Chapter 13
'Is Leo always so touchy?'
It had been a week since they had left the Manor to come back to Middle Earth and everyone was at the breaking point. Frodo was complaining about the Ring and it's getting heavier. Sam was feeling sorry for his Master, telling everyone to have more compassion for Frodo and the great burden he was carrying. Gimli had been snapping at everyone since the rapids they had to walk past. Aragorn was sure someone or something was following them in the water. Legolas was tired of everyone being so snappy, so he was getting snappy himself. He was also sick of Paige hitting on him. Thalion, Caran, and Caran were complaining about sore feet or wings.
There had been a minor battle on the river with some orc scouts shooting at them, but a few quick arrows from Legolas put an end to the attack. A few days later, dark clouds covered the sky and blocked out the sun completely. That was also the day Aragorn said they were beginning to be followed. Yet somehow they had made it to Amon Hen without anyone getting hurt by someone else in the fellowship, or anyone else who might have something against the fellowship. They now had to decide how to approach Mordor. Boromir said with much pride and boasting that they should march to Gondor, rest for a few days, and then march out with an army led by Piper, Aragorn, and himself. Aragorn disagreed with this plan and said that they should follow Gandalf's original plan and cross the river to approach Mordor from the north. Despite the endless arguing, and a near sword fight from Aragorn and Boromir, they all decided Frodo should choose how to approach Mordor since it was him who was trying to get rid of the Ring. So now they were all sitting around a small fire waiting for Frodo to return with his decision, and Aragorn was trying to make small talk to pass the time.
'No', she said in answer to his question. 'He just doesn't want my sisters or me to get hurt. He try's to protect us as best he can being our Whitelighter and my husband.'
'Whitelighter? Husband? You mean you two are...'
'Yes, he's my husband.'
'Oh.'
He stared at the ground for a moment.
'So what's a Whitelighter?'
'A Whitelighter is like a guardian angel. He protects us when were in danger and heals us if we're hurt.'
Aragorn nodded and they were silent for a few minutes. Piper shivered. With the sky overcast like it had been for the past few days, it was hard to get warm. The clouds hung over everything like a predator does when it sees its prey, waiting for the right moment to strike...
Suddenly Piper stood up.
'We need to find Frodo and get out of here.'
'But Piper', standing up beside her. 'Where will we go?'
'I don't know, but we need to go. Now. Paige!'
Paige poked her head out of the blanket covering her.
'What?'
'Send Alasse with Thalion to track down Frodo. When they find him, orb Frodo back here pronto.'
Thalion and Alasse sniffed around Frodo's blankets for a moment and then went running into the forest.
'Where's Boromir', asked Piper hurriedly.
Everyone rounded on Boromir... or where Boromir should have been. Instead, there were only a few blankets and his shield lying against a tree.
'Caran', said Phoebe. 'Go find him if you can.'
'And look for Orcs and Uruk-hai also', added Piper quickly.
Caran nodded and flew of into the darkness.
'Why Orcs?' asked Aragorn.
'I can't say because it might change an event I have no right to change. You just have to trust me and hope for the best.'
Aragorn bit his lip and nodded.
'Sam, take out your rope and tie it to everyone's belts so we can't separate. That's the last thing we need in this darkness.'
When everyone was tied together, Piper lead the way into the darkness of the woods with Aragorn close behind her. Her senses had sharpened since Thalion had become part of her physically so she could hear better now than ever. So that was why she and Paige heard Boromir's horn before anyone else did. Paige had to orb away because Thalion and Alasse had found Frodo. So everyone else forged ahead and found the battle.
Boromir had been fighting very hard and was obviously tiring. They had arrived just in time. Everyone but Phoebe and Piper cut the rope binding themselves and charged into battle. Piper saw something that made her freeze time. Phoebe kept running without thinking and was thrown back by the rope onto the ground
'Um... ouch.'
'Sorry.', said Piper helping Phoebe up. 'But look.'
An arrow was suspended in midair, about ten centimeters away from Boromir's chest.
'So, just pluck it out of the air and we'll all be happy.'
'But I can't. He's supposed to die.'
' Then let him die', said Phoebe mercilessly. 'If he's supposed to.'
'But I can't just let this happen...'
'Piper, don't try and cheat death. Who knows what the consequences could be? Now. if you'll kindly unfreezing us all...'
Piper sighed and unfroze time.
The arrow hit Boromir in his chest just above his heart. Another arrow joined to a second later in his stomach.
'No', Aragorn screamed.
He ran forward but Piper stopped him halfway there.
'This is the thing that we have to let happen', she said quietly.
Aragorn looked at her, a single tear rolling down his cheek. He shook his head.
'Not again', he whispered. 'This fellowship cannot withstand anymore death.'
Aragorn brought his sword up, ran forward and aimed a blow at the orc who had just loosed a third arrow into Boromir. His sword missed the orc by a millimeter and shattered on a rock. Sparks flew setting the dry forest floor alight. With a few furious stomps, the head orc put it out. It then turned on Aragorn and grabbed him by the hair, forcing him to kneel on the ground and brought his head back till his neck was completely bare. It drew its dagger and aimed it at Aragorn's throat. It was just about the stab him when the dark veil above them broke apart, revealing the golden sun they had all missed so much. It made the orc screech and gave Aragorn enough time to draw his own dagger and kill the head orc.
The other orcs ran away screaming, but it wasn't because of Aragorn's wraith or the sun, but because a very tall figure dressed in dazzling white clothes appeared in the clearing. The sun was so bright, reflecting off their clothes, that they couldn't stare at the figure for very long before they had to look away. The figure bent over the fallen body of Boromir and closed his eyes. It then put Boromir's sword into his bloody hands and wrapped them around the hilt.
The figure stood up and walked towards them. Paige and a muddy Frodo had joined everyone when Aragorn's sword had been shattered. Aragorn scrambled away from the figure towards Piper.
'Do you not know me?' the figure asked. 'Do you not trust me?'
The person then pulled back his hood and his white, strait hair fell down to his shoulders. His beard was white and there was a white staff in his right hand. They could not recognize him, but his eyes were like someone else's they knew. But now that they thought of it, that face was rather familiar as well...
'Gandalf?' Frodo whispered.
Gandalf nodded, smiling.
'It is I. But I am Gandalf the White, and I come back to you now, at the turn of the tide.'
