Well, ''there aint no use cryin' over split milk'' , tha's what my Gammer says. She aint usually getting a slap round her head from my Ma if she spills milk, though. My Ma's got a powerful slap. I usually ends up cryin'.
But, master Oldgrove, he probably IS dead. Takin' on all them ruffians an' all. And I lost my new horse too. proper horse, all properly mine an' all. but I aint going ter cry over master Oldgrove, and I run out of tears for the loss o' me horse. I'm a fortunate enough lass ter have got back ter Bree wi' all me arms and legs intact. That was a dreadful ride an' no mistake.
Now I aint sure iffen master oldgrove got any kinfolk, an' I aint going near the Helm-Giffer ter tell him one o' his lads is dead, so the way I sees it, I'm well rid o' him. But, I still aint got any coin, and I lost my horse on the first day she was mine. So I'm back exactly as I started.
I goes to the word-horde to find the Burnt Man. He's allus there, and he must have summat fer a bright lass to do to earn a bit o'coin - even if it's a bit strange. Iffen you aint got coin you takes what job yer can get. But I gets there and he aint in his chair, nor standing about reading them books. The room don't smell of his foreign skin or his spices, an them dusty old scholars swear they aint seen him fer a good while. ..
There's a mystery, then.
But I still has to meet the stinky Finch to see what he has to say about that Helm-Giffer. I paid that slippy slimy pig sucker enough coin fer the information so I bloody well want it! but iffen the Burnt man aint here, I aint sure what I does next.
What I does next ... heh... I looks around the worde-hoard, and no one is lookin'. I sits myself down in HIS chair, pretendin' I'm him. 'Girl!' i says, just like him, trying ter make my eyes all snakey and hard, ' get me my wine!'
A log in the fire next ter me cracks so hard the flames shoot everywhere... I nearly jumps out o' my skin, an' I'm out of that chair like a cat off a hot griddle. I swear he was a-lwatchin' through that bloody fire...
