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Chapter Twenty-nine

Serafina's breath came in ragged gasps as she struggled to remain standing, fighting off Boromir's advances with her short sword. She had been practicing with the two men every morning for the past week, and her progress was slow. Boromir had been reluctant to help Serafina but Aragorn had convinced him it was necessary. Now he looked forward to the long hours of the morning spent in instruction and practice. Part of Serafina thought this was because he enjoyed swinging a sword at her with all his strength, another part of her acknowledged that he, like her, chaffed at their stay in Lórien and having some form of occupation quieted his restlessness. He was a good teacher, though she usually left the clearing they used to practice hating them both deeply.

Her left arm was growing stronger, but not quick enough. She hoped that her right arm would be back to full use soon but she had not yet mentioned her hopes of using it to Aragorn. While she fought Boromir, Aragorn would usually sit by silently watching and give her feedback after Boromir decided he had killed her enough times for the morning, then they would swap and Boromir would stand by yelling instructions and corrections at her while she fought the Ranger.

This morning, however, Aragorn was not present. Boromir had said that he had some business with the Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. She had been glad for the respite from his presence - since the evening when they'd danced together she had avoided him as well as she could. Seeing him only in the mornings for practice and occasionally in the evenings when her wrist needed his attention. Her mind lingered on that night and her concentration on the task at hand wavered. She gritted her teeth as the feeling of his hand on her waist came to her unbidden. Her grip on her sword faltered.

Boromir saw the weakness instantly. She was against a tree in a moment with his sword at her neck. Hers lay useless on the forest floor where it had landed.

"You do not learn, do you?" Boromir challenged her, aggravation strong in his voice. He let her go and stepped back from her. "Go, fetch your sword, Thief. And this time do not let your mind wander or I might do the same and forget to not behead you!"

Serafina riled at his words, "If that is what you would prefer, why not do it now?"

Boromir laughed at her indignation, "That is a question I ask myself daily. Do not test my resolve to help Aragorn. Though, if he is successful in his meeting with the Elf Lady you and I may not be so forced into refraining from killing each other."

Serafina frowned at him. "What do you mean?" she asked darkly, picking up her sword.

"He is speaking with the Lady Galadriel, trying to get her to let you stay here. So that we can leave you behind. I thought we were taking you to Minas Tirith where you would finally answer for your crimes, but Aragorn may have other plans."

"You jest, surely." Serafina said in a low voice.

"No. Not at all," he answered clearly enjoying the idea of leaving her behind, regardless of his desire to bring her to justice. "Maybe it's time you started making friends here." He finished with a smile.

Serafina narrowed her eyes at the man and lifted her sword. "Again." She said through gritted teeth. Boromir mirrored her actions and began the attack. She fought him off with renewed vigour though they had already been sparring for longer than usual. When Serafina blocked a particularly vicious blow, Boromir let out a pleased cry.

"So you can learn?" He said his eyes twinkling beneath the hair that fell around his face. He did not let his pace slow as he swung his sword at her again, "I told Aragorn that you only needed encouragement."

Serafina pretended to ignore this comment but the idea that Aragorn discussed her with Boromir set her teeth on edge. The half smile on Boromir's face taunted her as they sparred, it grew in strength the angrier she became. Slowly an idea formed in her head - she realised the uniqueness of her situation and fought to keep the scowl on her face. She knew Boromir would only be fooled by his apparent dominance over her.

"Where will he lead you if not to Minas Tirith?" she asked with a bitter note in her voice, carefully measured to be punctuated by the clang of her sword as she blocked him with all of her strength.

Boromir sneered at her as he spun. She ducked his blow narrowly with her eyes wide. He spoke with force and the superiority of tone that he usually employed when addressing her, "Aragorn keeps his own counsel as close as any man. But there are limited paths and he must chose from one."

Serafina's mind whirled - she had no idea what to do with this information. She kept her face guarded and let her scowl turn into a frown, "And there is no other settlement of Men on any of those paths but Gondor?" She asked and seeing an opening she made her first advance on Boromir since much earlier in the morning.

He deflected it as easily as if he swatted a fly and laughed as he answered her. "Not unless you intend to start one in Emyn Muil."

"Emyn Muil?" Serafina cried, loosing all pretence. Her eyes widened as she regarded the man before her. Boromir stopped abruptly, his joking expression melted away. She saw that in that moment he discerned her ploy. Serafina felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She raised her sword in front of her at the dangerous glint that appeared in Boromir's eyes.

He took a step towards her threateningly, his own sword raised. "You are crafty aren't you?" he said with a low voice, "But Serafina you're wiles will not fool me again. Your sly and devious trickery for your own gain of information will only serve you so far."

"The damage is done," she hissed at him, backing away from him slowly as he advanced on her. She was backed up against a tree and felt the need to go on the attack. "The Emyn Muil is bordered by Rohan and the Dead Marshes. If we are to go to no other realm of Man then that path would lead to the marshes. Which leads to Mordor. I am no fool."

Boromir's face was like stone. He stood over her proud and strong, so sure of himself that Serafina was left utterly dumbfounded when his countenance broke. Boromir turned away from her with his head bowed, and his face contorted into frustrated torment. When he spoke his voice was filled with such passion and anger that Serafina wanted to run, but her pride kept her still. The most peculiar point being that she was not the object of this outrage.

"If you are no fool Serafina, then stay here if they will have you. For we march knowingly into folly."

Serafina took pains to keep her voice strong and steady, "What business do you have in such a place with such an object?"

"None that will succeed - that much is all but certain! We are marching to our deaths and with barely a hope of destroying it, let alone of returning."

Serafina's eyes widened, she had not thought they sought to destroy the ring. An involuntary shiver crept down her spine. He paced before her like a caged animal. She watched his powerful frame and saw for a moment Boromir through the eyes of another; strong, lordly and proud. His agitation touched her but Serafina could do nothing but stare at him. She caught a glimpse of a battle raging within him and how strongly this place distressed him. Abruptly he stopped and turned to her.

He regarded for a moment. "Look at you," he said gesturing to her as if there was a throng of onlookers he played to, "standing there with your head held high and your shoulders thrown back like a Queen - yet your eyes expose you. In your eyes I see the Thief. In them I see everything that you are, and I tell you this; for all that you are Serafina, you have no place in Mordor. You will find more mercy from my father and from your Olin than in the journey to Mordor. This is why Aragorn goes to the Elf-Witch."

He resumed his pacing, but it looked more like aimless wandering. Serafina took a breath and swallowed. She had not guessed that her impromptu plan to get information out of the Son of the Steward would be so successful, nor that the information itself would be so distressing to her. Frodo's face came to her mind and her heart sank slightly. She knew then that he held little hope for life after the quest. Her feelings towards the hobbit tendered slightly. Tentatively Serafina spoke, "And there is no other course of action to be taken, no other options?"

He turned back to look at her. "Other options? Are there no other options?" he exclaimed in disbelief, a manic glint appeared in his eyes and Serafina felt her insides contract in fear for what he might say. "Our options could have been many, they still might but -"

"Boromir!" Serafina and Boromir both turned see their interrupter. Aragorn was striding towards them, his face intent on the other man, "you forget yourself."

Boromir looked between Aragorn and Serafina, his face troubled. Without a word he turned from them, sheathing his sword and shaking his head as he went. Within moments he was out of sight, lost between the trees.

Slowly Serafina's mind came back to herself and she noticed she was still standing against the tree, her sword half raised where her arm had sunk unconsciously as they spoke. She sheathed it, and looked up at her companion. For a long time he simply held her gaze. She looked at him with apprehension, but her shock overcame her self consciousness.

"Walk with me." He said and began in the opposite direction to where Boromir had disappeared.

Serafina followed numbly.

For a while they walked in silence. Serafina tried to use the time to collect her thoughts and her countenance but neither could be recovered. Her mind flittered through the faces of the fellowship and Boromir's pessimistic prediction of the end of them all weighed heavily on her mind. She sighed silently and let her guard down, her physical and verbal sparring with the Son of the Steward left her feeling exhausted, she dreaded a similar discussion with the Ranger.

"Is there really such little hope?" she asked him quietly.

Aragorn turned to look at her and she did not bother to hide the anxiety in her gaze. She watched his grey eyes turn tender. His answer was equally soft, "I do not think there has ever been much hope, but that does not mean to say that the hope that there is is not strong, nor well founded."

She attempted a smile but gave up half way through, not feeling the need for the unfelt expression. They walked slowly, side by side, each with much to say and no words to say it with. Serafina eventually let her mind wander, her previous affront at Aragorn's decision to confront the Lady Galadriel seemed insignificant by comparison to the task that rested on the shoulders of the fellowship, but her skin prickled at the thought nonetheless.

"I will not stay here," she said, daring him to contradict her.

He answered with a resigned patience, "If the elves accept my request for your sanctuary after we depart, then I expect you will not be able to leave without their permission, if not, there is little else I can do to protect you."

"I do not ask for your protection," Serafina said wearily, as though they had had this discussion on numerous occasions.

"And yet I give it freely," he said with the same tone.

Serafina ignored this comment and opened her mouth to continue arguing her case but he stopped her and spun her around to face him. She looked up at him, startled by the sudden movement and the urgency in his eyes.

"Did Boromir tell you all of it?" he asked insistently. Serafina nodded and lowered her eyes. She stared at his chest directly in front of her and tried to block out the familiar scent washing over her and the embarrassing blush that threatened to steal its way onto her face. He sighed and cupped her chin so that she was looking at him. "Then you understand that from here our quest becomes even more perilous. At the moment I have not decided on a path, but I think it unlikely we will pass through even the smallest village."

Serafina swallowed and a feeling of helplessness settled over her. She thought it must have shown in her face because Aragorn's eyes took on a sadder look. She squared her shoulders but her voice was soft as she said, "Is there nothing I can do to help?" At her words Aragorn dropped his hand from her chin and took a step back. Serafina continued regardless, "I am not much of a fighter and I know that Frodo doesn't care for my company - a feeling which is mutual I assure you. But I -"

She broke off at the expression on his face. He was smiling in spite of himself. Serafina recognised the smile instantly. It was the same self satisfied one he had worn on the mountain side when he'd learnt that she had been provoking Boromir to distract him from the Ring. She frowned at him, but this time he did not let the smile wash off his face, instead it grew until he was grinning at her. She nearly smiled sheepishly with him but she caught the smile before it reached her face. Instead she raised her eyebrows silently demanding an explanation for his joviality. Eventually he mastered the smile, but it's ghost lingered in his eyes. Serafina was surprised at how sorely she wanted to somehow bring it back now that it was gone, but she pushed those feelings down as quickly as they came and waited motionless for his account.

"Serafina, you are brave and strong beyond your years. Such characteristics are not uncommon in someone so proud and wilful - look at Boromir, he has similar qualities. But," here he paused and smiled again, it was not the uncharacteristic self satisfied smile from before, but a tender, genuine smile that spoke of unexpected happiness. "Once, I believed there was more to your character than pride and stubbornness. For a period I questioned it, but I am pleased to find myself proved right," he spoke gently and his hand reached out to tuck a lose strand of hair behind her ear.

Serafina's face coloured, but not just from his touch. "Aragorn, I," she began, moving her face away from his caress. Guilt plagued her and she knew she needed to apologise. She battled to find the words though she kept her chin lifted high. She knew that such an arrogant stance would likely undo the good intensions of her meek words but she could not humble herself completely, "I should not have said what I did about Arwen that day. You have only shown me friendship and I -"

"Fia," he said, cutting her off and taking a step towards her, "What did you say that was not true?" his voice was laced with the same pain she'd seen on his face that day on the Pass of Caradhras. He looked at her intently, "I forgave you before the day was through," he said gravely, "let us put that behind us now."

Serafina nodded in answer, incapable of speech. She was exhausted from the days physical and emotion strain, and but she found energy to keep her back straight and gave Aragorn a tentative smile. He returned it and offered her his arm. She took it warily, resting her injured wrist on top of his arm and he held it gently in place with his other hand.

They began to walk silently through the forest in this manner. Serafina took comfort in the quietness, letting her mind adjust slowly to the information she had received today. She tried hard not to dwell on his easy forgiveness of her rude words, and instead attempted to find a way to escape a sentence of an unknown length of staying with the elves.

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Time continued to pass in this fashion. Serafina felt very much like she was in complete limbo but to her intense displeasure she realised that she did not wholly despise the time spent in Lórien. She watched Frodo's spirit lighten as he relaxed into the easy life of waiting and as he relaxed so did his friends with the exception perhaps of Sam. Merry and Pippin's usual liveliness returned to them. They spent their days exploring the elven city and their nights entertaining there friends with tales from the exploits of the day. They all saw little of Legolas, when he was not with his own kind he was walking the forest with Gimli. Serafina was extraordinarily irked by their curious friendship. She had long considered Gimli an ally in a company of strangers, for his impartiality and his easy company. To see him becoming friends with one of her least favourite people was particularly irritating. She enjoyed the times when Gimli joined her and the two men for practice in the mornings, it happened rarely but to Serafina it was a welcome addition to the trio and her jealous side preferred him to be spending time with them rather than with the elf. Aragorn had insisted on her continuing with learning sword-craft in the mornings. He still had no answer from Lady Galadriel and until such a time he was determined that she should learn regardless. He could not say where her path might lead her.

Boromir was perhaps the one member of the fellowship whose state of mind did not improve with the passage of time. He began to draw more into himself, even forgetting to be rude to Serafina on occasion when the opportunity presented itself, though at other times coming close to threatening her with violence for the smallest matter. She knew Aragorn saw his unsteadiness as clearly as she, and she was grateful for his friendship with the man - she did not think she could bring herself to comfort him even if she wanted to. Fortunately Aragorn seemed to value Boromir's friendship and company and was able to smooth out the difference that past between them.

It was a pleasant evening, the air was still cool but this night was warmer than it had been. Presently she sat next to Aragorn as he inspected her wrist. Over the past few days he had instructed her to leave it unbound - the skin, no longer broken or festering was a shiny raw red colour. Aragorn smiled as he saw her body stiffen when he spread a soft balm over her tender skin.

"Either I am getting to know you better or you are getting worse at pretending to feel no pain," he said to her in a quite voice meant only for her. The edge of his mouth turned up and he looked up at her from the corner of his eyes as he worked.

"I don't know what you mean," she said innocently but her mouth twitched into a pert smile.

She was rewarded with a smile of his own before he spoke seriously. "The pain should lessen over the next few days - but you need to be careful to not irritate it with any harsh material. Keep your sleeve pushed up if you can."

He placed her wrist gently in her lap and stood, touching her briefly on the shoulder as he went. He walked over to Legolas who had joined them from wherever he had been with the elves. The hobbits sat talking animatedly with Gimli close by. Serafina stood to join them. Before she was able to sit down Boromir appeared from the trees, looking slightly disheveled, but his eyes were decided.

"Serafina," he called to her and strode towards her purposefully, "Will you join me for a walk?"

She started at his request and glanced around quickly. Her senses screamed out to her to make some excuse, but there was none to be made. The rest of the fellowship still sat deeply absorbed in their own conversations, not noticing the appearance of the man. She tried to catch Aragorn's eye, at least to warn him where she was going. Part of her hoped he would see her and insist that she remained where she was. But he did not look. Angrily she berated herself for thinking she could rely on another, even if it was Aragorn. She was still armed, even if it was just a dagger if it came to it.

Gathering her wits she nodded to Boromir. He turned promptly and disappeared. She followed him without flinching into the darkness.