The 27th of May
Twice this week have my hats been derided and stolen and ruined! First was the incident with that girl who called herself Mae, one of those lively sorts of Bree-town women fond of drink and the wearing of trousers. She was most amiable company (and entertaining) until she took offense at such an insignificant thing as being called ‘common’! (Which, from the look of her, I do believe she most certainly was. Would you ever see a Tenderlarch woman put on such masculine garb? But I digress.) I do not see why folk take such offense at statements of the plain truth, but she made me apologize for the matter. And to her defense (as usual) came two other women, a big vagabondish woman from the North whose name I cannot recall and a woman whom I have perhaps now befriended called Liffey. Also in our company was a man by the name of Thadirin, an ugly fellow who tried to cease the quarrel between the big woman and me.
We fortunately did not come to blows, for I still am loath to fight a woman—as I would not have it be widely said that a Hazelwood put his blade to a woman and have rumours spread about me being some blackguard, forgetting that the woman in question is more like an Appledore than a Coppersmith in build and in character. However! For this mercy in light of her sex, the big woman called me a ‘puny man’ and a ‘flower’! How utterly ridiculous! It is not my fault that the men of the North know nothing of honour and how to treat a lady with respect. Were she a man as she is a woman, I would surely fight her. But alas! I will bear the small-minded mockery of an Outsider for the sake of my honour.
Mae, however, was not so easy to tame! The woman did not know her place and poured her drink over me, ruining a dear hat and my clothes! I think she was content with that, and I hope she was, lest I have yet another hat ruined in the near future. I realized after the action that perhaps I had hurt her (Albeit only with the truth!), but she left before I could make amends.
Worse, just the other day a new hat was ruined yet again! I made the acquaintance of Mr. Fenley Plumwood, a well-spoken man (and clearly lettered, though he seems fond of labour) and the proprietor of the Inn of the Peaceful Peach (an inn of some reputation, though I have never visited it). But what do you know! He thought little of my hat and Liffey, the same woman from before, was telling him of my ‘rude’ behavior on our last meeting prior to the incident with Mae. I could not suffer these intolerable attitudes—I challenged him to duel! But alas, he knew little of swordplay and I confess that he won much applause with his quick wit, making first some labourer’s joke about a duel in chopping wood and then the claim that he won for I refused to duel without swords. Still incensed, I shouted at him to fight me, only to be met with the same Liffey! She soaked my hat in drink and dragged me out to the fountain before the Inn (for I will not have it said that I struck a lady) but there I wrestled with her, nearly tipping her in till (because I was distracted by the words of Plumwood!) she shoved me into the water.
Afterwards, however, Plumwood offered his hand when I climbed back out of the fountain, and I bought the two strangers suppers and drinks, knowing that I was (albeit most unconventionally!) bested. I ate with them awhile and conversed with them, also meeting a traveller(?) by the name of Caein—a friend of Liffey’s, from the way they spoke to each other. I did not stay long, however, desiring to get out of my wet clothes before I got a chill. I did, however, hear Liffey speak of a comely cousin of hers called Thistle whom Plumwood readily praised—Her alleged beauty, however, I will have to see for myself; I will praise only that which I can see with my own eyes.
I will be reluctant to call them friends—for I do not know if some new quarrel will yet come between us—but I will say that I have enjoyed the company of most I met in the Prancing Pony this past week—they do not seem quite as bad as I had thought.
