The Wizard and The Prince

22

Veryan only awoke when he was spoken to. His eyes blinked open as he tried to adjust to the cloudy sky. He grunted and lifted himself to sit.

"Can you stand?" The man asked from his position. 

Veryan nodded and looked around, not spotting the Dwarves he traveled with anymore. "Where are they? The Dwarves?"

The man gestured twords the barrels, now filled with fish. Veryan snorted as he staggered to his feat, clutching the side of the boat. "What's your name?" the Heterochromia male asked.

"Bard. And you?" "Veryan" the two quickly exchanged as they neared the entrance of Lake Town.

"All they know is that your an old man I picked up along the way" Bard told Veryan just as he heard "Halt! Goods inspection"

Veryan hunched over, making sure his head hung low. Bard's jacket still over him, giving his a more blocky frame. Moments later out came a man, holding a lantern "Papers, please!"

"Oh, it's you, Bard" The man announced happily as Bard swam in.

"Morning, Percy" Bard greeted the older man just as happy.

"Anything to declare?" "Nothing, but that I am cold and tired and ready for home" Bard answered as he handed in his papers. 

"You and me both" Percy agreed as he threw a quick glance at the hunched over figure before going in and stamping an approval on his papers.

"There you go. All in order". Percy was about to hand in the papers when from besides him came a man. Unibrow across his forehead, scruffy beard and a black attire. 

"Not so fast" he spoke as he snatched the papers away. He looked down at the papers and read aloud "Consignment of empty barrels from the Woodland Realm"

He walked closer and pointed to the very full barrels "Only, they're not empty are they, Bard? If i recall correctly you're licensed as a bargeman. Not a fisherman"

Veryan backed away even more, trying to be as much out of sight as possible. Bard shook his head "That's none of your business"

The man smiled, the smile never reaching his eyes "Wrong. It's the Masters business, which makes it my business"

Bard sighed. Veryan could see the younger man loosing some of his patience "Oh, come on, Alfrid, have a heart. People need to eat"

All Alfrid did was shake the fish he held in his hand "These fish are illegal. Empty the barrels over the side" he ordered the guards that stood on the side.

The Heterochromia male gulped as he saw the first barrel being tipped over, fish beginning to drop over the edge of the boat. Bard turned to Alfrid "Folk in the town are struggling. Times are hard. Food is scarce. And when the people hear the Master is dumping fish back in the lake, when the rioting starts, will it be your problem then?"

Alfrid looked between Bard and the fish, when he raised a hand "Stop" he called to the guards. They positioned the barrels back in place as Alfrid glared at Bard "Ever the people's champion eh, Bard? Protector of the common folk. You might have their favor now, bargeman, but it wont last"

Bard let out a sigh when Alfrid moved to walk away, when the other's eyes fell on Veryan's hunched form. "Who is that?" he questioned Bard as he glared upon the 'old' man.

"Just an older folk i picked up along the way" he answered as Alfrid moved in closer to Veryan. Though the Heterochromia male wasn't afraid.

"Say, what's your name, old man?" Alfrid questioned him as he leaned closer, filling Veryan's nose with the smell of fish coming from the other's mouth.