Thank you for all the reviews, and I'm so glad so far so good.
Caitlin: You're welcome. I cant let Boromir being left out, can I?
SokaWriterChick: I'm glad you like it. I must confess, when I wrote the
story, I didn't think about the map of Gondor whatsoever ;) . I will start
looking. And I have no idea what Mary Sue is.
Kim Shimada : Thanks for noticing.
MoonWarrior : I like your name too.
RC : It's always a pleasure to read that someone actually like my story.
Galadrielwannabe : How could anyone doesn't love Boromir? Love him!
I still have no idea where to put the Ladharim home. Maybe in southern
Gondor? Any ideas?
THREE
"It's only a liquid medicine, young Lord." Emir rolled his eyes. "It will only make you better after you drink it."
Boromir eyed the concoction with open hatred. "Well it tastes like poison!"
"How many poison have you tasted my lord?"
"None. But I know it tastes like this foul thing."
"You will drink the medicine or I will call some guards and force you to drink it!" At that point the old healer looked very serious. "Besides Boromir, the medicine should taste foul to remind people not to get sick!"
Boromir protested,"I didn't do it on purpose you know. The Orcs shot me."
"You should have moved faster then."
"Faster than an arrow? "After a moment hesitation, he drank the concoction swiftly.
"If only you could move that fast I think the arrows would miss you."
"Very funny Emir." Boromir said sourly. "Why are we stopping here? "
There was no doubt in the old healer mind that the famous Gondor captain general was the most difficult patient he ever had. He rarely listened the healer's opinion ,always convinced that he was well enough, and very reluctant to drink medicine as if he was forced to drink a poison. Not to mention always demand to know the whole situation all the time. "Why don't you ask lady Kheila yourself ?"
"Is she coming? "
"No, you can leave the sick wagon to stretch those legs of yours. "
"And the rest of my body. "Boromir got out of the sick wagon tentatively. It felt good to be able to walk again, although his chest was still in pain for the wound had not heal completely. Still he would never admit it to Emir who led him to the shaka.
They found the shaka with a few guards practicing the Ladharim martial art, something Boromir found quite fascinating. The movement was very fast, and when they were practicing it looked like they were dancing for there were drum beat to accompany their every movement. He smiled; Ladharim culture always involved music and dancing. His eyes went to Kheila who was standing somewhat apart from the rest of the group. Her long black hair was tied up, and she wore a tight fitting cloth which showed her toned arms and flat belly. Her face flushed from the exercise and she was sweating, something that made Boromir's heart pounded very hard on his chest. He had never seen a woman as desirable as the shaka right now. Ladharim women were shorter but more curvey than Gondorrim, and their skin shined like gold at night, if a light from a fire illuminate them. To make it more appealing, their native dress was less complicated than the western women dress, and complimented their curvey body: they wore a sarong which showed their shapely legs, and a fabric to cover their upper body, revealing their belly and arms, and a shawl which made them looked mysterious.
Kheila saw him watching her. Smiling she approached Boromir who managed to look very uncomfortable. "I'm glad to see you walking." she put her blade back to the scabbard. "Shall we sit somewhere and talk ?"
"No, I don't want to disturb your practice. "said Boromir. " Besides, I like to watch." He had to stop himself from continuing. I like to watch you, he wanted to say that.
"The Captain General wished to know why we are stopping. "said Emir.
Boromir observed his surrounding. As a nomad people, the Ladharim seemed to find a perfect way to set up camp, and they seemed to have the best tent he had ever seen. No army of Gondor who had this kind of luxury, not even him. But the most intriguing part was there were so many women warriors in the Ladharim army. He knew that the Ladharim society didn't distinguish female from any position but he didn't realize how uncomfortable he really was with the idea until now.
"Yes, I would like to now why we are stopping now. I have noticed that we don't move as fast as an army should, and you made a lot of stop." Boromir looked confuse. "I thought you wanted to return to your home as soon as possible."
Kheila dismissed Emir. "We do, captain. But we are waiting for the rest of the tribes to catch up with us." She pointed the road."We've let them know that we used this road, so sooner or later they will show up."
"How many more tribes?"
"Only the last four." She poked his chest which made him grimaced. "You can use the spare time to heal, don't be such a big grouch."
Boromir smiled sadly."You sound like my brother."
"Faramir called you that? Well it suits you." She smiled back."It must be nice to have a brother."
"It is." He looked at her. "Now that's not fair is it? You know everything about me and my family yet I know nothing of you."
"You're not suppose to know."
"What's the big secret? Surely you have no orcs for a relative, do you?" teased Boromir.
Kheila grinned."Fine, what do you want to know?"
Boromir shrugged."Everyting. Your family, friends, how you became a shaka. I'm all ears."
"My family, it's only me and my father now. "answered Kheila."My mother died when I was only four years old."
"I'm sorry."said Boromir."I lost my mother when I was young too. How did she die?"
"It's allright. I hardly remember her." Came the soft reply."She died in a battle, by a Haradrim's arrow."
Boromir blinked in surprise."Your mother was a warrior?"
"You seem distraught by the thought that women can fight to." She teased him back."Why is that oh mighty captain general? Do we pose some threat to you men?"
"No,"he replied quickly."Well there are none women warriors in Gondor and Rohan. "
"Rohan has a shieldmaiden."
"In name only. "
Kheila mentioned him to follow her."Walk with me. "They walked around the camp, watching the soldiers's activities. "Tell me captain Boromir, do you think women don't belong in army?"
"Yes."Boromir answered truthfully. "I think they you should be protected."
"Because we are weak?"
"You are not weak, but we are stronger." He said stubbornly."women can get hurt."
The shaka brust out laughing."You're the one who is hurt badly. "
"Accident happen."
She shook her head in amusement seeing how stubborn Boromir was."If I was weak, I couldn't be a shaka, could I?" When he didn't answer she continued. "Acording to my grandfather, in all haradrim tribes we are the only one who has women in the army. And it all began because there were only us against all Haradrim tribes, so we need every available men and women to serve in the army." She sighed heavily."And if the war doesn't stop soon, trust me Gondor and Rohan will follow our way."
They were silent for a while, thinking about the war. "Perhaps, or there will be no midle earth left to protect." Boromir broke the silent.
"The end of civilization."
"That's not true, the Haradrim will still be here."
They had found a small pound a bit far from the camp, and stood on the edge, both looking on their reflection on the water. "We now that we are different, but do the orcs know or care about our differences? Will they spare me because I am merely a woman?" asked Kheila softly.
Boromir sighed."No, they will not care."
"And why should we wait behind the line where we cannot help and cant even protect ourselves? "
"I suppose you are right." Boromir murmured. He looked down concentrating on their reflection. He had never thought about it that way before. In Gondor and Rohan women are treated the same way with children who couldn't defend themselves. And he remembered his feeling, how much he hated being locked up, being in cage when he was a small boy. But he was a child and those women were a grown people who had opinion, and should be heard. He was so deeply in thought, that he didn't prepare for an attack. Kheila pushed him hard, and he fell to the pool. When he broke the surface, Kheila was laughing hard." What was that for?"
"oh..nothing. I cant help it." She answered between her laughter. "You looked so serious, and my hands itched to push you."
Before she could recover from her fit of laughter, Boromir ran to her and dragged her to the pool, so they were both soaking wet."I've got you now, Shaka. Who's the stronger one?"His arms wraped around her waist tightly, holding her from bolting.
She wasn't really trying to get away, because she was still laughing."Boromir, let go of me." She pounded his shoulders playfully. "You're such a mean old grouchy bear!"
"I might be grouchy and a bear, but I'm not old!" he protested."Say that again, I will punish you."
"Old man...old man...old man...old man..."she teased him.
He grinned."You've been warned." Then he started to tickle her unmercifully.
"Stop it, Boromir!" Kheila shrieked. "stop it!"
"Say : Boromir you are the most handsome man in middle earth."
Kheila began to laugh again."Oh that's funny."
Boromir began to tickle her again."It's not suppose to be funny. Say it and surrender, lady!"
"stop it.. you're killing me."
"And what will the people thin of that? Their famous and beautiful shaka is dead because of tickling?"
Between her laughter, she yelled."Boromir you are the most handsome man in middle earth, I surrender!" Boromir stopped, and she fell limp on his shoulders, gasping for breath. His arms was still on her waist, supporting her from falling to the water."I never knew laughing could be hurt." She murmured.
He chuckled and loosen his grip a little so she could move and faced him."Why thank you ,Kheila. I'm glad you finally acknowledge my good look."
She smiled broadly."I was being polite. After all you said I was beautiful."
"I did , didn't I?"Boromir tighten his hold again to draw her nearer, then he kissed her with such passion he hadn't felt in a long time.
When Boromir pressed his lips to hers, Kheila was too startled to do anything. But then she regained her senses and enjoyed the feeling and the warmth that spread from his body. She kissed him back with equal passion, her arms circled his neck as she clung to him.
Boromir's hands began to roam on her body. He kissed her mouth, her neck, her throat, and swallowed her moan as he found her mouth again."Kheila.."
She pushed Boromir away a little, gasping for air. "I need to breath."she murmured, but her arms were still on his neck."Meet me in my tent."
"People will wonder .We're drenched."
"Put your cloak around you, they will think you just took a bath."
Boromir kissed her again before letting her go."You go first." She moved away without looking back. He waited for a certain amount of time before he followed her to her tent. Other soldiers ignored him or he wasn't paying attention as he walked to her tent."Kheila?"he called from outside.
"Come in, captain."
He went in and found her still on her cloak."You'll catch cold if you don't take your cloth off."
"I have."she smiled ."It's only this cloak covering me."
Boromir stared at her for a while before pulling off his cloth until he was totally naked. He went to her, and took her cloak off letting it slide to the floor. "Such an exquisite site." He murmured as he lied her to her bed, and began to love her.
THREE
"It's only a liquid medicine, young Lord." Emir rolled his eyes. "It will only make you better after you drink it."
Boromir eyed the concoction with open hatred. "Well it tastes like poison!"
"How many poison have you tasted my lord?"
"None. But I know it tastes like this foul thing."
"You will drink the medicine or I will call some guards and force you to drink it!" At that point the old healer looked very serious. "Besides Boromir, the medicine should taste foul to remind people not to get sick!"
Boromir protested,"I didn't do it on purpose you know. The Orcs shot me."
"You should have moved faster then."
"Faster than an arrow? "After a moment hesitation, he drank the concoction swiftly.
"If only you could move that fast I think the arrows would miss you."
"Very funny Emir." Boromir said sourly. "Why are we stopping here? "
There was no doubt in the old healer mind that the famous Gondor captain general was the most difficult patient he ever had. He rarely listened the healer's opinion ,always convinced that he was well enough, and very reluctant to drink medicine as if he was forced to drink a poison. Not to mention always demand to know the whole situation all the time. "Why don't you ask lady Kheila yourself ?"
"Is she coming? "
"No, you can leave the sick wagon to stretch those legs of yours. "
"And the rest of my body. "Boromir got out of the sick wagon tentatively. It felt good to be able to walk again, although his chest was still in pain for the wound had not heal completely. Still he would never admit it to Emir who led him to the shaka.
They found the shaka with a few guards practicing the Ladharim martial art, something Boromir found quite fascinating. The movement was very fast, and when they were practicing it looked like they were dancing for there were drum beat to accompany their every movement. He smiled; Ladharim culture always involved music and dancing. His eyes went to Kheila who was standing somewhat apart from the rest of the group. Her long black hair was tied up, and she wore a tight fitting cloth which showed her toned arms and flat belly. Her face flushed from the exercise and she was sweating, something that made Boromir's heart pounded very hard on his chest. He had never seen a woman as desirable as the shaka right now. Ladharim women were shorter but more curvey than Gondorrim, and their skin shined like gold at night, if a light from a fire illuminate them. To make it more appealing, their native dress was less complicated than the western women dress, and complimented their curvey body: they wore a sarong which showed their shapely legs, and a fabric to cover their upper body, revealing their belly and arms, and a shawl which made them looked mysterious.
Kheila saw him watching her. Smiling she approached Boromir who managed to look very uncomfortable. "I'm glad to see you walking." she put her blade back to the scabbard. "Shall we sit somewhere and talk ?"
"No, I don't want to disturb your practice. "said Boromir. " Besides, I like to watch." He had to stop himself from continuing. I like to watch you, he wanted to say that.
"The Captain General wished to know why we are stopping. "said Emir.
Boromir observed his surrounding. As a nomad people, the Ladharim seemed to find a perfect way to set up camp, and they seemed to have the best tent he had ever seen. No army of Gondor who had this kind of luxury, not even him. But the most intriguing part was there were so many women warriors in the Ladharim army. He knew that the Ladharim society didn't distinguish female from any position but he didn't realize how uncomfortable he really was with the idea until now.
"Yes, I would like to now why we are stopping now. I have noticed that we don't move as fast as an army should, and you made a lot of stop." Boromir looked confuse. "I thought you wanted to return to your home as soon as possible."
Kheila dismissed Emir. "We do, captain. But we are waiting for the rest of the tribes to catch up with us." She pointed the road."We've let them know that we used this road, so sooner or later they will show up."
"How many more tribes?"
"Only the last four." She poked his chest which made him grimaced. "You can use the spare time to heal, don't be such a big grouch."
Boromir smiled sadly."You sound like my brother."
"Faramir called you that? Well it suits you." She smiled back."It must be nice to have a brother."
"It is." He looked at her. "Now that's not fair is it? You know everything about me and my family yet I know nothing of you."
"You're not suppose to know."
"What's the big secret? Surely you have no orcs for a relative, do you?" teased Boromir.
Kheila grinned."Fine, what do you want to know?"
Boromir shrugged."Everyting. Your family, friends, how you became a shaka. I'm all ears."
"My family, it's only me and my father now. "answered Kheila."My mother died when I was only four years old."
"I'm sorry."said Boromir."I lost my mother when I was young too. How did she die?"
"It's allright. I hardly remember her." Came the soft reply."She died in a battle, by a Haradrim's arrow."
Boromir blinked in surprise."Your mother was a warrior?"
"You seem distraught by the thought that women can fight to." She teased him back."Why is that oh mighty captain general? Do we pose some threat to you men?"
"No,"he replied quickly."Well there are none women warriors in Gondor and Rohan. "
"Rohan has a shieldmaiden."
"In name only. "
Kheila mentioned him to follow her."Walk with me. "They walked around the camp, watching the soldiers's activities. "Tell me captain Boromir, do you think women don't belong in army?"
"Yes."Boromir answered truthfully. "I think they you should be protected."
"Because we are weak?"
"You are not weak, but we are stronger." He said stubbornly."women can get hurt."
The shaka brust out laughing."You're the one who is hurt badly. "
"Accident happen."
She shook her head in amusement seeing how stubborn Boromir was."If I was weak, I couldn't be a shaka, could I?" When he didn't answer she continued. "Acording to my grandfather, in all haradrim tribes we are the only one who has women in the army. And it all began because there were only us against all Haradrim tribes, so we need every available men and women to serve in the army." She sighed heavily."And if the war doesn't stop soon, trust me Gondor and Rohan will follow our way."
They were silent for a while, thinking about the war. "Perhaps, or there will be no midle earth left to protect." Boromir broke the silent.
"The end of civilization."
"That's not true, the Haradrim will still be here."
They had found a small pound a bit far from the camp, and stood on the edge, both looking on their reflection on the water. "We now that we are different, but do the orcs know or care about our differences? Will they spare me because I am merely a woman?" asked Kheila softly.
Boromir sighed."No, they will not care."
"And why should we wait behind the line where we cannot help and cant even protect ourselves? "
"I suppose you are right." Boromir murmured. He looked down concentrating on their reflection. He had never thought about it that way before. In Gondor and Rohan women are treated the same way with children who couldn't defend themselves. And he remembered his feeling, how much he hated being locked up, being in cage when he was a small boy. But he was a child and those women were a grown people who had opinion, and should be heard. He was so deeply in thought, that he didn't prepare for an attack. Kheila pushed him hard, and he fell to the pool. When he broke the surface, Kheila was laughing hard." What was that for?"
"oh..nothing. I cant help it." She answered between her laughter. "You looked so serious, and my hands itched to push you."
Before she could recover from her fit of laughter, Boromir ran to her and dragged her to the pool, so they were both soaking wet."I've got you now, Shaka. Who's the stronger one?"His arms wraped around her waist tightly, holding her from bolting.
She wasn't really trying to get away, because she was still laughing."Boromir, let go of me." She pounded his shoulders playfully. "You're such a mean old grouchy bear!"
"I might be grouchy and a bear, but I'm not old!" he protested."Say that again, I will punish you."
"Old man...old man...old man...old man..."she teased him.
He grinned."You've been warned." Then he started to tickle her unmercifully.
"Stop it, Boromir!" Kheila shrieked. "stop it!"
"Say : Boromir you are the most handsome man in middle earth."
Kheila began to laugh again."Oh that's funny."
Boromir began to tickle her again."It's not suppose to be funny. Say it and surrender, lady!"
"stop it.. you're killing me."
"And what will the people thin of that? Their famous and beautiful shaka is dead because of tickling?"
Between her laughter, she yelled."Boromir you are the most handsome man in middle earth, I surrender!" Boromir stopped, and she fell limp on his shoulders, gasping for breath. His arms was still on her waist, supporting her from falling to the water."I never knew laughing could be hurt." She murmured.
He chuckled and loosen his grip a little so she could move and faced him."Why thank you ,Kheila. I'm glad you finally acknowledge my good look."
She smiled broadly."I was being polite. After all you said I was beautiful."
"I did , didn't I?"Boromir tighten his hold again to draw her nearer, then he kissed her with such passion he hadn't felt in a long time.
When Boromir pressed his lips to hers, Kheila was too startled to do anything. But then she regained her senses and enjoyed the feeling and the warmth that spread from his body. She kissed him back with equal passion, her arms circled his neck as she clung to him.
Boromir's hands began to roam on her body. He kissed her mouth, her neck, her throat, and swallowed her moan as he found her mouth again."Kheila.."
She pushed Boromir away a little, gasping for air. "I need to breath."she murmured, but her arms were still on his neck."Meet me in my tent."
"People will wonder .We're drenched."
"Put your cloak around you, they will think you just took a bath."
Boromir kissed her again before letting her go."You go first." She moved away without looking back. He waited for a certain amount of time before he followed her to her tent. Other soldiers ignored him or he wasn't paying attention as he walked to her tent."Kheila?"he called from outside.
"Come in, captain."
He went in and found her still on her cloak."You'll catch cold if you don't take your cloth off."
"I have."she smiled ."It's only this cloak covering me."
Boromir stared at her for a while before pulling off his cloth until he was totally naked. He went to her, and took her cloak off letting it slide to the floor. "Such an exquisite site." He murmured as he lied her to her bed, and began to love her.