I had been in The Shire for a few days when I saw the first of the big folk. Mostly I spent my time helping out the Postmasters, delivering rounds for them and travelling through the villages.
Perhaps that isn't strictly true as there was also much ale drinking, pie eating and pipeweed smoking amongst other merrymaking!
I found myself falling in love with this place, it's peaceful hobbit folks. I travelled across the whole Shire! Through all of the towns, Waymeet, Hobbiton, Tuckborough, Overhill, Brockenborings, Scary, Stock, Frogmorton, Budgeford, Woodhall and even to the outer reaches of Needlehole which can only be accessed through the Rushock Bog full of slugs and toads! Along the way I met many different hobbits who showed me around and I helped with their daily tasks to earn my board and a daily pie allowance.
I thought much of my home before in the Stoors, Maur Tulhau but it is still too near to write of this place. I will write of it soon when I think of it without my eyes filling with tears.
The green hills rolled gently onwards and I woke each day with rays of golden sunshine penetrating my window hole, the sound of birds chirping away in morning song, a Hobbiton breakfast omelette ready to munch on as I prepare for the days tasks.
It was on a day such as this I found myself back in Michel Delving in the Bird and Baby Inn, a couple of new hobbit friends of mine and my dear friend Banras all dancing to a delightful piece of song when the door opened and I gasped... it was one of the big folks. Nobody else seemed at all to notice so I asked Banras.. "It's a big folk, are they comon here?" and he replied smiling at me "Well since things have gotten awful bad with brigands and goblins it is becoming more common to see Men and even elves sometimes..." I took a deep breath, this is a sign of the troubles coming.
He was a man from Bree he said, not too far. He had been called to the Shire to assess the safety and was going to visit the ranger Halros the next day. I had met ranger Halros when I was in Scary, he minded me so of out ranger Idhrenfair from the Stoors, a great and mysterious band of men, the rangers. As brave and loyal as they get. The Man of Bree sat whilst we listened to the music and sipped his ale, not saying much. Sitting down he was the same height as we hobbits dancing! After much jollying around and perhaps a tad much pipeweed we all retired to our soft beds for some dreaming and rest. The man stayed there... if he stayed all night I do not know but he was gone at dawn.
I didn't think much more on the man I had met until a couple of days later. I was walking along to Stock... I saw a man on a small bridge not far from Old Odo's Leaf Farm. He looked similar to the man from Bree, although I saw his clothes were tattered and he looked somewhat ill and underfed. I felt sorry for this man and I thought to offer him some of my food for the journey and some water. As I approached him I could see the details on his face, his eyes were of a dark grey, a hardened look in them, his beard rugged and untidy but streaked blonde with grey, a few scars running across his face which was tanned from years of working outside.
I called to him and he turned and looked at me. "Hello.. sir... would you like to share my food and water? It is more than enough for one hobbit..." My voice trailed off as I saw him pull out a dagger and start running towards me.
I froze for a moment, not understanding what was happening... It clicked in my mind, he was one of the brigands! Not one of the good folk. Hesitating only a moment, I quickly drew an arrow in my bow and let loose... my aim was spot on despite my unsteady hands and the man crumpled into a heap on the floor blood oozing from a wound in his torso. He looked at me, with suffering in his eyes and sweat on his forehead. He still held his dagger although weakly. I put another arrow in him to end this pain and made haste not daring to look behind me in case more brigands came. I found a clump of bushes and sat in them shaking for a minute. Once calm I carried about my business to Stock but I did not take the main pathways as before but rather cut across country for fear of enemies lurking.
The next week passed and although the episode with the brigand had passed I knew I could no longer rest in the Shire, ignoring the bigger problems that lay in the world of Men and Elves... troubles much further afield.
It was with much sadness I ended my happy time in the Shire... with a pack full of food, water, pipeweed, my fishing rod and plenty of arrows I set off towards Buckland, at the edge of Breeland, where I would speak to the locals there for directions so I could travel to the town of Bree and find out what is happening.
