A/N: Question! What's Mary Sue?

VII

Faramir was sleeping, still. "Idiot," I mumbled as I strained my muscles, rowing. "Wake up and help me row a little."

His eyelids flickered. "Carrie?" he whispered.

"Yeah. Surprise!" I said drily.

"What are you doing here, Carrie?" he said, sitting up. Water started to roar in my ears.

"I'm rescuing you," I said. "Duh."

"Rescuing me? I don't need to be rescued! Where is my company?"

"Half of them dead. Orcs ambushed them," I said. The roar of water grew in my ears. What was that sound? I thought of wargs and all sorts of terrible Middle-Earth creatures. "Happy? Help me row, please."

Faramir was looking over my shoulder. He looked shocked and half-afraid. "Uh, Carrie? Are you a good swimmer?"

"Not really. I can't float, but swim? Not really. Why?" The boat began to move faster and faster, the roaring became louder. Something began to form in my mind, but I wasn't sure what.

"Because--"

I was catapulted onto my back and Faramir landed ontop of me. "Oof!" The boat fell headlong down a waterfall. Faramir and I screamed our lungs out.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

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I burst through the surface of the water sputtering and coughing. I struggled to keep afloat before sinking into the murky waters of the Anduin. Something was weighing me down. My cloak! I unclasped it and it floated disappeared into the green water. Bubbles were everywhere. I wasn't a swimmer. I coughed and everything went black.

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"Breathe slowly," someone advised me. I opened my eyes, expecting to see the gates of St. Peter but Faramir loomed over me.

"I need to be sick," I mumbled. I turned on my side and retched into the soil. I coughed and sputtered. Faramir sat down onto his rump and pulled his boot off. He poured the water out. A little silver fish flipped out and tossed itself onto the bank. Faramir picked it up, struggled to keep it in his grip and threw it back into the river. I followed his actions and water made a dark patch on the soil.

"Well," Faramir said brightly. "Now I know where we are." He unsheathed his dagger to inspect it.

"Where are we?" I said, still feeling a little nauseous.

"We were just swept down Rauros." Faramir's cloak was missing, I noticed. He leaned over and pulled a strand of weed out of my hair. "We should head south, if we are to return to Minas Tirith."

"Which way's south?"

"Follow the river," Faramir said matter-of-factly.

"Uh Faramir," I said. "I think you're missing a point here."

"What's that?"

"Hundreds of orcs are roaming these shores, you idiot. We could get caught any time!"

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The ground was hard. Very hard. Faramir built a small fire and we placed our boots next to the fire to warm it up. I lay on back and stared at the sky. Millions and millions of stars smiled back at me.

"Carrie?" Faramir asked.

"Yeah?"

"Did you hear something?"

"No."

Then I heard something crackle in the bushes. I sat up. Faramir drew his dagger.

"Orcs?" I whispered.

"Nay. It might be a deer."

It was orcs. There were grumbles and mumbles and someone said, "Watch where yer going, Snaga!"

"What's that over there?"

Two orcs burst out of the bushes. They were more menacing than I remembered.

"Run!" Faramir shouted to me. I ran. I ran faster than I have ever run before. I couldn't help thinking of Forest Gump. "Run Forest, run!" I was running.

I told myself, "Run, Carrie. Or you'll be orc-chow before tomorrow."An orccaught up with me. He grabbed my shoulder. I screamed and tried to brush him off but he pulled me close to him and we rolled down the side of the path.

Dirt got into my mouth. My world spun and dirt was everywhere. I was screaming, determined to get away from this orc. But his grip was strong. I clenched my fist, ready to give that sot a good punch in the nose.

When we stopped rolling, he was ontop of me. I drew my fist back and got ready to release Carrie-fully-loaded. But the orc grabbed my hand and covered my mouth. "Sh!" he hissed. I opened my eyes and saw Faramir. I let out a sigh of relief.

"D'you think they're alive, Gormak?" I heard one orc ask they other.

"Nay. They would've broken their necks. Let's go, Snaga. There might be others lurking around."

I heard them tramp off. Faramir pulled his hand off my mouth. We didn't move. We were too tired. I closed my eyes, ready to fall asleep when I heard Faramir mumble something.

"What?"

He mumbled again.

"Speak louder, Faramir. I can't hear you." I was beginning to feel tired. It seemed so comforting to have Faramir so close to me. I could feel my chest heaving as I panted.

"I said I love you."

Silence.

"Wow." Wow? A guy tells you he loves you and you say wow? Very nice, Carrie, I told myself. I cleared my throat and replied softly, "I know."

And then the most magical thing happened. He kissed me. And he kissed me real good. His lips moved down to my neck and he kissed me there too.

"I love you, Carrie," he whispered. "I love you that I will travel as far as the Lake Evendim to prove my love for you." I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back.