The wargs left, and the silence that followed was deafening. He finally managed to say, "You're deaf,"
Very smooth Boromir. Very Smooth.
She nodded.
"You are reading my lips?" he asked.
She nodded again.
"Can you not speak either?"
She frowned, and sighed.
"No...I can speak," she said, but it came out in a rasp, not unlike some orcs he had heard before.
No wonder why she was embarrassed to speak aloud. But he didn't mind.
"My lady, do not be ashamed to speak to me," Boromir said.
She laughed nervously, and coughed a little, "I'm not ashamed! It just hurts my throat!"
The blush painted on her cheeks said otherwise.
Lauren:
"I'm not ashamed!" I protested, "It just hurts my throat!"
Boromir studied me, an amused expression on his face.
Out of nowhere, Boromir asked "Were you not born an elf?"
"Wha...how did you know?" I rasped.
"Elves are not born with illnesses," Boromir said slowly.
"Oh. Right. Yeah, I'm human. I got changed..." I coughed dryly, "...I got changed into an elf when I was brought into this world..."
"So, you are Sapphire's friend? Who are the other three?"
"Tyler, Peter, and Julia,"
"Where are they now?"
"Following the Fellowship,"
"Since Rivendell?"
"Yeah, since Rivendell. It's kind of crazy, but here's the thing: They were all together, you know, Tyler, Julia, Peter, and Sapphire, when they were brought here. I was out camping in the woods with my mom. We all got brought on different days, into different places. I bet you can't guess where I showed up!"
"I daren't try," Boromir laughed.
"The worst place you could possibly imagine!" I rasped.
Boromir looked confused, "You have not traveled from Mordor have you?"
"Okay, the SECOND worst place you could possibly imagine,"
"Hmm...the Dead Marshes?" Boromir said. "That is quite a long ways from here though."
"Yeah, you're not even close. Do you give up?"
"Yes, I surrender."
"So I went to sleep and I woke up in the Balrog's cave!" I rasped.
"You must be jesting me!" Boromir cried in horror.
"Nope! I was trapped in a tunnel too small for it to get into. I had a lantern but it was running out of fuel, and I was almost out of food and water when Julia, Peter, and Tyler showed up! I was stuck in there for three days!"
"That sounds terrifying. You are brave my lady," Boromir said.
"Well, at least I had chocolate bars, Sapphire's phone, and books to keep me entertained. My big camping bag came with me!"
"What is a phone and chocolate bars?"
"Here, let me show you," I rasped, trying to climb out of the tree.
"No, allow me," Boromir said, hopping down to the next branch and offering me his hand. I felt my cheeks start to heat up, but I took it and he lifted me onto his shoulders. I blushed some more and was relieved when we reached the bottom.
"Wow. You are really strong," I muttered.
"I used to believe so as well, until I met your young lady friend."
"Sapphire? Oh yeah, she's the best. But she is very immature. She is 16 but she acts more like 13!"
"Indeed. Now, let us get moving. We must get you to the elvish healers or you may lose your arm or worse.
"I don't feel that bad..." I mused. And really, I didn't. My arm was a bit sore, but other than that, I felt great for someone who had just been shot with a poisoned arrow.
Then I tried to move my arm.
It didn't budge.
"Uh...I can't move my arm Boromir."
"It is as Aragorn feared. The poison has destroyed the nerves in your arm. If we do not hurry, you may never be able to use that arm again," Boromir said.
"Now, no complaining," the man said, and then he scooped me up like I was a rag doll.
"Hey! I can walk!"
"This will be faster, and I do not want you overexerting yourself again. You are still very weak."
I sighed, "Alright, but only for today."
"You are much less stubborn than Lady Sapphire," Boromir commented. As I suspected. Sapphire had already made her reputation in Middle Earth by being as stubborn as a mule.
"So, tell me, what do you think of Sapphire?" I asked as Boromir shouldered his pack and my silver one.
"Well, I suppose I must say, she is very jovial. She is good at encouraging and motivating," Boromir said slowly.
"Go on. Tell me the bad too,"
"Well, she is rather brash, and she jumps into things without thinking. She is very strong, and she is actually quite intimidating when she is mad."
"And?" I prompted.
"She is loud. She yells a lot, and she speaks quickly. She never runs out of jokes to tell. She brings a smile to your face. She is very stubborn, and used to getting her way, but she is intelligent and kind."
"Wow. That was the best description of Sapphire I've ever heard. Now, if you were to walk up to Sapphire and ask her to label herself, well, she would most likely say that she's a crazy-awesome-musclebound-freak-of-nature-hulk." I rasped.
"Indeed?" Boromir's eyes twinkled.
Suddenly I realized how long I had been talking without coughing.
"Wow, I have been talking for a while now and I haven't even coughed! I think my lungs are improving!"
"I am glad for you," Boromir said.
"So, I've been wondering, what crazy things has Sapphire has said and done while she's been with you all?"
Boromir laughed, "Don't even get me started..."
"No, tell me, tell me! We have plenty of time to talk!" I pleaded.
"Alright, first of all, she screamed in the middle of the Council of Elrond."
I cracked up. "Describe it to me!" I demanded.
"Well, everyone was yelling about having a woman in the room, and I believe I might have said something that she labels as 'sexist'. She screamed 'Shut it', and Lord Elrond says, 'Shut what?'"
Boromir smiled and chuckled, "And then I believe I made more 'sexist' remarks, and she yelled, and I quote: "Excuse me, but I didn't haul Frodo's sorry little butt for six miles in ten freaking minutes after chasing Nazgul to be told I am worthless by a stupid, arrogant, and pathetic little man."
I laughed until tears streamed down my face, "She seriously said that?! In the Council of Elrond?!"
"Indeed she did."
"Man, she is so crazy!" I laughed.
"Crazy?" Boromir asked.
"Insane!"
"I will not argue with you on that one my lady."
"So, what do you think about me?" I asked, feeling brave. Boromir looked surprised.
"What do I think about you?"
"Yeah, be honest. Do I bother you?" I asked.
Boromir looked shocked, "Of course not! You saved my life. I am eternally grateful!"
"Now you sound like those green aliens from Toy Story," I muttered.
"What?" Boromir asked.
"Nevermind. And me saving your life? How could I stand around and watch you die?!"
"You took that arrow for me. You are the bravest woman I have ever known. You could have just let me die, but you put your immortal life at stake for me. What did I do to deserve that?"
"If I wouldn't have done that, you would have gone down a hero, trying to defend Merry and Pippin,"
"And tell me about this 'heroic' death that I die," Boromir growled.
"Well, depends on which version you choose. There is something in my world called a movie, where you watch things happen on a flat surface in front of you. It's like a play that has been saved so you can watch it many times.
"Strange, but it sound magnificent. What is the other version?"
"The book version. It wasn't really descriptive, it just said that Aragorn and the others found you 'Pierced with a great many arrows' and with 'Many enemies slain about your feet' I think the book version is more accurate with how many orcs you slay, but the movie version is more in sync with how many arrows it took to bring you down. The book didn't mention that the arrows were poisoned, but they were in the movie."
"Then tell me the movie version," Boromir said.
"Well...I mean, the first arrow hit you in the shoulder and you just kept fighting. You killed like, two more orcs, and then the second arrow hit you right below your heart. You fell over, and looked at Merry and Pippin, and then you turned around and killed another couple orcs. The third arrow hit your stomach, and you fell to your knees...Man, do I really have to describe this?"
"Yes. Continue."
"And then the Orc left, they just ran past you, and the orc with the bow came and aimed an arrow at your head, but you just stared it down. And then Aragorn showed up, and killed the orc, and...well...you told Aragorn everything that happened, and Aragorn swore he would not let the white city fall, and then you said that you would have followed him as your captain and king. And then you died. In the book they put all the swords of your enemies at your feet and stuff, and sent you over the Falls of Rauros. In the movie, they just had put your shield and sword and horn in the boat. But yeah, pretty much the same."
Boromir stared, "I called him my king?"
"Yeah. Then you died."
"I truly did die a changed man. Thank you for sharing this with me. I will keep it in mind and use it to make myself a better person," Boromir said solemnly.
"O..okay..." I muttered.
"And the boat makes it's way to the White City, or at least, the horn does."
"Just the horn, but yes. Faramir is going to find that horn. Then, when he finds Frodo and Sam, Faramir is going to tell them that you died. They are going to be sad, but then when Faramir insists on bringing the one Ring to Denethor, Frodo makes a sort-of true statement and says, "You want to hear how Boromir died? He tried to take the Ring," and Faramir lets them go. So, if we don't fake your death, the Ring will end up with your father, and I know you probably think that is a good thing but..."
"No. I don't. I see the Ring for what it truly is now. It is evil."
"Wow. Okay! That's great!" she said, "I would hug you but my right arm is pinned to your chest and my other one won't move!"
Boromir laughed and continued to forge ahead, and I wondered when we would get to Lothlorien, and whether I would ever use my arm again.