Preparations are Finished and the Journey Started

The necessary preparations for the caravan have been finished. The guards have been hired, merchants found, and supplies bought, and Angollon has been brought of aware of our leaving. I have bid farewell to my cousins in Thorin's hall, but some of them have decided to follow me and join the caravan. I believe we'll have enough to at least bring enough, but more the merrier is always good. I am quite glad that we aren't short of men that, for that would prove disastrous. Hopefully with the supplies from the merchants, we'll be be able to survive with our food and water supply, I am hopeful. Angollon and I last night, and we spoke about supplies and the like, and then we departed. We didn't speak that much, but much of us had sung. Angollon did ask me if there was a scholar among us, which there was, Orli the second, son of Orli the scholar, of Erebor. They spoke for a tad, I believe, then we continued after our breakfast, it was quite good. We continued and stopped at Duilond, just outside the stairs, I conferred with Angollon to see if we would need to enter, to buy supplies or anything like that. Then after a while, we arrived at the Gate of the Shire. The bounder there was scared-- of Dwarf brigands that threatened him that they'll gut him if they don't let them pass, we believe these were the Dourhands, and if they have passed into the shire, then this might not hold well for us. But we will see.