Chapter Seventeen:
Traveling on Foot
ARIA'S POV
Entering the woods this time was faster. The hobbits and I did our best not to get in a tangle with the wild flowers. We reached the white city of Glamïre within an hour or two. Since I had long legs, I had to wait on the hobbits to keep up, who were chasing after me at times. I had to remind myself I was human – even though I know the hobbits are human, too – and not hobbit-height. This made me depressed, but it reminded me of the height difference since leaving home; only then, Frodo and the hobbits were my height or a foot higher than me.
When we came to Glamïre, a hobbit that looked like Frodo but wore tan-colored dress clothes rushed up to me. His height reached my legs, which made me feel awkward and confused.
"I'm sorry. Do I know you?" I asked.
The hobbit released me. "I'm Elijah, Elijah Molvaro. You remember? You wrote me in your stories for a time."
Then I realized. I kneeled, embracing him that way. I was excited to see him, "Elijah."
"Yeah. The height difference has got to go," said another hobbit, who wore all black dress clothes. "If we're going to be traveling together, it's going to be difficult protecting Aria when we're not even her height or she being our height. All the same."
"I'm pleased to introduce you to Ronnie Buckley, Aria Breuer. Not always the brightest with certain matters, but he does come in handy when hacking into something," said Elijah.
"Ronnie. You avoided me for a long time, story-wise," I said.
"Pleased to introduce myself to you," said Ronnie. He turned to Elijah, "Can we leave now?"
"You two are coming along?" I asked.
"No, we're not," said Ronnie.
"Yes we are," said Elijah, cutting into Ronnie's sentence.
"Which is it?" I asked.
"Ronnie, I was certain the height change would affect Aria. But I guess it doesn't in Glamïre," said Elijah, whispering aloud to Ronnie.
As Frodo came up to me, Ronnie looked me over. "She certainly looks like one of the Race of Men, doesn't she?" I stood up, tired of resting on my knees. "Yes, we're going to have a real problem rescuing her."
"When would I need rescuing?" I asked, confused.
"Well, she is a bit tall. The bean pole. The stick insect," said Ronnie.
I was saddened at being picked on again, this time by a different person. Elijah told Ronnie, sharply, "Ronnie, you're hurting her feelings."
"No, it's fine. I'm used to being picked on. Why should this be any different?" I said, doing my best to hide my tears. I walked off into the housing area. I was unaware I was being followed until I noticed Frodo following after me. I stopped by a tall tree and sat down at a bench. Frodo joined me, even though I didn't feel in the mood to speak to anyone. "Look, I know what you must be thinking: why is she so tall?"
"No, I wasn't thinking that. Ronnie can be a pain at times," said Frodo.
"I know Ronnie's your Nobody, same as Elijah. I knew that before we talked," I said. "Ronnie's always been a pain, but what he said affected me."
"Don't get yourself down. I'm sure there's a way to fix this," said Frodo.
"By me turning into a hobbit. That seems about the only way to resolve this situation," I said.
"You've thought this over for a while, haven't you?" asked Frodo.
I nodded. "Ever since I was a teenager, I've always had this fascination for hobbits. You and your race have it so lucky. You cook well, enjoy good company, have close friendships, good relations – possibly. You're the lucky ones. I'm – I'm not used to that, except for the cooking part."
Frodo sat down, resting his hand on top of mine. "Why are you so desperate to become a hobbit? You may not always appreciate it."
"Look, I've been used to being with the tall people. I'll admit, I like short people better than tall people. I'm tired of this size. This wasn't your decision after all. It's mine and I've thought this over for years, but I never imagined leaving home. It just didn't cross my mind," I said.
"I don't want you to do something you know you'll regret," said Frodo, concerned.
"My life is filled with regrets. I'm used to it. Whenever I'm knocked down, somehow there's always been a way to pick myself back up," I said. "Let me do this."
"After we get your memories back. If you still wish to become a hobbit, again, then we'll see to it. If not, then there's nothing to worry about," said Frodo. "We'll leave tomorrow for the Wall of Memory."
"So soon. We just got here," I said.
"That's why I'm not wasting it," said Frodo, kissing me on the lips. The second after he released me, he added, "Of course, there are certain things I can't do while you're this size."
"Oh," I said, saddened.
"I wish I could," said Frodo. He moved a strand of hair away from my face. "You're right for me. I don't know why, but I want to look after you, even when you're this height."
"It was different back home. You were close to my height then, or taller," I said.
"I was a bit taller than you," said Frodo, admitting freely.
Frodo and I continued talking, never getting tired of things to say but finding time for silence as well. We stopped talking later in the evening, when we went to our separate quarters. It was a peaceful day, but I had no idea what awaited the very next morning.
FRODO'S POV
Frodo was restless. He knew he and his friends were leaving Glamïre in the morning, but not having much time to stop and rest for a while confused him. So what if Aria was now with them? He wouldn't mind spending more time with her. However, time was not a friend to him, at least not at that moment. He was roused awake by Aria, who entered his bedroom.
"Frodo, are you awake?" asked Aria.
"I've been awake," said Frodo. "You couldn't get to sleep either."
"No. A new place always does that to me," said Aria.
Frodo pulled back the covers. "Join me then."
Aria did as requested. Once the two were comfortable, with Aria feeling safe in Frodo's arms, they were able to sleep better. The next morning, however, Merry woke them up. Both Aria and Frodo didn't feel the need to get up. It was still dark outside.
"What time is it?" asked Frodo, groggy.
"It's time to wake up, that's what. Sam's already preparing breakfast, big enough for the five of us. Ronnie and Elijah may not be awake, but we are," said Merry.
"Go back to sleep," said Aria, also groggy. "I don't get up at this hour."
"Really? Isn't that a shame. Frodo, myself, Pippin, and Sam used to do this before we set out for the Old Forest," said Merry. "You remember, don't you Frodo?"
"To be honest, I don't recall much at this hour," said Frodo, getting out of bed. As he did, he noticed Aria's height change. "You're smaller."
Aria opened her eyes wide. "What?"
"Look at yourself. You're not as tall as you once were," said Frodo, stunned.
Aria got out of the bed and looked in a mirror. She saw her clothes were slightly baggy, as if she lost a few inches. "You're right. I feel like I'm four foot something. How is this possible?"
"Must be your stay here. I figured some situation like this would happen at some point," Merry said. He tossed Frodo and Aria clean clothes. "Get dressed and meet us in the kitchen."
Aria got up and walked to the door. Frodo told her, "Wait, Aria. You don't have to leave."
"I'd like to keep my dignity some more. Do you really think I would dress in front of you? Remember, you are still a guy and I'm a girl," said Aria.
"You're a young woman," said Frodo, correcting her.
"Either way, I'm not dressing in front of you," said Aria.
"Ah. You still don't trust me," said Frodo.
"I don't trust you with this, no," said Aria, correcting him. She told him last, "I'll meet you at the kitchen, if I can find it."
"I'll wait for you at your bedroom door," said Frodo.
"You mean 'we', cousin? I know the way to the kitchen a lot better than you," said Merry.
"I doubt that, Merry. We both had a chance to explore this place," said Frodo, surprised.
"Still, you can only hope for the best," said Merry. He walked out of the room, telling Frodo, "I'll wait until you're dressed, and then I'll knock on Aria's door. If she needs help…"
"I'll assist her," said Frodo.
"You spend too much time with her as it is. Let me assist her, for once," said Merry.
Frodo nodded. "Fair enough."
o-o-o
When Frodo and Aria were decent, they followed Merry to the kitchen. Indeed, Sam had made breakfast. Pippin was already eating when the three arrived. Ronnie and Elijah entered the kitchen at a rush. Seeing the five were already eating, Elijah decided he would cook food for him and Ronnie, which Ronnie nearly detested. The meals were big, but they were enough to last the group a while.
As dawn approached, Frodo and his friends said their farewells to Ronnie and Elijah. Aria hugged Elijah, but shook Ronnie's hand. Elijah then passed to Frodo the map, which Merry took and looked over. The group set out of Glamïre a moment later. Elijah watched the group leave until they were out of sight. Ronnie shook his head.
"They're going to get themselves lost out there," said Ronnie. "I told them they should have brought me along."
"Come on, Ronnie. I'm sure they'll be fine," said Eljiah.
"You don't understand. I may be a hacker, but I'm also an excellent navigator," said Ronnie.
"I didn't know that," said Elijah.
Ronnie gestured, "They'll be lucky if they reach five miles away from Rhyme's house and garden. Her hedge maze is something else."
"I'm sure they'll be fine. Let's go back inside," said Elijah.
Ronnie shook his head. "I have a bad feeling about this. They don't know what they're getting themselves into."
ARIA'S POV
The hobbits and me spent much of the day walking through the forest. I wondered if we were lost, but Merry was certain he knew the way. Frodo and Merry often checked the map to make sure we were on the right path. So far, this was the only dirt road I had seen, so there wasn't much to celebrate. I nearly thought we were lost. How big was this forest exactly? We did stop to eat lunch. I didn't get much into the conversation, lost in what the hobbits were saying.
"We shouldn't be too far away from Rhyme's house," said Merry.
"It's over there," said Pippin, pointing to the stone house with the tall wooden fence.
"Are you sure it's safe to go over there? We should focus on finding the Wall of Memory," said Frodo, "and getting Aria's memories back."
"Pardon me, sir, but shouldn't we focus on other matters? There are villains out there," said Sam.
"That don't know Aria is with us," said Frodo.
"Yet," said Sam. "Look, she shouldn't be the only person we should think about. No offense."
"None taken," I said. "I know I'm not the important person here."
"You are to me," said Frodo.
"I think what Sam means is, after this, we find out what the villains are doing," said Pippin.
"Yes. Let's all just charge in on the villains when they aren't looking," said Merry, sarcastically. He told Pippin in a serious voice. "Pippin, let's be serious. We don't want to go head in and catch the villains off-guard. They might bring out their armies."
"Isn't that what we're supposed to do?" asked Frodo.
"Yes and no," said Merry. "I understand Aria is important, but Pippin and Sam are right. We can't just focus all our attention on her. I know she means the world to you, Frodo, but this isn't about her."
"But according to the prophecy…"
"The prophecy said you, didn't it?" asked Merry.
"Not exactly. The prophecy spoke of a Ring-bearer and the girl that would assist him," said Frodo.
"Or her," I said, correcting him. "Who is the girl from the prophecy?"
"You know about it?" asked Merry, stunned.
I shrugged. "Only what I've written down. I even heard that I was in a number of prophecies."
"Well, one of those prophecies was about a Ring-bearer and a girl who helps him," said Frodo.
"Or her," I said.
"You're not a Ring-bearer, Aria," said Frodo.
"We have one obstacle standing before the Wall of Memory? How do we get past Rhyme's house?" asked Merry.
"Who's Rhyme?" I asked.
"She's a flower guardian, one of the Guardians of the Elements," said Frodo.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" I asked.
"We don't know that," said Merry.
I made an outburst, "You've been in this forest longer than me. Shouldn't you have known…"
"Aria, we only know Glamïre. We don't know this forest as well as the Elves," said Merry.
"Sam, what do you think?" asked Frodo, turning to his friend and gardener.
"I think we need to be careful. It's not wise for us to rush straight to her house," said Sam.
"Maybe I should…" I was stopped by Frodo, who grabbed my wrist in a tight grip.
"You're not rushing head on. That's reckless," said Frodo.
"You're one to talk," I said, remembering when Frodo rushed off when the Fellowship weren't looking.
"That was a different situation. Besides, I had to think of the others. They couldn't risk falling prey to the One Ring. I was thinking like an adult, Aria," said Frodo.
I felt offended by this. "And you're saying I'm an immature for my age."
Frodo paused. "I'm not saying that." He added, "Look, this isn't something you're used to. We've had experience with adventures. You're new to this."
"What about Pippin? He's around my age group, isn't he?" I asked.
Pippin looked stunned. "The difference between us is I grew up fast. I feel like I'm ready for adulthood. Are you?"
I felt like the outcast at that point. True, each hobbit had an importance on their quest, and maybe the quests afterwards that weren't written in the books. What use did I have to this group? I was now the newbie and I wasn't even a hobbit. The only difference was I was shrinking to a smaller height in a slow manner. I was drawing closer to Merry and Pippin's new height, but that still didn't make me feel relieved.
When the four hobbits weren't looking, too focused on their conversations or their own thoughts, I decided to make my escape. Really, I was curious about this Rhyme and why it was important to avoid her. I did hear Frodo calling my name, but I ignored him.
I looked at the front of the house. Yes, there was a wooden fence that surrounded the larger flower garden to my left, but to my right stood the stone house. There was a smaller flower garden to the right of the house, surrounded by a white-painted fence. The roof of the house was thatched, with a stone chimney. Beyond the house was a lake, where I could make out the sun, which was at high noon.
Seeing nothing wrong with the house, I opened the gate, closed it after me, and made my way across the cobbled stone path. When I reached the wooden front door, I almost felt like I was intruding. Was it worth the trip? What was wrong with the woman named Rhyme? Bravely, I knocked on the door, just seconds into hearing rustling and twigs snapping behind me. The door opened to reveal a woman with locks of curly brown hair and wearing a cook's dress with apron. The dress had flower patterns on the gown.
"May I help you?" asked the woman.
"Are you Rhyme?" I asked.
"Yes," said Rhyme in answer.
"Maybe I should just leave," I said, about ready to back out.
Rhyme stopped me. "Where might you be headed?"
"To the Wall of Memory, of course," I said.
Rhyme pulled me towards her. "Oh no, darling. You should come inside. I have a nice apple pie baking in the oven. You like apple pie, don't you?"
"I guess. I really should return to my friends," I said.
"No, dear. Don't be silly. You look exhausted. Don't worry. We'll get you all tidied up, dressed properly, and give you some warm food to eat. That's what a girl like you needs: safety, order, and a feeling of home," said Rhyme. She closed the door behind me, before I had the chance to look back.
