A/N: Thank you to Divad relffehs, Darklight, OrionTheHunter, Angus Hardie,
Ped, charmedfanatic3000, Cassie-bear01, and Scilen for all you reviews and
advice and I hope that you approve of this chapter! Here it is, enjoy!
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Dawn glanced across at the warrior, watching him parry a blow with a demon, not seeing the danger he was in from the demon at the top of the bank.
Acting on instinct Dawn pressed her foot down at the base of the demons neck, and with both hands gave a final yank, and pulled the sword free. Such was the force of her pull; Dan stumbled back, toppling over into a demon that running by, knocking him onto a sword of a fellow demon. Not heeding the injuries she received in her rush to reach him, 'Just a couple of steps closer..'
The sound of a familiar whistle cut through the air as the arrow was released. Pushing off from the balls of her feet, Dawn sent her body crashing into the warrior, driving her arms around his waist, she tackled him to the ground knocking the both of them over, landing on top of him as they fell to the ground.
As her arms closed in around the warrior, Dawn heard the distant thud of an arrow hitting its target, and pain exploded in her shoulder, racing up and down her spine, and the world went silent around her save the sound of her body meeting his as they feel to the ground, her sword slipping from her grasp as she fell.
Not staying still, Dawn craned her head around to look at her shoulder, seeing the arrow jutting out, grinding against the bone as she moved to get a better look at her injury. Her breathing came in short labored gasps as shock hit her body, driving away the pain, numbing her senses as if she had just been dumped in a bath of ice-cold water.
Dawn pulled back, sliding off of the body beneath her, aware of the precarious situation about them. Reaching for her sword that had landed by her feet, Dawn looked the warrior the eye. Disbelief, shock, and gratitude shone from the brown orbs, with a tortured look haunting the depths of his eyes lurking in his soul.
Turning away, Dawn stood up from her position on her knees, and parried a blow made from an advancing demon behind her, the demon allowed his blade to slide off of hers, and it lunged at her once again more forcefully, Dawn stopped the blade from reaching her body, gritting her teeth as her shoulder screamed in protest as she raised her arms once more bringing her sword up into the demons stomach. The metal tip of the arrow grinded against muscle and bone as she fought to defend herself.
From the corner of her eye she could see the warrior fighting another demon, not pausing as he moved onto his next victim, not having any mercy for the creatures that surrounded them. 'Just as well really.' Dawn observed as they were out numbered six or seven too one.
The demon that had once stood at the top of the hill was no longer there, and Dawn looked around frantically trying to find it. Berating herself mentally for losing sight of one of the biggest dangers on the battlefield. How many times had Buffy told, 'Ignore the little guys, only take them if they get in your way, go straight for the leader, when he falls the minions panic, easy pickings.'
Another demon was coming at her with its weapon held high in the air, the demon intent on bringing it down on her made Dawn forget the leader briefly as she ducked out of the way, tripping over one of the stray demon bodies that littered the ground.
Dawn screamed as she fell on her back, part of the arrow snapping, the rest of it being driven completely through her shoulder, the tip of the arrow coming out clean the other side, poking through her leather coat, and the silver metal glinting in the sunlight as she looked down at it.
Rolling her weight off of her injured shoulder and away from the sword that was being brought down from above her head, Dawn reached for the dagger that was in her boot, pulling it free, with a flick of her wrist Dawn released it, watching it hit the demon between the eyes with a satisfied smack.
The sound of another arrow being released pulled Dawn's attention back over to the warrior, and watched in horror as the second arrow found its mark, hitting him on the left side of his stomach, she watched as he fell to his knees swaying slightly, and watched as he looked over at the two children who stood a little away from him, no longer throwing stones at the advancing demons as they regarded the warrior. 'Their father possibly.'
Willing herself to her feet, Dawn took her sword into left hand, unable to move her right shoulder, the arrow locking it into place.
Swinging the blade in her left hand, Dawn made several clumsy attacks on the demons as they passed her, only succeeding in injuring them as they passed her by, not bothered by the pain that she was causing them. A foot flew out at her, and Dawn moved trying to dodge the kick, but her body stiff with exhaustion and lack of food didn't respond quickly enough, and the foot found its mark, coming into contact with her head, pushing her to the ground once more, the side of her face hitting the ground.
Through squinted eyes she watched the warrior, willing him to go on, to protect himself and the children, not to fall to those around him. The arrow was prominent as it stuck out of his stomach, she watched in despair as he turned, about to take on another demon, when an arrow struck him in the chest, in just above his heart.
The warrior paused, planting his feet further apart to steady himself as he blocked yet another blow and upturning the orc, driving his sword deep into the demons back through armor, bone and muscle. Drawing it out of the demon, he raised it again, stopping yet another blade from finding its mark, knocking the demon over its head with the mantle of his sword, stopping his actions momentarily as he watched the demon slump to the ground.
His body was pushed back a few steps as a third arrow flew true, landing between the other two arrows protruding from his body. Dark patched of blood stained his clothes, and mud was smeared across his forehead, perspiration dripping from his brow and hair.
The warrior's legs gave way with shock and pain, and he swayed on his knees. The look of death and defeat engraved onto his noble face, and Dawn knew from experience that the warrior wouldn't rise again. The realization giving her the push she needed Dawn pulled herself up using a tree trunk near her, and raised her sword, bringing it down into another demon.
The world around the warrior and the children stilled, with nothing happening, their bodies and faces frozen with fear and pain. Carving a pathway through the demons to the dying warrior, Dawn heard the battle cries go up from the children just as she reached the warrior.
Kneeling down next to him Dawn ignored the demons running past them, they no longer cared for a dying man, and the girl at his side. Putting a hand either side of her face, Dawn locked eyes with him.
"Do not fear death. You will be rewarded for your sacrifice." She whispered to him, her voice full of passion as she remembered what Buffy had spoken of. His eyes glanced towards the children as they rushed forwards, weapons being swung high above their heads as they moved towards the couple.
"I'll do what I can to protect them." Dawn promised, she stood, and made her first assault on a demon reaching for one of the children, slicing its head off as punishment.
The leader moved slowly closer to the battle growling orders to the demons surrounding him. "Grab the halflings! Take the woman! She shall make good sport for the long journey back!" It's beady eyes running over Dawn's body, glinting slyly as she ducked a sword being swung at her head, not taking any notice of the demon shouting orders.
Dawn struggled as demons swarmed around her, taking notice of their master's orders. Hands reached out for her, squeezing the air out of her lungs as they closed around her throat and body, the scab on her stomach cracking as a fist rammed into it, the familiar gush of blood traveling the length of her body. Still Dawn was defiant, fighting with anything possible, using her left arm, feet, teeth to keep them away from her.
Breaking free, Dawn tried to move towards the children who had been caught by the demons, her only warning a sharp pain from the back of her head, bright lights dancing before her eyes as she collapsed on the ground, not able to fight the darkness taking over her sight. She was fainting, she knew, she was familiar with the feeling. The limbs that felt like lead, a failing vision, and that detached swimming feeling as you feel your body fall to the ground.
All around her she could hear the screams and cries of the children, the beating of feet against the forest floor, and the ragged breaths of the fallen warrior who remained unmoved in his position, unable to help, the left side of his body riddled with arrows.
The world swam out of her sight as darkness overtook her, her mind not registering the hands that pulled her up, slinging her lifeless body over its shoulder as it ran, demons following behind not waiting for their master as he sauntered down to the fallen warrior.
The Uruk-hai approached Boromir, and stood in front of him, waiting for Boromir to lift his head, and look upon the face of his killer. Boromir lifted his face, and viewed the uruk-hai as if seeing one of their race for the first time. There was a chilling gleam in his eyes, and Boromir recalled the words that the uruk-hai had spoken earlier of the women-nay- angel being used for sport. For she was an angel, what else could she possibly have been?
Boromir watched as the uruk-hai pulled an arrow out of its quiver, and notched it in his bow, drawing the string back slowly, the bow creaking as it did so. He tried to take another breath, trying to prepare himself for his certain death. "Do not fear death. You will be rewarded for your sacrifice." The words of the angel ran through his mind, oh how he wished it was so. How could he have peace when he had failed? He had failed his father, his brother, his people, Frodo, Merry, Pippin, the fellowship. No, he deserved no peace, he deserved eternal torment for his actions. He had failed. Resigning himself to his fate, Boromir waited, not showing the uruk- hai any emotions as it toyed with him.
A flash of dark clothing leapt at the uruk-hai, knocking the bow and arrow out of its hands, and Aragorn brought his sword up to defend himself as the uruk-hai thrust its blade at him. With a show of strength, the uruk-hai pushed Aragorn's sword off of his, knocking Aragorn away, pinning him to a tree by his neck using its shield that it hurled towards the ranger.
The uruk-hai advanced quickly, sliding its scimitar along the metal shield, as Aragorn struggled to get free, his bloody hand slipping off of the metal. Aragorn felt some of the trunk behind him split as he tried to loosen the shield, ducking down underneath it as the uruk-hai's blade became lodged in the tree. His head protected by the shield.
Aragorn didn't pause, taking advantage of the uruk-hai's position by punching the uruk-hai it in its stomach using all his body weight. The uruk- hai barely moved, instead bringing its elbow down into Aragorn's back, knocking him forward towards the ground, and Aragorn rolled over a few times before staying still. Pain sweeping through his body.
With a roar the uruk-hai lifted its scimitar above its head, and brought it down into the ground, where Aragorn had been less than a second earlier. Bringing his leg up, Aragorn kicked out at the uruk-hai, and knocked its weapon away, forcing the uruk-hai to straighten up, and using the uruk- hai's movement to his advantage, Aragorn pulled the knife from its sheath, and drove it deep into the uruk-hai's thigh.
The uruk-hai growled in anger, and punched Aragorn in the face as he leant upwards, knocking the ranger to the ground once again. The uruk-hai towered over Aragorn, and pulled him up by his shoulders, head-butting him in the face, before pushing him away with another punch.
Aragorn rolled away with the force of the blow, and leant forward on his knees, blood smeared around his mouth from the uruk-hai's ministrations, and he struggled to shake off the dazed confusion that clouded his mind and regain focus. The uruk-hai bent over, and pulled the knife free from its leg, and brought it up to his mouth. Sadistically he ran his tongue along the blade, tasting his own blood on the metal before releasing it in Aragorn's direction.
Batting his knife away with his sword, Aragorn attacked with a renewed vigor. Their blades clashed, and beams of light darted in and out of the trees as blades moved in the sunlight. Driving the uruk-hai back in seven strokes, Aragorn didn't hesitate in cutting off its arm just above the elbow. The uruk-hai growled at him as Aragorn drove his sword into its stomach.
The uruk-hai laughed at Aragorn's attempt to cause him pain, and enclosed its fist around the mantle of the sword, pulling it deeper into its body as he stepped forward, leaning over Aragorn who looked sickened at the sight. Not wanting to prolong the fight, Aragorn sharply jerked the sword out of the uruk-hai's belly, swinging it up and lopping its head off.
Breathing heavily, Aragorn watched with grim satisfaction as the body of the uurk-hai fell to the ground, and moved no more apart from the occasional spasms, its severed head lying a few feet away.
An image of Boromir rose in Aragorn's mind and he turned, stumbling away from the dead uruk-hai and limping over to Boromir, who lay propped up against a tree, his face pale, the light in his eyes starting to fade. Blood soaked his tunic, centering around the three arrows, and Aragorn looked down at his chest in dismay.
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Legolas ran in the direction that Aragorn had disappeared off in after hearing the horn of Gondor call for aid. Between him and Gimli they had killed the remaining uruk-hai and orc, leaving none alive.
He ran swiftly, his feet moving nimbly in and out of the dead bodies as he crossed the ground, elements of battle all around him, un-miss-able, and undeniable. He hoped that Boromir was alive and unharmed; it would be a blow to the fellowship is another of the walkers fell like Gandalf.
He paused at the top of a bank, surprised at the carnage that one person could create, a few stray bodies lay about his feet, but the numbers grew, and masses of uruk-hai covered the forest floor further down the bank at the bottom.
His elvish eyesight could not miss the full extent of Boromir's wounds from where he was standing, he observed as Aragorn went to remove one that Boromir told him to leave it. They all knew that it was helpless, that he would not survive even if they removed the arrows.
Boromir's strangled voice reached his sensitive ears, and Legolas focused his attention on what he was saying to Aragorn.
"I never told her thank you."
"Who?" Aragorn asked urgently.
'Who?' Legolas's mind repeated. 'Who had been with their friend when they hadn't? Who had seen him fall? Where was she now?'
"The angel-" Boromir chocked, his words stopping abruptly as he coughed, frothy blood pooling in the corner of his mouth. "S-she took t-t-the first arrow meant for me." He paused again and tried to regain his breath. "She was so pure, s-so beautiful, a face to rival the Evenstar and Galadriel, they-they took her, f-for sport." Boromir was racked again with a coughing fit.
A chilling fear ran through Legolas's body as he through of the women in the river, her innocent eyes, the long luscious dark strands of hair, and the scars marring her pale skin. 'It can't be her, it just can't be.' His mind repeated in disbelief. 'What would she be doing here? She was several leagues down the river.'
"I failed-"
"You did not fail." Aragorn insisted.
"I would have followed you, my brother, my captain, my king." Boromir told Aragorn as his breathing became slower, and irregular, before stopping completely, a look of peace washing over his face.
Gimli had arrived behind him to see Boromir pass, and turned his face away, not wanting the elf to see his sorrow, and the tears that threatened to fill his eyes. But Legolas knew he would not tease his over this, it would be despicable of him to tease the dwarf over a friend's death.
Death was a part of life for those that were not elves, he knew it happened, but still after all these years was unsure of how to deal with the emotions flying around his body. It was confusing, no elf truly died, going either to the Halls of Mandos, to be re-born, or crossing the seas to Valinor.
Aragorn bowed his head in an act of respect, touching his hand to his forehead, lips, before kissing the top of Boromir's head, gently closing the open eyes. 'I have failed. The fellowship has failed with out Gandalf to lead us. Frodo has carried on alone to the eastern shore. Merry and Pippin captured by uruk-hai. Gandalf dead. Boromir dead. Only three of us remain together, the fellowship breaking within hours us shoring the boats.'
Aragorn's thoughts returned back to the 'angel' that Boromir had spoken of. Had she been an angel of death, trying to reassure the valiant warrior as he fell? There are no women around her, no human settlements near the forest, the woods of Lothlórien feared by those that did not understand.
Legolas moved down slowly towards Aragorn, hesitant about approaching Aragorn. Turmoil was written all across his face, and he appeared deep in thought. He looked down at the bodies as he passed, determining how each of them had died, trying to find a pattern of what had happened amongst that ruin.
As his eyes scanned over the uruk-hai, his attention flicked over one lying on its back, a dagger lodged between its eyes. He looked away carrying on before his eyes swiveled back to the dead uruk-hai. That knife..
"He must have been hallucinating, there could not have been a woman here." Aragorn thought aloud.
A gasp reached his ears, and he brought his head up sharply, his eyes searching out the area from which the sound had come from. His eyes landed on Legolas who was crouched over a dead uruk-hai, pulling a dagger out of its head. He held it up in a trembling hand, stared at it with disbelief, bringing it up closer to his face, his eyes, as if he was being deceived.
"She was here.." Legolas whispered. A sinking feeling entered his stomach as he looked at the dagger. This was the one he had seen. The one belonging to the woman in the river. The one she had worn in her hair. He fell back in shock, how had she come to be here? What was she doing here?
'they-they took her, f-for sport' It was her, she was the one that rivaled the Evenstar and Galadriel. She was the one that seemed so pure, so innocent, and the uruk-hai were going to take that all from her. His heart felt heavy, and he felt a fear he had never known spread through his body.
But why should he be so worried about a woman he had never met? Had only seen for a few minutes? Who knew what she was? What she was doing? Where she was from? Why should he be so concerned about her? It did not make sense.
If she had been a fellow elf, a friend of his them he would be able to understand the need, the want, the drive to protect her, but she was none of these things. Just a human that he had spotted, one that filled his thoughts from the moment he had seen her. Why? He was over two thousand years old; he should be able to understand his own emotions by now!
"Legolas." Aragorn called. "What have you found?"
"There was a woman here. A human one, or at least that is what I thought her to be."
"Don't be stupid laddie! A human woman kill a uruk-hai with a dagger? A blow like that? A dwarf woman maybe, but no human female would have such strength!" Gimli announced.
Legolas turned to Aragorn. "This is hers." He told him, lifting the dagger up for his to see. "She was here." He insisted, his eyes pleading for Aragorn to believe him.
"But there are no settlements nearby." Aragorn mentioned. "Have you seen this woman?"
Legolas nodded. "Further downstream. I was not sure of what she was, or her intentions. It was why I requested that we stopped where we did."
"A spy! Does Saurman really think that she would not be spotted by us as we traveled to Mordor?" Gimli spoke gruffly, anger clear in his voice. "That she would be able to deceive us?"
"She was upstream Gimli. She could not have known our course." Aragorn intervened as he saw a spark of anger flash through Legolas's eyes.
"The river only flows in one direction! Spies! Spies could have told her where we were, and in what direction we were heading. She could have been laying in wait! Ready to disarm us, stun us as we prepared to pass her-"
"Gimli that is enough!" Legolas spoke clearly; his voice hard, and deathly quiet, his voice brooking no room for argument.
"Now is no the time for arguing over an unknown woman!" Aragorn cut in. "Come we have to bury Boromir."
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A/N: Sorry if I disappointed anyone by killing him off, but I was unsure of what to do with him, and I think my earlier hesitation was that I felt sorry for him! Sorry, I know that the battle scene wasn't completely how it happened, but I wanted to change some of it to get Dawn in. Review and let me know what you think, thanks.
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Dawn glanced across at the warrior, watching him parry a blow with a demon, not seeing the danger he was in from the demon at the top of the bank.
Acting on instinct Dawn pressed her foot down at the base of the demons neck, and with both hands gave a final yank, and pulled the sword free. Such was the force of her pull; Dan stumbled back, toppling over into a demon that running by, knocking him onto a sword of a fellow demon. Not heeding the injuries she received in her rush to reach him, 'Just a couple of steps closer..'
The sound of a familiar whistle cut through the air as the arrow was released. Pushing off from the balls of her feet, Dawn sent her body crashing into the warrior, driving her arms around his waist, she tackled him to the ground knocking the both of them over, landing on top of him as they fell to the ground.
As her arms closed in around the warrior, Dawn heard the distant thud of an arrow hitting its target, and pain exploded in her shoulder, racing up and down her spine, and the world went silent around her save the sound of her body meeting his as they feel to the ground, her sword slipping from her grasp as she fell.
Not staying still, Dawn craned her head around to look at her shoulder, seeing the arrow jutting out, grinding against the bone as she moved to get a better look at her injury. Her breathing came in short labored gasps as shock hit her body, driving away the pain, numbing her senses as if she had just been dumped in a bath of ice-cold water.
Dawn pulled back, sliding off of the body beneath her, aware of the precarious situation about them. Reaching for her sword that had landed by her feet, Dawn looked the warrior the eye. Disbelief, shock, and gratitude shone from the brown orbs, with a tortured look haunting the depths of his eyes lurking in his soul.
Turning away, Dawn stood up from her position on her knees, and parried a blow made from an advancing demon behind her, the demon allowed his blade to slide off of hers, and it lunged at her once again more forcefully, Dawn stopped the blade from reaching her body, gritting her teeth as her shoulder screamed in protest as she raised her arms once more bringing her sword up into the demons stomach. The metal tip of the arrow grinded against muscle and bone as she fought to defend herself.
From the corner of her eye she could see the warrior fighting another demon, not pausing as he moved onto his next victim, not having any mercy for the creatures that surrounded them. 'Just as well really.' Dawn observed as they were out numbered six or seven too one.
The demon that had once stood at the top of the hill was no longer there, and Dawn looked around frantically trying to find it. Berating herself mentally for losing sight of one of the biggest dangers on the battlefield. How many times had Buffy told, 'Ignore the little guys, only take them if they get in your way, go straight for the leader, when he falls the minions panic, easy pickings.'
Another demon was coming at her with its weapon held high in the air, the demon intent on bringing it down on her made Dawn forget the leader briefly as she ducked out of the way, tripping over one of the stray demon bodies that littered the ground.
Dawn screamed as she fell on her back, part of the arrow snapping, the rest of it being driven completely through her shoulder, the tip of the arrow coming out clean the other side, poking through her leather coat, and the silver metal glinting in the sunlight as she looked down at it.
Rolling her weight off of her injured shoulder and away from the sword that was being brought down from above her head, Dawn reached for the dagger that was in her boot, pulling it free, with a flick of her wrist Dawn released it, watching it hit the demon between the eyes with a satisfied smack.
The sound of another arrow being released pulled Dawn's attention back over to the warrior, and watched in horror as the second arrow found its mark, hitting him on the left side of his stomach, she watched as he fell to his knees swaying slightly, and watched as he looked over at the two children who stood a little away from him, no longer throwing stones at the advancing demons as they regarded the warrior. 'Their father possibly.'
Willing herself to her feet, Dawn took her sword into left hand, unable to move her right shoulder, the arrow locking it into place.
Swinging the blade in her left hand, Dawn made several clumsy attacks on the demons as they passed her, only succeeding in injuring them as they passed her by, not bothered by the pain that she was causing them. A foot flew out at her, and Dawn moved trying to dodge the kick, but her body stiff with exhaustion and lack of food didn't respond quickly enough, and the foot found its mark, coming into contact with her head, pushing her to the ground once more, the side of her face hitting the ground.
Through squinted eyes she watched the warrior, willing him to go on, to protect himself and the children, not to fall to those around him. The arrow was prominent as it stuck out of his stomach, she watched in despair as he turned, about to take on another demon, when an arrow struck him in the chest, in just above his heart.
The warrior paused, planting his feet further apart to steady himself as he blocked yet another blow and upturning the orc, driving his sword deep into the demons back through armor, bone and muscle. Drawing it out of the demon, he raised it again, stopping yet another blade from finding its mark, knocking the demon over its head with the mantle of his sword, stopping his actions momentarily as he watched the demon slump to the ground.
His body was pushed back a few steps as a third arrow flew true, landing between the other two arrows protruding from his body. Dark patched of blood stained his clothes, and mud was smeared across his forehead, perspiration dripping from his brow and hair.
The warrior's legs gave way with shock and pain, and he swayed on his knees. The look of death and defeat engraved onto his noble face, and Dawn knew from experience that the warrior wouldn't rise again. The realization giving her the push she needed Dawn pulled herself up using a tree trunk near her, and raised her sword, bringing it down into another demon.
The world around the warrior and the children stilled, with nothing happening, their bodies and faces frozen with fear and pain. Carving a pathway through the demons to the dying warrior, Dawn heard the battle cries go up from the children just as she reached the warrior.
Kneeling down next to him Dawn ignored the demons running past them, they no longer cared for a dying man, and the girl at his side. Putting a hand either side of her face, Dawn locked eyes with him.
"Do not fear death. You will be rewarded for your sacrifice." She whispered to him, her voice full of passion as she remembered what Buffy had spoken of. His eyes glanced towards the children as they rushed forwards, weapons being swung high above their heads as they moved towards the couple.
"I'll do what I can to protect them." Dawn promised, she stood, and made her first assault on a demon reaching for one of the children, slicing its head off as punishment.
The leader moved slowly closer to the battle growling orders to the demons surrounding him. "Grab the halflings! Take the woman! She shall make good sport for the long journey back!" It's beady eyes running over Dawn's body, glinting slyly as she ducked a sword being swung at her head, not taking any notice of the demon shouting orders.
Dawn struggled as demons swarmed around her, taking notice of their master's orders. Hands reached out for her, squeezing the air out of her lungs as they closed around her throat and body, the scab on her stomach cracking as a fist rammed into it, the familiar gush of blood traveling the length of her body. Still Dawn was defiant, fighting with anything possible, using her left arm, feet, teeth to keep them away from her.
Breaking free, Dawn tried to move towards the children who had been caught by the demons, her only warning a sharp pain from the back of her head, bright lights dancing before her eyes as she collapsed on the ground, not able to fight the darkness taking over her sight. She was fainting, she knew, she was familiar with the feeling. The limbs that felt like lead, a failing vision, and that detached swimming feeling as you feel your body fall to the ground.
All around her she could hear the screams and cries of the children, the beating of feet against the forest floor, and the ragged breaths of the fallen warrior who remained unmoved in his position, unable to help, the left side of his body riddled with arrows.
The world swam out of her sight as darkness overtook her, her mind not registering the hands that pulled her up, slinging her lifeless body over its shoulder as it ran, demons following behind not waiting for their master as he sauntered down to the fallen warrior.
The Uruk-hai approached Boromir, and stood in front of him, waiting for Boromir to lift his head, and look upon the face of his killer. Boromir lifted his face, and viewed the uruk-hai as if seeing one of their race for the first time. There was a chilling gleam in his eyes, and Boromir recalled the words that the uruk-hai had spoken earlier of the women-nay- angel being used for sport. For she was an angel, what else could she possibly have been?
Boromir watched as the uruk-hai pulled an arrow out of its quiver, and notched it in his bow, drawing the string back slowly, the bow creaking as it did so. He tried to take another breath, trying to prepare himself for his certain death. "Do not fear death. You will be rewarded for your sacrifice." The words of the angel ran through his mind, oh how he wished it was so. How could he have peace when he had failed? He had failed his father, his brother, his people, Frodo, Merry, Pippin, the fellowship. No, he deserved no peace, he deserved eternal torment for his actions. He had failed. Resigning himself to his fate, Boromir waited, not showing the uruk- hai any emotions as it toyed with him.
A flash of dark clothing leapt at the uruk-hai, knocking the bow and arrow out of its hands, and Aragorn brought his sword up to defend himself as the uruk-hai thrust its blade at him. With a show of strength, the uruk-hai pushed Aragorn's sword off of his, knocking Aragorn away, pinning him to a tree by his neck using its shield that it hurled towards the ranger.
The uruk-hai advanced quickly, sliding its scimitar along the metal shield, as Aragorn struggled to get free, his bloody hand slipping off of the metal. Aragorn felt some of the trunk behind him split as he tried to loosen the shield, ducking down underneath it as the uruk-hai's blade became lodged in the tree. His head protected by the shield.
Aragorn didn't pause, taking advantage of the uruk-hai's position by punching the uruk-hai it in its stomach using all his body weight. The uruk- hai barely moved, instead bringing its elbow down into Aragorn's back, knocking him forward towards the ground, and Aragorn rolled over a few times before staying still. Pain sweeping through his body.
With a roar the uruk-hai lifted its scimitar above its head, and brought it down into the ground, where Aragorn had been less than a second earlier. Bringing his leg up, Aragorn kicked out at the uruk-hai, and knocked its weapon away, forcing the uruk-hai to straighten up, and using the uruk- hai's movement to his advantage, Aragorn pulled the knife from its sheath, and drove it deep into the uruk-hai's thigh.
The uruk-hai growled in anger, and punched Aragorn in the face as he leant upwards, knocking the ranger to the ground once again. The uruk-hai towered over Aragorn, and pulled him up by his shoulders, head-butting him in the face, before pushing him away with another punch.
Aragorn rolled away with the force of the blow, and leant forward on his knees, blood smeared around his mouth from the uruk-hai's ministrations, and he struggled to shake off the dazed confusion that clouded his mind and regain focus. The uruk-hai bent over, and pulled the knife free from its leg, and brought it up to his mouth. Sadistically he ran his tongue along the blade, tasting his own blood on the metal before releasing it in Aragorn's direction.
Batting his knife away with his sword, Aragorn attacked with a renewed vigor. Their blades clashed, and beams of light darted in and out of the trees as blades moved in the sunlight. Driving the uruk-hai back in seven strokes, Aragorn didn't hesitate in cutting off its arm just above the elbow. The uruk-hai growled at him as Aragorn drove his sword into its stomach.
The uruk-hai laughed at Aragorn's attempt to cause him pain, and enclosed its fist around the mantle of the sword, pulling it deeper into its body as he stepped forward, leaning over Aragorn who looked sickened at the sight. Not wanting to prolong the fight, Aragorn sharply jerked the sword out of the uruk-hai's belly, swinging it up and lopping its head off.
Breathing heavily, Aragorn watched with grim satisfaction as the body of the uurk-hai fell to the ground, and moved no more apart from the occasional spasms, its severed head lying a few feet away.
An image of Boromir rose in Aragorn's mind and he turned, stumbling away from the dead uruk-hai and limping over to Boromir, who lay propped up against a tree, his face pale, the light in his eyes starting to fade. Blood soaked his tunic, centering around the three arrows, and Aragorn looked down at his chest in dismay.
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Legolas ran in the direction that Aragorn had disappeared off in after hearing the horn of Gondor call for aid. Between him and Gimli they had killed the remaining uruk-hai and orc, leaving none alive.
He ran swiftly, his feet moving nimbly in and out of the dead bodies as he crossed the ground, elements of battle all around him, un-miss-able, and undeniable. He hoped that Boromir was alive and unharmed; it would be a blow to the fellowship is another of the walkers fell like Gandalf.
He paused at the top of a bank, surprised at the carnage that one person could create, a few stray bodies lay about his feet, but the numbers grew, and masses of uruk-hai covered the forest floor further down the bank at the bottom.
His elvish eyesight could not miss the full extent of Boromir's wounds from where he was standing, he observed as Aragorn went to remove one that Boromir told him to leave it. They all knew that it was helpless, that he would not survive even if they removed the arrows.
Boromir's strangled voice reached his sensitive ears, and Legolas focused his attention on what he was saying to Aragorn.
"I never told her thank you."
"Who?" Aragorn asked urgently.
'Who?' Legolas's mind repeated. 'Who had been with their friend when they hadn't? Who had seen him fall? Where was she now?'
"The angel-" Boromir chocked, his words stopping abruptly as he coughed, frothy blood pooling in the corner of his mouth. "S-she took t-t-the first arrow meant for me." He paused again and tried to regain his breath. "She was so pure, s-so beautiful, a face to rival the Evenstar and Galadriel, they-they took her, f-for sport." Boromir was racked again with a coughing fit.
A chilling fear ran through Legolas's body as he through of the women in the river, her innocent eyes, the long luscious dark strands of hair, and the scars marring her pale skin. 'It can't be her, it just can't be.' His mind repeated in disbelief. 'What would she be doing here? She was several leagues down the river.'
"I failed-"
"You did not fail." Aragorn insisted.
"I would have followed you, my brother, my captain, my king." Boromir told Aragorn as his breathing became slower, and irregular, before stopping completely, a look of peace washing over his face.
Gimli had arrived behind him to see Boromir pass, and turned his face away, not wanting the elf to see his sorrow, and the tears that threatened to fill his eyes. But Legolas knew he would not tease his over this, it would be despicable of him to tease the dwarf over a friend's death.
Death was a part of life for those that were not elves, he knew it happened, but still after all these years was unsure of how to deal with the emotions flying around his body. It was confusing, no elf truly died, going either to the Halls of Mandos, to be re-born, or crossing the seas to Valinor.
Aragorn bowed his head in an act of respect, touching his hand to his forehead, lips, before kissing the top of Boromir's head, gently closing the open eyes. 'I have failed. The fellowship has failed with out Gandalf to lead us. Frodo has carried on alone to the eastern shore. Merry and Pippin captured by uruk-hai. Gandalf dead. Boromir dead. Only three of us remain together, the fellowship breaking within hours us shoring the boats.'
Aragorn's thoughts returned back to the 'angel' that Boromir had spoken of. Had she been an angel of death, trying to reassure the valiant warrior as he fell? There are no women around her, no human settlements near the forest, the woods of Lothlórien feared by those that did not understand.
Legolas moved down slowly towards Aragorn, hesitant about approaching Aragorn. Turmoil was written all across his face, and he appeared deep in thought. He looked down at the bodies as he passed, determining how each of them had died, trying to find a pattern of what had happened amongst that ruin.
As his eyes scanned over the uruk-hai, his attention flicked over one lying on its back, a dagger lodged between its eyes. He looked away carrying on before his eyes swiveled back to the dead uruk-hai. That knife..
"He must have been hallucinating, there could not have been a woman here." Aragorn thought aloud.
A gasp reached his ears, and he brought his head up sharply, his eyes searching out the area from which the sound had come from. His eyes landed on Legolas who was crouched over a dead uruk-hai, pulling a dagger out of its head. He held it up in a trembling hand, stared at it with disbelief, bringing it up closer to his face, his eyes, as if he was being deceived.
"She was here.." Legolas whispered. A sinking feeling entered his stomach as he looked at the dagger. This was the one he had seen. The one belonging to the woman in the river. The one she had worn in her hair. He fell back in shock, how had she come to be here? What was she doing here?
'they-they took her, f-for sport' It was her, she was the one that rivaled the Evenstar and Galadriel. She was the one that seemed so pure, so innocent, and the uruk-hai were going to take that all from her. His heart felt heavy, and he felt a fear he had never known spread through his body.
But why should he be so worried about a woman he had never met? Had only seen for a few minutes? Who knew what she was? What she was doing? Where she was from? Why should he be so concerned about her? It did not make sense.
If she had been a fellow elf, a friend of his them he would be able to understand the need, the want, the drive to protect her, but she was none of these things. Just a human that he had spotted, one that filled his thoughts from the moment he had seen her. Why? He was over two thousand years old; he should be able to understand his own emotions by now!
"Legolas." Aragorn called. "What have you found?"
"There was a woman here. A human one, or at least that is what I thought her to be."
"Don't be stupid laddie! A human woman kill a uruk-hai with a dagger? A blow like that? A dwarf woman maybe, but no human female would have such strength!" Gimli announced.
Legolas turned to Aragorn. "This is hers." He told him, lifting the dagger up for his to see. "She was here." He insisted, his eyes pleading for Aragorn to believe him.
"But there are no settlements nearby." Aragorn mentioned. "Have you seen this woman?"
Legolas nodded. "Further downstream. I was not sure of what she was, or her intentions. It was why I requested that we stopped where we did."
"A spy! Does Saurman really think that she would not be spotted by us as we traveled to Mordor?" Gimli spoke gruffly, anger clear in his voice. "That she would be able to deceive us?"
"She was upstream Gimli. She could not have known our course." Aragorn intervened as he saw a spark of anger flash through Legolas's eyes.
"The river only flows in one direction! Spies! Spies could have told her where we were, and in what direction we were heading. She could have been laying in wait! Ready to disarm us, stun us as we prepared to pass her-"
"Gimli that is enough!" Legolas spoke clearly; his voice hard, and deathly quiet, his voice brooking no room for argument.
"Now is no the time for arguing over an unknown woman!" Aragorn cut in. "Come we have to bury Boromir."
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A/N: Sorry if I disappointed anyone by killing him off, but I was unsure of what to do with him, and I think my earlier hesitation was that I felt sorry for him! Sorry, I know that the battle scene wasn't completely how it happened, but I wanted to change some of it to get Dawn in. Review and let me know what you think, thanks.