I have arrived in Bree and have found soft bedding and good food for the price of but a few coins. The Prancing Pony never disappoints! Though Men have still a lot to learn of brewing good ale.
A couple of robed vagrants are lurking about in the corners of the inn as usual. Bandits no doubt, must mind my coin purse tonight. Will be sleeping with an axe under my pillow! Say, these robed no-gooders remind me of Tinnurion, The Black Robed Elf, the Giver of Treasure, the one some call Dwarf-friend - though not I!
Nay, we are allies at best. 'Twould be most unheard off for a dwarf, a Firebeard no less, to be in league with elves, any elf, even one as curious as Tinnurion. This cannot happen!
And yet, if Tinnurion were a dwarf, I would have no reason to deny him the title. The Black Robed Elf once brought home the body of Fingar which was mighty generous for an elf. He also came and offered treasure in return for simple tools or sometimes nothing at all; like the ring around my finger. I've also heard that the pointy-eared black-hair also made safe the path of our merchants as they passed through the Misty Mountains, Wilderland and Mirkwood on many occasions, charging no tolls like those pesky Beornings. On top of that, he has all the courtesy towards the dwarven race which others of his kind lack, being as generous with compliments as he is with gifts. He shares a great interest in our smithing work too, especially the forging of blades, and he has payed handsomely for ore to work with himself...
But he is and remains an elf! O the tragedies the Firebeards have had to endure at the hands of elves! To me these are all too real, as they are to many of my kin. I have read the stories and sung the laments, elves and dwarves at opposite sides of horrendous events. I will not be called a friend to elves, not today, not tomorrow, not ever, nay.
And yet, I fear I may need the elf's services once again, if only to count on his expertise on the elvish tongues and black speech. I know not where to find him, but I may know where to look. For now, I must first locate anything I can find on Sauron's ring-lore. Perhaps when this is all over, I can see this elf in a different light - depending on whether he can help me out of course.
