Chapter Eleven:
They made their way down the river slowly. Willow sat rather uncomfortably in a boat between Legolas and Gimli. The Elf was rowing while her and the dwarf sat idly. Willow had offered to help row, but was quickly talked down. The men would have nothing of it. Willow guessed the feminist revolution had yet to take hold in Middle Earth. Pippin and Merry were next to them with Boromir at the helm. The man was worried by something. Willow had wanted to talk to him at Lothlorien, but she had been preoccupied to say the least. Frodo and Sam were in Aragorn's boat. The Ringbearer had the saddest look on his face. Willow figured Galadriel and her magic pool had something to do with it. That thing seemed to relish in putting people off.
Willow was pretty sure she didn't like traveling. It was boring. Nothing to do but keep moving. It would probably help if she knew where they were heading, but then again, the men kept all such plans to themselves. She really missed the old days on the Hellmouth. There, she didn't have to go looking for trouble; someone usually imported it for her. It was easier to have the evil come to you rather than to march around in circles to get at him. But then again, maybe she was giving it too much thought. Lord knows she had a problem with the over thinking. Cordelia always used to criticize her for it . . .
No, she didn't want to think of home. Funny, she had begun to accept her place here. It was easier knowing she would be stuck here before she had seen her friends. They eventually got past it, but not for years. Willow wasn't looking forward to years of missing her loved ones. At least she had her hobbits, and her Elf. Heck, she even had her own human Angel. And let's not forget her Elf.
Willow shot him a quick look. He was rowing but not really paying attention to what he was doing. His eyes were on the shores. Willow understood his preoccupation. There was something off over there, but she didn't know what.
Legolas caught her staring at him and offered her a smile. Willow returned it, blushing only slightly. She turned back around to face the front. Gimli was bored. Dwarves were too small to be effective rowers, so like Willow he had nothing to do. At the moment, he was idly flicking at the water. One of his flicks landed too hard and a few drops of water landed on Pippin's head. The hobbit turned around and glared at the dwarf.
And so began the Great Water Fight.
*****
They had just passed the Argonath, two giant statues of kings supposedly guarding the way. Willow had giggled. They reminded her of Giles and Wesley. She wished she could have shared with Legolas or one of the human men, but they were still rather angry with their companions. Though they had not participated, the rowers had ultimately been the losers in the Great Water Fight. Legolas was still shaking water out of his long blonde hair and still rather cross. He kept shooting his passengers dirty looks, which only set them off in peals of laughter. Willow couldn't help herself. He looked so sexy when flustered. Of course, he looked sexy all the time, but whatever.
Eventually, Aragorn called everyone over to the bank. They were setting up camp for the night. Willow wasn't too sure about that, after all, the shore gave her Wiggins. She really wanted to talk to him about that, but first Aragorn and Gimli had a minor spat that ended in the dwarf leaving sputtering indignantly. But apparently, Legolas had the same idea as her.
"There is an ever growing dark presence on my mind," the Elf informed him. "We should leave now."
Aragorn looked doubtful.
"He's right," Willow piped up. "We should leave. Something's wrong here. My spidey sense is tingling."
"Your what is tingling?" Aragorn repeated.
"Pop culture references are pretty lost on you guys huh?" Willow rolled her eyes. "I can feel something's off. Legolas is right, let's bail."
"Where's Frodo?" Sam's voice interrupted the debate. Willow spun around at that. She scanned the area, not spotting a glimpse of the hobbit. She did notice that Boromir was gone as well. And for reasons unknown to her, that scared the witch very much.
"We better find them," she instructed, jogging off into the woods. She heard noises behind her as the others scrambled to follow.
*****
Willow jumped through the trees, trying to find any sight of Frodo or Boromir. Every second that passed just served to increase her anxiety. She didn't quite understand why she was getting so worked up for it. But there was a sense of urgency in the air.
She could hear or make out the others. The whole Fellowship was out and about in the forest. Willow's heart fell slightly at the idea. Isn't that how all horror movies start out? Our heroes plunge into the wooded unknown and end up slaughtered by some freak with a chainsaw. Only the knowledge that chainsaws didn't exist in these times helped to calm her nerves.
She still didn't catch sight of either of her quarry. Willow slumped against a tree, defeated. She was going to have to use magic and run the risk of Saruman finding her. But considering the fact that the Ringbearer was AWOL, Willow was calling for extenuating circumstances.
Then she felt it. Like all the other times, it was like being hit with a ton of bricks. Black magic literally crawled up her arms. She could feel the essence of it all over her. It made her sick to her stomach.
Frodo. Frodo had put on the ring. That wasn't the smartest thing he's ever done. Willow tried to struggle to her feet. She had to find the hobbit, make sure he was okay.
A blazing heat struck her suddenly. The forest became unbearably hot. Willow slumped back down against the tree. Sweat formed on her forehead. She couldn't see straight. Her vision blurred and unfocused, leaving the redhead disoriented.
Then, something came through the haze. The eye. That big blazing red eye that freaked the hell out of Boromir. It was large and cat-like, creating a sense of foreboding in the beholder. It neared her. Willow heard whispers start up around her. She couldn't quite make them out, but they were getting louder.
"Lady Firelight," it hissed at her. "Now I see you for who you really are."
It rushed at her. Willow could feel it trying to rip her mind apart. It was in her mind, he was in her mind. And then something clicked for the redhead.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Willow shrieked at the apparition. The eye flew by her and disappeared from sight.
"Willow!" came the shout from beyond the trees. Seconds later, Legolas and Gimli rushed to her side. Willow became aware that she was sitting on the ground, weapons cast aside.
"What is it?" Legolas asked, checking her over for injuries.
"I'm okay," she assured them. "I'm fine."
"You were screaming," Gimli protested.
"Frodo!" she sprang to her feet. Willow hastily gathered her weapons. "He put on the ring. I felt it."
"Why would he do such a thing?" Legolas demanded.
"I don't know," she shrugged. "But we have to find him. Sauron felt it too. That's who I was screaming at."
"Sauron was here!" Gimli immediately brought his axe up.
"No, but I saw the eye," she explained. "It came at me. Wanted in my head."
"Did it hurt you?" Legolas demanded, eyes flashing.
"No, but he knows me," Willow offered.
"So, now he knows we have the Lady Firelight with us," Gimli brushed this off. "Let him try to do anything about it."
"No!" Willow shook her head. "I didn't say he knew about me. Sauron obviously knew I had been called like way before. That's why the Ringwraiths were after Frodo and me. But Sauron, when he sent his eye, I figured it out. He knows me."
"You mean . . ."
"I mean, if he know me, I know him," Willow gave them a grim look.
"Which means, I met Sauron four thousand years ago. On the Hellmouth."
*****
But of course the forest was crawling with Orcs. Explained the wiggins, but pissed her off. She really hated these guys. And the best news was that these Orcs seemed to be some sort of new breed. They looked like those things she had seen in the tower. Willow took the leap and assumed Saruman made them. Willow hated that wizard. If she ever got her hands on him . . .
And they were fighting. There were so many of them. And they just rushed on by them. Whoever wasn't cut down made for deeper into the woods. Which meant they were after something specific. Willow had a pretty good idea what that was.
Through the sounds of battle, another noise rose above the rest. And resounding blast.
"The horn of Gondor," Gimli breathed in wonder.
Willow's heart constricted. Boromir had told her the story behind that horn. Warriors sounded it when they were in trouble. And if Boromir was in trouble, they better get to him fast.
Willow turned away from the battle and turned to the sounds of the horn. She raced desperately towards it and was stuck when it stopped. She glanced around her, trying to find any sign of her friend. She had about given up when she heard fighting start again. The redhead ran further into the woods.
She came upon Aragorn in the middle of the fight with a massive Orc. She would have helped but her eyes fell on a lone figure on the ground. Boromir lay wounded, three arrows in his chest. Willow raced over to the fallen man. Tears blurred her vision as she checked on the severity of his wounds. His hand stopped her investigation of the arrows.
"Leave them," he gasped to her. "We both know nothing can be done."
Willow burst into tears. She could do nothing. One of the arrows had pierced his heart. His lungs were filling with blood as they spoke. She couldn't save him, no magic she knew could save him. Boromir was dying.
She heard Aragorn settle on his other side. She turned around and saw the now beheaded figure of the Orc. Good, she had a feeling this was his work. Aragorn checked the wounds as well, being stopped by Boromir also. Willow lifted up the man's head and placed it in her lap. Her fingers ran through his dark blonde locks and Willow felt her heart break. Another friend fallen, another friend lost.
"Frodo," Boromir rasped. "Where's Frodo?"
"I let him go," Aragorn replied, placing a calming hand on the man's shoulder. Willow gave him a look at that.
"The Ringbearer's fate is no longer in our hands," he explained to both of them.
"I tried to take it from him," Boromir confessed. "I tried-"
"It doesn't matter," Willow interrupted him. "None of that matters. You are a good man and you will die with your friends beside you."
"I do not deserve such a privilege," the dying man moaned.
"Well I'm the great Lady Firelight and I say you do," Willow countered. "And I wouldn't argue with me. I'm quite the big shot around here."
Boromir gave a little laugh at that. He sobered quickly.
"The little ones!" he groaned in panic. "They took the little ones!"
Willow's heart constricted once more. She had momentarily forgotten about the hobbits. She raised scared eyes to Aragorn.
"We will get them back," he promised both. "Worry not."
"The white city," Boromir continued.
"I will never let it fall," Aragorn swore.
"Me neither," Willow added. Her hands stroked his forehead. "And we'll tell everyone all about Boromir of Gondor, so brave of heart he died trying to protect the lives of innocents."
Boromir gave them both grateful smiles.
"My lady I would have fought the world for you," he pledged. "And my captain, my king, I would have followed you."
Both humans nodded. Aragorn handed Boromir his sword. Willow watched helplessly as the man faded from this world. And then suddenly, it was all over. Boromir was dead.
Fresh tears streamed down her face. Aragorn kissed the top of the man's head.
"Be at peace, son of Gondor," he whispered to his fallen comrade. That just made Willow cry harder. Arms encircled her from behind. Legolas. The Elf had found his way to them. Willow turned around and buried her face into his chest. Her body was racked with heaving sobs for her friend. Legolas hugged her, his own tears flowing freely. Gimli approached, head bowed in respect. Aragorn pushed his eyelids shut and sat back on his heels, tears on his face as well.
And so Boromir of Gondor ended his part in this tale.
*****
The River was oddly calm now. Maybe even water had respect for the parcel it carried. That great warrior cut down in the heat of battle.
Willow watched tiredly as the others placed Boromir into one of the canoes. She had insisted on cleaning him up. She pulled the leaves from his hair, washed the blood off his face, and combed every lock into place. He looked quite handsome, quite peaceful. And quite dead.
Legolas kept shooting her worried looks. And for good reason, the redhead had been silent since the death of Boromir. Willow knew that he worried but couldn't do much about it. So much had gone wrong in the last hour. Boromir died, Frodo and Sam ran away, Sauron was someone from her past, and the Orcs had taken Merry and Pippin. Not exactly the high expectations they had started the journey off with.
She sat perched on a rock, watching as Gimli and Aragorn loaded the canoe up with the helmet and weapons of all those Boromir had slain. It was his honour, his tribute, or something. Willow didn't feel like it mattered. All it represented was death, so much death in such a little time. For such a tiny little thing.
She turned her head forward, eyes going to the river. She could make out the canoe of the hobbits, slowly making its way to the other shore. Both turned around every now and then, to cast a look back at her. She would stare back emotionlessly. She knew they were doing what they had to do, but she couldn't muster any comfort for them at the moment. Too much hurt still ached in her chest.
The canoe bearing their fallen friend was placed into the water and then cast off. It floated past her and she looked down. He looked almost angelic in the morning sun, so peaceful. It could almost be as if he was sleeping, but she knew he wasn't. Boromir was gone, just like so many others she had loved.
She continued to follow the canoe with her eyes. She watched until it became a speck on the horizon, floating until it finally fell over the edge of the waterfall. And she continued to watch a little while after that. In her heart, she bade farewell to the man she had become to think of as a friend. It saddened her to think that she might be saying more in the days to come.
Splashing from behind brought her attention back to the others. She turned and watched as Legolas tried to push a canoe into the water.
"We must hurry!" the Elf urged them. "Frodo and Sam have already reached the Eastern shore."
She turned back to looking across the water. Sure enough, the hobbits had abandoned their canoe and were taking off into the forest. She did nothing about it. Neither did Aragorn.
Legolas stilled, exchanging a glance with Gimli.
"You mean not to follow," he stated in a slightly confused voice.
"Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands," Aragorn replied sadly.
"So it was all in vain," Gimli muttered dejectedly. "The Fellowship has failed."
And maybe it had, but then again, nothing was over until the fat lady sang. Willow's eyes looked deeply into the forest on the Eastern shore. She could make out the disappearing hobbits. She closed her eyes and concentrated.
-Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee. Be safe my friends and come back to us safely. Or I'm going to be seriously ticked with you two.
She heard their laughter in her mind, feeling the ease her communication had given them. A small smile curved her lips as she slowly opened her eyes. The other three were standing rather sullenly around. Legolas was actually pouting.
She laughed and hopped off her rock.
"We haven't failed boys," she rallied them. "We're still here and we're still together. And that counts for something."
"The lady is right," Aragorn enthused. "As long as we remain true to one another, we have not failed. Come, we will not leave Pippin and Merry to torment and death."
He turned around, sheathing a dagger and pulling some supplies.
"Leave behind everything that is not necessary," he instructed. "Pack light. Let's go hunt some Orc."
Gimli let out a bellow of spirit, racing off after the man. Willow laughed, reaching to scoop up some daggers and her sword. Legolas helped her bundle up some blankets and such, tying things together and making them easier to carry.
He had been ready to rush off after their friends, but a hand on his arm stopped him.
"Yes Willow?" he asked, eyes concerned immediately. Willow smiled and gave him the sweetest kiss she could muster.
"I love you," she whispered to him. His face lit up and he kissed her back.
"I love you," he returned.
"We all know that you two buffoons! Now hurry up! You can slobber over each over later!"
They jerked apart at the declaration. Their eyes went off to the hills, watching Aragorn and Gimli laugh at them from a distance. Willow blushed and then stuck her tongue out at them. Legolas was stunned.
"He really does have the ears of a fox."
* * * * * * * * * * *
They made their way down the river slowly. Willow sat rather uncomfortably in a boat between Legolas and Gimli. The Elf was rowing while her and the dwarf sat idly. Willow had offered to help row, but was quickly talked down. The men would have nothing of it. Willow guessed the feminist revolution had yet to take hold in Middle Earth. Pippin and Merry were next to them with Boromir at the helm. The man was worried by something. Willow had wanted to talk to him at Lothlorien, but she had been preoccupied to say the least. Frodo and Sam were in Aragorn's boat. The Ringbearer had the saddest look on his face. Willow figured Galadriel and her magic pool had something to do with it. That thing seemed to relish in putting people off.
Willow was pretty sure she didn't like traveling. It was boring. Nothing to do but keep moving. It would probably help if she knew where they were heading, but then again, the men kept all such plans to themselves. She really missed the old days on the Hellmouth. There, she didn't have to go looking for trouble; someone usually imported it for her. It was easier to have the evil come to you rather than to march around in circles to get at him. But then again, maybe she was giving it too much thought. Lord knows she had a problem with the over thinking. Cordelia always used to criticize her for it . . .
No, she didn't want to think of home. Funny, she had begun to accept her place here. It was easier knowing she would be stuck here before she had seen her friends. They eventually got past it, but not for years. Willow wasn't looking forward to years of missing her loved ones. At least she had her hobbits, and her Elf. Heck, she even had her own human Angel. And let's not forget her Elf.
Willow shot him a quick look. He was rowing but not really paying attention to what he was doing. His eyes were on the shores. Willow understood his preoccupation. There was something off over there, but she didn't know what.
Legolas caught her staring at him and offered her a smile. Willow returned it, blushing only slightly. She turned back around to face the front. Gimli was bored. Dwarves were too small to be effective rowers, so like Willow he had nothing to do. At the moment, he was idly flicking at the water. One of his flicks landed too hard and a few drops of water landed on Pippin's head. The hobbit turned around and glared at the dwarf.
And so began the Great Water Fight.
*****
They had just passed the Argonath, two giant statues of kings supposedly guarding the way. Willow had giggled. They reminded her of Giles and Wesley. She wished she could have shared with Legolas or one of the human men, but they were still rather angry with their companions. Though they had not participated, the rowers had ultimately been the losers in the Great Water Fight. Legolas was still shaking water out of his long blonde hair and still rather cross. He kept shooting his passengers dirty looks, which only set them off in peals of laughter. Willow couldn't help herself. He looked so sexy when flustered. Of course, he looked sexy all the time, but whatever.
Eventually, Aragorn called everyone over to the bank. They were setting up camp for the night. Willow wasn't too sure about that, after all, the shore gave her Wiggins. She really wanted to talk to him about that, but first Aragorn and Gimli had a minor spat that ended in the dwarf leaving sputtering indignantly. But apparently, Legolas had the same idea as her.
"There is an ever growing dark presence on my mind," the Elf informed him. "We should leave now."
Aragorn looked doubtful.
"He's right," Willow piped up. "We should leave. Something's wrong here. My spidey sense is tingling."
"Your what is tingling?" Aragorn repeated.
"Pop culture references are pretty lost on you guys huh?" Willow rolled her eyes. "I can feel something's off. Legolas is right, let's bail."
"Where's Frodo?" Sam's voice interrupted the debate. Willow spun around at that. She scanned the area, not spotting a glimpse of the hobbit. She did notice that Boromir was gone as well. And for reasons unknown to her, that scared the witch very much.
"We better find them," she instructed, jogging off into the woods. She heard noises behind her as the others scrambled to follow.
*****
Willow jumped through the trees, trying to find any sight of Frodo or Boromir. Every second that passed just served to increase her anxiety. She didn't quite understand why she was getting so worked up for it. But there was a sense of urgency in the air.
She could hear or make out the others. The whole Fellowship was out and about in the forest. Willow's heart fell slightly at the idea. Isn't that how all horror movies start out? Our heroes plunge into the wooded unknown and end up slaughtered by some freak with a chainsaw. Only the knowledge that chainsaws didn't exist in these times helped to calm her nerves.
She still didn't catch sight of either of her quarry. Willow slumped against a tree, defeated. She was going to have to use magic and run the risk of Saruman finding her. But considering the fact that the Ringbearer was AWOL, Willow was calling for extenuating circumstances.
Then she felt it. Like all the other times, it was like being hit with a ton of bricks. Black magic literally crawled up her arms. She could feel the essence of it all over her. It made her sick to her stomach.
Frodo. Frodo had put on the ring. That wasn't the smartest thing he's ever done. Willow tried to struggle to her feet. She had to find the hobbit, make sure he was okay.
A blazing heat struck her suddenly. The forest became unbearably hot. Willow slumped back down against the tree. Sweat formed on her forehead. She couldn't see straight. Her vision blurred and unfocused, leaving the redhead disoriented.
Then, something came through the haze. The eye. That big blazing red eye that freaked the hell out of Boromir. It was large and cat-like, creating a sense of foreboding in the beholder. It neared her. Willow heard whispers start up around her. She couldn't quite make them out, but they were getting louder.
"Lady Firelight," it hissed at her. "Now I see you for who you really are."
It rushed at her. Willow could feel it trying to rip her mind apart. It was in her mind, he was in her mind. And then something clicked for the redhead.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Willow shrieked at the apparition. The eye flew by her and disappeared from sight.
"Willow!" came the shout from beyond the trees. Seconds later, Legolas and Gimli rushed to her side. Willow became aware that she was sitting on the ground, weapons cast aside.
"What is it?" Legolas asked, checking her over for injuries.
"I'm okay," she assured them. "I'm fine."
"You were screaming," Gimli protested.
"Frodo!" she sprang to her feet. Willow hastily gathered her weapons. "He put on the ring. I felt it."
"Why would he do such a thing?" Legolas demanded.
"I don't know," she shrugged. "But we have to find him. Sauron felt it too. That's who I was screaming at."
"Sauron was here!" Gimli immediately brought his axe up.
"No, but I saw the eye," she explained. "It came at me. Wanted in my head."
"Did it hurt you?" Legolas demanded, eyes flashing.
"No, but he knows me," Willow offered.
"So, now he knows we have the Lady Firelight with us," Gimli brushed this off. "Let him try to do anything about it."
"No!" Willow shook her head. "I didn't say he knew about me. Sauron obviously knew I had been called like way before. That's why the Ringwraiths were after Frodo and me. But Sauron, when he sent his eye, I figured it out. He knows me."
"You mean . . ."
"I mean, if he know me, I know him," Willow gave them a grim look.
"Which means, I met Sauron four thousand years ago. On the Hellmouth."
*****
But of course the forest was crawling with Orcs. Explained the wiggins, but pissed her off. She really hated these guys. And the best news was that these Orcs seemed to be some sort of new breed. They looked like those things she had seen in the tower. Willow took the leap and assumed Saruman made them. Willow hated that wizard. If she ever got her hands on him . . .
And they were fighting. There were so many of them. And they just rushed on by them. Whoever wasn't cut down made for deeper into the woods. Which meant they were after something specific. Willow had a pretty good idea what that was.
Through the sounds of battle, another noise rose above the rest. And resounding blast.
"The horn of Gondor," Gimli breathed in wonder.
Willow's heart constricted. Boromir had told her the story behind that horn. Warriors sounded it when they were in trouble. And if Boromir was in trouble, they better get to him fast.
Willow turned away from the battle and turned to the sounds of the horn. She raced desperately towards it and was stuck when it stopped. She glanced around her, trying to find any sign of her friend. She had about given up when she heard fighting start again. The redhead ran further into the woods.
She came upon Aragorn in the middle of the fight with a massive Orc. She would have helped but her eyes fell on a lone figure on the ground. Boromir lay wounded, three arrows in his chest. Willow raced over to the fallen man. Tears blurred her vision as she checked on the severity of his wounds. His hand stopped her investigation of the arrows.
"Leave them," he gasped to her. "We both know nothing can be done."
Willow burst into tears. She could do nothing. One of the arrows had pierced his heart. His lungs were filling with blood as they spoke. She couldn't save him, no magic she knew could save him. Boromir was dying.
She heard Aragorn settle on his other side. She turned around and saw the now beheaded figure of the Orc. Good, she had a feeling this was his work. Aragorn checked the wounds as well, being stopped by Boromir also. Willow lifted up the man's head and placed it in her lap. Her fingers ran through his dark blonde locks and Willow felt her heart break. Another friend fallen, another friend lost.
"Frodo," Boromir rasped. "Where's Frodo?"
"I let him go," Aragorn replied, placing a calming hand on the man's shoulder. Willow gave him a look at that.
"The Ringbearer's fate is no longer in our hands," he explained to both of them.
"I tried to take it from him," Boromir confessed. "I tried-"
"It doesn't matter," Willow interrupted him. "None of that matters. You are a good man and you will die with your friends beside you."
"I do not deserve such a privilege," the dying man moaned.
"Well I'm the great Lady Firelight and I say you do," Willow countered. "And I wouldn't argue with me. I'm quite the big shot around here."
Boromir gave a little laugh at that. He sobered quickly.
"The little ones!" he groaned in panic. "They took the little ones!"
Willow's heart constricted once more. She had momentarily forgotten about the hobbits. She raised scared eyes to Aragorn.
"We will get them back," he promised both. "Worry not."
"The white city," Boromir continued.
"I will never let it fall," Aragorn swore.
"Me neither," Willow added. Her hands stroked his forehead. "And we'll tell everyone all about Boromir of Gondor, so brave of heart he died trying to protect the lives of innocents."
Boromir gave them both grateful smiles.
"My lady I would have fought the world for you," he pledged. "And my captain, my king, I would have followed you."
Both humans nodded. Aragorn handed Boromir his sword. Willow watched helplessly as the man faded from this world. And then suddenly, it was all over. Boromir was dead.
Fresh tears streamed down her face. Aragorn kissed the top of the man's head.
"Be at peace, son of Gondor," he whispered to his fallen comrade. That just made Willow cry harder. Arms encircled her from behind. Legolas. The Elf had found his way to them. Willow turned around and buried her face into his chest. Her body was racked with heaving sobs for her friend. Legolas hugged her, his own tears flowing freely. Gimli approached, head bowed in respect. Aragorn pushed his eyelids shut and sat back on his heels, tears on his face as well.
And so Boromir of Gondor ended his part in this tale.
*****
The River was oddly calm now. Maybe even water had respect for the parcel it carried. That great warrior cut down in the heat of battle.
Willow watched tiredly as the others placed Boromir into one of the canoes. She had insisted on cleaning him up. She pulled the leaves from his hair, washed the blood off his face, and combed every lock into place. He looked quite handsome, quite peaceful. And quite dead.
Legolas kept shooting her worried looks. And for good reason, the redhead had been silent since the death of Boromir. Willow knew that he worried but couldn't do much about it. So much had gone wrong in the last hour. Boromir died, Frodo and Sam ran away, Sauron was someone from her past, and the Orcs had taken Merry and Pippin. Not exactly the high expectations they had started the journey off with.
She sat perched on a rock, watching as Gimli and Aragorn loaded the canoe up with the helmet and weapons of all those Boromir had slain. It was his honour, his tribute, or something. Willow didn't feel like it mattered. All it represented was death, so much death in such a little time. For such a tiny little thing.
She turned her head forward, eyes going to the river. She could make out the canoe of the hobbits, slowly making its way to the other shore. Both turned around every now and then, to cast a look back at her. She would stare back emotionlessly. She knew they were doing what they had to do, but she couldn't muster any comfort for them at the moment. Too much hurt still ached in her chest.
The canoe bearing their fallen friend was placed into the water and then cast off. It floated past her and she looked down. He looked almost angelic in the morning sun, so peaceful. It could almost be as if he was sleeping, but she knew he wasn't. Boromir was gone, just like so many others she had loved.
She continued to follow the canoe with her eyes. She watched until it became a speck on the horizon, floating until it finally fell over the edge of the waterfall. And she continued to watch a little while after that. In her heart, she bade farewell to the man she had become to think of as a friend. It saddened her to think that she might be saying more in the days to come.
Splashing from behind brought her attention back to the others. She turned and watched as Legolas tried to push a canoe into the water.
"We must hurry!" the Elf urged them. "Frodo and Sam have already reached the Eastern shore."
She turned back to looking across the water. Sure enough, the hobbits had abandoned their canoe and were taking off into the forest. She did nothing about it. Neither did Aragorn.
Legolas stilled, exchanging a glance with Gimli.
"You mean not to follow," he stated in a slightly confused voice.
"Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands," Aragorn replied sadly.
"So it was all in vain," Gimli muttered dejectedly. "The Fellowship has failed."
And maybe it had, but then again, nothing was over until the fat lady sang. Willow's eyes looked deeply into the forest on the Eastern shore. She could make out the disappearing hobbits. She closed her eyes and concentrated.
-Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee. Be safe my friends and come back to us safely. Or I'm going to be seriously ticked with you two.
She heard their laughter in her mind, feeling the ease her communication had given them. A small smile curved her lips as she slowly opened her eyes. The other three were standing rather sullenly around. Legolas was actually pouting.
She laughed and hopped off her rock.
"We haven't failed boys," she rallied them. "We're still here and we're still together. And that counts for something."
"The lady is right," Aragorn enthused. "As long as we remain true to one another, we have not failed. Come, we will not leave Pippin and Merry to torment and death."
He turned around, sheathing a dagger and pulling some supplies.
"Leave behind everything that is not necessary," he instructed. "Pack light. Let's go hunt some Orc."
Gimli let out a bellow of spirit, racing off after the man. Willow laughed, reaching to scoop up some daggers and her sword. Legolas helped her bundle up some blankets and such, tying things together and making them easier to carry.
He had been ready to rush off after their friends, but a hand on his arm stopped him.
"Yes Willow?" he asked, eyes concerned immediately. Willow smiled and gave him the sweetest kiss she could muster.
"I love you," she whispered to him. His face lit up and he kissed her back.
"I love you," he returned.
"We all know that you two buffoons! Now hurry up! You can slobber over each over later!"
They jerked apart at the declaration. Their eyes went off to the hills, watching Aragorn and Gimli laugh at them from a distance. Willow blushed and then stuck her tongue out at them. Legolas was stunned.
"He really does have the ears of a fox."
* * * * * * * * * * *