Paths That Lead Home (LotR F.F.)

Chapter 4: Rivendell

Abby's POV

Ok, so maybe I let Frodo and his little friends grow on me. If you met them, you would understand why. They are so nice, thoughtful, and downright cute. Frodo was a curious one, since he really didn't speak much, but whenever he did talk, he spoke thoughtfully. When everyone was surrounding Frodo before the woman took him away, I sat at the base of one of the grotesque, stone creatures and watched and never felt so useless in my life. Usually, I'm the one to jump in any situation to help someone, but after encountering those wraiths, I feel numb and cold.

I don't remember much from the attack. I remember raising my gun and firing, but my shot either missed or didn't affect the wraith. Either way, it got me thrown into a wall where I blacked out. I remember hearing swords clashing, someone screaming, and a gun going off. Thankfully, the only injury so far was Frodo's stab wound.

We returned to walking shortly after Frodo and the woman left. I walked in the back of the group, watching as Cathy went up to Strider and reassuring him, "he'll make it. He's probably in the best of hands right now." It earned her a smile from Strider. It made me frown a little. Hopefully, Cathy remembers that we are not to trust the guy.

I found myself walking next Sam, whose shoulders were sagged and his head hung. This whole Frodo ordeal really hit him hard. I rested a hand on Sam's shoulder, making him jump. "Frodo is going to be fine." I smiled down at him reassuringly. "Did you see how fast that woman was going? They'll make it to Rivendell in no time."

Sam smiled for a second before resuming his hunched position. Cathy fell into step beside me, but we didn't talk. Although, I took notice of her tiredness. Her feet were heavy, and her shoulders were sagged. Dark circles appeared under her eyes. She kept quiet and would occasionally rub her shoulder. I later saw that the fabric was torn and I could see a glimpse of skin. Did she get hurt when fighting the wraiths? Did she even fight them or was she tossed aside like how I was? I wanted to ask, but thought it would be safer to ask when we got to Rivendell.

After a few days, everyone began getting anxious, especially Strider. I guess we were getting close to Rivendell. I found myself mostly talking with Merry, Pippin, and Sam as they told me about their home called the Shire. It sounded like a nice, quiet place to live. Then Sam went on to a whole speech about one of their friend's fireworks and how awesome they were. Seeing him brighten up, even for just a few minutes, made me happy. I would glance up every once in a while and see Cathy walking beside Strider. They never talked. They just enjoyed each other's silence and company. I tried to send mental thoughts to Strider, threatening that if he hurts her, I will kill him.

On the sixth day after the wraith attack, we found ourselves walking on a path. Up ahead, I could see an archway. It this what I think it is? When we walked through the arch, my jaw dropped. I must be dead. Cathy's theory that we're dead has to be true, because this place is too beautiful to exist. I don't think I could take it all in. The stone and marble buildings glowed in the mid-day sun, golden trees surrounded the courtyard that we entered into and its golden leaves littered the ground. People walked around in smooth, graceful steps, all of them dressed in long robes and dresses. They all had long hair, even the men had hair that went down to their waist. These people looked so... proper? Elegant? Beautiful? All of the above?

I suddenly felt conscious about my appearance: muddy, bloody, sweaty, and overall filthy to look at.

Two men came down a set of stairs that stood on the opposite end of the courtyard. They bowed to Strider, who returned the bow. They bowed to the rest of us, and I went along with them. They spoke softly to Strider in a language I didn't know, before they turned to us.