"We'll cross the river at nightfall," announced Aragorn as the others set up camp near the river at Path Galen. "Then we'll hide the boats and continue on foot, approaching Mordor from the north."

"That simple, huh?" Gimli blustered. "We'll just stroll across the labyrinth of razor-sharp rocks that is the Emyn Muil. Then we can swim through the festering marshlands and knock on the Black Gates!"

Aragorn could barely supress his exasperated sigh when he saw Merry and Pippin's apprehensive faces. Did Gimli really have to put it that way and scare them? "That is our road," he said firmly. "If you don't think you can handle it, Master Dwarf, then you should leave the company right now with no shame on you. If you intend to stay, then I suggest you take this opportunity to rest and recover your strength."

He allowed himself a moment of smug satisfaction when Gimli sputtered and grumbled in response. Legolas, who had been standing at the forest's edge, rushed to his side. Aragorn expected his lover to whisper a joke about dwarvish nerves or perhaps to playfully scold him for tormenting Gimli, but the look in his eyes told him otherwise. Legolas looked anxious, almost desperate. "We should leave now," he said.

"No," Aragorn told him. "We'd be moving targets for the orcs on the eastern shore. The night will give us some cover."

"The orcs on the eastern shore are not our main problem," replied Legolas. "A shadow and a threat has been growing on my mind. Something draws near; I can feel it."

"A shadow and a threat?" repeated Aragorn. "Of what?"

"The threat is of the uruk-hai that Saruman has been breeding," said Legolas, his eyes searching through the trees. "They are coming even now. The shadow is more elusive, but it feels closer, more personal."

Aragorn grabbed his shoulder. "Closer and more personal?" he asked, and then forced out the question he didn't even want to think about. "Is it one of us?"

Whatever Legolas' response would have been was cut off by another important question. "Where's Frodo?" Merry asked.

Aragorn frantically looked around the campsite, his eyes finally resting on Boromir's shield. His blood ran cold. Frodo was gone. Boromir was gone. A shadow, close and personal to the fellowship was growing. He remembered Boromir's desire to bring the ring to Minas Tirith; would he be able to resist its lure? Legolas caught his eye and they exchanged a worried glance as they thought the same thought. "I'm sure he just went for a walk to clear his mind," Aragorn said with false confidence. "Why don't I go look for him?"

"Can we come too?" asked Pippin.

"It would be better if Aragorn went alone," Legolas told him, catching Gimli's eye and giving him a meaningful look. "If we all went, who would protect Gimli here during his time of exhaustion?"

Gimli put on a show of muttering and glowering. Aragorn gave them both a grateful look and squeezed Legolas' hand before slipping off. "I'll have you know," Gimli sputtered with exaggerated indignance, "that dwarves have excellent endurance."

Legolas winked at Merry and Pippin as he sat down next to them and tossed them a mischievous smirk. "You don't say," he said smoothly.

"I could do anything you challenged me to do better than you!" Outrun, out-climb, kill more orcs, anything."

"We need some witnesses to these bold words," Legolas said. "Merry, Pippin; Sam, get over here!"

There was no response. "Sam?" called Gimli. The spot he'd been sitting in was empty. There was no sign of him in the immediate vicinity. Even his pack was gone! "Where did he go?"

All the playfulness was gone from Legolas' face. "We'd better go look for him." he fretted.

Merry jumped to his feet. "Should we split up?" he asked.

The image of the coming uruk-hai flashed in Legolas' mind. "I think it would be better if the two of you hid," he suggested. "That way when we find him, you can jump out and give him a start. It will serve him right for leaving without saying anything."

"Sounds like fun," Pippin agreed enthusiastically. "Where should we hide?"

"We'll find the perfect spot," promised Legolas. The four walked quickly into the forest, keeping in mind not to go too far from the camp. It wasn't long before they found a small mound with growth and logs that hid a small cutout. Legolas and Gimli helped each hobbit in, taking care to cover them with their elven cloaks. "Now don't make a sound," urged the elf.

"And don't come out until one of our company comes back," added Gimli.

Pippin nodded happily, but Merry gave them a hard assessing look. His face turned grim at what he saw there. "We won't," he vowed. "Not without a very good reason."

###################

Aragorn ran between the trees. So far there was no sign of either Frodo or Boromir. Of course, if Boromir killed the hobbit and stole the ring, a small body would be easy to hide or bear away and he himself would be invisible. 'Don't think like that!' Aragorn scolded himself. But those thoughts kept coming, spurring him on until he thought his lungs would explode.

When he finally stopped to suck in some air, Aragorn noticed the movement of footprints being made. Hobbit-sized footprints to be exact and they were being left by someone unseen. Frodo! The hobbit still had the ring, and something scared him enough to put it on. 'I can guess what that something was,' thought Aragorn with disgust as he quietly followed Frodo. When they reached a ruin at the top of a hill, Frodo slipped off the ring and Aragorn called gently to him: "Frodo?"

Frodo spun around, realizing he'd been followed. He looked only a little comforted by the fact that it was Aragorn. "It has taken Boromir," he reported.

The disgust in Aragorn grew. How dare that man make him doubt himself and trumpet the strength of Gondor, only to turn around and attack the ringbearer at the first chance he got? "Where is the ring?" he growled, a little more angrily than he should have.

Frodo scampered back. "Stay away!" he cried, fearful of another attack.

Cursing himself, Aragorn stepped forward and held out his hands in a sign of friendship and peace. "Frodo," he said more calmly this time, "I swore to protect you."

Frodo apparently had enough of promises of protection now that he'd seen what the ring could do to someone's promises. "Can you protect me from yourself?" he asked, pulling out the ring. When he spoke again there was a challenge and a taunt in his voice. "Or would you destroy it?"

Aragorn slowly dropped to his knees, unconsciously reaching for the ring. Unbidden images rushed into his head: There he was, the king of a renewed Gondor and Arnor with Legolas at his side. His father and brothers stood with a crowd of people, cheering. There also were the hobbits, giddy with excitement, and Gimli, who practically glowed with pride. The pride of Boromir and his father Denethor was now gone and they kneeled before him. Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel were there as well, since it was his wedding and she said they'd be there. In fact, her voice was running through his mind right now, though he couldn't make out the words. Even King Thranduil looked pleased to be there. Well, why wouldn't he be? The ring would make him immortal, saving Legolas from mortality just like he wanted; now Legolas wouldn't have to make that choice...

"If you fall into darkness with all that is left of your kin, Legolas will die sooner rather than later no matter what his choice is." Galadriel's words slammed into his mind. Suddenly Aragorn was surrounded by the charred walls and littered streets that had once been Minas Tirith. The heavy was filthy and the smell of burning death clung to it. The White Tree was being chopped down by the orcs that made up the crowd that was cheering for him. He turned to see Legolas still standing beside him, now holding the silver ring Aragorn had given him in his hand. The ring burst into a flame that burned Legolas' hands. Aragorn cried out and reached for him when he realized that he was holding the greenleaf gem in one of his hands. The gem was in pieces that scratched his hands. Some of the shards flew out of his grasp and cut Legolas all over.

Legolas looked at him with unfathomable depths of grief emanating from his eyes. "You murdered Aragorn," he sobbed accusatorily.

Aragorn shook his head vehemently. "I am Aragorn!"

"Aragorn was a man," said Legolas, sounding weaker with every word. "A good, honorable man. You are none of those things." The elf's legs gave out. Aragorn caught him before he hit the ground and gaped at the sight of his white face. Legolas was fading fast. "I would have liked to see him again," he gasped out, and died.

Shaking himself out of the horrible image, Aragorn reached out and covered Frodo's fingers over the ring. "I would have followed you to the end," he said, gently pushing the hands back. "Into the fires of Mordor."

"I know," replied Frodo with warmth and understanding.

Aragorn brought his hands back slowly, still feeling the pull of the ring despite everything he saw. A hideous, treacherous voice spoke in his head. "You resisted the ring once," it taunted. "But you could not do it again."

It was another voice that responded, helping Aragorn to pull back all the way. It came from across time and leagues from an archery field about 77 years ago: "No, probably not right now. But he did it when it counted. I am most impressed."

To be continued...

Author's request: I'm getting closer to the chapters dealing with The Two Towers and need some help. Does anyone out there know of any websites that have all of the elvish dialogue from that film written out? Or just of a really good site that does a general English-to-Elvish or whatever. I don't want to stumble onto a crappy site and use inaccurate material in my ignorance, so any suggestions/advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!