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Chapter 18: Lost?
The child growing in Ellethwen seemed restless the last few weeks. It was the morning of February 25th and Ellethwen had not slept well if at all in three days. She walked from her room to the Golden Hall pacing slightly with her hand resting on her large stomach. She sighed quietly when she leaned against one of the pillars. Theoden sat on his throne, but he was nothing like he was. His hair was white and stringy, his face was wrinkled and looked weather worn, and his fingernails were long and a dark yellow. He was not the King Ellethwen knew and loved as a father, for he treated her as one of his own when she was but a servant in his house. "Ellethwen," a slimy voice said and she stood straight and turned behind her to see Grima standing there. "What has you from your room?" he asked as he stepped closer.
"I needed to walk, my lord," she said wanting to spit at the words 'my lord' as they left her lips.
"How do you fair?" he asked as he reached a hand for her stomach. Ellethwen recoiled and moved away from him quickly.
"I am fine," she said quickly and he glared at her. "I'm afraid my walk has tired me, excuse me." Ellethwen walked away as quickly as she could manage and down the corridor. However, as she walked she failed to see the sinister glare that was sent her way from the dark haired man.
Ellethwen closed her door tightly and rested her form against it. Her son was turning and kicking as she stood there and she rested her hand on her stomach.
"Please, my son," she whispered as she closed her eyes. "Please rest. I am too weary to even hold my own anymore against a man whose mind is taken by the shadow." She opened her eyes and rested her head against the wood. "I can sense that he is lost to it. The shadow has promised him something that he desires what it is I can only guess, but all is not well in Rohan." She looked down at her stomach as she rubbed her hand across it. "I wish not for you to be born during such dark times. I wish your father were here," tears fell from her eyes as she talked to her child. "I wish that I had Éowyn to talk to, but she is too busy with duties beyond my aid. I wish that whatever threatens us is banished. I cannot find everything I wanted just to lose it all."
Boromir climbed from his boat he paddled with Merry and Pippin. The month they spent in Lothlorien was peaceful and his heart felt much lighter, surprisingly unlike any other time since Ellethwen was forced away from him. Their week on the river had all but been uneventful except for their challenge of orc arrows just hours before. Thankfully, all their company had gone uninjured.
He pulled his boat ashore and watched as the hobbits built a small fire to fix their meal. The falls were just south of them, now they had a choice to make. Go east through Rohan towards Minas Tirith, or go east towards Mordor.
"We shall rest the night but at the dawn our path must be decided," Aragorn said and all nodded. Boromir retrieved his bedroll and things from the boat. He made his bed near a tall tree with a large trunk and sat down upon his bedroll with a sigh. His arms ached from rowing, but other than that he was in good spirits despite their situation. As the days had continued he found his thoughts drawn to Ellethwen, and what the Lady of the Wood had said to him. He believed that Ellethwen was with child and that she would be due to give birth probably in mid April if his understanding of the length of women's pregnancy.
"Boromir, you seem lost," a voice said suddenly and the man looked up and saw Legolas looking at him curiously.
"Not lost, Legolas, I am just thinking," Boromir said. Legolas gestured to Boromir's left hand where the band of silver rested and that Boromir happened to be turning once again.
"Thinking of what? I notice when we rest that you often twirl that band around your finger," Legolas said.
"I think of my wife," Boromir said as he lowered his hands to his sides. Legolas raised an eyebrow.
"You did not tell us you were bound," Legolas said and Boromir stood with a shrug.
"It is of no importance," Boromir said slowly as he kneeled down and opened his pack and Legolas shook his head.
"What is she like?" Legolas asked and Boromir looked up at him. Boromir stood and sighed. As he looked up at the night sky, a small smile came upon his lips as he thought of Ellethwen, and the chance to share what he saw in her with someone for the first time since he spoke of her to Faramir when he first began to court her.
"Her hair is the color of night, dark and soft as an evening breeze. Her eyes are the color of the sky as it turns grey before a spring rain, and her smile brightens the room beyond that of the sun," he said. Legolas smiled and Boromir turned his eyes to Legolas and cleared his throat before he blushed slightly. "I should not have said anything. Now is not the time to dwell on such things," he said quickly before he kneeled down and began to go through his pack for his water skin. A hand on his shoulder made him look up.
"She sounds beautiful, and she must be very special to have captured a warrior's heart as she has," Legolas said. "And now is the time to think of such things for they will keep you fighting, and help you keep your strength." Legolas removed his hand and gave the man a smile before he moved to the area he had laid his own pack and bed roll. Boromir sighed but smiled as he pulled his water skin from his pack. Legolas turned and looked at the man and he called out. "What is her name?" Boromir looked up at him before he glanced to the company to find the hobbits talking, Gimli snoozing, and Aragorn looking off towards the Eastern shore while he smoked his pipe. Boromir looked to Legolas again and took a breath.
"Ellethwen, her name is Ellethwen," he said and Legolas raised an eyebrow, but only smiled and nodded his head before he sat down on his bedroll and leaned against a tree. Boromir sighed and returned to his bedroll. His thoughts moved once again to Ellethwen and if and when he would return to her.
The sunlight filtered in through Ellethwen's window and she sighed as she slowly opened her eyes. She had managed to get some sleep that night, but it was fitful and she gained very little rest from it. Her dreams were plagued with images of Boromir fighting horrid orcs and larger creatures she had never seen before. She closed her eyes and raised her hand to her forehead when her child once again decided to thrash about. There was a knock on her door and Ellethwen lowered her hand. "Who is it?" she called.
"Ellethwen, it's Éowyn," came a muffled voice. Ellethwen stood as quickly as she could manage and walked over to the door. She unbolted it and opened the door to see a just as tired Éowyn standing there. "How are you feeling?" she asked as she walked into the room. Ellethwen closed the door.
"Tired, but you look just as I feel," Ellethwen said. Éowyn smiled and nodded her head.
"There is much for me to do," Éowyn said as she sat down in Ellethwen's chair. Ellethwen sat down ungracefully onto her bed with her hand resting on her stomach.
"My dreams have plagued me and this child will not be still. He has not rested in nearly four days and when he does it is for only minutes at a time," Ellethwen said. Éowyn sighed and nodded her head.
"My dreams are not much better, and with Uncle's health failing and Éomer and Theoden patrolling the lands, it seems as though much weighs upon me." Ellethwen reached her hand out and Éowyn took it quickly. Ellethwen squeezed her hand and gave her a smile.
"I wish I could help, but my position allows me little knowledge of how to run a kingdom," Ellethwen laughed as she spoke and Éowyn smiled. "I am certain that this land is in good hands." Éowyn had no duties to attend to that morning, so the two spent the morning talking and enjoying the company. It was nearing mid-day when Ellethwen felt a sharp pain in her chest and she gasped as she put her hand over her heart.
"Ellethwen?" Éowyn asked alarmed when she saw the pale color Ellethwen's face took on. There was a deep pain in her chest and the baby moved and twisted about violently. Ellethwen closed her hands as she gathered her dress her hand over her heart. "Ellethwen, are you alright?" she asked and Ellethwen opened her eyes and drew a ragged breath as her blue-grey eyes met Éowyn's worried filled blue ones.
"I don't know, but something's wrong." Ellethwen took a deep breath and looked out the window. "Boromir's in grave danger," she whispered and then looked at Éowyn as tears filled her eyes. "Something is happening, he's in danger." Panic filled her but Éowyn put her arms around Ellethwen and embraced her.
"It's alright," she whispered and Ellethwen threw her arms around Éowyn and let her fear filled tears fall and quiet sobs left her lips.
"He's in danger, Éowyn, and I can't help him," she whispered between her tears and Éowyn smoothed her hair and whispered gentle words to her.
When Frodo had not returned after many hours, something wasn't right. He had gone off to think of the road they would take, but still had yet to return. All were uneasy and when Legolas felt a presence approaching he looked about the camp. "Frodo has not yet returned, something is certainly wrong," Legolas said and Boromir stood from the log he sat on near the water.
"Should we look for him?" Boromir asked and Aragorn nodded.
"We should-," Aragorn began but was interrupted when loud growls echoed off the trees.
"Frodo!" Merry, Pippin, and Sam called at once. Sam took off in one direction while Merry and Pippin in another. Aragorn followed Sam after sending Boromir after the two hobbits. Gimli and Legolas went in another direction to see if they could find Frodo before danger met him.
The growls grew louder as Boromir neared where he had last seen the hobbits and when he heard Pippin cry out he followed. He grabbed his horn and blew as loudly as he could before he leapt over trees and found the two hobbits doing their best to fight off the very large orcs that tried to capture them. Boromir sounded his horn again and again as he sliced through enemy after enemy. He neared the hobbits and tucked them away in bushes while he continued to fight. He sounded his horn again as more creatures came forth.
"Stay back!" he shouted to the hobbits as they made to come forward and fight along side him. Pippin looked up at the large orcs and frowned when he saw one, the largest he had yet seen draw back a large black arrow in a bow, pointing it at Boromir. Pippin gasped and shouted out.
"Boromir, they've got arrows!" he shouted and Boromir looked and saw the large orc release the arrow. Boromir dodge it just in time and it struck the dirt with a thud. He fought all the while watching the orc with the bow and dodging each arrow. An orc sword slid across his leg and he winced as he slayed the creature that wounded him. Another orc sliced his right arm, his fighting arm and he tossed his sword in his left hand and slayed that one down. He did not stop fighting, but when he heard the hobbits scream as they were taken he fell to his knees. He was tired and his sword was now broken as he sat in his hand. His breath was labored as he sat there. Boromir could only watch as the orc ran past him, except for the one with the bow. The creature stood before him and smiled as it drew one more black arrow pointing it directly at his heart.
"You die now," he snarled and Boromir made to slash at him with his broken sword when suddenly the orc was tackled by Aragorn. Boromir gasped and sighed as he watched his companion slay the large orc after a fierce and hard fight. The blood loss made him dizzy and he moved back to rest against a tree while Aragorn wiped his sword and moved quickly to him.
"Boromir," Aragorn said quickly and Boromir sighed.
"They took Merry and Pippin," Boromir said and Aragorn nodded. Boromir saw two of the man and he shook his head. Aragorn sighed and checked his wounds.
"You've lost a lot of blood, Boromir, but I will tend to you," Aragorn said quickly and Boromir felt the man move about him. "You will be fine." Aragorn's voice faded as Boromir's mind was slowly being taken blackness but he managed to whisper one final word before the darkness won.
"Ellethwen," he whispered and was lost to the world.
A/N: Hey, I'm not done yet, so, don't worry. I hope you liked this chapter, please let me know what you think! I'll do my best to update soon for you all. If not Thursday night then probably Friday. Thanks again!