The Baldr Experiment: Chapter 5 – The Story – Part 6

Rachel Barton
Dec 20, 2025
1 min read

Bree

Warm, fantasy tavern interior with wooden tables and glowing lanterns. Small hobbit-like figures stand near a table of bread and frothy mugs, a cheerful patron raises a drink in the background, a hooded ranger stands quietly to one side, and a small dog waits nearby, creating a cozy, storybook scene.

After the ferry, the pressure lifted.

Not completely, but enough to breathe again. Enough to enjoy the process instead of bracing against it. The story stopped chasing me, and for a moment, I let myself relax.

As the ideas got a little messier, the laughter crept back in. I stopped gripping the outline so tightly and remembered why this was fun in the first place.

Gandalf was still there, the spark, the belief, the reason I started, but he wasn’t standing next to me telling me what to do next. The idea had done its job and it was up to me to keep walking.

And in that pause, between enjoying the moment and wondering what came next, I noticed something else. It was not a replacement or a rescue, but a quiet competence.

The kind of presence that could absolutely do this alone, but chooses to walk alongside you instead. Someone who knows the road...Strider.

Suziedog stepped in, followed by a thorough inspection. A careful sniff. A slow circle. A long, thoughtful stare that said, “You might be useful. I’m not convinced yet...Do you have any snacks?”

The story is still mine.

The direction still mine.

I realised, I don’t have to figure out every step on my own.

For now, the mood is lighter and the company is good.

The road ahead feels far more manageable with the right people beside me.