Chương 77: Chapter 77: Lake-Town Pt 2

[General POV]

An uncomfortable silence filled the air. Alfrid couldn't find another reason to blame Bard, aside from the fact that the person Bard had brought along terrified him. Not only Alfrid, but the rest of the guards who followed him felt the same way, clearly sensing the overwhelming strength that Aldril unconsciously exuded.

"Ahem, in that case, I see no problem," Alfrid said as he turned around, accidentally bumping into a barrel. Upon seeing the many barrels filled with fish, his previously dejected expression immediately brightened.

He had finally found an excuse to incriminate Bard or at least discredit him in front of the crowd that had begun to gather around them due to the argument.

"Bard, what's going on with these fish? I seem to recall that you only have a boating license, not a fishing one, correct?" His mocking smile made Aldril want to punch him, but with so many people watching, he limited himself to just staring at him in silence.

He didn't want to cause a scene; besides, Bard could handle the situation without his intervention.

With provocation, Alfrid grabbed a fish and waved it in Bard's face. "You can't bring this fish in," he said before tossing it into the lake.

"I bought that fish from the elves, Alfrid; it's none of your concern," Bard replied, and it was true. Thanks to Thalwen's intervention and the blessing of the Vala Yavanna, the fish, fruits, and vegetables were of the highest quality. Bard, being well-known to the elves, was allowed to trade the fish, along with wine.

Had intended to share the fish with the other inhabitants of Lake-Town, as they were going through tough times, and Bard, worried about the people, had spent part of his limited funds to buy the barrels.

"It's none of my concern? Of course it is! If I allow this illegal cargo through, it will upset the governor! So, it is my concern, Bard!" Alfrid shouted, spitting with every word.

"Throw this cargo into the lake!" Bard's silence was interpreted as a victory, so Alfrid, now full of energy, gave the order to dump the cargo.

His moment of happiness didn't last long, however, as Aldril, fed up with Alfrid, stepped forward and blocked the guards' path. The guards tensed, placing their hands on the hilts of their weapons.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Aldril said, looking at the crowd and raising his voice

"The great King Thranduil knows about the famine you're all suffering through, which is why he allowed Bard to purchase this fresh fish for distribution. And this man plans to throw perfectly good, fresh, and delicious fish into the lake! It's a blatant sign of disrespect toward you all! It proves that they don't care about you!"

His words sparked a wildfire among the crowd, who, outraged by Alfrid's behavior, began to shout and curse at him.

"Are you an idiot?!"

"Damn you, Alfrid!"

"Alfrid, you bastard!"

"Do you and that fat, stupid governor want us to starve to death?!"

"Alfrid, you idiot! Why don't you throw yourself into the lake instead?"

The insults overwhelmed Alfrid, and even the guards who had accompanied him looked at him with disbelief. Aldril's speech had swayed them, and unwilling to follow Alfrid's order, they took a step back.

Perhaps if the governor had been feeding them, they would have followed orders to the letter, but having such an incompetent leader made them lazy in their obedience.

"That's a lie! The great elven king Thranduil wouldn't stoop so low as to give us food!" Alfrid exclaimed, panicking.

His hunched body slumped even more under the scrutinizing gaze of the crowd. "You're trying to cause trouble! Yes, that's it! You must be Bard's friend, helping him deceive everyone! Arrest him!"

His orders fell on deaf ears. The guards simply stood by, watching. This left Alfrid in a difficult position, and with no other options, he tried to slander Aldril in the hopes of convincing the crowd that he was lying.

However, as if fate were against him, Tauriel, with unmatched grace, lifted her hood, revealing her beauty and silencing the crowd. Her red hair and striking appearance reminded those present of Nerdanel, the wife of Fëanor. It was a rare grace that the humans were fortunate enough to witness.

With elegant steps and a serious, cold demeanor, she surveyed the onlookers. Her magnetic voice delivered the words that would seal Alfrid's downfall. "I am Tauriel, captain of the guard of my father Thranduil's kingdom. If this is how you receive our support, I will have to speak with my father and reconsider doing business with Lake-Town."

"I deeply apologize, Your Excellency, Princess Tauriel. Please forgive me," Alfrid completely crumbled.

He had heard of Tauriel and her striking red hair, so he had no doubt of her identity "It would be an honor for our town to have you as a guest," he said with his grotesque, fake smile. Stepping back and climbing off the boat, he added, "You may go, Bard," through gritted teeth.

Alfrid didn't want to cause more trouble for himself or the governor. Just moments ago, he had insulted the elven princess by attempting to remove her hood, an action that could have cost him his life had it not been for Aldril's indirect intervention.

"Wait," Aldril said, stopping Alfrid as he started to leave. With a smile, he extended his hand. "You threw a fresh fish into the lake, so you need to pay for it. That'll be five silver coins."

"Fi…five?" Alfrid stammered. Not wanting to create any more issues, he pulled five silver coins from his pocket and handed them to Aldril, who, quite pleased, pocketed them. Nodding, Bard steered the boat into Lake-Town.

---

"Thank you, Aldril, you sped up the process of getting in," Bard said with a smile. It had been quite a spectacle watching Alfrid get put in his place. Glancing over at Tauriel, Bard asked, "Are you really the princess of the Elvenking's realm?"

It was a reasonable doubt. Bard had thought she was merely helping Aldril with his bluff, but he was surprised when the elf looked at him emotionlessly and nodded.

"Yes, I am," she replied, her cold and distant demeanor not surprising him. All elves were like that. But Bard noticed, albeit slightly, that with Aldril, this elf was a bit more expressive. 'Would that elf treat Sigrid the same way?' Bard wondered.

"By the way, Bard, who was that man with the stupid face?" Bilbo asked. Throughout the entire drama at the entrance, he had remained silent, and like Aldril, it was the first time he had ever felt the urge to punch someone. Alfrid's face, after all, was one that anyone would want to hit.

"Haha, yes, he does have a face that begs to be punched," Bard laughed heartily. Recomposing himself after his laughter, he continued, "His name is Alfrid. He's the governor's secretary here in Lake-Town, and as you can see, he's quite annoying."

"So, is he always like that with you?"

"Yes, he's been targeting me for a long time, and all the residents know it," Bard said casually. "It's been going on for so long that I don't even care anymore. However, be careful. He might respect Princess Tauriel, but in his stupidity, he could target the two of you as well," he warned, giving Bilbo and Aldril a serious look.

"Heh, no problem. The last person who targeted Aldril ended up with his head shoved up a troll's backside. Remember that, Aldril? That orc who kept aiming at you with his arrows, and you grabbed his head and—"

"Don't say it, Bilbo," Aldril interrupted, trying to suppress his laughter. A while ago, during a break, a group of orcs had attacked them along with a troll. One of the archers had relentlessly aimed at Aldril, annoying him to the point where he punched the orc and made quite the scene, one that still made the dwarves laugh to this day.

Aldril had grabbed the orc's head and stuffed it into the fallen troll's rear end, after Gandalf had brought the creature down with his magic.

"Haha," a few muffled laughs could be heard from the barrels. Clearly, the dwarves were remembering that moment.

"Keep it down, haha," Aldril said in a low voice, trying to control his laughter. Bilbo was also chuckling quietly, while Tauriel raised an eyebrow at him. "I'll tell you later," he said.

Shrugging, Tauriel inspected the run-down houses they passed. The cold weather added a bleak contrast to the town, and the lake full of boats dimmed what little beauty the town possessed.

As she surveyed the surroundings, a lock of blond hair caught her attention. In the distance, a tall figure walked beside a smaller one. The tall figure wore a hood that concealed their features, but to Tauriel, this figure was very familiar.

"Isn't that Legolas?" she murmured softly.

The other figure, feeling Tauriel's gaze, immediately looked up, freezing in place as soon as they saw her.

"Is that…Tauriel?"

***

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