Interlude – Boromir
She saved my life, so now I owe her mine. It is the way of my people.
Besides, I like her. She's strange, and amusing, at times, when she's not being difficult.
We've set up a camp for a short while. The Elf is keeping watch, and the Dwarf is already asleep. I'm too restless to sleep.
"We should keep moving," I say for about the tenth time.
Kayli makes a disgusted sound. "Are you trying to kill me, Boromir?"
I frown at her. "No, and you know this very well. I do not like to think of Merry and Pippin in danger."
Aragorn frowns at me. "We cannot keep moving at all times. We do need rest." Kayli makes a protesting noise. It's hard to tell exactly what, since her head's buried in her cloak. Aragorn actually smiles at that. "All of us, not just you, Kayli. Get your rest."
And so we settle in. I actually sleep for a few hours, surprising even me.
I do not know what wakes me later. I hear a quiet cry of distress, and sit up. Kayli seems to fending off some invisible attacker. I prepare to rise and go to her, but the Elf beats me to it, gently grasping her hands and speaking to her, soothing her back into sleep with gentle words. But her eyes are open now, and she looks terrified. He says something, she fiercely shakes her head. I notice that her grip on his hands is so tight her knuckles are white, yet he does not object.
I can feel my eyes widen when she tugs her hands free of his and wraps her arms around him. His hands move in soothing circles on her back, and I realize she's weeping.
The Elf catches my eye from across the clearing, and very sublty shakes his head, telling me that he'll take care of her. And she will be embarrassed enough that the Elf saw her as such. She does not like to appear weak.
I nod in return and lay back down. I hear him murmuring to her, and her whispering back. Something else, and then quiet, choked laughter.
Her first human kill, I think as I lay on my blankets. She will not soon recover.
However, when we prepare to move out the next morning, before dawn, her eyes are clear and she's smiling slightly.
Perhaps she is stronger than I thought.
She saved my life, so now I owe her mine. It is the way of my people.
Besides, I like her. She's strange, and amusing, at times, when she's not being difficult.
We've set up a camp for a short while. The Elf is keeping watch, and the Dwarf is already asleep. I'm too restless to sleep.
"We should keep moving," I say for about the tenth time.
Kayli makes a disgusted sound. "Are you trying to kill me, Boromir?"
I frown at her. "No, and you know this very well. I do not like to think of Merry and Pippin in danger."
Aragorn frowns at me. "We cannot keep moving at all times. We do need rest." Kayli makes a protesting noise. It's hard to tell exactly what, since her head's buried in her cloak. Aragorn actually smiles at that. "All of us, not just you, Kayli. Get your rest."
And so we settle in. I actually sleep for a few hours, surprising even me.
I do not know what wakes me later. I hear a quiet cry of distress, and sit up. Kayli seems to fending off some invisible attacker. I prepare to rise and go to her, but the Elf beats me to it, gently grasping her hands and speaking to her, soothing her back into sleep with gentle words. But her eyes are open now, and she looks terrified. He says something, she fiercely shakes her head. I notice that her grip on his hands is so tight her knuckles are white, yet he does not object.
I can feel my eyes widen when she tugs her hands free of his and wraps her arms around him. His hands move in soothing circles on her back, and I realize she's weeping.
The Elf catches my eye from across the clearing, and very sublty shakes his head, telling me that he'll take care of her. And she will be embarrassed enough that the Elf saw her as such. She does not like to appear weak.
I nod in return and lay back down. I hear him murmuring to her, and her whispering back. Something else, and then quiet, choked laughter.
Her first human kill, I think as I lay on my blankets. She will not soon recover.
However, when we prepare to move out the next morning, before dawn, her eyes are clear and she's smiling slightly.
Perhaps she is stronger than I thought.