It rained a little bit yesterday while I was following the road near the Midgewater Marshes, and I could feel it in my leg, but other than that, I've almost forgotten it's healing. Strangsig gives me another two weeks until she says I'm fully recovered, but except that twinge in the rain, I don't feel it at all. It feels good to walk without a limp, to know I could run (or if I had to, to fight), to ride comfortably (or as much as I ever can, as I am not much of a rider). And it felt good to have the road under me, and to be able to smoke my pipe without being glared at. It's been nice to not have to worry about this baffling mission I had been given (I'm not sure if it's still mine right now, or rather, will be when I return).
Today's task was simple enough. We recently did some trade with a dwarf caravan, and while we got ingots, some foodstuffs, and a few other things, we couldn't get all we needed, but we did get coin. So I rode for Bree, to attend the weekly market, and visit a few of the shops, and try to make other arrangements for trade (for the things the dwarves didn't have on hand).
I also spent a bit of my own limited supply of coin on more pipeweed and a hefty hunk of cheese. I hadn't set out to buy cheese, but one of the vendors persuaded me to try it. The market didn't actually turn up any of the things I was searching for, but I spent a bit of the coin I was entrusted with on a trail food that a hobbit was selling, which can be turned into a rich soup (though a little bland for my tastes; could use some garlic or horseradish). A bit expensive, but they'll be perfect for scouts out on assignments where hunting is impossible (and carrying in much weight is impractical). I hope Frideric doesn't object to the extravagance. I wish we could have gotten more (a dozen of them won't last long).
But no one at market had salt, or knew where to get it (except one Elf who helpfully suggested places so far away I haven't even heard of them). Nor were any weaponsmiths present. But a few hours of searching shops in the rest of the city turned up most of what I needed (some of it on a strange part of town that is built up over the rest of it, like a bridge that somehow has shops and houses on it, and around it). I secured the salt I needed at a good price, and a weapons shop was willing to give me a discount on axes, swords, bows, and arrows, since I was buying so many, and wasn't picky about the looks.
As for food stocks, I wasn't nearly as successful. February is a hard time for foodstuffs in large quantities. If I'd had a cart, I could have secured a shipment of winter wheat, but I couldn't arrange to have it delivered as far as even the Forsaken Inn for any price we could pay (I need to talk to Frideric about us buying a cart, or trying to build one). We will have to come up with another way until the next caravan comes through.
I also spoke to an old woman about the brewing of ale. It'll be quite a while before I could hope to begin, if I ever can. But I have some ideas of what I'll need. Who knows, perhaps one day I'll be sneaking mugs of something palatable past Anlaf's disapproving gaze.
With the business of the day done, how shall I spend my evening? I have a room in Combe's dirty little inn, rather than one in Bree (where it costs more of our limited coin), but I can certainly pass the evening somewhere more likely to have song and dance than chicken-squawks and sobs. I only have one evening, and then it's back to the road with morning's yellow glow. I had best stock up on cheer and mirth while I can.
