Sawyer, a craftsman

UP: Catskills

    As is my custom, I was wanderin in tha forest ta gather wood fer me crafting. While I be a might fair carpenter, with enough tinkering �n tailorin ta make a decent bed or such, I am not one to undertake fights with man nor beast. So ya kin imagin me fear when I was beset upon not by tha usual woodland creatures, but by a band o� ettins. Big ugly creatures were they! Tall as tha trees themselves!

Well, being more concerned with me life than me fortune, I did drop my bag o� tha thins I had made right there and headed west as fast as tha legs would take me! It were fortunate tha woods be not so very big and thar were a clearing near by, nestled up agin tha mountain. And here in this place there were several buildins, all of them quite new and of a style that were nae found in our lands when I had last gone to one o� our cities.

Out�ve breath and havin� lost me bag o� stuff, I ran into tha small town and sought help. There were few there, but one did seek me out and ask if he might offer help. I did try ta warn him that thar be a bunch o� uglies in tha woods, but he did insist tha he alone could fight �em off. Well, I thought he be a bit foolhardy, but ifn he wished ta die, I be nae one to stand in his way.

So off east we did start into tha woods. Sure as I told �im, we had not gone thrice tha length o� yer body afore one o� them uglies did approach. I did tha only thing a good craftsman could and hid behind tha nearest tree, I did! But tha bold one, though I thought him a fool, did stand his ground, runin� around tha ugly and using his bow with skill and force. Soon that ettin were a goner. And wud ya believe tha man did then offer to give me tha booty? Me who hae done nothing to slay the thing, had only led �im into tha danger, and had hid at tha first chance! Well then I did know fer sure that this stranger not be sound in �is head.

But I ramble, as is me want. We did continue through tha woods, only ta find e�en more beasties. And tha stranger did agin dispatch �em with speed. And he did then yell out ta me, �I found your bag!� And find it he had. It were in a clearing, surrounded by a pack o� tha big uglies. But praise tha virtues there were a tree that were bigger than me girth and behind it I did seek safety. And while tha stranger fought on, he did urge me to get me bag o� stuff while he did take the creatures away from me. Well that I did and he again did prevail.

After tha battle I did ask �is name and seek to know more o� this rare example o� courage and helpful spirit. � Marcus is my name,� said he. �I own a tavern, nearby called the Whispering Pines.� Well when I offered him one of me handcrafted works as a token o� me appreciation, he did choose tha armoire which he said would be �beautiful addition� to tha tavern.

Marcus did show me his tavern and tell me that it be in a place called Edinburgh in tha lands known as Trammel. I did partake o� his offer o� food and a place to rest for tha night. And far better a place were it than tha forest floor where I lay me head each night!

I know not if�n I shall �ere set foot in that place again, but I tell all who would be near tha place, tha if�n they need help, then hope to tha Virtues