Chapter 6

When the Fellowship left Lothlorien, they were all given gifts. Willow received a long elven sword and a few lessons in how to use it. Tara smiled and thought of how Willow would be able to defend herself without magic while she had the sword. Tara was given a mithril necklace, that supposedly had protective powers.

When they set off in canoes Tara noticed Willow's uneasiness and smiled when she remembered Willow's Fog Fear. Where there was water like this, all murky and shallow at points, there were usually frogs.

They paddled along in silence, occasionally one of the evil little frogs would give a loud Ribbit to another frog and Willow would grip her sword and look around frantically. Merry and Pippin were secretly giggling at her and Aragorn looked at her strangely.

"Are you alright, my lady? Do you become ill on boats?" Aragorn questioned her gently after 2 frogs did a simultaneous Ribbit and she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"I have frog fear." She answered solemnly.

"Of course........" he trailed off, quite confused.

They stopped to rest for the night and Tara kept a close eye on Boromir, remembering that the he was supposed to try to take the ring "soon". Sure enough, Frodo went off into the woods when Aragorn was securing the canoes. Boromir layed out his blanket and set down his shield then mumbled something about firewood and took off in the direction Frodo went.

"I'm gonna help Boromir." Tara announced, but everyone was busy and did not hear her. She went off after Boromir. Sure enough, she saw Frodo staring at tall statue and Boromir eyeing the hobbit from afar while picking up wood. Tara grabbed a stray piece of wood and jogged up to him, pulling his attention from Frodo.

"I came to help." She said, placing her piece of firewood in his arms. "I'm not really much use at tying up boats or making that sort of food. But I can find wood pretty well."

He smiled at her. "Yes, milady. You pick the best wood." He glanced back at where Frodo had been and frowned to see him gone.

Tara pulled him in the opposite direction. "Bet there's lots of good firewood over here."

He seemed annoyed to be going away from Frodo. "Lady Tara, If Aragorn sent you to lead me away from Frodo for fear I will take that stupid little ring then I can assure you-"

"I came on my own. I-I thought you needed help with the firewood."

He looked sorry and mumbled an apology. But she noticed he still glanced back in the direction Frodo had gone.

Tara pretended to be helping pick out firewood again. She piled 3 large piece in her arms and bent for a fourth when she felt Boromir's hands take the wood from her arms.

"A lady should not be carrying firewood. You could hurt yourself."

"We ladies are actually pretty capable. My dad use to make chop the wood and carry it to the house, so I'm pretty strong."

His face hardened and he scowled. "He should have done it himself. Or had a brother do it, if you had one. What did your mother think of you doing a man's job?"

"My brother went out with his girlfriends a lot. My mother had died. I was taking care of the family. I saw it as something I simply had to do."

"It would cause me great sorrow to see you return to that life where you are treated as a servant girl. You deserve much more."

"Oh, I-I don't live there anymore. At college, which is a-a school, I met Willow, and I live with her. And some other friends too." She added quickly.

"It would still cause me sorrow to see you go, milady. When this is over, I would love to show you my home. Have you heard of Minas Tirith? It is a great white city, truly a beauty to see."

"Everything here is. Even the tree's seem so much elegant and dignified than home. They seem to have a story to tell." She gently touched the bark of one of the trees as she leaned back against it. She glanced off into the horizon and saw Aragorn and Frodo talking.

"The tree's beauty pales when you stand near them. It may not be proper, but I won't deny my feelings for you. If I did not know you are too kind and caring to do such a thing, I might think you cast a spell on me." He joked. Boromir stepped near to her and brushed the hair out of her face. "My lady, If we should succeed on this mission, would you stay in Middle Earth? Travel to Minas Tirith with me? I would keep you safe from the Orcs and other evils of this world, even if you are capable, as you say."

Tara had a similar expression to that of a deer caught in headlights. Yikes. She thought. Apparently our Middle Earth isn't that different from here, with the knights in shining arming defending our honor and thinking they'll always get the girl.

She cast her eyes downward as she felt a blush rise to her face. She had noticed his interest but thought these men as far too gentlemanly to openly admit them.

He seized her suddenly and she thought for a moment he was going to kiss her. But he shoved her to ground instead. Suddenly, she feared he wanted to do more than kiss her. But he pulled her back to her feet immediately and she saw why he had pushed her. There was arrow embedded in the tree.

"Orc's" he hissed. He pushed her behind him. But what came over the hills at them was much bigger and evil looking than the Orc's Tara had seen in Moria. She took a deep breath and muttered some protection spells while thinking of some defense ones as well.

Boromir fought the Uruk Hai as they came, despite the fact he was greatly out numbered.

Suddenly they heard the calls of Merry and Pippin. Without haste, he grabbed her hand and pulled her along. He intercepted an Uruk Hai from giving Merry and Pip a bloody fate and continued to fight them off. Tara backed the hobbits against a large tree and chanted a protection spell so the Uruk's couldn't get near them. She hoped Boromir could hold his own. She needed all of her concentration to keep the hobbits safe.

Boromir took out his horn and signaled to the Fellowship he needed some assistance.

Tara stared in horror as she saw an Uruk Hair who appeared to be some sort of leader, pointing a bow and arrow at Boromir's chest. With all her energy, she gave the Uruk's surrounding her a mental push. They flew through the air and away from her and the hobbits. As the arrow was released and flew threw the air, she managed to halt it and spin it around back towards the Uruk Hair. Boromir threw her a grin of thanks and charged the bow carrying Uruk.

"Get the Halflings" One of them shouted. Pippin and Merry instantly clung to her for protection.

Tara suddenly felt herself being grabbed by one of them and flung to the ground. Throwing fire at them she struggled to her feet and panicked when she didn't see Boromir.

"Run to the others" She instructed the hobbits. She made sure they were ahead of her and then followed, chanting spells to knock Uruk's out of their way.

She felt a sharp pain up her right leg and she fell to the ground. Glancing back she saw an arrow protruding out of her leg just above her ankle. She struggled to get up. She saw Merry and Pippin get thrown over the shoulder of some Uruk Hai and carried off. Two Uruk Hai grabbed her arms and hauled her torso up, so she was effectively kneeling before the leader. He gave her a slow, feral grin as he loaded his bow and pointed an arrow straight at her heart and let it fly.

Authors Note Sorry to leave this as a cliffie but I start college tomorrow and won't be able to get the other chapters up til at least Sunday or Monday.