Chapter XXII: Separated

"Merry!" Pippin cried again. He watched his cousin slowly disappear into the darkness of the depths, waiting for the moment when Brandybuck instinct would take hold and he would swim to the surface. The moment never came. Pippin saw Merry's yellow waistcoat against the ribbon-like shadows weaving along the bottom – or the middle for the hobbit could not guess how deep the river was.

Boromir watched in horror, paralyzed for a moment. He had never been in this situation and could not even hazard a guess at what to do. He did not know the enemy— these agarlim— but he remembered a time when he was swimming in the ocean and got caught in an undercurrent. Afterwards he found out that his father had saved him and was given a sound tongue-lashing regarding water. "Just get them out of the water, Boromir". "Pippin, go to Aragorn's boat. Take this," he said, releasing the sides of the canoe and kicking his legs furiously to stay afloat while he unlatched his sword from his belt. Handing it to Pippin, he dove.

The hobbit took the sword and watched his companion pursue the quickly vanishing yellow waistcoat. He was afraid to move, to chance a breath. "Relax, cousin, it is only water – the same stuff that keeps your ale cold!" Merry's voice rang in his head. "Just water… just water… no shadows, just…" Pippin cut himself off as he pushed his head under the water and forced past the current to open water. He spluttered water out of his mouth and swam with Boromir's sword held out in front of him. "Just water, just water, just water." He went back underwater and resurfaced in the restrictions of the Elven boat.

"Pippin, what are you doin' here?" Sam asked as he was forced back by the Took coming out of the water. "Why do you have Mr. Boromir's sword?"

"M-Merry… drowning and Boromir wen-went down," Peregrin explained. "Shadows…"

"The three of you stay here," Aragorn said as he also unhooked his sword, handing it to Frodo and took Sam's pack off his shoulders, stuffing it between a slab of wood and the top of the canoe. He took a breath and disappeared into the river, fighting against the current to Legolas and Gimli's boat. "Gimli, go to the front boat with the hobbits," the Man said immediately, hoping he did not put too much faith in Gimli's ability to swim when the Dwarf's life was in danger.

"Can you see Boromir or Merry?" Aragorn asked, turning to Legolas.

"Yes…" Legolas' eyes narrowed and without another word he dove. Aragorn was shortly behind him.

As they fought past the currents Aragorn was able to see the blood fish in closer detail. They had long, slender bodies the colour of moss with dark markings along their spines. Blood red orbs shone in their small eyes that darted every which way in search of kill. Their lower jaws jutted from their faces, showing long teeth that came to a fatal point. And a smudge of yellow that seemed to be getting father away.

Legolas was deeper than Aragorn from the moment they submerged. He could see the agarlim and their teeth; Boromir and Merry. His fingers reached forward with each stroke until he touched Boromir's cloak. Surpassing the son of the Steward, Legolas continued on for the hobbit. By then the agarlim were so aware of his presence they were starting to attack.

Legolas grabbed Merry's hand and pulled him away from the remaining shadows that twisted below. As he turned, holding the Brandybuck protectively against him, one charged and sank its teeth into the arm Legolas had forced out to save Merry's neck and shoulders. The agarlim shook its head viciously to draw as much blood as possible then darted away. Legolas kicked his legs harder as he saw the shadows of Aragorn and Boromir on the surface draw nearer until they, too, started to swim away. The Elf followed them doggedly until another fish attacked his legs. The assault landed just below the back of his knee and more blood poured into the water. A few more desperate kicks and Legolas burst through the surface and pulled himself and Merry to the bank. Aragorn and Boromir had their arms out, waiting to drag the Elf and hobbit to shore. As they reached land a final fish took a fleeting, but deep, bite at Legolas' stomach.

Aragorn heaved Merry onto the sand and laid him on his back, checking for breathing and a pulse.

"Stay awake, Legolas," Boromir muttered to the barely conscious archer though he was also in danger. Not of injuries, but hypothermia. "You must stay awake."

(…)

"Where've they gone?" Sam asked worriedly, creases forming across his brow. "It's been almost half an hour."

"I don't know, Sam," Frodo asked with equal anxiety. He did not want to alarm anyone by saying that they would've floated downstream a good length with the other boats, though by the expression Gimli wore, Frodo guessed the Dwarf knew as well. "Merry will be fine, Pippin. He's a Brandybuck, after all."

This brought no comfort to the young hobbit. Distress purged the colour from his face. His eyes focused on something beyond the others' sight until his eyelids started to droop then he moved his concentration periodically from the water to the low wooden ceiling.

"Perhaps we should stop; warm up, get a fire going," Gimli suggested. "Somewhere that will make us obvious to the Fellowship, but hide us from the enemy.

Shivering, the hobbits readily agreed. They pushed their boat towards a shoreline and crawled out from under the canoe gasping for air as though they had not breathed in hours. It took much effort for them to pull the canoes on shore and hide them behind a group of reeds. The hobbits and Dwarf ducked behind the boats and looked for nearby firewood. The fire that was produced was small, but any warmth was better than none at all. Sam boiled some water and they sipped at it in silence.

(…)

Merry started to cough and turned his head. His entire body shook with every cough. "Pippin…"

"Pippin is with Frodo, Sam and Gimli. They are safe, Merry," Aragorn said, gently rubbing the hobbit's back. "Let me have a look at your leg." He examined the wound, amazed by how long Merry had persevered with such an injury. It was almost at the bone and still bled into the sand. Not having the time to stitch it at the moment, Aragorn took a piece of cloth from a bag on his belt and fastened it around the hobbit's calf. "It will hurt for a long while, Merry, but the worst is over."

"Aragorn, I will sit with Merry. You should tend to Legolas," Boromir said. His wet hair was flat against his head, sticking to his neck. His armour weighed him down and he looked as though he would collapse at any moment under the weight.

Sand gathered on the Ranger's clothing as he moved to the other side of the bank.

Legolas sat against a thin tree, leaning completely on it. His injured leg was bent towards him to keep it away from the sand, his arm pressed against his chest and blood staining the front of his tunic.

Aragorn did the same for Legolas' leg as he did for Merry's. For the Elf's arm, Aragorn carefully checked for breaks then, finding none, dressed it too. As he manoeuvred around Legolas' torso, he said, "We will have to walk until we find where the hobbits and Gimli are. I will carry Pippin, but Boromir does not have the strength to carry you." He expected Legolas' reply to be: "I will be fine, Aragorn" or "Do not worry, Aragorn" since the archer had been so hopeful as of late.

"Leave me…"

"What? Legolas, I cannot—"

"You heard what the Orc said. They are still hunting me… waited until I was not under the protection of a battalion of archers—"

"Legolas, stop spouting nonsense. You told Eryn you would see her again, I swore to Êlanna I would protect you."

Legolas smiled faintly. "I cannot hinder your escape."

"Then do not," Aragorn said, knotting the ends of the bandage. "Come, I will help you stand." He offered Legolas his hand, but when Legolas moved to take it the Man pulled away. Legolas looked into his face and saw the breath driven from him, the same expression worn by Boromir. Merry looked petrified.

"This is the Ranger of the North," said the green-eyed Uruk-hai.

(…)

The four of them decided to take turns keeping watch, but none of them slept. They huddled around the undersized flame, slowly feeling the warmth return to their blood.

"They'll all be here soon, right?" Pippin asked. Then, answering his own question, he said, "Of course they will."

"I only hope they will find us," Frodo said despondently.

"They'll find us and they will all be fine," Gimli said matter-of-factly. "But we will be no good to them half dead. Go to sleep, hobbits."

They lay down and wrapped themselves in their cloaks. Their blankets were in the packs they carried that were sodden with river water; their cloaks were slightly less so from being near the fire.

"I wish we were still in Lothlórien," Sam mumbled.

Frodo and Pippin silently agreed.

(…)

"And the son of the Steward of Gondor," said another with a smirk. Its yellow eyes glowed like embers in their sockets.

"And a Halfling," said the green-eyed one again. He looked at Merry as though he were trying to see through him.

"Ranger, Steward, Halfling, and Elf," said the second. "The new king of Mirkwood after the tragic death of his father. It goes ill in your forest, Highness. But not as ill as affairs in Gondor."

Boromir's shoulders pushed out to their full length and he stood up straight, setting his jaw.

The green-eyed Uruk laughed. "I hear the young captain of Osgiliath has practically lost the city to Mordor."

Aragorn threw a glance at Boromir. When Boromir looked as though he may strike one of them Aragorn stretched his arm across the other Man's chest. "Do not believe a word they say."

Legolas was struggling to stand and eventually stood with his weight balanced between his left ankle and the slender tree. He turned to face the foul creatures and came nearly nose-to-nose with the one with yellow eyes. "What do you want?"

"We are under orders to bring the Halfling," it replied.

Legolas stared into its eyes with intense hatred, refusing to blink. "Your master will be highly disappointed," he said and with lightning speed and precision he took one of his white knives from his back and pierced it through the Uruk's neck so the blade went all the way through then ripped it out.

The other watched Legolas with its green eyes as if memorizing his movements. It watched its compatriot crumble to the ground then attacked, but was thrown back when it found that Legolas mirrored its advances perfectly. Legolas was also taken aback and they stared at each other.

"You will forfeit the Halfling, Highness," it said after taking a moment to push aside its astonishment.

Legolas ran his thumb over the hilt of his knife. He was starting to stumble on his one good ankle when Boromir stepped forward. "You will never have him," he said, matching the Uruk in size and stature. In his hand he secretly held Eryn's emerald.

The Uruk drew itself taller. "You dare challenge me unarmed?" It struck Boromir so hard in the face the Man fell over. "Fight me, Elf."

Aragorn had quietly inched back towards Merry, but watched Legolas and saw his expression change from anger to fear.

"I will not," Legolas said, bowing his head and dropping his knife.

The Uruk-hai grabbed Legolas' shoulder with a grip that nearly shattered his shoulder and held its own knife at the Elf's pale throat. "You will fight me or die."

"I cannot." Legolas did not even squirm.

"Why not?" the green-eyed creature seemed outraged. "Afraid to lose?"

"I know I will lose. I never won against you," Legolas said with such a small voice he sounded like someone else.

Green eyes sparked. "You never will."

A/N: Sorry, I left another cliff-hanger, but even if I added information I would've still left it at a cliff-hanger. Maybe some of you will figure out my plot (or have figured it out already). If you have a) Kudos to you, you brilliant Sherlock Holmes. and b) please do not say anything. I will update soon! Happy New Year!!