The Baldr Experiment: Chapter 5 - The Story - Part 5

Rachel Barton
Dec 18, 2025
2 min read

The Ferry

A stylised illustration of three hobbit-like characters travelling on a small wooden ferry at dusk. Two hobbits stand together looking thoughtful and determined, while a small dog wearing a red bandana sits nearby. Dark, cloaked figures are visible on the far riverbank, suggesting pursuit and tension as the ferry moves toward safety.

Once we were back on the road, it was obvious we weren’t alone anymore.

The Dark Riders don’t arrive with drama.

They arrive quietly, as questions that won’t let you rest.

Is this storyline good enough?

What if the story doesn’t work?

What if you’re not the right person to write this?

They followed close. Not visible but felt. Every step forward brought another whisper, another reason to slow down, to turn back, to make the whole thing smaller and safer.

The pace picked up.

And then, the ferry.

Not a place so much as a moment.

I made the decision to put distance between me and what was chasing us, and to draw a line where the Dark Riders could no longer follow.

I didn’t announce or make a big speech, I just kept going.

Suziedog noticed immediately and took up her place at my feet, not because she understood the problem, but because she understood that this was the part where you don’t leave.

As the water pulled us away, I felt it immediately.

The pressure eased.

The voices faded.

They were still there, watching from the far bank…doubt always does that, but they no longer had their hands on the reins.

Suziedog clearly decided danger had past for now, and returned to her chew toy, a ceremonial bed-circle, and a sigh of deep hobbit-level relief.

When we stepped off on the other side, everything was quieter.

The story was still heavy.

The work still ahead of me.

But I wasn’t being hunted anymore.

And that’s when it became clear: crossing the ferry wasn’t about escape. It was about commitment. About choosing momentum over fear. About accepting that once you step forward like this, you don’t casually wander back to the comfort of “just an idea”.

The Shire was behind us.

The Dark Riders were held at bay.

The worst of the wobble, for now, had passed.

And the road ahead, while still uncertain, was finally mine to walk again.