Gold... When was the last time I saw gold? Gold or turnips, if it helps me buy back my freedom I'll find it.
I headed off to the mountains with some spare picks, staying well clear of the graveyard. I hear it's haunted...
I got chased by an ettin but managed to hide in a cave. As good a place as any, I started mining. I found only common ores at first, and nearly left when I finally struck gold. Mining as much as I could find, I walked out the cave...
Straight into the ettin. Running as fast as I could with a pack of ore, I eventually lost it, and looked for somewhere else to mine. I tried some spots on the outer face of the mountain and nearly got crushed by a boulder for my trouble.
I soon found another canyon and once again struck gold! It must have been a thin vein, but I got some gold out of it.
Feeling lucky, I tried some sifting but with no luck. I returned to Cove, smelted my ore and ended up with 18 bars of gold. I handed it in. It'll be a long time before I see the fruits of my labours. But at least I've started paying the debt off.
Signed,
Derfel DagorianSerf