If anything, the trip through the dreich marshes resulted in some sort of reward… Toby declared it was time to go to Bree! I would finally get to see Bree. Not the way I had thought, with my mum, dad and Lizzie, but with my two best friends. I was ecstatic. It was time to leave Staddle and ride through the gates to Bree.
The boys were great, they let me savour the moment and ride first through the gate, I was as like a child. In that moment I forgot all my intentions of being a grown woman, being graceful and self-composed. Instead I shouted and waved my hands at every person I saw. It was worth it though, in that moment I didn’t care what Blake and Toby thought of me.
Bree is unlike anything I could have imagined. It is huge. Houses as far as I could see, large streets full of people, all seemingly moving towards something. As we came in from Staddle there was a large open area where market stalls were set up. It was buzzing with people selling and buying… I was keen to look, but the boys thought we needed food, so Blake – he’s been to Bree before – directed us to the mess hall where we had a meal and a good long chat. The mood was better, things felt good between us, Blake even graced us with some music. He is so talented, I could have listened to him all night. However, Toby said we would need to go and see the mayor. The Mayor! I immediately stressed over what I was going to wear, I have only brought two sets of clothes with me from home and neither are fit to wear when meeting the Mayor of Bree. I had to run out to the market and I found a fairly cheap green tunic and a cloak. It will have to do until I can afford better.
The meeting with the Mayor was certainly something else. I felt very important and very timid at the same time. Mayor Tenderlarch is a well-dressed man with a large dark moustache. He was kind and asked questions about what had happened in Archet and our role in it, praising us for our efforts. We told him we are looking for work, he said he might have something for us, but suggested we took a tour of Bree to see the town properly and he would call for us if something came up. He even mentioned we could make use of the spare beds in the town hall’s accommodation area if we had nowhere to stay.
Next we went to the Bree Crafting Hall. It was an impressive sight, I must say. It was as busy as anything else I have seen in Bree so far and Blake immediately stumbled over something he had to read. I just took my time, looked around and spoke to the people I met. One of them knew my father, a Ms Tyne, and she was desperate to know when he is back in Bree. She has lost her wedding ring, which incidentally was made by dad, so she is looking to have a replica made. I didn’t offer to try and help, other than that I promised I would send word to dad. Poor woman, she is scared her husband will return from his travels and find out that she’s lost it.
The next place we went was even better! It was the large indoor clothes market near the town square. As we entered I held my breath so long I thought I was going to pass out. I never saw nothing like it! There were dresses, boots, trousers, hats and amour as far as the eye could see. It was like a dream, especially in the way that it will remain a dream, since I can’t afford much at this time. My first priority must be to send my money back to mum and dad rather than tending to my own vanity.
I did put an order in for some padded armour that should help me when we are out and about. And I spoke to a tailor who will look at the beautiful dress Blake gave me, which has belonged to his mother. His mother was a beautiful slim woman, so unfortunately the dress didn’t fit me… my arms are too big, perhaps all this bow-shooting is adding to that problem. The tailor said she could alter the dress to fit me after she took her measurements, so I am looking forward to picking that up soon.
Toby did point out a beautiful silk dress that he said would look good on me, but I can’t afford it. I will try and subtly hint at the boys, so they know what to get me at yule time!
Maybe I’ll get a chance to get out on my own at some point… It is hard to try on clothes when the boys are around, my vanity makes me feel a bit silly, but I also have never worn a real dress before, so I need to practice a bit so I don’t look so clumsy. I want to be graceful and beautiful, like the river maid! I also have to see if I can find the Bree post master, perhaps he can tell me how I can get a letter sent to Cadal. It has been a while since he wrote to me when I was in Combe, and it is important I do not wait too long to let him know I am okay.
