Veiled Stars » LotR [1] ✔️

Chapter Twelve: A Missing Ring

Five days passed after their arrival in Rivendell before Frodo woke up.

Elle had spent the long days in the training grounds, working with an old sword she managed to get her hands on. It was a battered blade and the tip was chipped, but she figured it was better than nothing.

Elle had done her best to stick to herself, although sometimes she would catch a passing elf watching with curious eyes. She had found that mustering up her darkest glare often worked to scare them off.

It was something she had gotten quite good at over the years.

She hadn't seen much of the others, especially the three hobbits, as they spent almost all their time at Frodo's side. Elle felt slightly guilty; she hadn't bothered to visit the dark-haired hobbit once.

She could barely bear to be near his room, and she wasn't sure she could handle seeing his pale, deathly face again. He chilled her to the bone, although Elle knew that it wasn't just the hobbit himself that unnerved her so.

She had gotten a glimpse of the possession around his neck once, rushing past his room on her way to the training grounds. It was the golden glint that had caught her eye, Elle had frozen in her tracks, turning back toward the room.

It was like a silent voice calling her name, a longing Elle had never felt so strong before.

It was Elrond who had frightened her away. 

He had shown up without the slightest footstep to even hint his arrival. One look into his distrustful eyes had sent Elle hurrying away.

Deep down, Elle was of that fact that just passing his room had caused her to lose control. She didn't know what kind of power was in the ring around his neck, but it was stronger than any force she had ever felt before.

A darkness loomed over Rivendell, a darkness that Elle hadn't sensed before her second arrival in the city.

She hadn't been back after that. A young elf named Lindir had shown her a room on the first day of their arrival and Elle had stuck to a strict schedule of traveling between the training field and chamber since.

Something was coming, Elle could tell that much. Tension hung high in the air and as the days passed she noticed the strangest of characters arriving; new elves and Elle swore at one point she saw a dwarf.

Even the old wizard had shown up the night of the fourth day. One moment he wasn't there, the next morning he was. He had kept Elrond in his chambers all day and Elle hadn't seen him since.

She had doubled on sticking to herself as things got stranger. Whatever was happening, she figured it was best to stay out of it of what wasn't her business.

Such thoughts whirled through her head as she practiced, giving the straw dummy in front of her a dark look. 

At the rate she was going, with two heaps of straw already thrown off to the side, Elle figured sooner or later she was no longer going to have anything to practice on.

But that was the last worry on her mind at the moment and she let out a yell, slashing forward.

Frodo woke up the afternoon of the fifth day.

Word spread quickly through Rivendell and Elle was hurrying through the halls, sword in hand, when she overheard a group of elves talking.

"The halfling?"

"Yes, yes. That's what I heard."

"My... I was sure he was lost."