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Actions and Choices
Following the Fellowship is easy now. Their eyes do not see well in the dark. They miss the sun and become less energetic. I feel stronger each moment we are in the darkness and it is only a few hours before I can hold a full apparition, though I do not do so for fear of scaring them. Not until they pause to rest from a day's length of walking.
Gandalf has first watch and I am free to experiment with the power I can command. We do not speak for fear of being overheard. The next watch is the other human. I am careful to remain invisible to him. The last watch Boromir holds this night. As he watches I relax. No more do I use power to hide but neither do I use it to become visible to anyone; yet I hear a gasp. I turn from staring into the depths to face Boromir and find him staring at me. Never has he seen me before in all the Nows that I have watched him.
"How did you come to be here? Be gone!"
It is a question demanding an answer. I am sure he confuses me with a ghost. Still, he grips the hilt of his sword and awaits my answer before drawing or calling alarm.
"I have followed you through many things, long before your father sent you on this quest."
"I have never seen you."
He has not released his sword. I do not fear it for it can do me no harm but I wish him to accept me.
"It is very hard to see my kind. Some people call us 'The Cold Ones.'"
He reacts to this by releasing his sword hilt. There is a look of distaste upon his face.
"The walking dead."
Gandalf and Boromir have given me a voice of my own and I use it freely.
"I am not dead."
I summon my full self and move closer to him.
"I am not so different from you."
He does touch the hand I hold out to him. I smile at his bravery.
"We are different as the Elves and Wizards from humans. You have not seen me because you denied that I could be here, so I wasn't for you."
He is still looking at my hand.
"I have thought I heard a voice now and then."
"I have given you advice. I am following you, not the Fellowship."
"Why?"
"You are worth following."
He asks me more about my kind until I remind him that the others will be waking soon and will not be able to see me. Once the others are awake I see him confirm with Gandalf that I am truly present. Gandalf is surprised that he can see me but assures Boromir that I exist.
I am very careful thereafter to remain invisible. This does not hide me from Gandalf or Boromir, as I have no desire to hide from them. It does worry me that more are coming into the knowledge of my existence when I had not planned it so. Boromir is very careful not to acknowledge me while the others are awake.
Though they do not know it, it is evening when Gandalf looses his way. I am again compelled to act on their behalf. I move quickly down each path to see where they lead. It takes quite some time for me to find landmarks that Gandalf may recognize. They camp there to sleep and wake to wait further. I return and whisper what I have found in Gandalf's ear. When the little hobbits rejoice that he remembers the path he tells them the air is not as stale. This is true but not why he travels this way.
They marvel at the hall they enter and find the tomb of the dwarves that tried to live here. Even when the hobbits cause trouble I cannot help but like them and their cheeriness. Gandalf believes the danger has passed even as I try to tell him that there are things stirring in the dark below. They all hear the drums soon enough.
I will be able to join in this battle as I have much power at my command in the dark.
Here I hesitate.
If I actively participate in this battle something will change. I have always been apart from them even as I was among them. To join in this battle will make me part of them whether they know it or not. If I do this, I actively change the Now. If I do this, I will join the Now. I may never be able to travel past this point again. I do not need to help them; they will survive this on their own. I can simply watch, though that feels wrong. If I do this, I must be committed to this.
I look to Boromir who is waiting in front of the barricaded door. I know he will survive this without me. If I cannot go back will I be able to help him if the point to change is before this Now?
Yet, I know that if I do not help then I will miss the opportunity to . . . I don't know what I will miss but I know it is something important. I make a decision unlike I have ever made before. I call to me the power to arm myself. I will not maintain the invisibility as I have been doing. If the others see me they may believe me a sympathetic spirit. I stand next to Boromir and wait.
It is not long before the goblins are at the door breaking through. I do not participate in the attacks then, as I have no bow. When the goblins come, I attack.
My kin have only fought in the wars of those who walk in the sunlight twice before. Neither of those instances is in living memory of any here save the wizard. We use sword and shield as do the humans but our weapons are made by our will and might. My will to protect Boromir is strong and backed by my new will to protect the others. My shield is strong, large, and lightweight. My power is at its peak, here, in the dark, and I have learned many new ways to use it on this journey. Therefore, my sword is double-edged and sharp enough to pierce armor.
As the men rush forward I go with them. Goblins fall with each stroke of my sword as they rush into the room. The Elf is still firing arrows at them but they pass right through me. I am sure he, at least, sees me, then I care not. For a large troll joins the battle and I am lost to the Blood Rage.
The others begin to focus on the troll but I remain attacking the goblins. They attempt to fend me off but each I encounter falls before me. My sword, backed by my might, hacks through their own weak steel and slices into flesh and bone. When they run, screaming their name for my kind, I pursue and give them no mercy. It is not until they all retreat that I come to myself and find that I am standing in the Great Hall again. My sword is clotted with dark goblin blood; my shield is dripping in it.
Blood Rage has taken many of my kind to the Darkness. I return to see how the others fare. Frodo is getting to his feet and the fear in the room is dissipating. Once everyone has recovered their packs they begin to flee. The elf glances at me more than once as the hobbits gather their things. I do not dismiss my weapons though I follow at a distance.
Our group is surrounded by the goblins in the Great Hall and I feel myself slipping into Blood Rage. If a last stand is to be made here then I will let them be greatly honored by the dead around them.
There is a tremor in the dark from deep below. The others only see the goblins but I know they are no longer our threat. I push to stand beside Gandalf. The other human, the King, sees me then.
"He comes. Now. There is no time."
Gandalf flinches. Blood Rage had clouded my memory or I would have remembered that no battle occurs in the Great Hall. The goblins realize what comes and flee. The evil that is my distant kin rises. Gandalf forces the others to flee. He follows last, pausing and calling to me.
"If you can get them out of here..."
He has given me a task and trust. This gives me more power then all the dark places in the World could ever supply.
"I will do all I can."
Together we rush after the others. He guards them as they begin their descent down the stairs. I move as a wraith along the wall and attack the goblins that are shooting at the Fellowship. The elf helps me in my task. When they reach the bridge and cross, I have worked my way around the room and am traveling back to stop those goblins that have replaced the ones I felled.
I do not watch Gandalf fall but I know he goes. It is to be his testing. I know he will return, but this Now I feel sad. I feel loss. I will miss him. It is an amazing feeling.
The others flee and I let them go; there are plenty of goblins that remain for me to satisfy my anger. When the goblins retreat to prepare for an assault in the dark outer world I speed along and emerge as the Fellowship mourns. The other man, Aragorn, is urging them onwards. He is now the leader.
There is no shadow here, yet I am able to boldly cross to where he stands. Over this I will marvel later. It seems the dwarf and hobbits remain unaware of my presence but Aragorn watches me.
"Be at peace, shade, we thank you for your help. We seek you no harm."
Gandalf has made me strong, as has the belief of the humans and the elf. It seems I no longer need the dark to have voice, as I will it.
"I am no shade. I am Tinúviel Beria uin Morchaint. The goblins have pulled back to gather in their own places and prepare for night. I will guard behind as you go."
Aragorn does not know to trust me and I do not know if he will trust Boromir if he speaks for me. He knows the Ring calls to Boromir and so he does not trust him. Aragorn does not know that I stand in opposition to this calling. There is a moment between us in which he considers his words.
"There is no need for you to follow us, they will not come out until dark and the elves will not allow you in their stronghold."
"I was given a task by Gandalf and I will see it through."
He relaxes the defensive stance he had slowly adopted and nods. While he has given me no trust he has accepted me for now. The others are helping the hobbits down the mountainside. The elf, Legolas, glances once more at me then pointedly ignores me. Boromir meets my gaze and nods as one companion to another. I watch them descend and then begin my own slower decent. I find a place to wait for the goblins, the grief of the Fellowship has disturbed me and I desire to wreak more vengeance upon them.
I have watched this Now before when I sought to know the life of the warrior who took three arrows. I had seen these actions before, I had heard these words before but they had never affected me thus. I had hurt for Boromir's pain but no others. I had not participated in the Now to help them.
As small ones we are made to memorize the Clan Teachings. Most of these are about moving through the Now. We are taught to remain apart and inactive within the Now. The penalty is becoming trapped in a Now path. I focus on the flow of Now and will myself back to the Now of the Fellowship emerging from the mountain. The Now does not shift around me. It seems my new power is at the expense of the old. The Clan Teachings do not lie.
I have another new feeling, fear for my future. Always there has been Now but if one walks a path then there is also tomorrow.
When the goblins emerge onto the mountainside I take my fear and the sadness of the Fellowship out on them. I battle until they recall the old methods for ending one of my kind. It is then I move swiftly down into the trees and join the Fellowship in walking to the elven stronghold.
The light of this place only bothers me a little. Either my kind is welcome here among the trees or I have changed.
I settle in step with Boromir, who is looking about. I know that in the previous path he walked he did not enjoy his time here. What does he feel in this Now when the Ring has been unable to tempt him as before?
He has no trouble seeing me and he has carefully kept himself from reacting to my presence. This is good, I suppose, but it hurts me for some reason. Though I walk at his side there is much that stands between us. No longer will I be able to whisper knowledge into his ear.
The Fellowship is led up a staircase winding around a large tree trunk. When last I observed the Now I did not notice anything except that there were not enough shadows to gather power from or to hide very well within. Now I realize how much the elves love this wood. I see the beauty they weave into the trees. I wish to know and see more.
We are brought to wait on a platform. It is here that we will meet the rulers of this place. I wonder at my reception. If Gandalf was able to see me then surely the great lady who lives here will be able to sense me as well. There is not much time to ponder this as she and her lord approach us.
Words of welcome are spoken, first by the lord and then by the lady. I feel Boromir shift beside me; he is uncomfortable. Is it because of my presence? In the next moment I doubt that.
"Never has such a one dared to enter this wood, Daughter of the Morchaint. I sense there is much change in you and much to come."
The voice in my mind pauses and I feel a great weighing of deeds and desires.
"I see. Tinúviel, so named, you are welcome to Lothlorien. May you find strength here."
The testing withdraws but I am still upset. The high elves of the light don't usually welcome those of my kind and kin. She said she sensed change in me with more to come. What change? For the first time I wonder if it will be a good change. I have to make a decision here; I can feel that this place is one of beginnings and endings for me.
We return down the steps to the green grass that carpets beneath the trees. I let the others go before me so I am no longer next to Boromir. I have given much and become much to pace at his side yet I know not what his voice is in my fate. Shall I become as a lightwalker to find he abhors me? There is much to discover here in the trees.
The day and the night penetrate through the thick canopy of leaves but pass unmarked by me. I leave Boromir and the others to ponder the things they must without intrusion from me.
I spend my time looking back on the choices I have made. This, in itself, is odd as my kind only live Now there has never been a before for me except Clan Teachings. Now I have a past. When I decided to become more active in Boromir's Now, having watched it once, I only sought to offer advice along the journey. The very idea of doing anything more had never occurred to me. When had this changed? Perhaps when the- when Gandalf spoke to me and permitted me to journey with them. Why was he able to see me? This thought occupied me for a time. I had assumed it was because he was skilled with magic but I had watched them before and he had never seen me.
There was a dock along the river that we were to travel upon. I spend most of my time there, watching the elves prepare for our departure. The evening before we are to leave I move to a solitary platform high in the trees. There are only hours until I must continue with the Fellowship and accept that I will change. Or, I can return to my wanderings, hope that I have done enough for Boromir, and hope I can return to what I was before.
"I fear you have not had much peace here, Tinúviel. For this, I am sorry."
I stand to meet the Lady of the Wood.
"There are many things I have had to face. I am thankful for safety in which to consider them."
She smiles.
"I would have you rest this night. There is much for you to do after this."
She stands near the middle of the platform. Her beauty seems to make it the most wonderful palace enclosed by stately trees and covered by the greenest of leaves. I shift from my position leaning against the tree to stand firm before her.
"You believe I should continue with them."
"Does not your heart tell you this is the action you must take?"
"And change into something my kin will no longer recognize?"
"All things change or else they stagnate and fail. Even the elves change, as much as we resist it and as little as we seem to. You are already no longer like your kin."
In this she is right, there is no going back to the way I was before. She forces me to focus on what I truly fear.
"I would not force myself on him."
"Then it is not my council you seek on this matter."
I nod.
"You said I will change more, do you know how?"
She shakes her head and her blonde hair slides over her shoulders. Whatever appearance my form has I doubt I can compare to the Lady Galadriel.
"Never has one of your kind dared to do what you do. I believe you will become more a part of this world as you take action but how this will affect you and what consequences it will have, I do not know."
I do my best imitation of a curtsey.
"Thank you, Lady Galadriel."
She nodes with a smile of dismissal and I leave to seek Boromir. It is not so easy to seek him in these woods. I do not know where he has chosen to seclude himself, if that is indeed what he has chosen to do in this Now. I find him near the docks.
"I was looking for you, Tinúviel."
"It seems we have similar purposes then, for I have been seeking you."
He indicates a path and we begin to walk side by side. Neither one of us seems to know how to start our conversation. The fear builds in me that he will ask me to leave him and almost feels like physical pain. I have no desire to continue this feeling.
"I wish to ask you if I am troublesome to you."
Boromir stops walking and pivots to face me. We have come a little distance from the dock and still stand along the water's edge. If he had not known of me I would lean upon his shoulder and tell him how once the founders of Gondor sailed this very river.
"I was seeking you to ask if you are continuing on with us."
So he allows me the decision.
"I will only go as far as I must to see through what I set out to do. What I intended to do can no longer be done, I have changed too much. I am not sure I will remain unseen by the dwarf and hobbits for much longer."
I hold up between us my right hand, fingers spread. Even though it is directly in the sun there is no faltering of their appearance. The sun no longer forces me into a wisp of reality.
"What were your intentions?"
"Not this. I wished to guide you with advice and support. I did not think to get involved by actions. I wished to reshape your Now."
"Why?"
"You are worth saving."
He frowned and looked at my hand.
"The Lady Galadriel spoke to me of the necessity of choosing a path. There was something in her words that were meant to be a warning to me. I have considered this and I have sought knowledge about your people."
He grasps my elbow and gently pulls on my arm. I allow him to lower it.
"I do not know what you seek ahead of us in this . . . Now but I am glad you will continue with us."
I twist my arm around and grip his wrist. He holds mine as well. It is a warrior's way of showing affection.
"Then perhaps I will continue on after I have finished my personal quest."
Before we leave the next morning Lady Galadriel asks to see us off. She gives the others gifts and they board the small boats she has provided. While they are distracted she turns to me.
"Whether you claim it or not, you are a part of the Fellowship and so I give you a cloak to mark you as such. I have this for you as well."
She waits as I clip the broach at my throat and then hands me a small vial decorated with markings of my kin.
"This was a gift to me long ago from one of the Clans. They told me it holds the pure darkness of shadow though not evil. I trust you will be able to find use for it."
I wrap the vial in a strip of cloth she gives me and hold it to my chest as if I had a heart. I have spent enough time among those with hearts to know that this gesture shows I treasure my gift.
"Thank you, Lady, this is indeed a noble gift."
I ride with Boromir though the hobbits with him take no notice. I am very light, so I add no weight to the boat, and they still cannot see me. Our journey down the river is uneventful as it has been in every Now. I wonder what I would have to do to the Now to change this portion of the journey. As I can no longer travel the many paths of Now I resign myself to never know.
We stop and make camp. The hobbits and the dwarf still take no notice of me. This is helpful but it makes me smile when I think of it while sitting beside one. Legolas and Aragorn have said nothing of my continued presence. I do not know if Lady Galadriel spoke to them on my behalf. In the end, it makes no difference. I have chosen to continue and if they had tried to keep me out of the boats I would have followed overland. I can travel much faster then they and obstacles they would have been unable to go around I can simply ghost through.
Aragorn and Boromir are discussing where we shall go now that Gandalf is gone. In the previous Now this caused an argument between the two. Boromir wished the Ring taken to Gondor but Aragorn wished to go with Frodo. Now, Boromir suggests we travel to Gondor though he is doubtful of his father's reception. Aragorn states that he intended to go to Gondor but feels he must stay with Frodo since Gandalf is no longer here to guide him.
At this council I can use my own judgment on whether to speak. No longer must I wait for someone to give me voice and this is something I treasure. I wait until they both stop to consider.
"The Ring cannot go to Gondor. You are right to suspect your father. He would fall quicker to the whisperings of the Ring then all the rest of you."
I step forward and join them about the fire. Its warmth brings me no comfort but it is where they choose to gather.
"Would you take the Ring then?"
This is the first acknowledgement of me from Legolas. It is meant to be a challenge. Despite what he implies, I am pleased he chooses to recognize me.
"The Ring can offer my kind nothing but power and we do not crave power. I would have taken it if offered at Elrond's Council but that is long since passed. Then, I would have fled straight to its birth place at a pace unmatched and been done with it."
I hold up my hand to the fire. Its substance is undiminished.
"I can no longer do such a thing for you."
"I agree that the Ring cannot go to Gondor but as to the path we take, we can decide that tomorrow. We have more time to think on this."
Aragorn urges everyone to rest and they retire to their separate bundles. I climb upon a rock near Boromir and sit to keep watch. Sleep is still something I do not require. Boromir shifts below.
"I am sorry."
I lean down to whisper it to him alone.
"No, Tinúviel, what you said is true."
"I have not been clear enough. I am sorry I had to say that which caused you pain."
He looks up at me.
"You wished to offer advice and that is what you have done. It is not your fault my father's behavior causes me shame."
I shift and touch his sleeve. I speak even softer.
"Those who know you and your father can only judge you favorably. Whatever shame you feel he brings to your family, you can undo."
He does not move.
"I hope so."
I sit still upon the rock. It is quite some time before they all are sleeping. Frodo is one of the last to let it take him. The Ring overburdens him. Long after everyone sleeps there is a wet rustling along the water's edge. I come down and walk boldly toward the sound, calling my armor to me.
A short distance from the camp I see the thing that has made the disturbance. It is long and lanky, not much more than a skeleton. It is sitting on its haunches, wrapped around something it has clutched to its middle and gurgling to it. I do not see it is a fish until the creature holds it out to bite it. The fish is still moving, although weakly. I know this thing holds only ill will for the Fellowship though I do not know what it is.
I do not approach the creature. I stay standing between it and the camp. If it forces me to, I will drive it away but I would rather not have any dealings with it. I fear if I get to near it I will be forever tainted with its malice.
The creature finishes its meal and then turns to look at me.
"It thinks we cannot see it, Precious. Yes it does. Nasty shinning thing all dressed up to hurt us. Curse it, we does."
The creature makes a horrible noise, unlike a cough but I know no other words to describe it. The thing then slips into the water, almost without disturbing it, and swims to the opposite shore. I return to my station with an ill feeling. I have never seen such a thing and recall my actions through the Now hoping I am not responsible for its presence.
We continue on the next morning as the hobbits murmur about the elf cakes they must eat. I inform Aragorn of the strange creature. He reassures me that it has been following us since before the mines. As we glide along with the water I leave my ponderings of the creature and focus on what will come next. I know what could happen to Boromir but I also know I have altered the Now a great deal. Still, I will not trust his fate to that alone. I place my hand on the small vial I have hidden in my belt. It will be invaluable.
Aragorn points his boat toward a small beach some distance before the coming waterfall. The others follow him. I know this place well. I close my eyes and picture the place where I hid the nuts. They will not be there in this Now.
Everything is removed from the boats and Aragorn orders a rest. He is still trying to decide where he will go. I do not tell him what he will do. I know he must make this decision on his own.
Frodo moves off believing no one sees him leave. The Ring calls strongly to Boromir; its force almost propels me back. It has identified me as an enemy. Boromir follows after Frodo. I know he is telling himself it is to keep the hobbit safe. So shall it be this Now.
I follow him.
He begins to pick up wood as he approaches the hobbit. I step beside him as he bends down and grabs a limb. When he straightens I lean forward.
"You are in danger, Son of Gondor. Listen, the Ring calls to you. You can escape this danger on your own."
He scowls at me and tightens his hold on the wood as if he will use it against me. He cannot hurt me with it but I hope he will not be able to bring himself to try and hurt me. Have I made any ground against the call of the Ring in all this time?
The anger leaves his face.
"I am no stronger then Isildor."
He rounds a tree to face the hobbit, startling him.
"Frodo, I cannot travel with the Ring any longer. I do not know how long it will be before I try to harm you. In good conscience, I cannot tell you there is safety in Gondor. I fear to break my pledge."
The small one shakes his head.
"No, Boromir, you break no pledge. You seek my safety and that of the Ring. You are fulfilling your pledge."
"They are coming!"
I shout to warn Boromir. For the first time Frodo sees me. I know not how I look to him but he uses the Ring and flees from us. Boromir turns to search for him but I stop him.
"He follows his own path, as he must. We must look to our Now."
"The others!"
Boromir races down the hill looking for the other hobbits. I do not pursue him; I know where I must go to do what I may to save him. I quickly seek that wood. I have never forgotten it through all the Nows I observed. It stands just as it always has.
I select a place at the base of the hill. Boromir and the two hobbits will be just behind me to the left. I remove Lady Galadriel's gift from my belt pouch. Surely they never meant for her to use it for one such as she, such a strong light, could never hope to control such a gathering of shadows. I will not need even a tenth of the power within for what I am to do.
The more experience I have with those who have hearts the more I come to understand them; waiting is not enjoyable. The more anxious I am the longer it seems I must wait. Finally, the Horn of Gondor sounds. The echo almost pulls me from my place. I remind myself it is here that I am needed.
Boromir blows it again.
Once more it sounds. This last is sounded as he comes down the hill with the hobbits. He fights just beside me now. He pushes the two hobbits behind him and pivots to defend them. The little ones begin throwing well-aimed stones. The Uruk-hai swarm down the hill. The Blood Rage calls to me but I refuse its outlet. I must be able to think clearly for my plan to work. I see the leader of the half-breeds crest the hill and I know my time is now.
Trees encircle us. There are statues and other fallen stones about. Patches of sunlight filter through the trees. I step to my left, directly into a sun patch. No longer does this weaken me. I stand between Boromir and the enemy, between Boromir and the Uruk-hai with the three arrows. I draw no weapons.
"Tinúviel, run!"
Boromir fears for me. I have not changed so much that they can do any real harm to me.
I whisper, "Ttonawch Aacch Nniccce," as I barely lift the stopper from the vial before closing it quickly.
We are surrounded by blackness. Thick as ink newly made and never thinned. The arrows cannot find Boromir now but neither can Boromir see.
I can.
I go to his side.
"Boromir, trust me."
I whisper into his ear. He follows me as we take four steps away from where he stood. As we move, an arrow slices through the air and pierces where Boromir would have been standing.
"Please stand here, do not move."
"Tinúviel, I cannot-"
"I know. Trust me."
He nods and I turn. The black will not last forever. Now I call my sword to my hand. Those Uruk-hai standing in the dark fall without seeing me. I am still enough of my kin to have no fear of black shadows. I march straight out of the black at the filth with the white hand across his face. He fires his second notched arrow at me. Power from the blackness answers me and consumes the arrow, reaching around me and plucking it from the air. I kill more Uruk-hai as they come down the hillside.
"Daughter of Darkness, step aside."
The White Hand gurgles and growls but there is speech within it. I look up at him and smile.
"Daughter of Darkness," I hold my hand up to the sunlight, "And Child of Light."
He notches another arrow and aims it at me. I tell the blackness it may return to the dark haunts where it was found. Boromir and the hobbits are exposed once again. I do not wish to make the little ones suffer but there is much they must do. I did not come to alter their fates.
"Tinúviel, no!"
The last arrow flies and shatters on my shield. Boromir attacks one of the fleeing Uruk-hai and their leader reaches for another arrow. Aragorn joins us then and I allow his test to go unchanged by me. I step back to stand with Boromir. I glance at the bed of fallen leaves piled among the roots of the tree. Boromir will not lie there.
"Are you all right?"
He holds my elbow to force me to stop and look at him. I intend to answer but a pain so great that I cannot control a gasp pierces my side. I reach down and find a cut. It is warm and sticky. My fingers are red before my eyes. It is a thing of wonder.
"You have been injured. Quickly, we must bind it. Is it deep?"
"I have never bled before. I've never had blood before."
Boromir grasps my chin and forces me to look at him.
"You do now."
I can do nothing but stare at my fingers. Boromir stops trying to get a response from me and starts to pull at my armor. I let it dissolve away. He jerks me about, trying to tie material around me; I know not where it came from. Aragorn joins us, as do Legolas and Gimli.
"And who is that?"
Aragorn gives a brief explanation to him. Legolas wishes to pursue Frodo and Sam. Aragorn says they are no longer in the hands of the Fellowship.
"Then it has all been in vain. The Fellowship has failed."
Gimli's speech brings me back to myself. I wipe the blood from my fingers on the material binding me. I have not failed. To have blood is not a punishment, nor is to be like humans, though I do not believe I have become that either. Boromir catches my hand.
"Thank you."
"Son of Gondor, do not thank me yet. I know not the path of the Now from here on. It may be fearful."
"And we shall face it."
I grip his hand and smile. The Clan requires us to live and die alone once we are taught the ways of Shadow. I never wish to face such things alone again.
"Leave all that can be spared behind. We travel light."
Aragorn runs off in the direction that the Uruk-hai dragged the two hobbits. The elf and dwarf follow after him. Boromir is hesitant to let me run but I remove the bandage to show him that I am already healed. We give chase as well.
