The Truth Beneath the Rose

Imaginary

Far over the Misty Mountains cold,
To dungeons deep and caverns old,
We must away, ere break of day,
To find our long forgotten gold.

She breathed in the aroma of the tavern. The scent of smoke, ale, and sweat invaded her nostrils. She was old enough and strong enough to block the other enticing scent from her mind completely. She made a decent amount of gold cheating the drunkards at cards and chess. Everyone in the village of Bree knew of her, though they knew nearly nothing about her. The men wanted her and the women wanted to be her. Her hair, black as night, fell down her back. Her eyes, cold as ice, could pierce through the heart of any man. Her creamy skin was as flawless as the finest porcelain doll. The way her curves swayed smoothly as she walked was enough to have any man's heart racing. Her body, though it was small and delicate, held fierce desire. The voice that slipped through her lips invited you in. But the daring position of her brow told you never to come too close. She was all attitude when it came to gambling. She knew exactly how to read her opponent, she always seemed to know what their plan was before they ever started playing. She was challenging the old innkeeper to a game of chess when something in the air drew her eyes to the door.

"Come on, old man!" She teased, loudly. "You've got to do better than that!" She knocked his piece over and slid her queen in his place. He grumbled something unintelligible and pulled out a pouch of coins. He tossed it in the air and she caught it without looking. "Tactics, mate." She smirked and opened the pouch. The scent that filled the air around her caused her eyes to snap up sharply. She waited for the door of the tavern to open and, sure enough, it did only seconds later. Her head began to feel heavy and everything around her froze. The image of a band of dwarves, a Halfling and a wizard came into her mind. She saw them first in the Shire, practically ransacking a hobbit hole, then she saw them camped near a cliff. It was a vision she had seen many times over. Then, just like that, the tavern began to bustle again and her visions were gone. A proud-looking dwarf stepped in the door. He was in her vision but she knew not of his importance. He noticed her staring from across the tavern and looked straight into her eyes. She did not look away, only narrowed her piercing eyes at him. A drunkard passed in between them and the girl had vanished. The dwarf's eyes searched the tavern for her but in vain. She was gone.

The dwarf went on about his business and took a seat in a dark corner of the room. As he quietly sipped his ale, he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him. He scanned the room to find the source of his discomfort but found nothing. He brushed it off as anxiety caused by the quest that lay before him. His mind wandered to the girl with the cold stare. It made him uneasy that someone could simply vanish into thin air. Then he convinced himself that he had only imagined her existence to begin with. However, he couldn't fully understand how he could have imagined her for he had never seen anything like her. After a few moments of arguing with himself, he chose to simply believe the girl was only of his own imagination and pushed her out of his mind. He retired to his room at the little inn. As he laid in his small bed, he let a range of scenarios of his upcoming journey run through his mind. The negative possibilities always seemed to outweigh the positive. There wasn't really too many ways this could end anyway. He shoved those thoughts aside and began to map out tomorrow's ride to the Shire in his mind. Gandalf would be rather annoyed with his being late, but he was sure he could get there before sundown. As he stared at the planks of the ceiling, his mind was invaded once more by that stare he had encountered in the tavern. They were so cold and haunting. Yet, he felt if you stared too long, you might be sucked into them. It was a strange feeling that made him uneasy. So, once more, he pushed the girl out of his mind. Moments later, he drifted off to sleep.

At dawn, the dwarf saddled up his pony and set out for the Shire. He rode for hours and couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching him. Nerves again, he thought. He rode through East Farthing wood, his anticipation growing with every step. His anticipation quickly turned into frustration when he realized that he'd been passing through the same area over and over again. He couldn't ask for directions, the next village wasn't for miles. And even if he had come across a traveler, his pride would prevent him from asking for help. After he ended up by the same fallen oak once more, the dwarf huffed loudly and took out his map. He was sure he was headed in the right direction this time. A little less than an hour later, he was back. He could not believe how stuck he was.

"You're lost." Said a silky voice from behind him. At least, he thought it came from behind him. However, when he looked, there was no one there. "Up here." He glanced up and relaxing on a branch with her back to the trunk, was the imaginary girl from the tavern. He stared at her for a moment, still thinking that she might disappear again. Noticing him staring, she spoke again. "You're lost."

He shook his head to break his stare. "Sorry?"

"Oh. You're lost and deaf. My, you are in some predicament, aren't you?" She giggled.

"I am not lost and most certainly not deaf." He grumbled.

"Well there must be some reason you keep passing by here." She paused and rubbed her chin, mock thinking. "I've got it!" She said loudly, startling the dwarf slightly. "You must like circles! Big, fat circles!" She laughed.

"Circles?" He looked at her with annoyance.

"You've been traveling in a circle for hours. And you say you are not lost. Therefore, the only conclusion to come to is that you like circles." She grinned.

Already frustrated with being lost, the dwarf was in no mood for jokes. "If you're going to be of no use to me, this conversation is over."

"Ah, but you see, Master Dwarf," She started as she threw her legs over the branch to dangle, and leaned over him, "you might find that I can be very, very useful." The words rolled seductively off her tongue.

The dwarf swallowed and cleared his throat. "I've no time for games. Can you tell me how to get to the Shire, or not?"

His rude tone annoyed her. "I've no time for arrogant dwarves. Find your own way." She said, with a wave of her delicate hand. Closing her eyes, she returned to her original position with her back against the trunk of the tree, arms crossed over her chest. He stared at her for a few seconds. "Go on, then. See you in an hour." She mocked.

"I have somewhere important to be. Will you help me find the Shire?" He asked curtly. She peeked at him through narrow eyelids. The dwarf sighed. "Please..."

She looked at him dubiously for a moment then smiled. In a flash, she was on the ground before him. The dwarf's pony jumped and backed away. The dwarf thought it best not to ask questions, since he had already pressed his luck with her help once. "Would you like the easiest way or the quickest way?" She asked. He was about to answer when she stopped him. "I suggest you take the easier route." He wanted to protest but he knew she was probably right. He studied her as she took her time explaining every trivial detail of the route to the Shire. She was very petite. Even from atop his pony, he could tell she was a few inches shorter than he. But he knew she was not a dwarf for she had no beard. He also knew she was not a hobbit. She was too thin and frail for that. Perhaps, she's a small elf. Then he caught a glimpse of her ear. No, that's not it either. She must be a small human then. That's the conclusion he stuck with. "You got all that?" She asked, interrupting his thoughts. The dwarf nodded. "Alright, then. You'd best be off, it's nearly dark."

"Thank you for your assistance, erm... I didn't get your name." The dwarf had only just realized that they had bypassed introductions.

"I didn't give it, Master Dwarf." She smirked.

"Fair enough." He bowed his head. He started off toward the Shire once more.

"See you soon." She said with a smile. This caught the dwarves attention but when he turned to look back at her, she was gone. See you soon? He was unsure of what she meant by that. He hardly believed that he would ever see the strange young lady ever again.