A Mistake

Raina stood at the entry way of Rivendell, taking one long, last glance at the place of the Elves. This is what could possibly be her home after all this was cleared up.

There was a large arch looming above the Fellowship, who were scattered around in the glade.

Elrond appeared before them. "The Ring-bearer is setting out on the Quest of Mount Doom. On you who travel with him no oath nor bond is laid, to go further than you will."

Raina glanced at Boromir unconsciously. He would probably be the first to ditch, she thought bitterly.

"Farewell. Hold to your purpose. May the blessings of Elves and Men and all free folk go with you."

He opened his arms to the Fellowship, and from instinct Raina bowed her head, placing her hand on her heart.

"The Fellowship awaits the Ring-bearer,” Gandalf said, breaking the silence.

Frodo stepped forward, uncertain.

“Mordor, Gandalf, is left or right?” Frodo whispered. Those who could hear, besides Gandalf, tactfully pretended they didn’t.

“Left.”

So the Fellowship headed out to the left, and started their journey, which was sure to take many long months. Maybe even years.

***

The Fellowship traveled through woods, fields, and eventually hill sides that held massive boulders.

"We must hold this course west of the Misty Mountains for forty days. If our luck holds, the Gap of Rohan will still be open to us. From there our road turns east to Mordor,” Gandalf explained to no one in particular.

It had been several days, but it was one particular morning that the Fellowship got their first taste of adventure.

Sam was cooking sausage and cornbread pancakes over a fire on a rocky hilltop, while Merry and Pippin sparred with Boromir as he taught them how to fend for themselves.

“Two, one, five. Very good!” Boromir encouraged Merry as he blocked Boromir’s sword thrice.

“Move your feet,” Aragorn supplied as he smoked a pipe from his spot on top of a rock.

Raina and Legolas sat atop their own quarry. She watched Merry and Pippin in envy, but did not voice her thoughts.

“What troubles you?” Legolas finally asked, watching her watch the two Hobbits.

Her brows furrowed. “I feel as if it were a mistake for me to have joined the Fellowship,” she confided quietly. When Legolas looked surprised, she continued. “Say we were attacked, right now. At least the Hobbits would have some training, as well as a weapon to defend themselves. Me? I have nothing.”

Legolas leaned back in thought. “I could always teach you to shoot,” he said thoughtfully. “I have an extra bow, of course, and extra arrows.”

Raina looked up for the first time from the Hobbits practicing.

“Would you?” she asked excitedly. “That would be wonderful!”

Legolas smiled, glad he could cheer up his friend that easily. “Sure. We could start now, if you wish.”

Raina practically leapt up with delight and Legolas gave a chuckle. He led her over to where the packs were, and pulled out a simple wooden bow, with a few decorations of vines and leaves carved into it.

She grasped it in her delicate-looking fingers, and Legolas handed her a single arrow.

He slipped it into the bow for her, and notched it as he pulled the string back. Wrapping his arms around her small body, he laid his hands over hers to show her how to shoot it.

When he told her to let go, Sam was flipping one of his cornbread pancakes, thus the arrow went whizzing straight into it and flew away, taking the pancake with it.

“Oi!” Sam cried as he regained himself from stumbling back in fright. “That was your breakfast, Raina, you hear? None for you!”

Raina nearly doubled over in laughter. “It wasn’t me, Sam, it was this one!” she called back, gesturing to Legolas in accusation.

Sam didn’t reply, but shook his frying pan at them in annoyance.

“This one?” Legolas asked indignantly with a smile on his face. “No need to point fingers, Miss Maethoriel!”

She laughed even more at this, holding onto Legolas for support.

Right then, a dark shape came into view in the distance.

“What is that?” Raina asked, regaining her composure.

Legolas left her side and climbed a boulder easily. He looked over into the expanse.

“Just a whiff of cloud, nothing more,” Gimli said nonchalantly from across the hilltop.

“It’s moving fast… against the wind,” Boromir contributed.

"Crebain from Dunland!” Legolas called back, running back down the side of the hill to Raina’s side.

He pulled her away from where she had stood, trying to make out the black mass, gathered their things, and under a rock. Before she could question him, he wrapped his arm around her and covered her mouth. The only thing Raina could do was watch as the others hurriedly put all their things away and stow themselves under brush and rock.

It was silent after that, and Raina could hear Legolas’s heart beating from where she rested against him, his arm still around her and his hand still over her mouth. Her breath caught on his skin, making little puffing sounds in rhythm.

Soon enough, though, great black birds covered the sky, and Legolas pulled Raina closer to himself and father away from sight. Her breath caught as the sky was filled with birds screeching at each other, as they circled the Fellowship’s hill, and then flew southward.

After a few more moment, Legolas’s grip relaxed on Raina, and she crawled out from under the rocks.

“What… what were those?” she asked shakily as Legolas emerged from under the rocks after her.

“Spies of Saruman,” Legolas whispered as they walked over to where the rest of the Fellowship came into view. “The passage south is being watched…”

Raina brushed the dust and dirt off her tunic off as the others gathered together.

"We must take the Pass of Caradhras,” Gandalf said to the group of unhappy people, who in turn all looked up at the snowy mountains looming above them.