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Bard's barge is stopped at a dock just outside the city; Bard hops off and speaks to a man. Meanwhile, the dwarves and Bilbo are hidden in the barrels on the barge. "Shh, what's he doing?" Dwalin whispered. Bilbo peers through a hole in his barrel. "He's talking to someone." He says and sees Bard point back at his barrels while talking to the man. "And he's...pointing right at us!" Thorin looks anxious. Bard shakes the man's hands. "Now they're shaking hands," Bilbo informs.
"What?" Thorin hiss. "That villain! He's selling us out." Dwalin exclaims. All the dwarves in their barrels listen anxiously; suddenly, dead fish are poured into the barrels. The dwarves stumble in surprise. Bard poles his barge toward the city's gate; on deck are the 14 barrels all full of fish, with a dwarf or hobbit inside as well. "Oh god." The dwarves complain, resulting in Bard kicking the barrel closest to him. "Quiet! We're approaching the toll gate." He says. "Halt! Goods inspection. Papers, please. Oh, it's you, Bard." The gatekeeper says and smiles at bard.
Bard brings his boat to the gatekeeper's office, and the concierge steps out to see him. "Morning, Percy." Bard greet. The man by the name of Percy greets him back. "Anything to declare?" Bard shakes his head. "Nothing, but that I am cold and tired and ready for home." Bard hands the gatekeeper some papers. "You and me both." The gatekeeper says. As the concierge takes the forms and goes into his office to stamp them, Bard looks around warily.
"Here we are. All in order." The gatekeeper holds out Bard's papers, but a man, Alfrid, suddenly steps out of the shadows and grabs the pieces. "Not so fast." He says. Alfrid reads Bard's papers then looks at his load. "Consignment of empty barrels from the Woodland Realm. Only, they're not empty, are they, Bard?" He says and tosses Bard's papers to the wind and approaches him, with some of Laketown's soldiers behind him.
"If I recall correctly, you're licensed as a bargeman, not a fisherman." As Alfrid says this, he picks up one fish from a barrel and holds it up to Bard. He doesn't see Bombur's eyes looking up from the gap where the fish had been. "That's none of your business." Bard sneers. "Wrong. It's the Master's business, which makes it my business." Alfrid says cockily. "Oh, come on, Alfrid, have a heart. People need to eat!" Bard says. "These fish are illegal," Alfrid says. Alfrid throws the fish he was holding into the water then commands the soldiers.
"Empty the barrels over the side." The soldiers, led by their captain, Braga, move to comply. "You heard him. Into the canal. Come on, get a move on." The soldiers begin tipping the barrels over and letting the fish fall into the canal. "Folk in this town are struggling. Times are hard. Food is scarce." Bard says, trying to convince the little man. "That's not my problem," Alfrid says and turns to bard. "And when the people hear the Master is dumping fish back in the lake when the rioting starts, will it be your problem then?" Bard says.
Bard and Alfrid stare at each other intensely for a few seconds, then finally, Alfrid raises his hand to the soldiers. "Stop." The soldiers stop tipping the barrels over and return to the buildings. "Ever the people's champion, eh, Bard? Protector of the common folk? You might have their favor now, bargeman, but it won't last. Alfrid says and walks away. "Raise the gate!" A large portcullis blocking the channel is raised, and Bard begins to pole his barge through. As he passes, Alfrid turns around and shouts to him. "The Master has his eye on you; you'd do well to remember. We know where you live." Bard answers back.
