All Soul's Night
SIX:- In which they return to Lothlorien
Aria's goodbyes were shot before she rowed away from the rest of the fellowship. She had hugged each of them in turn, wishing them luck. She'd held onto the Hobbits a little longer, because no matter how much they annoyed her, she couldn't help but love them for who they were. She had stepped into the boat and paddles away, not looking back, because she knew they would meet again.
The trip back down the Great River was slow in Aria's mind, yet fast. She seemed to space most of the journey out and the next thing she knew she could see the trees of Lorien nearing and a scout run ahead to tell Lady Galadriel of her return. The boat docked and she yelled for help. Three elves cam running and helped her lift Boromir out of the boat.
"We must get him to the healing hall!"
It was only when they reached the healing hall that she realized how exhausted she really was. She passed out from exhaustion and was caught buy a stunned elf, who picked her up and set her in the bed next to Boromir.
She awoke and looked around her, eyes landing on
Boromir. She jumped up and was at his side immediately when she realized
that she was wearing a beautiful white gown, her hair was down, falling
in a curtain around her, and that she was clean. Oh, did it feel good to
be clean! She sat down next to Boromir and Took his hand, watching him
sleep peacefully. A small smile crossed his lips and he sqeezed her hand
subconsiously. She smiled and brushed his haird away from his face, leaning
down and placing a soft kiss on his forehead.
"You are rested?"
Aria looked up to see Galadriel in the doorway, "I am."
The Lady of the Wood entered the room, "Good. I have contacted your
father and told him of the current state of the Fellowship."
"I'm sure he was grateful for the information," Aria replied.
"Actually," Galadiriel replied, "He was more interested in you and
Boromir. No matter, will you please not go and eat something?"
"Of course."
Aria did go and eat something. She also took the
time to truly bathe and changed her clothes. She rentered the room Boromir
was in in a medium platinum colored gown. She was shocked however, to see
him sitting up in bed and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He looked
up at her and smiled, then he stood and opened his arms. She rushed into
them, crying and they stood there for a moment.
"Don't ever scare me like that again!"
Boromir chuckled, "I have been ordered to remain in Lorien for at least
a week, then we can go chasing after the others."
She smiled up at him and spoke, "Then I will leave you to change so
you may walk with me."
He smiled down at her and kissed her forehead before letting her drift
of the room.
They walked arm in arm in silence for a while before
Aria finally spoke, "I wish you give you something..."
He turned to her and his eyes widened as she went to remove the star
around her neck that symbolized her immortality. She spoke again, "I would
live one lifetime with you, than eternity without you."
"Would you child," an alto voice asked from behind them, "Then what
you both have is turly true love. Truer and purer that the waters of Lothlorien."
They turned and stared as Galadriel walked toward them, "But I would
not have you live one lifetime together, when you may face all of eternity
together."
"I don't understand."
Galadriel smiled at Aria and spoke, "I would have done this for Aragorn
had they been here. But she has already given up her immortality, but you
have yet to. So I have taken this stone and created something beautiful."
She held up the Amethyst that Aria had given Boromir in the caves at Moria
and continured, "I have cast you something to make you immortal Boromir
of Gondor. This stone, as long as you wear it, like Aria's, will make you
immortal, as an elf would be. But if you trade them, you will be hers and
she will be yours, in heart, mind and soul."
Galadriel fastened it around Bromir's neck and then spoke again, "In
one week's time you will ride from Lorien to Rohan, where Aragorn, Legolas,
Gimli, Merry, Pippin and Gandalf will await you. I wish you speed."
"Gandalf?!"
"Yes," She responded, laughter in her voice, "Did you really belive
that a fall such as that would stop one so great as Gandalf? Now, I leave
you."
Later as Aria and Boromir walked he stopped her for a moment. They gazed at each other and kissed. However, later, they parted to go their seperate ways, you could see a white star around Boromir's neck, and a glowing amethyst around Aria's.