Chapter 21
She couldn't feel her fingers; the ones that held the last dying member of the fellowship. She knew Boromir would have wanted to died that way, rather than any other, but it still didn't block out the morbid picture of his cold, lifeless body laying limp along with dead bodies of the enemy. And as she watched-- her eyes a deadly gaze-- the others pile the dead Orc's among each other, she couldn't help but feel different. Strange and low. Then realization hit her hard in the back of the head and she leaned against a tree, away from the others, to stop herself from falling over.
"Someone else is finishing my task." She whispered.
As difficult it was to listen to her say, it was true. She was having someone else finish the task that she was appointed to, and there as nothing that she could do to change it. Frodo had chosen this, even if Lara wasn't too thrilled about the idea, and he was long gone. He would take Lara's Ring watch and destroy it without. Well, there goes the fellowship, Lara thought, rolling her eyes over to Legolas and Gimli, who were burning the last remaining pile of Orc bodies. Legolas backed away and turned to catch Lara's eyes, and this time she looked away and walked back to their camp.
As she walked along the sand, she didn't bother to turn around at the sound of someone following her.
"I do not like the choice Frodo has taken." Aragorn said.
Lara suddenly stopped and did not turn around, but clenched her hands angrily at her side.
"Though," He continued, cautiously. "I had told him to go. The possession he was carrying was persuading too many of the fellowship, and he agreed with me. I had to let him go, or else it would have corrupted even you."
"But my possession." Lara hissed. "My Ring watch- why did he take it? I could have had the same discussion with you if only those damn Orc's would have showed up a little bit later."
"Aye, but what happened happens." He said, but even he sounded doubtful.
"And whatever will happen, will happen." Lara said quietly, taking a moment to catch her breath, and then walking off to clean up along the sand. "Just like what happened to Boromir."
She caught sight of Legolas watching her closely, his eyes never leaving her. She knew what he was thinking of course, and it only got her angrier. Instead of scolding him, she turned away abruptly and started throwing things into the last two boats floating on the water. And since Frodo and Sam had taken their own, and Boromir had taken his with him down the river and down the waterfall, there would be two people in two boats. She glanced back at Legolas and wish she would not be stuck with him, even though she probably would be and deep inside her wants her to.
"If we hurry we will catch the others." Legolas said, starting to push out a boat.
No one moved, not even Lara, and Legolas looked concerned. He walked up to Aragorn and grasped his shoulder firmly, obviously knowing what the man was thinking. Lara turned away quickly and looked out at the eastern shore, where Frodo and Sam had continued the fellowship's path in the palm of their hands, and said nothing. She knew exactly what Aragorn was thinking herself. They couldn't follow them, not even if they did catch up.
"You mean not to follow them." Legolas said softly.
"His fate is no longer in our hands." Aragorn answered.
Lara tensed and clenched her fists.
"Then it has all been in vain," Gimli murmured. "The fellowship has failed."
Lara felt her face grow hot and the tears brim in her eyes. None fell though, she wouldn't allow it.
"Not if we all hold true to each other." Lara heard Aragorn say firmly. "As long as we are together, we will not allow Merry nor Pippin be left to die from torment and suffering. Not while we have strength left in our arms, our legs, our minds."
Then the tears fell from her eyes and dripped down her face and onto her arms, where her they relaxed and her mind whirled back and forth. Aragorn was right as usual. They couldn't let Merry and Pippin get tormented by those Orcs and she couldn't let Frodo take her Ring watch to Mordor. But there was only one decision to make, and what Aragorn said must go. Gandalf had appointed him as their leader and she was only a follower. But was she really just a follower now that her task was taken from her? Or was she a tag- along?
Lara looked back at the three huddled together, deep in conversation. They looked the part, and Lara didn't.
She was just a woman, just someone who got tagged along by some quest of the lifetime.
But now that it's all over, where will she go?
"We will go find Merry and Pippin." Gimli said after a moment.
"And I'll stay here." Lara whispered, but only Legolas heard what she said.
"Let's hunt some Orc!" Aragorn shouted, and Lara turned back to see him run off into the forest.
Gimli growled in response and grinned at Legolas. "Just what I'm looking for!" And he followed Aragorn close by, his ax clanking back after him as he ran deeper and deeper into the forest. When Buffy could see him no more, Legolas approached her and took her arm gently in his hand. She winced at his touch, either from pain or something else. She didn't know.
"Come, Lara." Legolas whispered.
She shook her head furiously. "I can't."
"You can!" Legolas argued, taking her arm and pulling her towards the forest. "We must go find the Halflings and go on with the quest."
"What quest?" Lara cried, whirling around and glaring at him hard. "The one that Frodo took away from us? From me?!"
"Lara-" Legolas pleaded.
"No." She snapped, taking a step back and Legolas notice her getting inches closer to the boat. "You can't talk me out of this Legolas, so you're better off going to follow your others."
"You are apart of my others-" Legolas attempted, once again pleading.
"No!" She repeated, the back of her legs now touching the boat. "Just- go."
Legolas stared at her as she cramped into the small boat, determination written all over her face. He tried to move, to say something, but he couldn't find the strength to speak or to move his arms, so he stood there dumbfounded as Lara rowed the boat further into the river. The water was calm, but the woman inside the boat wasn't.
Then, just as she turned to look at him, he budged and ran straight into the water.
"I am coming with you!" He cried.
Lara stopped rowing and watched as he went further into the water, closing in on her.
"Legolas don't-"
"No!" He said now. "Wherever you go, I shall. You cannot talk me out of this, at all."
"This wasn't appointed to you, Legolas." She tried. "Just go with the others, Legolas please!"
"Stop- saying- my- name." He breathed, the water now leveled with his chest.
Lara groaned in annoyance and waited until he was by her boat to scold at him. He ignored her as he climbed into the boat and once he was inside, she grabbed him by the shoulders and tried shoving him back out.
"Get out!" She cried, leaning against him and tipping the boat. "You aren't suppose to be here!"
Legolas shook his head, water dropping onto Lara's face. "I can't do that, not when you are risking everything."
"Why are you being so difficult?" Lara whined, her eyes holding a dangerous gleam in them. "Do you not understand what I am trying to say?" At the look on his face, Lara grew even more angry. "Frodo has taken my mission! My quest! What I was sent here for was in Frodo's hands right now and I am just wasting my time looking for a bunch of Hobbits that three grown warriors can look for! I don't belong here, Legolas! I don't! I need to get my Ring watch back!"
Legolas gazed at her blankly, but he was listening.
"I-" He began, but he cut himself off and fell silent.
"You see?" Lara continued, her voice desperate. "You have to go back with Aragorn and Gimli and find the Hobbits. You are better off without me, I will only cause complications. My choice has been chosen, Legolas. I will go hunt down Frodo and Sam and go with them to Mount Doom to destroy the Ring watch. I don't know how yet, but I will, and whatever it takes I will make sure both possessions get destroyed and the world saved. I'm use to it by now."
Legolas tensed and still could not find the words to say.
"You're going back, and this is not a question." Lara's voice was soothing now, and Legolas took her in his arms.
"You do not know how much you mean to me, Lara." He whispered into her ear, embracing her tightly and the feeling of love made him not want to let go. "We fight, yes, but that is only- it's- I do not want you to go."
Lara shook her head. "You have no choice."
He sighed and pulled away from her. "I know."
Lara tried to smile but it changed quickly into a frown and the silence grew tense and no one spoke, until finally Lara gestured to the forest.
"You have to go." Lara said. "They are far away now."
"I will catch up." He muttered and his hand reached out slowly to caress her cheek. Water dripped down her face and onto her lips, where Legolas stared intensely. He was suddenly aroused by the idea of Lara's wet lips all over his body, just like the night in Lothlorien, and the situation did not seem to stop him from locking onto her lips and devouring herself against himself. Lara sighed into his mouth and Legolas pulled away roughly. "Oh Valor-"
A sound from the forest stopped him speaking and Lara picked up her paddle.
"I will row you back."
Legolas said nothing as she rowed both himself and her back to shore, and at once Legolas hopped out to stare at the forest. Lara said nothing and grasped the paddle handles tightly in her hands. Why was he not looking at her? Why wasn't he going already? After a moment she sighed and began to paddle out into the river again, and once she was a distance away Legolas turned around and stopped himself from chasing after her.
Lara did not have the heart to look back at him as she rowed herself down the river.
She knew he was watching her, he'll always be watching her. But that made her even more fidgety and the further down the river she went, the further apart she was fading from him. It didn't matter now. She was far away, possibly hours away from where Legolas once stood, and it now was her choice in this task. She was the leader.
And putting down the boat paddle, she stood on the rough rocks that over looked Emyn Muil.
She sighed and said softly, "I wish Legolas was here.", and began walking down the sandy path to her new journey.
By herself.
End of story one
She couldn't feel her fingers; the ones that held the last dying member of the fellowship. She knew Boromir would have wanted to died that way, rather than any other, but it still didn't block out the morbid picture of his cold, lifeless body laying limp along with dead bodies of the enemy. And as she watched-- her eyes a deadly gaze-- the others pile the dead Orc's among each other, she couldn't help but feel different. Strange and low. Then realization hit her hard in the back of the head and she leaned against a tree, away from the others, to stop herself from falling over.
"Someone else is finishing my task." She whispered.
As difficult it was to listen to her say, it was true. She was having someone else finish the task that she was appointed to, and there as nothing that she could do to change it. Frodo had chosen this, even if Lara wasn't too thrilled about the idea, and he was long gone. He would take Lara's Ring watch and destroy it without. Well, there goes the fellowship, Lara thought, rolling her eyes over to Legolas and Gimli, who were burning the last remaining pile of Orc bodies. Legolas backed away and turned to catch Lara's eyes, and this time she looked away and walked back to their camp.
As she walked along the sand, she didn't bother to turn around at the sound of someone following her.
"I do not like the choice Frodo has taken." Aragorn said.
Lara suddenly stopped and did not turn around, but clenched her hands angrily at her side.
"Though," He continued, cautiously. "I had told him to go. The possession he was carrying was persuading too many of the fellowship, and he agreed with me. I had to let him go, or else it would have corrupted even you."
"But my possession." Lara hissed. "My Ring watch- why did he take it? I could have had the same discussion with you if only those damn Orc's would have showed up a little bit later."
"Aye, but what happened happens." He said, but even he sounded doubtful.
"And whatever will happen, will happen." Lara said quietly, taking a moment to catch her breath, and then walking off to clean up along the sand. "Just like what happened to Boromir."
She caught sight of Legolas watching her closely, his eyes never leaving her. She knew what he was thinking of course, and it only got her angrier. Instead of scolding him, she turned away abruptly and started throwing things into the last two boats floating on the water. And since Frodo and Sam had taken their own, and Boromir had taken his with him down the river and down the waterfall, there would be two people in two boats. She glanced back at Legolas and wish she would not be stuck with him, even though she probably would be and deep inside her wants her to.
"If we hurry we will catch the others." Legolas said, starting to push out a boat.
No one moved, not even Lara, and Legolas looked concerned. He walked up to Aragorn and grasped his shoulder firmly, obviously knowing what the man was thinking. Lara turned away quickly and looked out at the eastern shore, where Frodo and Sam had continued the fellowship's path in the palm of their hands, and said nothing. She knew exactly what Aragorn was thinking herself. They couldn't follow them, not even if they did catch up.
"You mean not to follow them." Legolas said softly.
"His fate is no longer in our hands." Aragorn answered.
Lara tensed and clenched her fists.
"Then it has all been in vain," Gimli murmured. "The fellowship has failed."
Lara felt her face grow hot and the tears brim in her eyes. None fell though, she wouldn't allow it.
"Not if we all hold true to each other." Lara heard Aragorn say firmly. "As long as we are together, we will not allow Merry nor Pippin be left to die from torment and suffering. Not while we have strength left in our arms, our legs, our minds."
Then the tears fell from her eyes and dripped down her face and onto her arms, where her they relaxed and her mind whirled back and forth. Aragorn was right as usual. They couldn't let Merry and Pippin get tormented by those Orcs and she couldn't let Frodo take her Ring watch to Mordor. But there was only one decision to make, and what Aragorn said must go. Gandalf had appointed him as their leader and she was only a follower. But was she really just a follower now that her task was taken from her? Or was she a tag- along?
Lara looked back at the three huddled together, deep in conversation. They looked the part, and Lara didn't.
She was just a woman, just someone who got tagged along by some quest of the lifetime.
But now that it's all over, where will she go?
"We will go find Merry and Pippin." Gimli said after a moment.
"And I'll stay here." Lara whispered, but only Legolas heard what she said.
"Let's hunt some Orc!" Aragorn shouted, and Lara turned back to see him run off into the forest.
Gimli growled in response and grinned at Legolas. "Just what I'm looking for!" And he followed Aragorn close by, his ax clanking back after him as he ran deeper and deeper into the forest. When Buffy could see him no more, Legolas approached her and took her arm gently in his hand. She winced at his touch, either from pain or something else. She didn't know.
"Come, Lara." Legolas whispered.
She shook her head furiously. "I can't."
"You can!" Legolas argued, taking her arm and pulling her towards the forest. "We must go find the Halflings and go on with the quest."
"What quest?" Lara cried, whirling around and glaring at him hard. "The one that Frodo took away from us? From me?!"
"Lara-" Legolas pleaded.
"No." She snapped, taking a step back and Legolas notice her getting inches closer to the boat. "You can't talk me out of this Legolas, so you're better off going to follow your others."
"You are apart of my others-" Legolas attempted, once again pleading.
"No!" She repeated, the back of her legs now touching the boat. "Just- go."
Legolas stared at her as she cramped into the small boat, determination written all over her face. He tried to move, to say something, but he couldn't find the strength to speak or to move his arms, so he stood there dumbfounded as Lara rowed the boat further into the river. The water was calm, but the woman inside the boat wasn't.
Then, just as she turned to look at him, he budged and ran straight into the water.
"I am coming with you!" He cried.
Lara stopped rowing and watched as he went further into the water, closing in on her.
"Legolas don't-"
"No!" He said now. "Wherever you go, I shall. You cannot talk me out of this, at all."
"This wasn't appointed to you, Legolas." She tried. "Just go with the others, Legolas please!"
"Stop- saying- my- name." He breathed, the water now leveled with his chest.
Lara groaned in annoyance and waited until he was by her boat to scold at him. He ignored her as he climbed into the boat and once he was inside, she grabbed him by the shoulders and tried shoving him back out.
"Get out!" She cried, leaning against him and tipping the boat. "You aren't suppose to be here!"
Legolas shook his head, water dropping onto Lara's face. "I can't do that, not when you are risking everything."
"Why are you being so difficult?" Lara whined, her eyes holding a dangerous gleam in them. "Do you not understand what I am trying to say?" At the look on his face, Lara grew even more angry. "Frodo has taken my mission! My quest! What I was sent here for was in Frodo's hands right now and I am just wasting my time looking for a bunch of Hobbits that three grown warriors can look for! I don't belong here, Legolas! I don't! I need to get my Ring watch back!"
Legolas gazed at her blankly, but he was listening.
"I-" He began, but he cut himself off and fell silent.
"You see?" Lara continued, her voice desperate. "You have to go back with Aragorn and Gimli and find the Hobbits. You are better off without me, I will only cause complications. My choice has been chosen, Legolas. I will go hunt down Frodo and Sam and go with them to Mount Doom to destroy the Ring watch. I don't know how yet, but I will, and whatever it takes I will make sure both possessions get destroyed and the world saved. I'm use to it by now."
Legolas tensed and still could not find the words to say.
"You're going back, and this is not a question." Lara's voice was soothing now, and Legolas took her in his arms.
"You do not know how much you mean to me, Lara." He whispered into her ear, embracing her tightly and the feeling of love made him not want to let go. "We fight, yes, but that is only- it's- I do not want you to go."
Lara shook her head. "You have no choice."
He sighed and pulled away from her. "I know."
Lara tried to smile but it changed quickly into a frown and the silence grew tense and no one spoke, until finally Lara gestured to the forest.
"You have to go." Lara said. "They are far away now."
"I will catch up." He muttered and his hand reached out slowly to caress her cheek. Water dripped down her face and onto her lips, where Legolas stared intensely. He was suddenly aroused by the idea of Lara's wet lips all over his body, just like the night in Lothlorien, and the situation did not seem to stop him from locking onto her lips and devouring herself against himself. Lara sighed into his mouth and Legolas pulled away roughly. "Oh Valor-"
A sound from the forest stopped him speaking and Lara picked up her paddle.
"I will row you back."
Legolas said nothing as she rowed both himself and her back to shore, and at once Legolas hopped out to stare at the forest. Lara said nothing and grasped the paddle handles tightly in her hands. Why was he not looking at her? Why wasn't he going already? After a moment she sighed and began to paddle out into the river again, and once she was a distance away Legolas turned around and stopped himself from chasing after her.
Lara did not have the heart to look back at him as she rowed herself down the river.
She knew he was watching her, he'll always be watching her. But that made her even more fidgety and the further down the river she went, the further apart she was fading from him. It didn't matter now. She was far away, possibly hours away from where Legolas once stood, and it now was her choice in this task. She was the leader.
And putting down the boat paddle, she stood on the rough rocks that over looked Emyn Muil.
She sighed and said softly, "I wish Legolas was here.", and began walking down the sandy path to her new journey.
By herself.
End of story one