Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

"...You almost scared my heart out, Alice. Next time, just say what you want to say directly, don't beat around the bush." ​​Zhang Jie's lips twitched, his eyes filled with helplessness as he looked at her. The others around them looked much the same, all feeling a sense of shared sympathy.

Those who have just been resurrected are one thing, but reincarnators like him, who have fought against the Senzhou team in the previous Star River Squad world, know very well how much momentum and strategy can be built up in the days leading up to it. Weak teams can even use this to defeat strong teams that are almost twice as strong in absolute combat power with almost no cost. And if the same treatment were to fall on them... it would certainly not be pleasant.

“Moreover, even if we don’t encounter the worst-case scenario, our arrival will inevitably be at a relatively late stage,” Ming Yanwei added. “With three early-stage fourth-tier members and two near-fourth-tier members, in terms of absolute combat power, we are probably already comparable to the Senzhou team, which has received a complete evaluation. Moreover, we defeated it in the last world, which means that in the assessment of the main god, we are already considered to have a reincarnation team with mid-stage fourth-tier combat power.”

“That’s right, exactly.” Alice nodded in agreement. “The prerequisite for the accelerated collision of the Reincarnation Teams is that someone approaches the fifth tier, which is the state of unlocking the fourth tier gene lock. In other words, apart from that team, there is no other Reincarnation Team with combat power above the fourth tier. And that Reincarnation Team with a high-level fourth-tier expert will not participate in this team battle—because ‘accelerated collision’ is actually a means of elimination. In this competition of the strong, the strongest one doesn’t need to participate.”

"Therefore, in the Lord of the Rings: War of the Rings, we'll likely face only one, at most two, powerful individuals who have unlocked the fourth stage of the genetic lock. No more than that." She lightly crossed her fingers and then explained further, "Moreover, in the previous story world, 'Starship Troopers,' we already verified the hypothesis that a team's style of action determines their faction in team battles. Clearly, we can only operate on the side of good no matter what, so we definitely can't be on the villain Sauron's side."

"If we're not villains, then we're either heroes or neutral. Those reincarnation teams that arrived in the Lord of the Rings world before us will inevitably try their best to leverage the power of the heroes and suppress our ability to do so. The ultimate result of this is that when we arrive, the power of the heroes will be basically out of our reach, so we are very likely to be directly classified by the main god as neutral with a bias towards good."

"Neutral or benevolent?" Zheng Zha raised an eyebrow and asked, "Elves? Treants?"

“Not just that, but these two camps are representative,” Alice replied. “In the Lord of the Rings universe, the magical power of Middle-earth is declining. The Elves have decided to travel overseas to mysterious and abundant regions on distant sea continents to continue enjoying their long lives. And it’s not just the Elves; other magical creatures have also made corresponding decisions. So, in the entire Lord of the Rings storyline, the only truly good factions are Gondor and Rohan. Apart from them, the other benevolent factions basically adopt a strategy of observing from the sidelines or offering only minor assistance. After all…” Alice shrugged. “Middle-earth isn’t actually that big. Even if Sauron were to be successfully resurrected, it wouldn’t be an irreversible disaster.”

"Therefore, the neutral-leaning camp is actually quite large. There are actually quite a few options."

She casually waved her hand, projecting several floating screens directly above the table. Numerous charts were accurately labeled on them, and the various races of the Lord of the Rings world were also meticulously annotated within the charts.

"I have done a detailed analysis of the entire trilogy's plot. I can basically identify several important plot turning points, and the time when we arrive should fall within these intervals. After determining the time, the approximate location of our arrival can also be estimated based on the location of the neutral or benevolent factions in the surrounding area."

"First of all, the possibility of directly descending upon the Shire and starting from the very beginning of the story is practically zero. The timeframe at which they would descend would almost certainly not be available to a team like ours, who could completely alter the story from the outset—and the period from the beginning of the story until the protagonists form the Fellowship of the Ring in Rivendell, the elven capital, should be considered the early part of the story. This is a timeframe for weaker teams to infiltrate the Fellowship and gain the trust of the main characters. Therefore, we will not consider it."

"The Fellowship of the Ring faced a long journey after leaving Rivendell. Until they reached the Mines of Moria and met the Balrog, it was a period of adjustment for the group. During this time, the weakest reincarnators had virtually no opportunity to befriend the protagonists. However, those with Tier 3 genetic locks, who were close to the transcendent, still had a chance to participate. They could gain the protagonists' trust by engaging in magical combat with Saruman's Rohan golems and repelling the orcs in the mines, thus joining their ranks. But this was still not a suitable area for our arrival, so we abandoned it again."

"After leaving the mines, the Fellowship of the Ring suffered its first loss. Killing the Balrog is definitely a side quest, but Gandalf will inevitably leave in some way, as Saruman has been corrupted, and this Grey Wizard is destined to become a White. It is precisely because of his departure, this absolute leader, that the Fellowship will fall into a state of division. During this phase, the Fellowship will find it difficult to accept contact from outsiders. The only way to break this deadlock is to intervene here during the Orc invasion to protect Boromir—this is undoubtedly another side quest, and it will allow the nearly fractured Fellowship to reunite as a stable unit. If the righteous side has more than three teams, and the first three do not have any members of the fourth rank or higher, then the third reincarnation team should arrive here. This is also the last chance to join the righteous side."

"After this, whether Boromo doesn't die and the plot changes drastically, or Boromo dies and the plot follows the original story, the remaining reincarnation teams will not be able to easily participate in the main storyline of the Ring of Faith. This point should also be the time when reincarnators below the fourth rank can gain the greatest benefit. Only after this will reincarnators with extraordinary levels descend."

"The timing of our arrival should correspond to two crucial battles that will determine the future of Middle-earth: the Battle of Helm's Deep and the Battle of Gondor—the first determining Rohan's survival, and the second Gondor's survival. Undoubtedly, if this cycle of worlds is a large-scale battle, the number of participating teams will certainly be higher than the three teams in the Star River World. Perhaps four, perhaps five, but the possibility of six is ​​relatively low. Therefore, our arrival will likely occur at one of these two points. Clearly, the Supreme God is unlikely to simply throw us into the middle of the battlefield, so the only places we might arrive at are a few."

"If it were around the time of the Battle of Helm's Deep, then we would likely be sent to Fangorn Forest by the Lord God. We could then participate in the Battle of Helm's Deep or the battle where the Ents destroy Saruman's stronghold, Isengard, as we wish. However, if it were around the time of the Battle of Gondor, then our arrival point would likely be closer to the Elves. As for which faction, that would depend on the situation."

"Of course, there's also the worst-case scenario: we might land directly on the battlefield of Mordor, caught between the lines of humans and monsters. While this possibility is relatively low, if it happens, there's not much to think about. The fact that we've arrived there means the main god has determined that we can't join any neutral faction, and the reincarnators who arrived before us have probably already taken care of everything. At that point, there's no need to distinguish between friend and foe; we can just go all out, fight our way through, and then leave."

Alice let out a soft breath, concluding her long speech.

"In short, that's the situation. While the likelihood of a team battle is relatively low, once it starts, it will inevitably be a major battle involving four or more teams. And with multiple reincarnation squads appearing, the main god will certainly compensate the weaker teams. That is to say, they will strengthen the 'momentum' they can obtain—clearly, there is a high possibility that the plot characters, along with the entire battle platform, will be strengthened. It's quite possible that Gandalf the White and others will directly possess fourth-tier combat power. And we may very well have to face Sauron, who also possesses fourth-tier strength, even if we can't cooperate with them."

"If it's not a team fight, then our strength is very likely to be limited. I've already explained the specific reasoning before, so I won't waste time here. Based on these two different possibilities, we need to make two different preparations at the same time. After all, there is a possibility that our strength will be weakened while in a team fight, so it's best to be on guard early."

She clapped her hands, and the numerous catalogs floating above the table vanished, replaced by two detailed and extensive procurement lists. The items listed corresponded to different possible scenarios and corresponding solutions. However, it was clear that the Zhongzhou team's current funds simply couldn't afford to "have it all." Therefore, they had to make choices.

"So, make a decision, everyone."

"I've prepared contingency plans for both main scenarios and the multiple possibilities they give rise to. Whether it's a story-driven scenario, a team battle, the main god turning the Lord of the Rings movie into a prehistoric war, or even ten or eight fourth-tier beings suddenly appearing in a team battle... I can prepare solutions for any possibility I can think of. But resources are limited, and we don't have anywhere to acquire more resources right now. So..."

She looked around at everyone in the Zhongzhou team.

"I have completed my duties, and now it is your turn."

..........................................

The discussion lasted a long time, and finally, the reincarnators jointly agreed on a suitable ratio. For the next three days, everyone in the Central Continent team was busy.

Some made purchases, others made adjustments. After Alice had exchanged all the items on the list, she spent a considerable amount of time combining the acquired items into the form she needed. And soon, time vanished without a trace.

After bidding farewell to their families remaining in the Main God Space, the Reincarnators entered the pillars of light that descended from the Main God Plaza. Soon, accompanied by the usual hazy, half-awake feeling, the Reincarnators of the Central Continent Team arrived at their landing point.

It was a vast, boundless forest.

—'Main Quest: Completely defeat Sauron. Success reward: All allies receive 5000 reward points and one B-rank side quest. The executor receives 10000 reward points and one A-rank side quest. Failure penalty: None.'

—'Main Quest: Capture and keep the One Ring for 72 hours, or throw it into Mount Doom. Rewards for success: 3000 reward points for all allies, and one C-rank side quest. Completing this quest immediately ends the Lord of the Rings storyline. If Sauron acquires the Ring, the storyline will also end after 72 hours. Penalty for failure: None.'

—'The East Sea Team, South Flame Team, East America Team, and Celestial Team—four reincarnation teams—have entered the Lord of the Rings world ahead of schedule. Killing an enemy team member whose gene lock hasn't been activated will grant 2000 reward points and one C-level side quest. Killing an enemy team member whose gene lock has been activated will grant 7000 reward points and one B-level side quest. Each friendly team member killed will result in a negative one-point deduction, while each enemy member killed will result in a positive one-point deduction. The final number multiplied by 2000 will determine the reward points for the remaining members of both teams.'

A sudden silence fell over the air.

Section 10 Role Playing

"Chu Xuan! The Tower of Babel!"

With Alice's scream, the instant the divine message echoed in the minds of the people of Middle-earth, an invisible barrier unfolded. The dense forest, previously shielded by the divine shield, was instantly replaced by modern steel and concrete. World replaced world, space covered space. Veterans and newcomers alike—every single molecule not belonging to the Lord of the Rings world was trapped within the unfolding Tower of Babel world, while every single atom belonging to the Lord of the Rings world was kept outside by its barrier, no matter flowing through it.

In the blink of an eye, even the concrete and steel environment vanished. The nascent world turned pure white in an instant, and once the pure white color stabilized, a circular conference table appeared around the group—several newcomers lay unconscious on the floor beside it, but no one had the energy to care about them now.

“What happened, Margot Lloyd? And this…?” Zheng Zha shouted at her, looking around in confusion. “…Why were we moved here?”

“Because something unexpected happened,” Chu Xuan said. He glanced at the newcomers, then casually manipulated space, sending them to some distant corner. “The report from the Supreme God mentioned that four reincarnation teams entered the Lord of the Rings world ahead of schedule. The second team is ‘Southern Flame.’ I think you’re familiar with this team.”

“…Esdeath?” Zheng Zha frowned. “If it’s her, it is indeed a bit troublesome. She should have reached the fourth tier by now… but it doesn’t seem too difficult.”

“It’s not Esdeath.” Chu Xuan glanced at him and sighed slightly. “It’s Neos, the sage of the Southern Flame Team. He must have been resurrected by now and has gained considerable power. Most importantly, he’s a fairly intelligent man and knows us inside and out.”

Chu Xuan rarely used the term "intelligent" to describe people, or perhaps this was the first time he had ever used the word "intelligent person." Since he valued it so highly, the profound meaning behind it deserved careful consideration from everyone.

“If we weren’t the strongest team right now, there’s a possibility that the Southern Flame Continent team would keep our secret and form an alliance with us. But unfortunately, we are the strongest, and Neos, while intelligent, is also proud. This pride will prevent him from pledging allegiance to us from the start. Not only that, he will also use our strength to unite the other Reincarnation teams and thereby seek the greatest benefit for his own team.” Alice’s fingers lightly touched together. “To maximize the assessment of the Southern Flame Continent team’s strength, we can consider that they have two near-fourth-tier experts. Then the Eastern America and Celestial God teams each have at least one fourth-tier expert.”

“The Southern Flame Continent team is relatively weak, and their actions are primarily benevolent, so they will inevitably join the righteous side. They can only gain the greatest benefit by relying on the alliance. As for the remaining three reincarnation teams, I believe at least one will belong to the Soren camp. This way, the reincarnators' camps can be divided into three.” Chu Xuan pushed up his glasses.

“Two camps, one good and one evil, and we, as a neutral third party placed by the main god, will be tried to win them over by both sides,” Alice added. “But…”

“But they will be even more wary of us, especially since one of the factions already knows our strength inside and out.” Chu Xuan continued, “The Southern Flame Continent team can only gain the most benefits in this world if they occupy a certain degree of dominance within the faction. And Neos knows that once the Central Continent team joins Yu Shan’s faction, it will definitely replace them in the faction, causing their status to decline, their risks to increase, and they may even lose the support of the characters in the story.”

"And they know we can't possibly side with the evil forces, because they understand our team's mission and what kind of people are in our group. So, based on that, their most likely strategy is..."

"...They might take matters into their own hands, or incite characters in the story to attack us, preventing us from joining the righteous camp from the very beginning. Because the very nature of our team dictates that we cannot join the evil, even if we are rejected by the righteous, we cannot actively attack their weaknesses. On the other hand, due to a lack of intelligence and their fear, the evil camp is highly likely to launch an attack on us from the outset."

"We do not coexist with justice and evil, yet we fight against evil... This situation is most advantageous to them. And with Neos's abilities, knowing the time of our arrival, it shouldn't be difficult for him to deduce our exact time of arrival. And if I'm not mistaken, the current Fangon Forest..."

Chu Xuan tapped his toes on the ground, and the next moment, the scene outside the Tower of Babel world was clearly presented to the Central Continent team—in their sight, the once lush and dense jungle had transformed into a boundless sea of ​​fire! The angry tree people, scorched by the flames, roared loudly, and their high-pitched roars spread from this end of their field of vision all the way to the far distance!

The treants are going berserk, and their wanton destruction of the forest will inevitably provoke a full-scale counterattack. If the unsuspecting Central Continent team were to appear directly in the forest during the explosion, then instigating a war between the Central Continent team and the treants, and even pinning the blame for the massacre on the Central Continent team... would not be difficult for the Reincarnation Team, with the Southern Flame Continent team at its core.

After all, the Ents in the original story launched a desperate battle against Saruman after witnessing the destruction of the forests surrounding Isengard. If the scenario were reversed, they... might very well do the same thing.

Once the war begins, when it ends is no longer up to the Central Plains team.

Zheng Zha gazed at the sea of ​​fire in the outer world, listening to the angry roars and struggles of the tree people. He remained silent for a long time. He knew he could go out and save the trees, but he also knew that since the alliance led by the Southern Flame Continent team had already begun its actions, it would inevitably prepare more arrangements later. If he left the Tower of Babel world, he was destined to face even worse consequences.

“…Perhaps we should have wiped them all out in the last world, so we wouldn’t have to have such a headache here.” He uttered these words from his throat.

“A good idea, but the opportunity is gone now.” Chu Xuan retorted without giving him any face. “Besides, you can’t do it.”

"Just as you couldn't simply start a massacre here and then naturally join Sauron's side, you also can't bring yourself to attack them unless they pose a threat to you or actively seek to harm us!"

Zheng Zha stared at him for a full... half a second.

“…Very good.” Zheng Zha tilted his head, no longer looking at him. “So what should we do? Send new recruits to scout ahead, probe the enemy’s intentions, and then make a decision? Is that your plan? Just like a long time ago?”

“If you think that strategy is feasible, I can arrange it now.” Chu Xuan calmly looked at this temperamental guy. “Or would you be willing to calm down a bit so I can come up with another course of action?”

"..." Zheng Zha's lips twitched, but he ultimately did not continue speaking.

“Then that’s settled.” Chu Xuan nodded and waved his hand, and a physical projection of a bird’s-eye view of Middle-earth appeared in the center of the circular conference hall. “We currently have an advantage: the enemy is in the open while we are in the dark. We hid before the God’s protective shield was removed, and the other reincarnators will definitely leave traces if they want to interfere in the main storyline. Perhaps some will be hidden as ambushes, waiting for the right moment to launch a thunderous attack. But that will only be a minority; most of the reincarnators are definitely exposed to this world now.”

"We need intelligence, and we must remain covert while securing it. Considering the anomalies of this world and the various enhancements and exchanges offered by the Main God Space, with the other reincarnation teams specifically targeting us, even taking a single molecule from this world and forming a causal relationship with a single blade of grass could expose us. Of course, exposure is not an unbearable price for us. Since the Main God has placed us in this time period and in this region, it means that the Main God has determined that we at least have the strength to fight against the other reincarnation teams at this time."

“But it’s better to avoid paying this price if possible.” Alice picked up where he left off, continuing, “Judging from this attack, it’s certain that the Reincarnators have split into three factions. And since this forest is the Fangon Forest where the Tree People gather, it can also be roughly determined that we are still on the eve of the Battle of Helm’s Deep. The Tree People are still unaware of the truth, and this is the point in time when they are completely hostile to Saruman—”

"After all, if it had happened before, and we hadn't been there, we could have had Saruman take the blame for burning the tree. But after Helm's Deep, even if the other reincarnators had the ability to conceal their predictions and sever causality, they still had the possibility of being exposed. And the consequences of their exposure would be far more severe than ours. Even if we underestimate the number of wise men in the other reincarnators, Neos alone couldn't possibly have made such a mistake."

"After all, traitors are always more hateful than enemies, so this kind of probing will only happen once. After that, they might use their own methods to investigate—maybe there are ten or eight satellites floating right above this forest—but at least all the righteous side can do is investigate. They will gather intelligence on us, and if they succeed, they might adopt other strategies after assessing the strength of both sides. But I think... we don't need to hand over the initiative to them."

"And given that these conditions are met, I happen to have a batch of equipment prepared to deal with this kind of situation." She reached out and took out a strange device that looked like a radar from the void. The device quickly started working, and visible ripples of mental energy spread outward from it.

“This is something I made based on the principles of a brainwave amplifier. Using it, we can disguise a part of our mind, and then, within the limits of this Tower of Babel world, penetrate the world membrane and successfully infiltrate the brains of some living beings in the Lord of the Rings world, seizing their bodies like creating transmigrators. In this way, we can obtain more information before they notice us. And…” She looked at Chu Xuan. “The Tower of Babel world can manifest a vessel that exists between reality and illusion in the outside world, right?”

Chu Xuan adjusted his glasses. "According to the Supreme God's assessment, the only ways to detect the Tower of Babel fragments are through direct scanning by the Supreme God and direct observation by powerful life forms of the fifth rank or higher. Apart from these, there is no other possibility of detecting the Tower of Babel fragments. Your strategy is feasible; burying the Tower of Babel fragments inside a living being can indeed allow it to move this world without any oversights. If the disguise is done properly, we can even infiltrate other reincarnation teams and launch a surprise attack on them."

"But won't this cause even bigger problems?" Xiao Honglu suddenly interjected. "We're in a classical fantasy world right now, where people have souls after they die. If we directly infiltrate someone's mind... even someone on the verge of death, we're essentially erasing their soul. And isn't this way of directly attacking a mortal's soul even more conspicuous than if we were to infiltrate it directly?"

“You make a very good point, Xiao Honglu.” Alice nodded. “That’s why I made contingency plans for this a long time ago.”

“When I was fighting other Reincarnators, I recorded the mental waveforms of everyone I came into contact with, so that I would have one or two basic bargaining chips if we met again in the future. I’m not sure if the Reincarnators we’ve fought will do the same thing, so this device…” She glanced at the radar-like thing, then her gaze swept over each person in the squad.

“I won’t let anyone in the ‘Central Continent Team’ use it. And coincidentally, we happen to have someone here who isn’t part of our ‘Central Continent Team’ but is trustworthy and perfectly suited for this mission.” Her gaze shifted and then settled on the little bird on the Overlord’s… shoulder.

With a 'poof', the little bird transformed into a young girl.

"...Me?" The Akarin girl named Chelsea blinked, her face filled with disbelief.

"Of course it's you, Miss Chelsea. You don't have the God's Watch, so conceptually you're not a member of the Central Continent Team. You come from the Akame ga Kill! world created within the Tower of Babel using a world-within-a-world approach. Even if you appear on the outside, you'll be seen as a genuine transmigrator, not a visitor from the God. And more importantly, you're quite adept at playing small animals."

"This is the Fagon Forest. The fire will soon go out, and the surviving animals will scatter. And there will always be one or two that are suitable... I think the transformation of a bird's soul will probably not be noticed by the gods of this world."

..............................

Oh dear, after reading the book review, I realized I completely forgot that the team captain can actually know whether a team fight is possible in the next match... _(:з」∠)_

There's no way around it, since it's been written like this since Star River... I can't change it... I'll just consider it... a personal interpretation... _(:з」∠)_

Section 11. On the Use of Pigeons

When the raging fire that had engulfed much of the Fangorn Forest was quickly extinguished by the enraged Ents with rocks and clods of earth, and the elders among them summoned a sudden downpour to extinguish the embers in the soil, the industrial smoke of Isengard and the atrocities committed by the white wizard Saruman against the Ents in the outer forests in his quest to expand his military power were laid bare before them. Undoubtedly, this ignited the Ents' vengeful fury, and this fury brought war.

In an instant, the treants assembled a massive army. Led by one of their elders, 'Treebeard,' they viciously pounced on Isengard beyond the forest. They destroyed walls, ruined factories, and crushed the orcs who had not participated in the Battle of Helm's Deep into pieces like ants—the orcs tried to resist, but their bodies, which might be robust enough for mortals, were as fragile as paper under the treants' immense fists.

They were quickly routed; the industrial power painstakingly created by the white-robed wizard was clearly no match for the overwhelming physical superiority of the tree-people. Even enchanted steel swords and repeatedly forged armor could not stop their advance. And when their only hope for victory—the flames—was extinguished and withered in the collapsing dikes and the resulting floods, their defeat was accelerated more than twice as fast.

The white-robed wizard attempted a counterattack with his evil magic. But his power waned rapidly after the shift in allies. The thunderstorms that once scorched an entire forest now only managed to burn a few saplings. The fireballs that used to carve craters in the ground now only ignited a clump of straw—he still had his wizard's tower, but he no longer possessed the power to project its influence outside. His weakness fueled the treants' fighting spirit while further solidifying their belief that 'Saruman used a powerful, costly spell to destroy the Fangon Forest.' And so, the treants' offensive grew ever more ferocious.

Soon, the flood submerged the Orc factories, and even Saruman's proud elite 'White Hand Legion' was turned into stone-like corpses by the cursed waves—they were bound by the water and dragged to the ground, and when they touched the earth, they were covered with roots.

They were defeated, they died.

Saruman lost his legion; he betrayed justice, and the forces of evil shunned him with his defeat. Even though his wizard tower could still protect him, he was trapped inside and could not escape. The enraged treants possessed both patience and perseverance; they planned to attack the tower's foundations until it crumbled. Even if it didn't break, the treants intended to station a large army there, imprisoning Saruman like jailers until the end of time.

The white-robed wizard failed, and his failure would inevitably affect the outcome of the Battle of Helm's Deep. The Orcish army, deprived of their master's magical protection, was destined to perish beneath the walls of Helm's Deep. Not to mention the enraged Ents and the hordes of Rohan Knights eyeing them menacingly.

The evil Twin Towers alliance has lost one of its pillars here.

....................................

The Ents took over Isengard, and as in the original story, Merry and Pippin, the two clumsy hobbits, hitched a ride with the Ents to the battlefield of Isengard—where, protected by the Ents' tendrils, they made good use of their hobbit slinging abilities and successfully defeated several Orcs…

Now, Isengard had been turned into a swamp by the flood. The Ents, stationed there, used their innate ability to control the waterways while attacking the wizard's tower gates to channel the raging torrents of water—the floodwaters quickly receded, revealing dry ground, and the many underground orc factories Saruman had created transformed into numerous circular lakes. Two hobbits, having spent enough time on the Ents, jumped to the ground and, like two victorious generals—and indeed they had—searched and tallied their spoils.

They soon found what they had been hoping for—the spoils that hobbits, not mortals who love gold and silver, would expect—a well-stocked storehouse that had been remarkably well-preserved even during the flood.

They practically pounced into the hobbiton, their treasure trove of food. They began to savor the expensive, rare, and exotic delicacies, along with what they considered the finest tobacco. And as these delicacies entered their mouths, in this safe haven that was practically their own base, the two restless hobbits began to chatter.

..............................