–cough– I'm still sick… it sucks. Nearly a week off school and I couldn't even enjoy it…
Hugs and shiny weapons to: childoftheking, shadow929, got-lotr, White Blossom of Gondor, Legolanderin, Laurenmlbc, ViolinAngel, Socks Are Yummy, Laer4572, Sorceress of the Cat, Da Evil BEAN, Killshea Kavani, daiquiri, DanCrazed, BLaCK iN SHaDoW, Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi, ArwenEvenstar83, Lintered, XxXRoseVixenXxX, erowyne & magewhisperer-su. :)
Wow, there were lots of new people reading last chapter. Mwahaha! WELCOME TO THE MADHOUSE OF MY FIC:) Thanks so much! I hope you all continue to read and review:)
Disclaimer: I own LOTR –cough–as if–cough– I also own the world. That's why I have used my ownership to put a stop to all the hardships and created the perfect way of life… As if… I wish the governments would do that…
To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth
Chapter 26: Gollum and Orcs and Boromir-who-is-scary-again
-----
After a few days I began to see floating logs with arms and eyes on the river. It freaked me out a bit, until I realised that what I was seeing was Gollum tracking us.
Which, I must admit, didn't exactly stop me from being freaked out.
I also began to watch Boromir constantly. Legolas questioned me about it a few times but I didn't answer. The Gondorian was really scaring me. The black tendrils of the Ring had come into contact with him and wrapped around his face and chest, reaching for his heart and mind.
Sometimes he yelled at me and the Hobbits for no reason, causing me to only look sadly at him, knowing that this was how crazed I must seem when my darkness took me.
It was horrible.
One night Boromir was arguing with Aragorn. He wanted the Ring to be taken to the White City. I interrupted and flatly denied him, backed by Aragorn who also refused, but the Gondorian took his anger out on me.
"A girl is all you are," he sneered. "What does your say count for? You are near as bad as the One Ring yourself! You and your darkness!"
I flinched at his words and glared at him. You could almost cut through the silence with a knife.
"Do not anger me, Boromir," I growled, my darkness rising. "You know I have no control."
"You are a danger to us then!" the man told me. "Your lacking hold over your power will be the end of us!"
"Shut up," I spat, and stormed off to cool my feelings before I hurt anyone. Behind me I heard Boromir sigh.
"She would die first before harming any one of us," Legolas told him.
"I know," the man said softly. "And now I also know how she feels when the frustration takes hold."
The Fellowship is breaking.
-----
Everything was quiet as we paddled through the water. I was thinking of my near battle with Saruman in my real-dream and peering at my reflection in the water.
Maybe Boromir is right, I said to myself. Maybe I am dangerous.
Who am I kidding? I know I'm dangerous.
But Legolas was right too, I thought, smiling. I would kill myself before hurting any being in the Fellowship. They're my friends, and no one hurts their friends.
At least, people that aren't possessed by darkness don't hurt their friends.
I looked over at Boromir, who – along with Aragorn – was tense and ignoring the other.
"I cannot believe those two," Legolas muttered. "They are acting like children."
"Legolas, you'd better not be referring to me when you say that," I smiled back at him.
"Víra, if they were acting as you do I would be very afraid," he teased. The Elf's face changed and he frowned at the other canoes. "I am just annoyed that they are straining the bonds of this Fellowship."
The Fellowship is breaking.
I saw Aragorn mutter something to Frodo and look up. I followed his gaze and found myself looking at the huge statues of Argonath, huge and majestic with their hands outstretched.
"They're so big!" I said in wonder as we went past. "But who would build them out here where no one sees them?"
"Hush, Víra," Legolas said quietly. "Let us honour them with our silence."
And for once, I obeyed.
-----
I don't know how I managed to, but until we reached the waterfall I dozed upright, only waking when Gimli accidentally shoved me with his foot.
"What was that for?" I shouted at him, clutching my side. Without waiting for an answer I turned back towards the front of the boat and saw the waterfall.
"Oh, lovely," I noted. "A big pointy rock."
I didn't even get any weird looks from the two Men because they were being stupid. I sighed.
So much for that then, I thought.
I jumped out eagerly as our boat hit the shore and in doing so, unknowingly volunteered myselfto be the carrier of the stuff.
Which was just great.
After much running and fetching on my part, Gimli and Legolas also got out of the canoe and we went to sit around the fire Sam had lit.
"We cross the lake at nightfall, hide our boats and continue on foot," Aragorn said, picking up the last of his gear from his boat. "We approach Mordor from the north."
Looking up from the handful of cooked food Sam had given me I saw Legolas gazing through the trees. While we were on the river I'd noticed he'd been looking around suddenly at both shores – I supposed he could see the patrols of Orcs that I knew were there.
"We should leave now," Legolas said suddenly, turning to Aragorn.
"You reckon?" I muttered.
"No," Aragorn answered. "Orcs patrol the eastern shore. We must wait for cover of darkness."
"It is not the eastern shore that worries me," the Elf replied, still looking into the forest. "A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind. Something draws near…I can feel it!"
"Are you sure it isn't me?" I asked warily.
"It is not you, Víra," he assured me. "This…other is more of a threat. My sense of you is different, and not harmful."
"That's good," I said, remembering to breathe again. I was really starting to get worried.
"Where's Frodo?" Merry asked suddenly.
"Frodo…?" I began then swore. "He's gone wandering!"
Aragorn's eyes alighted upon Boromir's discarded shield and belongings and the Ranger reached the same conclusion I was thinking.
"We must split up, but not go alone," he told us. "Víra –"
"I want to go with you," I said quickly.
"Very well. Gimli, you go with Legolas. The three Hobbits go together – now hurry!" he raced off in one direction with me running flat out to keep up.
"If I know that man… he will try to take the Ring from Frodo," the Ranger muttered. "We cannot let that happen."
"I guess you noticed the Ring drawing him," I said rather than asked.
"How could I not? Since Rivendell he has been obsessed with it –"
I suddenly felt dizzy and fell to the ground, hitting my head and bruising my arm.
"Víra," Aragorn doubled back to help me up. "Are you well?"
"I'm fine, it's just…" I stopped and groaned. "This is the feeling I used to get before I blanked out all those times."
"When you had that fever?" he asked me. I shook my head.
"It wasn't a fever, it was Frodo putting on the Ring…" I battered his hold away. "Let go! We've got to hurry!"
"This way," the Ranger said, starting off in a new direction. Within moments we had reached the place where Frodo lay panting on the ground.
"Frodo?" Aragorn asked.
"It has taken Boromir," the Hobbit said in answer.
"Where is the Ring?" Aragorn demanded, afraid that the Gondorian may have taken it.
"Stay away!" the Halfling called, scrambling away from the Ranger and myself.
"We're not going to take it, Frodo," I muttered. "We're not that stupid."
"Frodo, I swore to protect you!" Aragorn called to him.
"Can you protect me from yourself?"
"Good question," I told him.
"Would you destroy it?" Frodo asked both of us, showing the Ring on his palm.
"Of course!" I snorted. "I hate the damn thing! I can hear Sauron through it!"
Aragorn… the Ring muttered. Aragorn… Elessar…
It knows Aragorn's King name now? It needs to stop listening.
I watched the Ranger resist the Ring's whisperings and close the Halfling's hands over it.
"I would have gone with you to the end," he murmured. "Into the very fires of Mordor."
"I know," Frodo said to him.
"Same here, mate," I ruffled his hair, then hugged him, sniffing my tears back. "Thanks a lot – you're going to make me cry now."
"Look after the others, won't you? Especially Sam," Frodo looked sadly at us after returning my hug awkwardly. "He will not understand."
Except Sam will be going with you, I thought with a smile.
"Go Frodo!" Aragorn said, stepping back and pulling me back also. He drew his sword – I looked at the Hobbit and saw his blade glowing blue.
Oh, great. Orcs.
Uruk-hai to be precise.
Someone, help!
"Run," the Ranger called to the Halfling. When he didn't move he shouted it again, "Run!"
The Hobbit obeyed.
I drew my own blades and followed the Ranger, stopping just beside him.
"Oh my God," I murmured. "That is a lot of ugly Uruk-hai."
"I'll have to agree with you there," Aragorn told me.
I saw the leader's gaze on me and gulped. It was the same one from Saruman's tower, and it knew what I looked like.
"Are you ready?" the Ranger asked from beside me.
"You bet," I answered, and stepped forward.
Ducking under the Uruk-hai's blows was not as easy as it was when we'd been fighting Orcs. Saruman had called them his 'fighting Uruk-hai' and boy, had he been right about them being able to fight. My blades were soon bright with red and I was stuck in the middle of a pack of seven of them, all coming at me at once.
"Víra!" Aragorn called. "To me!"
"Easier said than done," I growled. "Helce! (ice)"
Since I had advanced in my power since saying that last, the effect of my word was increased and I watched five of my opponents fall to the ground, enveloped in frozen water. Grinning, I leaped over them to reach Aragorn who was being forced up the stairs.
"Nar-sicili (flame-knives)," I muttered. My twin weapons burst into golden fire, making the nearest Uruk-hai back away, snarling. I twirled them through the air leaving sparks in their wake.
They looked so cool!
Once our attackers had gotten over their initial fear of my flame they started attacking us again. Aragorn jumped from the top ledge and landed on an Uruk-hai, stabbing it and killing it instantly.
I wasn't going to try that, because even if I did happen to hit an enemy to cushion my fall I was no where near big enough and they'd just throw me off and squish me.
"Oh, this is just great," I muttered and I blocked attacks from the Uruk-hai that still came up after me. "I need to do something!"
After freezing a few more in ice and burning a couple with my fire, I gave up. Legolas and Gimli had found us and Aragorn had ran away to fight the things following Frodo and no one was helping me. And I felt sick after all this killing.
I was going to have to jump, and I wasn't looking forward to it.
My frustration powered up my darkness again and I felt the lightning spreading from me like it had with the Wizard.
It must be kind of reacting with all the evil Uruk-hai, I thought. Maybe it'll do something weird when I jump…
I kicked out at the Uruk-hai I was battling, pushing it onto the one behind and stepped off the edge.
And didn't fall.
Ha! My darkness comes with an anti-suicide function so I can't go jump off cliffs!
Which was just as well – I didn't really want to die…
I started to smile as the lighting reached out and slowed my descent, lowering me slowly to the ground. The good thing was I could still throws spells at our enemies because I wasn't doing anything to control my darkness.
"Nicely done," Legolas complimented me when my feet touched the ground. "Now, fight!"
"Will do," I said, and leapt into action.
We fought, and fought, and killed, and I still felt sick. Legolas had his knives out and we danced our deadly dance of blades, spinning and twisting. Gimli was using his axe, looking like a miniature scary hairy bear-thing and Aragorn had joined us again.
Now that the Elf and I had cleared enough space around us we decided to use our bows. I took time to string mine as Legolas watched my back. I stood up and he gestured for us to stand back to back. I did so. Together we shot one Uruk-hai after another as around us the Dwarf rampaged and the Ranger swung his sword.
It's a bit better this way, I thought as I notched an arrow and released it. It doesn't feel as disgusting when I'm not directly attached to the weapon that's hitting them.
I paused in my firing as I heard Boromir's horn blast through the air.
"The horn of Gondor!" Legolas called out.
"Boromir!" Aragorn cried.
"He's going to die if we don't get there," I muttered. I know Galadriel said not to change the story, but I can't just let him die.
The horn sounded again and I started to really worry.
"Can you carry two bows?" I asked Legolas as I dropped mine and my quiver regretfully on the ground.
"I can. What are you planning?" the Elf asked.
"I'm planning to use a lot of power," I said grimly, drawing my blades and running after Aragorn.
The black lightning doubled, then tripled in its size and I was soon surrounded in crackling black air. Surrounded in this much power everything I did was enhanced and I quickly caught up to Aragorn. Glaring at his attackers I blasted them with raw dark energy and looked away when I saw its effect up their bodies.
And I didn't even feel sick.
"Come on," I told the Ranger. Even my voice was deeper and thick with darkness.
He looked at me, expressionless, but I caught the shock in his eyes.
"Come on," I said again, and pulled him after me, blasting anyone who got in the way with my lightning.
I sensed the leader's presence close by and saw him reach the hill top before us. I saw him raise his black bow and I shot out lightning that faded before it could reach.
Once again, thepanic of what I was doing was catching up with me, and the lightning was fading.
I cried out as the Uruk-hai released his arrow, and tried not to hear its impact. I swallowed and looked up.
I can still heal him if I get there quickly enough, I thought.
"Sorry about this, Aragorn," I muttered to him and let go of his arm. Folding my arms across my chest I chanted, "Boromir ana! (to Boromir)"
A rushing sound filled my ears – I blinked once and I was standing behind Boromir and the two Hobbits.
"Lady Víra!" Pippin said, shocked.
"Never mind me," I said quickly, then looked at the man on his knees, dropping my swords. "Oh, God."
Two arrows already pierced his chest and as I watched another hit. Without thinking I stepped forward to ready a spell to heal him at the same time the Hobbits rushed forwards to fight.
Merry and Pippin were picked up easily, and I took two more steps before I was also flung over an Uruk-hai's shoulder.
I began to kick and scream, tearing at my captor's back. I finally thought things through and gripped its filthy clothes in my fists, shouting, "Nar! (flame)". There was an explosion and the Uruk-hai screamed aloud. I could tell it was in pain but it kept running.
"Knock out the girl!" I heard the leader call from behind us and I froze in horror.
Boromir… was the only thought I allowed my mind to register, and frowned in concentration as my hands formed a ball of light.
"Elessa, elessa, elessa, (heal)" I muttered over and over, all the time expecting to be hit over the head with something hard. I tossed the healing globe from hand to hand, filling it with my power. I felt the Uruk-hai shift in its position and knew it was finally going to carry out its leader's orders very soon. Squinting past the few remaining Uruk-hai behind us I aimed my ball of healing and threw it as hard as I could.
I didn't even get to see if it had hit, because at that moment something impacted with the back of my head and I lost consciousness.
That was… yet another cliffy! Sorry, I don't think I can help myself…
And… tell me if you reckon Boromir should survive or not. I don't really like to change the story too much, but you never know:)
Okay…um… everyone who reviews gets a spell that'll enchant the weapon they got for reviewing last time! (okay, Víra, come back from getting Víra-napped and help me organize all these spells…) PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW! I'm still sick, but those reviews last time made me feel a whole lot better! PLEASE REVIEW!
Namárië!
Again, sick LeD