It has been many months since I last enscribed details of my life in this book. I shall endeavor to write down the events of the last few years in as great detail as possible. Previously, I had made mention of travels to find my lost sister, Rainith. It was proving to be a fruitless search, sadly.
I had ventured as far west as the Shire about seven years ago. The little hobbits that inhabit said Shire don’t really trust outsiders very much, but during my stop in Michel Delving I met Amygdalus. She was a young hobbit working in the Bird and Baby inn and was just fascinated by Bornith and myself. I think she was most interested in our ears, for some reason. There is no telling what others will think of you, although my ears look perfectly normal.
She sat down with us and started quizzing us on our travels and volunteering details about her own life. Raised in Michel Delving by her aunt and uncle, she had a craving for adventure.
“I’d like to see what life is like outside the Shire someday. I’m working here to save up money to travel,” she said.
Bornith was charmed by Amygdalus’ outgoing spirit, when she said, “Call me Amyg, everyone does!”
Amygdalus’ boss called her back to work, with a long-suffering sigh, she stood up, flashed a grin at us, and ran back into the back of the taproom. Bornith turned to me, and placed a delicate hand on my arm. “Sidhon, we should invite ‘Amyg’ to travel with us through the Shire. She’s the first hobbit we’ve met that’s been willing to talk with us so far. I bet we could find out more about Rainith if we had a hobbit traveling with us.”
I sighed in response, while I agreed with Bornith, I was hesitant to invite another traveler to share our rations, which had dwindled in the last while. When I expressed my concerns to Bornith, she said “It’s autumn, which means the harvests are in. I am willing to bet you that these shopkeepers who give us polite regrets would be more agreeable with Amyg along. Please, Sidhon? Just for a while.”
I hated it when Bornith used that wheedling tone of voice. She knows that too, which is why she uses it on me. Needless to say, I agreed and when Amygdalus came back to the table to sit with us, I asked for her thoughts.
“Amyg, you know we’re traveling around, looking for my sister. However, we’ve had no luck here in the Shire, your lot is a close-mouthed group among outsiders. We’d like to ask you to accompany us through the Shire. We need more supplies though, we’re running dreadfully low on rations.”
Amygdalus gasped, “I’d love to come with you! My aunt and uncle run a shop just over the hill a bit, I know they’ll sell you some food. I need to tell them my plans before we can leave anyway.”
They were a little less willing to let Amygdalus go than she expected, but that’s a subject for another entry. Finally she convinced them and we loaded up our faithful pack-horse, Bother, with bags of flour, dried mushrooms, lard, and other assorted trail rations. Finally we set off, sadly our travels through the Shire were fruitless, as far as searching for Rainith. In Brockenborings, however, we found Amygdalus’ birth parents and twin sister! I will write more of that event later as well, as this journal entry is merely to refresh my memory of the major events.
After two years of traveling through the Shire, we left Amygdalus with her family in Brokenborings, and headed back to the Rivendell Valley. It was time to rest for a while, visit with family, and decide where to go next.
We’d been back in the valley for three months when I ran into a familiar face at an event at the Last Homely House, Rainith! It seemed that she’d been in the valley for a while now, having been found living somewhere under a different name. She knew that her name didn’t seem to fit, but had no recollection of her real name, until I called her Rainith.
It is awkward, getting to know her again, I am having to treat her as though she is a new sister, as she has no memories of her past life. Perhaps my diary entries will serve as a reminder.
Ah, Bornith has just called me to dinner. I’d better close this book again, and pick up my tales where I have left off at another time.
