"No!" she cried, but it was too late. The third arrow flew, hitting
him. Boromir fell to the ground. Lorien ran to him and grabbed his hand.
"You'll be OK, it's OK..." tears ran down her face. He lifted his hand to meet her face.
"Do not weep for me..." his voice trailed off. She took his hand and kissed it. You'll be fine, you'll be fine," she spoke more to herself than him.
"You are safe now," he whispered, "I love you," these words his final breath.
"And I love you, Man of Gondor," she buried her face in his bloody tunic. There she wept bitterly, the sound of battle in the fading distance. She knew the others were behind her fighting, but could not bring herself to join them. Moments later, she felt herself being lifted from Boromir's broken body. She looked up to the one holding her.
"Aragorn..." as she sobbed in to his shoulder, she slowly collapsed to the ground.
"Legolas," Aragorn looked to the Elven-prince. "Please take her to the river to get some water." Legolas nodded and picked her up.
Lorien sat near the edge of the river, the sounds of the water rushing in her ears. She drifted off into a trance. Legolas knelt down beside her and held her tightly. As he watched her saddened face, sorrow filled his own heart, and he remembered something Boromir told him long ago...
***********
"Legolas, my friend, as the only other of her kind that I trust, I ask you to promise me something," Boromir looked at him intently.
"Yes?"
"You must promise me that if something should happen to me, that you will love Lorien and protect her for the rest of her time. Promise me. Promise me you will." Boromir placed his hand on Legolas' shoulder. Legolas put his hand on Boromir's arm.
" I promise. But if I feel I cannot?"
"I have confidence in you, Legolas, but if you truly cannot, find someone whom you think is worthy."
"I will." He walked away, his heart breaking. I love her already, he said to himself.
Later that night, as Legolas walked past the small brook flowing through Lothlorien, he looked up to the hill on the other side. What he saw broke his heart. Lorien stood with Boromir on the hill, love in her eyes. He heard clearly ever word that was said.
"I remember, when I first saw you at the council at the house of my uncle. I thought you were so rude and arrogant." A smile crossed Boromir's lips. "I said to Arwen, 'Can you believe him? It's amazing, that someone could possible be that rude.' She laughed, and said, 'Well, he's no Aragorn'." She laughed.
"Well, what do you think of me now?" he asked, smiling. "Still no Aragorn?"
"No. Much more."
As they shared a kiss, a tear rolled down Legolas' cheek. He walked slowly down to the far end of the river. He knelt down beside it and stared at his reflection. He shook his head, and splashed the water then got up and walked away.
************
Now, as he thought of that moment, is heart was filled with greater sorrow. He looked at the water, rippling from Lorien's tears.
"Come," he said quietly, "you should rest. We're safe here now." She nodded, and stood with him. As she in the camp they made, Legolas left her, knowing that for the moment, she was safe with the hobbits.
************
The next day, as they set off for Gondor to bring the news to Denethor, Legolas thought of whether he should stay with Lorien, or send her with another.
When they arrived, they were greeted by Faramir. As the men sat and talked, Lorien talked with Eowyn. Legolas then pulled Faramir aside, and told him of his promise to Boromir.
"She thinks I am weak. And I am. I must ask you to take the position. Please." Faramir's face fell, but reluctantly, he agreed.
"If it is for my brother, then I will take the Lady Lorien and protect her for as long as I am able."
When Lorien found out, she was quite upset, and so was Eowyn.
"Well, if it is for your own good, Lorien, then I cannot argue."
"No, Eowyn, I won't. If my cousin Arwen gets to be a queen..." she looked at Aragorn, "Then I shall be one, too."
"But Lorien," Eowyn protested, "to become a queen, you must marry a prince."
"I will not take your husband."
"But, as I said, you must marry a prince to be a queen. I know Faramir is not, but he is the closed there is. Aragorn is going to marry your cousin."
I know." Lorien smiled. "I am an elf. I will marry and elf-prince." Eowyn stood up.
"But I thought all the sons of King Thranduil were betrothed..."
"There is one. The youngest." She raised her voice so that all could hear her. "I know of the promise that was made to Boromir. And who made it. I have seen in my grandmother's mirror. I have known of this for many years. And even though I loved Boromir very much, I have saved a place in my heart for another." She looked at Legolas. "Just one other." As she brought her lips to his, a tear rolled down his cheek. He placed his finger under her chin, and looked into her eyes.
"I waited for you."
"You'll be OK, it's OK..." tears ran down her face. He lifted his hand to meet her face.
"Do not weep for me..." his voice trailed off. She took his hand and kissed it. You'll be fine, you'll be fine," she spoke more to herself than him.
"You are safe now," he whispered, "I love you," these words his final breath.
"And I love you, Man of Gondor," she buried her face in his bloody tunic. There she wept bitterly, the sound of battle in the fading distance. She knew the others were behind her fighting, but could not bring herself to join them. Moments later, she felt herself being lifted from Boromir's broken body. She looked up to the one holding her.
"Aragorn..." as she sobbed in to his shoulder, she slowly collapsed to the ground.
"Legolas," Aragorn looked to the Elven-prince. "Please take her to the river to get some water." Legolas nodded and picked her up.
Lorien sat near the edge of the river, the sounds of the water rushing in her ears. She drifted off into a trance. Legolas knelt down beside her and held her tightly. As he watched her saddened face, sorrow filled his own heart, and he remembered something Boromir told him long ago...
***********
"Legolas, my friend, as the only other of her kind that I trust, I ask you to promise me something," Boromir looked at him intently.
"Yes?"
"You must promise me that if something should happen to me, that you will love Lorien and protect her for the rest of her time. Promise me. Promise me you will." Boromir placed his hand on Legolas' shoulder. Legolas put his hand on Boromir's arm.
" I promise. But if I feel I cannot?"
"I have confidence in you, Legolas, but if you truly cannot, find someone whom you think is worthy."
"I will." He walked away, his heart breaking. I love her already, he said to himself.
Later that night, as Legolas walked past the small brook flowing through Lothlorien, he looked up to the hill on the other side. What he saw broke his heart. Lorien stood with Boromir on the hill, love in her eyes. He heard clearly ever word that was said.
"I remember, when I first saw you at the council at the house of my uncle. I thought you were so rude and arrogant." A smile crossed Boromir's lips. "I said to Arwen, 'Can you believe him? It's amazing, that someone could possible be that rude.' She laughed, and said, 'Well, he's no Aragorn'." She laughed.
"Well, what do you think of me now?" he asked, smiling. "Still no Aragorn?"
"No. Much more."
As they shared a kiss, a tear rolled down Legolas' cheek. He walked slowly down to the far end of the river. He knelt down beside it and stared at his reflection. He shook his head, and splashed the water then got up and walked away.
************
Now, as he thought of that moment, is heart was filled with greater sorrow. He looked at the water, rippling from Lorien's tears.
"Come," he said quietly, "you should rest. We're safe here now." She nodded, and stood with him. As she in the camp they made, Legolas left her, knowing that for the moment, she was safe with the hobbits.
************
The next day, as they set off for Gondor to bring the news to Denethor, Legolas thought of whether he should stay with Lorien, or send her with another.
When they arrived, they were greeted by Faramir. As the men sat and talked, Lorien talked with Eowyn. Legolas then pulled Faramir aside, and told him of his promise to Boromir.
"She thinks I am weak. And I am. I must ask you to take the position. Please." Faramir's face fell, but reluctantly, he agreed.
"If it is for my brother, then I will take the Lady Lorien and protect her for as long as I am able."
When Lorien found out, she was quite upset, and so was Eowyn.
"Well, if it is for your own good, Lorien, then I cannot argue."
"No, Eowyn, I won't. If my cousin Arwen gets to be a queen..." she looked at Aragorn, "Then I shall be one, too."
"But Lorien," Eowyn protested, "to become a queen, you must marry a prince."
"I will not take your husband."
"But, as I said, you must marry a prince to be a queen. I know Faramir is not, but he is the closed there is. Aragorn is going to marry your cousin."
I know." Lorien smiled. "I am an elf. I will marry and elf-prince." Eowyn stood up.
"But I thought all the sons of King Thranduil were betrothed..."
"There is one. The youngest." She raised her voice so that all could hear her. "I know of the promise that was made to Boromir. And who made it. I have seen in my grandmother's mirror. I have known of this for many years. And even though I loved Boromir very much, I have saved a place in my heart for another." She looked at Legolas. "Just one other." As she brought her lips to his, a tear rolled down his cheek. He placed his finger under her chin, and looked into her eyes.
"I waited for you."