The Tarnished in LOTR with Elden Ring

The banquet ended with the Dwarves' snores echoing throughout the hall, with Dwarves, including Thrain and Dain, lying drunk on the floor like fallen warriors.

However, this time the floor wasn't cold. It was warmed by the Dwarf forges burning again within the Mountain.

Radahn and the Redmane Legion, invited to attend the feast, were stunned by these Dwarves sleeping on the ground. Only after Tarnes explained this was Dwarf custom did they stop worrying about whether to carry so many Dwarves back to their respective rooms to rest.

But with the Mountain's masters drunk like this, though servants continued providing food and drink to the Redmane soldiers, Radahn and his men couldn't very well remain in the palace. They bid farewell to Tarnes and returned to Dale to rest.

Regarding Dale and Lake-town matters, Radahn seemed to have things to discuss with Bard.

As for Millicent, she disliked appearing in such crowded situations, so she had greeted Tarnes even earlier than Radahn and returned to Dale.

Thorin, unlike his father, wasn't completely unconscious from drink. He swayed over to Tarnes and the others, burped, and said, "Come... come with me. It's time to fulfill the contract. I'll... I'll give you your deserved re-reward."

Having said this, he grabbed Tarnes' wrist with one hand and put his arm around Bilbo with the other, leading the two into the palace interior.

"Oh, uh?"

Bilbo looked helplessly at Gandalf, who smiled and followed behind the three.

Though drunk, Thorin's sense of direction wasn't affected. He soon led Tarnes and Bilbo to a newly cleared palace room.

This modest room was filled with gems of various sizes, shapes, and colors, plus finely forged weapons and sturdy armor. Gold coins were actually the least valuable items inside.

Thorin released Tarnes and Bilbo, clapped his cheeks hard to temporarily clear his brain from alcohol's numbing effects, but soon staggered and fell into a pile of glowing diamond jewelry.

Tarnes quickly helped Thorin up. "Careful!"

Thorin waved his hand to indicate he was fine, while his other hand pulled out a silver gauze mail shirt from among the jewels.

Tarnes immediately recognized the mail's extraordinary nature and instinctively asked, "What is this?"

Thorin showed a proud smile. "This is the Dwarves' proudest craftsmanship. Come, Bilbo, this is yours."

Bilbo blinked, glanced at Gandalf, then Tarnes, before hesitantly approaching. "Honestly, Thorin, I feel somewhat unworthy of compensation. After all, the contract said I'd help you steal that 'Arkenstone' thing, but I didn't complete that task."

But Thorin said, "Yet you helped me throw a stone hard at Azog's head. Take it. This shirt is made entirely of mithril, light as a feather, hard as dragon scales, and never losing its luster. Didn't you say at the feast you wondered how to prove to your descendants that you personally participated in everything at the Mountain battle? This mithril shirt is the best proof."

Then he turned sideways, showing Bilbo everything in the room. "Of course, besides this shirt, you can also take one thing you like. Whether weapons or jewelry, whatever you fancy, you can choose."

Bilbo was stunned, looked at the room's contents, and decisively shook his head. "I think what you've given me is precious enough. I don't need anything else."

Gandalf looked at Bilbo with a smile and added, "Naturally. Just this one mithril shirt alone could buy the entire Shire."

Bilbo's hand trembled in shock, nearly dropping the mithril shirt.

Though even if the shirt fell to the ground, what should be worried about was whether it would leave marks on the floor.

Seeing Bilbo say this, Thorin nodded readily without further insistence.

Then he looked at Tarnes. "As for you, Tarnes... honestly, I don't know how to repay you. The help you've given me far exceeds the compensation agreed in the contract and surpasses what a friend should be responsible for."

Then Thorin made a cold joke. "After all, not every friend has the ability to help win a war involving a dragon. But your wealth is also beyond my comprehension. You casually gift magical weapons like the Icerind Hatchet. I don't know what treasures I should offer to repay you."

Tarnes rarely scratched his head and said, "I helped you without expecting anything from you. You don't need to worry about these things, Thorin."

Before Thorin could speak, Gandalf said, "But I still suggest you ask Thorin for something. Though everyone present knows the friendship between you and Thorin, not everyone knows. If you leave without taking anything from Thorin and word spreads outside, it will affect uninformed people's opinion of Thorin. Especially now when the Mountain is being rebuilt, Thorin needs exactly such a good reputation."

Thorin burped again, pointed at Gandalf, and stared at Tarnes. "Right... right. This old wizard is sometimes very stubborn when he speaks but occasionally gives very sound advice."

Gandalf was so angered by Thorin's words that he bristled, thinking who exactly was stubborn when speaking.

Tarnes had to nod. "Alright then, let me see what interesting things are in this room."

Bilbo looked at Gandalf, who had been standing motionless, and asked Thorin, "Doesn't Gandalf get any compensation?"

Thorin was in high spirits and, hearing Bilbo's words, waved grandly. "Right, wizard, you get a share too!"

Gandalf was about to refuse, but a glance at a pile of jewelry made him change his mind. "Then I'll respectfully accept."

Under Bilbo's gaze, Gandalf went to a table full of diamond necklaces and bracelets, selecting a necklace obviously meant for women to wear. After examining it carefully, he satisfiedly tucked it into his robes.

Seeing Gandalf's action, Thorin teased, "Are you planning to give this to some beautiful lady?"

Gandalf coughed lightly and replied vaguely, "Perhaps."

Meanwhile, Tarnes selected from the weapon pile an oddly shaped but jewel-encrusted decorative sword, saying with satisfaction, "I've made my choice. This one."

Seeing the decorative sword in Tarnes' hand, Thorin was slightly stunned. "This sword is only decorative and can't be used in battle. Are you sure you want it?"

Tarnes put it away and said seriously to Thorin, "It's precisely because it's decorative that I chose it. This sword will be placed in the Golden Tree territory, letting everyone who enters know about the friendship between you and me."

Hearing Tarnes' words, Thorin's expression softened. "True, though you have many divine weapons, you don't have many such symbolic decorative items."

Then he yawned and said, "Looks like I'll soon join my father in dreamland. Let's end tonight's festivities here."

Tarnes also agreed. "Indeed, it's quite late. Tomorrow during the day, Radahn seems to need me present for some discussion with Bard, and Bilbo also plans to go home tomorrow daytime... so tomorrow will be when we part temporarily, Thorin."

Hearing this, Thorin sobered up somewhat and quickly said, "Then tomorrow morning I'll definitely bring Fili and Kili, plus the other expedition members, to see you and Bilbo off."

Tarnes nodded. "Agreed. Just come find us in Dale."

After the three left Thorin, Bilbo curiously asked Gandalf, "Gandalf, do you really have a woman you fancy? Planning to give her the jewelry you got from Thorin?"

Gandalf looked around, confirming only Tarnes and Bilbo were present besides them, before looking at Bilbo with annoyance. "Take back your chattering words. More accurately, this jewelry is being returned to a certain Elf."

Tarnes immediately understood. "The necklace that caused the falling out between Thranduil and the Mountain Dwarves?"

Gandalf gestured for Tarnes to speak quietly and lowered his voice. "Right, that's it. I never expected this necklace to be casually placed in that room. Taking advantage of Thorin's drunkenness tonight, I'll catch up with Thranduil overnight, hoping he hasn't taken his army too far."

Tarnes shrugged. "I actually think the Dwarves probably forgot about the necklace... but since you want to do this, I'll take Bilbo back to Dale tonight."

Gandalf nodded.

As for giving the necklace to Legolas to take to Thranduil, neither Tarnes nor Gandalf mentioned this option.

This father and son pair were currently in a quarreling state. Better to minimize their meetings.

Just as Gandalf was about to bid farewell to Tarnes, he remembered something and leaned close to whisper, "Also, I'll remind you once more about those two rings. Never let others know your friends obtained them from Nazgûl. I can't imagine what some greedy humans might do to you and your territory after learning this news, especially since you said you can purify the curses in the rings."

Tarnes' expression became serious as he solemnly told Gandalf, "I've taken it to heart. Tomorrow morning when Bernahl and Igon wake up, I'll notify them not to mention the rings to others either."

Seeing Tarnes' attitude, Gandalf felt relieved and hurriedly bid farewell to the two.

Bilbo looked curiously at the two whispering, and after Gandalf left, asked Tarnes, "What were you and Gandalf just talking about?"

Tarnes smiled. "Naturally, something where the fewer people who know, the better."

Then Tarnes remembered and asked, "Oh right, Bilbo, I remember you picked up a magic ring? You mentioned having Gandalf look at it before, but it was delayed due to the war. Gandalf hasn't gone far. Why not show him now?"

Bilbo sighed and rarely complained. "I'd like to, but when I thought of that ring, I didn't know where it had gone. It probably rolled out of my pocket when we were hiding from those Orcs looking for Azog in the Mountain."

Tarnes consoled, "It's fine, just a magic ring. I'll have my teacher Sellen make you a ring that can temporarily conceal your form."

Bilbo's eyes lit up. "Then I'll trouble you for that."

Tarnes nodded with a smile, whistled, and Torrent appeared from nowhere with a snort.

It fondly nuzzled Tarnes, then whinnied softly at Bilbo, greeting the hobbit who liked feeding it fruit.

Bilbo skillfully pulled out a banana he'd hidden from the feast table, peeled it, and fed it to Torrent.

After mounting Torrent and helping Bilbo up, Tarnes joked, "I sometimes suspect if Torrent weren't a spirit steed, you'd probably have fattened it up."

Bilbo stroked Torrent's mane and said, "Just some small fruits. Definitely won't make it fat."

Then he reached into his pocket, wanting to get a handkerchief to wipe his hands, but unexpectedly touched a cold ring.

Bilbo's expression remained normal as he continued his actions, asking Tarnes, "Speaking of which, I've never asked. What does Torrent usually eat?"

Tarnes' expression froze, somewhat embarrassedly saying, "This... I don't think I've specifically fed it anything usually. But in my homeland there's a plant called 'Rowa Fruit' that Torrent quite likes."

Bilbo blinked. "Never heard of that plant. Do you have seeds? I think I could plant some Rowa Fruit in front of Bag End's door, so when you ride Torrent to visit me in the future, it can have a good meal too."

Tarnes said, "As for seeds, I should have some. Let me look."

As he spoke, several pale red, round fruits resembling hawthorn appeared in his hand. He handed them to Bilbo, who put them in his other pocket.

Early the next morning, Bernahl and Igon, who had stayed overnight in the Mountain palace, returned, bringing someone who slightly surprised Tarnes.

Seeing the Elf prince following Bernahl, he called out his name. "Legolas, how did you come along? Where's Tauriel?"

Legolas politely replied, "Tauriel has already returned to the Woodland Realm. As for me... I'm very interested in the Golden Tree that Mr. Bernahl mentioned, and I hope you, as lord of the Golden Tree, would allow me to visit your territory."

Tarnes nodded readily. "You're welcome anytime. No need to be so formal. My territory isn't some strange forbidden land."