A series of written thoughts stashed away in a box of parchment, written meticulously and precisely, as if the writer had taken great pains to make their handwriting as legible and clear as possible. The handwriting is steady and neater than older entries, but the thoughts expressed on it are slightly jumbled.
How long has it last been since I wrote my thoughts down? Too long, much too long. It must have been a quarter of a year now since the last entry - I had the old ones burned in the fire at the start of the new year. A sort of symbol of a new start, if you will. And keeping my thoughts safe from discovery.
A lot has happened in that time-span. Hilda's moved to Bree and we're planning on saving up for a small house together. Mum and dad are doing well, getting a bit older, but Finn's with them and I think they're also entertaining the idea of moving to Bree to be closer to family. Strange to think that after so many years spent in Combe, there'll be a point where all of us will no longer be calling that place home. Easier for all of us, was the discussion at my little birthday gathering. Sometimes I can't tell what Pa's thinking, but he and mum don't seem to like the idea of being left behind, and neither does Finn. Aunt Sandra's already moved to Bree years ago, and when I and Hilda followed her last year they must have started wondering how practical it would be to stay in a little town like Combe. It's still all rather unclear though, and I'm sure the subject will come up more frequently in the future.
There's someone new in my life, too. They're called (The name has been deliberately omitted). Calm, perfectionistic, graceful. Rational. A good listener. Precise. The time I've spent with them has been rather surreal to say the least, and I still can't believe I let my heart go all a-flutter for them after the yule party, much less at the sight of them dancing. But well, one thing led to another, there was a lot of back and forth and flirting over the past months, but I believe I'm now actually a taken man. The me from a year ago would have scoffed at such an idea, but I think I'm ready to stop letting the sorrows of the past year constantly define every action I take. I've learned a lot of new things over the past few months and though I still have periods where I'm not feeling too well and plagued with nightmares, it's better knowing all the people I care about are there for me at the end of the day. Finn said it best; Forgive, but not forget.
Thimble is really growing into his mischievous personality now. When I first got him, he was a wee pup who was mostly concerned with eating, sleeping, playing around, and looking cute. Now he regularly brings in customers when I come to the Sunday market to sell, using those sweet and devilish puppy eyes to lure shoppers in with his appeal.
I miss Tylva. I haven't seen her in months. Lately my company has mostly been Audea, (name omitted), Owena and the jester brothers, Loakee and Baldvin. While I'm still lukewarm on the brothers as a whole (their secretiveness is off-putting, especially Loakee's, but I now believe I understand better why), I managed to run into a rather tipsy Baldvin, who confided in me a lot of the issues that's plaguing the brothers and himself personally. I sat there and listened to him, gave him some secrets of my own in exchange. It turned out that we had a lot more in common than I initially thought. When he left, I wondered if I had been too harsh in my initial judgements.
Owena, too. It feels like people are starting to come to me for advice, or just someone to vent to. I listened to her and gave her some secrets of my own, again, and she didn't judge me for them, which I'm grateful for. She's simply one of the sweetest people I've had the pleasure to meet, always offering tea or treats or cookies, and I felt bad for her predicament. I only hope she can move on swiftly from the disappointment.
Now, my hand is starting to hurt and it's getting late. If Loakee or anyone else ever deems to approach me with their personal problems, then I can officially declare myself a counselor for life problems. Ha!
