D/C: I do not own nor profit from JRR Tolkiens works or characters.
A/N: I have made minute changes to this chapter, mostly in her response to the situation for those who have already seen this. If it's your first time reading this chapter, I hope you will enjoy this!
White birds twittered and jumped from limb to limb, as a huddled mass of yellow cloth lay by the banks of their lake. This was a disturbance to them, and they did not like disturbances by any means. Inconvenient to have to look upon and wonder of this new thing while they flitted away their own lives and cares. A few finches were brave enough to get closer to the thing, smell it, and see it in more detail. But none of them stayed close enough as it started to move and stir. "Oh, what? Where am I?" The soft voice carried. The bundle rolled over to reveal Beriadanwen.
She lay on the greenest banks of the bluest waters she had ever seen. Around her were many bushes with beautiful white and purple fragrant flowers. The sun shone down on her, and the wind blew softly. The air, she noticed first, was clean. Cleaner and fresher than any air she had smelled before in her life. Everything seemed so clear to her. Colors, almost accentuated. She sat up slowly; this was not where she last was. Her eyes soaked up the world around in her fear and wonder at once. The last thing she remembered was her father giving her her bag, and resting his hand on her shoulder. A sudden freezing feeling came over her as she shivered. She found it a curious response as the sun was very warm overhead.
A rustle in the bush put her on edge. She tried to scramble to her feet, but she was weak, and tired from her unknown journey through the sea, falling back down defensively. "Who's there?" She called out nervously, bracing herself for whatever this intrusion was. It could be a raccoon, or it could be a person, she was not sure. All she could really think of is that she was too disoriented at the moment to defend herself properly.
"Oomph!" A small man in fishing waders had fallen headfirst, tumbling through the bush, landing in front of her. "Sorry milady, I meant no offense, I... I just, my friends and I, we was fishin', and, we saws ya come up o'er 'ere." Berri stared in shock at the man, her mouth falling open. A face of age, but a height she knew of as youth. The man must have seen her astonishment at his height. "I am Jorniduke Brandybuck; here are my friends, Maledine Took, Broldo Hardbottle, and Gorline Chubb. We are Hobbits, of the Shire. Who are you?" Berri's eyes grew wide as three more very short adults slowly came out of hiding before her, two women and another man.
Sudden fear gripped Berri's heart, seeing not just one small adult, but now four small adults before her. Her mouth opened and closed as she struggled for a response, but none came to her. One of the women took a step towards her, but her first reaction was quite opposite than normal. She found herself scrambling back, her elbows nearly buckling until her hand hit the cool water in with a heavy plunk!
"Oh dear, you must be terrified!" Maledine stepped back, clicking her tongue and shaking her head. "It's alright, we are a gentle folk. Won't hurt a fly, promise." She smiled gently, holding her hand out as if to entice a kitten to feed from her hands. Berri felt a bit of her fear break away, as she shyly sat forward, eyeing the four before her. She thought back and forth for a long moment, gaining her bearings. Normally she was very sure of herself, but this intrusion to her reality was almost too much at once.
"I'm Beriadanwen, I'm from Washington. Do you know where in Washington I am now?" She asked with a shaky breath. Her stomach sank as she watched the hobbits exchange confused glances. Surely now she was lost. She hastily looked about her, spotting her backpack feet away from her leaned up against some sturdy reeds. Her only hope at that moment was dashed as she withdrew her cell phone, seeing that it was apparently done for. The water damage it had sustained through the journey was too much for the phone to take. She emitted a growl, and threw it back into the small front pocket she had withdrawn it from and stared at the ground with a scowl on her face.
"How about this, we don't deal much with Men, but, we will send you on the way to Bree tomorrow, there they can tell you the way to Rohan or Gondor. That's the land of Longshanks, Men. They will know more about this world than we do. That or you can wait here until Gandalf get's back, but, that may not be for years." The young woman, Maledine said nervously. She could tell this traveler was indeed perturbed by her current situation, and from the stories she had heard, men could be quite dangerous when they were scared or angry.
"Years? I can't wait that long! I have a wedding to go to. I can't wait here for years!" She cried, snapping her head to look at her. "I don't even know where I am! I'm not waiting years for ANYTHING!" Her lip began to quiver as fear returned to her. She had a life, she had a family, a fiancé to return to, and these strangers tell her that it will take years to get home?
"Oh! Who's gettin married!?" The women squealed excitedly, ignoring her outburst.
"Me, I'm supposed to be married, but, I have to get home first. I just don't know where that is. Do you have a phone?" She squeaked. Berri was trying to keep a brave front, but her voice was betraying her fiercely as tears quietly slipped down her cheeks.
"Phone? What's that?" Brolin asked curiously. Berri laid her head back. She was really in trouble now. She shook her head before closing her eyes. This was just a dream. This was just a confusing dream, and if she fell back asleep, she'd wake back up in the hard bed of a yacht, probably recovering from eating some bad shrimp. Yes, that was it. She was having bad shrimp hallucinations. She would wake up, take some Dramamine and Pepto Bismol, and try to coast through the rest of the trip. But when she opened her eyes, the sky was still a perfect blue, and the four short adults were staring at her as though she were a great curio.
"Fine, I'll go with you. Maybe I'll find someone who knows where I need to go. I'll play along with this little dream, and when I wake up, I will be more than happy to forget this happened." She was huffing more to herself than to the hobbits, reassuring herself that it would soon pass.
Berri straightened herself out, and slowly got to her feet still shaky. If she is going to be hallucinating and dreaming, she might as well enjoy it. Besides, the air here wasn't so bad, and she had found this place was actually quite peaceful though it was only an illusion. As the five walked along, she took in her surroundings. She had never seen anything so green, and beautiful. Trees hung down with long branches, dancing with the blades of grass on the ground. The grass itself seemed free of weeds, and pits. There were bunches of flowers that grew everywhere. This had to be an illusion, because she could not think of any place that would resemble this serenity.
"This is a nice place here. I have never seen something like this." She said; her voice still a little croaky, drinking in the peace that thrived here. It was a simple peace, like something she would expect in the rolling hills of Wales, not in Washington.
"Nor you won't! This is the Shire. The greenest place in all Middle Earth if you ask me, you do." Broldo beamed. "We take good care of our land, and it takes good care of us!"
"What, or rather, where is this shire? And just what is Middle Earth?" Berri puzzled aloud, accepting answers from any of the hobbits that stood before her. She had never heard of such a place, but if she were lucky, it was close to home.
"Just south now, not much farther. We can go to the Green Dragon Inn. It's a cozy little place. Get you an ale and a hot meal; you look like you may need something stiff to drink. Now really, this is all the Shire, but we are quite a ways north of Hobbiton and Bag End. That's where we reside." Maledine smiled brightly. Berri's head spun as she shook off the confusion and shrugged, trudging along, watching the scenery pass her by as she went. It was all too much to allow to sink in.
This was not possible. This was physically not possible. The logical side of her brain told her that her senses are not lying to her, and that her surroundings are real. But the skeptical side reminded her that this could not happen by any law of nature, or physics for that matter, that she knew. How could she be in one place one moment, and here the next? How could this entire world exist, and where did it exist in conjunction with her home world? Her mind was spinning random thoughts and ideas, trying to comprehend her situation. But damn her curious side! As they walked by a field, she could see a little kite flying high in the distance, and her mind turned towards history, and she wondered. What of Amelia Earhart? What of those who vanish so mysteriously on the seas? Planes and ships, even entire crews that have vanished without a trace, what of them? Could this be where they end up? No, it truly could not be possible, but the idea was convincing.
It was another hour or so before they reached their destination. Indeed, the whole town seemed to be of Hobbits, very small people. The adults only came to her hips, while the children came naught but to her knees. It amused her in some ways. Perhaps her dream was telling her she was having a God complex, and she chuckled at the random thought.
On the outside of a long stone building, a wooden sign swung in the gentle breeze depicting a green dragon and the same name in gold lettering. They came to enter the little tavern where she found a rustic feel and a warm hearth at the end. Low long benches were lined down the room, with a bar to one side. Towards the walls were smaller more private tables, which seemed to be reserved for the older, possibly more established hobbits. There were plenty of footstools for them to rest their large hairy feet upon, in fact, she had tripped on a couple before making it to a table.
"So, what are hobbits?" She asked Broldo quietly, one of the few who didn't seem leery of her. They were served large cups of amber colored ale with a foamy head that smelled sweet. She had received plenty of looks due to her clumsiness, and was now trying to shrink down among these tiny people to avoid any more discouraging glares.
"We are a quiet people." He said, taking a swig of the ale. "We stick to our crops, and farms, we like our smoke and ale but mostly our food." He chuckled, patting his slightly rounded belly. "We don't really get into the affairs of Men and Elves, or Dwarves but they come around on a rare occasion, especially Gandalf. He is the traveling wizard he is. Comes through with tales of his adventures and his fireworks, has for years." He said with his pipe hanging from his mouth. He took a thoughtful puff, enjoying the flavor on his palate.
"Enough of us and the Shire, who are you?" Gorline moved in close, anxious to hear a tale. She perhaps had been most interested in her, though not so eager to outwardly talk to her. It was clear in the way she had been looking at her, sizing her up, analyzing her as if she could derive her story.
"Well, you know my name but most people call me Berri, however. They have a hard time pronouncing my name." She smiled softly, feeling weird about telling her story to these figments.
"It's one of them Elf names, I'll bet!" Broldo chimed, lifting his ale as if to toast. Berri just smirked awkwardly and continued.
"I was on my fiancé's father's boat and well, the last thing I remember is talking to my father." She sighed. "I am quite sure that I will wake up soon, and will be back on a boat. But I doubt I'd ever see a place so green." She sighed sadly taking a sip from the flagon she was offered. While it seemed like a large cup in the hobbits hand, it was almost like a coffee cup to her. "But, who knows, this place seems nice enough, I might want to dream for a while longer." She gave a soft chuckle, enjoying the sweet and earthy scents that rose to her nostrils.
"Well you poor dear, I will be bettin' Gandalf to come through sooner than later. He always seems to come around at times like these. You must have hurt your head something fierce." Maledine reassured with a coat of pity. "You can stay with me until he comes if you would like, or if you would like to make your way to Bree tomorrow, you are welcome to. We can take you to the road that leads to Bree." Maledine was quite welcoming, as they finished their drinks and made their way up to her hobbit hole. It appeared to be burrowed into the side of a small hill, with a yellow oval door and a shiny brass doorknob.
While walking up the path, she seemed to notice more in the dying light of the day, that there were many doors on these hills of different colors, shapes and sizes. There were even windows, some with curious faces looking out at this odd intruder to their Shire. This must have been quite a suspicious community, but then again, you never had peace like this while making war with outsiders.
Upon entering the small Hobbit dwelling, Berri was surprised. It was spacious, for a hobbit. It had low ceilings, but plenty of moving room. Even for her comparative size, she was able to move relatively freely, though she had to stay hunched over. She was led down the hall, and shown a room on the right.
"You'll be sleepin in this room. The bed may be a bit small, but, it should do the trick for a night." Maledine showed her into a room, which indeed, contained a small bed. The blankets were also just as small, but it was not in Berri's nature to scoff at kindness. Her body and mind felt weary, and rest, even in this small bed sounded like a good idea. "Down the hall on the right is the wash and just next to that is the bathroom. If you need anything let me know." Maledine nodded slightly.
"Thank you, I think this will be perfect for the night. I am very grateful for the hospitality." Berri thanked. Maledine just smiled and closed the door, leaving the young girl to her sleep. She shuffled back to her own room clicking her tongue at the poor misfortune of this girl. She believed she was dreaming, and must have been happy with that thought. It was a pity. Bree had better healers for men than the hobbits did. Well, to be honest, hobbits didn't have healers for men. If Gandalf didn't come through, then her only chance would be to see a head healer in Bree, if they had one that was.
Berri stretched as best as she could before curling up on the bed. She perceived her legs were sore, as she moved her feet back and forth stretching them in all directions. When she woke up, she'd be back to reality and this would be a pleasant dream.
Morning came far too soon than Beriadanwen would have liked it to. Her host had already come to her room waking her up, and getting her ready for her trek.
"If we leave early, you can be halfway there by nightfall perhaps." Maledine spoke hurried. Berri was startled, nearly hitting her head on the arched ceiling. She looked around, her heart racing. This wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to still be here. She was supposed to be back on the yacht with her parents, and her betrothed. Sweat grew on her forehead as she scrambled to come to terms with where she was, and what was possibly going on. It took minutes before she finally let her feet touch the floor, remembering everything that had happened the previous day.
Berri got up and stepped out onto the front porch to confirm her fears. She was indeed still in the Shire. There was a layer of fog hovering over the green hills, not heavy, but a comforting good morning fog. She looked around, the sun had not yet risen, though the night was well faded away, and the lack of smoke from the chimneys told her that most of the people had not even begun to wake up yet. She could hear Maledine shuffling around inside, gathering together supplies and food. Berri stepped back in, giving a little shiver in the crisp cool morning air.
"Here you go, I packed you some rations to go with you on your travels. You'll find some dried meats, bread, bits of cheese, some apples, there are some cooked sausages in there if you'd like, and also this." She pulled out a very long cloak. "This should help you, it's wool, so you can use it as a blanket should you be needin it." Berri smiled. She put the knapsack in her own bag with shaking hands before tying the cloak around her neck with shaking hands. She was unsure now of what was to happen from here. She did not know the world as they did, nor knew what to expect beyond the borders of these seemingly friendly people.
The two set out and walked and talked for what seemed miles before the rushing of a river came to them. She had asked as many questions as she could, but unfortunately, Maledine was unable answer most of anything concerning the world outside of the Shire. "This is the old Brandywine River, stick to this road and it will lead you to Bree. From there you might find your way to Rohan, or Gondor, or wherever you are looking for. Also, take these." Maledine handed Berri a small leather satchel of coins, closing her small hands over Berri's larger ones.
"Maledine, you have been, so gracious to me, I thank you ever so much, but I can't take your money." Berri shook her head, feeling ashamed but stunned at her gesture. Her hands were shaking in Maledines small motherly ones.
"No worries. If I were so far from home, and knew not how to get back, I'd hope that kindness would be given to me." She patted the tall woman's arm and turned around. "Just keep following that road; you will get there soon enough. Left foot, right foot, one foot in front of the other!" She yelled walking away.
Berri smiled. "Thank you. I'll repay you one day if I can." She spoke softly, clutching the small bag before tucking it into her pack and walking on. She looked on around her. The trees were in bloom, and the leaves rustled overhead. She hummed a tune to herself, and did what Maledine said, one foot in front of the other into the wide unknown world ahead of her.