A Mistake

“The wealth of Moria was not in gold… or jewels…” Gandalf said quietly, running his hand over rock laced with a silver substance.

“But in Mithril.”

Raina gave a noise of appreciation. She didn’t know exactly what Mithril was, but Bilbo had an old shirt made out of it, which was incredibly durable and had saved his life many times.

The Fellowship looked around the ore in admiration. Merry leaned over the edge of the walk, trying to look down at the walls and walls of the stuff, but Pippin pulled him back before he fell.

“Bilbo had a shirt made out of Mithril rings that Thorin gave to him,” Gandalf said absently. From where she was with Frodo, Raina could see the recognition on his face as well.

“Oh, that was a kingly gift,” Gimli said in awe.

“Yes! I never told him, but that shirt is worth more than the Shire and everything in it,” Gandalf finished.

Frodo’s eyes widened a fraction, before he caught himself and his normal expression came back. But not before Raina noticed. Without drawing anyone’s attention, she ran her fingers over the sleeve of Frodo’s shirt. Underneath, metal rubbed together, making a very small noise. Raina smiled triumphantly. So Bilbo had given him the coat. Frodo glanced at her to say not to mention it to anyone. She gave a slight nod, understanding why he would keep it secret.

The Fellowship kept moving through the darkness of Moria. Raina found herself in close company with someone constantly. She soon regretted screaming when she was fighting with the monster. And passing out. If you could call it fighting… but now the rest of the Fellowship acted as if she were a delicate little girl, unable to watch out for herself. The more she thought about it, they more she realized that it was true. She was only part Elf, only twenty one years of age, and a girl to top it all off. It was such a mistake for her to have come, she thought to herself.

From then on out, she felt the glances from everyone as if the were a slowly growing wound. A wound of errors, she thought. Legolas was always near to her, and she was beginning to think that he only was close to her to protect her. Next city we come to, she thought, I’ll slip away. They won’t have to worry about me anymore. I should never have come…

Time passes faster the more you ponder life, Raina soon discovered, as the Fellowship had come to steep steps set into the cavern walls in a few days without her noticing as she climbed.

A few times the Hobbits slipped down, but were soon caught by the Men and set upright again. After several hours, Gandalf stopped at an intersection.

He sat with a sigh. “I have no memory of this place,” he said softly while sitting down.

The Fellowship soon followed suit, and in a matter of minutes, Sam was fast a sleep and the rest of them were scattered about, trying to get some rest.

Raina sat next to Legolas as they listened to the Hobbits talk amongst themselves, arguing whether the Fellowship was lost or not. Neither said anything, and Raina soon leaned against Legolas, closing her eyes. He wrapped his arm around her, welcoming her without words to fall asleep. His steady heartbeat beating next to her ear cleared her mind, and she let his scent of leaves and wood fill her thoughts. His long blond hair tickled her face, but she was too brain dead to scratch it off.

She soon realized that she was too tired to sleep, and listened to the conversations going on about the caves while she rested.

“I’m hungry…”

“It was a mistake to come here.”

“…Gap of Rohan…”

“… and back to my city.” That, of course, was Boromir. Everything was about Gondor and Minas Tirith, his precious city. But as Raina thought about it, she was growing used to the Man. He was kind to the Hobbits, and watching over them as she neglected to. His concern for her well being was genuine, and the way he spoke of his brother was only of love…

Raina cursed herself for thinking of the Man again. Faramir… what was it about him that was so interesting? Why was she so drawn to him… he must be at least fifteen years older than herself, and was probably already the father of a few children…

Did she really just think that? She shook her head into Legolas’ chest, bringing herself back to reality by listening to the constant tha-thump under the thin tunic and shirt he was wearing.

“…so do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, in which case you also were meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought,” Gandalf was saying to Frodo. Raina listened, thinking intently. Was she meant to go on this journey?

“Oh! It’s that way!” Gandalf said, standing up slowly.

Raina lifted her head, squinting to let as little light in as possible at a time. After stretching for a moment, everyone was ready to follow the old wizard into the depths of the new tunnel.

But it ended up not being another tunnel or cliff. Instead, the ten came upon a gigantic opening. Only when Gandalf brightened his staff could Raina tell that the vast space was a room.

She took in a breath in surprise.

“Behold: the great realm and Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf."

“Now there’s an eye opener and no mistake,” Sam said from behind Raina.

As the Fellowship walked around a column, Raina saw something that she would not have expected. A ray of sunlight peered around an open doorway.

Gimli cried out and ran towards the door, despite the warnings of the Fellowship.

The Fellowship followed him in to find him sobbing by a tomb. Raina walked forward and placed her hand on his shoulder in comfort. He seemed to buckle under the weight of shock and sadness as he cried for his late cousin.

"'Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria,’” Raina breathed. “I’m so sorry, Gimli.”

“He is dead then,” Gandalf announced. Raina had to suppress the urge to glare at the blunt wizard for his brusque way of saying that fact. “It is as I feared.”

Gandalf made a movement behind Raina, but she was no paying attention. Her eyes were closed, as she sat with Gimli in mourning.

"Kilmin malur ni zaram kalil ra narag. Kheled-zâram… Balin tazlifi,” Gimli chanted between tears. Raina looked up at him and joined in the chanting quietly, although she did not understand parts of it.

"Kilmin malur ni zaram kalil ra narag. Kheled-zâram Balin tazlifi."

Behind them, Legolas and Aragorn stood, whispering.

“We cannot linger,” Legolas was saying. “We must move on.”

Raina turned around to face him. “Just give him a moment,” she said sternly. After that, Legolas did not mention hurrying up again.

“’They have taken the bridge… and the second hall,’” Gandalf read from the decaying book he had picked up.

"'We have barred the gates… but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes.'"

"'Drums… drums… in the deep.'"

"'We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark.'"

"'We cannot get out…'" Gandalf paused and looked up at the silenced group of saddened peoples. Raina looked back at him grimly, pushing back tears.

“’They are coming!’”

The silence was then immediately broken by Pippin, who seemed to have knocked something down an old shaft. The noise was so loud and vibrated so much, it caused Raina to jump up in surprise, her body tense. Legolas immediately moved to wrap his arms around her in comfort, and she relaxed, before an old bucket and chain fell as well, causing her to jump again.

“Fool of a Took!” Gandalf started, but Raina did not pay attention to what he said next. Both Elves whipped their heads around to face the door. Deep within the mines, drumming could be heard.

The same phrase from the old journal was now repeating itself in Raina’s mind. ‘Drums… drums… in the deep…’ She had never felt real fear until now.