A/N: Thank you to everyone that has encouraged me to continue this story. I
deeply appreciate the kind reviews. Part three may be some time in coming,
because I don't have it written yet (the first two were completed about a
month or two ago) and I am also working on another fic. Thank you for your
patience! This part is slightly shorter than the first, I think, but it
should be a decent length for posting. Now, on to the story!
```````````````````````````````````````````````
Gondor's Bane
Part Two: The Pursuit Begins
The rest of the Company had ran in the direction Boromir pointed them in, the hobbits shouting for their friend and the others trying to calm the frantic lads. After a time Frodo found them and quickly told of Boromir's betrayal.
Aragorn frowned at this news. He was about to go looking for Boromir when he heard harsh voices.
"Yrch!" Legolas exclaimed, setting his bow.
"Orcs!" Gimli cried. "You had best take cover, hobbits. There seems to be a battle on its way!" He readied his axe.
"Gimli is right. Hide, but be ready to do what you must. Hopefully they will not come to this spot, but I doubt we will be so fortunate," Aragorn said. He drew his sword. The hobbits hid themselves as best they could and Aragorn ordered Legolas and Gimli where to go and what to do. They complied immediately. The voices were now closer, and soon upon them.
Legolas fired arrows at them, hitting his mark each time. Gimli slashed his axe and killed at least one with each stroke. Aragorn, too, was knocking them down at a great rate. The four hobbits watched in wide-eyed wonder from their hiding place. None of them dared to speak, but they each knew that the others realized that all of these were not typical Orcs. These were much larger and had a white marking on their hideous faces that appeared to be a handprint.
The battle seemed to go on forever, but finally most of the orcs were slain and the others fleed, presumably either to regroup or to report to their master.
"Gimli, stay here with the others and keep them hidden. Legolas and I will follow them to see what they are up to," Aragorn said quickly, then he and the elf sprang away after the orcs.
Gimli kept a firm hold on his axe as he waited. The five that had been left behind didn't speak while their companions were gone for fear of other orcs that might be listening and also for fear of not hearing Aragorn and Legolas should they call for help. After a long while the Dunedain and Prince returned.
"They have left here for now," Aragorn said. "It is safe to come out." The hobbits came out of hiding before Aragorn continued: "They seem to still think one of the halflings has the Ring. That is well for Boromir, although it will surely greatly hinder us. Boromir is probably headed for Minas Tirith, so we should follow. Let us go to the river and gather our things quickly. With any luck we will reach Boromir before it is too late."
The remaining members of the Company hurried back to where they had left their packs. They grabbed only what they needed as Aragorn commanded and hid the rest under one of their boats, which they drug further ashore and overturned. One all of this was finished, Aragorn led them in the direction of Minas Tirith.
They walked silently, each with his ears open, listening for the evil voices of the orcs, and hoping desperately that they would not hear them.
Aragorn led, for he knew the way. Next came Frodo and Sam, then Gimli. After Gimli walked Merry and Pippin, with Legolas acting as rearguard. They trekked for many miles until the hobbits could take no more.
Finally, they stopped in as sheltered a spot as possible and ate a cold supper since they dared not light a fire. After supper they slept, with Aragorn taking first watch.
They began their next march before dawn. As they walked their faces were grim, but none was more dour than the face of Aragorn.
"The fool!" he thought. "Does he not realize that this folly will almost certainly be the ruin of all of Middle-earth? Then our journey will have been in vain, and all hope will be lost."
"Do not be so glum, Mister Frodo, sir," whispered Sam to his master. "It is not your fault."
"I was afraid," Frodo whispered back. "I should not have gone into the woods alone. I should have been bolder and stayed at the river to announce my decision. I knew what I had to do, but I was afraid. Because of my fear all may be lost."
"There's still hope yet," Sam reassured him, while silently cursing Boromir.
"He'll regret this when I get my hands on him, and no mistake," Sam though furiously.
Frodo was thankful for Sam and his encouraging words, but he didn't feel any better. "Why did I resist?'' Frodo asked himself. "Curse Sauron and his filthy Orcs! Curse the Ring and its evil whisperings! Curst Boromir and his foolishness!" Frodo cringed at the harshness of his own thoughts.
Gimli looked at the hobbits that walked ahead of him. He didn't really blame Frodo for this latest development. Instead he blamed himself and the other ''warriors'' of the group.
"We should have watched more closely. We were sent to protect him,'' he told himself.
Pippin and Merry walked side-by-side in a glum silence. Both were too downcast and afraid to speak.
"I do not want an adventure," Pippin thought. "I would be happy to have my only adventure be running from Farmer Maggot's dogs. I wish we were all back in the Shire!"
Merry frowned. "Poor Frodo. Poor us if Boromir does anything else that is foolish. I hope we find him in time..." he said to himself.
Legolas searched the horizon carefully, hoping to see Boromir's shape ahead. "I felt that something was wrong with him. He was not strong enough to resist its temptation. Why did I not warn Frodo to be more careful around him?" Legolas asked himself.
The Company trudged on, a sense of urgency in each of their minds.
```````````````````````````````````````````````
Gondor's Bane
Part Two: The Pursuit Begins
The rest of the Company had ran in the direction Boromir pointed them in, the hobbits shouting for their friend and the others trying to calm the frantic lads. After a time Frodo found them and quickly told of Boromir's betrayal.
Aragorn frowned at this news. He was about to go looking for Boromir when he heard harsh voices.
"Yrch!" Legolas exclaimed, setting his bow.
"Orcs!" Gimli cried. "You had best take cover, hobbits. There seems to be a battle on its way!" He readied his axe.
"Gimli is right. Hide, but be ready to do what you must. Hopefully they will not come to this spot, but I doubt we will be so fortunate," Aragorn said. He drew his sword. The hobbits hid themselves as best they could and Aragorn ordered Legolas and Gimli where to go and what to do. They complied immediately. The voices were now closer, and soon upon them.
Legolas fired arrows at them, hitting his mark each time. Gimli slashed his axe and killed at least one with each stroke. Aragorn, too, was knocking them down at a great rate. The four hobbits watched in wide-eyed wonder from their hiding place. None of them dared to speak, but they each knew that the others realized that all of these were not typical Orcs. These were much larger and had a white marking on their hideous faces that appeared to be a handprint.
The battle seemed to go on forever, but finally most of the orcs were slain and the others fleed, presumably either to regroup or to report to their master.
"Gimli, stay here with the others and keep them hidden. Legolas and I will follow them to see what they are up to," Aragorn said quickly, then he and the elf sprang away after the orcs.
Gimli kept a firm hold on his axe as he waited. The five that had been left behind didn't speak while their companions were gone for fear of other orcs that might be listening and also for fear of not hearing Aragorn and Legolas should they call for help. After a long while the Dunedain and Prince returned.
"They have left here for now," Aragorn said. "It is safe to come out." The hobbits came out of hiding before Aragorn continued: "They seem to still think one of the halflings has the Ring. That is well for Boromir, although it will surely greatly hinder us. Boromir is probably headed for Minas Tirith, so we should follow. Let us go to the river and gather our things quickly. With any luck we will reach Boromir before it is too late."
The remaining members of the Company hurried back to where they had left their packs. They grabbed only what they needed as Aragorn commanded and hid the rest under one of their boats, which they drug further ashore and overturned. One all of this was finished, Aragorn led them in the direction of Minas Tirith.
They walked silently, each with his ears open, listening for the evil voices of the orcs, and hoping desperately that they would not hear them.
Aragorn led, for he knew the way. Next came Frodo and Sam, then Gimli. After Gimli walked Merry and Pippin, with Legolas acting as rearguard. They trekked for many miles until the hobbits could take no more.
Finally, they stopped in as sheltered a spot as possible and ate a cold supper since they dared not light a fire. After supper they slept, with Aragorn taking first watch.
They began their next march before dawn. As they walked their faces were grim, but none was more dour than the face of Aragorn.
"The fool!" he thought. "Does he not realize that this folly will almost certainly be the ruin of all of Middle-earth? Then our journey will have been in vain, and all hope will be lost."
"Do not be so glum, Mister Frodo, sir," whispered Sam to his master. "It is not your fault."
"I was afraid," Frodo whispered back. "I should not have gone into the woods alone. I should have been bolder and stayed at the river to announce my decision. I knew what I had to do, but I was afraid. Because of my fear all may be lost."
"There's still hope yet," Sam reassured him, while silently cursing Boromir.
"He'll regret this when I get my hands on him, and no mistake," Sam though furiously.
Frodo was thankful for Sam and his encouraging words, but he didn't feel any better. "Why did I resist?'' Frodo asked himself. "Curse Sauron and his filthy Orcs! Curse the Ring and its evil whisperings! Curst Boromir and his foolishness!" Frodo cringed at the harshness of his own thoughts.
Gimli looked at the hobbits that walked ahead of him. He didn't really blame Frodo for this latest development. Instead he blamed himself and the other ''warriors'' of the group.
"We should have watched more closely. We were sent to protect him,'' he told himself.
Pippin and Merry walked side-by-side in a glum silence. Both were too downcast and afraid to speak.
"I do not want an adventure," Pippin thought. "I would be happy to have my only adventure be running from Farmer Maggot's dogs. I wish we were all back in the Shire!"
Merry frowned. "Poor Frodo. Poor us if Boromir does anything else that is foolish. I hope we find him in time..." he said to himself.
Legolas searched the horizon carefully, hoping to see Boromir's shape ahead. "I felt that something was wrong with him. He was not strong enough to resist its temptation. Why did I not warn Frodo to be more careful around him?" Legolas asked himself.
The Company trudged on, a sense of urgency in each of their minds.