Brandywine

Author’s Note: This piece was shaped with a little help from AI. It provided assistance on things like the structuring, some names, shortening some verbose language/ideas as I'd written, and gave me the odd turn of phrase here and there.

Dogward's feet came to a stop before a low stone fence. Not far past that barrier was the town of Scary, and he could see towering past that was the sheer face of the hill the local hobbits mined as a quarry. The top of that hill was sparsely covered with grass and trees. It was also one of Dogward's favorite places in all of The Shire.

Shire life was good, Everardo was comfortable and well fed. Folk were friendly on the banks of the Brandywine in the Marish and Buckland to. The ferry was a centre of activity, people produce and of course gossip.

Not many big things ever happened but there were plenty of little things to chatter about and maybe that was it.  He’d decided to volunteer as a Bounder to expand his horizons... to find another subject to talk about, something really interesting ideally!

~ Crumpled up note lying on the side of the road ~

I've got one hell of a headache, my body's sore and it feels if a goblin just shat in my mouth. 

That was the last time I get so blastedly plastered... 

The Brandywine
So very fine
It sparkles blue
In bright Sunshine

What does it hide
On the far side
Have heroes crossed?
Have many tried?

With pack in hand
And feeling grand
Just cross the bridge
Depart these lands

The road lies true
Ahead of you
The Brandywine
Now lost from view

Far out the bounds
Just walk around
And marvel at
The sights and sounds

Part 1

The winter came, with frosted bite
And thick the falling snow
Around the land all turned to white
So cold the wind did blow
Hobbits froze in the cold sunshine
Wolves howled beyond the Brandywine

The coldest day that darkest year
The Brandywine did freeze
From Brandywood, the wolves appeared
From under frosted trees
At the river the wolves did bay
In howling packs they crossed this way