The day went by slowly after that. The four walked for miles periodically stopping to gain some more rest. By nightfall they had walked almost twenty miles and knew anymore walking without fire would cause serious illness if not getting good sleep.

Aragorn sat smoking his pipe while Legolas sat back watching the fire blaze brightly, Gimli cleaned his axe, and Paddamill blankly stared at the dark woods thinking of her friend Frodo. She wondered how they were doing and praying for the safety of Merry and Pippin. Her heart jumped at the thought. 'Pip must be starving.' Paddamill frowned letting out a sigh of stress and feeling her aching muscles for the first time that day. Aragorn lifted an eyebrow looking to his left to see her leaning on a rock.

"You mustn't worry about them right now. Come over and enjoy the warmth of the fire." Legolas looked at her as she turned and watched the fire.

"I know." She replied lowly sighing out once more. Paddamill stood and quickly fell to her knees once she was close enough to the fire. She held out her hands to get them warm thinking of nothing but heat. Aragorn held out his pipe for her to take a puff. In the corner of her eye she saw his motion and she turned and looked to see him holding it out. Paddamill frowned and glanced up at his face.

"Go on. It's mighty fine Longbottom Leaf." He recalled as he raised his eyebrows. For a moment she hesitated then took it in her hand. Paddamill sat next to him and leaned back on the large rock he had situated in front of the fire. She held the wooden pipe in her hand and slowly lifted it to her mouth. After she inhaled and let the pipe out of her mouth she coughed violently. A grin slid across Aragorn's face as he watched her cough.

"How...can you...smoke that stuff?" She asked looking at him as she coughed. "Excuse me!" She said after letting out her last cough.

"Eh, you'll get used to it." He said sticking it back into his mouth. Legolas sat the stick he had been using to poke the fire with aside as he yawned. After a moment he stood. "I am dead tired. I think we should all be going to sleep soon we never know when we must flee." He proclaimed bending down to grab his bow.

"Same here!" Gimli added as he sat his axe aside. Aragorn nodded slightly and watched the two.

"You are right. We should be nodding off soon since we do have a big day ahead of us." Aragorn agreed as he looked up at the two.

"Good night." Legolas said as the two walked over to their bed of needles where they had their belongings quickly disappearing into the night.

Paddamill sighed sitting back on her cloak trying to become comfortable. She grabbed the stick they had been poking it with and threw two more pieces of wood onto the dying flames allowing more heat and light. The sound of the log's syrup popping added to the silence of night. Only a few crickets chirped and owls hoot. The night was clear and chilly and the stars were out shining brightly. It hadn't been this peaceful since the night of their journey to Moria. "Mines..." Paddamill whispered. Aragorn stretched out his legs and sat back on the rock.

"Everything plagues your mind so much, Paddamill. You should learn to let some things go." She frowned turning back too see him looking at her with deep eyes. "It only feeds the pain." He added.

"I don't suppose you have something that 'plagues' your mind?" He grinned slightly looking into the fire then back to her.

"I do." He said in a low voice. Paddamill didn't know if he was going to tell her or not but the thought of asking was already creeping around in her mind. She slightly grinned and looked away.

"You're right. I guess I do tend to hold on to bad memories. But if I had happy memories then maybe I would think of those more often." Aragorn scooted down to sit beside of her and looked into the fire as he spoke.

"You do." He paused a moment adding to the scary silence then turned to look at her. "It may be hurtful to think about them now but soon they'll be able to put a smile across your face. That is how I see it." Paddamill shrugged at his theory.

"I guess you're right." She looked at the fire feeling it's warmth. Slowly she began to think back at the time when she and her family were together. Although it hurt her it also made her smile just as Aragorn had said it would. Paddamill felt like a child listening to his theories of life and how to make things better. Aragorn was so wise and Paddamill wanted to hear more. Although she didn't want to admit it, Aragorn was the thing that was plaguing her mind the most. He was so kind and gentle. But he was a warrior wanting to become a leader, he just needed something to give him a push.

After a while she looked over to him. She frowned when she saw something glistening over his shirt. Quickly she turned to look back into the fire. "She is very lucky," Paddamill started as she poked at the fire ignoring the annoying pain in her stomach "the woman who gave you their immortality jewel." He quickly put it under his shirt almost as if he were shy about it. "Who gave it to you?" Paddamill asked raising her left eyebrow trying to stop tossing personal questions at him.

"A friend." He quickly retorted. A smile pursed on Paddamill's lips. She was slowly learning more about the mysterious warrior, but she could tell he was very distant in giving away his secrets.

"So you do have someone plaguing your mind as I have in mine." He looked at her as she grinned slightly

"Just a friend." He softly repeated feeling the teasing from her smile.

"No friend would give up an immortal life for someone who is mortal."

"She isn't giving up anything. She gave this to me as a gift." Paddamill felt his annoyance so she backed off allowing her smile to fade.

"Keep your secrets. It suits you better anyhow." Paddamill sighed out as she stood up grabbing her cloak along the way. "Well, good night Strider. I'll see you in the morning." Aragorn looked at the fire as she walked towards the sleeping Legolas and Gimli feeling defeated by Aragorn's block. Before she walked too far he decided to let it out.

"Boromir." Aragorn said lowly yet allowing her to hear. Paddamill frowned and turned to look at him.

"What about him?" Aragorn sat in a moment of silence then looked away from the fire down to the wooden pipe in his hand as if were embarrassed.

"I should've helped him." He continued, looking back to the fire. Paddamill let her face soften as she walked back over to him, sitting down to face his profile.

"You said it yourself...we couldn't have done anything."

"You told me about the night before...I knew what fate lay ahead of him yet I did nothing."

"Strider, we couldn't-" He turned and looked at her interrupting.

"We could have!" Paddamill frowned remembering back to the night before when she last spoke with Boromir, the conversation that made her love him as a person. It were as if they had become great friends over one small thing.

Paddamill had walked past him while Merry and Pippin were away cleaning themselves up. Boromir had been sitting in the same place the moment he had reached it and fallen to the ground. He was distracted by something, yet she couldn't figure out what. Quickly she had given him a glance before walking off but he had obviously seen it.

"You have a gift...yet you not share it with anyone." He had said keeping his eyes straight ahead. Paddamill stopped.

"It's not a matter of sharing, Boromir."

"Then tell me what is it?" His eyes finding her face. Paddamill's heart was aching for Boromir. The power of the Ring was taking over him, she saw it in his eyes. She walked over and sat next to him, watching his eyes stare blankly ahead once more.

"I can only do it when I know the time is right. I do not know what people will see and I do not know if it will be good or bad. But I know that I can't allow it to get in the way of our task."

"I didn't mean for it to seem as if I was wanting you to show me everything."

"But your eyes say you do." He didn't speak for a long time.

The two had just sat there staring at something in front of them. But soon Boromir turned his head to the right to look at her blank face. "Show me..." He asked lowly. "Show me what is in my future. Show me what will become of my people and my city." He was pleading. His weakness was showing. It was as if he were going to weep when he reached out his hands to touch her. But she moved away.

"I cannot promise you that what you want is what you will see, Boromir."

"Just let me try."

"No, not yet." He took his hands back and sat them on his lap continuing to repent for his people.

"My people are going to fail." He seemed to weep. But yet there were no tears coming out of his saddened face.

"No, Boromir. You mustn't think such things." Paddamill tried to comfort him. She touched his arm lovingly hoping she'd pass it through him. "We must not think such things. We must be strong. You must be strong." he glanced at her hand that gripped his arm then up to her face that was begging for him to be happy. Slowly he placed his hand on top of her own and nodded

"Yes. We must." She didn't know now if he was doing it on purpose to see if he could see something or if he truly meant it. But she knew in her heart he had to have meant it. He was so sad yet so strong when he glanced at her and gave her a small grin.

"You're a good man Boromir. Now...get some rest." With that being said she stood up and gave him a kiss on the forehead and left him. But now, she wished she would've showed him, just so he could have saved himself. But yet on the other hand, she was glad she didn't.

The nightmare she had that night after seeing what to come made her cry. He was as scared as everyone else, and all he wanted was to defend his people and to help them. How unfair it was to allow someone with a good heart die all because of a stupid object as that ring! The fury that built up inside her only made her want to destroy it even more.

"He died a warrior." Paddamill proclaimed feeling herself repent and the tears crawling up her throat.

"Yes but he died...because I came too late. I owe his soul my life." Paddamill frowned and cupped her hands over his face and turned him to face her. She wanted to stop him from feeling it was his fault! She just wanted to let him know how strong he had been how caring he was for the others! Oh how strong he was!

"It was not your fault! You don't owe him your life just because he lost his own. You did nothing wrong, Aragorn. But if you would truly be happy, keep the promise you made to him. Fight for the life of man."

"But I do." Aragorn looked at her with sad eyes. Why couldn't he just see! Paddamill ached.

"We could've ran to him twice as fast, but you cannot cheat your way out of death. You must understand that we could have done nothing to save him. And you least of all should not think of such things. For you are the leader, you keep this group together. And you are a hero! You might not have been able to save the life of Boromir, but you have saved my life. Twice. And for that I owe you mine." Paddamill frowned slightly hoping he'd understand. It was in that moment when they both stared in each other's eyes that Paddamill realized the constant pain in her stomach had not been from fear or caused by the ring, but only because she was in love with the man she had followed. The man who had saved her life.

Aragorn felt the same way as he looked into her eyes that glowed from the fire. It were as if he could see right through her and down into her heart. Without thinking Aragorn moved a piece of hair out of her eyes to see a cut above her eyebrow from earlier that day. It was a bad cut but to him it only made her beautiful. Slowly the two inched closer together and allowed their lips to meet. Paddamill freely opened her mouth allowing Aragorn's adventurous tongue explore her mouth. He placed his right hand on the back of her head pushing her closer to him. Without parting Strider managed to sit closer to her. Neither of them paid any attention to their surroundings just one another's mouths and body. After a moment of passionate kissing Paddamill had slowly lowered to the ground pulling Aragorn with her ignoring the dying fire and cold wind, because there she knew they would put all worries aside and begin to make sweet passionate love under the stars and moon keeping one another safe and warm. Paddamill shot her eyes open. Quickly she pushed Aragorn off of her.

"I-I'm sorry." She said placing her hands on his chest to back him away. "We can't do this, Aragorn." Paddamill didn't dare look him in the eyes. She knew that sleeping with him would be a mistake. Quickly she stood and grabbed her cloak. "Sorry. Good night." Paddamill turned and ran off into the darkness. Aragorn sat up and sighed out rubbing his dirty face. Although he was a bit let down at the moment he would be thankful later.