Author's note: Due to much insistence, I have finally updated...sheepish smile Sorry I took so long, and I'll keep this short since I know you all are dying to know what happens next.
Rhovanion's Child by Shelly
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Aragorn didn't know what to think when he came upon the sight of seeing Rhiannon lying in Boromir's arms with two arrows protruding from her shoulder and leg. He saw Boromir holding her close, and his heart nearly stopped as his first thought was that she was dead. Why else would the noble soldier of Gondor be weeping so?
Running over to them, he dropped to his knees beside them and immediately checked her for any signs of life...a relieved sigh emerging when he felt her weak pulse. "She still lives," he breathed. "But we must get these arrows out of her before they do her real damage...orc arrows more often than not contain poison." Then he noticed the arrow sticking out of Boromir's shoulder. "The same goes for you, Boromir," he advised.
Bracing himself, Boromir gripped the arrow tightly and yanked it out, stifling a cry of pain since it was buried very deep inside. Then his full attention was on helping Aragorn tend to her wounds as they removed the arrows and cleaned the wounds as best they could, Aragorn pulling from a pouch some type of plant that he put over her injuries before wrapping them with cloth. He offered to do the same to Boromir but the son of the Steward waved him off, saying he was fine.
It was then that Aragorn noticed that Merry and Pippin were nowhere to be found. "Where are Merry and Pippin?" he asked Boromir.
He swallowed deeply before answering. "The uruks took them prisoner," he replied. "Where is Frodo?" he asked, knowing that he had a lot to apologize to the hobbit for. His behavior towards him had been unexcusable, and it was hard to stomach the fact that he had been so weak as to let himself fall under the ring's spell. But for what he had done to Rhiannon...there was nothing he could do to atone for that. By rights, he should be the one lying there instead of her. Why, after what he had done to her, did she risk her life just to save his?
"I let Frodo go," he replied sadly. "He has chosen to continue with the journey alone."
The sound of running footsteps caught their attention and they looked to see Legolas and Gimli approaching. "We may still catch them yet, Aragorn," Legolas supplied. "Frodo and Sam just reached the eastern shore. If we hurry we can catch up with them."
Aragorn sighed. "I'm afraid that we must leave them, Legolas. It is Merry and Pippin that we must follow for they have been taken by the uruks, who will most assuredly not treat them with kindness." Then his eye fell upon Rhiannon, and it seemed that she was looking a little better with time. "I'm afraid that I must leave her to your charge, Boromir. And leave with you a piece of advice...I know it is in your heart to take her to Minas Tirith for it is yet a short journey down the Anduin. But if you wish for her to live then I would advise taking her back to Lorien...there will her healing go more swiftly than anywhere else."
Boromir nodded his acceptance, knowing that it would be the better course of action to take. Then his attention was taken as he felt her stir in his arms, a smile appearing when he saw her eyes open and look upon him. Unable to say anything, he gathered her close and placed a kiss upon her forehead, which was still warm from the fever her body produced to fight off the effects of the poison.
Her vision was still blurred but there was no mistaking that it was Boromir that held her so tightly, and she was glad to see that he still lived. Then she saw another shadow appear beside her and she knew that it was Aragorn, listening with a sinking heart as he told her that he, Legolas, and Gimli planned to follow Merry and Pippin. Then she felt his kiss upon her forehead as well, and she reached up to hold him close for a moment. "Please be careful, my cousin," she whispered, "for who knows when we may meet again."
"I know it to be soon," he replied as he rose to his feet to allow Legolas some time with her.
She accepted the elven prince's warm embrace, wishing him the same before hearing the three of them leave. Then it was just her and her beloved...and an uncertain future for the both of them. "What is to become of us then?" she asked him as she fought against a wave of dizziness that threatened to overtake her. Then she looked over at his shoulder, seeing that the arrow had been removed but that his wound had not been dressed.
"It is fine," he replied, knowing what she would say. "Aragorn advised returning you to Lorien...but it is a long journey on foot and you are in no shape to even do so."
She sighed. "We could try the boats...after all, they are elven...perhaps they have some magic to return us there," she replied with a weak smile.
He returned her smile. "Can you walk then? The river is not far."
"I can try," she returned. His arms came around her back to support her, and she gritted her teeth as he helped her to her feet. Almost immediately a sharp pain shot up her leg, and she had to lean on him as they walked to the shoreline. The waters of the Anduin passed them by serenely, a strange calmness after so much fighting.
He helped her get into the boat, and after the strain of having to walk so far on her injured leg, she almost collapsed into the boat. As it was, she sank back into sleep before he even got inside it himself...and to his surprise, the boat did not fight the current at all, as if it was indeed guided by some elvish magic.
No more did she wake during their journey back to Lorien, and he himself was fighting the effects of the poison as well. His shoulder had started to turn stiff from paddling, and there were times when his vision swam before him. And despite that, he fought to stay alert, for he knew that she was entrusted to his care...and that he would not fail her a second time.
But as they neared the borders of Lorien, the fever had already started to set in, and his arm was becoming steadily weaker. Finally he did succumb to it, as the paddle slid from his hands to splash into the water...but still the boat continued onward until it reached the area where it had departed. And there was a small gathering waiting to receive them, two of them the lady Galadriel and Haldir, his handsome features set in a mask of concern. Galadriel looked wearied, as she had been the one to guide the boat here, but was glad to see they made it here still alive and in one piece.
Celeborn directed them to a place where they could be healed, and the Lady followed them there to make a quick assessment of their health. Haldir waited anxiously to hear word, and he hid his sigh of relief when he saw her next. "Will they recover?" he asked.
She smiled, although her eyes belied her worry. "Elenariel has fared the better of the two...her healing will not take long. Ellesar's foresight has seen to that. It is the Gondorian that I worry most about. He has long fought the poison, and I do not know how long until he heals...if he heals at all. Only time will tell with him."
Haldir left her side to step inside the tent where they had been taken, his eyes adjusting to the dim light inside. He quickly spotted her slumbering form and knelt down by her side, thinking it strange that it wasn't too long ago that he was in this same position. Whatever the case, he would stay by her side, for he cared for her. His only wish was that she had chosen to stay here instead where it was safe...but was there any place left in Middle Earth that was still safe from evil?
Keeping that in mind, he rose to his feet and left the tent to return to his duties as guardian of Lorien, knowing that the Lady would let him know if anything happened.
Wait...didn't they just leave from there??? Maybe they should've just stayed the first time and saved them the trouble...:p
The Return of the King DVD is awesome...my only gripe about the movie is that I got so tired of seeing Frodo after awhile. The poor hobbit just can't stay on his feet at all...lol!!! And Faramir...I cried for him when I saw it in the theater. I do have a Faramir fic lurking around in here somewhere...just need to work on it.
Thanks for reading!!!
Rhovanion's Child by Shelly
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Aragorn didn't know what to think when he came upon the sight of seeing Rhiannon lying in Boromir's arms with two arrows protruding from her shoulder and leg. He saw Boromir holding her close, and his heart nearly stopped as his first thought was that she was dead. Why else would the noble soldier of Gondor be weeping so?
Running over to them, he dropped to his knees beside them and immediately checked her for any signs of life...a relieved sigh emerging when he felt her weak pulse. "She still lives," he breathed. "But we must get these arrows out of her before they do her real damage...orc arrows more often than not contain poison." Then he noticed the arrow sticking out of Boromir's shoulder. "The same goes for you, Boromir," he advised.
Bracing himself, Boromir gripped the arrow tightly and yanked it out, stifling a cry of pain since it was buried very deep inside. Then his full attention was on helping Aragorn tend to her wounds as they removed the arrows and cleaned the wounds as best they could, Aragorn pulling from a pouch some type of plant that he put over her injuries before wrapping them with cloth. He offered to do the same to Boromir but the son of the Steward waved him off, saying he was fine.
It was then that Aragorn noticed that Merry and Pippin were nowhere to be found. "Where are Merry and Pippin?" he asked Boromir.
He swallowed deeply before answering. "The uruks took them prisoner," he replied. "Where is Frodo?" he asked, knowing that he had a lot to apologize to the hobbit for. His behavior towards him had been unexcusable, and it was hard to stomach the fact that he had been so weak as to let himself fall under the ring's spell. But for what he had done to Rhiannon...there was nothing he could do to atone for that. By rights, he should be the one lying there instead of her. Why, after what he had done to her, did she risk her life just to save his?
"I let Frodo go," he replied sadly. "He has chosen to continue with the journey alone."
The sound of running footsteps caught their attention and they looked to see Legolas and Gimli approaching. "We may still catch them yet, Aragorn," Legolas supplied. "Frodo and Sam just reached the eastern shore. If we hurry we can catch up with them."
Aragorn sighed. "I'm afraid that we must leave them, Legolas. It is Merry and Pippin that we must follow for they have been taken by the uruks, who will most assuredly not treat them with kindness." Then his eye fell upon Rhiannon, and it seemed that she was looking a little better with time. "I'm afraid that I must leave her to your charge, Boromir. And leave with you a piece of advice...I know it is in your heart to take her to Minas Tirith for it is yet a short journey down the Anduin. But if you wish for her to live then I would advise taking her back to Lorien...there will her healing go more swiftly than anywhere else."
Boromir nodded his acceptance, knowing that it would be the better course of action to take. Then his attention was taken as he felt her stir in his arms, a smile appearing when he saw her eyes open and look upon him. Unable to say anything, he gathered her close and placed a kiss upon her forehead, which was still warm from the fever her body produced to fight off the effects of the poison.
Her vision was still blurred but there was no mistaking that it was Boromir that held her so tightly, and she was glad to see that he still lived. Then she saw another shadow appear beside her and she knew that it was Aragorn, listening with a sinking heart as he told her that he, Legolas, and Gimli planned to follow Merry and Pippin. Then she felt his kiss upon her forehead as well, and she reached up to hold him close for a moment. "Please be careful, my cousin," she whispered, "for who knows when we may meet again."
"I know it to be soon," he replied as he rose to his feet to allow Legolas some time with her.
She accepted the elven prince's warm embrace, wishing him the same before hearing the three of them leave. Then it was just her and her beloved...and an uncertain future for the both of them. "What is to become of us then?" she asked him as she fought against a wave of dizziness that threatened to overtake her. Then she looked over at his shoulder, seeing that the arrow had been removed but that his wound had not been dressed.
"It is fine," he replied, knowing what she would say. "Aragorn advised returning you to Lorien...but it is a long journey on foot and you are in no shape to even do so."
She sighed. "We could try the boats...after all, they are elven...perhaps they have some magic to return us there," she replied with a weak smile.
He returned her smile. "Can you walk then? The river is not far."
"I can try," she returned. His arms came around her back to support her, and she gritted her teeth as he helped her to her feet. Almost immediately a sharp pain shot up her leg, and she had to lean on him as they walked to the shoreline. The waters of the Anduin passed them by serenely, a strange calmness after so much fighting.
He helped her get into the boat, and after the strain of having to walk so far on her injured leg, she almost collapsed into the boat. As it was, she sank back into sleep before he even got inside it himself...and to his surprise, the boat did not fight the current at all, as if it was indeed guided by some elvish magic.
No more did she wake during their journey back to Lorien, and he himself was fighting the effects of the poison as well. His shoulder had started to turn stiff from paddling, and there were times when his vision swam before him. And despite that, he fought to stay alert, for he knew that she was entrusted to his care...and that he would not fail her a second time.
But as they neared the borders of Lorien, the fever had already started to set in, and his arm was becoming steadily weaker. Finally he did succumb to it, as the paddle slid from his hands to splash into the water...but still the boat continued onward until it reached the area where it had departed. And there was a small gathering waiting to receive them, two of them the lady Galadriel and Haldir, his handsome features set in a mask of concern. Galadriel looked wearied, as she had been the one to guide the boat here, but was glad to see they made it here still alive and in one piece.
Celeborn directed them to a place where they could be healed, and the Lady followed them there to make a quick assessment of their health. Haldir waited anxiously to hear word, and he hid his sigh of relief when he saw her next. "Will they recover?" he asked.
She smiled, although her eyes belied her worry. "Elenariel has fared the better of the two...her healing will not take long. Ellesar's foresight has seen to that. It is the Gondorian that I worry most about. He has long fought the poison, and I do not know how long until he heals...if he heals at all. Only time will tell with him."
Haldir left her side to step inside the tent where they had been taken, his eyes adjusting to the dim light inside. He quickly spotted her slumbering form and knelt down by her side, thinking it strange that it wasn't too long ago that he was in this same position. Whatever the case, he would stay by her side, for he cared for her. His only wish was that she had chosen to stay here instead where it was safe...but was there any place left in Middle Earth that was still safe from evil?
Keeping that in mind, he rose to his feet and left the tent to return to his duties as guardian of Lorien, knowing that the Lady would let him know if anything happened.
Wait...didn't they just leave from there??? Maybe they should've just stayed the first time and saved them the trouble...:p
The Return of the King DVD is awesome...my only gripe about the movie is that I got so tired of seeing Frodo after awhile. The poor hobbit just can't stay on his feet at all...lol!!! And Faramir...I cried for him when I saw it in the theater. I do have a Faramir fic lurking around in here somewhere...just need to work on it.
Thanks for reading!!!