Chapter 29

The first two days passed quickly, though not quickly enough for Mel. She took Haldir at his word and let Laurea find her own footing through the trees crowding the west bank of the Anduin, resisting the temptation to urge her faster the few times she slowed and trying not to fidget when the mare stopped for a drink from the river at noon. Instead, she used those opportunities to dismount, chew on a wafer of lembas, and pace restlessly to work out the cramps in her muscles. It had been a very long time since she'd done any serious riding and the walk did her more good than she probably realized.

Laurea was fast and sure and incredibly smart. Every morning she woke Mel with a nudge as the sun rose in the east, burning off the river's mist enough to see the forest path. They would ride all day, with only occasional short stops, and well into the night, stopping when Mel could feel her eyelids start to droop. Every day Mel woke up sore and tired and impatient, but Laurea just continued on, steady and enduring. The horse was a reassuring comfort.

The third day, Mel started to notice a change in the landscape. The trees were fewer, their whispers not as loud. And the east side of the river started to look more stark and barren. At noon when Laurea stopped for her drink, Mel could see large, charred patches all along the eastern shore, as if a forest fire had passed through not too long ago. The places not touched by fire were brown and brittle. Mel shivered and looked further down the western bank. The trees were thinning rapidly and it made her uneasy. If the trees were gone, where would she hide if need be? Even worse, the hush in her mind was eerie. She hadn't realized how much she had become accustomed to the sounds of the Lothlorien mallorn trees. The few trees close by were silent, as if they were afraid to make a sound. It was unnerving. It felt like… like Moria.

She hurried back to where Laurea was grazing and stayed close by until the horse was ready to leave.

As they rushed along, the land grew more flat, but the water teamed with river reeds, whistling and clacking together in the wind of the open plains. The reeds were tall, up to Laurea's chest, and as they passed the last tree that Mel could see for miles, she was grateful that at least they would be safe from sight of the eastern bank at nightfall. The flat plains bordering the western shore were green with grass as far as the eye could see, broken only by pockets of sharp rock that jutted out of the earth. It looked vaguely familiar, but it took Mel most of a day to finally realize that they must be passing through some part of Rohan. She took in the countryside with interested eyes as fast as she could. They were making excellent time on the plains. Many times Laurea would snort playfully and burst into a full gallop across the open ground.

They traveled for only a few days across the open country before the land began to change again. On both sides rock began to push its way out of the earth and crumble into gravel on the path by the river. Sheer cliffs rose before them and the reeds that Mel had found such comfort in were replaced by brambles and thorn bushes. Laurea still seemed sure of her way, but it was slower going now as she picked her way through the underbrush and circled mountains of rock.

Mel worked hard to push away the doubts that nagged her. There was no way to be sure if she was catching up with the Fellowship. They could be miles away or just on the other side of the damn weeds! The uncertainty was driving her crazy! How would she know when to stop? What if she passed them up? What if she got to the Falls of Rauros and she couldn't find them? What if she got to Amon Hen and they were already gone?

She tried her best to force those thoughts away. She focused instead on the task in front of her. She had to stop Boromir. If she could just catch him, just talk to him for a minute… and to hell with Aragorn and his damn promises! She was going to tell Boromir everything, everything that was going to happen to him, to his father, to his brother, to his city, and then she was going to tell him to run like hell! Run for Minas Tirith or Osgiliath or Ithilien whichever was closer, to just go! He didn't have to love her. He didn't even have to like her. But there was no way she was going to just sit by and watch him kill himself. It just wasn't gonna happen.

The certainty of those thoughts helped to quiet the nagging doubts for a little while. But they always came back. They usually plagued her at night, when she had time to stop and think and nothing to distract her save the twinkling of stars. What if she was nowhere near the Fellowship? She had lost track of the days. Not that it mattered because she couldn't remember how many days they were supposed to stay on the river anyway. She was sure they were falling behind. They had to be, there was no way they could be catching up.

Mel sighed and sat up, staring down the river, trying to get a glimpse of something, anything. But it was too dark, of course. She envied Legolas his elven eyesight. She gave up and readjusted her bedroll. She had a long ride ahead tomorrow. Nothing looked like it was getting easier.

She had nearly gotten settled again, when she heard someone shout. She bolted upright, her eyes straining in the dark. Of course she still couldn't see, but she knew she had heard it. She had distinctly heard a hobbit cry out. She was on her feet, peering down the bank, across the water, anywhere, looking for any sign of…

There. On the eastern bank she saw movement. She ducked under the cover of a tangle of vines, but her eyes stayed riveted to the activity across the river. It was further downstream, almost too far to be seen, but she definitely wasn't imagining it. And then echoes of orc cries reached her, the cackling screeches bouncing off the cliffs and sending a cold shiver running down Mel's spine. A wind blew from the south and black clouds rose up against the deep blue of the midnight sky.

Something rose out of the clouds. A dark, lithe form sailed with the wind up the river, blotting out the stars in its path and sending a bone-chilling dread through every fiber of Mel's being. Her heart stopped beating, she stopped breathing, she even stopped thinking. Her mind was just one silent shriek that she couldn't seem to voice. The brush and the brambles started to tremble all around her, rippling down the river bank. Laurea gave a terrified scream.

But then the beast was cut short. Mel saw it jerk in the sky, as if it had been struck, and a choking screech filled the night, turning her blood to ice in her veins. Then it fell from the sky to the rocks in the east, far beyond the river. It was as if someone had wiped a haze from the night. The sky became deep blue again, the stars began to twinkle and the cold hand that had clenched Mel's heart let go. She took a gasp of air as her mind started working again. There was only one thing in all of Middle-Earth that could be that terrifying this side of Mordor. She had just seen her first Nazgul. And as that realization slowly crept into her thoughts, another, more encouraging thought emerged. Something had stopped it. And she could think of only one bowman that would have that kind of aim in the dark and not be paralyzed with terror. Legolas was close. And that meant the rest of the Fellowship was close. She was catching up! Hah! Take that negativity!

Of course, she couldn't be sure how close they really were. The cliffs' echoes made judging distance by sound impossible and her eyes weren't good enough to see where that arrow had come from, even if they hadn't been riveted to the terror in the sky. But none of that mattered. She knew she was closer. She could feel it like a warm glow in her chest. She was going to catch them. It took everything she had not to get up and pace with excitement and impatience. She forced herself to lie down again and close her eyes. She had to get a little sleep. She would be no use to anyone as a living zombie. Laurea would wake her when she was ready to go on. But Mel felt like dawn would never come.

And then, surprisingly, it did. But it didn't feel like dawn. Mel woke up to a world clothed in white, warm and moist, with no sun to be seen in the dreary morning. Laurea snorted and pawed a hoof on the ground to more thoroughly rouse her. Mel stood and peered through the fog trying to see the eastern shore. But she couldn't even see the river, only hear it rushing along, not bothered in the least by the white haze. But it dampened Mel's spirits considerably. How would they ever find their way in this?

Laurea nudged her again and Mel took up the reins.

"Alright, girl," she muttered, swinging up into the saddle, "Let's see what you're really made of."

Without hesitation the mare trotted into the mist, completely sure of her path. She never stumbled, but the way was slow and the ground was rockier as they went further south. Mel could see the tips of rock cliffs peeking through as the day wore on, but the fog never fully burned away. They traveled as far as they could, Laurea pushing herself through a nightfall that came far too quickly. But finally they were forced to stop, and Mel tumbled to the ground and fell asleep almost immediately.

The next day she woke up wet. It had rained in the night. She shook out her cloak and rain drops scattered everywhere. When she put the cloak back on, it was dry. She smiled. Elrohir's gift would never cease to amaze her. She definitely owed him, big time.

The fog was thinner today. Mel could actually see more than a foot in front of her face and she realized that they were now well into the cliffs, the river rushing along below them. But the thinning fog also meant that soon anything on the other side of the water might see her. The thought of the orcs sent a chill up her spine, and also brought on another terrifying thought. If the orcs on the eastern shore could see her, what about the Uruk-Hai on this side of the river? Where were they? The thought startled her so badly that she jumped and her eyes skittered over the western shores. They were out there, they were coming, even if she couldn't see them yet. What was she doing standing here like an idiot? She jumped in the saddle and urged Laurea onward. They had to get out of the open before the fog faded off.

Laurea was sure-footed as ever, and her steady, unworried pace gave Mel some much needed reassurance. She slowly realized that they weren't as exposed as she had thought. The brush was still thick on the path and it hid their passing fairly well from the eastern shore. And besides, no band of orcs was going to take much interest in a lone traveler, it was too much trouble. And the Uruk-Hai were only thinking about one thing. Get the Halflings. They weren't going to dilly-dally with someone like her as long as she stayed out of their way, something she fully intended to do.

Just as she was managing to cheer herself up, it started to rain again. And not just rain, pour down buckets! She was soaked to the skin in no time, despite Elrohir's helpful cloak, and Laurea plodded along against the water, her head bowed in almost as much misery as Mel. They might as well have been swimming in the river. The rain made the rocks slippery, so they had to slow down. All of Mel's fears came swirling up out of the dark corners of her thoughts. By now there were so many she couldn't count them all. She bent her head against the rain and tried to think of something else.

Just as suddenly as it had begun, the rain stopped and the sun broke through the clouds, warming Mel's face and drying the rain on her skin. It was noon. Laurea made her customary stop and Mel took the opportunity to change out of her rain-soaked clothes and lay them out to dry. Her cloak only needed a good shake and a few minutes in the sun and it was as good as new. Her clothes however were not so lucky. She sat in the sun and tried not to fidget as she waited.

God, she wanted to be there already! She didn't remember it taking this long! Of course, there were turning out to be a lot of things that she didn't quite remember. Dates seemed to be the only thing she was able to recall with perfect accuracy. The Council of Elrond, 25th of October; leave Rivendell, 25th of December; loss of Gandalf, 15th of January; reach Caras Galadon, 17th of January; leave Lothlorien, 16th of February; death of… breaking of the Fellowship, 26th of February. So it was ten days they should be on the river. But how many days had it been? It had been two when she left, but her days had all run together already. She couldn't remember how many days it had been since she left Lothlorien. Was it five? No, it was more than that. Six, seven, eight? She just couldn't remember! What if she was already too late?

She shook her head. No that was impossible. She had heard the Fellowship two days ago, she was sure of that. She couldn't be that far behind, even with the fog to slow her down. She took a deep breath to calm herself. Laurea nudged her arm and Mel gathered her still damp clothes, shoving them into her bag. She hoped they wouldn't mildew and she made a mental note to take them out again as soon as they stopped for the night.

The sun made the going easier and Laurea barely slowed at all, though the path was rocky and choked with weeds in many places. It made Mel feel better to see the cliffs sliding rapidly by. A few hours later, they cleared a nasty patch of brambles and Mel caught a clear view of what waited downstream. Two great pillars of rock rose out of the river on either side. The shapes were impossible to make out clearly at this distance, but the sight still made Mel's heart leap. It was the Argonath. She was absolutely certain. And that meant Amon Hen couldn't be far beyond. She fought the urge to force Laurea faster. The mare had proven too many times that she knew better than Mel did.

She let the horse continue at her own pace, but her eyes remained fixed on the pillars of stone, watching them grow closer and more distinct. She could see their outstretched palms, warning away all intruders from the land of Gondor. Gradually she could make out the folds of robes and crowns upon their heads. And finally, just as the sun began to set, she could see their faces, stern and noble, one carved in youth, the other older and wiser. The eyes seemed to glare into the distance and Mel shivered. They made her nervous, like they were following her and reading every secret that she kept, judging her actions, seeing if she was worthy to pass into the land they had kept watch over for so many years. She felt small and insignificant. What made her think she could just ride by without being turned away? She had done no great deeds, she had no more courage than anyone else, she had nothing to offer these grand lords of the West. What could she do? What could she possibly hope to accomplish?

But something wiggled in her mind, a silly little thought, the only thing she really had. She had love. Unrequited? Sure. Stupid? Probably, but she did have it. And it was all she had to give. As the sun slipped below the western cliffs, she felt the eyes of the Argonath slip from her as well, to keep watch on dangers further north. It was all she had and all that she had was apparently enough. Laurea passed by the feet of the western king, unhindered.

And that was as far as they got that night. The cliffs dropped away into dense forest on the southern side of the Argonath and Laurea stopped just within the trees. Mel slid off and removed Laurea's saddle and bridle, rubbing her down with a cloth that Haldir had, of course, remembered to pack with her things. Then she took her damp clothes from that morning and went to wash them in the clear lake that spread out from the river. She could hear the distant roar of the falls, the sounds of the night, but above all else she heard the steady murmur of trees again, and that calmed and comforted her. The silence of her journey had been more disturbing than she was willing to admit, even to herself. She was accustomed to the constant presence of the trees and their cadence in her thoughts was a soothing background noise. Without it she felt horribly alone.

But it was back, her personal static. She sighed and glanced across the narrow lake. Unlike the western bank, the cliffs continued on eastward, cold, gray, and dead. Mel shivered at the thought of all that barren ground. Then her eyes scanned the western forest. Where were the Uruk-Hai now? They were coming, she knew it. She could even imagine that she felt it, like a steady thrumming in her limbs. But how close they were she couldn't say. She still had no idea exactly where she needed to be. She saw a tall hill rising against the starlight and she was sure that was Amon Hen. But it was huge! She sighed. The only thing to do was to follow the edge of the lake until she came to the falls of Rauros. The company had camped near the falls, she was sure. After that, she would just have to hope she could find Boromir before anything happened. There was nothing else to do.

She hung her clothes in the branches of one of the tall trees (with permission, of course) and lay back to watch the clear sky slip away above her. She started scanning the night, searching for the one star she knew, the one star she was sure she could find. She would never forget what it looked like.

"Boromir, where is Earendil?"

She heard the sound of his tunic rubbing against the tree bark and the shuffle of his boots.

"There."

He was looking into the sky, pointing in a vaguely upwards direction. She rolled her eyes, let her head flop back into the grass.

"Oh god, thanks, that was so incredibly helpful…"

He sighed and then he was beside her, sprawled on his back, shoulders touching. She could feel the warmth of his arm and the smell of grass and pine needles filled her nose. He took her hand and extended it, guiding her gaze above them and just slightly to the left.

"Right there," He murmured, "The star of Eärendil the Mariner, born of the light of the Silmaril which he risked all to carry beyond the Circles of the World."

Mel smiled. She could see it now. And now that she had seen it, she knew that she would not lose it.

Mel closed her eyes. She remembered the smell of the garden, the cool breeze on her face, the warmth of Boromir's cheek not quite touching her own, his strong hand guiding her eyes, his voice in her ear. Peace before the storm. She opened her eyes and there was Earendil. She was drawn to it, as if it were the only star in the sky. She smiled. And then she let her eyes drift closed and she fell asleep.