CHAPTER SEVEN

Some Rather Believe Lies

Hi... I know I've been MIA for a while... Sorry.

Without further ado, here's chapter seven.

When Ariel woke up that following morning, she was alone. Dylis had made her bed like the perfect guest she was, but had disappeared. Ariel groggily rubbed her eyes, staring at the ceiling.

Their argument came rushing back to her memories. She was still angry at Dylis for her irrational behaviour, but now that Ariel was alone in this room, she suddenly wished the blonde was with her.

Ariel didn't like awkwardness; she avoided it at all costs. But she supposed she had to get out of the room at some point this day. All she wanted to do was turn around and pretend she wasn't here, that she was at home with Abby, Hugh, and Will.

And Vincent.

Her treacherous mind couldn't stop the name from assailing her thoughts. God, Ariel missed Vincent. She missed his arm around her waist when he comforted her at night, when the nightmares had pestered her again. She missed his goofy grin, the way his lip pouted when he was focused on his writing, his smirk when he knew exactly what kind of effect he had on her… She missed him.

But he'd broken up with her.

She shouldn't be missing him, she knew it. He didn't deserve this space he took up in her mind. She needed to empty it, to clear her head.

She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, the wood of the frame groaning.

Only when she got out of bed and straightened up did she realise just how bad she needed to go the toilet.

Oh, no.

If these little people were indeed such fans of the Middle Ages, Ariel could already imagine what kind of toilets they'd have.

But she supposed nothing could be worse than having to pee in the wild.

After having roamed through the rounded halls of the house for what felt like too long, she finally managed to catch Esmeralda.

She had looked up at her strangely, repeating the word 'toilets' quizzically, as if she had no idea what Ariel meant.

Great.

"The… uh, latrines," she said, deciding that playing along would be more fruitful.

"Ah," Esmeralda said. "They're outside. Go to the right, walk out of the street and then turn left. You'll see them a bit farther off. Lunch will be ready in a few moments, for your information," she added.

"Lunch?" Ariel repeated, surprised. "Is it that late already?"

No wonder Dylis had already left their room; Dylis was never one to sleep in late because she felt like she was wasting her time.

Esmeralda smiled kindly, a bit pitiful, too. "Oh, it's alright, dear," she reassured Ariel. "You had a long journey behind you, and you have one before you as well. You needed this night's rest."

Ariel gave her a grateful smile and made to leave, but found she had already forgotten Esmeralda's directions to the latrine. "Uhm, where were the latrines again?"

Esmeralda chuckled. "You know what? I'll just— oh, look at that. Merry!"

Ariel whipped her head into the direction in which Esmeralda was looking. There, coming out of of another room into the hall, was a little man biting into an apple, looking up questioningly at the call of his name.

"Merry dear, would you be so kind as to show our guest to the latrines?" Esmeralda asked.

The little man, who looked more like a boy stuck between puberty and adulthood, shrugged non-committedly.

Ariel swallowed, trying to brush away her sudden discomfort. She found herself shifting from her one leg to the other, studying the young man before her— and despite herself looking for any recognisable feature.

Merry, his name was. He certainly didn't look like the Merry from the movies. Ariel vaguely recalled him having unruly, dark blonde curls, and though the Merry in front of her had the same unruly curls, his hair was definitely brown.

Suddenly she realised she was actually considering the idea of this person being Merry from the movies, which were fictional, so not real.

She frowned scornfully at the ridiculous idea of this Merry being a character out of a book, and shook it away.

"I will see you at lunch," Esmeralda said.

Startled by hearing the woman's voice, having forgotten about her presence, Ariel jerked and nodded. "Yes," she said.

Esmeralda left.

Ariel hesitantly walked up to the young man, a cautious smile on her face. "Hello," she greeted. "I'm Ar— Tilda."

The little man nodded. "Pleasure meeting you. Well, Atilda, follow me."

He wasn't very talkative, this Merry. Somehow, Ariel had expected him to talk her ears off as his parents had a habit of doing, but he merely dutifully showed her to the latrines, asked if she knew the way back, and left when she said she did.

The latrines were… what one could expect of medieval latrines. The stench was so bad Ariel's eyes watered, and because she didn't feel comfortable enough, the whole ordeal took even longer.

So much for latrines being better than peeing in the wild.

She never felt as dirty as now, and washed her hands thoroughly in a clear stream along the way back to the manor.

People greeted her kindly, and Ariel tried to be polite and greet them back, but all she could do was stare at their feet.

They were so large. And so hairy.

However, they seemed to stare at her feet as well, as though hers were out of the ordinary. Strangely enough, it made her feel very conscious of herself.

She roamed the halls a bit once she came, trying to find the way to the dining room where she knew the others were. It was eventually Saradoc who went looking for her and found her in the hallway farthest away.

"Oh, it's alright, it's alright!" the little man said after Ariel apologised. "It's a bit of a maze, anyway. Lots of guests have trouble with it. Come, now. Let's have you eat something before you starve that thin body of yours."

That last comment made Ariel feel quite self-conscious as well, as she turned her arm over to see if they were really that bony as the Hobbits suggested.

Hobbits. Come on, Ariel. Hobbits? You really believe that?

This whole situation had her feeling so scattered that she found she couldn't really focus on the conversations anymore. Ariel carefully ignored Dylis' intense looks from across the table, as though she was challenging Ariel to figure this all out on her own. Challenging Ariel for crawling back to Dylis, asking for answers.

She refused, though.

For now.

She was drifting inside her head, picking at her food and finding she suddenly wasn't that hungry anymore. But Esmeralda and Saradoc forced her to eat at least three plates of toast, and these little people could be pretty scary and authoritative at times, so she meekly complied.

Only when they started discussing tomorrow's journey did Ariel lift her head and try to focus her attention on Dylis.

"There is a road that leads directly to Bree," Saradoc was saying. "I would suggest you follow that road at all costs. Don't stray from it— you wouldn't want to end up in the Old Forest."

Ariel perked up. "What's in the Old Forest?" she asked curiously, the first thing she'd said ever since joining the table.

There seemed to be a collective shiver— except for Dylis, of course. Nothing could ever get to her, it seemed.

Esmeralda leaned forward slightly. "Let's just say there are nice, beautiful forests to take a walk in, and then there's the Old Forest." She shook her head. "Wandering into that wood is just looking for trouble." With that, she sent Merry a dark look, and the young man seemed to shrink into his seat.

He mumbled something along the lines of "Blame Pip," and I bit my lip hard, trying hard not to acknowledge the knowing look Dylis sent me.

"I was thinking along the same lines, Mr Saradoc," Dylis said as she turned her head away from me. "But did you not say these were dangerous times? Is following a commonly used road truly safe?"

Saradoc mulled it over for a moment. "I do not think travelling in broad daylight is dangerous," he replied. "Just make sure to sleep off the road— on the north side, so not anywhere near the Old Forest. You should be safe enough."

Dylis nodded. "Again, thank you for helping Tilda and me. It means much to us."

"But of course, sweetheart!" Esmeralda said, waving a hand. "Really, it is no problem."

And with that it was settled. The table was cleared, Merry went off to somewhere, his parents and Dylis went off to somewhere, and Ariel was left alone and in the dark. And she willingly stayed in the dark, because the truth that was slowly beginning to dawn on her was too frightening for her to accept.

o0o

Dylis woke Ariel even before the sun was up. They had talked little the other day, and though Ariel wanted to ignore her still, she could never carry a grudge. Least of all toward Dylis.

You see, Dylis could guilt-trip her without even trying. There was just so much Dylis had done for Ariel that she felt ashamed to be angry with her, as though she couldn't have any reason to feel that way because it was her who'd stuck with Ariel always.

And yes, it was stifling at times, especially when she hit puberty, but Ariel found she basically owed her life to Dylis. She was the one who worked every day at the lunch restaurant in town so that Ariel could go to college. Naturally, Abby saved up, too, but Dylis wasn't Ariel's mom. Dylis didn't have to. It wasn't her job. And yet… yet it was as though Dylis' life revolved around keeping Ariel safe and making sure her life was a good one.

So, no. Ariel couldn't bear being angry with Dylis for too long, because it'd she felt as though she didn't have the right.

They didn't speak about what Dylis had tried to convince her. They consciously talked around it during their early breakfast, having idle chats about whether it would rain during their journey or not.

They said goodbye to Merry, who was polite enough to wake up early and see them out, but Saradoc and Esmeralda walked with them all the way to the Brandywine Bridge, from whence Ariel and Dylis would take the path eastward.

The two little people had provided them with loads of food so that they wouldn't have to live on berries, and had even given them the dresses which they'd worn the past two days. Yes, they were quite short and a little tight around the chest, but it was better than their filthy clothes that reeked of mud, sweat, and campfire.

The sun was up by the time they reached the bridge, and the four stopped walking.

"Well," Saradoc said, "I suppose here's where we leave you."

He seemed a bit sullen about it. Ariel guessed the novelty of her and Dylis had been quite the excitement for the two.

"We will not forget your kindness," Dylis said, smiling.

Feeling she should probably say something as well, Ariel added gravely, "We are forever in your debt." It came out a bit dramatically, Ariel supposed, because Dylis' jaws clenched and she seemed close to rolling her eyes.

"As I said before, it was no trouble!" Esmeralda said. "Truly, we would not help two ladies lost and wandering?"

"Now, off you go," Saradoc said, nodding once. "You have a long journey before you."

"All the best wishes," Dylis said, and Ariel offered them a smile. These two little people had shown them such kindness, and because of the two nights' rest she had, she felt energised enough to start this journey.

To whatever end.

They said their final goodbyes, then left.

The journey was quite uneventful. No more berry-plucking, no more spiders crawling over hands (except sometimes when they were asleep) and no more wolves driving them off course.

Slowly, Ariel and Dylis started to talk comfortably again, the tension wearing off with the days.

In the meantime, Ariel also spent quite a lot of time in her head. She was starting to notice just how extensive this place was— wherever they were.

She didn't know what to expect. She certainly didn't expect to come across roads and cars and modern buildings anymore— but if she didn't, then why couldn't she believe they were somewhere else? Say, in a medieval time period? With Hobbits?

She just didn't know what to believe anymore. No, they weren't in America— she could hear it in these peoples' accents— but to believe she and Dylis were stranded in a fictional world? Thinking something like that usually involved madness and asylums.

But Dylis… somehow she seemed to say everything just right. She spoke like them— and just the other day when she strung up a conversation with a random passerby, Ariel noticed just how alike their accents were. Dylis seemed to be adapting perfectly, and though Ariel just followed her lead, she wondered just how Dylis knew to say the right thing every single time.

Perhaps there was some truth in Dylis' strange story, a voice was telling her. Perhaps she should hear her out.

But that was insane… Just accepting she was in a world straight from the books and movies..? She couldn't wrap her head around it.

It was only one the third night when she finally had the courage to start about it. They were sitting on the left side of the road, just far away enough to be covered by the trees, and Ariel had been staring into the campfire for a while now.

Still staring at the dancing flames, she started, "So… Merry."

She felt Dylis' glance shift to her. The blonde just waited for Ariel to say more.

"Meriadoc Brandybuck," Ariel said, slowly lifting her head from her drawn up knees, turning her head to Dylis. "He's not… ehm. He's not as talkative in the movies."

Dylis' eyebrows shot up. For the first time in Ariel's life, she seemed speechless. The blonde swallowed, she could see her throat bob. "You— You believe me?"

"I mean… it's pretty hard to accept," Ariel said, looking away. "Believing you would mean that I believe we're stuck in a fantasy world. It's pretty… absurd." Ariel stared into the dark, then shook her head. "But the excuses I've been making up are much more absurd at times. Little people with oddities such as large hairy feet and pointy ears living together in a community the middle of nowhere because society wouldn't accept them? People wanting to take a break from daily life and escaping into the wild to live like medieval merchants— becoming so engrossed in it they almost believe they're living in such times?" Ariel snorted. "Not quite convincing."

"I understand," Dylis said, her voice hoarse. "I do. You need time— and so do I. Being—" she stopped herself for a second "—here, it's just… nonsensical."

Ariel nodded. "I suppose that's the right word for it," she said. "Ludicrous. Irrational."

Dylis smiled faintly. "Preposterous. Grotesque."

"Implausible. Risible," Ariel added.

"Outrageous. Farcical."

"Appalling."

"Perturbing."

Ariel frowned into the fire, playing with the hem of her skirt. Then she sighed. "You win. Can't think of any more."

Dylis laughed. "That's alright," she said. "Not everyone can be as intellectual and erudite as I am."

Ariel made a face, then lay down on her mat. "What are we going to do in Bree anyways?" she asked. "I mean, you do want to look for a way back home, do you?"

Dylis stayed silent for a while. "To be honest, I'm not yet sure what we are going to do," she said. "But we will figure it out."

Ariel nodded slowly. The idea of Dylis being clueless unsettled her, but somehow she trusted that with her, things would be alright.

They would find their way back home. She knew they would.

o0o

The sun was already high up in the sky when they made it out of the forest. Before them loomed up a rather unimpressive city wall and a wooden gate, and Ariel supposed it was more of a way to record who came in and out of the city than that it had a defencive purpose.

She watched apprehensively as Dylis strode up to the gate and rapped her fist against it. A few seconds later, a panel opened, and a grim looking man appeared behind.

Ariel took a step back, letting Dylis do the talking.

"Who are you?" he asked rather bluntly and with a croaky voice.

"Just two wanderers, sir," Dylis answered vaguely. "We are looking for a place to stay."

"For how long?"

Dylis paused. "As long as we can afford to."

The gatekeeper narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Not letting anything slip, are we?" he said. "Very well, very well. Come through." With that, he shut the panel and opened the gate for them. Ariel wondered just how corrupt this gatekeeper was, going from being suspicious to relenting so quickly.

"Thank you, sir," Dylis said, sounding faintly surprised. "Have a good day."

Ariel mumbled something along the same lines and followed Dylis through the gate.

They were instantly hit by the stench. The reek of manure penetrated their noses, and Ariel covered her nose with her hands as she pulled a face. From the corner of her eye, she saw even Dylis was affected by the stench.

Ariel didn't know what she'd expected from Bree— the idea it really was a fictional place had occupied her mind a bit, and she'd watched the movies years ago. She did know, however, that she hadn't expected this.

The street through which they walked was broad, broader than she would've expected from a medieval town, but when she heard a snort behind her and jumped aside for a horse and carriage, she grasped the purpose of it. Horse shit lined up the road at both sides, as though horses were treated and allowed to shit everywhere just like dogs.

Nevertheless, if one looked past the manure practically everywhere, one could say the town had its charms.

The buildings they passed were all half-timbered, strongly reminding Ariel of her trip to England and the medieval-looking cottages she often spotted there a few years ago.

The deeper they went into the city, the more the main road split off into narrow, picturesque streets. For a brief second Ariel thought of her summer vacations, where such streets would definitely be worthy of an Instagram shot.

That little thought hit her like diving in icy cold water. As stupid as it sounded, she would never be able to post something on Instagram. She would never be able to text or call or video chat with her friends. Not until they found their way home— and how does one go back home when they're stuck in a fictional place?

Spots danced in her vision, and her hand fumbled for Dylis' arm. This was madness— they were actually in a fictional place. A fictional town that looked, sounded and smelled so damned real. That horse looked real. A bell chiming when someone entered a shop sounded real. That shit fucking everywhere smelled real.

"Dylis," she gasped, her limbs shaking.

They stopped walking. "Ariel?" she heard Dylis asked, but when Ariel turned her head, her vision swam. "Shit."

Ariel was faintly aware that she was pulled to some narrow street out of sight. She couldn't hear the crows feasting on horse manure anymore— her blood was pumping in her ears and her breathing was too loud.

Dylis was talking but she couldn't focus on the words. All she could think about was how they probably would never find home again— how she wouldn't see Will and his sweet and kind Russell again, or caring Abby and stern but soft-hearted Hugh.

"Ariel."

How could she ever live in a place like this? How could she ever wear itchy dresses like this one forever? How could she ever survive a day without her phone?

"Ariel, listen to me," Dylis said, and Ariel's gaze shifted to the blonde, confused. "Yes, you are in a medieval-inspired world. Yes, this is a medieval town and a fictional one at that, but you're here with me. You are not alone. Things aren't as hopeless as you think."

Ariel frantically shook her head, a voice in her head shouting that she shouldn't listen, that she'd probably die here as well, that she'd left her family at home wondering where she and Dylis might have suddenly disappeared to.

"It's alright," Dylis said, holding her hand. "It's alright. You are here with me. You are allowed to be scared— I am scared, too, even though I hate to admit it. But we will figure this out, together. You and me."

Slowly, as Dylis went on talking and assuring her, Ariel could feel herself being pulled out of the water. She held on to Dylis' voice, and the beat of the blood pumping in her ears steadily grew silent. She blinked, her vision refocusing, and she took another deep breath in.

After a few seconds, she turned to look at Dylis.

The blonde just nodded, swallowing thickly. "Come. I know a place where we can go," she said eventually. She held out her hand, and Ariel took it, and they left the little street to follow the main road again.

Ariel didn't notice it when she looked in front of her, but when she looked back, she saw that they'd steadily been climbing up a hill. The road winded a little to the right, then back to the left, and then Dylis stopped, pulling Ariel to a stop as well.

"I think this is it."

Ariel followed Dylis gaze, and her eyes landed on a sign hanging above the door of the building they were standing in front of.

The first thing she noticed was the white horse— or pony— that was prancing.

The second thing she noticed was that she couldn't read the letters carved out beneath them.

She frowned and turned to Dylis. "That's a weird alphabet," she said, pointing at the sign.

Dylis frowned. "Huh?" She looked at the sign as though nothing was wrong with it, until she looked back to Ariel. Something seemed to dawn on her, and Ariel's frown deepened a bit. "Oh, yes. It is, isn't it? But it says, 'The Prancing Pony'."

"How do you know?"

Dylis grinned. It seemed a bit strained, though. "Weren't you the one to call me a 'Tolkien geek'?"

They went inside, and a bell chimed as was the case, Ariel noticed, with almost all shops and entrances. There was a loud murmur of people already inside, and Ariel peered out of the hall into another room where she could see a bar and some occupied seats and tables.

A restaurant, then.

She admitted she was quite hungry, but how exactly did Dylis think they could pay for lunch? They didn't have any money!

She was about to voice this when a merry voice greeted them.

"Ah, good afternoon, misses!"

They both halted and turned to a man standing behind what looked like a check-in desk.

The man behind the counter was short and stout, his head bald and his sanguine face a fierce red. There was a very cheerful look on his face as he looked at them. "My name's Barliman Butterbur," he said. "How can I help ye?"

"Good day to you, too, sir," Dylis said kindly. "We are looking for a place to stay."

"Of course, miss," the man replied, pulling out some sort of form. "Room with two separate beds?"

"Yes."

"And for how long do you wish to stay?"

"Uhm. We do not yet know," Dylis admitted. Ariel cocked an eyebrow at her. "Which is why we have a proposal," Dylis hurried on saying. "Tilda and I both know our way around the kitchen. I have managed a restaurant once, as well. We were wondering whether you might have use of two extra pairs of hands, in exchange for lodgings at the inn."

Ariel's eyes widened. Uhm… what? Working at an inn? In a fictional world? What in the world was Dylis thinking?

The man seemed to think on it for a moment, stroking his beard. "It has been more crowded the past days," he murmured thoughtfully. "I suppose I could use some helping hands in managing this place a bit."

"I promise we will be of good service," Dylis said, not aware that Ariel was fuming.

"You have yourselves a deal. Your service in exchange for lodgings and meals," the man said with a growing smile. "I think Nob would be pleased with two determined misses as yourself. Come along, now. Have you had lunch already? No? Well, I'll let you have lunch first and then I will have someone show you around the place."

"Thank you, sir," Dylis said. "You are most kind."

They're in Bree! I'm so excited that they're coming closer to the original story line with each chapter. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing this chapter. Keep on the look out for chapter 8, because it's almost ready to be published :)

Have a good day and stay safe.

xoxo