A Short Trip to Bree
During my time in The Shire I had heard a lot about the town of Bree, home to the tall folk and with buildings of stone and thatch reaching up to the sky I had often wished to see it for myself.
I procured a large pack in which to carry all the items I would require for the journey to Bree, food, blankets, spare clothing, cooking utensils, spare sheet music and my instruments. I had copied a rough map of the road from a picture hanging in The Mathom House and I hoped that the original was accurate. Looking at the faint wriggling line that stretched from the Brandywine Bridge to the large area marked “Bree” the journey looked like a good days travel by pony.
With a pack on my back I pointed my trusty pony in the direction of Bree and set off with the hope that by sunset I would be inside a nice warm inn and enjoying second helpings of an a hot evening meal.
* * * *
Blast the stupid Hobbit that drew that map, whoever they were their sense of scale must be woefully inadequate. After several hours of crossing the Brandywine I was still plodding along the same dull road with what can only be described as an evil looking forest on my right and steep hills to my left. I had considered turning round but the sun was already dipping and I had fooled myself into thinking that the next corner would reveal a view of my destination…or the next corner….or maybe just around that next one.
Several hours, and several one more corners later, the sun had disappeared below the hills and twilight was closing in. I found it hard to believe that there were no signs of any villages in these parts, just more road and more forest.
Darkness finally halted my journey, for a few hours I had tried to travel by lantern light but with the wick on the verge of failing I decided to pull off the road. With no light with which to see I could not gather any firewood for a fire or see to pitch the little tent, instead all I could do was pull a blanket around me and settle down against some rocks with a handful of bread and cheese.
Darkness falls on a lonely lane
