Where You Can Not Follow: The Journey

Chapter Five: I'm Ready

Clouds rolled in quickly overhead, and the loud roll of thunder could be heard off in the distance. It was like the weather was foreshadowing what was to come, and it frightened Joan a little bit.

Arwen had taken over to temporary role of watching out over Joan, and already it was time for her to leave Rivendell. Over the past two days Joan had settled in and loosened up a little. She mostly confided to Arwen and tried her best to avoid her father who looked like every time he saw Joan he wanted to kill her.

She sat with Arwen in the room they'd given her to sleep in for the night. Joan's palms were sweating and cold. She was wringing them together nervously. Arwen, seeing this from over her shoulder, turned and gracefully kneeled down in front of Joan, holding her hands in her own, "It is a long, deadly journey," she said to Joan honestly, "But it is your fate, Joan."

Joan nodded nervously, her throat caught up in a swell of tears that were held back. She nodded, biting her bottom lip until she couldn't take it any longer and burst out into tears. Arwen frowned, lifting herself up to sit next to Joan on the bed and enveloped her in her arms, shushing her like a baby.

"Arwen, Joan," came Aragorn's voice from the doorway but once he saw she was crying he mumbled a 'sorry', and slid out of the doorway leaving the two alone.

"It will be tough," Arwen said softly to her, stroking her hair. "You can do this. It has been foreseen."

"I-I'm," Joan choked out, "S-s-s-cared,"

"I know you are." She paused, lifting her head up, her eyes staring off into the distance, "We all are," Arwen murmured to the girl.

Joan lifted her head up, sniffling, and let out a sigh. Arwen looked down at Joan with a smile.

"You will do perfect." She said, leaning down to kiss Joan on the forehead and slid away from her, gliding to the door. "Come now, Joan. You must be ready to leave." Arwen said, and left her alone in the room.

Joan sat in silence for a few minutes, composing herself and gathering up whatever she had inside her to walk out the door looking like she was ready for whatever would happen.

Everyone was waiting outside for her when she exited the room, minus the dwarf, Gimli.

"Where's," she searched for a name, "Gimli?" Joan asked quietly to no one in particular.

Aragorn looked over at her, "He had other affairs to attend to but might return later on in our journey," he said and moved over to her, handing her a piece of blank paper. "Gandalf wanted me to give this to you. He said it would help you in the finding of the Ring, but I do not know how a blank piece of parchment could help you any," he mused outloud. Joan shrugged, folding up the paper neatly and sliding in into the pouch around her waist that Arwen had given her to keep things she needed in, and Joan supposed this piece of blank paper would become very important.

"Now you must go," came Elrond's firm, strict voice from behind Joan, causing her to jump and turn slowly around so she was facing him. Elrond was looking down at Joan with narrowed eyes, "A darkness brews again in Mordor." He said, staring directly down into Joan's eyes. She faltered and blinked, turning her head away from him.

Luckily Arwen was there and gently led Joan away from her father, walking with her, Legolas and Aragorn to the bridge.

"I must leave you now, Joan."

"Why don't you come with?" Joan almost pleaded. Arwen had been the first person she had come close to so far.

Arwen forced a smile at Joan and stepped forwards, embracing the girl in a hug, "I am expecting a child, Joan," she said into her ear.

"Really?" Joan whispered back to her.

Arwen drew away from her and nodded, "Gondor is not safe at the moment for me, that is the kingdom Aragorn rules," Joan stopped her midsentence.

"He's a king?"

"Yes, he is." Arwen said, laughing quietly, "But Gondor is too close to Mordor, and so I had to come back to Rivendell, and so I cannot go with you on your journey Joan, but I believe in you." She reached out, grabbing Joan's hand and placed a shiny necklace into her palm; the Evenstar. "This necklace has been on a great journey, and now I want you to have it, Joan. Keep it close to your heart and you will always feel me with you." Aragorn and Legolas were halfway down the bridge by now and had stopped, turning around to the two women.

"Joan." Aragorn called to her. Arwen kissed Joan on the head one last time.

"Be safe."

Joan turned around, leaving Arwen and Rivendell behind with a heavy sigh. She opened her palm to look over the necklace and fumbled around with it as she lifted it up, sliding it around her neck and stuffed in underneath her shirt.

She finally caught up with Aragorn and Legolas at the end of the bridge, the two of them watching her carefully.

"I'm ready," Joan said, looking at each of them with a crooked smile causing Legolas and Aragorn to smile back faintly at her.

They left Rivendell for good that morning.