The night has gradually begun to darken. The Fangorn Forest, which was originally very dark because of the lush branches and leaves of the trees, made it difficult for the light to shine down. If the flickering fireball in Annie's hand had not provided enough light sources, I am afraid that this place would have been dark. , has already become invisible, right?
"Annie! And Treebeard! Please, can you two calm down for a moment?"
After such a long time, seeing that the little girl and the old tree man Treebeard were still confronting each other, Gandalf had no choice but to sigh and exhort him again.
Now, with neither party willing to take the lead in giving in, he has no better way besides continuing to work hard as a peacemaker.
"..."
It's a pity that his persuasion didn't seem to have any effect?
Because, the two people in front of me: one is a lawless little witch who is not afraid of anything and is afraid of the world being in chaos; and the other is a lumpy head who accepts death and is not very good at adapting, and her brain is a bit unable to get around. Old tree man?
Therefore, even though he, Gandalf, has reached out to block the two sides and keeps talking, he still cannot persuade either of the other parties to stop first.
On his left, that little kid Annie was still holding the fireball in her hand, staring menacingly at the tree shepherd's ugly face, ready to smash the big fireball over at any time!
And what about the old tree man Treebeard? They are also trying their best to use the few natural spells of their shepherd family: attracting countless water vapor from the surroundings to this place, causing the branches, leaves, and even the moss on the ground to accumulate on the nearby trees. A thick layer of dew.
Apparently, it was trying to prevent the little witch from setting fire to the forest! But what it doesn't know is: Little Annie's flames cannot be extinguished easily by ordinary water if she wants to!
"Gandalf...my old friend..."
"You let this little girl extinguish... the evil fire magic in her hands... and then... I will... let you... leave our... Fangorn Forest..."
Finally, the old tree man Treebeard, who had been silent for a long time, began to speak again.
However, it always speaks slowly and stutters. Sometimes it doesn't finish a sentence for a long time, and it also sounds like it's not awake or weak? Perhaps this is the real reason why it has been confronting the little girl for so long? Poor communication between the two parties?
"I...have...summoned more companions...they...are coming..."
It took several minutes for the treebeard to finish its request and threat. Even Annie was a little anxious when she heard it, wishing she could hit him with a fireball and knock him down.
Actually, Treebeard didn't want to make his old friend, the wizard Gandalf, too embarrassed, but he just didn't like this little girl who threatened to burn down their Fangorn Forest, not at all!
"Hmph! Do you think there are more of you than you are capable of?"
Hearing that the other party dared to call someone over, Anne became even more angry!
"If you really annoy me, be careful. I'll let the Balrog come out and let it burn down your entire forest! And my little bear Tibbers! He can beat at least a hundred of you!"
Whether it's a comparison of quality or quantity, Annie will not give in to bad guys like Shuren!
Let’s not talk about my little bear Tibbers. Letting him out is just to bully them tree people! Just the newly conquered Balrog by her, if she really throws it out, it can burn down the forest easily, right? She didn't think these tree people would be the match for her idiot Balrog.
It's so easy to use Balrog to burn the forest for fun! Just wander around Fangorn Forest for a few times, and this place is almost finished.
"The Balrog... is indeed... an evil... witch!"
When he heard the words Balrog, Treebeard became angry on the spot.
Then, it began to tremble all over, and made a series of deep sounds, as if it was awakening more trees to come to help? From this point of view, during the War of the Ancients, the tree men seemed to have formed a strong relationship with the Balrogs under Morgoth's command? !
"You are an evil tree man! Bad guy!"
Seeing that the other party actually made a summoning sound again, and there was a faint response from the forest in the distance, Anne knew that the other party must be calling for help again? However, she herself is not afraid of the other party calling for help. Anyway, burning one is burning, and burning a hundred is burning!
Therefore, she snorted coldly and let the flames in her hands burn even more intensely.
Anne has decided that when the fight starts later, she will use fire to burn the surrounding area into a sea of fire, then release the Balrog, and then create a lot of small fire elements. If the forest is not burned down, she will Never give up!
"Stop! You two..."
Gandalf, who stretched out his hand to stop between the two of them, was almost trembling with anxiety.
If he had known that things would turn out like this, he shouldn't have agreed to let this little girl come with him in the first place... Look, this is great. Not only did the other party not help, but he even got into a fight with the tree people?
If the other party hadn't just saved his life at the top of the mist, Gandalf would still be a little suspicious now. Could this little girl be with Saruman and the others? Then, did you deliberately come to cause trouble for yourself?
"If you ask them to apologize to me, I won't burn their forest!"
Anne, who felt good about herself and felt that she was very reasonable, spoke confidently.
You see, now she has already given in. As long as the tree man apologizes to her and contributes some local products from Fangorn Forest, she will reluctantly let him go!
"Evil...little witch...I...Treebeard...is not wrong..."
Treebeard also felt that he was justified, and of course he refused to be the first to give in!
Think about it, they tree people were sleeping peacefully in Fangorn Forest without disturbing anyone, let alone anyone. If this little girl hadn't threatened to burn down the forest, I'm afraid it wouldn't have easily Did you wake up from the shock?
This kind of person is sitting at home, and trouble comes from the sky. How can we ask him to admit his mistake first? Is there any truth left in the world of Middle-earth? !
Therefore, Treebeard felt that it was not wrong at all! Everything was caused by this evil little witch. The other party should apologize and quickly leave the Fangorn Forest guarded by their tree people, instead of letting it, as the owner, apologize to this evil little witch who plays with fire. !
"Hmph! You have heard this, Gandalf, and yet he still dares to say that he is not at fault?"
"My mother Amorin told me before that those bad guys, when they are trying to make excuses, they stutter very easily, just like they did just now, they couldn't say a word for a long time! So! Now, the facts are already proving: it was this bad tree man who was at fault in the first place!”
After saying what she thought was very reasonable, Anne nodded with satisfaction. You see, she is a good girl, with evidence and arguments, and can withstand scrutiny!
Anyway, no matter what, she just feels that she is not wrong, there is nothing wrong!
All of this was provoked by this tree man who was about to crush her at the first word. Do you want her to apologize first? That is absolutely impossible!
Instead of that, she would rather set fire to the entire forest. If all these ugly tree people were burned, no one would dare to point their fingers at her, no matter who was wrong or right. Yes, right?
"..."
"Let me beg you two, can you each take a step back?!"
The helpless Gandalf was about to cry, couldn't he give himself some face...
After coming to Middle-earth and guiding mortals to be good for so many years, this was the first time he encountered these two guys who couldn't fight, scolded but didn't dare to scold, and couldn't reason with each other!
If it was an existence that he could easily deal with, how could he, Gandalf, be still here to grind with them for so long? He had already rushed forward, pulled out his staff, and hit each of them with a critical blow on the back of their heads. Then, after defeating them, he slowly reasoned with each other?
"No! You must let this ugly tree apologize to me first!"
Anne, who has a right to rule the world, will never give in under such circumstances! Now, she is the right one! The fireball in her hand can attest to this.
"Treebeard...there is nothing wrong..."
Treebeard, who believed that big size was the truth and that having many brothers meant he didn't need to be timid, was certainly not willing to give in easily.
Especially for this evil witch who thinks about burning the forest all day long! If his old friend Gandalf hadn't been standing in the middle, this honest tree shepherd, who was not good at quarreling and was too rude to speak, would have been unable to resist stepping on him, right?
"Wow!!!"
Suddenly, as the two sides continued to confront each other, and Gandalf was also anxiously trying to persuade both sides, two small... hobbits rolled out from behind a big tree.
"Are you... Gandalf? And Lady Witch Anne?!"
Pippin, who had fallen down and took a mouthful of mud, had just gotten up when he saw the little witch Annie in the distance, who was grabbing a ball of fire? And the white-robed wizard standing aside - Gandalf? !
The gray robe wizard Gandalf, who fell into the endless abyss of the mines of Moria with the Balrog, is still alive? Moreover, the other party is not only alive and well, but even has a new outfit?
Now it should be... the wizard Gandalf in white robes? !
"Lord Anne? And Gandalf! Great! Is it really you? Hurry and help..."
Then, the hobbit Merry, who also had a mouthful of moss due to falling down together, also discovered the two old friends opposite him at this time. Then, he quickly jumped up and grabbed him while they were still in a daze. Pippin started to spread his feet forward desperately, rushing towards the position of Anne and Gandalf as if lifeless.
As for the tall tree man, since he didn't speak or move much, they didn't even take a second look. They just thought about other things and thought it was just an ordinary big tree!
"Ha! An old man with little meat, and a... little girl with tender skin and tender flesh?"
Then, when the two hobbits hurriedly ran behind Gandalf and Anne to hide, three orcs holding sharp blades chased Pippin and Merry into Fangorn Forest and ran out with grinning faces.
Their eyes were a bit awkward, and they thought the little girl was holding a torch!
Therefore, when they discovered that there were two more preys, these brainless orcs started making noises one after another, and kept licking their dirty black mouths. They feel that the other party seems to be a person who has no ability to resist?
"Guys, our meal tonight is starting to get richer and richer..."
"That's right! It's great."
"That little girl belongs to me! The rest belongs to you, how about it? I think her meat must be very tender and tender. There is no need to cook it. It is best to eat it alive?"
As the vague red light of the fireball slowly dispersed, surrounded and approached, the three orcs were still interested in discussing the distribution rights of the prey? One of them actually drooled disgustingly at Anne while talking?
As everyone knows, they seem to have provoked certain beings that even their masters can't easily offend? Here are a little girl who loves to play with fire, a violent melee mage Gandalf, and the leader of a group of tree shepherds, Old Treebeard!
"snort!"
A cold snort from a little girl suddenly sounded.
Then, the fireball that she had been holding in her hand flew directly towards the orc who was planning to eat her alive! After the fireball appeared a dazzling flame trajectory, it instantly ignited the opponent's body.
When the orc began to roll on the ground and howl, her next words rang out:
"People think that roasted meat may taste better and won't make you sick, right?"
Anne did not increase the power of her flame magic, and just allowed the other party to turn into a human-shaped torch, and then watched with interest as the other party screamed loudly and rolled crazily on the wet moss ground.
Sliced meat and stuff, I hate it the most!
Therefore, Annie has to burn slowly, bit by bit, burning off the skin first, then the muscles and veins, and finally the bones and internal organs! She wants to prove to these half-orcs who don't know cooking skills: Only cooked meat, the kind that is burnt on the outside and burnt on the inside, is the most fragrant and delicious!
Boom!
At the same time, before the half-orc who was burned into a human-shaped fire cabinet stopped rolling and wailing, another huge tree root suddenly stepped over, knocking out the other half-orc who was being burned by his companion. The half-orc who was frightened by the encounter and was in a daze was crushed into a puddle of meat pie while alive...
"ha……"
Not to be outdone, Gandalf took two steps forward and slashed Huashan with the staff in his hand. The head of the staff struck a critical blow, killing the last orc on the spot...
"It's nice to see you all again! Pippin? And Merry?"
At this time, Gandalf glanced at the two hobbits, Merry and Pippin, who were startled by the sudden movement of the tree. He looked at Merry and Pippin, who seemed to have lost their temper and were unwilling to confront the little witch anymore. After the tree was lifted, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Sure enough, old man, it's not unreasonable for me to prefer hobbits..."
————
The next morning, within the territory of Rohan, close to the Fangorn Forest, on a hill in the prairie, three figures were once again walking quickly.
After another sleepless night of chasing, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas were still running and chasing their enemies. After this night of chasing, they felt that they should be getting closer and closer to the strong orcs now. Already...
"The red sun rises...last night, there must have been a killing near here..."
When the red sun rose slowly in the morning, Legolas, the elf prince who was good at observing the sky and superstitious, had a vague premonition in his heart.
In the eyes of the Middle-earth elves who like to observe the sky at night, when the morning glow appears, something bad will definitely happen?
So far, they have chased those strong orcs for a total of three days and four nights. But at this time, when they were about to catch up with the enemy and rescue their companions, such a bad omen appeared?
Like...a big war?
After all, the color of blood is red, and so is the morning glow... So, the elves naively thought: it must be the blood flowing out of the bloody battlefield that dyed the clouds red?
If Anne knew what this elf pretty boy thought like this, she would probably spit in his face, right?
Because, if we were on Earth, even those elementary school students would know that morning glow is a common physical phenomenon that occurs when sunlight is refracted and scattered by too much water vapor.
Besides, how could the blood on the ground reach the sky? Superstition is really a harmful thing!
"..."
"These footprints..."
When Aragorn was carefully observing the enemy's footprints in front to identify the direction, they suddenly heard the trembling sound of horses' hooves running quickly, and the opponent seemed to be getting closer and closer...
It's a large group of cavalry! And, speeding towards them? !
"Quick! Take cover!"
Without thinking too much, Aragorn quickly waved his hand to the two companions behind him who had also noticed something was wrong, and then quickly hid in a pile of boulders nearby.
Soon after they lurked into the half-man tall grass in the gaps between the boulders, the rumble of horse hooves became louder and louder, and the terrifying tremor from the earth became stronger and stronger...
Then, as if in the next moment, countless Rohan cavalry, wearing heavy armor and cloaks, holding Rohan's galloping flags and various lances, began to turn up from the bottom of the hillside, and walked along the path where they had been standing before. From the gap, he galloped directly down the hillside.
"..."
Aragorn quickly stood up and looked at the backs of the cavalry.
What a risk, the other party didn't see them just now, and it didn't seem to be coming towards the three of them. It seemed that the cavalry were just passing by?
"Cavalrymen of the Rohan Kingdom, do you have any new news from the Hussar Kingdom?!"
After looking at each other with Legolas, Aragorn felt that these regular troops of the Rohan Kingdom would not embarrass the three of them, right? Therefore, after he stood up from his hiding place for a while, he shouted loudly to the hundreds of cavalry who had already run down the hillside.
Aragorn took it for granted that they seemed to be able to get some help from these cavalry or information from those strong orcs? Since the other party appears here, he might know the traces of the small group of strong orcs they were chasing before, right?
After all, in the territory of the Rohan Kingdom, the Rohan cavalry who are the masters will always be more familiar with them than outsiders like themselves.
"?!"
As soon as Aragorn's voice fell, the cavalry who had not run far away quickly dispersed.
They didn't slow down at all. They just made a small circle on the prairie like skirmishers and began to transform into a semi-arc encirclement. After completing the U-turn, they headed straight towards their three hills on the hillside. People galloped around and surrounded us!
Countless cavalrymen began to run dangerously past the three of them. The other party's superb riding skills did not even require them to make any unnecessary movements. Then, they continued to gallop on their horses, lap after lap, passing the three of them. People were surrounded in the middle...
In the end, when the speed of the war horses slowly slowed down, sharp lances were pressed towards Aragon and the others from the encirclement by the knights one after another. The sharp lances stuck the three of them tightly. Unable to move in the middle.
"An elf, a human and...a dwarf?!"
"Tell me! What do you want to do when you come to Ridmark in Rohan? What conspiracy is there!"
After the heavily armored knights of Rohan completely controlled the three people, a cavalryman wearing full body armor with golden patterns and other decorative patterns on the armor squeezed in from the outside on horseback. His tone was very He asked unkindly.
"Say it!!"
Obviously, this cavalry commander wearing a semi-enclosed helmet on his head seems to be in a bad mood? Therefore, after scanning the three of them with sharp eyes for a while, he asked sharply again.
"Show me your name first, Commander of the Cavalry? Then, I'll tell you who I am!"
The dwarf Gimli, who was pointed at by a group of cavalry and spears, was the first to speak out in displeasure. He just leaned on his long-handled battle ax, and then looked up arrogantly at the man who questioned the three of them. The cavalry commander.
As a dwarf, Gimli's height was at a disadvantage again here!
Originally, humans were much taller than them? But now, the opponent is still riding on a tall horse, which makes him have to raise his head higher. Only in this way can he see the opponent's face and eyes. This action makes him weak in terms of momentum alone. He treated the other party a lot.
"..."
Gimli, who heard the yawn, still had the courage to say such words at this time, which made Aragorn feel dumbfounded and speechless for a while.
He was a little confused. Could it be that Gimli, a dwarf, couldn't see the situation clearly? What a mess! The diplomacy of their dwarves must be negative, right?
Now, it’s obvious that I’m the one who works for you, and I’m the one who works for you! The three of them are still surrounded by hundreds of cavalry, and those spears and lances are still stretched out not far from the bodies of themselves and others. Where does he have the courage to say such a thing at this time? ?
If they encounter a general with a bad temper, they simply don't ask questions and directly order those spears and lances to come over, then the death of the three of them will be in vain!
"..."
Hearing what the dwarf said, not only Aragorn was speechless, but even the cavalry commander was stunned.
"If you were taller, little dwarf, I could easily chop off your head on horseback!"
Then, after the other party handed his spear to a servant, he turned around and jumped off the saddle. He walked straight to this short man and stared down at the bearded man who made him feel uncomfortable. He pressed his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist, and at the same time, he did not forget to threaten him fiercely.
"Before you take action, my long arrow will shoot through your head first!"
As soon as the cavalry commander finished speaking, the elf prince Legolas, who was equally unhappy, quickly bent his bow and drew an arrow. Before all the cavalry could react, he had already pointed the fully drawn bow and arrow at this man. It seems to be the forehead between the leader's knights.
The next moment, countless long lances or spears swiped, and they all came over and stopped around Legolas' body. If the opponent dared to shoot arrows, he would definitely be hit by countless spears. Turned into a broken corpse full of bullet holes!
"Wait, Legolas..."
At this time, Aragorn, who was on the side, finally reacted, and quickly pressed down the Elf Prince's bow and arrow, and at the same time comforted the dwarf Gimli next to him who was about to lift his ax to kill someone.
He didn't understand, where did these two people get the courage? Are you going to start a fight with others even if you don't agree with them?
Didn't they understand the situation clearly? He just wanted to call out to these Rohan cavalry, and then ask a question so that they could find those strong orcs. As for whether he wanted to cause such a life-and-death situation?
Unmentioned, the diplomatic skills of the elves are certainly not very good either.
Aragorn, who has been wandering in the wilderness for so many years, has long understood a truth, that is: multiple friends and multiple paths, as long as they are a just or kind race, there is no need to get into a fight with each other! This is the right option to properly connect the feelings of both parties. Maybe it will be used one day?
Look at himself, among the current immortal races such as elves, dwarves, etc., who doesn’t recognize him, Aragorn?
"..."
After seeing this human restraining his companions, some of the cavalry finally stopped being nervous and began to slowly take back their weapons. However, there were still some spears and lances that they classified as unstable. Elements of elves and dwarves were wandering around.
"Hello, I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn!"
Yes, the situation is critical now, and Aragorn can't care about anything else.
Therefore, he immediately started fighting for his father. Fearing that the other party would not recognize his name, he quickly brought out his cheap father who had been dead for many years, and directly told the other party that his father was So and so...
Although Aragorn is still a lonely ranger, at least he has a good father, right?
You know, in name, he, Aragorn, is the legitimate heir to the king of the Kingdom of Gondor, an ally of the Rohan Kingdom! With such an invisible and shiny protective film, it is impossible for the general of Rohan in front of him not to give him even this bit of face, right?
"This dwarf is Gimli, the son of Groim! And this one is Legolas, Prince of the Silvan Elf from Mirkwood."
Fortunately, all three of them have a good father with a great reputation, and, all in all, they are among the best second-generation officials in the Middle-earth world! As long as the people they encounter are not those rebels under the command of Demon King Sauron, then people from other kingdoms will more or less give up a little face if they don't want to cause conflicts between national races after knowing their identities. !
"We are friends of the Kingdom of Rohan and King Theoden of the Cavalry. You don't need to be so hostile to us!"
Aragorn knew the Cavalry King Théoden, and they had a very good relationship! However, he did not recognize the young general in front of him...
When he thought about it, when he was wandering around Rohan and befriending Théoden, the general probably didn't know that he was wearing crotchless pants in that corner, peeing and playing in the mud, right? It should be normal not to know yourself.
This may be the tragedy of the short-lived race, and it is also the tragedy of Aragorn...
I think back then, he spent countless time and energy operating in the entire Middle-earth world, and almost all the heads of state or big bosses of non-Sauron forces knew him, Aragorn. , also looks familiar! But what about the end? Before he was ready to reveal his identity and prepare to become king and receive his inheritance, almost all the people who knew him in the human world were dead...
Sure enough, after Aragorn mentioned the names of their respective fathers, the cavalry commander finally looked much better, and he no longer had the urge to order the three of them to be chopped into pieces immediately.
"Friends? Huh..."
"How can Théoden still have any friends now? He no longer distinguishes between friend and foe, and even disowns his relatives!"
The cavalry commander took off his helmet and revealed his face. He waved his hands at the same time and asked his knights to put away their weapons.
"The evil Saruman has confused the king's mind, and Isengard has almost occupied this land..."
While angrily complaining about his own king, he gnashed his teeth and cursed the white-robed wizard of Isengard. In the eyes of this cavalry commander, the situation in Rohan was so bad that even he himself didn't know what to do. .
Now, their seemingly powerful Riding Kingdom of Rohan is actually extremely weak...
The king's inaction and being controlled by the enemy allowed the orcs, strong orcs and Dunland wild people to wreak havoc on his land and massacre his people!
Seeing the country gradually declining, this commander seems to have seen the final fate of Rohan being destroyed?
"We all swore to defend Rohan, so we were all expelled..."
"That white-robed wizard, he's so cunning and mysterious...and, I heard, his spies are everywhere?"
Having said this, the cavalry commander still looked at these humans, elves, and dwarves with suspicion. He was only half-doubtful about their identities, and he was not stupid. It was impossible for him to believe whatever the other party said.
"We are not spies!"
The dwarf Gimli muttered immediately, but when he saw Aragorn's face, he had to shut his mouth again.
"We are heading west across the plains and are tracking a group of tall orcs. They have captured two of our hobbit friends. We must rescue them! So, this is why we came here and took the initiative to shout just now I'm here to find out the reason behind the news!"
Aragon said sincerely that if they were spies, he would not have volunteered and called out these cavalry just now! He believed that the other party should be able to understand this.
"A tall orc...?"
After hearing this, the cavalry commander seemed a little convinced.
"I can tell you: those strong orcs are all dead! We completely annihilated them last night!"
Last night, they did clear up the disgusting group of guys who were planning to camp for a rest at the edge of Fangorn Forest!
In the dark night, he and their cavalry were surrounded on three sides. With just one charge, they used a torrent of steel to break up the opponent's formation, and then they killed them wantonly. He didn't see how many tall orcs there were. sharp.
"There should be two little hobbits there, do you see them?"
The dwarf Gimli appeared again impatiently.
"Yes! They are very short and look just like our human children."
After Gimli asked, Aragorn quickly added that in order to track down and rescue his two hobbit friends, they worked tirelessly and ran for three days and four nights!
"..."
"We didn't leave anyone alive at that time... Not long ago, we just piled up the bodies and burned them..."
This matter made the cavalry commander a little embarrassed. Last night, when they were charging, how could they care whether the opponent was a hobbit or an orc? In that dark and chaotic battlefield, anyone without a horse would be killed by them!
As for whether anyone else managed to escape, he wasn't sure.
Anyway, they were surrounded on three sides, and no one could escape. The only side that was not surrounded was the ancient Fangorn Forest. If those orcs, orcs or hobbits dared to run into the forest, If you go inside, the final outcome should not be much different from being hacked to death by their cavalry.
"All dead?!"
Jinli was relatively short, so he stared blankly through the gap between the horses' legs and looked into the distance. There seemed to be a thick white smoke produced by burning objects? Just now, he had always thought it was a gathering place for Rohan people!
"I am Eomer, the former third marshal of Rohan. I am very sorry for what happened to your friends. It was very dark at the time and we did not pay attention to whether the enemy was an orc! So..."
After seeing the expressions of the three people, Eomer apologized to the three people and said nothing more. He believed that these people would understand. After all, it was a chaotic battlefield, and even the most heroic knights could not stand it. He could die at any time, let alone the two hobbits who were captives of the orcs.
Then, he thought for a moment, waved his hand and whistled, and called two ownerless horses that had lost their owners.
"Forget it, you should go and see for yourself... I hope these two war horses can bring you good luck, instead of being like their original owners?"
After handing the reins of the two horses into each other's hands, Eomer put on his helmet and climbed directly onto his own horse. Last night, while they wiped out all the orcs, they also lost two of their comrades-in-arms. Those two people were the owners of these two horses...
"Goodbye!"
"Go find your friends, but you'd better not have too much hope, because this land has been abandoned by the gods..."
After looking hatefully at the territory that originally belonged to Rohan under his feet, Eomer turned his horse around and led the team away.
This is Rohan! But now, he is being abused by the so-called messenger of God, the white-robed wizard Saruman, and his orcs! Therefore, Eomer and the gods also hated him.
"..."
