Their happiness was short-lived. That night, by a warm fire upon soft elven bed sheets, Legolas told her about the Quest and the journey he must embark upon. Hearing this, Ithildin was greatly upset. It seemed to her that fate was cruel, allowing her a chance to be with him against all odds only to have him leave her.
"It is not fair, that I should find you now only to lose you so soon!" she cried against his shoulder.
Legolas stroked her silver hair but naught that he said could comfort her. In his heart, he was grieved as well and it is dangerous for an elf to suffer grief. But he was wise enough to understand all that he had undertaken when he had pledged his bow to Frodo, son of Drogo. He alone represented the elves on this mission and it was not a light task. So, as the morning drew near and the hour of their departure hastened forward to meet them, he took her hand and looked at her with eyes of love and said:
"I do not deny that the thought of not seeing you again is a pain that pierces my heart. But there are greater forces at work in this world and I must play my part, however small. Know this, though, sweet Ithildin: I will never forget your laughter or your smile and not a day shall pass when I will not see your bright eyes and your fair face. Our time together may be short, but today shall not be our last day. We will meet again. I can feel it. Until then, our souls are forever joined and in our dreams, we will never part."
And then he gave her a present. It was a small woodland flower. Through some miracle, the flower had not dried or withered, nor would it ever. With it came the scent of beautiful Mirkwood so that Ithildin had only to hold it close to her to feel as if she were transported back to the forest she loved. She took the flower and wound it through her hair and there it stayed for many years.
Then dawn arrived and with it, the hopes and expectations of a new day. Legolas left her and she followed him outside where all the Company was gathered. There were the four hobbits; the wizard Gandalf who in the elven tongue was called Mithrandir; the dwarf Gimli whom she had built quite a good friendship with; and the Men, Boromir and Aragorn, the man beloved by her friend Arwen. With them went Bill the pony, whom more than made up for his small strength with loyalty and love. The road would not be easy for this Company who called themselves the Fellowship of the Ring. They carried with them, especially little Frodo, the fate of Middle-earth. For the small gold ring that hung upon Frodo's neck was the very thing that the Dark Lord of Mordor sought in his desire to control and destroy all that was fair.
Ithildin's heart broke as she finally let go of Legolas and he joined with the rest of the Fellowship as they made their way out of Rivendell. So much depended on the success of their mission and yet, if they succeeded in destroying the Ring, so much would still be lost. How could any of them hope to remain unchanged after the evils they would encounter? It seemed to Ithildin on that bitter day that dawned cold and clear, that she saw the last of the peaceful, innocent world leave with the Fellowship. No matter what the outcome, Middle-earth and its people would never be the same. Nothing would ever be the same again.
She stood outside for a long time even after the Fellowship was lost from sight and she wept for the brave souls who had sacrificed all that they held dear so that others might have a chance to love them. She wept for Frodo and Sam and Merry and Pippin whose innocence would be taken away in their journey. She wept for Boromir, who carried the fate of the White City of Men upon his shoulders without a word. She wept for Aragorn who would be tried by his past countless times and Arwen her friend who must wait for him to return. She wept for Gimli, whom she foresaw would be greatly changed after the War of the Ring. She wept for Gandalf who would never again be allowed to pretend to be nothing more than a merry old wizard. And finally, she wept for her beloved Legolas, for she knew, although he didn't, that they would never be happy together.
When finally she had no more tears left to cry, she turned and went back into Elrond's home, the Last Homely Home. There, the elves welcomed her with open arms and took her to the Hall of Fire, where she might find some solace from the anguish that tore at her heart.