"Faith?"
"What?! Make it quick, we have to move out in a couple minutes!"
"I just wanted to say ... in case we don't see each other again ... I think ... I think I'm in love with you." Leith yelled over the sound of gunfire. I snapped my head around to look at him,
"I think I love you too ... even though you have the worst sense of timing on this planet," I replied, rolling my eyes, "I can't believe you waited 'till we were just about go over the top of the trenches to tell my this! I mean, are you completely mad? Now if one of us dies or ... mmph ..."
I think he only kissed me to shut me up ... but I didn't really mind.
"Bugger off Leith – Delos and I would like to be able to teach Gracie how to play poker without you helping her cheat." I laughed, shoving him away from my cards. Leith held a hand to his heart, looking as innocent as he possibly could ... and that wasn't very.
"I'm wounded you would think such a thing of me Faith. I really am," he said sincerely. Well. Almost. The part when he burst into laughter really ruined the effect. And of course, that sent me into giggles. Really, it wasn't at all professional to be giggling in a tent playing poker and smoking when I was supposed to be outside checking everyone had their lights out ... then again, why shouldn't I have one night off?
"Aww, come on Faith! I can't play poker, you know my ears go bright red when I lie! Leith was giving me a few pointers, that's all!" Grace whined, grinning herself. Only Delos was the one able to keep a straight face. He just sat there, his grey eyes bored and disdainful ... And so, naturally, the rest of us had to attack him and pin him to the floor so Grace could tickle him because it was amusing to hear his spluttered insults through the girlish giggles.
"Hey baby. How're you feeling?" Leith asked, pulling off his boots and climbing in the tiny single bed beside me.
"Considering we're on a boat in the middle of the bloody ocean and I'm still recovering from a bout of pneumonia ... pretty good actually," I replied weakly. Leith tightened his hold on me as though I would disappear any moment.
"You gave me one hell of a scare," he muttered, resting his chin on the top of my head.
"Sorry about that," I said, half serious.
"No problem. Just make sure you don't do it again 'K?"
"'K. I'll ask next time before I contract a deadly virus." I replied flatly.
"Good. I love you, you bad-tempered, loud cow," He whispered.
"Love you too, you nancy-boy, idiotic arse," I replied. I felt Leith smile into my hair and allowed a smile of my own when I felt his breathing even out and heard the familiar soft snore that signified he was well and truly asleep.
"LEITH! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU PLAYING AT BACK THERE?!" I screamed, shoving him hard. Leith blinked up at me owlishly, looking utterly confused. Bastard.
"What did I do?" He asked, climbing to his feet and brushing his long hair from his face.
"YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED! I GAVE YOU A DIRECT ORDER TO LEAVE THE PREMISES AND REJOIN THE GROUP AND INSTEAD YOU RISK YOUR LIFE TO SAVE A STUPID MEDIC!" I yelled, getting angrier by the minute.
"STUPID MEDIC?! DO YOU HAVE ANY FEELINGS AT ALL?! THAT GUY SAVED COUNTLESS LIVES WITH HIS SKILLS! I COULDN'T JUST LEAVE HIM THERE TO ROT!" Leith yelled back ... of course, that gave me quite a shock. Leith never yelled. He jet watched me blow off steam and then raise and eyebrow and make me feel like a bitch before kissing me. That was just how things went. He wasn't meant to yell back ...
Now, you must understand. I don't like surprises when it comes to emotional situations. Not at all. I tend to react badly and end up making an utter pansy of myself. This was one of those occasions.
"BETTER HIM THAN YOU! DON'T YOU GET IT? YOU COULD HAVE DIED! IF YOU DIED I...I CAN'T LOSE ANYONE ELSE LEITH! I JUST FUCKING CAN'T!" I shouted back, my voice cracking on the last word ... and then I was crying. Blubbering like I hadn't done since the day Caleb had died. I felt myself falling towards the floor but suddenly arms were wrapped tightly around my waist and a voice was whispering persistently in my ear.
"I'm so sorry ... I'm sorry Faith, I didn't think ... I just got mad and ... I love you ..." He mumbled, crying as well. Eventually, the tears stopped and we just stood in the middle of the castle, clinging to each other like lost children. We shared our last kiss just before we heard the Follower's of Isenguard marching towards us ... but it was the most peaceful moment of my entire life.
I was cold. Colder than I had ever been.
"Bollocks.." I muttered, my eyes opening slowly as I forced myself to sit up.
Death. Death was everywhere. A whole field of bodies lay as far as the eye could see, so densely spread that I couldn't even see a single patch of the muddy ground I stood on. I tried to scream but it felt as though I was underwater. Wait ... I was underwater. Cold, mucky water ... but I was breathing. Or was I? Come to think of it, no. I wasn't.
So was I dead?
Yes, it would appear that way. Then was I in hell? Something told me I was not. Something told me this was the in-between place. A place where nobody could rest unless they were taken into the realms of the dead, or accepted back into the realms of the living. Something told me none of these men would ever be accepted into either. Men, Elves and Orcs dressed in battle clothes ... all lying, staring blankly above them. I looked up too, seeing the margin where the water around me met the sky ... but I couldn't get up that high. I needed a ladder ... something to pull me up back into the Land of the Living.
SPLASH.
A face. A beautiful, sad small face with big blue eyes was being pulled down into the water by a ring around his neck. I reached out my hand, wanting to pull the ring, wanting to pull it down to me at the bottom of the strange marshy water. The other creatures rose and reached up as well, and we were all calling to the ring, knowing we would kill the small creature that carried it but not caring ... Frodo was his name?
NO!
"GO BACK FRODO! GO BACK!!" I screamed, waving my hands to bring him back to his senses. It was no use ... he was dying. Drowning in the marshes ... hands. Different hands from the air above the water reached in and pulled Frodo out, and suddenly the other soldiers around me roared in anger, furious at their prize being taken away from them. They had died here. Died in the marshes of Mordor fighting the battle that decided the fate of Middle Earth. The fate of the world.
I felt myself being tugged somewhere else, and I let myself submit to it ...
I was warm. That was the first thing I noticed. I was warm and dry...and nothing hurt anymore. My aching muscles, my bloody gashes...all gone. I was safe. Protected for the first time in far too long. I stood and looked about me, only, there was nothing to look at. There were no real objects, only beautiful colours and smiling faces. Familiar faces.
Grace ... Caleb ... Ethan ... Delos ... Mum ... Dad ... Leith. They were all around me, all laughing and talking, all glowing and shimmering like the ocean does on a sunny day. I tried to speak but found I didn't want to. I was happy. Truly happy. I didn't know how I had got to this wonderful place and I didn't care either ... a voice cut rang out from all wound me, a voice with all the strength and beauty of a great church bell, ringing in the early morning light.
"Faith, Daughter of Light. Choose your fate. You may stay here or you may go back and complete the mission I have set for you ... it is your choice. The deeds of man are terrible, but I shall not force you to right the wrongs that have been committed. Choose now, and know you may never choose again." It said, though not in English. In a language too ancient for any creature of any world to speak ... but I could understand it somehow. I had a choice to make. I could go back and complete my mission or I could stay here in this wonderful place, never bothered by the troubles of earth again. Why should I fight any more than I have? I have already saved countless lives in Rohan ... why should I do more?
I looked upon the smiling faces of all my loved ones who were floating about me and looked into the eyes of Leith. He was speaking to me, but I could barely hear him over the noise of all the others ... I concentrated on his lips and realized he was saying only five words ...
"I love you. Live. Fight."
I shook my head, reaching towards him. Leith smiled, tears pouring down his cheeks as he took my hands in his. He leant in and kissed me gently...I recognized it's significance instantly. He was kissing me goodbye. Then I was being hugged by all my friends and family about me and I returned their embraces, telling them all how much I loved them all and trying to make the moment last forever.
At last, I nodded, grim determination gripping my stomach,
"Send me back." I shouted, reaching out towards everyone I held dear in a vain attempt to take them back with me...and then I felt a painful tug in my whole body and I was crashing downwards, hurtling through the air and screaming at the top of my lungs...white hot pain shot through me and something forced me to open my mouth and gasp for air...
The chip in my wrist glowed green.
I opened my eyes to find Aragorn staring at me with utter desperation and confusion in his eyes. Then I was being hugged. Very tightly I may add.
"Woah ... who died?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.