You are right Gwaihir, Mordor is to the south-east of Rivendell. I have failed in Geography [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] But I think that Tolkien could have used the word 'south' in the broadest sense, including in it all the lands south of Rivendell. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]
I think that you are right in that the red star was most probably suggestive of Frodo's doom, rather than some real vision; because it is only Frodo who sees it. It seems that nobody else, neither Elrond, nor even Gandalf, notices the star.
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But it is said that not until that hour had such cold thoughts ruled Finrod; for indeed she whom he had loved was Amarië of the Vanyar, and she went not with him into exile.
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