The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 80 The Woodland's Whisper (Revised)

As the setting sun cast its golden rays, the woods seemed to be bathed in a golden glow.

In a clearing in the woods, Ino sat on the soft grass, with an accordion floating in mid-air behind her.

"My heart dwells on the sea, born to seek its home, ruddered by the wind, accompanied by the waves, its will undiminished, its will undiminished..."

As the accordion music played, Ino slowly closed her eyes, but her voice continued to sing softly:

"...to find a guide, to give direction to life, so that I am not swayed by the storm; even if hope and patience have abandoned me, as long as I see the direction, life will lead me there..."

This is a folk song from a foreign land, a song that touches the soul. This is the first time that Ino has sung it after adapting it.

After about fifteen minutes, the accordion played its last note and then slowly stopped.

Although the accordion stopped playing, Ino never opened her eyes.

Time passed by, second by second.

"Perhaps you are right. This time the dwarves were truly blessed. They escaped... Despite the tight defenses, they fled the dungeon along the river."

The familiar voice rang out again, and Ino opened her eyes. Thranduil, the Woodland Elf King, had appeared there at some point.

"The rest is up to you. Stay here if you want, go to Lonely Mountain if you want. We don't mind having another chapter in our story."

As if born with pride, Thranduil turned and left resolutely after finishing his words.

Watching the Elf King's retreating figure, Ino silently thanked him in her heart.

This is a win-win situation, and it also confirms the previous divination results.

In high spirits, he turned his head and looked at the elf girl beside him.

"Doris! My song is finished now, but there are still many interesting stories to hear. Would you like to hear them?"

……

The pages of the story are turned gently by my fingertips, and the words flow slowly before my eyes.

The bards, on the other hand, were responsible for leading the audience into one wondrous world after another.

And time flows silently through one story after another. It takes away people's weariness and leaves behind hearts full of joy and anticipation.

It's the twenty-third day since we arrived in the Woodland Kingdom.

Early in the morning, while still lying in bed, he heard Doris's slightly excited voice outside the room.

"Ino! Get up quickly! My brother sent word that the dwarves who came with you really killed Smaug the dragon. I heard that the humans from Lake-town also helped them."

"Get up! Wait a moment." Ino replied while waving her wand, causing the robe hanging on the hanger to float to her side.

After getting dressed, I opened the door and saw Doris with a look that seemed to be asking for praise.

The girl's delicate face was filled with her thoughts.

Seeing this, Ino chuckled, "Doris is really amazing; she can even find out news from so far away."

"Of course! My brother has been the sentry captain since he came of age, a full 150 years old!"

Looking at the proud-looking girl, Ino asked curiously, "That long ago? How old are you this year?"

This was a question he had wanted to ask Doris ever since he met her, but he hadn't had the right opportunity.

Now is the perfect time to satisfy my curiosity by taking advantage of this topic.

"I'm 49 years old, and I'll be an adult in a year," Doris blurted out without hesitation, as if she had been waiting to be asked the question.

However, as soon as Doris finished saying her age, she slumped down again.

"Based on the human solar year, I still have 20 years to grow up..."

An elf is 20 years old at one year old.

After some calculations, Ino was shocked to discover that the elven girl in front of him was actually over 980 years old.

As expected, time is meaningless to elves.

After satisfying his curiosity, he turned his thoughts to the dwarves.

According to Doris, it was clear that the story was nearing its end, with the slaying of Smaug the dragon signifying that the final Battle of the Five Armies was about to begin.

"Doris, I may have to leave."

Ino looked at the elven girl with some apology. After spending time with her, he knew that she was actually quite lonely, otherwise she wouldn't be so clingy.

Thanks to the elves' longevity, the vast woodland kingdom has so few friends of the same age that it's hard to find anyone.

"Are you leaving?" Doris was stunned for a moment, then her eyes quickly misted over.

"Will you come back? I still have so many things I haven't shared with you yet."

Parting always seems to bring a touch of sadness. Looking at the girl in front of him, Ino hesitated for a moment.

"Sorry! I don't know, but it's very likely I won't be coming back!"

In the end, he decided to tell the truth.

Although Gandalf had said something like a welcome, he knew very well that while Gandalf might be of a high rank, Middle-earth was far beyond the control of a single Maiar (a lesser god).

Not to mention Ilúvatar, the creator god at the top, Gandalf alone has a total of 15 Valar (chief gods) above him.

On the other side, as Ino finished speaking, the room fell into a brief silence.

a long time.

"Go! Go away! Never come back, and never play with me again. I won't share my hidden things with you anymore."

Doris stood up angrily and ran out of the room without a care.

Watching the girl's retreating figure, Ino opened her mouth, but ultimately remained silent.

But there's really nothing that can be done about this. Humans aren't plants or trees; his three years of travel have exposed him to far too many similar situations, but they usually end in parting.

There may be a brief moment of sadness, but after that, it will be forgotten. Sometimes, a passerby is just a passerby after all.

……

It's the thirty-third day since we arrived in the Woodland Kingdom.

Since that conversation ten days ago, Ino has not seen Doris again.

Seeing the groups of elves gathering, he couldn't care less about anything else now. He could only do what he could in the last moments.

Thinking of Legolas in the underground palace, he gave the elven prince all the White Essence he had in stock. After instructing him on how to use it, he mounted his broom and prepared to head to Lonely Mountain.

After this period of contact, he is no longer worried that Thranduil will act recklessly and foolishly against the dwarves as in the stories.

With no worries about the future, all he had to do was take advantage of the remaining time to hide on the city wall, kill a few orcs, and witness the famous Battle of the Five Armies in Middle-earth.

"Please wait a moment!"

Just as Ino sat on the broomstick, ready to take off, a strange voice came to his ear.

An adult male elven warrior.

"This is a gift from my sister! Although I don't approve of her doing this, as her brother, I can only try my best to fulfill all her requests."

A bracelet made of red maple leaves.

"Please thank Doris for me! Also, here's half a bottle of potion for you; sprinkle some on your wounds if you get hurt."

Ino took the bracelet and put it on her wrist.

Then, with a light push off the ground, he shot off like an arrow and appeared in mid-air in the blink of an eye.

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(End of this chapter)