A/N: All right, ladies, this is it- from here on out I can't follow ArwenAria18's story anymore and it's all me (though with massive amounts of input and advise from ArwenAria8). Yes, I know, I haven't really been following hers ever since I didn't kill off Boromir, but I have been using it to write Aria. So now it's going to be me writing Aria. Eep. But anyway. New chapter! It's a short one, though.
Chapter 24
The morning after the attack dawned soft, and sad. Mist rose up from the river, and white fog swathed the bank- as Rhian sat up, squinting, she found she could not see the far shore. It was as though they were the only creatures in all the world, and this was a realm separate from all other realms- melancholy, pale, and silent. But her fey mood did not last; she was hungry. She found wafers of lembas in one of the packs and ate quietly, listening. She discovered that not all the Fellowship had slept- Aragorn had bid the men be sleepless and keep hold of their weapons while the sisters and Aria slept. Rhian frowned at him darkly but he refused to take notice.
"I can't abide fog," said Sam decidedly, "But this seems to be a lucky one. Now perhaps we can get away without those cursed goblins seeing us."
"Perhaps so," said Aragorn. "But it will be hard to find the path unless the fog lifts a little later on." Rhian shivered at the thought of wandering lost in the whiteness.
"I do not see why we should pass the Rapids or follow the River any further," said Boromir. His eyes had strayed to Rhian where she sat listening. She felt his gaze and looked up. "If the Emyn Muil lie before us, then we can abandon these cockle-boats, and strike westward and southward, until we come to the Entwash and cross into my own land." My own land. Rhian felt Boromir's pride echo strongly in those words.
"We can, if we are making for Minas Tirith," said Aragorn, "but that is not yet agreed."
Rhian was distracted from their talk by her sister waking. Erin's arms and shoulders were stiff and sore from fighting the current alone last night- but Rhian would have done more harm than good, they both knew. As her sister ate, Rhian combed out and re-braided her long, blonde hair, and then they sat and listened as the debate went on, Boromir holding out for Minas Tirith, and Aragorn for the river. Frodo sided with Aragorn, though, and eventually Boromir gave in.
"It is not the way of the Men of Minas Tirith to desert their friends at need," he said, "and you will need my strength, if ever you are to reach the Tindrock. To the tall isle I will go, but no further. There I shall turn to my home, alone if my help has not earned me the reward of companionship." His glance went to Rhian again, but this time only for a moment, a brief flicker of eyes.
Aragorn and Legolas, it was decided, would seek for the path, while the others waited in the boats, hemmed in by fog. It was only a few hours, though, before they returned- the path was clear. The boats were light, and easily carried across flat ground, but it took the strength of Aragorn and Boromir to wrestle them up the rough slope and through the trees. As the Men went up and down with one boat at a time, the others carried the baggage. "Oof," Merry commented. "Up and down the hill, up and down the hill- if hobbits had been meant for this sort of labor, we would have cloven hooves an- ow!" He glared up at Rhian, who has smacked the back of his head lightly.
"You're wasting air," she said crisply. "If you weren't meant for this sort of thing, why have you got legs?"
"For," he said with dignity, "walking to and from the nearest inn. Ow!"
The dusk was setting in before all was moved to the portage way, which ran gently down to the shallow edge of a little pool. Erin marveled at it- it seemed to have been scooped out of the bank by the rushing current swirling down from the Rapids. Beyond that point, the shore rose up into steep grey cliff- to go farther they would be forced to take to the water again. Aragorn decided that two should watch at once, and Rhian volunteered for the first. Erin would have joined her, but she was too tired to object much when Rhian insisted she sleep, and Boromir took her place.
Rhian sat with her back to a tree, her sword lying near her hand. She started when Boromir touched her shoulder.
"Forgive me, lady. I did not mean to startle you."
"That's all right," Rhian muttered, embarrassed at her jumpiness. The warrior sat beside her.
"Tell me, lady, what path will you take, when we reach this Amon Hen Aragorn speaks of?"
She stared at him in surprise. "I do not know. 'Til now I have only followed a prodding in my heart, that I should come."
"Your heart does not prod you towards one path or another? Does it not urge you to come with me to Minas Tirith? Or to follow the Ring-bearer into darkness?"
Rhian watched him steadily, unsure of what to answer. "No. It gives me no guidance, yet. Only that I should press on. When the time comes, maybe, I will feel compelled." For a long moment silence hung between them, and Rhian shifted uncomfortably. "You will return, though, to your city?"
"Yes," Boromir said, his eyes brightening.
"To hear you speak, it must be great indeed. I hope I shall see it some day."
Boromir reached out and caught her wrist. "Then come! Come with me when I leave this company, and I shall show you my city!"
"Perhaps," Rhian said, drawing her hand away. "We shall see, when the time comes." Boromir's eyes were bright and fierce in the darkness, and Rhian wondered at his strange look. A light drizzle began to fall, and she rose to find her cloak and hood.
The rest of the night was quiet, and the tenth day of their journey dawned clear- the rain had thinned the fog. They kept close to the western cliff, though, and by mid morning the clouds and drawn down and the rain began in earnest. Rhian drew the skin cover over their boat and lashed it in place so that they would not be flooded, and she and Erin sat by each other, hoods pulled low to keep out the rain. All about them they could see little throught the grey falling curtains. Rhian didn't like it, and was grateful that it ended soon, leaving bright sun behind. Erin gasped at the great ravine that lay before them, massive grey walls of stone rising up- here and there a particularly stubborn tree clung to a ledge, but that was all. The channel grew narrower as they sped along, led by the current.
Rhian leaned forward and squinted- in the distance she could see two great pillars of stone approaching. They stood, massive, on either side of the stream, and their small boats were swept by the river towards a narrow gap between them.
"Behold the Argonath, the Pillars of the Kings!" shouted Aragorn. "We shall pass them soon. Keep the boats in line, and as far apart as you can! Hold the middle of the stream!"
Rhian's head fell back and her mouth opened with awe as she stared up at the great statues of the mighty, bygone kings, before they were swept in to the dark chasm of the Gates. Sheer and dreadful cliffs rose up around them, and from the boat ahead she hear Sam muttering unhappily. But then suddenly they were out again, thrust in to the sunshine.
They drifted out through the middle of a great, shining lake, and at its far end Rhian could see three great peaks. One stood farther out from the others, standing in the water on its own. "Behold Tol Brandir!" said Aragorn, pointing. "Upon the left stands Amon Lhaw, and upon the right is Amon Hen, the Hills of Hearing and of Sight."
They pressed onward through the twilight towards the three hills, and it was full night when they reached them at last. The roar of the great falls filled the air, and now they could go no farther until a decision was made. So ended the tenth day.
The dawn came like fire and smoke. Low int he East there were black bars of cloud like the fumes of a great burning. The rising sun lit them from beneath with flames of murky red, but soon it climbed above them in a clear sky.
The company gathered in a circle. "The day has come at last," he said, "the day of choice which we have long delayed. What shall now become of our company? Shall we turn west with Boromir and go to the wars of Gondor, or turn east to the Fear and Shadow; or shall we break our fellowship and go this way and that as each may choose? We can not halt long here, for I fear Orcs may already be on this side of the river. We must choose swiftly." He paused, and looked to Rhian, Erin, and Aria. "You would not remain in Lorien," he said, "but I would beg you to go to the safety of Minas Tirith with Boromir, if I thought you would go."
"I'm staying with Frodo," Aria said firmly, reaching for the hobbit's hand. He squeezed her fingers tightly. Aragorn looked to Rhian.
"You know I have come this far because I have felt compelled to come. I feel no guidance now as to my path. I know it remains yet for me to move ahead, but I can not say where. When I search my heart, all I feel is that I must wait. But for now I say I will stand by Aria, and Frodo."
Aragorn sighed. "So I thought it would be," he said. He looked at Erin.
"You know I must go with my sister," she said softly.
"I know." Aragorn turned to Frodo. "Well, Frodo, I fear that the burden is laid upon you. You are the Bearer appointed by the Council. Your own way you alone can choose. I can not advise you. I am not Gandalf, and I do not know what design or hope he had for this hour, if indeed he had any. Most likely it seems that if he were here now the choice would still wait on you. Such is your fate."
Frodo did not answer at once. His head was bowed and his hand clasped tight in Aria's. "I know that haste is needed, yet I cannot choose. The burden is heavy. Give me an hour longer, and I will speak. Let me be alone!" He looked at Aria quickly, but she squeezed his hand and leaned over to kiss his cheek before letting go.
Aragorn looked at Frodo with kindly pity. "Very well, Frodo," he said. "You shall have an hour, and you shall be alone. We will stay here for a while. But do not stray far or out of call." Frodo nodded, sitting with his head bowed for a moment before rising and turning away. Rhian was careful not to stare after him, and found that Boromir's eyes followed him intently, until he passed out of sight among the trees.