We undertook quite a gruelling ride to the Foresaken Inn for the first leg of our journey to Rivendell. We really get along well, Cristran is so easy to talk to and is laid back and easy going. He's an officer in the Bree malitia he tells me. His folk are wealthy farmers and they have land. Any girl would know he is quite a catch! I have been giving myself stern 'talking to's' about glancing at him with goo-goo eyes, I wouldn't want him thinking I'm unprofessional.
We eventually arrived, tired and weary as were our horses, Kalana wasn't used to such long journeys and I could feel he was tired beneath me, I was glad he could now rest. The stable hand took them to the stables to settle and we made our way into the Inn. It was so dim inside, it took quite a while for my eyes to adjust to the dark, there was the aroma of cooking food, stale ale and dust combined. Crist was looking up at the ceiling, I looked up too and beheld a huge, gaping hole in the roof, a single shaft of light shone down in the evening sun, specks of dust clouding the light beam.
We ordered food, the option was 'mutton stew', we were hungry enough not to mind what was on offer, or not and asked if there were lodgings for the night. The Bar Keep was a stoic chap, not a smile nor a nod from him. He merely replied 'yes' and pointed to a door when we asked whether rooms were available. The lodgings are an altogether similar story, the room was musty, dusty and I could imagine riddled with bugs, I thought Kalana had cleaner lodgings in his stable but bit my tongue, lest I be overheard. Still, a pitcher of water and a bowl along with the food and two tankards of cider arrived in a timely manner and were delivered with the now expected strait-laced manner and priggish look.
Before we ate we used the water daubed onto rags to wipe the surfaces, such thick dust, it couldn't have been cleaned in years. I wondered how many lodgers they entertain here on a regular basis? The bedding was equally dusty and upon shaking filled the room with yet more dust. We were safe at least and fed and watered. We spent the evening discussing the next leg of the journey and the associated dangers en-route and then our much deserved rest. I fell asleep happy that my companion was such a seasoned traveller and a professional fighter, it is not a journey I would ever have contemplated alone.
