It must have been a couple weeks since I wrote last, but that's fine, because there isn't much to write about. After my rest in Buckland through the blizzard I went northwards to the Brandy Hills, and camped around in there for a few days before settling on Girdley Island in the Brandywine - a delightful little place, really. You can tell that in warmer months somebody must fish there, but I don't suppose there's much appeal in that when there's snow falling from the sky.
Whoever Girdley was, I hope he doesn't want his island back, because I've claimed it for my own. Crowned myself king, if you will. But it's not much of a kingdom. It doesn't have any people, with the exception of me, of course, but that's fine, because the joy is in the imagining. I've even tied two sticks together and made myself a crown. I've set up my tent on the highest point on the island and declared it a palace.
I've always wanted to be a king, you know. Even more than I wanted to be a hunter. But, of course, it's an impossible dream to be a real king, since those only come from noble births (which is to say blind luck), and ultimately being a hunter is so much more realistic. But that's fine, because I still love the trade I've learned, just not as much as I would love doing nothing and drinking hot cider from golden goblets.
There was an invasion yesterday. Two squirrels appeared on the island, surely in an attempt to assassinate the king. Luckily, I noticed them before they could get their squirrely hands on me, and with my bow I shot a warning to them and all their kindred. "Be gone, foul beasts!" the warning would surely read, had it been delivered in the form of words rather than in the form of an arrow. Nonetheless, the squirrels got the message, and they dared not tread on my kingdom any more.
I've been fishing a lot to get food. I've gotten pretty good at it over the past few months. Not nearly as good as my dad, of course, but decent enough to regularly catch enough to eat for a day. Of course, eating the same thing every day gets rather boring, so I do also venture out and hunt other creatures, and pick some edible plants. Away down south there's a marsh were these delightful mushrooms grow. They go great with boar. I wish there were more turtles here, though. I make a mean turtle soup, you know. But that's fine, I prefer my turtle soup to be a rare delicacy anyway. Makes it more special when I make it and eat it.
In the meantime, I am the King of Girdley Island, at least for as long as I live here alone. It's terribly lonely, but that's fine, I'm my own best company anyway.
