
At the same time, all of Rhovanion began to mobilize.
It took only a few days for turmoil to spread. The entire region east of the Misty Mountains entered a wartime state.
---
Meanwhile, far away in the Northern Waste.
Following the pull of his instincts, and with nearly all the fireworks in his pack used up, Garrett finally descended from the sky. After walking for some distance, he arrived at his destination.
It was a massive, bottomless pit, so deep that dropping a stone into it produced no sound.
Unfathomably deep.
At the edges of the dim darkness, faint shapes could be seen climbing upward.
A surge of ancient malice burst from the depths of the chasm, rushing straight into Garrett's mind.
For the first time in a long while, he felt a spark of battle-lust stir within him, his body instinctively tensing.
Swish!
With a swift motion, he drew his Dragonflame Steel Greatsword and struck down the evil creatures crawling upward. One by one, they fell, burning as they dropped, yet no sound ever reached back up, as if they were endlessly descending.
"This is dangerous."
That wasn't a sustainable solution. He couldn't just keep knocking them down forever.
After a moment's thought, he sheathed his sword and instead took out a pickaxe, beginning to mine materials on the spot.
Half a month later, the chasm was completely sealed. A brand-new fortress now stood above it, patrolled by dozens of iron golems that would forever guard the place.
In this barren, freezing wasteland, visited by no one, swept only by the howling wind and snow.
"That'll do for now," Garrett said, stopping to rest.
It wasn't that he didn't want to make more iron golems. He simply hadn't brought enough iron. Even the pumpkins here had to be grown on-site.
Thud... thud...
Faint pounding echoed from beneath the fortress. He knew that this method of suppression wouldn't last forever. So he drew a deep breath, clenched his fists, raised his torch, and began his descent into the bottomless dark.
No one knew how long he walked downward. Even Garrett himself eventually lost track of time.
The contrast with the snowy plains above was stark. Up there was blinding white, while down here was pure darkness, with only the path beneath his feet illuminated.
In the depths of the abyss, he was the only source of light.
Countless unseen eyes watched him, but whether out of primal fear or some other reason, they held back and did not attack.
The monotonous descent went on and on, until at last, when his legs had gone numb with the endless walking, a faint glow appeared ahead, deep beneath the earth.