*The text is written poorly with many spelling errors. The parchment is stained with a small spray of red dots *
Dear journal
Mother always said that if you have many bad news then try and talk about something nice before.
I was going to tell you about the Forge-Pies. With no kitchen to speak of and no oven me and Lowan tried a different way of cooking by using his forge as a heat source. It might sound strange but it works. While he tends the flames I take care of the pot or whatever I am using, like the pie-dish.
I can't wait until winter is gone and I can make other fillings for the pies. The meat pies are good but I miss being able to make the sweeter ones. I still do have some strawberries in storage but after sitting in sugar so long I think they'd make a better jam than a pie filling, could be too sweet for some.
The Forge-Pies are still selling well. People like them or maybe they just like the name? Or the method of how they are made. It at least brings in some money for us though ever since that night with Rue I have had to ask my mother to sell the pies on my behalf and she always takes a good sum of the money earned.
I am still sick and I only seem to be getting worse. The other day I saw blood in my hand but I haven't again. I think that my throat just tore a little after a nasty cough I had. Getting some tea from mister Butterbur has not helped much but he always has the best honey in town to put into the hot water. I should ask where he gets his honey from.
News only get worse from there.
Pirates! Can you believe anything as silly as that? Hearing that there are pirates in Bree Town? I've heard stories of them. Some brigands that sail the seas and rob other ships but where are they going to do so here? I honestly thought that it was some weird attempt on a joke until mister Adalbart came over and asked about them. I still think this is just some madness that has gripped simpletons, there are still plenty of town fools running around lately. These have just put a silly name on their group.
Like my grandfather once said to me; When fools gather you can be sure there will be something stupid.
At least he always said that about the neighbor sons, always such troublemakers. This doesn't seem to be so different.
When I was speaking to mister Adalbart I told him about the awful brigands I saw and the threat that was made against Lowan. Just after I spoke of them guess who steps down the stairs? That red thief! I was quick to point him out to mister Adalbart but of course he ran like a stung pig and vanished into the night. I hope that he will stay in the hills because now Adalbart knows him and if he comes back he'll be sent to the stocks where he belongs.
Guilty men always run.
At least the night wasn't all terrible. I met a very nice woman called miss Xanderian *there are many crossed out attempts of writing the strange name* She was a bit strange when I first saw her, asked if I was a pirate. How silly is that? But we soon got to talking and for the most part I wasn't really sure what she was talking about but I tried to keep up, these southron dialects sometimes confuse me and she started to talk about some men wanting to get hurt? I think. That sounded very silly as well because who wants to get hurt? She and her company were a bit odd but later I learned that she is looking for her brother. She was with me when Adalbart came over and she saw that thief too. Hopefully she'll keep an eye out for that criminal and help put him away.
Before I had to go home I realized I hadn't even given her my name but it was brought up that some who know me call me Amy or Briel. This woman mashed the two names together! It was close enough. I will have to tell her my name proper next time I meet her even if it will feel very silly to do.
She told me she had some bad dream about something happening to her brother or at least that's what I think she said and I convinced her that it was just a dream. We all have bad dreams after all.
I've actually been having a lot of bad dreams lately and there is always some kind of music in it. I'm still trying to figure out what it is. It's not a lute or a harp, the tune is much softer and still haunting. It almost sounds as if the instrument is crying.
I managed to buy a small ginger root and garlic head from the healer like some stranger recommended and the healers as well but it doesn't seem to be helping. If anything I feel like it has made my illness worse.
Lowan is getting very worried but at least he hasn't caught what I have. Maybe it's one of those things that doesn't spread? That would be good. I don't want him sick too.
I'm going to continue to try and
*The writing is cut off and the ink is smudged out with some large stain of red blending into it, looking like the writer had tried to wipe some liquid off the parchment*
