[Tevildo]

Tollers listened carefully to what Kuric was saying while putting his hands behind his back and nervously twiddling his fingers. He was beginning to feel guilty for the trick he had played on the Dwarf by assigning him a room next to a passel of noisey and mischievous young hobbits. After hearing Kuric speak, he could almost like the fellow. He wanted to come up with a good idea for an adventure to make up for the lack of sleep that the poor Dwarf would surely suffer later that night.

"I think your idea of writing Bilbo is a good one. The Shire Post goes out every day, and you could buy a stamp and give the letter to the postman. Perhaps you could even try and persuade your friend to make a visit here. I've heard he spends some time in Bree every year, and it wouldn't be hard for him to stop at the Perch on his journey east. I'm sure Bilbo would have some grand ideas for an adventure, better than any I could come up with. You know....perhaps I could speak with Master Dick and see if he'd be willing to offer Bilbo a free room for a night or two in exchange for some of those stories he would tell us. But I wouldn't do that unless you gave me the word."

"Now, as to the other.....chasing an adventure down before Bilbo gets here, I am no expert on that. But this place has been livelier than usual. Yesterday, we had a wolf show up in the courtyard and a few of us managed to evict him from the premises. Perhaps there's a band of wolves around and we could track them down? But I'm afraid I don't know too much about wolves or their ways."

"Now trees and things that grow....that is another matter. I grew up on a farm and have plenty of experience with growing things. I don't know if you've heard about this but Stock is right next door to Buckland. It's just a stone's throw away over the bridge, and the folk around here pay homage to the thain. It's folk from the East Farthing that founded Buckland years ago, and we're mighty proud of that. But just east of Buckland stands the Old Forest....."

Tollers glanced around and lowered his voice to a whisper, as if he was afraid a bad spirit might overhear and come over and knock him on the head. "You see, Master Dwarf, there's some mighty strange doings in those parts. Some folks say the trees walk and talk when they have a mind to. Some of the old stories say that, years ago, those trees waged war against the Bucklanders and threatened to swallow up all the farmers. All the folk there as well as those of us from East Farthing got together and put the bad 'uns down and then built a big hedge to keep them out for good."

With a sigh, Tollers shook his head, "If you want an adventure close by, that might be the place to look. I've heard a pack of strange tales about the Old Forest, and you could find anything there.....that is, if you're brave enough to go looking for it. Only one word of warning..... You Dwarves are often partial to axes. But if you hope to come out alive, you might want to leave the axe behind or keep it covered in a satchel so that none of the trees will see it. Folks say bad things happen to those who wander into the forest bearing an axe in broad daylight. Even a brave adventurer like yourself might want to think hard about that."

"As to hearing the stories you have, I'd be so happy to do so....perhaps later today when folks gather for lunch or dinner? I'm sure that there are a considerable number of hobbits and other guests who would be happy to listen to your tales. Even folk who are stay-at-homes, and we have plenty of those, like to hear a good yarn while warming their toes beside the fire."

"If you'd like then, I can get you a map of the area that will show you exactly where the Old Forest is. You know, I wonder...." Tollers eyes gleemed with hope. "Do you think Master Bilbo would ever think of coming here and going with us....er, I mean with you....on an adventure in the Old Forest?"