The Tarnished in LOTR with Elden Ring

Bard shrugged: "So, what are you looking for them for?"

Gandalf maintained that kindly expression: "That depends on you telling me what they're planning to do."

Bard raised an eyebrow. Why did this old man like speaking in riddles? Talking with him felt so exhausting.

He looked Gandalf up and down again and said: "I think those sentences the Dwarves used to describe you aren't entirely wrong... My daughters have been detained by the mayor. Tarnes and Thorin are here to rescue my daughters. If you want to ask why the mayor detained my daughters, the short version is that we disagreed on how to face that awakened dragon, so he doesn't like me."

Then Bard quietly added: "Though we've always found each other disagreeable anyway."

Gandalf's expression changed slightly, but he seemed mentally prepared for the news that the dragon had awakened.

Then Gandalf bid farewell to Bard: "The Dwarves will still help you rescue your daughters, but Tarnes, he has other matters to attend to."

When Bard heavily threw the disguised fishing net into the wooden box and looked up again, Gandalf was already walking toward Lake-town's abandoned docks, his gray robes sweeping across the frozen ground, leaving footprints of varying depth in the thin frost.

Meanwhile, Tarnes and Thorin's group had reached Lake-town's west gate entrance, waiting for the guards to check all procedures and certificates before entering Lake-town.

The iron railings of the gate checkpoint were covered with icicles, and two guards were using spears to poke at frozen raven corpses.

"Fruit, from the Golden Tree territory. And this honeyed wine, a specialty of the Woodland Realm." The scarred guard's spittle splattered on the forged parchment documents Thorin produced, greed flashing in his eyes: "You pay thirty percent tax on each box of goods."

Thorin raised an eyebrow: "Thirty percent tax?"

"Yes, thirty percent tax. I assume you've heard that Lake-town was previously attacked by the dragon from the Lonely Mountain, and now we're in a period of reconstruction. Our great and merciful mayor is constantly worried about those townspeople whose houses were destroyed, but unfortunately his finances are limited, so he can only increase tariffs." The scarred guard spoke eloquently, completely ignoring that his words had no logical coherence.

Thorin was silent for a moment. Though he had originally planned to feign dissatisfaction to make the guards think they were really a merchant caravan.

But the scarred guard's words still left Thorin speechless. He'd never seen such a blatant, shameless reason for confiscating goods.

Thorin shook his head: "Thirty percent tax is still too much. Even if we sell everything, we won't make much profit by the time we reach the Iron Hills. Forget it, we won't enter Lake-town."

"Is this a place you can come and go as you please? Leave all the goods here. I suspect you're smuggling things that violate Lake-town laws. Let us inspect them thoroughly."

Hearing this, the scarred guard sneered coldly. Just as he was about to order the surrounding guards to confiscate all of Thorin's goods, he saw a white-bearded Dwarf approach with a smile.

Balin came to Thorin's side with a kindly, gentle smile: "Wait a moment, brave guard, sir. Could you perhaps be flexible? We've come a long way, and it hasn't been easy."

As he spoke, a sapphire fell from his sleeve, quietly rolling into a puddle at the scarred guard's feet, refracting eerie blue light by the guard's boot.

The scarred guard's expression remained unchanged, but he skillfully hooked and stepped, pressing the sapphire under his boot while becoming enthusiastic toward Balin: "I suppose so. You've come all this way from the Blue Mountains. The journey must have been difficult."

Then he shouted to the recording guard: "All clear, open the gates and let them in!"

"Wait, perhaps we should have Master Alfrid take a look first."

Another guard raised his crossbow, his tone somewhat hesitant, but Balin had already stuffed another gem into the crack of his bracer.

Then this guard said nothing more and waved for someone to open the city gate.

As the iron gate creaked upward, some snow fell, drifting into the frozen sewage ditches like dead butterflies.

"Welcome to Lake-town. Hope you have a pleasant experience," the scarred guard called out performatively behind Thorin's group.

Thorin and the others followed the cold and damp roads to find an inn open to visitors, and the group settled in.

"It seems Lake-town's ruler doesn't trust us to stay here quietly. We're already being watched." Dwalin leaned by the second-floor guest room window, seeing several sneaky figures through the crack.

Tarnes said: "That's normal, as long as we ensure our conversations aren't overheard by interested parties. Bernahl and Millicent are already outside preventing any hard-of-hearing people from getting close."

Thorin also paced slowly to the window. At this moment, bells rang from the mayor's gilded watchtower. He pretended to be curious and pushed open the window, his Dwarf vision catching sight of a corpulent figure moving behind the colored glass windows of the mayor's house.

Then Thorin slammed the wooden window shut, causing accumulated snow to slide off the window frame.

He looked at the Dwarves in the room and instructed: "The mayor is awake, and surely someone has told him a Dwarf merchant caravan has arrived in Lake-town. Ori, Nori, Dori, along with Kili and Fili, five of you go to the market pretending to be merchants. The mayor's rats should smell the honey."

The named Dwarves exchanged understanding glances and agreed.

Tarnes also said: "In that case, we need to act like normal mercenaries. Bernahl and Igon playing drunks in the tavern downstairs would be perfect, while Millicent and I follow Kili's group to the market as cargo guards. This way we can gather intelligence while not arousing suspicion about our identities."

Hearing this, Kili played with the silver-plated soup spoon on the guest room table, tossing it in the air in a bright arc and catching it precisely before saying: "Then Teacher Tarnes, you should learn to act like us."

Then he deliberately raised his voice, imitating a mercenary's rough tone: "When we get to the market, anyone who dares stare at my wine barrels!"

Fili picked up the cue perfectly, pounding his chest and making the tin cups on the table clatter.

But before Tarnes could speak, Thorin's silent gaze made Fili and Kili immediately sit up straight and behave.

Thorin nodded: "Good, then it's settled."

Bilbo curiously raised his hand and volunteered: "What about me? What do I need to do?"

Thorin glanced at Bilbo and said flatly: "Don't worry, I haven't forgotten you. I was just about to tell you what you should do, and it's a very important task."

Bilbo instinctively shrank back and asked nervously: "What important task?"

"Of course, using your stealth talent to find where Bard's two daughters are imprisoned in Lake-town," Thorin said.

At this moment, a familiar voice came from outside the guest room: "After so many days apart, can Bilbo face difficulties alone now?"

Millicent pushed open the door, revealing Gandalf's figure outside.

Bernahl's voice also came clearly from outside the room: "Don't worry, he must have used some kind of magic. No one noticed Gandalf entering this inn."

The moment Tarnes saw Gandalf, he felt relieved, his first thought being that he finally didn't have to lead these stubborn Dwarves alone.

Thorin also showed an excited expression, stepping forward: "Oh, Gandalf! When did you catch up with us?"

Gandalf's expression was somewhat strange, as he remembered Bard's description of how the Dwarves portrayed him. Seeing Thorin's elated appearance, he didn't know what to say.

But he quickly put these thoughts aside and entered the guest room crowded with people, mainly Dwarves.

Tarnes' arm hesitated in midair, then firmly embraced the gray wizard's thin shoulders.

The burnt fragrance of burning pine and tobacco scent instantly filled his nostrils, reminding Tarnes of the day he parted with Gandalf months ago.

He smiled: "You finally decided to appear with your pipe?"

However, the laugh lines around Gandalf's eyes gradually faded as pipe smoke rose, sparks flickering in the tobacco, reflecting what seemed like dark red surging in his pupils.

Gandalf looked serious, facing Tarnes, then Thorin: "This is exactly why I urgently came to find you, Tarnes, Thorin. The situation we're facing now is far more dangerous than we imagined."

Tarnes also showed a serious expression: "Explain in detail."

Gandalf took a puff, his aged face hidden in the smoke: "In Dol Guldur, Lady Galadriel, Lord Elrond, Saruman, and I discovered that the Nazgûl that should have been buried deep have awakened. Though we didn't find Dol Guldur's true master, I can confirm it's definitely not some ordinary necromancer, so Smaug's awakening is no coincidence."

Then he glanced at Tarnes with some lingering fear: "If I hadn't called Lady Galadriel and the other three in advance and entered Dol Guldur directly, I would have been imprisoned there unknown to anyone, until death or corruption. Because I can confirm Dol Guldur's master is exactly who I suspected."

This was the first time Tarnes heard the name "Nazgûl," and he frowned: "What creatures are these Nazgûl?"

Gandalf explained simply: "They're also called Ringwraiths, a group of human kings corrupted by power and authority, now serving the Dark Lord's commands."

Tarnes nodded, indicating he understood.

But Thorin said: "How does this concern us?"

Gandalf glared at Thorin: "Of course it concerns you! Not to mention that the four of us discovered they're secretly forging standardized weapons and armor for Orcs in Dol Guldur. You're facing not just an awakened dragon, but an entire Orc army ready for battle. We also found someone crucial to you in that abandoned fortress. Your father, Thrain! It was because of him that we learned who Dol Guldur's true master is."

Thorin's eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape. After brief shock, he became excited: "You found my father? Where is he now? Is he injured?"

Gandalf soothed: "Don't get excited, Thorin. Your father is very safe now. Though he was somewhat injured, he's completely healed."

He glanced at Tarnes and chuckled: "Thanks to Tarnes."

Tarnes looked bewildered: "Huh? Me?"

Gandalf's holly pipe rotated slowly in his fingers, rising smoke outlining memory's contours: "When we found Thrain, his pulse was weaker than spider silk in wind. His condition was terrible. Though Lady Galadriel's incantations barely protected his heart, they couldn't stop his life from ebbing away, like trying to catch a waterfall with a spider web. So we decided that Lady Galadriel and the others would pursue Dol Guldur's true master's whereabouts, while I summoned Great Eagles to help, bringing Thrain to your Golden Tree territory for aid. Lady Nepheli Loux received us and provided treatment for Thrain. By the next day, Thrain could drink an entire pot of mutton soup."

So that's how it was.

Tarnes nodded.

When Thorin heard his father was receiving treatment in the Golden Tree territory, his originally anxious mood instantly calmed.

Because he had complete confidence in Tarnes and everything related to him, as if anything connected to him would solve all problems.

Thorin relaxed, raising his palm to lightly pat Tarnes' back, his rough laughter startling the cold crows perched outside the window: "What I owe you is beyond counting."

"Don't keep thinking about owing this and that between friends. You help me, and I help you. That's normal. Can't keep calculating, otherwise life becomes too exhausting," Tarnes smiled.

But his joke was interrupted by Gandalf's suddenly grave expression. The gray wizard rubbed the new crack on his pipe, sighing: "Unfortunately, that Dwarf ring, one of the Seven... was taken by Dol Guldur's shadow."

Thorin took a deep breath, then said seriously to Gandalf: "As long as Father can still drink mead while cursing my recklessness and still swing his war-axe while teaching Fili and Kili martial arts, that's worth more than all the mithril and gems in Middle-earth."

Tarnes asked: "So what are you looking for me for?"

Gandalf replied: "For the coming war, I beseech you to assemble an army capable of resisting enemy attacks."

Tarnes felt puzzled and shook his head in refusal: "Setting aside why I should suddenly assemble an army. Even if I agreed, the Golden Tree territory is far away in Minhiriath. It would take at least half a year for them to get here. Even if I sent word to my territory now, by the time the army crossed the Misty Mountains and arrived here, Smaug's dragon flame would have long since burned Lake-town to ashes. I think you should seek help from Thranduil of the Woodland Realm instead. Distant water can't quench immediate thirst."

Gandalf explained helplessly: "I've already asked Thranduil for help, but he doesn't agree. Those spiders in Mirkwood have consumed too much of his people's energy and time. Recently I've also separately visited Gondor and Rohan for aid, but they all refused to send troops without exception. The only ones likely to send troops and reach the Lonely Mountain area fastest are the Dwarves of the Iron Hills."

Thorin voiced his confusion: "Dain? Why would he send troops? I haven't obtained the Arkenstone yet."

Gandalf looked at Thorin: "Because your father, Thrain, in the name of the king, wrote letters to the seven Dwarf kingdoms and the Iron Hills Dwarves, detailing the urgent situation at the Lonely Mountain. Though Dain hasn't sworn loyalty to you, he has sworn to Thrain. Plus, given Dain's close relationship with you father and son, the probability of him sending troops is high. As for the seven Dwarf kingdoms, I'm unclear whether these Dwarf lords still serve him loyally after Thrain's disappearance for so many years."