Journal, Fifth Entry: Bree, First Camp

Dear Mother and Father, We stayed in Bree for a few days so Rua could sell the rest of the tools he made. He bought me a pair of daggers from a weaponsmith with some of the money he earned. They are longer than normal knives and sharp and I cut my finger on them. Rua gave them to me because they are useful. I can cut an apple. Rua says he will make me a wooden target when we get back home. He drew a target on a stable door and I tried throwing the dagger at it but I never hit the target. Rua says I need to practise. We stayed a night at Staddle. Staddle is a hobbit town. I liked it there. There were fields and a pond. Then we stayed a night in Harcrest. That was another longshanks town. We got to the Forsaken Inn in the middle of the next day and had some lunch there. It is a scary place, the roof is half fallen in and the bedrooms are in the basement. The ale is worse than the dragonbreath and Rua won't drink it. He bought a small keg from Mr. Butterbur and Toffee carried it. He says it has to last him til we get back to Bree. After lunch we went into the hills. We are at an old camp Rua knows. It is boggy. Rua says we will stay here until he has found enough iron ore. He unpacked the forge as well. Before we went to bed he put up a string of little bells around the camp. They hang on sticks. He says that will wake us up if any visitors come. Tomorrow he says we will start digging out the ore and chopping trees. Your loving Zara