Author's note: Wow, has it really been that long since I updated this one? I bet you all are about ready to kill me! Well, here it is! Finally! Hope you all enjoy!
Elenya by Shelly
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
"We've been through a lot, haven't we?" she mused, her voice hushed. "And here we are, back where we started."
He glanced down at her. "You seem nervous," he observed.
She swallowed deeply. "There is your father to think about, Boromir. He will not like the fact that we will be married, and he will try to keep us apart from one another, no matter that it was his idea in the first place. And it was all for his wish to have control of the power of my ring." She took his hand in hers and squeezed it tightly. "I am afraid he will try and take you from me," she whispered.
He turned her so that she faced him. "I will not let him do that to us," he vowed vehemently. "We have come too far and faced so much together for him to part us so easily. He may try, but I will not give in to him. My place is by your side, and I will never leave you to face your fate alone."
"Oh, Boromir," she breathed in a trembling voice, easing her arms around him and holding him close, knowing she was protected and loved and loving him even more because of it.
Searching the riverbank, they found a good place to come out on and hurriedly gathered their things before pulling the boat aground. But then they stopped as they heard the slide of steel drawn out of a scabbard, and a voice floating to them on the breeze.
"State your name and business, travelers."
A smile spread across Boromir's face as he slowly turned to face the owner. "I would think I would receive a better welcome than this, especially from my brother."
Faramir's eyes widened in shock. "Boromir?" he asked, putting away his sword and catching his brother in a rough embrace. "I don't believe it! You were gone so long we thought you dead! Especially after hearing the blast upon the Horn."
"I thought so also," he replied, choosing not to tell him of what really happened. "But there's time enough later for explanations. I think there's someone else you'd like to see."
The younger brother's gaze was full of questioning, but as soon as he looked upon Lillisandra, his eyes moistened slightly as he stumbled forth and knelt down at her feet, taking her hand in his and kissing the back of it. "My lady, you don't know how happy I am to see you alive and well."
Tears fell from her own eyes as she looked into his fair face, herself just as happy to see him alive. "Faramir," she greeted him as he rose to his feet, and then they embraced each other tightly, both of them remembering the kiss they had shared the day she had left with Boromir. "It is good to see you doing well."
They parted from one another, his gaze troubled as he looked into her eyes. "I only wish it were under better tidings," he replied.
Her gaze became confused. "What do you mean?"
He breathed deeply before he began. "I'm afraid that Silmarion was attacked by enemy forces," he replied reluctantly. "There is nothing left of it but ash and ruins."
She gazed into his eyes a moment, not wanting to believe what he had just told her, before collapsing to the ground in an almost lifeless heap, trying her best to hold back the sob that threatened to choke off her breathing. Boromir heard what he had said, and his own heart grieved for his beloved as he knelt down by her side and took her in his arms, comforting her as she turned her face in his chest and wept bitterly.
"And Father did nothing?" Boromir demanded brokenly, his own eyes misty. "He couldn't see them coming when they're right across from us?"
"We didn't know," Faramir defended. "They were Southrons."
"Southrons?" the older brother breathed.
Faramir nodded. "They were the ones that attacked Silmarion. But there were a few survivors that made it here. That's how we knew about the attack. Your father was one of them, Lilli."
She looked up at him with reddened eyes. "He's alive?" she asked, some of her grief assuaged when she saw his nod of affirmation. But then it turned to despair as she thought of something. "I knew this would happen," she ground out. "Dammit, I knew it! I knew I should've left sooner! Now Silmarion is destroyed and all because of me! I failed my father...my people!"
"Lilli, don't do this to yourself!" Boromir cried as he took her face in his hands. "It's not your fault! There's no way you could've been there in time to save them! Sauron knew you were coming back and ordered it done. If you had been there, you might just be one of them that died, instead of sitting here alive, along with your father. At least he still lives!"
"Boromir," she breathed before surrendering to her tears again, and he held her against him, fighting against the tears as he shared in her grief as well, angered that so many had to die at the hands of the Dark Lord, angered at himself that he had almost become a slave to his power.
Faramir knelt by his brother's side, laying a hand on his shoulder to let him know he was there for them both as he also resisted the moisture that welled in his eyes at hearing her sobs of grief. It pained him to hear her crying, especially as a result of something they had not done to help defend them, and he cursed fate that would treat someone so special with so much cruelty.
When she had calmed down enough, they walked together back into the city, many of the guards overjoyed to see that Boromir had come back to them alive, and his presence gave them hope when they had all thought it lost. But instead of going to see their father first, Faramir took them to see Lillisandra's father first as he knew she would want, and he led them to one of the small houses like the one she had stayed in during her first visit here.
Stepping inside, they found him sitting at a table with his head in his hands, and as soon as he heard them enter he looked up, his eyes widening when he looked upon his daughter. "Lillisandra?" he asked as he rose to his feet.
"Father," she cried as she rushed into his arms, both of them in tears as they were both happy to see one another. "Father, I'm so sorry!"
"Ssh, it's all right," he whispered. "It's not your fault. There's no way you could've known."
She pulled back enough to look into his eyes. "But I should've been there. I knew the danger, but I tarried too long...I was supposed to give you Dairuin's ring to help defend Silmarion."
"Even if you had, it might not have been enough," he replied. "Their forces might've been more than it could take, and we still might be here." Then he took the chain around her neck and gazed at Elenya, which rested against the palm of his hand. "I see that you have become the bearer of Elenya, our last hope against Sauron."
She nodded. "I have. But I'm so scared, Father. I don't know if I can do this."
He smiled gently. "Of course you can. Love will give you courage to see it through, love for Boromir who you have sacrificed your immortal life for." He chuckled at her shocked expression. "Yes, I know. I can see the change in your eyes and on your face. But do not worry. I know you did what had to be done."
Faramir at first was confused, but as understanding dawned his jaw dropped to the floor as he looked at first Boromir then at Lillisandra, who eased out of her father's arms and into her beloved's. "What happened?" he asked.
"To put it bluntly, brother, I did almost die," he explained. "We were attacked by orcs when you heard the blast, and I died that day. But through the power of Lilli's ring, she sacrificed her immortality in order for me to live again."
Faramir was speechless as he had never realized until now how much she loved Boromir, and now he knew without a doubt that she could never have loved him like she loved his older brother. Then he had no more time to think on it as the door suddenly burst open and a very enraged Denethor stalked into the room, his eyes ablaze with anger.
****************
Now they have to face Denethor. What will he think when he realizes Boromir hasn't brought back the One Ring? Will he try and go after Elenya next? Thanks for reading!
Elenya by Shelly
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
"We've been through a lot, haven't we?" she mused, her voice hushed. "And here we are, back where we started."
He glanced down at her. "You seem nervous," he observed.
She swallowed deeply. "There is your father to think about, Boromir. He will not like the fact that we will be married, and he will try to keep us apart from one another, no matter that it was his idea in the first place. And it was all for his wish to have control of the power of my ring." She took his hand in hers and squeezed it tightly. "I am afraid he will try and take you from me," she whispered.
He turned her so that she faced him. "I will not let him do that to us," he vowed vehemently. "We have come too far and faced so much together for him to part us so easily. He may try, but I will not give in to him. My place is by your side, and I will never leave you to face your fate alone."
"Oh, Boromir," she breathed in a trembling voice, easing her arms around him and holding him close, knowing she was protected and loved and loving him even more because of it.
Searching the riverbank, they found a good place to come out on and hurriedly gathered their things before pulling the boat aground. But then they stopped as they heard the slide of steel drawn out of a scabbard, and a voice floating to them on the breeze.
"State your name and business, travelers."
A smile spread across Boromir's face as he slowly turned to face the owner. "I would think I would receive a better welcome than this, especially from my brother."
Faramir's eyes widened in shock. "Boromir?" he asked, putting away his sword and catching his brother in a rough embrace. "I don't believe it! You were gone so long we thought you dead! Especially after hearing the blast upon the Horn."
"I thought so also," he replied, choosing not to tell him of what really happened. "But there's time enough later for explanations. I think there's someone else you'd like to see."
The younger brother's gaze was full of questioning, but as soon as he looked upon Lillisandra, his eyes moistened slightly as he stumbled forth and knelt down at her feet, taking her hand in his and kissing the back of it. "My lady, you don't know how happy I am to see you alive and well."
Tears fell from her own eyes as she looked into his fair face, herself just as happy to see him alive. "Faramir," she greeted him as he rose to his feet, and then they embraced each other tightly, both of them remembering the kiss they had shared the day she had left with Boromir. "It is good to see you doing well."
They parted from one another, his gaze troubled as he looked into her eyes. "I only wish it were under better tidings," he replied.
Her gaze became confused. "What do you mean?"
He breathed deeply before he began. "I'm afraid that Silmarion was attacked by enemy forces," he replied reluctantly. "There is nothing left of it but ash and ruins."
She gazed into his eyes a moment, not wanting to believe what he had just told her, before collapsing to the ground in an almost lifeless heap, trying her best to hold back the sob that threatened to choke off her breathing. Boromir heard what he had said, and his own heart grieved for his beloved as he knelt down by her side and took her in his arms, comforting her as she turned her face in his chest and wept bitterly.
"And Father did nothing?" Boromir demanded brokenly, his own eyes misty. "He couldn't see them coming when they're right across from us?"
"We didn't know," Faramir defended. "They were Southrons."
"Southrons?" the older brother breathed.
Faramir nodded. "They were the ones that attacked Silmarion. But there were a few survivors that made it here. That's how we knew about the attack. Your father was one of them, Lilli."
She looked up at him with reddened eyes. "He's alive?" she asked, some of her grief assuaged when she saw his nod of affirmation. But then it turned to despair as she thought of something. "I knew this would happen," she ground out. "Dammit, I knew it! I knew I should've left sooner! Now Silmarion is destroyed and all because of me! I failed my father...my people!"
"Lilli, don't do this to yourself!" Boromir cried as he took her face in his hands. "It's not your fault! There's no way you could've been there in time to save them! Sauron knew you were coming back and ordered it done. If you had been there, you might just be one of them that died, instead of sitting here alive, along with your father. At least he still lives!"
"Boromir," she breathed before surrendering to her tears again, and he held her against him, fighting against the tears as he shared in her grief as well, angered that so many had to die at the hands of the Dark Lord, angered at himself that he had almost become a slave to his power.
Faramir knelt by his brother's side, laying a hand on his shoulder to let him know he was there for them both as he also resisted the moisture that welled in his eyes at hearing her sobs of grief. It pained him to hear her crying, especially as a result of something they had not done to help defend them, and he cursed fate that would treat someone so special with so much cruelty.
When she had calmed down enough, they walked together back into the city, many of the guards overjoyed to see that Boromir had come back to them alive, and his presence gave them hope when they had all thought it lost. But instead of going to see their father first, Faramir took them to see Lillisandra's father first as he knew she would want, and he led them to one of the small houses like the one she had stayed in during her first visit here.
Stepping inside, they found him sitting at a table with his head in his hands, and as soon as he heard them enter he looked up, his eyes widening when he looked upon his daughter. "Lillisandra?" he asked as he rose to his feet.
"Father," she cried as she rushed into his arms, both of them in tears as they were both happy to see one another. "Father, I'm so sorry!"
"Ssh, it's all right," he whispered. "It's not your fault. There's no way you could've known."
She pulled back enough to look into his eyes. "But I should've been there. I knew the danger, but I tarried too long...I was supposed to give you Dairuin's ring to help defend Silmarion."
"Even if you had, it might not have been enough," he replied. "Their forces might've been more than it could take, and we still might be here." Then he took the chain around her neck and gazed at Elenya, which rested against the palm of his hand. "I see that you have become the bearer of Elenya, our last hope against Sauron."
She nodded. "I have. But I'm so scared, Father. I don't know if I can do this."
He smiled gently. "Of course you can. Love will give you courage to see it through, love for Boromir who you have sacrificed your immortal life for." He chuckled at her shocked expression. "Yes, I know. I can see the change in your eyes and on your face. But do not worry. I know you did what had to be done."
Faramir at first was confused, but as understanding dawned his jaw dropped to the floor as he looked at first Boromir then at Lillisandra, who eased out of her father's arms and into her beloved's. "What happened?" he asked.
"To put it bluntly, brother, I did almost die," he explained. "We were attacked by orcs when you heard the blast, and I died that day. But through the power of Lilli's ring, she sacrificed her immortality in order for me to live again."
Faramir was speechless as he had never realized until now how much she loved Boromir, and now he knew without a doubt that she could never have loved him like she loved his older brother. Then he had no more time to think on it as the door suddenly burst open and a very enraged Denethor stalked into the room, his eyes ablaze with anger.
****************
Now they have to face Denethor. What will he think when he realizes Boromir hasn't brought back the One Ring? Will he try and go after Elenya next? Thanks for reading!
