Date: Seventh day of the second month
Recruit name: Cween
My journey to the Barrow Downs was carried out on twenty-fifth day of the first month due to the request to cull the barghest population there and a separate report has been issued on that matter. I managed to scout out some of the more prominent areas of the Downs along the way. There is some difference in date between the two reports as training and duties have kept me too busy to write a full report on the rest of my journey.
I must admit I stumbled upon many of the locations by accident as finding my way was a difficult task and one I found almost impossible at times. It was the Northern Barrows I found first. Luckily a breeze picked up lifting the fog briefly showing the barrows with their lifeless guardians, I quickly ducked behind one of the tooth like standing stones. I was not spotted and approached no further.
I carried on with my task to cull the local wildlife and headed steadily southwards, or as much as I could it is so difficult to keep your bearings in that part. Even through the gloom I spotted the Dead Spire long before I reached it. It is a principle of white stone extending far above the rest of the Barrows. The idea someone once placed it here does give me the creeps. I am not sure what it was intended to represent but to me it will always show malice.
Moving quickly away from the spire, although it was oddly uncomfortable to turn my back on it, I head towards the hills that separate the northern and southern Downs. While looking for a path to cross the divide I came to the eastern edge. A small camp had been set up, if you can call a huddle of a few lost people and a campfire that. However, they have one of the best views I have come across. Perhaps not as dramatic as some of the landscapes around and about the lights of Bree showing through the gloom just gave me such a longing and almost a comfort just to know they were there.
It was hard to pull myself away. I walked slowly to the hills after I had been advised of the path to take and climbed up into the murk. The path was easy to follow and looked strangely well-trod all though I could not, or perhaps did not want to, imagine who would be using it. I followed it up and over the range and back into the darkness below as it curved round to the west. The path faded for a distance and then started again leading towards a great barrow, I think it was perhaps The Great Barrow and I was rather nervous. The Old Forest looming up behind it made it just that bit more eerie.
I was not willing to stay long near it so quickly moved on and as I had travelled as westerly as I could I headed off back to the south east. It was a dangerous journey the wights are thick in places and it is unpleasant seeing them let alone them attacking me. I eventually made it to the old ruins, I forget what the place is called but it must have been quite a sight in years past. Now it is full of the walking corpses and is spoilt.
I found nothing worth noting that was not already well known, the place is horrid. It is crawling with corpses and vermin. The hateful mist just makes the place a trap and I found fining my way back out to be far from easy. It is also difficult to tell the time of day as it is always dark. The place should be avoid and luckily there is no reasons for merchant to travel there as there is no one to trade with and nothing worth having apart from ore.
