Disclaimer: Everyone and everything in this story belongs to Tolkein Enterprises/New Line Cinema, except Kalhiril, who is 'mine'. The poem/song thing doesn't belong to me either, but I don't know who it does belong to.
Author's note: This takes place the night before Boromir dies, when he remembers Kalhiril, the love he had to leave behind. Mixed in with it are the words of a poem (or it might be a song, I don't know) that I got from the internet somewhere. I can't remember where I got it from, but I think it might have been a site where someone included their favourite poems and songs. If you come across it, I'd love to know where it comes from.
My Only Love
by Timeless
It was a clear, starry night. Boromir looked out over the sparkling waters of the River Anduin, glittering with the light of a thousand shattered stars. He drew a deep breath, savouring the crisp night air. The last night he remembered as having been as beautiful as this was the night before he left Gondor. The night when he had to say goodbye to Kalhiril. /Kalhiril/ . . . The name was Elvish for 'shining lady', and in Boromir's opinion there could not have been a more fitting title for her. Her eyes shone like the sea and the stars, and her golden hair shone with the light of the rising sun. Boromir's heart had been torn in two when he had to leave her, but at least she now knew of the love he had for her. He remembered the night when he had last seen her, last heard her laugh, last seen her smile . . .
_*_
Boromir looked up from polishing his sword as Kalhiril entered the garden, and his heart skipped a beat at the sight of her. Kalhiril, always as fair as the dawn, looked stunningly lovely in the light of the stars and of the full moon. The silver light sunk into her fair skin, and it seemed to glow, surrounded by the halo that was her golden hair. He stood up.
"Boromir!" she cried, and he savoured the sound of his name on her lips, but felt his heart sink at the memory that she did not know how he felt about her. This was his last chance to tell her, since he might never return from the quest on which he was to embark upon the following morning.
*Deep in my soul . . .*
"Kalhiril, you came!"
Kalhiril smiled her beatiful smile. "Of course I came Boromir. What was it you wanted to tell me? Surely it must be some great secret, or you would not have asked me to meet you at the dead of night in your garden. But - why do you carry your sword unsheathed?"
"I was polishing it, Lady."
"But why?"
Boromir took a deep breath. His father, the Steward of Gondor, was not keeping Boromir's departure to Imladris, or Rivendell as it was sometimes called, a secret, but he was not making it public either. Boromir wanted to tell Kalhiril himself, and not have to have someone explain to her after he had left.
"Lady, tomorrow morning I leave for Imladris."
Kalhiril gasped. "Imladris? But why, Boromir?"
Boromir took her smooth white hands in his own, calloused ones. "Did you know that my brother Faramir and I have both had the same dream, he many times, I only once?"
Kalhiril shook her head mutely.
"In that dream," explained Boromir, "a voice cried a verse." His eyes took on a far away look as he recited it, gazing into the west.
"Seek for the sword that was broken:
In Imladris it dwells;
There shall be counsels taken
Stronger than Morgul-spells.
There shall be shown a token
That Doom is near at hand,
For Isildur's bane shall awaken,
And the Halfling forth shall stand."
Kalhiril inclined her head on one side. "It is but a riddle to me."
"Aye, a riddle, and one that I will travel to Imladris to find the answer to."
"But Boromir, you are the Heir to the Stewardship of Gondor! Can your brother not go instead?"
Boromir smiled. "Faramir would indeed have gone, but I felt it was my duty to go myself."
Tears filled Kalhiril's eyes. "Boromir, you can't know for certain what could happen! You might never return!"
*The love's so strong . . .*
Boromir felt his heart quiver at her concern for him. "But Lady, I would not forgive myself if Faramir departed and never returned."
Kalhiril nodded, once.
"Goodbye, Boromir."
She turned to go. Boromir's insides twisted. He couldn't bear to hear the disappointment in her voice and in her eyes. He caught her wrist
"Kalhiril, I -" Boromir hesitated as Kalhiril turned round. At the sight of her lovely, deep blue eyes his heart twisted, and his mouth formed new words.
*It takes control . . .*
"I love you."
*Now we both know . . .*
He didn't wait to see her reaction, even though he wanted so much, but turned and began to walk away.
"Boromir."
He turned at the sound of Kalhiril's voice. her eyes were full of awe and wondor. "I know," she said, and took one step towards him. "And somehow - somehow I've always known. And Boromir -" She hesitated. "I love you too."
*The secret's bared . . .*
Boromir heard the words, but her eyes spoke more strongly than her voice, for they were full of the love he had only dreamed of. He wavered, unwilling to move lest this turn out to be a dream. Then, he swiftly walked the few yards that separated them, gathered her up in his arms and kissed her, kissed her with the love he had contained ever since he first saw her and the sorrow he felt at having to leave her. And she kissed him back, her lips warm and soft on his.
Finally, they broke apart and Kalhiril gazed into his eyes. "Must you go?" she asked, her eyes bright with tears of joy and sadness.
*The feeling shows . . .*
Boromir nodded. "I must. But Kalhiril," and dropped onto one knee and held one of her hands in his. "I swear that I will give my heart to no other, and that, if I ever return, and if you are willing, I will take you as my wife. Will you swear the same?"
"I swear," whispered Kalhiril, and they kissed again, desperately, knowing that beyond the dawn, they might never see each other again.
_@_
Boromir felt tears prick in the corners of his eyes. Kalhiril was far away, and he was here, on this perilous quest. True, he was heading towards Gondor, but who could tell what would happen on their journey? Not he, that was for sure.
*Driven far apart . . .*
Boromir sighed. Would he ever see Kalhiril again? And what would she do if he did not? She had promised never to love anyone but him, but he had already been away for longer than anyone, or anything, could be expected to wait. Anything, his heart told him, but love.
"Kalhiril . . ." he whispered. "Will I ever see you again? Do you still love me?" He sighed. "My journey is long, and right now I want nothing more than to hold you in my arms again."
*I'll make a wish . . ."
He looked up to the south, where the full moon hung in the sky. It was beautiful, yes, but Kalhiril was the fairest light in the south. A point of light dropped from the sky.
*On a shooting star . . .*
"A fallen star," he murmered. /Just like me. I fell from grace when I first saw Isildur's Bane. I may not yet have tried to seize it, but I would have. And a mere Halfling could not stand against me . . ./ He crushed the thought. He must resist the temptation. If he took it, what would Kalhiril think? Even supposing they saw each other again.
/Some day we'll be together, Kalhiril./
*There will come a day . . .*
/Maybe in Gondor, maybe somewhere else. Maybe even when we have died, for even death cannot part us, our love is so strong./
*Somewhere far away . . .*
/We will stay together until the end of time, for even if we are far apart, our hearts are joined./
*In your arms I'll stay . . .*
/I will never love another, for in my eyes, even the Evenstar of Imladris cannot compare to you/
*My only love . . .*
/I never have loved another apart from you, even though you did not know it until my last night in Gondor./
*You've reached the deepest part . . .*
/I almost didn't tell you, but your heart called to mine, and I did./
*Of the secret in my heart . . .*
/When I first saw you, I knew you were the one./
*I've known it from the start . . .*
/My only love, then, now and forever./
*My only love . . .*
/Kalhiril . . .*
*My only love . . .*
Author's note: This takes place the night before Boromir dies, when he remembers Kalhiril, the love he had to leave behind. Mixed in with it are the words of a poem (or it might be a song, I don't know) that I got from the internet somewhere. I can't remember where I got it from, but I think it might have been a site where someone included their favourite poems and songs. If you come across it, I'd love to know where it comes from.
My Only Love
by Timeless
It was a clear, starry night. Boromir looked out over the sparkling waters of the River Anduin, glittering with the light of a thousand shattered stars. He drew a deep breath, savouring the crisp night air. The last night he remembered as having been as beautiful as this was the night before he left Gondor. The night when he had to say goodbye to Kalhiril. /Kalhiril/ . . . The name was Elvish for 'shining lady', and in Boromir's opinion there could not have been a more fitting title for her. Her eyes shone like the sea and the stars, and her golden hair shone with the light of the rising sun. Boromir's heart had been torn in two when he had to leave her, but at least she now knew of the love he had for her. He remembered the night when he had last seen her, last heard her laugh, last seen her smile . . .
_*_
Boromir looked up from polishing his sword as Kalhiril entered the garden, and his heart skipped a beat at the sight of her. Kalhiril, always as fair as the dawn, looked stunningly lovely in the light of the stars and of the full moon. The silver light sunk into her fair skin, and it seemed to glow, surrounded by the halo that was her golden hair. He stood up.
"Boromir!" she cried, and he savoured the sound of his name on her lips, but felt his heart sink at the memory that she did not know how he felt about her. This was his last chance to tell her, since he might never return from the quest on which he was to embark upon the following morning.
*Deep in my soul . . .*
"Kalhiril, you came!"
Kalhiril smiled her beatiful smile. "Of course I came Boromir. What was it you wanted to tell me? Surely it must be some great secret, or you would not have asked me to meet you at the dead of night in your garden. But - why do you carry your sword unsheathed?"
"I was polishing it, Lady."
"But why?"
Boromir took a deep breath. His father, the Steward of Gondor, was not keeping Boromir's departure to Imladris, or Rivendell as it was sometimes called, a secret, but he was not making it public either. Boromir wanted to tell Kalhiril himself, and not have to have someone explain to her after he had left.
"Lady, tomorrow morning I leave for Imladris."
Kalhiril gasped. "Imladris? But why, Boromir?"
Boromir took her smooth white hands in his own, calloused ones. "Did you know that my brother Faramir and I have both had the same dream, he many times, I only once?"
Kalhiril shook her head mutely.
"In that dream," explained Boromir, "a voice cried a verse." His eyes took on a far away look as he recited it, gazing into the west.
"Seek for the sword that was broken:
In Imladris it dwells;
There shall be counsels taken
Stronger than Morgul-spells.
There shall be shown a token
That Doom is near at hand,
For Isildur's bane shall awaken,
And the Halfling forth shall stand."
Kalhiril inclined her head on one side. "It is but a riddle to me."
"Aye, a riddle, and one that I will travel to Imladris to find the answer to."
"But Boromir, you are the Heir to the Stewardship of Gondor! Can your brother not go instead?"
Boromir smiled. "Faramir would indeed have gone, but I felt it was my duty to go myself."
Tears filled Kalhiril's eyes. "Boromir, you can't know for certain what could happen! You might never return!"
*The love's so strong . . .*
Boromir felt his heart quiver at her concern for him. "But Lady, I would not forgive myself if Faramir departed and never returned."
Kalhiril nodded, once.
"Goodbye, Boromir."
She turned to go. Boromir's insides twisted. He couldn't bear to hear the disappointment in her voice and in her eyes. He caught her wrist
"Kalhiril, I -" Boromir hesitated as Kalhiril turned round. At the sight of her lovely, deep blue eyes his heart twisted, and his mouth formed new words.
*It takes control . . .*
"I love you."
*Now we both know . . .*
He didn't wait to see her reaction, even though he wanted so much, but turned and began to walk away.
"Boromir."
He turned at the sound of Kalhiril's voice. her eyes were full of awe and wondor. "I know," she said, and took one step towards him. "And somehow - somehow I've always known. And Boromir -" She hesitated. "I love you too."
*The secret's bared . . .*
Boromir heard the words, but her eyes spoke more strongly than her voice, for they were full of the love he had only dreamed of. He wavered, unwilling to move lest this turn out to be a dream. Then, he swiftly walked the few yards that separated them, gathered her up in his arms and kissed her, kissed her with the love he had contained ever since he first saw her and the sorrow he felt at having to leave her. And she kissed him back, her lips warm and soft on his.
Finally, they broke apart and Kalhiril gazed into his eyes. "Must you go?" she asked, her eyes bright with tears of joy and sadness.
*The feeling shows . . .*
Boromir nodded. "I must. But Kalhiril," and dropped onto one knee and held one of her hands in his. "I swear that I will give my heart to no other, and that, if I ever return, and if you are willing, I will take you as my wife. Will you swear the same?"
"I swear," whispered Kalhiril, and they kissed again, desperately, knowing that beyond the dawn, they might never see each other again.
_@_
Boromir felt tears prick in the corners of his eyes. Kalhiril was far away, and he was here, on this perilous quest. True, he was heading towards Gondor, but who could tell what would happen on their journey? Not he, that was for sure.
*Driven far apart . . .*
Boromir sighed. Would he ever see Kalhiril again? And what would she do if he did not? She had promised never to love anyone but him, but he had already been away for longer than anyone, or anything, could be expected to wait. Anything, his heart told him, but love.
"Kalhiril . . ." he whispered. "Will I ever see you again? Do you still love me?" He sighed. "My journey is long, and right now I want nothing more than to hold you in my arms again."
*I'll make a wish . . ."
He looked up to the south, where the full moon hung in the sky. It was beautiful, yes, but Kalhiril was the fairest light in the south. A point of light dropped from the sky.
*On a shooting star . . .*
"A fallen star," he murmered. /Just like me. I fell from grace when I first saw Isildur's Bane. I may not yet have tried to seize it, but I would have. And a mere Halfling could not stand against me . . ./ He crushed the thought. He must resist the temptation. If he took it, what would Kalhiril think? Even supposing they saw each other again.
/Some day we'll be together, Kalhiril./
*There will come a day . . .*
/Maybe in Gondor, maybe somewhere else. Maybe even when we have died, for even death cannot part us, our love is so strong./
*Somewhere far away . . .*
/We will stay together until the end of time, for even if we are far apart, our hearts are joined./
*In your arms I'll stay . . .*
/I will never love another, for in my eyes, even the Evenstar of Imladris cannot compare to you/
*My only love . . .*
/I never have loved another apart from you, even though you did not know it until my last night in Gondor./
*You've reached the deepest part . . .*
/I almost didn't tell you, but your heart called to mine, and I did./
*Of the secret in my heart . . .*
/When I first saw you, I knew you were the one./
*I've known it from the start . . .*
/My only love, then, now and forever./
*My only love . . .*
/Kalhiril . . .*
*My only love . . .*