A/N: For now and for future reference, any writing that is italicized is either a flashback or a thought of Raina's/Luthien's (which are the same person... but still...)

I still own nothing but Raina/Luthien. Enjoy the chapter and please review!

We walked in the darkness for a long while. Without the sun's gaze upon us, I had little idea of how long we had been in the darkness with only Gandalf's staff to light our path. We kept a fine pace and we were moving quite quickly until Gandalf paused and looked confused by his surroundings.

"Are you alright, Gandalf?" I asked for I had been the closest to him when he paused.

"It seems I have no memory of this place," He sighed as he turned to our fellow travelers. "I have not been in the mines for a long time and I seem to have forgotten where I am. It may take me a while to verify where we are with certainty and know which way to go next."

"This seems a good of place as any to stop and rest," Estel assured our forlorn leader. "We shall stay here the night and rest. That should give you enough time to establish our location, Gandalf." I watched as my father could only nod his response for shame of getting us lost. I followed him he sat down on and flat rock while I stood behind him for a moment.

"Do not fear, Gandalf," I laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You have not failed us yet; I know you will not fail us now." He nodded once more and I could almost see his thoughts as he began to have them. I left him alone to those thoughts as I went to help Sam start a fire to cook a meal upon. Sam ushered me away as he began to cook, so I wandered to the other end of the stone platform we were upon and sat away from all of the fellowship.

Alone, I let my thoughts wander wherever they wanted to take me. The only thought that was on my mind was the night I had left Eglarest. The images of the night were so clear to me that I could never seem to erase them.

"What is the matter, Raina?" The King scowled at my nearly six year old form. "Can you not take your shame?"

"Ada," I had called up to him, for at the time I had believed he was my Ada. "Please, stop."

"I am not your Ada," He shouted back as he grabbed my face and squeezed it between his rough and cold fingers. "The loathsome fool of a wizard is your father. That monster is your father."

"Gandalf?" My little mind could not wrap itself around the idea that such a kind man was my father unlike the cruel one in front of me.

"That is correct," My Naneth spat at me as well. "That terrible wizard gave me you. This is your fault, Raina. If you were not magical, none of this would have happened." It was then that she slapped the side of my face as hard as she could muster and knocked me from the King's hands. "You deserve to be slapped."

"Gandalf is a good wizard," My six year old mind attempted to comprehend what they were telling me. "He is kind and gentle, and you are mean."

"Mean," The King roared as he kicked me to the ground. "We only give you what you deserve."

They left the room then leaving their only child on the ground crying and in terrible pain.

A finger trailing itself across my cheek pulled me from my thoughts. "I do not know what you were thinking so intently about," Legolas's lyrical voice mused as he crouched before me, a hand on my cheek, "but it seems to have given you an ill will. You were crying." He stated quite the obvious as I saw the tear that he had wiped off my cheek sparkle in the little light that was in the mines.

"My thoughts are never as cheery as I should hope for them to be," I admitted as I moved my hand up to remove his from my cheek. "I am alright, Legolas, there is no need for you to be so worried."

"I understand your need for privacy," Legolas began as he continued to pin me down with a soft but demanding glare. "We all have our pasts and some are not the most pleasant. When these resurface, it is easiest to shut them down and hide our pasts away as if they never existed," He stood then and leaned over to whisper in my ear, "But what is easiest is not always best," before he kissed my cheek and was gone.

"Ah, I think I've gotten our path again."

"Look, he's remembered," Merry stated with delight as he went to get Pippin onto his feet.

"No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here," Gandalf replied as he went towards a staircase. "If ever in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose."

I smiled at the well thought advice as I followed the rest of the Fellowship as the last down the staircase. The stairs were long and steep and it took a long while to make our way down them. Eventually, we had all reached the bottom and entered what seemed to be a large entryway. There were pillars carved from the bottom of the mountain itself. The detail was intricate and I was taken by it.

"Welcome," Gandalf called out to our group, "to the Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf."

"A sight to be held to be sure," Gimli smirked towards Legolas. I suppressed a chuckle as Legolas gave him a death glare in response. "I bet there is nothing as magnificent as this in the trees you call home, is there, stubborn elf."

"Just remember, Master Dwarf," I cut in before Legolas could strike Gimli for his jest. "Stone cannot talk."

I left Gimli in a confounded haze as Legolas out right laughed at him. I continued to move forward to behold the hall that we had entered. My gaze was held by a small carving into a pillar. Before I could mention it to anyone, Gimli let out another wail. He cried as he dashed into another room to the side of the hall.

"Gimli," I called as I raced after him. I caught up to him as he slumped to the ground before a white, stone casket. I wail of no's tumbling from his mouth before he had a chance to stop them. "Here lies Balin," I read off of the casket in front of me, "son of Fundin, Lord of Moria."

"It is as I had fear then," Gandalf sighed as he now stood behind me. "We must not linger here much longer; we must go."

As Gandlaf had been commanding us, I had looked around and picked up a book off the floor. From the last few pages, I read aloud, "They have taken the bridge, and the second hall. 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 lurks in the dark. We cannot get out...they are coming."

As I had prepared to read more, a loud crashing sound sounded from behind me. The skull of an old dwarf followed by the rest of said dwarfs body had made its way down a well that stood in the room. Pippin, in his fright, had backed into it and it had fallen.

"Fool of a Took!" Gandalf cried as he stormed over to the young Hobbit. "Next time throw yourself in and rid us of your stupidity."

I had little time to give Pippin a reassuring look before Legolas called out. "Orcs," he warned. I had begun to hear their drum beats and clambering feet as I listened to the still air. As Boromir had stuck out his head to see how much time we had before they arrived, he had his head nearly shot off by an arrow. Boromir, Estel, and Legolas began to barricade the door as the orcs drew near at a fast pace. I lead the Hobbits into a cornor to protect them and unsheathed my own sword as they all pulled out their own. Gandalf stood next to Balin's casket as Gimli stood on top of it.

"Let them come," Gimli challenge as he shook his axe in both anger and spite. "There is one Dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!"

As he had said this, a hole had been made in the wooden door before us. The battle had begun.