Authors Note: I've livened things up a little with some Boromir angst type stuff. I hope I'm not too hard on the guy, for he is my favorite character. Thanks to all reviewers, and remember to review on your way out- they make the job worthwhile!
I do not own LOTR
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Chapter 11 - Facing the wrath of the Ring
Merry sat with Pippin throughout the night. Although he was recovering he still woke, often feverish and disorientated. The poison from the orc sword was still in his body, and sweat poured from his brow as he tossed and turned. Merry spoke soothingly to him as he pressed cloths soaked in cold water onto his forehead, and before long he was sleeping again.
When Legolas woke in the early hours of the morning he found Merry slumped at Pippins side, lost in sleep. He smiled to himself as he observed the two sleeping hobbits, peacefully huddled together under the stars. He sat down just above them on the upper slope of the dell with his bow and quiver laid beside him. He stared into the darkness, but nothing stirred for many hours until Merry awoke.
"Is Pippin all right?" he asked blearily, noticing Legolas sitting above him.
"He is sleeping like a child," Legolas replied. "Go back to sleep Merry, he will be fine with me."
Merry gave him a grateful look before he lay back down on the ground. He was worn out, and had not slept properly for days. Legolas was glad that at last he was sleeping deeply and resting himself after the hardships of the past few days. He turned his attention away from the hobbits, and leant against a nearby tree. The elf sat alert and ready for many hours, but no noise was heard, and soon it was dawn. The sleeping forms of the Fellowship were roused by weak sunlight shining into their camp. After a small yet filling breakfast of lembas they gathered together and talked. Boromir, who was still not acting like himself, seemed anxious to move on.
"If we must stay still for much longer I shall go mad," he said, pacing the camp restlessly.
"I am sure you will be able to hold on for a day or two," Gimli said, looking at Boromir with furrowed brow. He too had noticed that something was wrong.
"I heard nothing last night, everything was still and quiet. It should be safe to stay for a few more days," Legolas said.
"True, but is it too quiet? I cannot fight the suspicion that they will not let us get away easily," Aragorn said.
"You are right. I too find the silence unnerving," Frodo agreed.
"What about Pippin? Is he well yet?" Sam asked, looking over to where Pippin lay, sleeping deeply.
"He is mending," Aragorn answered.
"But when will he be well?" Boromir asked. "When will we be able to continue our journey?"
Aragorn seemed slightly annoyed by Boromir's attitude.
"Boromir, we do not need to continue straight away. It could be dangerous to Pippins health, and we are perfectly safe here for another day at least," Aragorn said, with a sharp edge to his voice.
"I see that we are being held up by him," Boromir said coldly. "But must we continue with him?"
There was a silence, and eight pairs of disbeliving eyes stared at Boromir.
"I hope you are not suggesting that we leave him behind?" Aragorn said, and there was anger mingled with the calmness in his voice.
Gimli sprang to his feet, his temper overcoming him.
"This young hobbit has saved all of our skins. How dare you suggest that we leave him defenseless when we owe him our lives?" he cried, bristling with anger.
Boromir looked stunned. A change came over his face, and he put his hand to his forehead as though trying to control his thoughts.
"I... I am sorry," he murmured at last, his voice shaking slightly.
He then turned on his heel and walked away from the camp.
Sam's voice broke the silence. "What just happened?" he asked, his face showing confusion.
"Do not move, I shall be back soon," Aragorn said, getting up from where he sat. He moved off at a fast pace in the direction of where Boromir had headed.
Merry looked dumstruck. "I thought he was our friend...I thought..."
"I suppose you don't always know someone as well as you think you do," Sam said, staring at the floor.
"I think you are judging him too harshly," Legolas said. The hobbits looked over to where the elf sat.
"That was not the Boromir I know speaking."
***
Aragorn found Boromir standing in a clearing in the trees. He had a lost, dazed look about him, and when he heard Aragorn approach he turned to him and spoke.
"I do not know what just happened Aragorn," he said in a bewildered voice.
"Do not worry my friend." Aragorn said, laying his hand on Boromir's shoulder.
"I could not control what came out of my mouth," Boromir continued.
"I understand," Aragorn said. "I have noticed that you have been troubled for many days now. "
"The Ring is playing with my mind. I can feel its power. I try to resist it, but it drains from my very soul," Boromir said, shaking his head in a mixture of disappointment and frustration.
"Do not cut yourself off Boromir. You must talk to us."
"You are right, as always." Boromir said, smiling slightly. Then a distressed expression crossed his face.
"I said awful things. To Pippin, and the others," he said, looking troubled..
"You have grown to care for the hobbits, have you not?"
A smile played about Boromir's lips.
"They are wonderful. So spirited and full of life, unlike anyone I've ever met. I hate to think that I hurt them." He paused for a moment, then turned to Aragorn and spoke.
"Will I be forgiven?"
"I am sure that you will be."
The two men made their way back to their camp where the rest of the company was. Boromir cleared his throat as if to give an explanation, but before he could speak Sam interrupted.
"It's all right, Sir. Legolas explained it to us," he announced in his reassuring manner.
Boromir hung his head. "I do not deserve it."
"It was not you talking, it was the Ring. I understand," Frodo said.
Boromir knelt down so as to be at eye level with Frodo.
"Your forgiveness means much to me, Ringbearer," he said, taking Frodo's hand for a moment and bowing his head. Then he turned to Pippin, who had awaked at the sound of raised voices.
"I hope I have your forgiveness also. I am very much in your debt," he said, looking into Pippin's eyes gravely.
Pippin, though he was weary, raised himself up to speak.
"Please do not carry this burden on your own, I am sure that we can help you bear it," he replied.
"You speak wise words." Boromir said humbly. Then he broke into a smile and put his hand over Pippin's. "Halflings truly are remarkable."
Then Merry spoke, his voice breaking the rather tense air. "Please lets not dwell on the past. Can we not have a song or a story to help while away the hours?"
Everyone smiled, glad that the tension was gone. The Company gathered together and listened to Gimli talk proudly of mines and jewels, Legolas sing songs in his lilting elvish tongue and Aragorn speak of men who roamed the earth many years before they were born.
Only when Pippin fell asleep on Sam's shoulder was when they realized that they had been talking for many hours. Merry covered him with rugs, and after their supper they lay down to sleep. Only Aragorn lay awake. Even after the happiness of the afternoon he did not feel at ease. Although there was no sign of any orcs or other unwelcome visitors he could sense that there was more to come. He just hoped that they would be protected for a few more days. He leant back against a tree and got out his pipe, wishing for some pipeweed to smoke.
"I shall just have to hold on, and hope for the best," he said, sighing and drawing his cloak around his shoulders.
*-*
I do not own LOTR
*-*
Chapter 11 - Facing the wrath of the Ring
Merry sat with Pippin throughout the night. Although he was recovering he still woke, often feverish and disorientated. The poison from the orc sword was still in his body, and sweat poured from his brow as he tossed and turned. Merry spoke soothingly to him as he pressed cloths soaked in cold water onto his forehead, and before long he was sleeping again.
When Legolas woke in the early hours of the morning he found Merry slumped at Pippins side, lost in sleep. He smiled to himself as he observed the two sleeping hobbits, peacefully huddled together under the stars. He sat down just above them on the upper slope of the dell with his bow and quiver laid beside him. He stared into the darkness, but nothing stirred for many hours until Merry awoke.
"Is Pippin all right?" he asked blearily, noticing Legolas sitting above him.
"He is sleeping like a child," Legolas replied. "Go back to sleep Merry, he will be fine with me."
Merry gave him a grateful look before he lay back down on the ground. He was worn out, and had not slept properly for days. Legolas was glad that at last he was sleeping deeply and resting himself after the hardships of the past few days. He turned his attention away from the hobbits, and leant against a nearby tree. The elf sat alert and ready for many hours, but no noise was heard, and soon it was dawn. The sleeping forms of the Fellowship were roused by weak sunlight shining into their camp. After a small yet filling breakfast of lembas they gathered together and talked. Boromir, who was still not acting like himself, seemed anxious to move on.
"If we must stay still for much longer I shall go mad," he said, pacing the camp restlessly.
"I am sure you will be able to hold on for a day or two," Gimli said, looking at Boromir with furrowed brow. He too had noticed that something was wrong.
"I heard nothing last night, everything was still and quiet. It should be safe to stay for a few more days," Legolas said.
"True, but is it too quiet? I cannot fight the suspicion that they will not let us get away easily," Aragorn said.
"You are right. I too find the silence unnerving," Frodo agreed.
"What about Pippin? Is he well yet?" Sam asked, looking over to where Pippin lay, sleeping deeply.
"He is mending," Aragorn answered.
"But when will he be well?" Boromir asked. "When will we be able to continue our journey?"
Aragorn seemed slightly annoyed by Boromir's attitude.
"Boromir, we do not need to continue straight away. It could be dangerous to Pippins health, and we are perfectly safe here for another day at least," Aragorn said, with a sharp edge to his voice.
"I see that we are being held up by him," Boromir said coldly. "But must we continue with him?"
There was a silence, and eight pairs of disbeliving eyes stared at Boromir.
"I hope you are not suggesting that we leave him behind?" Aragorn said, and there was anger mingled with the calmness in his voice.
Gimli sprang to his feet, his temper overcoming him.
"This young hobbit has saved all of our skins. How dare you suggest that we leave him defenseless when we owe him our lives?" he cried, bristling with anger.
Boromir looked stunned. A change came over his face, and he put his hand to his forehead as though trying to control his thoughts.
"I... I am sorry," he murmured at last, his voice shaking slightly.
He then turned on his heel and walked away from the camp.
Sam's voice broke the silence. "What just happened?" he asked, his face showing confusion.
"Do not move, I shall be back soon," Aragorn said, getting up from where he sat. He moved off at a fast pace in the direction of where Boromir had headed.
Merry looked dumstruck. "I thought he was our friend...I thought..."
"I suppose you don't always know someone as well as you think you do," Sam said, staring at the floor.
"I think you are judging him too harshly," Legolas said. The hobbits looked over to where the elf sat.
"That was not the Boromir I know speaking."
***
Aragorn found Boromir standing in a clearing in the trees. He had a lost, dazed look about him, and when he heard Aragorn approach he turned to him and spoke.
"I do not know what just happened Aragorn," he said in a bewildered voice.
"Do not worry my friend." Aragorn said, laying his hand on Boromir's shoulder.
"I could not control what came out of my mouth," Boromir continued.
"I understand," Aragorn said. "I have noticed that you have been troubled for many days now. "
"The Ring is playing with my mind. I can feel its power. I try to resist it, but it drains from my very soul," Boromir said, shaking his head in a mixture of disappointment and frustration.
"Do not cut yourself off Boromir. You must talk to us."
"You are right, as always." Boromir said, smiling slightly. Then a distressed expression crossed his face.
"I said awful things. To Pippin, and the others," he said, looking troubled..
"You have grown to care for the hobbits, have you not?"
A smile played about Boromir's lips.
"They are wonderful. So spirited and full of life, unlike anyone I've ever met. I hate to think that I hurt them." He paused for a moment, then turned to Aragorn and spoke.
"Will I be forgiven?"
"I am sure that you will be."
The two men made their way back to their camp where the rest of the company was. Boromir cleared his throat as if to give an explanation, but before he could speak Sam interrupted.
"It's all right, Sir. Legolas explained it to us," he announced in his reassuring manner.
Boromir hung his head. "I do not deserve it."
"It was not you talking, it was the Ring. I understand," Frodo said.
Boromir knelt down so as to be at eye level with Frodo.
"Your forgiveness means much to me, Ringbearer," he said, taking Frodo's hand for a moment and bowing his head. Then he turned to Pippin, who had awaked at the sound of raised voices.
"I hope I have your forgiveness also. I am very much in your debt," he said, looking into Pippin's eyes gravely.
Pippin, though he was weary, raised himself up to speak.
"Please do not carry this burden on your own, I am sure that we can help you bear it," he replied.
"You speak wise words." Boromir said humbly. Then he broke into a smile and put his hand over Pippin's. "Halflings truly are remarkable."
Then Merry spoke, his voice breaking the rather tense air. "Please lets not dwell on the past. Can we not have a song or a story to help while away the hours?"
Everyone smiled, glad that the tension was gone. The Company gathered together and listened to Gimli talk proudly of mines and jewels, Legolas sing songs in his lilting elvish tongue and Aragorn speak of men who roamed the earth many years before they were born.
Only when Pippin fell asleep on Sam's shoulder was when they realized that they had been talking for many hours. Merry covered him with rugs, and after their supper they lay down to sleep. Only Aragorn lay awake. Even after the happiness of the afternoon he did not feel at ease. Although there was no sign of any orcs or other unwelcome visitors he could sense that there was more to come. He just hoped that they would be protected for a few more days. He leant back against a tree and got out his pipe, wishing for some pipeweed to smoke.
"I shall just have to hold on, and hope for the best," he said, sighing and drawing his cloak around his shoulders.
*-*