The Hobbit | The Lost Bender {Book 1}

14 | Garden stroll

{Rigmor POV}

The soft sounds of harp and flute resonated through the sky as I sipped on a goblet of expensive wine. The alcohol made my mind a bit blurry and my muscles relaxed.

I sat in between Bilbo and Balin around a table, just in the reach of overhearing the conversation Gandalf shared with Elrond about the swords they found in the Troll cave.

On the other table, Oin was stuffing a napkin into his hearing trumpet to mute the sound of the Elven flute, making me chuckle and shake my head in disbelief. My gaze fell on Thorin, who handed his sword to Elrond. The Elf unsheathed the sword a bit to inspect the blade.

"This is Orcrist, the Goblin Cleaver. A famous blade, forged by the High Elves of the West, my kin. May it serve you well." The Dwarven king nodded. Our host then examined the blade Gandalf had brought with him.

"And this is Glamdring, the Foe-hammer, sword of the King of Gondolin. These swords were made for the goblin wars of the First Age..."

The rest of the words faded away as Balin drew my attention to him.
"I wouldn't bother, laddie. Swords are named for the great deeds they do in war."

I realized he was speaking to Bilbo who was sitting on my left side. "What are you saying, my sword hasn't seen battle?" Bilbo asked, looking at the small sword dangling on his hip.

"I'm not actually sure it is a sword, more of a letter opener, really." I giggled, earning an amused glance from Balin.

Someone cleared their throat behind me and I looked over my shoulder. It was Myrna, a confused frown on her face.
"Those Elf maidens want us to come with them."

I raised my eyebrows in confusion. "Oh, okay. Of course."

I stood up and followed the two women to a place inside.

"Why did you want us to come with you?" One of the maidens smiled.
"A gift from our lord for the ladies of the Company."

She opened a wardrobe and two beautiful dresses appeared. I gasped. A gift from Elrond? This must've cost a fortune.

"I... I can't take this. I'm sorry." I said, completely captivated by the beautiful blue gown in front of me. "It's too much."

The other Elf took it from its place.
"You should wear it as a sign of gratitude."

I made eye-contact with Myrna, who was glaring rather angrily at her green dress. "There is no way I am going to wear a dress! I have standards, you know!"

Patiently, one of the Elves took Myrna's arm and led her away, carrying the dress over her free arm. I shook my head, staring at the light blue silk.

"I will look horrible in it."
"I am sure you won't. I will help you put it on, my lady." The Elf said.

Without saying another word, I let her help me.

My hair was down, waves curling down my shoulders. Flowers were woven into my blonde strands and my lips had been painted with the juice of a cranberry. I looked absolutely stunning.

I had never felt so beautiful before. I even seemed taller than normal.
As I watched myself in the mirror, a door behind me opened.
"You look very pretty." Myrna said, approaching me.
I turned to her, taking in her appearance.

"I can say the same about you."
She smiled, standing next to me as we looked at our reflections.

"We look like Elven princesses."
My hands felt on the soft fabric of the dress.
"I must admit, I feel more comfortable in it than I had expected." my friend spoke, pushing the silver circlet she wore a bit higher on her head.