We went straight to the Hunting Lodge in Bree and collected our earnings. They will come in handy. I don’t quite have enough to send back home again yet, but hopefully soon. After that we agreed we could head past the Town Hall Barracks where we have left our stuff whilst we were away… I needed some warmer clothes if we were to continue sleeping out at night, lest I’d have to cuddle the boys for warmth every night.
As we arrived at the Barracks there was post left for all of us. Seems we all got the same letter, from one Captain Renwalo who wished to see us at the Prancing Pony. He did not specify why, just said he could help us… I figured he’d have a job for us, and both Blake and Toby wanted to go (I suspect more for a hot meal and a drink than anything, hehe). We arrived at the Pony and looked around, when an elderly man waved us over, it was the Captain. He used to be in the Archet Town Guard before he retired, so Blake and Toby both easily fell into conversation with him… I decided I best get us some ale and food.
When I returned they were talking about Blake’s grandad who Captain Renwalo had known years ago. Though the Captain was no longer living in Archet and had retired, he had heard of the dreadful attack on our town and had gone to offer his help. Amongst other things, apparently, he had been told to keep a look out of us and help our mission to raise coin for rebuilding Archet. This is why he had sought us out… he wanted to help us and had a few ways in which he thought he could do that. He offered us accommodation! He has a small house in the village of Greyfeld south of Bree which he rarely uses, and he thought we might be able to use this a base of operations. Needless to say, that whilst perhaps I had been busier drinking than listening to the first part of the conversation my attention was now fully turned to the subject at hand. A house. For us. My own bed again. I could scarcely believe it, sounded a bit too good to be true, but Blake and Toby both seemed to trust the man, so I decided to keep my doubts to myself and follow the boys out to see this house. I hoped the ale hadn’t clouded our minds too much.
We met Captain Renwalo at the address he had provided. No ambush in sight, the village seemed quiet and peaceful. I must be getting paranoid, thinking the Captain was somehow out to get us. Instead he showed us the house, it was lovely. There were two small bedrooms, to the Captain suggested that I could have my own. I think my folks shall be happy to hear that, haha! It was sparsely furnished, but the Captain said he would help us get what we need.
I took the small bedroom for myself and let the boys have the larger room for their two beds. That night, I sat on my new bed with a roaring fire in the fireplace and wrote in my diary. Blake was out and about as usual, but Toby came in and he sat on the bed with me and we talked and laughed, and it felt like we were back in Archet and nothing had ever changed. But just for a second. Then I remembered that we have seen half the world together and now the other half awaits!
