Paths That Lead Home (LotR F.F.)

Chapter 7: The Ring from Hell

Cathy's POV:

The next morning, Arwen came and woke me up.

"The Council of Elrond begins in one hour," she said. She then held up a light green dress that almost made me groan. "You can wear this," she offered.

"Don't you have anything darker?" I swear I'm not an emo, I just love my dark, earth-toned colors. Arwen thought for a minute before running out. She came back five minutes later with a dark emerald dress. I slipped it on and studied myself in the mirror.

"You look powerful in that color," Arwen complimented.

I was startled by her word usage. Powerful isn't a word that doesn't come to mind when describing myself. Heck, it doesn't even make the first one hundred words that I would use to describe myself.

"Thanks?" I was unsure how to reply to that, but thanks is simple enough. "Aren't you going to help Abby?"

"I woke her up before waking you. She said she was going to wear a blue dress that she has had her eyes on since she arrived."

Probably because she loves making her blue eyes pop. I rolled my eyes.

"What is this?"

I turned and saw Arwen looking down at one of my opened notebooks on my bed from where I fell asleep writing. I think I was writing about my go-to character Caroline; the first character I have ever created back in high school.

"Some notes about how I want a character to act in certain situations," I answered as I brushed my hair.

"Oh yes, my father mentioned that you were a writer of sorts."

"Yeah, haven't decided if it's a blessing or a gift." My answer made her chuckle. A knock came from my door and Abby peeked in.

"Ready to go?"

I threw on a pair of boots and Arwen led us down the many hallways. She stopped in a doorway that opened to a circular courtyard. The seats were arranged like half a circle, sitting opposite of them was a stone table, and behind that were three other chairs. Many of the seats were occupied by elves and regular men, and other people who I assume were dwarves due to their short legs and huge beards. Gandalf and Frodo sat opposite of us and Frodo smiled and waved when he saw us. Arwen wasn't going to be attending the meeting, so she left, and Abby and I scanned the courtyard to find seats. The only two chairs that were opened and that were next to each other were next to Aragorn. Abby pointedly put herself in the seat farthest from Aragorn, which seemed to amuse him as I took the seat between them.

"Elrond told me you two were joining us," he murmured.

"You can thank Abby and her dreams for that. Otherwise, I'll still be sleeping."

A blonde-haired elf walked passed us and he smiled down at Abby with surprise.

"Hello, Abby."

"Hey, Legolas," she smiled back. He went over and took a seat with the other elves.

I leaned over to her with a raised eyebrow, "who's that?"

To my surprised, Abby blushed. "Legolas. I kind of ran into him yesterday, and we kind of talked. He offered to give me a tour of Rivendell."

"And you didn't take it! He's really cute, ya know?" my gaze drifted over to Legolas who was speaking to another elf.

Abby glared at me, but her face got redder. "I'm going to kill you," she muttered.

Elrond just then entered the courtyard and silence fell as all eyes turned to him. Two elves accompanied him and they took the three seats, but Elrond remained standing.