Beoda

I been making myself feel all right about the fact that I can't go back and live in the Mark no more, by thinking of how I'm in a life I chose, and a life where everything goes right on account it's what I chose. It's like I'm the hero of a minstrel's tale; once I chose it, it's like it's fate, so everything got to keep going right with it. But this ain't no minstrel's tale, and I ain't no hero, and things go wrong, very wrong. Sometimes when something's too good to be true, it's too good to be true.

I've lost count of the months, but it was about half a year ago, late summer or early autumn, when I were first in Bree and starting to think about the trip back to the Mark, and now, at last, we're taking the first steps. Today will be an easy start to the journey, as me and Miss Adri only mean to make the camp-site below Weathertop, by the spring, same as last time.

It's near on two weeks since I thunk as we were about to start on our journey, and I'd made arrangements for Miss Inayat to take care of the stable, but here I am still in Hookworth, up on the stable roof, watching spring-melt drip down the hillsides. There's hardly any snow left even on the highest hills now, and the grass is starting to green up. Was a big rainstorm few days ago with wind blew branches off the trees.

The last few nights I have been able to sleep again some. Maybe it's just how plum wore out I have gotten, with tending the stables, restocking all its supplies, my sword training, and my journeys up to Hengstacer for lessons. That's starting to settle down though, now I'm caught up, more or less, on resupply. Tomorrow morning I get the last thing the stable's running out of, a few sacks of dried peas, plus one extra sack to make up for that they missed the date they promised for to deliver it.

There's a little bit of good news, two things actually, but I feel almost too tired to celebrate them.

Staying up until after dawn for the bonfire wasn't easy for me. I'm usually awake before dawn. When I woke up the day after, it was near midday and my head was far from clear. I got the fire started back up and heated up some of the Attereeve's soup, then while I were sitting down to eat it, I saw the letter what had been left on my door the night afore, what I'd clean forgot about.

I got an early start on the day of the bonfire, as I knew it'd be a long day. First, I was going to do all the chores at the Hookworth Stables. I felt like I had work to make up after being away four days, and would be away four more days soon, once Bogo felt up to the return home. And it seemed like Miss Brynleigh were out of sorts, maybe not feeling well. She hadn't come out of her house that morning, or the day before, now I think about it. Hope she's all right.

After a few days Miss Cesistya said as Mister Brockhouse were well enough to talk with, but needed another day afore he could go for a short walk, and then only by pony or waggon. So we decided to go to Staddle to speak to this Forsythia Attereeve our own selves.

I had hoped, while I weren't able to sleep at Brandy Hall last night, that it'd be likely Miss Adri would be able to find out whether Bogo was being held, and even get him out, with her sneaking, without me and Beoda having to let an arrow fly; but it couldn't gone much more unlike that.

Beoda and I are passing the night, or part of it at least, at Brandy Hall, in Buckland. I am not getting much sleep, and I don't think she is either.