Dear Diary,
It has been almost a week since I last had a chance to speak with you. I've got so much to tell.
I sold my home and furnature to a lovely couple of Hobbits who got married last year and had recently moved to Michel Delving from Stock.
I sold it to them for 2 gold coins. I know it was worth at least twice that but they were so lovely and I wanted a quick sale.
They are such a lovely couple, their families don't approve of their marriage and so they have run away together.
I told them to speak with Gammer, she'll be able to talk to both families and maybe she can get them to at least be friendly to each other in public.
Can you believe they were living at the Bird and Baby. I shall have words with the Mayor about the lack of affordable housing.
The gold coins didn't go very far once I started to buy provisions for the journey. I realised I had no idea how far or how long I would be travelling for.
I bought a beautiful chestnut coloured mare pony from the horse dealer at Michel Delving.
That pony, she just looked at me as soon as I aproched approached the roped off horse field. She trotted over the field and walked alongside me to the gruff looking Lankyshanks.
I'm afraid to say I didn't haggle too much over the price, but the pony did. Everytime the dealer gave a price that was too high she would whinny and shove the dealer with her head.
It was all I could do to not laugh. I finally shook hands with the dealer and paid the agreed price. 220 Silver coins and she was mine.
I have decided to call her Harmony, it seems to be just right.
I bought food enough for a three days and Harmony helped me carry it back to the farm. I hid my provisions in the barn so the farmhands wouldn't see them. Carlyon had said to tell noone.
I bumbled around the farm for the whole of the next day. I have told Trumble I'm visiting the Elves in Rivendell to find out about the different problems with crops and cures for tater blight.
It's a good enough story, after all I have been seen chatting with Elves on many occasions. Carlyon was keen to teach me the Elf language. I can speak, read and right write it fairly well now. I would chat with the Elves as much as I could using their language just so I could have practice. I think some of them must have thought I was strange, some would treat me as a small child, but there were some that would correct they way I said words and I would repeat it until I got it right.
I met with Carlyon at the Brandywine Bridge that evening as the Sun dropped behind the hills.
He wasn't dressed in his usual bright coloured clothing. He ws dressed in the most wonderful grean green travelling robes. They are the colour of the forest.
We travelled together in silence until we reached Bree town. We didn't enter the town itself, but someone came out through the gate to meet us.
It was Throngol. My own dear brother, I hadn't seen him for months. Working at the Blacksmiths is doing him the world of good. His chest is bigger than his belly and his arms are so thick, like tree trunks.
He gave me a huge hug and handed me a bag. He then gave me a concerned look and said "Look after yourself Sis"
I didn't look in it at the time but later found it contained a small iron cooking stove and charcoal and a note. {---Note attached to page---}
deer Boots
this is a stove like the hunters use to hide in the woods when they are hunting someone elses animals it is called powching and they use the stove to keep warm the charcoal donst give a flame or smoke and i add a cookpot to it so it can be used to cook and one of carlions firends teld me yu wood be coming to bree and teld me yu wood be gone away for a long time and cud be in danjerus playses
yu take care of yurself and think of me wen yu use the stove
wit luv throngol
I think Throngol's writing is coming along nicely, if only he would write more often.
I got back on my pony and Carlyon walked alongside as we set off on the road towards here.
It was to be the last time we used a road, since then we have been travelling by night and sleeping during the day in caves or the scant woodland in the Loneands.
I am sat in a shallow cave on the side of Weathertop, Carlyon says we are waiting for an escort to our next destination.
The weather is colder than the Shire. A murderous wind that can find any gap in my clothes and burn skin with its touch. I am so glad Throngol gave me the stove, it has warmed my body very well.
Now we wait for nightfall and our escort.
