Boromir, Thou Shall Live
By Priscilla Stafford
Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to update this new chapter, but I have a very good reason which is... my family got a new dog! Yes, Bianca Audrey Stafford has joined the Stafford's clan, a cute almost-two-month-old border collie! An adorable fluffball, she loves and needs attention because she's just left her mommy, meaning she's under my care. She's now pretty much used to being left on her own for a few hours, giving me time to be on my computer.
The first part of this chapter is dedicated to reviewer Daisy Brambleburr. She said it was strange that in my last chapter, it seemed that while Pippin was mourning over the disappearance of Boromir, Merry had acted a bit too unemotional. So I hope the first part of this chapter clears things up a bit of why I wrote it that way!
Another semi-dedication to reviewer KendraC, who liked the scene where Boromir was teaching Merry and Pippin to swordfight in FotR. Hope you like it!
Many thanks to my faithful reviewer Aelimir for all her lovely horse tips. A lot of them I've used in the latter half of the chapter, I hope I wrote it all correctly!
Another announcement, I've changed the genre of this story from "Action/Adventure, Drama" to "Drama, Action/Adventure". I just feel there's more drama than action, don't you think?
I've seen "Return of the King" three times now, and I've pretty much decided which parts of the movie to use and not use in my story. If any of you guys have a favorite part of the movie which you would like me to write about, recommend it to me and I'll try to add it in if possible.
Special thanks to my 'family of reviewers' is at the bottom of the chapter.
Enjoy this chapter! Plenty of Boromir-ness!!!
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Dusk Approaches
Merry and Pippin turned away from Treebeard as the Ent spoke to Gandalf. They had all just come from speaking to Saruman, where the wizard had chosen to stay in Isengard. Even now, Merry remembered the fear and anguish in Saruman's eyes as Gandalf had made Saruman's staff split right under the other's hand. He would never forget how Gandalf had truly shown who the White Wizard was. And how Saruman's powers had subsided under the eaves of his very own stronghold.
Though in the back of his mind Merry knew that he should be listening to the two powerful being's conversation, he couldn't help but let his mind wander. Not surprisingly, his thoughts turned to though of his young cousin.
Being the inseparable pair they were, the two hobbits were standing next to each other. Out of the corner of his eyes, Merry saw that Pippin was absently touching the brooch clasped at the throat of his cloak. Merry held back the sigh that welled up from deep inside himself. Poor Pip.
The reality that Boromir had not come with the other members of the fellowship had really hit Pippin hard. Being the sensitive hobbit he was, he was unlikely to shake off the despair as quickly as the others could.
But Merry knew that it wasn't true. The rest of them weren't putting aside their sadness; they were all only hiding it well.
Even now, Merry felt like running to Aragorn and asking if the Ranger was really sure that there had been no sign of Boromir. Being the more practical of the hobbits, Merry knew that one couldn't just disappear without a trace. Especially from trackers such as Aragorn and Legolas.
He glanced over to where the Ranger, the Elf, and the Dwarf stood. But before his eyes rested on the three, they first found two Elf figures slightly apart from everyone else.
It was Haldir, and the Elf-maiden, who had been introduced to Merry as Isilme. And according to a loud whisper from Gimli, the two were apparently very close. Merry had liked her at first glance, though for some strange reason her eyes had appeared sad when she had looked down at him and Pippin.
The two Elves were speaking in low tones, and the hobbit was surprised to see how serious they looked. Of what they were speaking of, Merry knew not for he was too far away to hear. Merry shrugged away the strange sight though. He wouldn't let his curiosity get the best of him. He smiled reminding himself how much trouble Pippin's curiosity had and would get them all into. Merry wouldn't make the same mistake.
He kept his gaze moving, and saw that Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli were keeping their full concentration on Gandalf and Treebeard, thoughtful expressions on their faces. Merry figured out that it was not exactly the right time to put to them the questions he had about Boromir's strange disappearance.
Besides, Merry wanted any conversation with them to be private. Away from the hearing of Pippin. Merry would never, ever hurt Pippin for the whole of Middle Earth. Yes, indeed though there was hope that Boromir just might still be alive, the hope was slim. Whatever hope the younger hobbit had, it was one Merry did not want to crush.
Throughout this journey, Merry had sworn to himself that he would take care of Pippin. He would have to remain strong for him. No matter how hard the task was, Merry promised to undertake it. For Pippin's sake, he would remain strong.
So it wasn't surprising that when Merry had first laid eyes upon Boromir, he had been wary when the warrior had paid special attention to Pippin. Oh, how long ago it seemed when they had started out from Rivendell! Merry had seen Boromir as just a chance member of their formed fellowship. But so soon afterwards, the fellowship was forged into that of friends, companions. Brothers even.
For Merry, he had forever been Pippin's closest friend. Hardly ever were they without the other. But during their travels, Boromir had somehow found his way into their bond to form an even stronger one. He had become sort of a big brother to them in the ways of the Middle Earth the two hobbits never knew about.
Long treks, climbing mountains, facing severe cold weather, traveling by water. Through it all, Merry would have only to look up to see Boromir watching, ready to give out any assistance required. He would always make sure the hobbits were all right. And now those green-grey eyes of attentiveness were nowhere to be found around them, caring for them. Maybe forever.
Merry scolded himself mentally as his vision became slightly blurred with unshed tears. Furiously wiping them away, he turned to look at his cousin to make sure any escaped tears had been seen.
But Pippin appeared oblivious. He no longer had his hands touching his brooch, but were hanging loosely at his sides. And his face, he was looking almost vacantly straight ahead, eyes unblinking and unseeing, yet so intent and focused.
In concern, Merry, too, looked to what Pippin was in deep concentration of. From what Merry could tell, the object of Pippin's interest was Gandalf. No, not Gandalf. It was something Gandalf was carrying in the folds of his robe.
With sudden clarity, Merry remembered the mysterious ball which Grima Wormtongue had thrown when speaking with Saruman, aiming for Gandalf. Fortunately, the object had missed Gandalf, and Pippin had gone to retrieve it. They had all thought nothing of it, but Merry did not overlook the strange way Pippin had carried it, as if he were bearing a great weight. And his expression, one of wonder and awe.
Merry wracked his brains for what the ball had looked like. It had been like a globe of crystal; dark but glowing with a heart of fire. Something full of magic, in his opinion. A growing sense of apprehension filled his heart as the one question popped into his head. Why was this object having such a hold over Pippin?
With alarm, Merry saw that Pippin's breathing had become somewhat unusual, for he was beginning to take quick intakes of breath.
"Pippin?"
As if Merry's quiet words had been a shout into his ear, Pippin's whole body violently jerked. As if suddenly released from a spell or an enchantment, Pippin turned his gaze away from Gandalf and blinked rapidly.
"Pippin?" Merry asked once more, instantly worrying over the other's strange behavior. "Are you all right?"
"I... I'm all right," Pippin said in a rush. He shivered slightly. "A strange feeling came over me, that's all."
Merry, still troubled over his friend, tried to catch Pippin's eyes. "Was it that globe Gandalf took from you? Because if it is, we have to tell him..."
"No!" Pippin's eyes widened in panic. "Don't, Merry! He will only say," the next words Pippin mimicked the way Gandalf spoke, "'Fool of a Took! Why did you have to touch it at all?'" He shook his head. "No, I'm fine. I'm perfectly fine." Seeming a bit embarrassed over his outburst, Pippin sighed then looked down at his feet.
It was no surprise to Merry as Pippin brought a hand up to touch the Lothlorien brooch. Going over to stand next to him, Merry put an arm around his friend's shoulders. He said brightly, "Perfectly fine? That's a bit of an overstatement, isn't it?"
Silence followed his words then Merry spoke again, this time with a compassionate voice. "It's all right, Pip. I'm here for you. And Boromir will find us as soon as he can. You know he will."
"What if..."
"What if a deadly plague sweeps over the land and kills us all? I don't know Pip, then probably not."
Merry was delighted to see Pippin smile. "You see Pip?" Merry said. "'What ifs' aren't going to help us at all. So keep your chin up."
Pippin nodded then looked at the other members of the remaining fellowship. He gave an exaggerated sigh. "I suppose we'll have to travel with Gandalf and the others again. And they keep up such a hard, fast pace. My feet only just got over the blisters. Did you know I got blisters on my blisters?"
They laughed together, and Merry's heart lightened. Maybe it was going to be all right for the both of them.
**********
The sun was sinking slowly down in the sky as Boromir and Bawuer continued their journey to Minas Tirith. Both their horses, Maiorama and Ebon, fully rested from the night before, set a burning pace eastward. Stopping only for a quick rest at noon, they had traveled far and for this, Boromir was pleased.
Smooth was Maiorama's gait and both her hooves and Ebon's created a pleasantly rhythmic sound to Boromir's ears. He found himself drifting into the quiet of his mind, his thoughts wandering from one thing to another.
The strange dream last night no longer haunted him as it had in the morning. An evil omen it was, maybe. And Boromir hoped not. Again his mind wandered to other thoughts, thoughts of two certain young hobbits...
Back when Galadriel had allowed him to look into her Mirror, he had been shown very clearly that he had three paths to choose from. Whether to go and follow Frodo and Sam, to aid in the Rohirrim battle of Helm's Deep, or to go back to his homeland of Gondor. And he had made his choice.
Yet while traveling south from Lothlorien, he had wondered what had become of Pippin and Merry. Why had not the Mirror shown anything of the two of them? So strange it had seemed. Of course Boromir had reached the conclusion that the Mirror had reasons for showing him only the images he needed to see. And yet... it had been as a little thorn in the back of his mind. Fortunately he had been able to shake away the odd feeling for a while.
Boromir had then, along with Eomer and his men, come across Gandalf and Erkenbrand's army. While journeying together to whatever awaited them in Helm's Deep, Boromir had been able to tell the wizard about his thoughts.
He remembered how Mithrandir had gravely listened to his narrative of his encounter with the magic of the Mirror. And even more clearly, he recalled vividly how Gandalf had reacted when Boromir had asked if the wizard knew anything of Pippin and Merry's fate.
The wizard begun to chuckle, and his chuckles did not stop for a long while.
More than a little curious of Gandalf's action, Boromir waited for the other to explain the reason for his bout of merriment. Being the unobtrusive wizard he was, with twinkling eyes he had only replied by saying, "They are in good hands, more than you could ever imagine. Do not worry for them, Boromir. Even I could not have devised a better path for them to have gone. Yes, better than any design of fate."
And that was all. Gandalf had left him to speak to Erkenbrand on some matter, a smile still playing upon his lips.
So now, here he was. On his way to Gondor, and still having no idea where those two rascals were. Boromir couldn't help but a worry a little. It had been an interesting kind of task taking care of those two hobbits. Always able to rely on for amusement, especially little Pip.
Like that time before being spied on by Crebain from Dunland. He had been teaching them to at least defend themselves with their swords. Unfortunately, Boromir wasn't that used to fighting with beings so... vertically challenged. So to his utter chagrin, he had accidentally nicked Pippin's hand with his sword.
In the midst of his profuse apologies, the two hobbits had then attacked him. Attacked him! Made him trip over backwards and then had proceeded to jump on him. By that time the hilarity of the situation had overwhelmed him, making him laugh until his sides hurt.
Even now, the memory caused Boromir's mouth to curl upwards into a smile. Yes, they were always relied on for amusement in the company.
But they were also always relied on for getting themselves and others into trouble. Instantly sobering at the thought, Boromir tried to quell the rising worry in his chest. He tried not to imagine just what kind of trouble they could get themselves into. Gandalf had thus far been usually, almost always, correct. Boromir would just have to trust that Mithrandir knew what he was doing.
Realizing that he and Bawuer had kept up a fast pace for so long, he began to shift his weight backwards, slightly pulling in Maiorama's reigns to slow the pace down. Maiorama obviously seemed ready to gallop all through the night, yet Boromir knew that they had a lot more ground to cover before reaching Minas Tirith. It would be best not to tire her nor Ebon so early in their journey.
Bawuer matched Ebon's pace with Maiorama's so that the two were at a brisk walk.
"You are insulting me, Lord Boromir."
Glancing over at his companion, Boromir raised his eyebrows. "Whatever do you mean."
"Do not play with me, I have enough with Ebon's manipulations without you doing the same. My leg is perfectly fine."
"I still don't know what you're talking about," Boromir said with a shrug.
As Bawuer pursed his lips irritably, the man of Gondor smiled to himself. In truth, he had of course thought of Bauwer's injury acquired at Helm's Deep. He was sure that the leg was bothering the man. But the Valar forbid if Boromir should say the fact to the prideful Rohirrim soldier.
A peaceful quiet followed but was soon interrupted as Ebon began veering off from the direction they were heading. Boromir sighed inwardly. Trust Ebon to find some way to make a nuisance of himself.
"Having some trouble, Bawuer?"
The other man grunted. "Ebon is not called 'some' trouble. He is trouble itself."
For a few minutes though Bawuer managed to keep Ebon moving forward, the black stallion tried taking the reigns away from his rider. As stretching his neck out or shaking his head didn't seem to do anything to wrest control from the accomplished horseman, Boromir saw with worry as Ebon's ears turned back. A bad sign.
And sure enough, Ebon chose at that moment to stop complete, except for doing a strange little prance, picking his front feet from the ground. Boromir reigned in Maiorama to a halt. He was surprised to see that instead of using his heels to get the animal moving, Bawuer had frozen, with a look of pure horror on his face.
"Oh, no..." Bawuer said under his breath.
"What is the ma..." Boromir didn't finish his sentence as Ebon did the unthinkable.
The black horse bent his forelegs under himself, knees hitting the ground then rolling partially to one side. Understanding dawned on Boromir. The horse was going to lie down!
As Ebon's hindquarters hit the ground, Bawuer, cursing in what seemed to be the language of the Rohirrim, kicked his feet out of the stirrups. Before his legs could be crushed by the weight of his horse, Bawuer jumped off and successfully moved a safe distance away.
Because he was still wearing a saddle, Ebon didn't actually completely lay down on the ground. Rolling a bit so that his legs were almost underneath himself, Ebon jerked his head and using the momentum, got his forelegs firmly on the ground. Then with a final thrust, got his hind legs in position and stood up. Shaking his head then blowing out from his nose, Ebon calmly turned his head to face Bawuer, eyeing his master carefully as if trying to determine what kind of a mood the other was in.
But it was pretty obvious to all that Bawuer would not be in the most pleasant of moods. "Curse you, you confounded devil!" Marching over to grab Ebon by the muzzle, Bawuer began furiously berating the beast in the Rohirrim language.
Boromir couldn't help. Before long, the laughter which he had held back since looking at Ebon's expression of absolutely no remorse, came forth from his lips. And the expression on both Bawuer and Ebon's faces hearing his laughter caused Boromir to laugh even harder.
Finally getting control of himself, Boromir spoke. "Is this a custom you two have whenever boredom hits Ebon?"
"More like a tradition," Bawuer said with annoyance, bringing Ebon's reigns up front to keep a firm hold on him. "Ebon likes good food and a warm stall, and he knows where home is."
Boromir looked in the direction which Bawuer gestured to and with surprise saw that Edoras was not too far away in the distance. To the south were the snow capped White Mountains. The grass lands rolled against the hills that clustered at the feet of the mountains, flowing up into many valleys.
And one green hill stood out most of all, where the courts of Edoras stood. In the waning light of the sun, to Boromir it seemed as the golden hall of Meduseld shown even brighter still.
The two men stayed still for a few minutes, drinking in the simple beauty of the home of the King and his Horse-lords. A different kind of loveliness than of Minas Tirith for Boromir, yet still a beauteous sight.
It was Bawuer who came first out of their individual reveries. "Do you mind if we walk a bit? At least until this idiot of a horse will get it through his thick skull that Edoras is not our destination."
"Certainly, in fact I think I will join you." Boromir dismounted then throwing his reigns over Maiorama's head, the two men began walking, leading their hoses behind them.
Out of the corner of his eye, Boromir tried to determine the condition of Bawuer's leg. His limp was hardly noticeable, a fact which did much to relieve Boromir's mind. When they had left Helm's Deep, Boromir had instantly regretted taking the young soldier along for he worried about the injury. Riding required much use of the legs, especially the ankles and heels. It would not do to make the wound any worse.
It soon became dusk, and the sky began to darken, making Boromir pay particular attention to the ground which the walked. The grassy plains dipped and rose for this area were not in reality as flat as it appeared from far off. One misstep could lead to an unfortunate accident which he could not really afford.
How long they walked Boromir could not tell, though judging by the position of the sun, not for very long. Maiorama walking docilely behind gave him a nudge on the shoulder. Not heeding the gesture, Boromir instead spoke to Bawuer. "Think you that Ebon will comply to being ridden now?"
Bawuer shrugged. "He still seems to be irritated. And yet..." Bawuer looked back at Ebon who was snorting a lot, ears still held back. "He seems more nervous than annoyed."
Boromir felt a tug on the reigns and turned to observe Maiorama. He frowned noticing the way Maiorama had her head held high, her ears constantly moving as if taking in every single sound. "Tis strange, Maiorama is also acting peculiarly..."
"Dunlendings!"
Bawuer's shout caused Boromir to automatically crouch lower on the ground. Casting his gaze over the land he saw that he and his companion were about to be surrounded by at least a dozen or so men, judging from how far he could see in the dark. Dunlendings, fierce fighting men from the land of Dunland, sworn enemies of the Rohirrim.
There was no time to mount up though it would be an advantage against the assailants on foot. Bawuer had already unsheathed his sword and with a cry attacked the closest of the enemies.
Already one of the Wild Men had advanced upon Boromir, carrying a club. As the weapon was swung down towards the Gondorian's head, Boromir ducked, and the club hit him hard on the shoulder. The pain was registered in his head then dismissed. There was a battle to fight, no distractions.
With a well placed uppercut, Boromir knocked the man out. Another Dunlending closed in from the side. Boromir, giving the other no time to use his sword, kicked the weapon out of the other's hand. Two more men began advancing slowly and cautiously, and the warrior noticed another coming towards him. Towards his right he heard Bawuer holding his own, apparently very well.
Hearing the sharp whinny of a horse, Boromir turned round to see that a few Dunlendings were trying to grab her reigns. Rather unsuccessfully for Maiorama was swift on her feet, and biting anyone who came too close.
Ebon on the other hand was putting up a better front. Rearing and bucking, Boromir saw one foolish man receive a well aimed kick to the chest. The man went down with a thud and was not getting up.
But the Gondorian warrior didn't allow himself to become distracted. At the edge of his vision he saw a staff swinging towards his body. Maneuvering out the way, Boromir surprised the attacker by catching hold of the staff and pulling it. The unexpected move allowed Boromir to use the other's momentum to use the stave to knock the man over the head.
As another Dunlending came towards him, he grasped the middle of the staff and fortunately, it was not neither long nor heavy. Twirling it around from side to side, he succeeded in confusing and causing the other to have his feet rather close. Knowing that the stance was not a stable one, Boromir quickly changed his grip on his staff and struck the Wild Man across the knees, making the man cry out and fall to the ground. A swift hit to the head had the man unconscious.
By this time, Boromir saw with alarm that the thieves, for that was what they seemed to be, had accomplished in grabbing Maiorama's reigns. He knew that he needed to end this fight as fast as he could. Throwing the staff to a group of men, causing them to back up, he grabbed the hilt of his sword and cried out, "Elanorcil!"
The sword came free and with wide swing, Boromir took two swift steps forward and cut down an assailant who had tried to strike him with his cudgel. Seeing that he was now armed, the men were more cautious. One bold Dunlending came forward to challenge the Gondorian captain, a sword in one hand and a much battle scarred shield in the other. By his stance, this man was no inexperienced fighter.
Everyone else seemed to form a wide circle around the two, and it was obvious to the Gondorian man that in silent agreement, the robbers had chosen their champion to challenge Boromir.
Grimly, Boromir grabbed the hilt of his sword with both hands. He forced himself to shake off all nervousness. He did not like the way the others were quietly watching. He saw that since the Wild Men did not fight anymore, Bawuer had also stopped and was watching. He looked worried, and Boromir nodded to him, hoping it signaled to him that everything would be all right. That is, he hoped everything would be all right.
In a long fight, the other would have the benefit of possessing a shield. Boromir would have to rely more on strength to end the fray as soon as possible. Telling himself to put power into each strike to make every one count, he decided to make the first move.
There was a loud clash of weapons and the Dunlending efficiently blocked Boromir's sword. Mere moments later, the swords met again with the clang of metal upon metal.
And again, and again.
The amount of strength his opponent had was causing Boromir to wonder how long he would be able to hold out. His wounded shoulder was starting to stiffen slightly for he hadn't used his left arm so vigorously in a while. Finish this, he kept telling himself. Finish this quickly.
The Dunlending moved Boromir's sword out of the way with a mighty swing, and as Boromir went slightly off balance, he felt a blow across his face. It had barely registered that the other man had hit him with the shield when a flash of metal was seen through his blurred vision. Without thought, Boromir brought up Elanorcil and succeeded in blocking the other's sword.
They stood at a deadlock, neither relinquishing the other any ground. Boromir felt his muscles straining to keep steady, sweat stung in his eyes as they came down from his forehead. Finally, with a final surge of energy, he kicked the Dunlending in the knee of his right leg at the same time pushing the other away. With a grunt of pain, the opponent backed away as did Boromir. It had to end now, now or never.
Renewed strength flowed through his veins as he fought with a quick and fierce ferocity, startling the Dunlending with his intensity. The clashing of their swords became a rhythm getting faster and faster until Boromir fought with instinct more than actual thought.
Then finally, the Gondorian warrior had his opening. The other's sword was pushed aside and with a cry, Boromir thrust Elanorcil into his adversary's chest. A stunned look came over the Dunlending and a few moments later he went limp, his eyes closed forever. Before the dead man fell, Boromir pulled his sword free
Slowly he straightened up to his full height, and cast his gaze over the surviving Dunlendings. They were all quiet, looking at their fallen companion.
Boromir gingerly touched the corner of his mouth and saw some blood on his glove. In annoyance he spit out blood onto the ground. Then slowly he raised his sword in silent challenge to the other thieves. Catching a random ray from the sinking sun, Elanorcil seemed to glow with a golden aura, except for the blood which covered the tip and edges.
No one stepped forward. And no one met his eyes.
Silence stretched out for an eternity, and Boromir carefully scanned the attackers. But now that they were no longer moving, at a close inspection of what could be seen in the waning light, they were no soldiers. No armor did they wear, no emblem, no mark of any kind. Their clothes were somewhat ragged, and for the most part they carried no swords except for a few.
Boromir felt a presence stand just behind him. "They bear not the White Hand of Saruman," Bawuer whispered. And what he said was the truth.
They both saw one Dunlending step forward. The basic build as the others, he was a short yet swarthy man, strong of limb and shoulders. His dark hair and beard were unbraided and his eyes were a fathomless dark brown, almost black in color. He spoke rapidly in a language Boromir could not understand. Somewhat harsh and guttural, it did not sound like the language of the Rohirrim.
He looked at Bawuer, and the soldier shook his head. "It is of the Dunland dialect. I do not speak it."
Seeing as they were not comprehending his words, the Dunlending used two fingers to point to his own eyes. He then pointed to Boromir, then proceeded to gesture towards his own face. The thief repeated the gestures once more then stood still.
Not sure what he was trying to say, Boromir shrugged. The Dunlending seemed annoyed and took a few steps closer to Boromir, yet still far enough away to show he meant no trouble. He repeated the gestures again.
Bawuer spoke up. "I think he wants to see your face."
Boromir finally understood, knowing because of how dark it was, facial features were hard to distinguish unless you stood right up to someone. Yet why did this Dunlending wish to look at his face?
It was no matter, the Dunlending seemed peaceful enough. At the moment. Still clutching Elanorcil in his hand, Boromir strode forward so he too could look into the other's face. The face was hardened through rough times, the eyes were somewhat shrewd, and an awful scar went from under his right eye back to his ear.
The Dunlending's eyes narrowed as soon as he was able to examine Boromir's face, then widened in... surprise? He spoke quickly in his language, and the others all began whispering among each other. Instead of the slightly suspicious and sly expression that he had before, the Dunlending now had an expression of both curiosity and displeasure. For the longest time, the two did not break eye contact. Boromir wondered what this man had seen in him, and what the outcome would be now.
Suddenly, Boromir heard a thunder of hooves was heard in the distance, growing louder and louder until whoever approached was soon upon them.
**********
Author's Note: I know... it's sort of a cliffhanger. So sorry! But I needed to stop here or the rest of the scene would go on for another chapter's worth. And anyway, cliffhangers are good, right? ^_^
I thought that it was a shame not to have a confrontation between the two wizards in the RotK, so in my story I've decided to make it so it did happen. But since I didn't want to copy from the book, I decided for Merry to just remember what had happened. Same thing with the palantir Pippin found, I made it so Grima had thrown in out of Isengard and Pippin had picked it up.
Next chapter I'll try to finish as soon as possible. One question I would like to ask of all of you. I haven't written much Faramir and Eowyn, who are slightly a bit apart from the rest of the group right now. Do you guys wanna read more about them? Tell me your opinions on that pweese.
Special Thanks To:
*iron-eyes24* ~ Hello dear friend! Wow, I made you cry in the previous chapter? Great! I mean, sorry 'bout that. I mean... whoah..... hee hee! I must admit it was a bit of an emotional chapter, with poor Pip realizing that just maybe he'll never see Boromir again. *sniff sniff* I'm most honored you think I'm getting better and better! So, do you like this chapter? Boromir gets to use that uber cool sword of his!!!
*Spry Sprite* ~ Yes, poor Pippin indeed! Glad you liked my characterization of him. Yeah, I agree how the book didn't really put too much emotion into the loss of Boromir. Those poop heads indeed! Hee hee!
*The Dark Wanderer* ~ Aragorn is definitely a terrific character, and after seeing him three times in RotK (hee hee), he just gets better and better! I'll put more of him in future chapters, and plus, the King and Captain have to meet soon! ^_^
*KendraC* ~ Hi! That's really interesting, you have Jane Austen fanfict? Which book is based on? JA as in Jedi Apprentice stories? Or Jane Austen? I'm so relieved that you believe Isilme to NOT be a MarySue. I mean, MarySue's aren't always bad, though they usually tend to stink. ^_^ Still haven't looked up "Little Brother" yet, for some strange reason the search program in fanfiction.net is broken or something... It's supposed to be fixed soon... David Wenham's not out yet in the "Van Helsin" trailer, but he's in the behind the scenes featurette on the official site. He's kind of a sidekick or something to Van Helsing. You won't believe how hot Hugh Jackman looks in this upcoming movie! You're really taking some really interesting classes! What exactly are you majoring in? I recently read "The Odyssey" for book report, and love it a lot! Isn't Pippin such a sweetheart though? I loved writing him, he's such a cutie. My two best friends are totally obsessed with him, it's scary... ^_^ Just for you, I added in this chapter a part where Boromir remembers him teaching Merry and Pippin to fight. Hope you likey! Yes, poor Haldir and Isilme who have to conceal what they know of Boromir. More will be written about it later on. Thanks for all the Faramir ideas! I'll try using them soon, after I write about what happens to Boromir. I agree, Billy Boyd has a lovely voice and sing beautifully. I hope you enjoy this chapter, not much emotional content, since I needed to get the story moving along! *pmochizuki gives KendraC a virtual hug* Hope you like this story, until next time!
*Michaela90* ~ Cool, you got to see "The Odd Couple" on stage? Wish they had those in Japan... I love the movie though, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthauware perfect in their roles! I haven't read "Pride and Prejudice" yet, though after watching "You've Got Mail", I really want to read it now. Do they have a movie out of it? I know what you mean about withholding information from people. Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter, more of Boromir and a bit of Merry!
*Aerlinn* ~ Welcome to my family of reviewers! Thanks so much for reviewing! Another Boromir fan is ALWAYS welcome! Yeah, in the book he never really struck me as an interesting character until watching Sean Bean handle his role to perfection (and he's handsome to boot!). Sorry for all the killer anticipation in my story. Hee hee! I like keeping my readers in suspense! Hope you like this chappie! Once more, thank you for reviewing!
*Aelimir* ~ Hello dear friend! Yay, am pleased that you find the previous chapter to be your favorite! Pippin angst is so sweet, if you know what I mean. Yeah, the books don't really put much emphasis on Boromir's death. No one really mourns, you know? Whew, am happy to find another person who appreciates my not writing *THAT* kind of romance fiction. Blech, I agree, it's against Tolkien's work. Once more, thanks a ton for all the horse tips! They're such a great help! I hope you like the way I've used them to write about terrible Ebon! Hee hee!
*Daisy Brambleburr* ~ Yay, am so glad you liked the previous chapter! I hope you like how I've written more about Merry! I know it sounded as if he didn't care too much, but I wanted to show how much Merry didn't want to make Pippin feel even more hopeless with the situation of Boromir. I hope it makes it sense in this chapter. Enjoy!
*iwantboromir* ~ Hello there! Glad you like my Pip, though I'm putting him through so much emotional turmoil. *goes to comfort the little hobbit* There's a Sean Bean Mahjong? Interesting! Is it an Internet game or do you buy the game or something? Anyways, hope you like this chapter where Boromir gets a bit of action!
*Diadora* ~ Don't worry about not having written! I understand how busy it gets. But it's so cool you got to go on vacation! Did you have fun? The previous chapter brought you to tears? Well, I almost cried writing it, too! I'm also glad you liked my characters of Haldir, Gimli, and Legolas. They're so funny (well, at least they were in that chapter). More Haldir- Gimli interactions? Okey dokey, be waiting for that scene!
*well...?* ~ I've finally updated! Do you like it, there's some action now!
*mrs mel greenleaf* ~ Hello, thanks so much for reviewing! You like my story? *blushes*! Put a Legolas romance in this story? Hmmm... an interesting idea though it would be a bit difficult to put in the plot. But thanks so much for the recommendation!
*Melodist* ~ Welcome back! I understand completely though, moving is such a hectic ordeal (though I personally have never moved). And I understand about lacking a computer! I had to spend a whole summer without a computer one time! It was terrible! Hee hee! Wow, a lot of people seem to have cried in the previous chapter! ^_^ Everyone seems to like Pippin angst a lot. Well, here's another chapter, I hope you like it!
*Daughter of Olorin* ~ Hiya there! I'm pleased that though you're not too much of a big fan of Aragorn, you still liked my characterization of him. Thanks for letting up on him. *smiles*! Another person who has cried because of the Pippin angst. Here's a bit more Pippin angst though seen through yet another's eyes. Hope you like it!
*Melian the Maia* ~ Hello there, dear friend! As an avid fan of Pippin/ Billy Boy, I knew you'd like the previous chapter! But seriously, you have a drooling problem... hee hee! Glad you finally got to see RotK!
*Arinya* ~ Thanks for the compliment about writing a chapter with the absence of Boromir. It pained me deeply to not have him in the chapter (just kidding!) but I had to do it. Yes indeed, Pippin is so adorable and brave! How did you like this chapter?
*Alex92* ~ Yes, Pippin is the cutest hobbit ever! Well, more of Bawuer's past should be revealed in maybe the next, next chapter. Or maybe the one after that, it depends. But pretty soon! I hope you can wait that long! ^_^
*Sean/Boromir Fan* ~ My dearest friend, thanks for reviewing yet once again! So, you like Pippin angstness, huh? Hee hee! You are just too evil. :P About the darkness thingie coming over Theoden's group, I had to find and read about that part again too. I had almost forgotten about it. So, Boromir's finally here in this chapter. Do you approve of him? ^_^ Of course you probably do, you approve of ANYTHING with Sean Bean or Boromir, right? *sighs dramatically and shakes head* You're too obsessed. But hey, wait a minute... I'm obsessed too! Hee hee!
*Lady Luthien* ~ Yeah, I was laughing a lot while writing chapter 25, too! Legolas and Gimli are so funny, and Gimli gets so many greats lines, especially in RotK. I am so very much complimented by what you wrote in your review: 'I am so glad your morals have the love between Isilme and Haldir honorable'... THANK YOU! I'm very serious about reading and writing stories with good morals and an honorable romance between two characters. I'm glad someone else feels that way, too. Cool, I think I'll have to read "Silmarillien" now that you've recommended it to me. I'm in the midst of reading Michael Crichton's "Timeline" right now but I'm almost finished.
*hornofgondor2* ~ Welcome to my 'family of reviewers'!! I'm so glad you like my story! I'll give you a hint that the scene where Boromir and Pippin meet is gonna be soooooo sweeeeeeeeeeet! I guarantee it! Another Faramir fan, hurray! I just adore him as much as I adore his brother! The part in RotK where he's on the pyre makes me always wanna go jump out of my seat and rescue him! Thanks for adding me to your favorites! I hope you like this chapter!
By Priscilla Stafford
Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to update this new chapter, but I have a very good reason which is... my family got a new dog! Yes, Bianca Audrey Stafford has joined the Stafford's clan, a cute almost-two-month-old border collie! An adorable fluffball, she loves and needs attention because she's just left her mommy, meaning she's under my care. She's now pretty much used to being left on her own for a few hours, giving me time to be on my computer.
The first part of this chapter is dedicated to reviewer Daisy Brambleburr. She said it was strange that in my last chapter, it seemed that while Pippin was mourning over the disappearance of Boromir, Merry had acted a bit too unemotional. So I hope the first part of this chapter clears things up a bit of why I wrote it that way!
Another semi-dedication to reviewer KendraC, who liked the scene where Boromir was teaching Merry and Pippin to swordfight in FotR. Hope you like it!
Many thanks to my faithful reviewer Aelimir for all her lovely horse tips. A lot of them I've used in the latter half of the chapter, I hope I wrote it all correctly!
Another announcement, I've changed the genre of this story from "Action/Adventure, Drama" to "Drama, Action/Adventure". I just feel there's more drama than action, don't you think?
I've seen "Return of the King" three times now, and I've pretty much decided which parts of the movie to use and not use in my story. If any of you guys have a favorite part of the movie which you would like me to write about, recommend it to me and I'll try to add it in if possible.
Special thanks to my 'family of reviewers' is at the bottom of the chapter.
Enjoy this chapter! Plenty of Boromir-ness!!!
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Dusk Approaches
Merry and Pippin turned away from Treebeard as the Ent spoke to Gandalf. They had all just come from speaking to Saruman, where the wizard had chosen to stay in Isengard. Even now, Merry remembered the fear and anguish in Saruman's eyes as Gandalf had made Saruman's staff split right under the other's hand. He would never forget how Gandalf had truly shown who the White Wizard was. And how Saruman's powers had subsided under the eaves of his very own stronghold.
Though in the back of his mind Merry knew that he should be listening to the two powerful being's conversation, he couldn't help but let his mind wander. Not surprisingly, his thoughts turned to though of his young cousin.
Being the inseparable pair they were, the two hobbits were standing next to each other. Out of the corner of his eyes, Merry saw that Pippin was absently touching the brooch clasped at the throat of his cloak. Merry held back the sigh that welled up from deep inside himself. Poor Pip.
The reality that Boromir had not come with the other members of the fellowship had really hit Pippin hard. Being the sensitive hobbit he was, he was unlikely to shake off the despair as quickly as the others could.
But Merry knew that it wasn't true. The rest of them weren't putting aside their sadness; they were all only hiding it well.
Even now, Merry felt like running to Aragorn and asking if the Ranger was really sure that there had been no sign of Boromir. Being the more practical of the hobbits, Merry knew that one couldn't just disappear without a trace. Especially from trackers such as Aragorn and Legolas.
He glanced over to where the Ranger, the Elf, and the Dwarf stood. But before his eyes rested on the three, they first found two Elf figures slightly apart from everyone else.
It was Haldir, and the Elf-maiden, who had been introduced to Merry as Isilme. And according to a loud whisper from Gimli, the two were apparently very close. Merry had liked her at first glance, though for some strange reason her eyes had appeared sad when she had looked down at him and Pippin.
The two Elves were speaking in low tones, and the hobbit was surprised to see how serious they looked. Of what they were speaking of, Merry knew not for he was too far away to hear. Merry shrugged away the strange sight though. He wouldn't let his curiosity get the best of him. He smiled reminding himself how much trouble Pippin's curiosity had and would get them all into. Merry wouldn't make the same mistake.
He kept his gaze moving, and saw that Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli were keeping their full concentration on Gandalf and Treebeard, thoughtful expressions on their faces. Merry figured out that it was not exactly the right time to put to them the questions he had about Boromir's strange disappearance.
Besides, Merry wanted any conversation with them to be private. Away from the hearing of Pippin. Merry would never, ever hurt Pippin for the whole of Middle Earth. Yes, indeed though there was hope that Boromir just might still be alive, the hope was slim. Whatever hope the younger hobbit had, it was one Merry did not want to crush.
Throughout this journey, Merry had sworn to himself that he would take care of Pippin. He would have to remain strong for him. No matter how hard the task was, Merry promised to undertake it. For Pippin's sake, he would remain strong.
So it wasn't surprising that when Merry had first laid eyes upon Boromir, he had been wary when the warrior had paid special attention to Pippin. Oh, how long ago it seemed when they had started out from Rivendell! Merry had seen Boromir as just a chance member of their formed fellowship. But so soon afterwards, the fellowship was forged into that of friends, companions. Brothers even.
For Merry, he had forever been Pippin's closest friend. Hardly ever were they without the other. But during their travels, Boromir had somehow found his way into their bond to form an even stronger one. He had become sort of a big brother to them in the ways of the Middle Earth the two hobbits never knew about.
Long treks, climbing mountains, facing severe cold weather, traveling by water. Through it all, Merry would have only to look up to see Boromir watching, ready to give out any assistance required. He would always make sure the hobbits were all right. And now those green-grey eyes of attentiveness were nowhere to be found around them, caring for them. Maybe forever.
Merry scolded himself mentally as his vision became slightly blurred with unshed tears. Furiously wiping them away, he turned to look at his cousin to make sure any escaped tears had been seen.
But Pippin appeared oblivious. He no longer had his hands touching his brooch, but were hanging loosely at his sides. And his face, he was looking almost vacantly straight ahead, eyes unblinking and unseeing, yet so intent and focused.
In concern, Merry, too, looked to what Pippin was in deep concentration of. From what Merry could tell, the object of Pippin's interest was Gandalf. No, not Gandalf. It was something Gandalf was carrying in the folds of his robe.
With sudden clarity, Merry remembered the mysterious ball which Grima Wormtongue had thrown when speaking with Saruman, aiming for Gandalf. Fortunately, the object had missed Gandalf, and Pippin had gone to retrieve it. They had all thought nothing of it, but Merry did not overlook the strange way Pippin had carried it, as if he were bearing a great weight. And his expression, one of wonder and awe.
Merry wracked his brains for what the ball had looked like. It had been like a globe of crystal; dark but glowing with a heart of fire. Something full of magic, in his opinion. A growing sense of apprehension filled his heart as the one question popped into his head. Why was this object having such a hold over Pippin?
With alarm, Merry saw that Pippin's breathing had become somewhat unusual, for he was beginning to take quick intakes of breath.
"Pippin?"
As if Merry's quiet words had been a shout into his ear, Pippin's whole body violently jerked. As if suddenly released from a spell or an enchantment, Pippin turned his gaze away from Gandalf and blinked rapidly.
"Pippin?" Merry asked once more, instantly worrying over the other's strange behavior. "Are you all right?"
"I... I'm all right," Pippin said in a rush. He shivered slightly. "A strange feeling came over me, that's all."
Merry, still troubled over his friend, tried to catch Pippin's eyes. "Was it that globe Gandalf took from you? Because if it is, we have to tell him..."
"No!" Pippin's eyes widened in panic. "Don't, Merry! He will only say," the next words Pippin mimicked the way Gandalf spoke, "'Fool of a Took! Why did you have to touch it at all?'" He shook his head. "No, I'm fine. I'm perfectly fine." Seeming a bit embarrassed over his outburst, Pippin sighed then looked down at his feet.
It was no surprise to Merry as Pippin brought a hand up to touch the Lothlorien brooch. Going over to stand next to him, Merry put an arm around his friend's shoulders. He said brightly, "Perfectly fine? That's a bit of an overstatement, isn't it?"
Silence followed his words then Merry spoke again, this time with a compassionate voice. "It's all right, Pip. I'm here for you. And Boromir will find us as soon as he can. You know he will."
"What if..."
"What if a deadly plague sweeps over the land and kills us all? I don't know Pip, then probably not."
Merry was delighted to see Pippin smile. "You see Pip?" Merry said. "'What ifs' aren't going to help us at all. So keep your chin up."
Pippin nodded then looked at the other members of the remaining fellowship. He gave an exaggerated sigh. "I suppose we'll have to travel with Gandalf and the others again. And they keep up such a hard, fast pace. My feet only just got over the blisters. Did you know I got blisters on my blisters?"
They laughed together, and Merry's heart lightened. Maybe it was going to be all right for the both of them.
**********
The sun was sinking slowly down in the sky as Boromir and Bawuer continued their journey to Minas Tirith. Both their horses, Maiorama and Ebon, fully rested from the night before, set a burning pace eastward. Stopping only for a quick rest at noon, they had traveled far and for this, Boromir was pleased.
Smooth was Maiorama's gait and both her hooves and Ebon's created a pleasantly rhythmic sound to Boromir's ears. He found himself drifting into the quiet of his mind, his thoughts wandering from one thing to another.
The strange dream last night no longer haunted him as it had in the morning. An evil omen it was, maybe. And Boromir hoped not. Again his mind wandered to other thoughts, thoughts of two certain young hobbits...
Back when Galadriel had allowed him to look into her Mirror, he had been shown very clearly that he had three paths to choose from. Whether to go and follow Frodo and Sam, to aid in the Rohirrim battle of Helm's Deep, or to go back to his homeland of Gondor. And he had made his choice.
Yet while traveling south from Lothlorien, he had wondered what had become of Pippin and Merry. Why had not the Mirror shown anything of the two of them? So strange it had seemed. Of course Boromir had reached the conclusion that the Mirror had reasons for showing him only the images he needed to see. And yet... it had been as a little thorn in the back of his mind. Fortunately he had been able to shake away the odd feeling for a while.
Boromir had then, along with Eomer and his men, come across Gandalf and Erkenbrand's army. While journeying together to whatever awaited them in Helm's Deep, Boromir had been able to tell the wizard about his thoughts.
He remembered how Mithrandir had gravely listened to his narrative of his encounter with the magic of the Mirror. And even more clearly, he recalled vividly how Gandalf had reacted when Boromir had asked if the wizard knew anything of Pippin and Merry's fate.
The wizard begun to chuckle, and his chuckles did not stop for a long while.
More than a little curious of Gandalf's action, Boromir waited for the other to explain the reason for his bout of merriment. Being the unobtrusive wizard he was, with twinkling eyes he had only replied by saying, "They are in good hands, more than you could ever imagine. Do not worry for them, Boromir. Even I could not have devised a better path for them to have gone. Yes, better than any design of fate."
And that was all. Gandalf had left him to speak to Erkenbrand on some matter, a smile still playing upon his lips.
So now, here he was. On his way to Gondor, and still having no idea where those two rascals were. Boromir couldn't help but a worry a little. It had been an interesting kind of task taking care of those two hobbits. Always able to rely on for amusement, especially little Pip.
Like that time before being spied on by Crebain from Dunland. He had been teaching them to at least defend themselves with their swords. Unfortunately, Boromir wasn't that used to fighting with beings so... vertically challenged. So to his utter chagrin, he had accidentally nicked Pippin's hand with his sword.
In the midst of his profuse apologies, the two hobbits had then attacked him. Attacked him! Made him trip over backwards and then had proceeded to jump on him. By that time the hilarity of the situation had overwhelmed him, making him laugh until his sides hurt.
Even now, the memory caused Boromir's mouth to curl upwards into a smile. Yes, they were always relied on for amusement in the company.
But they were also always relied on for getting themselves and others into trouble. Instantly sobering at the thought, Boromir tried to quell the rising worry in his chest. He tried not to imagine just what kind of trouble they could get themselves into. Gandalf had thus far been usually, almost always, correct. Boromir would just have to trust that Mithrandir knew what he was doing.
Realizing that he and Bawuer had kept up a fast pace for so long, he began to shift his weight backwards, slightly pulling in Maiorama's reigns to slow the pace down. Maiorama obviously seemed ready to gallop all through the night, yet Boromir knew that they had a lot more ground to cover before reaching Minas Tirith. It would be best not to tire her nor Ebon so early in their journey.
Bawuer matched Ebon's pace with Maiorama's so that the two were at a brisk walk.
"You are insulting me, Lord Boromir."
Glancing over at his companion, Boromir raised his eyebrows. "Whatever do you mean."
"Do not play with me, I have enough with Ebon's manipulations without you doing the same. My leg is perfectly fine."
"I still don't know what you're talking about," Boromir said with a shrug.
As Bawuer pursed his lips irritably, the man of Gondor smiled to himself. In truth, he had of course thought of Bauwer's injury acquired at Helm's Deep. He was sure that the leg was bothering the man. But the Valar forbid if Boromir should say the fact to the prideful Rohirrim soldier.
A peaceful quiet followed but was soon interrupted as Ebon began veering off from the direction they were heading. Boromir sighed inwardly. Trust Ebon to find some way to make a nuisance of himself.
"Having some trouble, Bawuer?"
The other man grunted. "Ebon is not called 'some' trouble. He is trouble itself."
For a few minutes though Bawuer managed to keep Ebon moving forward, the black stallion tried taking the reigns away from his rider. As stretching his neck out or shaking his head didn't seem to do anything to wrest control from the accomplished horseman, Boromir saw with worry as Ebon's ears turned back. A bad sign.
And sure enough, Ebon chose at that moment to stop complete, except for doing a strange little prance, picking his front feet from the ground. Boromir reigned in Maiorama to a halt. He was surprised to see that instead of using his heels to get the animal moving, Bawuer had frozen, with a look of pure horror on his face.
"Oh, no..." Bawuer said under his breath.
"What is the ma..." Boromir didn't finish his sentence as Ebon did the unthinkable.
The black horse bent his forelegs under himself, knees hitting the ground then rolling partially to one side. Understanding dawned on Boromir. The horse was going to lie down!
As Ebon's hindquarters hit the ground, Bawuer, cursing in what seemed to be the language of the Rohirrim, kicked his feet out of the stirrups. Before his legs could be crushed by the weight of his horse, Bawuer jumped off and successfully moved a safe distance away.
Because he was still wearing a saddle, Ebon didn't actually completely lay down on the ground. Rolling a bit so that his legs were almost underneath himself, Ebon jerked his head and using the momentum, got his forelegs firmly on the ground. Then with a final thrust, got his hind legs in position and stood up. Shaking his head then blowing out from his nose, Ebon calmly turned his head to face Bawuer, eyeing his master carefully as if trying to determine what kind of a mood the other was in.
But it was pretty obvious to all that Bawuer would not be in the most pleasant of moods. "Curse you, you confounded devil!" Marching over to grab Ebon by the muzzle, Bawuer began furiously berating the beast in the Rohirrim language.
Boromir couldn't help. Before long, the laughter which he had held back since looking at Ebon's expression of absolutely no remorse, came forth from his lips. And the expression on both Bawuer and Ebon's faces hearing his laughter caused Boromir to laugh even harder.
Finally getting control of himself, Boromir spoke. "Is this a custom you two have whenever boredom hits Ebon?"
"More like a tradition," Bawuer said with annoyance, bringing Ebon's reigns up front to keep a firm hold on him. "Ebon likes good food and a warm stall, and he knows where home is."
Boromir looked in the direction which Bawuer gestured to and with surprise saw that Edoras was not too far away in the distance. To the south were the snow capped White Mountains. The grass lands rolled against the hills that clustered at the feet of the mountains, flowing up into many valleys.
And one green hill stood out most of all, where the courts of Edoras stood. In the waning light of the sun, to Boromir it seemed as the golden hall of Meduseld shown even brighter still.
The two men stayed still for a few minutes, drinking in the simple beauty of the home of the King and his Horse-lords. A different kind of loveliness than of Minas Tirith for Boromir, yet still a beauteous sight.
It was Bawuer who came first out of their individual reveries. "Do you mind if we walk a bit? At least until this idiot of a horse will get it through his thick skull that Edoras is not our destination."
"Certainly, in fact I think I will join you." Boromir dismounted then throwing his reigns over Maiorama's head, the two men began walking, leading their hoses behind them.
Out of the corner of his eye, Boromir tried to determine the condition of Bawuer's leg. His limp was hardly noticeable, a fact which did much to relieve Boromir's mind. When they had left Helm's Deep, Boromir had instantly regretted taking the young soldier along for he worried about the injury. Riding required much use of the legs, especially the ankles and heels. It would not do to make the wound any worse.
It soon became dusk, and the sky began to darken, making Boromir pay particular attention to the ground which the walked. The grassy plains dipped and rose for this area were not in reality as flat as it appeared from far off. One misstep could lead to an unfortunate accident which he could not really afford.
How long they walked Boromir could not tell, though judging by the position of the sun, not for very long. Maiorama walking docilely behind gave him a nudge on the shoulder. Not heeding the gesture, Boromir instead spoke to Bawuer. "Think you that Ebon will comply to being ridden now?"
Bawuer shrugged. "He still seems to be irritated. And yet..." Bawuer looked back at Ebon who was snorting a lot, ears still held back. "He seems more nervous than annoyed."
Boromir felt a tug on the reigns and turned to observe Maiorama. He frowned noticing the way Maiorama had her head held high, her ears constantly moving as if taking in every single sound. "Tis strange, Maiorama is also acting peculiarly..."
"Dunlendings!"
Bawuer's shout caused Boromir to automatically crouch lower on the ground. Casting his gaze over the land he saw that he and his companion were about to be surrounded by at least a dozen or so men, judging from how far he could see in the dark. Dunlendings, fierce fighting men from the land of Dunland, sworn enemies of the Rohirrim.
There was no time to mount up though it would be an advantage against the assailants on foot. Bawuer had already unsheathed his sword and with a cry attacked the closest of the enemies.
Already one of the Wild Men had advanced upon Boromir, carrying a club. As the weapon was swung down towards the Gondorian's head, Boromir ducked, and the club hit him hard on the shoulder. The pain was registered in his head then dismissed. There was a battle to fight, no distractions.
With a well placed uppercut, Boromir knocked the man out. Another Dunlending closed in from the side. Boromir, giving the other no time to use his sword, kicked the weapon out of the other's hand. Two more men began advancing slowly and cautiously, and the warrior noticed another coming towards him. Towards his right he heard Bawuer holding his own, apparently very well.
Hearing the sharp whinny of a horse, Boromir turned round to see that a few Dunlendings were trying to grab her reigns. Rather unsuccessfully for Maiorama was swift on her feet, and biting anyone who came too close.
Ebon on the other hand was putting up a better front. Rearing and bucking, Boromir saw one foolish man receive a well aimed kick to the chest. The man went down with a thud and was not getting up.
But the Gondorian warrior didn't allow himself to become distracted. At the edge of his vision he saw a staff swinging towards his body. Maneuvering out the way, Boromir surprised the attacker by catching hold of the staff and pulling it. The unexpected move allowed Boromir to use the other's momentum to use the stave to knock the man over the head.
As another Dunlending came towards him, he grasped the middle of the staff and fortunately, it was not neither long nor heavy. Twirling it around from side to side, he succeeded in confusing and causing the other to have his feet rather close. Knowing that the stance was not a stable one, Boromir quickly changed his grip on his staff and struck the Wild Man across the knees, making the man cry out and fall to the ground. A swift hit to the head had the man unconscious.
By this time, Boromir saw with alarm that the thieves, for that was what they seemed to be, had accomplished in grabbing Maiorama's reigns. He knew that he needed to end this fight as fast as he could. Throwing the staff to a group of men, causing them to back up, he grabbed the hilt of his sword and cried out, "Elanorcil!"
The sword came free and with wide swing, Boromir took two swift steps forward and cut down an assailant who had tried to strike him with his cudgel. Seeing that he was now armed, the men were more cautious. One bold Dunlending came forward to challenge the Gondorian captain, a sword in one hand and a much battle scarred shield in the other. By his stance, this man was no inexperienced fighter.
Everyone else seemed to form a wide circle around the two, and it was obvious to the Gondorian man that in silent agreement, the robbers had chosen their champion to challenge Boromir.
Grimly, Boromir grabbed the hilt of his sword with both hands. He forced himself to shake off all nervousness. He did not like the way the others were quietly watching. He saw that since the Wild Men did not fight anymore, Bawuer had also stopped and was watching. He looked worried, and Boromir nodded to him, hoping it signaled to him that everything would be all right. That is, he hoped everything would be all right.
In a long fight, the other would have the benefit of possessing a shield. Boromir would have to rely more on strength to end the fray as soon as possible. Telling himself to put power into each strike to make every one count, he decided to make the first move.
There was a loud clash of weapons and the Dunlending efficiently blocked Boromir's sword. Mere moments later, the swords met again with the clang of metal upon metal.
And again, and again.
The amount of strength his opponent had was causing Boromir to wonder how long he would be able to hold out. His wounded shoulder was starting to stiffen slightly for he hadn't used his left arm so vigorously in a while. Finish this, he kept telling himself. Finish this quickly.
The Dunlending moved Boromir's sword out of the way with a mighty swing, and as Boromir went slightly off balance, he felt a blow across his face. It had barely registered that the other man had hit him with the shield when a flash of metal was seen through his blurred vision. Without thought, Boromir brought up Elanorcil and succeeded in blocking the other's sword.
They stood at a deadlock, neither relinquishing the other any ground. Boromir felt his muscles straining to keep steady, sweat stung in his eyes as they came down from his forehead. Finally, with a final surge of energy, he kicked the Dunlending in the knee of his right leg at the same time pushing the other away. With a grunt of pain, the opponent backed away as did Boromir. It had to end now, now or never.
Renewed strength flowed through his veins as he fought with a quick and fierce ferocity, startling the Dunlending with his intensity. The clashing of their swords became a rhythm getting faster and faster until Boromir fought with instinct more than actual thought.
Then finally, the Gondorian warrior had his opening. The other's sword was pushed aside and with a cry, Boromir thrust Elanorcil into his adversary's chest. A stunned look came over the Dunlending and a few moments later he went limp, his eyes closed forever. Before the dead man fell, Boromir pulled his sword free
Slowly he straightened up to his full height, and cast his gaze over the surviving Dunlendings. They were all quiet, looking at their fallen companion.
Boromir gingerly touched the corner of his mouth and saw some blood on his glove. In annoyance he spit out blood onto the ground. Then slowly he raised his sword in silent challenge to the other thieves. Catching a random ray from the sinking sun, Elanorcil seemed to glow with a golden aura, except for the blood which covered the tip and edges.
No one stepped forward. And no one met his eyes.
Silence stretched out for an eternity, and Boromir carefully scanned the attackers. But now that they were no longer moving, at a close inspection of what could be seen in the waning light, they were no soldiers. No armor did they wear, no emblem, no mark of any kind. Their clothes were somewhat ragged, and for the most part they carried no swords except for a few.
Boromir felt a presence stand just behind him. "They bear not the White Hand of Saruman," Bawuer whispered. And what he said was the truth.
They both saw one Dunlending step forward. The basic build as the others, he was a short yet swarthy man, strong of limb and shoulders. His dark hair and beard were unbraided and his eyes were a fathomless dark brown, almost black in color. He spoke rapidly in a language Boromir could not understand. Somewhat harsh and guttural, it did not sound like the language of the Rohirrim.
He looked at Bawuer, and the soldier shook his head. "It is of the Dunland dialect. I do not speak it."
Seeing as they were not comprehending his words, the Dunlending used two fingers to point to his own eyes. He then pointed to Boromir, then proceeded to gesture towards his own face. The thief repeated the gestures once more then stood still.
Not sure what he was trying to say, Boromir shrugged. The Dunlending seemed annoyed and took a few steps closer to Boromir, yet still far enough away to show he meant no trouble. He repeated the gestures again.
Bawuer spoke up. "I think he wants to see your face."
Boromir finally understood, knowing because of how dark it was, facial features were hard to distinguish unless you stood right up to someone. Yet why did this Dunlending wish to look at his face?
It was no matter, the Dunlending seemed peaceful enough. At the moment. Still clutching Elanorcil in his hand, Boromir strode forward so he too could look into the other's face. The face was hardened through rough times, the eyes were somewhat shrewd, and an awful scar went from under his right eye back to his ear.
The Dunlending's eyes narrowed as soon as he was able to examine Boromir's face, then widened in... surprise? He spoke quickly in his language, and the others all began whispering among each other. Instead of the slightly suspicious and sly expression that he had before, the Dunlending now had an expression of both curiosity and displeasure. For the longest time, the two did not break eye contact. Boromir wondered what this man had seen in him, and what the outcome would be now.
Suddenly, Boromir heard a thunder of hooves was heard in the distance, growing louder and louder until whoever approached was soon upon them.
**********
Author's Note: I know... it's sort of a cliffhanger. So sorry! But I needed to stop here or the rest of the scene would go on for another chapter's worth. And anyway, cliffhangers are good, right? ^_^
I thought that it was a shame not to have a confrontation between the two wizards in the RotK, so in my story I've decided to make it so it did happen. But since I didn't want to copy from the book, I decided for Merry to just remember what had happened. Same thing with the palantir Pippin found, I made it so Grima had thrown in out of Isengard and Pippin had picked it up.
Next chapter I'll try to finish as soon as possible. One question I would like to ask of all of you. I haven't written much Faramir and Eowyn, who are slightly a bit apart from the rest of the group right now. Do you guys wanna read more about them? Tell me your opinions on that pweese.
Special Thanks To:
*iron-eyes24* ~ Hello dear friend! Wow, I made you cry in the previous chapter? Great! I mean, sorry 'bout that. I mean... whoah..... hee hee! I must admit it was a bit of an emotional chapter, with poor Pip realizing that just maybe he'll never see Boromir again. *sniff sniff* I'm most honored you think I'm getting better and better! So, do you like this chapter? Boromir gets to use that uber cool sword of his!!!
*Spry Sprite* ~ Yes, poor Pippin indeed! Glad you liked my characterization of him. Yeah, I agree how the book didn't really put too much emotion into the loss of Boromir. Those poop heads indeed! Hee hee!
*The Dark Wanderer* ~ Aragorn is definitely a terrific character, and after seeing him three times in RotK (hee hee), he just gets better and better! I'll put more of him in future chapters, and plus, the King and Captain have to meet soon! ^_^
*KendraC* ~ Hi! That's really interesting, you have Jane Austen fanfict? Which book is based on? JA as in Jedi Apprentice stories? Or Jane Austen? I'm so relieved that you believe Isilme to NOT be a MarySue. I mean, MarySue's aren't always bad, though they usually tend to stink. ^_^ Still haven't looked up "Little Brother" yet, for some strange reason the search program in fanfiction.net is broken or something... It's supposed to be fixed soon... David Wenham's not out yet in the "Van Helsin" trailer, but he's in the behind the scenes featurette on the official site. He's kind of a sidekick or something to Van Helsing. You won't believe how hot Hugh Jackman looks in this upcoming movie! You're really taking some really interesting classes! What exactly are you majoring in? I recently read "The Odyssey" for book report, and love it a lot! Isn't Pippin such a sweetheart though? I loved writing him, he's such a cutie. My two best friends are totally obsessed with him, it's scary... ^_^ Just for you, I added in this chapter a part where Boromir remembers him teaching Merry and Pippin to fight. Hope you likey! Yes, poor Haldir and Isilme who have to conceal what they know of Boromir. More will be written about it later on. Thanks for all the Faramir ideas! I'll try using them soon, after I write about what happens to Boromir. I agree, Billy Boyd has a lovely voice and sing beautifully. I hope you enjoy this chapter, not much emotional content, since I needed to get the story moving along! *pmochizuki gives KendraC a virtual hug* Hope you like this story, until next time!
*Michaela90* ~ Cool, you got to see "The Odd Couple" on stage? Wish they had those in Japan... I love the movie though, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthauware perfect in their roles! I haven't read "Pride and Prejudice" yet, though after watching "You've Got Mail", I really want to read it now. Do they have a movie out of it? I know what you mean about withholding information from people. Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter, more of Boromir and a bit of Merry!
*Aerlinn* ~ Welcome to my family of reviewers! Thanks so much for reviewing! Another Boromir fan is ALWAYS welcome! Yeah, in the book he never really struck me as an interesting character until watching Sean Bean handle his role to perfection (and he's handsome to boot!). Sorry for all the killer anticipation in my story. Hee hee! I like keeping my readers in suspense! Hope you like this chappie! Once more, thank you for reviewing!
*Aelimir* ~ Hello dear friend! Yay, am pleased that you find the previous chapter to be your favorite! Pippin angst is so sweet, if you know what I mean. Yeah, the books don't really put much emphasis on Boromir's death. No one really mourns, you know? Whew, am happy to find another person who appreciates my not writing *THAT* kind of romance fiction. Blech, I agree, it's against Tolkien's work. Once more, thanks a ton for all the horse tips! They're such a great help! I hope you like the way I've used them to write about terrible Ebon! Hee hee!
*Daisy Brambleburr* ~ Yay, am so glad you liked the previous chapter! I hope you like how I've written more about Merry! I know it sounded as if he didn't care too much, but I wanted to show how much Merry didn't want to make Pippin feel even more hopeless with the situation of Boromir. I hope it makes it sense in this chapter. Enjoy!
*iwantboromir* ~ Hello there! Glad you like my Pip, though I'm putting him through so much emotional turmoil. *goes to comfort the little hobbit* There's a Sean Bean Mahjong? Interesting! Is it an Internet game or do you buy the game or something? Anyways, hope you like this chapter where Boromir gets a bit of action!
*Diadora* ~ Don't worry about not having written! I understand how busy it gets. But it's so cool you got to go on vacation! Did you have fun? The previous chapter brought you to tears? Well, I almost cried writing it, too! I'm also glad you liked my characters of Haldir, Gimli, and Legolas. They're so funny (well, at least they were in that chapter). More Haldir- Gimli interactions? Okey dokey, be waiting for that scene!
*well...?* ~ I've finally updated! Do you like it, there's some action now!
*mrs mel greenleaf* ~ Hello, thanks so much for reviewing! You like my story? *blushes*! Put a Legolas romance in this story? Hmmm... an interesting idea though it would be a bit difficult to put in the plot. But thanks so much for the recommendation!
*Melodist* ~ Welcome back! I understand completely though, moving is such a hectic ordeal (though I personally have never moved). And I understand about lacking a computer! I had to spend a whole summer without a computer one time! It was terrible! Hee hee! Wow, a lot of people seem to have cried in the previous chapter! ^_^ Everyone seems to like Pippin angst a lot. Well, here's another chapter, I hope you like it!
*Daughter of Olorin* ~ Hiya there! I'm pleased that though you're not too much of a big fan of Aragorn, you still liked my characterization of him. Thanks for letting up on him. *smiles*! Another person who has cried because of the Pippin angst. Here's a bit more Pippin angst though seen through yet another's eyes. Hope you like it!
*Melian the Maia* ~ Hello there, dear friend! As an avid fan of Pippin/ Billy Boy, I knew you'd like the previous chapter! But seriously, you have a drooling problem... hee hee! Glad you finally got to see RotK!
*Arinya* ~ Thanks for the compliment about writing a chapter with the absence of Boromir. It pained me deeply to not have him in the chapter (just kidding!) but I had to do it. Yes indeed, Pippin is so adorable and brave! How did you like this chapter?
*Alex92* ~ Yes, Pippin is the cutest hobbit ever! Well, more of Bawuer's past should be revealed in maybe the next, next chapter. Or maybe the one after that, it depends. But pretty soon! I hope you can wait that long! ^_^
*Sean/Boromir Fan* ~ My dearest friend, thanks for reviewing yet once again! So, you like Pippin angstness, huh? Hee hee! You are just too evil. :P About the darkness thingie coming over Theoden's group, I had to find and read about that part again too. I had almost forgotten about it. So, Boromir's finally here in this chapter. Do you approve of him? ^_^ Of course you probably do, you approve of ANYTHING with Sean Bean or Boromir, right? *sighs dramatically and shakes head* You're too obsessed. But hey, wait a minute... I'm obsessed too! Hee hee!
*Lady Luthien* ~ Yeah, I was laughing a lot while writing chapter 25, too! Legolas and Gimli are so funny, and Gimli gets so many greats lines, especially in RotK. I am so very much complimented by what you wrote in your review: 'I am so glad your morals have the love between Isilme and Haldir honorable'... THANK YOU! I'm very serious about reading and writing stories with good morals and an honorable romance between two characters. I'm glad someone else feels that way, too. Cool, I think I'll have to read "Silmarillien" now that you've recommended it to me. I'm in the midst of reading Michael Crichton's "Timeline" right now but I'm almost finished.
*hornofgondor2* ~ Welcome to my 'family of reviewers'!! I'm so glad you like my story! I'll give you a hint that the scene where Boromir and Pippin meet is gonna be soooooo sweeeeeeeeeeet! I guarantee it! Another Faramir fan, hurray! I just adore him as much as I adore his brother! The part in RotK where he's on the pyre makes me always wanna go jump out of my seat and rescue him! Thanks for adding me to your favorites! I hope you like this chapter!