One Last Unexpected Happening Before The Fellowship Dissolved
It is our choices, that show who we really are, far more than our abilities.
-Albus Dumbledore
26 February 3019, of the Third Age
6 Rethe 1419, Shire-Reckoning Time...
Aragorn wanted to approach Mordor from the north, but Gimli argued as though in jest while we set up camp. I threw a blanket on the ground while Pippin rolled his and dropped his pack beside mine. That done, we sat together near Gimli and got out some Lembas while we could rest.
"Oh, yes?! It's just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil; an impassable labyrinth of razor sharp rocks! And after that, it gets even better!" Pippin and I looked up, immediately interested, as Aragorn scowled at Gimli. "Festering, stinking marshlands far as the eye can see!"
"Wonderful!" I smiled for the first time in a long time. "It sounds like our journey will continue to those marvelous sights which you have gladly described for us."
Aragorn was uneasy but he replied, though without the return of a smile. "That is our road. I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength master dwarf."
"Angst!" I said with a small giggle.
"Recover my…?" Gimli was outraged and glared. "No dwarf need recover strength!" Then he saw Pippin and I were still at his feet resting, and he laughed. "Pay no heed to that, young hobbits!" We smiled gratefully.
Merry arrived just then, carrying firewood. "Your turn," he told us, then looked around in question. "Wait…where's Frodo?"
My heart overturned and realized I'd not seen him for a while. If we lost him…if something caught him…
"Oh no!" Pippin cried, and Aragorn finally gave us eye contact.
"He's gone!" Merry told him fearfully, but Aragorn calmed him.
"Stay here. He will be found. Go gather the firewood, and mind you keep an eye out for him. Legolas and I shall be swift." He disappeared into the wood. Soon after, there was a crash of brush, as Gimli dove after them, and Pippin, Merry, and I were left alone.
At first, as Pippin pointed, movement seemed like Frodo, and we rose to call him forth. It was Merry who realized we were wrong, and gripped Pippin's shoulder. "Run!" He hissed, and we backed away into a bush as a troupe of huge, black figures rushed through the wood.
"Find the Halfling!" Shouted the leader of the oversized ugly things. These were no orcs; they were Uruk-kai.
"Frodo!" Merry whispered. At last he had found him. Frodo was not far away, hiding behind a tree.
"Hide here!" Pippin begged. "Come on!"
Frodo resisted, shaking his head.
"What's he doing?" Pippin cried.
"He's leaving," I realized.
"NO!" Pippin leapt from his hiding place in a fury, and Merry ran after his little cousin, pulling me with him.
"Pippin!" He cried frantically, attempting to hold him back. Pippin seemed beyond help, he was shoving Merry away, trying to stop Frodo.
"I have an idea," I whispered, grabbing Merry's arm gently and making a quick decision. "Run!" I told Frodo. "GO!" I looked back at him one more time, trying to forget those childish memories of the Shire. He was nodding at us and suddenly got to his feet and fled. It was only then that I knew I had done the right thing by choosing to stay. Quickly to Merry, I whispered my plan. "They want the Halfling," I said with a smirk. "Except there are five of us, and only one has the Ring—the one currently escaping. If we can make this work, they won't even know he exists."
"We'll be tortured, and killed, if we're caught," Merry hissed. His eyes were full of fear.
Then I stood tall, looking straight at the Uruk-kai and taking a deep breath before running in the opposite direction to distract them. "HEY YOU!" I called. "OVER HERE!"
It worked.
Merry and Pippin followed my lead and ran away from Frodo, leading the Uruk-kai away as well.
"It's working!" Pippin cheered.
"We know it's working, just come on!" Merry called back.
It could have been the bravest thing we'd ever done, or perhaps the most stupid, (sacrificing?) ourselves to save Frodo. We were no match for Uruk-kai, and the rest of the company needed not to save our skins. There were more troubling matters afoot for them.
As we ran, an Uruk-kai leapt in front of us, raising his blade. I scrambled backwards, shouting for Merry and Pippin to follow me, but they stayed rooted to their spot by fear. I shut my eyes, assuming the worst, as Pippin screamed and the blade fell, but soon I heard more shouts. Opening my eyes, I saw that Boromir had saved us by killing the Uruk-kai with his own axe, as his duty was to protect us. More fell beasts closed in around us, however, more than any of us could handle, and Boromir, in fright, blew three short blasts on his ox-horn.
"Run!" He told us fiercely. "Save yourselves!"
But we couldn't move. We stared in shock as Boromir tried helplessly to defend us, and, as though in slow motion, the Uruk-kai's leader, Lurtz, shot an arrow into him. Frozen still, we watched, as Boromir jumped up to attack again. Another arrow struck him and he fell to his knees, staring into our own horror-stricken eyes, as he mustered his strength to stand and swing his sword once more, before a third arrow struck him.
I could not contain myself and grasped my sword, with all the courage I had in me I ran out to the Uruk-kai, shouting something that sounded a lot like "FRODO!"
"FOR THE SHIRE!" I heard Merry and Pippin follow behind me, taking up their swords. We never got the chance to strike, however, for the Uruk-kai only had to wrap one thick limb around our waists and throats and lift us up and away. I struggled a fright, beating my fists to bruises against the heavy armor and never taking my eyes off Boromir. He cried out once more; his parting words to us filled my heart with sorrow.
"I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness or the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend!" He shouted in his final breaths. "I have failed you, little ones, I have failed you!" He laid back and I wept.
In one blow from an Uruk's shield I was completely unconscious and a song crept its way into my head. Though I saw nothing but darkness, I dreamed evilly of the things which we had endured thus far, and little hope remained now that we were captured. No one knew of our whereabouts and I was sure no one would bother to come after us. In my head I heard a voice singing, and though I thought at first it to be Frodo, I realized at last it was not.
"When the cold of winter comes, starless night will cover day.
In the veiling of the sun, we will walk in bitter rain
But in dreams, I can hear your name and in dreams, we will meet again.
When the seas and mountains fall, and we come to end of days
In the dark I hear a call, calling me there
I will go there…and back again."
When I came to, I opened my eyes, and could hear the last note of the song finishing. Everything was spinning out of control until I cleared my head and blinked. A pair of familiar round eyes blinked back at me.
It was Pippin.
