Though Podo was not unable to go out with Artem it didn’t really bother Podo that much. Podo really needed the time alone to reflect on the things that have happened since he left the Shire almost a year ago. He also wanted to spend more time working on getting Dody and Agatha to accept his growing fondness for Berylla Brandybuck. Also this allowed Podo time to further make in roads inside the tavern with the local woodsmen who would stop in to get out of the weather while traveling the road or bring Dody some mutton for sale.
Podo would delight the woodsmen with tales of their many adventures and show them some of the gems he managed to take from Smaugs own belly that washed up along the shores of Long lake. But mostly it was time for Podo to reflect on all that had transpired over year since he left the Shire with Togo Boffin of Whitfurrows the local Sheriff. It was about a month before he met Artem that Podo had buried Togo Boffin on a small hill by the Brandywine Bridge, just north of the Old Forest. It was here that Togo Boffin had a special fishing spot that he used to love to sit at all day long fishing for some fresh Trout. In fact thinking back on it catching those trout out of the Brandywine could be the only time Podo ever saw Togo Boffin of Whitfurrows smile. So Podo felt it a good thing that he had buried Togo Boffi there or at least that was the logic he used to chase away the doubts of burying his him so far from the Shire. It wasn’t that Podo had really done anything wrong, it’s just that he knew if he had taken his remains back to Hobbiton that he would have to fill out meaningless reports to the elders describing how Togo had passed away peacefully in his sleep. As well as knowing the disdain some of the Elders had for Podo, it was not his fault he was the illegitimate son of Adalgrim Took. And after all that Podo knew he would just end up just another glorified pack pony to another sheriff or worse living at home with his mother and her new husband Podo’s stepfather Polo Baggins. As well as watching his mother and stepfather Polo fawn over his stepbrother Posco and stepsister Prisca No this life away from the Shire was much better, all the better especially since he took his stepfather’s the last name Baggins, it was not like it was not the truth. It was after all his mother’s new married name, even though she always tried to tell him who his father was and insisted he use his name Took.
No, Podo always felt weird using it since his father openly would not acknowledge him and using Baggins as it turns out had been quite a fortuitous decision as it resulted in many a free pints at the bars when he arrived in Lake Town. Not to mention it helped with his introduction to Gloin of Lonely Mountain, which then led to being selected to help locate and rescue Balin and Oin of the Lonely Mountain from the their disastrous run in with the mewlips down near Old Forest road. Who would have thought that Podo Baggins would even meet Dwarves the like of those that helped recapture Erebor and defeat Smaug. No this life on the road with his new friends Artem and Braegin was quite a bit better then life in the Shire, it also led him to meet the lovely Berylla Brandybuck, whom he had single handly rescued from the Goblin King himself near the cave of the Northern Pass of the Long Climb, granted Artem and Braegin did help cover the retreat, but the story told better his way and there was no harm in that. Yes, life had turned out much better for Podo since he struck out on his own and he was not going back to the Shire any time soon, in fact if Podo played his fortunes right he could see owning an Inn, much like this one that Dody and Agatha ran for his somewhat distantly related “Uncle” Bilbo Baggins.
All Podo had to do was have a for more of these grand adventures and he would have the money for it. Then all he wanted to do is is get Berylla to agree to help him run it, as well as have a few more adventures like the one in which he slew the Wight of High pass and saved a lonely traveller to help fill the Inn with patrons willing to buy a pint to listen to his tales.
No comments:
Post a Comment