It is two weeks now that I've been staying with Ellie in Combe, and in about a week from now I'll be back to wandering the wide world. And, perhaps, that will be a little easier, with my recent inheritance of a horse named Badger.
As a hunter, I've rarely seen the necessity of horses. Sure, they make you much faster, but they're large, loud, and hard to navigate through trees and undergrowth. Badger is no different, he's a large beast and there's no denying. And while I would still argue that horses are not necessarily necessary, I have recently decided that horses could potentially be useful, especially for longer-distance trading (such as between Bree and Trestlebridge, the Shire, or the Eglain).
Luckily, my change of heart coincided with a change in my ownership of a horse. I have a lot of distant relations around Bree-land, you see, and just the other day one such relation, a good fellow by the name of Turner Thisleleaf, renounced his life as a traveling tailor to settle down in Bree with his fiancee. As a result, he no longer had need of a steed, and he gave me his young horse, Badger.
I met Turner by the Combe Gate to get Badger (he had previously sent me a letter informing me of his wish that I receive his horse), and immediately I fell in love with the beast. I'm not usually one for keeping pets (with the notable exception of dogs, of course, considering my family), and initially I was unsure about receiving a horse as an early Yule gift, but as soon as I saw him all doubts were dashed away. He was large, for sure, but he was beautiful and majestic, and I thought that it would be an honor to even pet such a creature, let alone ride it.
I immediately thanked Turner, informed him that I would love to take Badger off his hands, and after a short exchange about the weather I was leading my new friend back into Combe, to the stables. There, unfortunately, he will have to stay for a while, since Ellie refuses to buy a dog cage big enough to fit a horse in. I suppose he should make himself comfortable there, since that's undoubtedly where I'll be keeping him for most of my ventures out into the wilderness.
But not all of them, of course. In particular, I am thinking of making a journey to the Forsaken Inn soon after Yule to trade hides with the Eglain once more. Typically I only make such a trip once a year (since I really can't stand the Forsaken Inn), but if Badger greatly reduces my travel time and the market for clothing materials in the Lone-lands remains lucrative throughout the winter season, the venture would be quite profitable.
But that's all in the future. For now, Badger is under the protection of the qualified Jack Cloverdale in the rather comfortable stable in Combe.
