Mum always said that without risk you can't achieve anything. I have been thinking for a long time that my best option was to stay in Bree and try to make a living there, but at least once I want to try the plan to sell my products in other lands.
More than a month ago news came that there will be a market in Thorin's Hall. I know that dwarves often gather to trade their goods, but until now I have not dared to think of travelling there. And so I started to pack my rucksack.
It had to be a bit heavy, because I wanted to have bottles and ingredients ready to prepare some dishes there and sell them hot. In the end my backpack was so heavy that my pace was very slow, almost like that of an old lady. Knowing that, I left Bree at night, when everyone was asleep, because I didn't want to be late and it was important to make the most of the time. The worst thing that could happen to me was to go all the way and arrive when the market was already closed. ....
The road from Bree to the Shire is usually quite quiet, but lately it has been full of bandits and dangerous animals. So I was very careful not to stray from the path, and stopped for a while at Adso's camp to rest my feet. It had been a few hours since I left Bree and I needed a break to have some breakfast, otherwise I was going to faint.
Adso was very kind to me. He gave me a place at his fire, bought me a couple of bottles of ale and told me about his plans to open a tavern where his camp is located. I promised him that if he ever finished the construction, I would work with him, but he was a bit pessimistic. Bandits seem to be disrupting his work a lot.... poor guy, I wish I could help him, but I can barely hold a sword, fighting bandits would be madness.
As the sun began to rise I continued on my way. Luckily, I didn't come across anything dangerous on my route and I would have hated to have to run away. With the weight of my rucksack I don't know if I would have made it...
To make matters worse, it started raining just as I was arriving in Buckland. I had to pick up the pace, but I still got terribly soaked. I didn't want to die of an autumn cold, so I asked the kind hobbits to leave me a fire to dry off by. One called Myrtle Brandybuck lent me a hand and even left me a blanket to keep me warm. We chatted a bit and shared recipes, and he was very happy that I was curious about his cooking secrets. I promised him I wouldn't share them with anyone else, though, as he prefers to give them only to those he thinks are nice.
The rain stopped, but it was already lunchtime and I decided to return Myrtle's favour by preparing a nice lunch for him. I did a bit of fishing on the banks of Buckland, accompanied by a friendly hobbit whose name I can't remember, until I managed to land a couple of decent catfish. I cooked them over a wood fire with a bit of lemon and spices and they were very tasty. Myrtle prepared some potatoes and tomatoes on the side and we enjoyed a couple of hours of rest with full stomachs.
But it was time to be on my way and after saying goodbye, I crossed the Brandiwine Bridge.
I had never been to the Shire before, but it looked very pretty, greener even than the fields of Bree. It was warm despite the weather and it was quite a pleasant walk. Although I had been walking for many hours, they passed quite quickly, but when I saw that it was getting dark I stopped at an inn.
They were a bit surprised to see me, but I guess I must not be their first visitor from another land because they had a bed my size. Sort of, because I was a few inches short of being able to stretch out, but it was comfortable and the inn's dinner was excellent.
Nevertheless, I did not stop for a full night's rest and was out again before the sun came up. The innkeeper didn't want to charge me for the whole stay but I insisted on it, because I'm interested in staying there more often and who knows if I might sell some of my products in the future. So I'd better make friends with her!
I got a bit scared when I was getting to the end of the Shire, because I had to cross a rather scary swamp. You could hear frogs and toads and the water seemed very murky... but despite the bad atmosphere, I crossed without any problems and luckily I didn't have to get my feet wet because the bridge was in good condition.
It was time for breakfast, so I stopped for a bite to eat at an inn just over the border. There were two dwarf merchants there and I invited them for a beer, which they gratefully accepted. As I ate my breakfast, they gave me many hints and tips to make my journey more comfortable, as well as faster. I think that thanks to their shortcut, I will arrive just in time for the market.
My last stop before starting to write in the diary was in Duillond. I have never been in any building built by elves before and it is .... strange.
It's very pretty, in fact I think it's beautiful, but it's almost like something out of a dream, unreal. It makes me feel a bit uncomfortable, almost as if I could dirty it with my muddy hands. I feel very out of place here, but I must admit that the views are spectacular.
I will be on my way again soon, as there is hardly any time left for the market and there are several days of travelling. Thanks to the advice of the dwarves I will look for one of the wagons going north and ask to get on one of them. That will save me a few miles and make me go faster.
I can't wait to get there!
