I reckoned that Yuletide would be busy and merry and full of too much to keep up with, but it's actually been more quiet than any other time of year, so much it's been lonesome some times, and foul at others. But in the end it's come out merry after all, more merry'n I could ever have hoped for!
Back comin' to Harvestmath the stable were awful busy readyin' for giving rides to the festival grounds and to Wistmead, so I reckoned it'd be the same for Yule, only more so. But it turns out Winter-home sends a fellow from their stable, and with near to ever'one in Bree either in their own celebratin', or off to Frostbluff, the town's been mostly quiet. There were a few nice nights in the Pony with folk, with Gregwald, and the Dwarves, and not just one Clara but two, and a blind girl called Miss Lucey, and even Miss Pansyblossom once. Even Miss Taite a few times, though she had some hurt with her leg needed leechcraft and ain't been around Bree hardly at all, though she did have folk over for a nice supper one night where I saw Miss Finchley and Cesistya and even Carria, and she's promisin' that she'll finally have a horse blanket for me soon.
But for every Bree night with folk about, there were ten more lonesome nights with near to no one around. Or worse yet, with that one Dwarf, Balnirar, what seems always to cause trouble. Best night you can hope for with him around is one where he plays them awful bagpipes and then comes near to a fight with someone over't. The feller is always in such a hurry to get into a brawl over anythin'! Then there were the time I were feelin' real blue on account of missin' Lumina as she were busy for some days with a woman havin' a child, and Balnirar come along and spook me while I were havin' supper and made me spill my stew on Maddoct and Maurr. But the worst is his squabble with Lumina, near to every time they're both in the same place the same time.
The day afore I met her for the first time, she'd met him in the Pony when he had too many ales, and he got cross and said foolish things about how she must be an Easterling spy. She's got a fire in her blood hot as any Dwarf's forge too, particular on that matter, and this were a sore hurtsome thing to her, more'n he knows, on account of things happened to her afore she come to Bree. Couple time since, he's made what he thinks is an attempt to an apology, but every time it goes from bad to worse. He starts in on an apology that seems half-hearted and only said so's he can get to makin' his list of grievances, and she can't help but give him more to be aggrieved by. She particular likes to insult his beard, and that's of course the thing what he gets most angrified about. Trouble is that just takes him farther'n farther from realizin' his apology weren't a true apology. Last time, it came near to blows -- he threatened to knock her teeth out several times and I had to step in front, though I know if'n he took to a donnybrook with me I'd be trounced, and more'n like in such a way as to not be able to work a stable no more, if it went far enough, but what else could I do? After she stormed off, I talked some more to him about it and maybe got him for to see a bit, though he'd do better to talk to someone wise about it. I think might be too late for there ever to be peace atween 'em.
I come back home after that, and she'd been cryin', and I felt like a rag been wrung dry so many times you could see through the middle. Had been hopin' earlier that night to give her the wood-carvin' I been doin' as a Yuletide gift, like the one I made for Miss Syaven couple year ago only much better, but now it didn't look to be a proper time for that. Just about when I were ready to just go to sleep and hope the mornin'd be a bit brighter, though, she asked me the most astonishful and merry-makin' thing ever.
Didn't proper understand it at first when she asked me to propose again, on account I didn't know for to call it that. But I reckoned it out, that the time I tried for to give her a promise ring, all them months ago, that were the manner of proposal she had in mind. Turns out she been thinkin' about it more and decided that our happiness shouldn't depend on no one other'n one 'nother. So I reckon that means it's not too early no more.
Well, I'm never good with words, I hadn't think on't, and I were so nervous I didn't proper know what I were sayin', but I did my best to say it good anyhow. How the ring were the promise that I'd be hers so long as she'd have me, and even after that, and suchlike. And she let me put the ring on her finger. (Though now I wish I'd gone lookin' for a jeweler could made one out of gold. The red stone is right, but she wears gold, not silver. But she said as she wanted it this way.) And she don't even want for to put off havin' a ceremony until after we been to the Mark like she'd said afore. So we're to have a big ceremony soon as we can work out how such a thing's to happen. It can't be in the ways of Harad, and even the ways of the Mark don't make a lot of sense, with neither of us havin' family here, and her bein' rich as a princess far more'n I am, so there'd be no purpose to a bride-price. And neither of us got a family sword to exchange. So now we got to ask around about the wedding customs of Bree-land.
There is a little whisper in my thinkin' when I'm alone can't help remember that there were a time once long ago when I had made up my mind to ask folk about that same thing, and it were just afore ever'thing fell apart. But that whisper is mostly quiet. There's just too much merry in me now.
