(Author - Jennzah)
One of the elves that he could not see had heard him. He had been right to feel as if one were watching him, but it was not Galadriel. Jairah had heard what Boromir said, and now she knew that her earlier thoughts about Leila had been correct. One, that Leila did in fact know about what was going to happen in the coming days, and two, that Lelia and Boromir shared feelings for one another.
Jairah sighed. She did not trust Boromir much, she had not since his rant at the Council in Rivendell, when he expressed his desire to use the Ring to restore the glory of Gondor. She thought him petty, though he had proved himself a bit trustworthy while they had been journeying through the Caradhras, and through the mines of Moria.
She sighed again, and turned to where Legolas was taking some rest in the room they'd been given. She looked at him, laying motionless on the bed, and smiled. It was because of him that she'd come on this journey, because she couldn't bear anything bad happening to him, and because she knew she could protect him.
She closed her eyes and remembered the day in Rivendell, the council, before any of this had happened. Before Gandalf was lost.
She and Legolas had journeyed to Rivendell at the bidding of Legolas' father, King Thranduil. Orignally Legolas was supposed to journey alone, but when Jairah had found out he was going to Rivendell, she insisted on going. She plead with the King, that it would have been the wishes of her long dead father for her to go. Sandros had ruled over Southern Mirkwood before being struck down in battle unexpectedly when Jairah was younger. Instead of Jairah ruling Southern Mirkwood, she'd given it over to be ruled by Thranduil, who she believed to be a kind, trustworthy man. And he was. and Jairah had gone to live in Northern Mirkwood after that, to advise the King, because though she was young, she was the rightful heir to Southern Mirkwood.
That was how she and Legolas had met. And oh, how they hated eachother. Jairah smiled with the recollection. She'd shot him once, with an arrow, in anger. They'd been much younger then. He'd been chiding her on her archery skills, and she told him that she could shoot his arm off if she wanted. He'd been calling her "Princess Jairah" which she hated, though it was her rightful title. Finally, she plucked an arrow out of her quiver and shot at him so fast he didnt see it coming, and it hit him right in the shoulder. Jairah chuckled as she remembered the look of utter astonishment on his face, he couldn't believe that she'd shot him.
Jairah had felt guilty after that, and went and pulled the arrow out of his shoulder. After that they'd become friends, and not long after that, they'd become lovers. Their love was something so deep that it could not be penetrated by any arrow or tainted by any disease. They'd been betrothed for years. And in Rivendell, when Legolas announced that he would be going on this journey to destroy the Ring, Jairah had immediately spoken up that she would go too. Legolas had looked at her, fear in his eyes. He knew she would say such a thing, he knew her almost as well as he knew himself. But he had spent countless hours begging her not to go, to stay in Rivendell, and wait. But her will was too strong, and he knew he could not convince her otherwise.
Jairah's thoughts shifted back to Boromir, who still stood by the water.. She was afraid that his lust to return glory to his people would eat away at him untill he was but a slave to his will, and would try to harm Frodo.
So far, it had not. As Jairah thought about Boromir's thoughts of Leila, she hoped that these thoughts would keep him centered, focused on destroying the Ring.
Jairah pushed all such thoughts out of her head for now. She and Legolas had retreated to their room for rest, for time alone, time that they had not had in very long. She curled up next to him, leaning her head on his chest, and listened to his heart beat in time with her own.
****
(several hours later)
Leila couldn't sleep. She kept shifting around restlessly in the bed that she lay in. Her thoughts ate at her. She had told Boromir to protect himself, that she had bad feelings of what was to come. But she knew he was to die. She turned and buried her head in a pillow and clawed at the bed.
She didnt know what to do, as she turned over again and looked at the celing. Her thoughts raced, and then settled on the conversation she'd had with the elf-girl, Jairah, the previous night.
"I ask because, if you do feel love, you will do what you can to protect it, and this mission, all you can. But you must have the strength, you must have the mind." the words echoed in Leila's ears.
Leila sighed.She knew she loved him, Boromir. But she did not know if she had the strength, or the mind. She knew what she knew and she hated that she knew it. She also felt that Jairah did not believe her when she said that she did not know what was to happen, in the days to come. She closed her eyes, and saw the image of Boromir, wielded with many arrows. Being shipped down the river Anduin in the boat, dead, his sword in his arms. Her necklace around his throat. She screamed.
She bolted out of the bed. Forsaking the nap that she had tried to take, she ran down the stairs and ran smack into Merry and Pippin, who were munching on lembas with Gimli. She tripped over Merry, the small hobbit cried out in pain as Leila went sailing over him, kicking him in the nose accidentally as she did. She landed hard.
Gimli tried to help her up, being the closest to her. She brushed him aside kindly, and spoke.
"Where is Jairah?" she breathed. "I need to speak with her right now!"
The hobbits looked at eachother. "We haven't seen her, not for many hours." Pippin said. "What is the matter? Why are you not with Boromir?"
Leila ignored the question, and looked frantically at Gimli. "Do you know where Jairah is?"
Gimli had an all knowing smile on his face. "I believe she and Master Legolas have taken rest alone for the afternoon, though i can hardly believe that they are resting much." he chuckled to himself. "And at such a time? the strange ways of the elves."
Leila looked at him in agony. "I need to speak with Jairah, right away! It cannot wait. Where is their room?"
Gimli's smile faded, when he heard the desperation in her voice. "Though i am not quite sure, it is up in a tree not far from here, i believe." he pointed towards the west, where a clutter of trees held oddly shaped rooms.
Leila looked at him gratefully now, and took off in the direction he had indicated. When she reached the cluster of rooms, the only door closed was the one she chose. She knocked on it, frantic.
"Jairah?? Are you in there? Wake up, please!"
The door opened several seconds after Leila had rapped on it, and Jairah appeared. Her hair was tumbling down over her shoulders, released from it's normal restraints. It was also disarrayed, and Jairah struggled to rake it out of her eyes and push it behind one of her pointed ears.
"What is it, Leila?" Jairah asked, with a small bit of concern in her voice. She seemed distracted, and only had the door opened the width of her small body.
Leila took a step back from the door, in realization. "I did not mean to interrupt anything, its just..." she trailed off, cast her eyes down at the floor. She heard Legolas call from inside the room, in that tongue that she didn't understand, but she caught Jairah's name. Jairah stared at Leila a moment before turned her head into the room and replied in the same tongue, then opened the door wider so that she might go out. As she stepped out, Leila noticed that her dress was also in disarray, which was uncommon for Jairah as Leila knew her. She also did not carry her weapons.
Jairah stepped out into the small hallway and closed the door behind her, a look of concern on her face now.
"What is it, Leila?" she bade her to sit on a small bench below the window. She could feel the torment inside the girl, and she took her hand.
"I'm sorry, i didn't mean to take away time from you and Legolas, i know you have so few moments together by yourselves."
Jairah smiled. "While that is true, i feel that there is a more pressing matter here. Legolas will understand, as I do."
Leila took a deep breath. "I lied to you. I lied when i said that i didn't know what will happen."
Jairah's eyes darkened, and she removed her hand from Leila's. "I had thought perhaps so." she said slowly. She looked to the door of her room, then back to Leila.
"But i also thought about what you said, about protecting what is dear to me, and this mission. And i am prepared to do that." Leila looked at Jairah, who was looking at her darkly.
It was a moment before Jairah spoke. "Then you must tell me what you know. Everything you have seen. We cannot protect Frodo, or any of the others if you do not come forward with what you know." She stared at Leila, piercing her with her glittering amber eyes.
Leila got up from the bench and started to pace. "I am afraid, Jairah. I dont know what i can do to stop whats coming..."
Jairah sat quietly. "You must tell me what you know, Leila. Only then can we make the decisions on how to stop what is coming."
Leila stopped pacing and stood in front of Jairah. "Boromir.... he is going to die. There will be a great battle, not far from here, after the Company has gone aways down the river Anduin. Saruman has a huge army of Orcs and Uruk-Hai prepared, he will release them soon." She looked at Jairah, whose eyes had grown huge with horror.
"I know of the Orcs, but i have not heard ever the word 'Uruk-Hai'. What is that?" Jairah still sat on the bench, impossibly still.
Leila closed her eyes. "Saruman created the species. It is half Orc, half Goblin." Jairah's eyes widened. "They can move in the day time, these creatures, they will find us. They will kill Boromir!"
Jairah had risen to her feet as soon as Leila had spoken of the nature of the Uruk-Hai. She looked squarely at Leila, who had fear searing through her heart, for Boromir. Jairah felt it inside her. She stepped close to Leila.
"Is this the truth, Leila. Because if it is not, I would advise you to take leave of me immediately."
"No. it is the truth, i swear it. It will happen." Leila looked at Jairah helplessly. The elf turned and looked out the window. She felt Leila's pain for Boromir, for she loved him. Jairah looked again at her door. She too knew the feeling well. She turned back to Leila.
"Boromir will not die, Leila. Not if you have the strength to prevent his death. I will help you."
Leila looked at the girl-elf, who sat on the bench impossibly still. She wanted to hug her and thank her, but refrained.
"What should we do now?" Leila asked.
Jairah looked at her, then turned her head to her room. "Legolas!" she called, then turned to Leila. "Legolas and i must find Aragorn. You will have to come with us down the river."
Legolas came out of the room, looking concerned. "What is it?" he asked Jairah, who sat with her eyes closed.
She opened her eyes and smiled at him sadly, then stood up and walked quickly into the room, with Legolas and Leila following her.
She picked up a quiver and tossed it lightly to Legolas, and armed herself with her silver dagger.
"We must find Aragorn," she said to Legolas, then turned to Leila. "Go now, to Boromir. Spend the last few moments that you can with him, in peace. Do not tell him about his doom. We will not stay long in Lothlorien now." she said as she slung her quiver over her shoulder and picked up her bow, walked over to Legolas. She touched his hair gently as she handed him his bow with the other hand, then turned to Leila. "When there is danger, you must tell us. You cannot keep anything from us now, do you understand?"
Leila nodded. Jairah gave her a look of recongnition then motioned her hand. "Go now. There is little time!"
Leila turned and ran out of the room to find Boromir. The elves, on the other hand, looked at eachother in panic.