Paths That Lead Home (LotR F.F.)

Chapter 20: The Offer

Cathy's POV:

"Do you know the concept of privacy?" The boy said cooly, not looking up from his book.

"I can't control this!" I protested. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, "listen, kid, when I wake up, I'm going to be in all kinds of trouble. So me invading your privacy is little to none on my worry list."

We were in a library. The boy was the same kid who called me out on being rude when I accidentally eavesdropped on him and his little friend a few nights ago when my life wasn't hanging in the balance of an evil wizard. He was sitting in the corner of the library all by himself dressed in jeans in a navy blue collared shirt.

The boy sighed and shook his head. "Let me guess: you just found out you were a Seer?"

I glared at the boy. "What gave it away?"

"You're obvious lack of control and knowledge of your Seer abilities." He finally looked up from his book and studied me. "Do you even know what your hidden ability is?"

"My hidden what?"

"Figures," he snorted. "Your hidden ability. Every Seer has one. I know a Seer that can hear other people's thoughts, and another who can see through darkness."

"What can you do?"

"See and read auras. I can seen animal auras, people auras, and even dream walker auras like yourself."

"So that's how you can see me?" The boy nodded. "Well, I can do magic. It's really elemental and I can heal."

The boy snorted. "I can do magic. But healing? What kind of healing?"

"And why should I tell you?"

"Because I'm curious."

I rolled my eyes and looked around the library. It was empty except for one girl who was studying in the opposite corner. "Did your friend make it out alright?"

The boy turned back to his book with an unreadable expression. "She made it out."

"That's good."

"Yeah," he murmured, his shoulders sagging. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I'm sorry for being a prick to you. These passed few days have been rough. I can see from your aura that you are distressed, and I'm not helping."

I smiled. "It's alright, kid. I'm sorry too, for being rude. I just don't know what to do anymore."

"You fight," the boy says automatically. "You keep fighting until your last breath. Don't give up on hope."

I smiled. "Thank -"

I jerked awake gasping for air and shivering from the cold water that was dumped on me. I looked up and saw the black orc hovering over me with a bucket in his hands smirking down at me.

He reached down at gasped my throat, lifting me high enough that my feet could not touch the ground.

"Try anything like that again, and I will see to your end," he snarled.

I nodded. Black spots began dancing across my vision.

"Lord Saruman will speak to you shortly," he growled. He let go of me and I crumpled to the ground choking for air. The orc turned and walked through a door, closed it, and then locked it.

I sat up and took a look at my new surroundings. I was in a dark stoned cell with one small, barred window that allowed me to see the sun setting in the distance. I noticed that there weren't any torches in my cell, so no light or heat for me later. I went over to the window just to see how far up I am. Towards the north, I could easily see the forest that I was in earlier, and towards the south I could see mountains.