Chapter 7

Amon Hen

Frodo had wandered into the forest. He stood by a stone head, long aged and lost from its body, lying with its side in the ground. Boromir, who was gathering wood, saw Frodo and approached him across the leaf-littered earth.

"None of us should wander alone, you least of all. So much depends on you. Frodo? I know why you seek solitude. You suffer; I see it day by day. You sure you do not suffer needlessly? There are other ways, Frodo, other paths that we might take."

"I know what you would say. And it would seem like wisdom but for the warning in my heart," Frodo said.

"Warning? Against what? We're all afraid, Frodo. But to let that fear drive us to destroy what hope we have…don't you see, that is madness?" Boromir asked.

"There is no other way!" Frodo said firmly.

"I ask only for the strength to defend my people and my family!" Boromir threw the gathered wood to the ground. "If you would but lend me the Ring…"

"No." Frodo stepped back.

"Why do you recoil? I am no thief," Boromir said.

"You are not yourself."

"What chance do you think you have? They will find you! They will take the Ring and you will beg for death before the end!" Frodo began to walk away from Boromir. "You Fool!" Boromir started after him. They began to run, Boromir closing in on the Hobbit. "It is not yours, save by unhappy chance. It could have been mine!" Boromir tackled Frodo. "It should be mine! Give it to me!" The two struggled, Frodo wrestled the Ring into his hand, clutching it. "Give it to me!"

"No!"

"Give me… Give me the Ring!"

Frodo slipped the Ring on and disappeared. He kicked Boromir and ran away.

Boromir looked around desperately. "I see your mind. You will take the Ring to Sauron! You will betray us! You'll go to your death and the death of us all! Curse you! Curse you! And all the halflings!"

Boromir slipped and fell to the ground. The madness of the Ring left him and he came to his senses. "Frodo?...Frodo?...what have I done?...please...Frodo!" Boromir apologized.

Frodo dashed up a set of dark steps, the world of the Ring blurring away around the Hobbit.

"Frodo, I'm sorry! Frodo!" Boromir's voice sounded far away.

Frodo, while in the 'shadow world,' climbed up onto a seat of stone framed by two stone eagles. A great shape loomed before him from afar. The image rushed towards him and his vision rose to a pinnacle— the dark tower of Barad-dûr, where the burning Eye of Sauron stared back menacingly. Frodo, rushing to remove the Ring, fell off of the seat and landed on his back. He sat up, trying to catch his breath. Before him was a high structure on the cliff edge, surrounded by the pines. A stairway ran up through its center, to a seat dwarfed by stone eagles on top.

Aragorn approached. "Frodo?"

"Huh? It has taken Boromir," Frodo said startled.

"Where is the Ring?" Aragorn asked intensely.

"Stay away!" Frodo scrambled up and retreated from Aragorn. Aragorn came after him.

"Frodo!" Frodo stopped. "I swore to protect you!"

"Can you protect me from yourself?" Frodo asked. He held the Ring upon his palm. "Would you destroy it?"

Aragorn, looking at the Ring, slowly approached Frodo. The Ring began to whisper, "Aragorn... Aragorn…Elessar…" He reached out, towards the Ring. With both hands, Aragorn closed Frodo's hand over the Ring and pushed it to the Hobbit's chest, refusing the temptation.

"I would have gone with you to the end, into the very fires of Mordor," Aragorn said.

"I know. Look after the others, especially Sam. He will not understand." Aragorn nodded but then saw Sting's blue glow. He stood suddenly.

"Go, Frodo." Aragorn drew out his sword. "Run. Run!"

Frodo ran from the hilltop. Aragorn walked out from beneath the ruin and found a troop of Uruk-Hai advancing towards him. He gave a half-smile and touched his sword to his forehead in a gesture of acceptance to the challenge. They attacked. He cut several down, but they forced him up the stairs of the seat.

Sam was searched frantically for Frodo in the woods. "Mr. Frodo!" He heard the clash of sword on sword. His eyes widened. Oh no! Battle! he thought. Then he heard;

"Find the Halfling! Yaggh! Find the Halfling!" the Uruk-Hai leader said to his troups.

"Elendil!" Aragorn said as he jumped onto the Uruk-Hai massing below him.

Legolas, Gimli, and Éowyn ran forward from behind the the ruin. Legolas shot several Uruk-Hai with quick bow-work; Gimli landed blow after blow with his axe. Éowyn swung her sword, Dolendaug, killing three Uruk-Hai at a time.

"Aragorn! Go!" Legolas shouted.

Frodo ran and hid behind a tree. Across the way, Merry and Pippin hid in a space under some fallen tree trunks.

"Frodo!" Merry said.

"Hide here! Quick! Come on!" Pippin beckoned. Frodo looked at them, anguished, then shook his head. "What's he doin'?" Pippin asked Merry.

"He's leavin'," Merry said in realization.

"No!" Pippin ran out towards Frodo.

"Pippin!" Merry ran after him. Merry and Pippin were out in the open. Several Uruk-Hai were coming down the hill, towards them.

"Run, Frodo! Go!" Merry said quietly to Frodo. Merry cupped his hands and called out to the Uruk-Hai. "Hey! Hey you! Over here!"

"Hey!" Pippin shouted.

"Over here!" Merry yelled.

"This way!" Pippin waved his arms. Both Hobbits ran away from Frodo. The Uruk-Hai troop followed them. Frodo made a break for it, running in the opposite direction.

"Its working!" Pippin said.

"I know its working! Run!"

Back at the hilltop, Legolas, Aragorn, Gimli, and Éowyn continued to fight the Uruk-Hai. In one smooth move, Legolas stabbed one Uruk with an arrow then shot it out at another. Gimli wielded his axe. Aragorn stabbed one behind his back. Éowyn was surrounded so she drew her other sword and swung both of them in opposite directions. She suddenly felt really sick, the poison from Moria she thought, but she kept fighting nonetheless.

Merry and Pippin ran across an old stone bridge. At its far end, they stopped and saw Uruk-hai running towards them. The Uruks were closing in, both in front and behind. An Uruk ran up to them, raising his battleaxe. But Boromir came charging in, knocked the Uruk back, and killed him with his own axe. He threw a knife at another. More closed in.

Legolas killed Orc after Orc. He shot down an Uruk who has closed in on Aragorn. Three loud ox-horn blasts were heard.

"The Horn of Gondor!" Legolas said.

"Boromir!" Éowyn gasped.

Aragorn ran down the slope towards the sound, but many Uruks were between him and Boromir. The forest swept by as he went. Aragorn battled madly towards Boromir.

Boromir sounded the Horn of Gondor again. The Uruks attacked Boromir. Boromir killed two more. Merry and Pippin took out some Orcs. "Run! Run!" Boromir said to the Hobbits. The Uruk-Hai leader walked into view on the misty hilltop beneath the dark trees. Boromir fought on, oblivious to him. Merry and Pippin continued to throw rocks. The captain aimed his black-fletched bow at the battling warrior. He shot.

Boromir jerked backwards at the terrible pain right above his heart. He looked down and saw an arrow sticking out. Merry stopped in mid-throw as Boromir fell. The Hobbits looked at him in shock. Boromir began to breathe hard. Uruks came closer, and Boromir gave a battle cry, rose, and swung his sword at one, killing it. The Uruk chieftain growled and walked further down the slope. He lifted his bow, and shot again, as Boromir turned to look at him. A black arrow flew into Boromir's stomach. He dropped to his knees again, gasping. Merry and Pippin still stand in shock, rocks in hand. Boromir stares into their eyes, but against death, they could do nothing.

Éowyn ran towards the fight. She saw as Boromir had been shot twice. She angrily looked for the Uruk responsible for the shooting. She raised one of her knives and was ready to throw when suddenly the ground seemed to rush up to meet her. Her vision went dark but it came back a minute later, a minute to late. She didn't recognize that her old injuries opened up and started to bleed.

Summoning his will to fight for the Hobbits, Boromir swung his sword at another Uruk and got back up. The captain shot him one more time, in the chest. Boromir fell on his knees and stayed there, swaying a little and blinking. The ox-horn was cloven in two.

Merry and Pippin looked at him. With all the courage they could muster, they took up their swords and attacked the Uruk-Hai. They never had the chance to strike. The Uruk-Hai lifted them up and carried them off. Merry and Pippin waved their arms frantically. The Uruk-Hai troop walked away from Boromir. Boromir looked on helplessly. The troop passed by Boromir where he knelt, suffering, as though he did not exist. Death was coming too soon. He would never again see those whom he loved. I am sorry, my sweet child, my sweet Silmarien. I will never again be there for you.

The captain, now left alone, stopped before his foe. Boromir swallowed and stared back at him. The chieftain snarled and pulled his bow back, ready to deliver the final blow. Just then, Dernhelm crashed into him, and his arrow flew off harmlessly.

The captain and Éowyn fought viciously. She lost her sword and was thrown to the ground; she got quickly up, the Uruk-Hai warrior threw his two-prong shield at her and it hit her in the chest, causing her to fall against a tree with the air knocked out of her lungs.

The Uruk raised his sword and almost struck, but Aragorn slipped between his friend and parried the sword. He dodged another blow. Aragorn pulled out a knife and stabbed the captain in the leg. He roared and pulled out the knife, licking the blood from it, and threw it at Éowyn, as she was just getting up. The knife imbedded itself into her right shoulder. She yanked the knife out with a faint gasp and fell back against the tree. Aragorn closed in on the Uruk and in a flurry of swordplay, sliced his arm off and then stabbed him in the chest. The captain pulled himself up on the sword, closer to Aragorn, snarling, defiantly. Aragorn grimaced, pulled his sword out of the injured warrior, swung it, and chopped off the Uruk-hai's head. The rest of him fell to the ground.

Aragorn paused a moment, panting. He looked at Éowyn and she nodded towards Boromir. So Aragorn then raced to Boromir. She watched and listened.

"No!" Aragorn sighed. Boromir, pale and bloodied, was now lying on his back, his head close to a tree. Aragorn knelt near Boromir, who grabbed Aragorn's shoulder.

"They took the little ones," Boromir said distressed.

"Be still," Aragorn said.

"Frodo! Where is Frodo?" Boromir asked.

"I let Frodo go."

"Then you did what I could not. I tried to take the Ring from him."

"The Ring is beyond our reach now," Aragorn said.

"Forgive me. I did not see it. I have failed you all."

"No, Boromir, you fought bravely! You have kept your honor." Aragorn reached out to pull the arrows from Boromir.

"Leave it! It is over. The world of men will fall, and all will come to darkness… and my city-my people-my family to ruin."

"I do not know what strength is in my blood, but I swear to you I will not let the White City fall…nor our people fail!" Aragorn promised.

"Our people? Our people." He reached for his sword. Aragorn placed the hilt in his hand, and helped Boromir clasp it to his chest. "If ever you see my daughter tell her that I love her and that I am sorry that I will never be there for her." Boromir paused. "I would have followed you my Brother…my Captain…My King!" Boromir passed away. Aragorn touched his hand to his forehead, then to his lips in respect.

"Be at peace, son of Gondor." Aragorn bent and kissed Boromir on the brow.

Legolas and Gimli arrived at the scene. Legolas looked sadly at Aragorn and Boromir. Gimli bowed his head and turned away. Aragorn stood up. Boromir lay among the earth: pale and gone, the black arrows sticking from his broken body. The fallen warrior had gone to his last home. Mist and light shone through the wood like a vision, in a tapestry of long ago. "They will look for his coming from the White Tower. But he will not return," Aragorn said sadly. He lifted his head, a tear glinted and fell down his cheek. His eyes stared distantly. For a moment, it seemed that he had the dignity of a King.

Éowyn rose shakily to her feet, the knife went fairly deep and the pain was hard to bear. Her breaths came in short, ragged gasps and she finally noticed that her old cuts were open but she didn't care. She saw Boromir lying dead. I have failed my friend and his family. A single tear slid down her face as she looked at him. "Oh Boromir, I am sorry," she whispered to herself.

Legolas saw Dernhelm's shaky body near the edge of the clearing. Aragorn then remembered their other companion. Legolas ran over to him followed by Gimli and Aragorn. Dernhelm's eyes were closed and he was supporting himself against a tree. Legolas saw blood pouring from a new cut in his right shoulder and that his old ones had also started to bleed. His mouth kept moving silently saying, "I'm sorry, Boromir. I'm so sorry."

Éowyn's tear-filled eyes suddenly flitted open. She forced a brave face, trying to push all the pain from her mind, and handed Aragorn his knife back. Her body trembled as she fell back to the tree for support.

"Dernhelm, are you alright?" Aragorn asked.

"I should live," she said bleakly. "What's our course of action?"

"We'll have to bandage you up-"

"I'm fine!" she protested. She did not want them to accidentally stumble across her long-kept secret.

"We don't want you bleeding to death," Gimli said.

"Then you two should get ready so whatever you do plan we'll be prepared. Legolas can help me." Éowyn figured that she could probably trust the Elf not to spread her secret. She could also make him keep his word.

Aragorn agreed so he and Gimli left towards the boats to pack their belongings. Éowyn sighed and looked at Legolas and stopped him from unbuttoning her shirt. She didn't want him to see the cloth that bound her chest.

"Legolas, promise me on the honor of an Elf that you will keep something a secret for me."

Legolas looked at Dernhelm. He was expecting a child-like secret to be told to him like that he has a crush on some girl back home and if worst should happen lines or something like that.

"I promise," he said. Nothing could have prepared him for what he promised to keep.

"I am not a man. I am Éowyn daughter of Eomund." Legolas stared wide-eyed at her. "But you have promised to never tell anyone. Will you keep to your promise?"

"I promised on the honor of my kind so I cannot break my word." He took a deep breath. "Since when were you a girl?" he asked still in his shock.

"What sort of a stupid question is that? I was born one." She rolled her eyes. Then she looked up urgently at him. "You promise?"

"I already said that I did..." Legolas sighed.

"I never wanted to burden you with this." She looked away then back to him. "Does this affect our friendship?"

Legolas was silent for a moment. "I thought of you like a dear friend. I have never really had many friends that are girls..."

"Just treat me like you would Dernhelm. For I am both him and Éowyn." She then forced a smile. "Just don't slip up and call me Éowyn."

"You'll probably always be Dernhelm to me," Legolas said. "Why did you decide to be a 'man'?"

"I rather doubt I would be allowed into the Fellowship if I wasn't. Well it began like this I was chased off from home." Legolas stared at her.

"Why-How?"

"My Uncle is King Théoden and his mind has been poisoned, I am not sure who did it but I have my suspicions. I think it is his adviser, Gríma Wormtongue. He is the reason I left my home. He would always pursue me, follow my every step, he tried to break up my family... Anyway one day he tried to force me into marriage to him. I declined and he became angry. He tried to ask me again but he was refused again. He tried to kiss me against my will but I punched him. He cursed my family. That night I dressed in some armor and grabbed two swords and took my trusty mare and we rode out of Rohan."

"How did you find out about the Council of Elrond?" Legolas asked. He started to bandage her bleeding shoulder.

"I was getting near Fangorn forest when an old beggar woman found me. She said that if I would give her some food she would give help me find some purpose. So I gave her some food and she told me about a council that was to be held in Rivendell."

"How did you get permission to go?"

"I went to my brother as Dernhelm and I told him of what I heard from the beggar. I asked if I could go to Rivendell and he said, 'Go in the name and blessing of Rohan.' So I came to Rivendell and you know basically the rest."

"Your story is very interesting." Éowyn nodded in agreement. Soon Legolas finished tending her wounds, she gasped as he tightened the bandage. She stood up with Legolas's help, sheathed her sword, and they helped Aragorn and Gimli with putting a memorial for Boromir.

Boromir was laid to rest in one of the boats. His sword rested with him, his shield was above his head and his cloven horn at his side. Éowyn quietly sang a lament in the Rohirric tongue. The boat slipped over the falls of Rauros and then dropped into the mists below. Gimli watched the boat disappear. Aragorn wore Boromir's vambraces in his honor. Legolas shoved the third boat into the water.

"Hurry! Frodo and Sam have reached the eastern shore," Legolas said. Aragorn stood still and said nothing.

"You mean not to follow them?" Éowyn asked.

"Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands," said Aragorn.

"Then it has all been in vain! The Fellowship has failed," Gimli said. Aragorn put his hands on Gimli and Éowyn's shoulders. "Not if we hold true to each other. We will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment and death. Not while we have strength left. Leave all that can be spared behind. We travel light. Let us hunt some Orc!"

Legolas, and Gimli looked at each other, grinning. A smile also broke out on Éowyn's face.

"Yes! Haha!" Gimli exclaimed. Aragorn ran into the woods, followed by Éowyn, Gimli, and Legolas.