Chapter 13
Sunlight shown through the trees, lighting the small patch of grass that a young woman was lying on. Said young woman's eyebrows scrunched together as the sun shown on her eyelids, waking her from her peaceful slumber. Her eyes fluttered open and she blocked the sunlight with her hand and sat up. She looked at her surroundings, confused. She was sitting in the shade of a tree next to a clearing. She spotted Hurluin nearby, grazing and could smell the aroma on cooking fish. "How did I...?"
"You feel asleep, so I made camp."
She looked up at Boromir's voice and saw him entering the clearing with wood in his arms.
She blinked. "Oh, I forgot about you."
"Well that helps to show me how much you appreciate my effort to keep you alive. I'm wondering if it was a life worth saving." He commented, putting more wood in the fire and taking a seat next to the fire, turning the fish.
She looked away, nose raised. "I do not think I need to prove my worth to the likes of you."
"You should not be so arrogant." He sounded amused. "You owe me your life."
She stood and unsheathed her sword and stabbed the ground in front of him. "Fine, then until I save your life in return," She got on one knee and bowed her head. "I am indebted to you."
"You allowed me use of your horse, that was more than enough help." He said seriously.
She looked at him. "I assume you're not taking me seriously because I'm a woman and you think I would not be able to save you if the time came that you needed a savior."
"I have enough trust in my skills where I do not need much assistance from others." He said in a tone of voice that made her think he thought her words were true.
She stood and sheathed her sword, looking annoyed. "But you still find my skills inadequate compared to yours?"
"If your skill with a sword is as good as your skill with a bow than I admit you are strong, but you would still fall if set against me." He said, stabbing the cooked fish with a sharp stick and setting it on a rock to cool.
She sighed and sat down next to him. "Think as you like, but I will be waiting for the 'thank you' you will give me when I save your life."
Boromir smiled. "Your patience must be astounding, because you will have a long wait ahead of you."
"According to some, time doesn't seem to apply to me right." She said.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm 87 years old already." She said nonchalantly, leaning over and grabbing one of the fish, leaving the rest for him.
His eyes widened. "But...that would make you one of the Dunedain."
"The what?" She asked.
"The Dunedain, decedents of Numenor, founder of Gondor; they are blessed with long lives. It was said that their race had passed into legend, and so most outside Gondor believe. I have only a small link, but you must be a direct descendant."
Ariana nodded thoughtfully. "That would make the most sense, and it sounds familiar, I probably read about it, but I will not worry about it, names no longer matter, because while I'm blessed with a long life, it will not matter if I can not find help in Rivendell." She got up and began to saddle Hirluin.
Boromir stood. "Why do you need help?"
She looked down. "I am sick, if I don't find the help I need I'll die. I've spent the last few months drinking some sort of potion, but I don't know what it did. That's another thing I have to ask about when I get to Rivendell."
Boromir watched her, a strange feeling rising in his chest. I do not think I have felt so much concern for a woman I just met. Boromir put out the fire and helped her with Hirluin. "Then we must hurry."
Ariana paused. "Thank you."
Boromir smiled and she felt her heartbeat increase. She blushed and looked away. They both mounted, Boromir once again steering.
Days passed and Ariana felt as though her decision to let him lead a bad idea.
"We're lost." She stated.
He sat proud a top of Hirluin, Ariana behind him, her arms wrapped around his waist. "We are not lost."
Ariana raised an eyebrow. "Do you know where we're going?"
"We are headed to the city of Tharbad. We must go through it to find the North-South road."
"And once we find the road, it will lead us to Rivendell?"
"The exact location of Imladris is unknown, few know where it lay."
Ariana smirked. "So you don't know where we're going?"
He was silent for a moment. "We will go though and most likely make camp in Tharbad, and from there on out we will rely on Hirluin's instincts to find civilization."
"We could always stop ask someone." She suggested.
He shook his head. "As I said, few know where it lays. Furthermore, we do not want to stop while our pace is as it is."
Ariana sighed and rested her forehead on his back. "What is it with men and asking for directions?" She murmured.
He shook his head. "You have many strange sayings. I have never heard that before….and I have no problem asking for directions, but-"
"Your pride as a man gets in the way." She muttered under her breath.
"Do you usually let you mouth run freely around strangers?" He asked.
She blushed. "I'm sorry…and no I don't usually let my mouth run freely, but I also don't keep company with men with hearing of a bat."
He was silent for a moment. "I hope that you are not as trusting and naïve as it seems."
She sighed. "I was, but I learned from my mistakes. You should not judge a book by its cover, because no matter how pretty and beautiful it looks, its contents may hold something dark and horrible. I will no longer trust easily."
"Yet you let me use your horse and are traveling with me? Is that not a sign that you are too trusting?" He asked.
She moved her head and looked up at him seriously, even if her couldn't see. "Do not be fooled. If I get any wind that you are mistrusting I will not be afraid to attack."
He kept his gaze in front of him. "I shall heed your warning, but I assure you, I will do nothing to harm you."
She nodded and leaned her head against his back again.
He turned his head slightly. "Are you alright, Ariana?"
She nodded against his back. "Fine, just a little tired, can we make camp soon?"
He sighed. "Alright, but we will stop after we reach the ruins of Tharbad city, it would be better than camping out in the out in the open were possible Orc attacks could take place."
She shuddered at the thought of Orcs. "The ruins?" She asked curiously.
He nodded. "It was reported that the city was deserted after a number of floods. Then time took its coarse and the buildings collapsed into ruins. Although, I was not aware that the bridge had also collapsed, it was an unfortunate discovery that lost me my horse. Another flood must have caused the ruins to enter the Greyflood, making it dangerous to cross. I lost my horse, and you almost lost your life."
Her grip slackened somewhat. "Thank you for that."
"You should not rest until we stop."
She groaned, mind fuzzy. "Right, better said than done." She sat up straight, unconsciously bringing herself closer to him. She rested her chin on his shoulder and looked up at him. "It would help if you talked to me."
"Is that not what we're doing?"
She sighed. He shuddered as her warm breath traveled over his neck. "Yes, but I may be able so stay awake by listening to you talk, I like your voice." She said sleepily.
He chuckled. "And what would you like to hear?"
She closed her eyes. "Gondor, I want to know everything of Gondor."
He smiled. "Such a vast amount of information, I'm not sure I can tell everything."
"Tell me of your Gondor." She said softly.
He glanced at her and she looked up sleepily. He didn't look away until she raised an eyebrow in question. He cleared his throat a begun telling her of his home.
She smiled at the pride in his voice as he spoke. Most of all when he spoke of his brother. "You must really love him." She muttered. "I wish for that type of relationship with my brother."
"You have a brother?" He asked surprised.
She nodded slowly. "I did…do. My past is rather fuzzy, I cannot remember much. But if my brother here is alive, I'd like to find him." She shook her head. "But I would rather hear of your brother. He seems wonderful by your proud descriptions.
He nodded. "I am proud of Faramir, he is strong. I suppose it is necessary with our father."
She blinked slowly. "Favoritism? He speak of your father with respect and love, and must get that in return, but it seems your brother…"
He nodded. "Yes, father is harsher on Faramir because he chooses learning and lore over battle, but that does not mean he is not skilled in arms, only that his interests sway away from soldiery pursuits."
"So you like to fight?" She asked.
"I would not say it like that. I enjoy the thrill of combat and protecting what I hold dear."
She smiled at his enthusiasm and closed her eyes again. "So you are a soldier?" He opened his mouth, but she continued, sleepiness washing over her. "I treated many wounded while I was a healer, but mostly the sick Lords. I was always quiet and reserved when dealing with important people; only speaking when spoken to. I'm not a very outspoken person when dealing with those of noble blood. Soldiers are much easier to treat, they don't expect as much as someone higher up."
Boromir remained silent for a moment. "…Yes, the life of a soldier is much different from that of a Lord."
They rode through the deserted city until Boromir spotted a shaded area and halted Hirluin. He helped Ariana down and rested her against a large stone. Her head bobbed, her breathing even; she was asleep.
He stared down at her, looking perplexed. Why did I lie?
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
The sun had set and risen and Ariana continued to sleep while Boromir made a fire and kept watch before resting himself.
He got up the next morning and immediately doused the fire and rolled the blanket back up and tied them to Hirluin's saddle. He looked at Ariana and noticed she was still sleeping. As he drew nearer he took note of her paleness and worry formed.
He knelt down beside her and gently shook her shoulder. "Ariana…Ariana wake up." He touched her hand; it was ice cold. "You're so cold."
She opened her eyes somewhat. Her breathing was slow and her eyes were half lidded. "I feel tired." She murmured, closing her eyes.
Boromir shook her lightly. "Ariana, stay awake, don't fall asleep."
She opened her eyes and looked up at him. "But I'm tired."
He nodded, trying to stay calm. "Yes, but I'm not sure if you'll wake up."
She sighed and closed her eyes again. "That's nice."
"No, no that's bad." He said. "I do not want you to not wake up."
"You can have Hirluin, you'll get to Rivendell faster without me, and then you have a horse for your journey home." She said softly.
Boromir's heart clenched as her face lost most of its color. "I do not wish for the horse, I wish for you to live."
"Why?" She asked, looking away. "I'm no one special."
"That is only how you see yourself, but what about others?"
"..Others?" She asked softly.
He nodded. "I would miss you, those you left in Rohan will miss you, and you haven't found your brother yet."
She sighed. "Boromir…I'm sorry." All other protests fell to deaf ears as she slipped into unconsciousness.
"Ariana!"
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