(OOC: The following diary entry is poorly written in an unsteady hand, with multiple misspellings, corrections, and inconsistent grammar.)
There is so much happening! It's like all the world starts to wake up in autumn. Like we're all asleep throu through the summer because it's so bleeding hot and bright. You feel like you're melted and tired all the time, even though the flowers and fresh fruit and all is so nice. I guess every seson season has its good and bad.
I think my hand is getting stedd steadier with this pencil. My fingers be are black after writing so much, but I don't mind. And what do you know? The lady staying here right now knows her letters! Her mother spent a few years working in the Mayor's office long, long ago, and passed it onto her daw daughter. She be is looking over this as I write it and helping keep me straight.
Bree-town is buzzing. So many folk out and about whenever I visit. Folk bringing in all their vegetables and wheat from harvest and selling it, and others coming through to buy things for winter. Merchants stocking up before they go north or south or east or west. I think this may very well be my favourite time of year. I took the pony cart yesterday and went to buy some wool yarn to start on the socks for Mister Dimheim. The streets were jammed with people and the marketplace was near mad with busy folk. But I love seeing that! I don't think I'd like to stay around it for too long, all that noise and bustle. But it were was fun just to pass through and get a little taste of it.
Mister Dimheim found the basket of apples that I left for him. I got a little note back from him the next day, and he even put in a few coppers. I had to laugh. I never would ask him for coin in return for a kindness. But he is thoughtfull thoughtful in that way. I wonder though (gods, why must "thought" and "though" be so alike? confusing) if he is careful because he has a kind heart or because he worries so much that this is what kind people are supposed to do, and he wants to be like other people? If I had my way, I would tell him to simply be himself and not try so hard to be or say or do what folk make him think will make him right or make him liked. Sometimes, I want to go knock on his door and see if he's lonely and just wants someone to talk to. But he gets company a lot and I don't want to pester him or be in the way. And there's a funny voice in the back of my mind that says it's better not to, better not to act on feelings. Everyone I ever get close to disappears on me. Either way, the coin he gave me helped pay for the wool yarn as well as a cup of cider at the inn while I were was in town.
I always have a stupid little hope in the back of my heart that I'll see my old friends when I go to town. I haven't seen Gustine in a long while, it feels like. Maybe she and Mister Theodebald finally got married and settled down somewhere. I don't suppose I'll ever see Zeylheim again. No idea where he went or why. I don't even think Mister Dimheim knows, and he used to work at the Soothery. But Zeyl were was from afar off, and I know as sure as anything, these foreign folk never seem to stay here for long. He probably went back to his home and stayed there. I think of the fellow that danced with me once. He went away, too. And of course... Hultroth.
Oh, a funny thing! Well, it were was funny to me. I were was walking home a day or so back, and saw a dwarf standing in front of the Soothery. Just standing there. Like he didn’t know whether to go up or leave. I said hullo and he looked startled, but then came over and said hullo back. Turns out his name was Bild, I remembered him from the supper in Bree when Zeyl danced with me (I think I would rather forget that, to be honest). I offered him an apple since he looked so nervous about being there. Right then, the other dwarf that I met not too long ago (I forget his proper name, but he said to call him “Doc” so I do) came out of the Soothery and walked over. I gave him an apple, too. They were both so blooming charming, barely able to see over the stone wall and so oblij obliging! I hope I didn’t offend them with how much they made me smile. They walked off arm in arm, which looked a little strange to me, but maybe that’s how dwarves are when they’re friends?
I hoped yesterday that I might run into my new friend Leoffrith (I hope I spelt it right, Miss...oops, I mean, the lady here says it looks okay to her). I love talking to him because he seems so much like me. I didn't see him, though. He talked a lot about a lady who be is wanting shooting lessons from him, even though he's not a proper shooter himself. I said it were was because he's handsome and he's nice, but he just blushed and laughed at that. He said it's because nobody else will teach her, as she's a foreigner. I don't rightly believe that. Can't imagine a hunter who wants to feed himself and his children turning down a bag of silver because a lady's got dark skin. I'm guessing that she's sweet on him, even if he doesn't believe it. If she is, I hope she doesn't play with his heart and then leave him high and dry. If he's from Rohan, and she's from someplace else, it's not likely both of them will stick around Bree forever. I know he got his heart broken already by a lass. I'll be angry if it happens again. Nice fellows are hard enough to come by.
Missus Hopmead asked me to come by the farm and pay her a visit later. Bless her, she said she misses my company. She said there's some news about the old inn that got hit by fire and she wants to tell me in person. It sounds for foreboa (even my friend here doesn't know how to spell this one!) dark. I hope it's not bad news.
