A pony made its way through the village of Brockenborings. The pony was far leaner and looked a lot stronger than the usual pony that might belong to a farmer or merchant. This appearance was enhanced by the heavy bridle that it wore; the saddle was packed with several bags and amongst them hilts of weapons of varying sizes could be seen. The rider was dressed in dark clothing and wore a large cloak with a hood that covered the riders face in shadow.
The rider was a Hobbit who went by the name of Druda Quickfoot; Quickfoot was not her family name, Druda’s family had perished during the eviction of Hobbits from Dwaling some years earlier and the name Quickfoot had been given to her during her first few weeks in the Shire. Druda had been seen as an outsider for most of her time in The Shire but had found work by joining the Bounders. This position had been found for her by a small group of philanthropic Hobbits who went by the name of The Grand Order of the Lost Mathom. For a while she had performed a variety of tasks for the Order, helping them to find various pieces of local artefacts of historical interest. These tasks sometimes involved trips beyond the Bounds and it was in places like Bree where she managed to make a little money and travel further performing similar jobs for other folk. Over the next five years Druda travelled to the far corners of Eriador. From the tribesmen of the Lossoth in the frozen north to the Elves of Mirkwood, Lothlorien and Rivendell she had and earned the respect and gratitude of all she had worked for. With time her missions became intertwined with the struggle against Mordor and Isenguard. Despite her missions beyond the Bounds Druda had always returned to The Shire. Her work for Council of Free Peoples against the enemy had remained a secret even from those within The Grand Order, who would never have guessed that the quiet Hobbit amongst them had stalked the very corridors of Angmar, Dol Guldur and Isenguard; many lieutenants of the enemy had found their doom at point of Druda's blades and she had to take great pains to keep her identity a secret.
She had continued to gather the occasional Mathom for them but with events beyond the Bounds the recovery of lost hats, books and other knick-knacks seemed an almost senseless vocation. The day to day activities within the Shire had little interest to Druda, she did not play an instrument of any kind and her culinary skills were non-existent so her role in the various parties that were held offered her little outlet to use her skills. It was with this in mind and the fact that her missions were taking her further and further away from home that she had come to the decision to move away. She had found lodgings in the village of Pickdean, on the outskirts of Bree.
Guiding the pony through the narrow lanes Druda made her way to the Brandywine Bridge, once there she hoped she could really see what this fine new steed was capable off.
