It's five weeks after my birthday, and the day that I have been so impatient for is finally here, and yet I wish it were not.

The fellowship leaves today. In fact, they leave within the hour.

I bolt out of bed and shimmy into a warm tunic before throwing a few more things into a satchel that one of the servants had brought me. I would have rather taken my backpack with me, but it would be hard to wear with a quiver of arrows attached to my back.

Duke is watching me from a burlap sack in the corner. His ears are drooping and his tail is tucked in between his legs as he slowly trotted towards me. I sat down on the floor to pet him and the blue healer laid his head in my lap. Duke whimpered, and I realized that for the first time I could understood him.

Elrond said that when I can communicate with animals or trees the process of turning into an elf would be complete. I suppose that means I'm a true elf now. Just in time to leave, too.

"I know you wish you could come with us. But it is not safe, and I would rather have you stay with Adar. He will care for you while I am gone."

He nudges my hand so that his head rests underneath it.

"I love you too, old boy. You take care of my family, you hear?"

Rubbing behind his ears one last time, I leave the room to meet with the fellowship in the Great Hall for breakfast.

xXx

"Would you pass the potatoes?', Pippin asked in his adorable Shire lilt from where he sat next to me. I passed the dish to him and watched as the whole bowl was emptied onto his plate.

"Strider doesn't let us stop for second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, or afternoon tea." Merry explained as he also dumped a bowl of vegetables on his plate.

I grinned as I remembered how much trouble their appetites could be, while the two troublemakers argued over a bowl of mushrooms. Pippin pulled the bowl in one direction, and Merry pulled in the other. It was awfully hard not to laugh as the bowl went spinning through the air to land on Boromoir's head.

"Why'd ya do that, Merry?', asked a horrified Pippin as he watched the mushrooms drip down Lord Boromoir's face and shoulders.

"Me?! I did na' do anything. That was all your fault."

"Gentlemen, I do not think Boromoir cares whose fault it is as long as he receives an apology." Aragorn interrupted the disagreeing hobbits.

They turned to look at the son of Denethor who sat sternly in his chair, glaring at them. Well, he tried to look stern, but having a bowl of fungi on his head isn't exactly working in his favor.

Pippin gulped and took a step forward only to shove Merry in front of him.

"Well, thanks for that, Pip.', he said before he made his apologies and skittered back to his seat. Pippin bowed, mumbled an apology, and then bolted back to Merry's side.

I bit my lip to hide the smile that was starting to form.

xXx

Bill, Sam's pony, had already been loaded with supplies for the journey, and Sam was wandering around with an odd look on his face; almost like he had forgotten something.

"Rope.', I whispered. "You forgot the rope."

His eyes lit up and he nodded his thanks before running off to grab the coveted item.

Legolas took a set of stairs down to the gate we were leaving from, his eyes seeking me out. Finding me, he swiftly came to my side.

"Lady Rielásse, Lord Elrond wishes to have a moment of your time before we depart."

"Thank you, Legolas. I shall be back in a few minutes."

xXx

I quickened my pace as I neared Elrond's study. Knocking on the heavy oak door, I slowly entered the room. Elrond sat in his armchair, his head bent, with his clasped hands resting in between his lips and nose. He looked like some ancient philosopher in such a position, but his features were drawn tighter than any of the expressions I had seen on the museum busts.

"Adar? What is the matter?" I asked, as I stood uncertainly before him.

He lifted his head to capture my gaze with his own. Grasping my hands in his, he stood and drew me to the window nook that faced out towards the waterfalls.

"Ielleg,I would wish to warn you against the dangers ahead, but you know of them even more than I. That is a heavy burden to bear, and yet you have the strength to bear it. There is no oath or promise laid on you; you are going of your own free will and may depart from the ring-bearer when you feel that the time is right."

I nodded to show him I understood, and before you could say 'Silmarillion' Elrond had pulled me into a fierce hug.

"Remember the proverb on your blade, my daughter.', he said as I sighed into his warm cloak. "Courage is found in unlikely places."

He pulled away and brushed a strand of hair out of my eyes.

"You'll be in my heart,Elerondiel."

I smiled softly at his reference to my song before placing a kiss on his brow and leaving him to his thoughts.

Walking back towards the fellowship, I was suddenly caught up in a bear hug and swung around in circles.

A squeak escaped my lips, and my captor laughed.

"Were you not going to tell us good-bye, little sister?" Asked Elladan. I peeked over his shoulder to see Elrohir and Arwen also grinning at me.

"No I was not. I don't do goodbyes. I do 'I'll see you agains.' "

They laughed, and each giving me a hug, they bid me farewell and sent me on my way again.

When I finally met up with fellowship Aragorn sent a wink in my direction.

"I was almost afraid that the terrible trio had gotten you,mellon nin."

I giggled.

The gate slowly creaked open, and our journey began.

"Mordor, Gandalf." Frodo whispered. "Is it left or right?"

"Left."

xXx

"We must hold to this course, west of the Misty Mountains, for forty days. If our luck holds, the gap of Rohan will still be open to us.', Gandalf mulled over our course of direction as we set up camp on the borders of Hollin. "From there our road turns east, to Mordor."

I paused as I heard something strange.

Are the rocks... talking?

As if sensing my thoughts Legolas turned to me.

"Do you hear them, Lady Rielásse? Can you hear them speak? A race of elves that were strange to the silvan folk once dwelled here. The trees and grass have forgotten them, but the rocks lament them.Deep they delved us, fair they wrought us, high they built us; but they are gone. They sought the havens longago."

I shivered as the words sent a thrill down my back. The hobbits were already thinking about their stomachs, building themselves a fire and frying up sausages and potatoes.

As everyone ate, Boromoir slowly approached me, and I noticed that Aragorn eyed him warily.

"I wish to apologize, my lady, for the words I spoke at the council. I was harsh and prideful, and I offer my sincerest apologies to you."

I bowed my head in acknowledgement.

"All was forgiven on that day, Lord Boromoir. In times of war, trust and tempers are bound to grow thin."

He nods and goes to find Merry and Pippin, who had begged him for a lesson in sword fighting. I suddenly realize that it is getting close to the time when the Crebain appear, and I tense in nervous expectation.

Gandalf gives me a worried look before Gimli claimed his attention.

"If anyone was to ask my opinion, which I note they are not, I would say that we are taking the long way around. Gandalf,' he said, addressing the wizard who sat on a rock smoking his pipe. "We could pass through the Mines of Moria. My cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome."

Gandalf's brow furrowed.

"No, Gimli, I would not take the road through Moria unless I had no other choice."

Pippin, Merry, and Boromoir claimed my attention as I watched them spar with one another.

"Two, one, five. Good, very good!"

Well he has the counting skills of a two year old.I thought to myself as Boromoir called out instructions to the hobbits.

"Move your feet.', Aragorn said to Pippin, and my mind flashed to the sword fighting lessons he had been giving me since I had come to Rivendell. Not to honk my own horn or anything, but I have become rather skilled with a blade, having disarmed Strider at least twice.

"Thafsgutpippin." Merry mumbled through the food that was in his mouth.

"Thanks!', his cousin replied.

"Faster!" Boromoir cried as he shifted his attention to Merry. His sword suddenly slipped and nicked Pippin's hand as the Took joined forces with Merry, and the young hobbit yelped.

"Oh! Sorry!" Boromoir cried as he bent down to look at the small cut.

Pippin kicked him hard in the shins, and Boromoir hopped around on one foot. The halflings used his unbalanced form to their advantage, running and tackling him at the same time.

Strider grinned through the smoke of his pipe as he watched the steward's son be held on the ground by the two. Boromoir was laughing and smiling as they tried to hold him down.

"For the Shire!', called Pippin before he went down. His voice took on a note panic. "Merry! Merry! He's got my arm! He's got my arm!"

"Hold him down, Pippin!"

I heard the quiet patter of boot leather across the rocks, and I turned to see Legolas squinting at a cloud that had risen up. Well, Gimli thought it was a cloud. I, on the other hand, knew better.

"What is that?', asked Sam as he too squinted at the wisp of black.

"Nothing, young hobbit.', replied Gimli.

Boromoir stood up and shook the young troublemakers off of him. "It's moving fast. And against the wind."

I bolted around the camp and started shoving the supplies and the fellowship's belongings under the rocks. Gandalf watched me from the corner of his eyes, and the alarm that had not shown itself except in his eyes spread to his face when we heard the next statement from Legolas.

"Crebain from Dunland!"

"Hide!', bellowed Aragorn as he grabbed Merry and Pippin and shoved them into a crevice between two rocks. "Sam, Frodo! Hide! Quick! Take cover!"

Sam doused the fire while Frodo grabbed the last remaining pack. I dove under a bush and stared up into the sky through the dark green holly leaves as the birds circled above us— shrieking. I clutched my ears in pain as they surveyed the land for travelers; as they surveyed for us.

A hand was laid gently on my shoulder, and my turned my head slightly to see Legolas giving me a concerned glance. The foul birds soon flew away to alert their sender of our presence.

"Are you all right,mellon nin?" Legolas asked as he helped out from the bushes.

I shook my head.

"The noise. It does not stop as the birds fly to the south. It resounds inside my head. Over, and over, and over." I rubbed my temples.

He nodded with understanding.

"Your ears have yet to adapt to the increase of sound you are now able to hear. The ringing will subside soon, but for now there is little we can do about it." We turned out attention to the wizard.

"Spies of Saruman. The passage south is being watched. We must take the Pass of Caradhras.', Gandalf stated grimly as he crawled from his hiding place and watched the birds retreat to Isengard. Everyone turned to look at the dreaded mountains, and I grimaced.

It looks like Mount Everest in Antarctica.

xXx

The snow has started to fall, and the snowflakes tickle my cheeks with their crystal chill. Right now the snow is ankle deep, but it is growing deeper the further up the mountain we go.

Frodo lost his balance on a sheet of ice that had been hidden under the snow, and he tumbled halfway down the fellowship's long line of procession until Aragorn caught him.

The hobbit suddenly got a panicked look on his face as he felt under his woolen cloak for the Ring. Boromoir slowly made his way down the mountain when he suddenly stopped to pick an object off of the ground. Frodo went pale as the steward's son held up the golden band.

"Boromoir." Aragorn tried to get his attention, but the man only stared at the ring, mesmerized by it.

"It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing." Boromoir said as his hand slowly crept towards the ring.

That's how we feel about finding legos in the dark... with our feet.

"Boromoir! Give the ring to Frodo." Aragorn demanded as his hand rested on the ring bearer's shoulder. Boromoir started and looked up towards them.

"As you wish." He offered the ring to the hobbit, who snatched it and quickly slipped the chain over his head. "I care not." he laughs and ruffles Frodo's hair. As he makes his way back up the mountain towards us, Aragorn slowly releases his grip on his sword.

Just because I'm bored (and because he totally had it coming), I snuck up behind Boromoir and shoved some snow down his neck. He glared at me as he shook it out, and I give him an innocent look.

This is one point where I am especially glad to be an elf.I thought to myself as I noticed that I was able to walk on top of the snow.

We continued up the mountain, the snow growing deeper and deeper until it was up to Boromoir and Aragorn's chest. The hobbits had to be given piggy back rides to keep them from freezing to death, but Gimli stoutly refused assistance and chose to make his way through the drifts by himself, mumbling all the while.

I caught a few strains of his words over the howling of the wind, and I started to grin.

"Curse elves and their light footfalls. Why can they not trudge through snow like us decent folk?"

Legolas raised an eyebrow at the dwarf, who had cursed several times with words that were colorful enough to qualify as unicorn barf.

"Gimli, there is a lady present. And even though the others may not be able to hear you, she is an elf.', Gandalf whispered to the stout figure who blushed deeply.

"Eh. Sorry about that, lass." He muttered as his head was once again lost underneath the snow.

Legolas stepped quickly towards the front of the fellowship and stood facing the south, towards Isengard.

"There is a fell voice on the air." He calls over he shoulder to Gandalf.

"It is Saruman!" The wizard called back.

"I hate this part." I mumbled to no one in particular. Legolas had obviously heard, for he turned to ask me what I had meant when the avalanche started. The rocks tumbled down the side of the path we were on; barely missing my head as I pressed into the cold stone at my back.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain!', cried Aragorn. "Gandalf, we must turn back!"

"No!', the wizard replied as he held his pointed hat onto his head and began to chant a counter-spell in Sindarin; it didn't work.

A bolt of lighting shot out of the storm that Saruman commanded and struck the top of the mountain. The sound of crumbling ice, snow, and rocks reaches my ears and I curl into a ball as everyone follows my example. The whiteness surrounds us and I shiver underneath the blanket of snow that has fallen onto the company before wiggling out of it.

Legolas pops out of the snow and pulls the ice from his long blonde hair before looking around.

Hey, Mr. Pantene Model! I think the hobbits could use some help.

Confusion is scrawled across his face as he looks at me. "What does that mean?"

Crap. Either he's Galadriel, or I said that out loud!

Thankfully I am spared from answering as Gimli pops out of the snow and growls as he shakes the snow from his beard.

"We must get off of the mountain! Make for the Gap of Rohan, and take the west road to my city!" Boromoir shouts.

"The Gap of Rohan takes us to close to Isengard!', Aragorn replied.

Gimli turned to Gandalf. "If we cannot pass over the mountain let us go under it! Let us go through the Mines of Moria!"

The wizard turned to Frodo. "We shall let the ring-bearer decide. What shall it be, Frodo?"

The hobbit looked at his companions as they shivered in the cold.

"We will go through the mines."

"So be it.', Gandalf declared glumly.

And why shouldn't he be disappointed? He knows what dwells in Moria— Durin's Bane. And soon, it shall be his bane also.

The men turned around and started to retrace their steps down the mountain, but it was a rather slow process because they had to push through so many drifts.

Legolas saw their predicament and turned to Gandalf.

"What if you were to go before us and melt a path through the snow with your staff, Gandalf?"

The wizard stared at him for a moment.

"What if the elves flew ahead of us and brought back the sun? I cannot burn snow— I have to have something to work on."

We finally made it down the mountain despite the setbacks, and I did not know if a day or days had passed when we came back to the borders of Hollin.

Gandalf took the first watch of the night and Aragorn puffed on his pipe long after everyone else had fallen asleep. I tossed and turned, but I could not catch even a few winks of sleep.

"Gandalf.', Strider whispered. "The road through Moria is evil; I also passed the Dimrill Gate as you did those many years ago. I do not wish to enter those mines a second time."

"I don't even want to enter it a first time." I grumbled to myself.

"Can you not sleep, Riley?" I roll on my side to face Gandalf behind the red flames of the campfire. Even though most of the company calls me Lady Rielásse the wizard still calls me Riley and I sometimes think I could hug him for it.

"No, I cannot. The wind howls and the wizard and ranger are having a conversation at midnight."

Gandalf blew a smoke ring and Strider blew a smaller one through it's middle.

They both appeared to be in deep thought when Aragorn leapt to his feet.

"The wind howls! Howl it does indeed, but that is not the wind. That is the sound of wargs. We must wake the others."

After the others had woken up, we moved the campsite to the top of the hill that we had been sheltered against. Aragorn started another fire and we all gathered around it, back to back.

I had figured out quite some time ago that the Middle Earth I was in was a mixture of the movies and the books. Weird, huh? Some events I would recognize from the movies, and others from the books.

This scene was definitely not in a movie. I pulled out my bow and nocked an arrow into place, my fingers twirling the feathered fletching at the end of the shaft. Red eyes suddenly glowed as a warg tried to leap among us. I released the bowstring that had been drawn back to my cheek and the canine-on-steroids fell in midair and died near Aragorn's feet.

"Not bad, lass." Gimli stated as he hurled his axe at one of the animals that had gotten too close. Legolas' bowstring hummed alongside my own, and Aragorn and Boromoir had no problem with running the foul creatures though with their swords.

''Listen, Hounds of Sauron! Gandalf is here! Fly if you value your foul skins! I will shrivel you from tail to snout if you step inside this ring!', the wizard called out. They did not heed his warning— instead they came closer.

A blinding flash of fire came from Gandalf's staff and the trees surrounding us burst into flames. The wargs snarled in pain and high-tailed it back to wherever they came.

The sun finally rose and I looked around the hill for signs of the skirmish that had taken place last night. There were none, except for the arrows that Legolas and I had used to bring several of the wargs down with.

"As I feared.', mumbled Gandalf. "That was no ordinary warg pack. Come, we must reach the Gates of Moria by sundown."

xXx

Guide...

ielleg- my daughter

mellon nin- my friend

Elerondiel- Daughter of Elrond