Road, road, road, day in, day out. I'm already tired of those brown-grassed, barren lands, and we are only halfway through them.
Tonight we should reach Ost Guruth, and then it is at least half a days' ride to the bridge crossing into the forested lands Father says are called the Trollshaws. It will probably take longer, as Father wants to take the opportunity to rest the horses and hire new guides to replace the Bree-landers. I am expecting we will come there late at night and make camp at the river ere we cross into those wilderlands.
The Shire-horses are holding up surprisingly well. They will never be runners, bless their hearts, but they are sturdier than I would have expected after a lifetime in those fat lands. They have surprising reserves and do not complain a single bit.
Good! I am almost starting to hope that they will be able to replace some of the stolen horses without diluting the bloodline too much. Their sturdiness should make up for much. Well, one can hope.
To pass the time in the caravan, we are spending our time singing songs and telling stories. (If I have to listen to the entire 99 Bottles one more time I think I shall go crazy.) Some of our guides have right strange stories of folk passing through Bree, Dwarves and dark Men from the North and such. And always Elfs, Elfs in the forest, guarding ancient trees that walk and talk, and other such rubbish. But they are such pretty stories.
I think I'd quite fancy to meet an Elf, at that, if they still exist. But I think if they do, they would keep well away from men and their ilk.
Andswaru still tries to scare me with ghost stories. He doesn't learn! And the yarns are getting stranger every time. Dead corsair captains' ghosts in the middle of the Lone-Lands, my foot.
We climbed the hill with the old watchtower on it when we passed it, to look out for danger on the road. Andswaru says it is called the Weathertop in Bree, but the Elfs call it Amoon Sule or somesuch. Like he's ever met one!
But we'll see. Maybe I will spy a troll or something next. That would give me a story to tell!
