"Where's Frodo?"
Merry's two simple words posed for a serious question. Not only was Frodo found missing, Boromir was too. And while that would normally be fine, the overwhelming threat lay way to dread in her heart. Something wasn't right. She would question why she felt so in tune with her surroundings later, for now they needed to find Frodo. Legolas and Gimli went in one direction while the three hobbits in another, Aragorn and Amina heading out a separate way.
It took a good twenty minutes before she spotted him and signaled to Strider of his location. They shared a look and slowly approached him, the poor hobbit looked so shaken.
"Frodo?" she gently called out.
"It has taken Boromir," the hobbit announced.
Aragorn immediately asked, "Where is the ring?"
Only the half-ling suddenly moved back from him while yelling out, "Stay away, both of you!"
Sharing a hurt glance with Amina; Aragorn told him, "Frodo…we swore to protect you."
"Can either of you protect me from yourself?" he asked and slowly showed the ring to them glowing beautifully in his palm, "Or would you destroy it?"
Amina kneeled down to his height and kissed his cheek, barely paying attention to the band of gold he carried, "I am so sorry you must endure this Frodo."
"I would have gone with you to the end," Aragorn promised and closed the hobbit's fist over the ring, "into the very fires of Mordor."
Amina wanted to cry but she understood, the ring had already broken the fellowship twice now; he had to do this on his own. Aragorn was going to let him go, he had to. Frodo was right to fear them and the others, eventually the call of the ring would betray them…one by one.
"I know," Frodo admitted softly as he looked at them both, "look after the others, especially Sam, he will not understand."
Suddenly she pulled back several steps from the hobbit and withdrew both of her blades in a tight grip, her keen ears picking up something drawing near. Aragorn seemed puzzled at first but then drew his own sword, urgently whispering to Frodo, "Go Frodo!"
The hobbit then looked down and saw the glowing blue of his own sword Sting and hesitated a moment.
"Run!" Aragorn harshly whispered, "Run!"
Finally he backed away and turned to dash into the woods towards the shore. Aragorn and Amina looked at each other and turned as one, walking out to find a swarm of uruk-hai running towards them. They were huge, standing tall with thick black muscles lining their greased bodies. Giving her blades a little twirl she followed in Aragorn's example and began to run and meet them head on.
They killed the first few easily. Aragorn may not be a master with the bow and arrow, but he most definitely was when it came to the sword. And as he went skillfully through each enemy that neared him, Amina's body flew in her dance in the tempo of battle. Her body constantly in motion as it twisted, ducked, and jumped in a switch of offense and defense. Never stopping in movement, the flow of her twin swords blocked the hard swing of an enemy blade just as her other stabbed into the neck of another uruk-hai. Chancing a quick look found Aragorn faring well, but they were rapidly becoming outnumbered.
She wanted to get closer to him but there were just too many of them. That and she knew she would fare better if she kept the distance between them. He had not trained to fight back to back with someone; she could if necessary, but he wanted her to know how to survive if she had to fight on her own. So she continued to move, with every twirl one of her blades fell a foe, at times killing two or more at a time.
Shouts of "Find the half-lings!" were heard just as Amina noticed arrows flying through the air and killing several Uruk-hai. Relief began to enter her heart as it was obvious that Legolas and Gimli found them! The four of them squared off and cut down each nasty Uruk-hai that dared cross them. But where was Boromir and the three hobbits!?
A sudden blast from a horn sounded out, it was the horn of Gondor. They then battled their way through down slopes towards the lake. Aragorn and Amina raced past the running enemy and to her horror she saw Boromir kneeling with three black arrows protruding from his chest and abdomen, where the hobbits were, she didn't know. But the worst part was an Uruk-hai standing before him with another arrow nocked to strike him in the head at close range. Her stomach dropped and from the corner of her eye she saw Aragorn leap towards them. Chasing after him, she followed up his first couple strikes with a few of her own, double teaming the foul creature. He pushed her off him in a great showing of brute strength. Aragorn saw his chance at the distracted beast and sliced off his arm and impaled him. Sickeningly the ghastly thing pulled himself further into Aragorn's face and growled, only to soon have its head cut off when he pushed him off and took the final swing.
Amina was already at Boromir's side before the Uruk's head hit the ground, her blades had fallen at her feet and tears falling freely down her face, looking him over. In a painful gasp he told her, "They took the little ones."
Aragorn came to his other side and tried to stop the flow of blood from his shoulder, this only caused the man more panic, "Frodo, where is Frodo!?"
"We let him go," Aragorn told him.
"Then you did what I could not," he looked at them in shame, "I tried to take the ring from him."
Amina wiped her brow as Aragorn told him, "The ring is beyond our reach now."
He grabbed the woman's hand as he peered between them, "Forgive me, I did not see. I have failed you all."
"No, Boromir," she said in heartache, "you did not."
"You fought bravely," Aragorn told him, "You have kept your honor." He then tried to deal with the man's wounds, even though they all knew it was too late. Legolas and Gimli arrived and observed in a sad, knowing silence.
"Leave it!" Boromir finally yelled out, "It is over. The world of men will fall and all will come to darkness and my city to ruin."
And as passionate as any had ever heard, Aragorn promised, "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."
"Our people…our people," he said in dizziness.
"Yes Boromir, our people," Amina told him, accepting what fate lay ahead of them as the heart-sister of a future king. With a glance towards his sword Aragorn quickly placed the hilt in Boromir's grasp who then brought it to his chest.
The man was wheezing as he continued to fight, "I would have followed you, my brother and sister," and with a last meaningful glance to Aragorn, "my captain…my king."
Those were the last words spoken by Boromir. Amina let out a small sob. She's seen and killed countless times. Watched people she loved die yet the pain never lessened. Aragorn first spoke words of farewell to the fallen man and then placed a comforting hand to her shoulder. She was young and so different from the elves, they lived for so long with each other as companions, death was not something that was common for them. Yet for her it was.
But now was not the time to despair, hurriedly Aragorn lifted her up to stand. They would not allow his body to remain by the decaying uruks he'd slain. Legolas was quick to collect his arrows. They reached the shore and sent the body of Boromir over the waterfall in one of the remaining boats. There was only one left now as they had seen Sam with Frodo close in to the other side of the lake.
Legolas peered across the distance, "If we are quick we will catch Frodo and Sam before nightfall."
But Aragorn didn't react at all, just stared at the hobbits from across the shore.
"You mean not to follow them," Legolas realized.
Aragorn nodded, "Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands."
In grim realization Gimli solemnly said, "Then it has all been in vain, the fellowship has failed."
Aragorn smiled at him, he tugged on Amina's hair then placed a hand on each shoulder of Legolas and Gimli, looking at them, "Not if we hold true to each other."
"We can't abandon Merry and Pippin to certain torment and death," Aragorn sent his young apprentice a look, "Not while we have strength left," he placed his freshly cleansed long knife back into place, "leave all that can be spared behind." A sudden glint of determination filtered into his steel blue gaze as he coldly said, "Let's hunt some orc."