Chapter 76: Lake-Town
-Legolas And Sigrid, Flower Meadow-
"Very good, Sigrid, your footwork is improving," said Legolas as he looked lovingly at his beloved. Recently, Sigrid had asked him to teach her how to defend herself in case she needed to, mainly due to the bad relationship her father Bard had with the governor of Lake-town.
Sigrid didn't know what had triggered the conflict between her father and the governor, but it was well known by everyone that Bard was not welcome. Because of this, he had no other job but that of a fisherman.
"You're a great instructor, Legolas," Sigrid responded energetically. Every second she spent by his side was magical. She knew she had fallen in love with him, but she feared Legolas might not return her feelings. However, being a woman of strong character, she didn't let her fears take over, so she subtly signaled her affection.
Approaching Legolas, she reached out her hand to his cheek and gently touched it. "Thank you, Legolas," her words, full of affection, made Legolas' heart tremble. He lifted his hand and gently held Sigrid's hand, leaning into her touch.
As he rested his head in Sigrid's palm, Legolas remembered his mother's words: "You are not the third pair, son, you cannot be with her." His joyful mood soured, and the bright smile he had been wearing began to fade.
"What's wrong?" Noticing the change in Legolas, Sigrid asked in a soft, worried voice.
"It's nothing, just bad thoughts," he responded, his mood darkened by the memory. He lowered his head to hide his sadness, but it was in vain. Sigrid, being the compassionate woman she was, used her two small hands to gently lift Legolas' face, tracing a smile on his lips with her fingers.
"Your smile is magical, Legolas, don't let your thoughts erase it," she said as she smiled brightly at him.
A slight glimmer formed in Legolas' eyes, tears threatening to spill. This simple act of kindness filled him completely.
'I've fallen in love with her' were his thoughts. He now understood that feeling, love. Sigrid's smile was so beautiful that he would face even the darkest lord to protect her.
"Thank you for being who you are, Sigrid," he said as he pulled her into a warm embrace. The sweet fragrance of her hair filled his nostrils, and soft tears began to fall. A plea echoed in his mind
'Please, great Eru, please, don't take her away from me. Please, let her stay with me.'
-With Aldril-
"Wait, are you saying that Legolas has disobeyed his parents' orders just to see Bard's daughter?" Aldril whispered to Tauriel. That comment from a few seconds ago had surprised him, especially that it involved Bard's daughter.
Tauriel, puzzled as to why he was whispering, nodded, responding back in a whisper, "Yes, for a few months now, he's been leaving the kingdom. Why do you think he hasn't appeared these past few days?" And it was true; now Aldril understood why he hadn't seen him since the dwarves were imprisoned.
"A change beyond my imagination," Aldril thought.
Like Aldril, Bard was surprised. Many pieces fit together now. When he returned, he would have to talk to her. As a father, he understood that his daughter was at that age, but the problem was that she had fallen for an elf, an immortal being. He would have to handle the situation as best as he could. If necessary, he would support his daughter's happiness by giving his blessing for her to be with that elf.
The boat fell silent. Both Aldril and Bard were lost in thought. Tauriel and Bilbo remained quiet, the former not wanting to interrupt Aldril, and the latter unable to find another topic of conversation.
The morning mist that had obstructed the view began to clear, revealing the great city of Lake-town in the distance. The sight impressed Aldril; building a small city on a lake was an engineering achievement. The only thing that marred its beauty were the houses, which were in a state of great disrepair.
Bard snapped out of his thoughts when he saw Lake-town approaching. "Aldril," he called, making him turn his head. Bard gestured with his eyes toward the barrels, and understanding the meaning, Aldril nodded and moved toward them.
"Bang!"
Aldril hit one of the barrels, specifically Dwalin's, who growled and peeked out from the pile of fish. "What's going on?" he asked with a grumpy face. He hated being surrounded by a bunch of stinking fish, not to mention that he was the most short-tempered dwarf.
Aldril ignored Dwalin getting up and directed his attention to the other barrels. "Don't make any noise. We're about to reach the port, and they might inspect the cargo," he said in a slightly raised tone, receiving knocks from the barrels in response, indicating that the dwarves understood.
With an even grumpier face, Dwalin glared at him. "Was it necessary to kick my barrel?" he asked through gritted teeth, clearly furious.
Aldril waved his hand dismissively. "Now's not the time to be angry. Get back inside," he replied, forcing Dwalin back into the barrel, who, despite his complaints, reluctantly stayed hidden.
"Did you really have to make him angry?" Bilbo whispered at his side, to which Aldril responded with an amused look.
"It's fun to irritate them, especially Dwalin," said Aldril, his behavior reflecting the sadness he was hiding.
Bombur's death had affected him, but as he had already said, there would be time to mourn the dead later. For now, he needed to focus on his next confrontation.
With that said, Aldril allowed himself to once again admire the city. It might be deteriorated, but it had a unique charm, something Bard noticed. With a smile, Bard asked, "Is this the first time you've seen a city on a lake?"
At Bard's question, Aldril shook his head. "It's not the first I've seen, but it is the first I've visited," he replied. After all, he loved history and knew that Tenochtitlan, the Aztec city, was built on Lake Texcoco. Perhaps Tolkien had been inspired by that city to create Lake-town, though that didn't matter to him now.
"Have you seen one like this before? Where?" Bard asked, surprised. He had never left Lake-town, so Aldril's comment about seeing a city built on a lake left him curious.
"To the south, but it was destroyed by orcs," Aldril lied. Maybe Tolkien had been inspired by different cultures for different peoples, but he had never heard of Mesoamerican culture being represented.
"They're a plague that must be eradicated," Tauriel murmured. Bilbo, who heard her, nodded in agreement. He was a peaceful hobbit, but he wasn't stupid, and he understood that orcs were the evil of the world, creatures that only knew how to kill and destroy.
"It's a shame," Bard commented, looking at Lake-town with bubbling emotions inside him. "It used to be more beautiful," he said, his remark causing both Aldril and Tauriel to look at him, waiting for him to continue.
Seeing Bard's silence, Bilbo, curious as hobbits tend to be, asked, "Used to be? What happened to it?"
Shaking his head in disappointment, Bard answered ambiguously, "You'll understand once you enter."
"Woaak!"
At that precise moment of silence, a burp echoed from one of the barrels, causing Aldril to chuckle slightly as he lightly tapped the barrel from which the burp had come. "Don't make any noise." A soft "Sorry" was heard from inside the barrel, and from the voice, he guessed it was Kili.
Another barrel began to shake. "Stay still, don't move," Aldril reminded them, only to receive a complaint from Glóin, "Damn it, Aldril. 'Keep quiet'? Try being in this stinking barrel, and you'll understand it's not easy to stay calm."
While Glóin was complaining, the entrance to Lake-town came into view. Aldril quickly spoke, "Quiet, Glóin, we're about to enter."
"That's a lie. You just want me to shut up," he retorted from inside the barrel. It was an odd sight that made Tauriel chuckle lightly. After all, to outsiders, it would seem as though Aldril were talking to a barrel.
"Shut up, Glóin," Aldril said this time with no hint of humor. He was serious now, as they were entering the inspection area.
"I don't..." Whatever Glóin was about to say got stuck in his throat as an unfamiliar voice was heard.
"Stop! Cargo inspection. Please present your documents!"
the guard shouted, halting the boat. A scruffy man with tattered clothes emerged from the side. His appearance was a testament to the miserable lives the people of Lake-town led these days.
Bard stepped forward, pulling a paper from his worn coat. Upon seeing him approach, the guard exclaimed cheerfully, "Ah, it's you, Bard!"
"Good morning, Percy," Bard replied with a smile. This was his daily routine, so the guard had known him for a long time.
"Anything to declare?" the guard asked out of habit. If it were up to him, he would let Bard pass without inspection; after all, they were friends.
"Nothing, just that I'm really tired and want to go home."
"Me too, Bard."
The guard took Bard's paper, went to his booth, and stamped it without reading. It was routine, so he didn't give it much thought. Returning to the boat, he tried to hand the paper back to Bard, but a pale hand intercepted it.
A man emerged from behind, his finely cleaned black clothes and a hat protecting him from the cold, indicating his status. His horrid face might have made him pass for an orc, were it not for how impeccably clean he was.
"Let me see," he said, inspecting the paper and frowning. "Picking up guests from Mirkwood?" He raised his eyes and looked at Bilbo, Aldril, and Tauriel, who had her cloak on, covering her delicate features.
Hypnotized by the slight glimpse of Tauriel's refined features, he stepped closer to the boat. "Oh, someone is hiding under that hood. Please, remove it," he said, reaching out to try and pull off her hood.
"Don't touch her."
A strong hand grabbed his thin arm, making him look at Aldril, who stared at him as if he were a worm. Aldril's amber eyes locked onto the man's, causing him to tremble. He pulled his hand back and took a step away.
This gesture from Aldril made Tauriel's heart race. A smile formed on her lips—it was the first time someone had defended her. She had been about to make a move against the man herself, but Aldril's interruption brought her great happiness.
The guards behind the man went on alert, but Aldril's mere gaze made them freeze. It was as if a dangerous beast was watching them, and their subconscious warned them that making any move would mean their deaths.
Bard saw this and smiled in satisfaction. He didn't like this man; he was a sycophant and extremely annoying. "What's wrong, Alfrid?" Bard asked mockingly, seeing how the man named Alfrid trembled in fear.
Alfrid, realizing he shouldn't mess with these people, cleared his throat. "Ahem, nothing's wrong. Excuse me if I made you uncomfortable, but… Aha," he interrupted himself as he noticed Bilbo, seizing an opportunity to cause trouble for Bard. He quickly pointed at Bilbo. "You've brought a dwarf with you, Bard. That's a serious offense, you know…"
"He's a hobbit, not a dwarf, idiot," Aldril snapped, clearly annoyed by this fool.
"Oh..."
---There is your food, eat and if you don't like it go to the elves.
15 chapters in advance in "p@treon.com/Mrnevercry"