Chapter Eleven~ Uruks

It was a long journey down the river, though not hard. The current of the water pulled them, but still the Men and Elf paddled, trying to get them as far as possible as quickly as possible. Marina took the time to get used to her new sight. Of course, it wasn't like true sight, but it was beautiful in it's own way. Everything seemed to give off a type of energy. When she asked Legolas about it, he stated simply that she was seeing the true magic of the world. Turning in her seat, she was greeted with a bright silver shine around the area where he sat.

"When we have time, I will teach you. It would be good for you to be able to take magic from the earth around you. It would keep you from running out so fast, and hurting yourself." Rina simply nodded at him and continued to look around.

Gimli, as he sat in front of her, was certainly full of life, with his hard, sandstone colored aura, she could almost taste the rock that ran through his blood. As the others were too far away, she couldn't see much except for outlines. The Hobbits were all a varied shade of green, though it looked as if Frodo's was darkening, starting at his chest where she knew the Ring lay. Even from a distance, she felt the ill feeling of evil pouring off of it. It made her shiver and left a rotten taste in her mouth. Aragorn shone as a bright sky blue spot to her left, and Boromir a darker blue to her right. Even Samora had a pure yellow glow to her.

A day and a half, they followed the river, drifting along like leaves. When they finally reached the bank, Legolas told Rina to sit tight as he pulled the boat ashore. Once it stopped moving, she stood up and waited until he grabbed her hand to help her down. It felt wonderful to be back on solid ground. It was so much sturdier than a rocking boat. They set up a simple camp; fire, a little food cooking, and their bedrolls. The dog laid over her legs to keep them warm as Aragorn explained their next move. Gimli had some issue with the way they were going, and expressed such.

"Aragorn?" She called from her spot by the fire. "What of me? Will you have me carried like a helpless babe through the swamp, or over the rocks?" The air in front of her swirled as he knelt down.

"You can see me."

"Of course, not. I am still blind." She rolled her hazel eyes.

"Indeed. But, you follow me with your eyes as if you could."

Dropping her eyes, she held out the staff that Galadriel had given her. "It shows me the aura of everything around me. I can only tell the general area where you are. An outline."

Aragorn grinned, "Cheeky. You could walk just as well without such a thing. I doubt you will have any trouble once we get to the marshes."

Rina gave an unladylike snort, before turning her unseeing eyes to the opposite bank. Upriver, from the direction they came, she saw a solid mass of black moving quickly. She couldn't hold back the gasp that escaped her lips. There was a sudden uproar behind her as it was found that Frodo had disappeared. Rina moved her eyes back and forth, noticing another, dark blue aura was nowhere to be found.

"Boromir!" She called, shooting to her feet. The movement caused Samora to yelp and raise her hackles. "Aragorn, Boromir is gone as well."

Gimli growled out a Dwarvish curse beside her and grabbed her arm. "You stay here, lassie, we'll find them."

"I think not!" She swatted his hand away and followed the lights that indicated where the Ranger and the Elf were going. "Come on, Gimli!" Silver lines ran across the ground showing her where the tree roots were so she could run over them, only tripping once or twice as she continued after her friends. She could hear the Dwarf clanking and grumbling away behind her. Through the silver lines of the trees, more of the same black mass was coming towards them. Before she could even utter a warning to her companions, a single black aura cut her off. She screamed as it brought one appendage up and swiped down.

A flash of yellow swiped past her vision and latched onto the black mass. Samora had gotten her teeth into the Uruk-hai's throat and was in the process of ripping its vocal cords out, when she noticed another black shape approaching. Drawing her freshly forged sword, Marina's blood sang through her veins. The Uruk's downward swing was blocked and the vibration shook her whole body and nearly made her drop the blade. Quickly regaining her senses, she dug her heels into the soft dirt and bracken, and brought her staff to jab into his unguarded throat. A flash of light threw both her and the creature backwards. She landed against a tree and watched as the Uruk sailed through the air and skidded away from her, the darkness of its aura slowly draining away. Her eyes widened as they turned down towards her hand. It stung. But she didn't feel any more tired than usual, like she usually did after using any magic. That's when she felt it.

There was a tingling running up her legs from the ground, and her new sight let her see as small silvery lines were drawn across the earth and up her legs to her hand and staff. Now she knew what Legolas had meant when he said he would teach her to draw from the earth around her. Marina's body started to shake, her vision becoming fuzzy and her head felt like it would explode. A blurry dark blue figure moved into her field of sight and came closer. As he made his way towards her, she fell to her knees. Buzzing of the voices of all the little plants she was pulling from filled her head. She became aware of someone touching her as the power from all the plants within twenty feet of her withered and died, still being drawn into her. Black began to creep into the edges of her vision. The smell of sweat and filth filled her nostrils, choking her.

Someone was shaking her, saying something. Once she focused on that, everything eased just enough for her to hear what he was saying. It was Boromir, and he was shouting at her to get up, that they were being surrounded.

Marina let out a grunt of effort as she forced herself to stand. Then, with a mighty cry, she lifted her staff, then down in a fury. The shockwave of power that radiated from the spot where wood met earth was great enough to knock back and kill thirty Uruks that had been converging on them. Immediately, the whispers stopped, as did the buzzing and great pressure that had come from taking too much energy from around her. Slumping against her staff, she nearly fainted then and there. Boromir grasped her arm, shaking her.

"Gracious, child. What mighty power you have been graced with, to have killed so many with a single blow. Come, do not tell me you are tired now. We must find the Hobbits! Come!"

Surely enough, the cries of Merry and Pippin reached them from somewhere to the left. It took a little help from the man beside her, but she managed to stand and stumble behind him. However, with each step, she managed to regain some of her strength. Again, Wilwaren zinged in her hand, calling to be bathed in blood. They fought their way to the Halflings, managing to get to them before any harm befell them. Marina brought them in under her arms, leaving the fighting to the stronger of them, only raising her sword when one managed to slip past the Gondorian captain. They were fighting to get to the rest of the group, which was nowhere in sight.

"Boromir, the horn. Call the others!" Merry called from her side as she felled another Uruk with a quick flurry of stabs.

At the first chance he could, Boromir put his horn to his lips and blew a great blast, surely drawing the attention of the others to them. A few more times he blew, but still no help came. The creatures were closing in on them, and the captain was beginning to tire. More and more of them were slipping past him. Marina knew she could not risk trying the same trick again, lest she completely pass out and be unable to help at all. Another Uruk managed to slip past her guard and managed a deep cut into the meat of her upper arm. She brought her staff up into its elbow, breaking it, then ran it through. The energy that sang up the blade was an ancient one of bloodlust and power. It made her hungry for more, and more did come. Eventually, she was away from the Hobbits, spinning in a dance of death with the creations of evil, hacking them this way and that. Occasionally, one would get in a lucky hit, not that she felt it. At some point, the enemies stopped coming, and her blood slowly stopped boiling in her veins. Then, someone touched her arm, and the pain radiated from it. She spun in place, ready to bring her sword down once again, only to stop when she focused on the light green aura of Pippin cowering away from her. With a gasp, she dropped the sword to the ground and fell to her knees.

"Are you alright?" Merry asked her, coming forward to rest a hand on her shoulder.

With his touch, pain became apparent throughout her body. She felt every single cut and blow she had sustained in the vigorous fighting that had just ensued. It felt as if her wrist might be broken, with the odd bulge that stuck out from the middle of it. "Nothing that won't heal," she assured them. "I'm sorry, Pippin."

"It's alright. You were in a right frenzy there for a bit. Thought you were going to lop my head off."

"No, I'd never-" The sound of a bowstring drawing taunt stopped her mid-sentence. Off in the distance, a dark figure was pointing an even darker object in their direction. Not directly at them, but at the dark blue light that shown to her right. "Boromir!" Her voice reached his ear right as the Uruk loosed his arrow. The twang of the bow was like a knife to her heart as the bolt pierced Boromir's chest. "No!" Marina stumbled trying to get up and run, but the previous battle had exhausted her, she could hardly move, let alone run to the aid of her fellow.

They watched in awe as he brought himself back to his feet and continued to fight. But he was greatly weakened. The next bolt found its mark in his belly, but still he fought. Wildly, Marina swung her sword in an effort to keep the Hobbits safe from the clutches of the Uruks. Another twang brought her attention back to her companion. A third black spot marred the blue of his aura. She screamed for him, as no sound came from his mouth, only gasping breaths as he watched in horror as the Halflings were ripped away from her arms and she was kicked to the ground. The final blow was kick to the back of her head as one of them passed her. It didn't knock her out, but it did daze her for a good few moments, just long enough for the Hobbits to be taken, and for the others to reach them. It was enough that she lay there, unable to hear or see anything with the ringing in her head. She didn't hear Boromir's final words to Aragorn, nor the apology he murmured in her direction. She was barely able to turn her head to the side to look at him right as the last light of his life slipped away into the veil.

And she continued to stare at that spot, still laying there in the dirt and blood.

"Lass! Lass, are ye alright?" the rough grumble of Gimli's voice finally reached her ears as the ringing faded away. He was knelt beside her, and his words brought the attention of the other two to her as well. They ran to her, probably thinking she was dead too with the way she just lay there. Gimli tapped her face with a gloved hand.

"I'm alright," she groaned, trying to sit up. The motion made her dizzy. "At least it wasn't your boot this time." With a huff of a laugh, she put one hand to the back of her head, and the other in the Dwarf's outstretched hand. Once she was sitting up, she remembered the urgency of the situation. "They took the Hobbits!"

"We know," Aragorn told her softly, placing a calming hand on her uninjured arm. "Boromir told us. With his last breaths he bid us find them." There was a sadness marring the bright blue aura to her left.

"What is it? Did he say something else?" she asked, still rubbing the back of her head.

"He apologized," Legolas spoke up. "To you. For not protecting you or the Hobbits."

Tears filled her eyes. "Where is he?" She asked, reaching out in the direction she'd last seen the dark blue spot. Gimli took her hand and helped her stand, long enough for her to move the twenty feet forward to the body of her comrade. Falling beside him, she felt the tears dripping down her cheeks. "There was no apology needed." She whispered to him. "You fought well, good captain." With that, Marina leaned down and pressed her lips to the cooling skin of the man who had saved her life with his own. Against her shoulder, she could feel the dark arrows that had pierced his body, and she felt around until she found the base of the nearest one. As tired as she was, it felt as if it took all her strength to yank it out. But, despite the pain in her wrist and body, she continued with the other two. Once it was done, she wiped her face dry. She sat up straight, "We need to bury him."

"There is no time, lass. We have to go after the Hobbits." Gimli placed his hand on her shoulder, shaking her.

Marina hung her head, fresh tears welling. With a sniffle, she attempted to get up. Halfway to standing, she heard it. The river. "We cannot bury him. But we can give him a warrior's sendoff." Her eyes turned to the others, then she pointed in the direction of the water. Legolas seemed to understand immediately, and he moved past her to pick up Boromir. "We'll put him in a boat, and send him down the river." Then she turned and followed the Elf back down to the embankment.

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Marina stood straight-backed as she heard the water splashing on the sides of the boat as it rocked. She listened to Aragorn prepare the body, and Legolas place him in the boat. Tear flowed freely down her cheeks as she waited. Then, it was time. She heard the Man and Elf push off against the rocks. A big, gloved hand encased hers. She looked to the side and saw the sandstone aura of Gimli beside her.

"He'll suffer no more, lass. Do not cry anymore." She saw what she assumed was his arm reach up and she bent her head towards his hand as he wiped the tears off her face.

She heard another boat sliding against the rocks on the bank. "Hurry," Legolas called, "Frodo and Sam have reached the Eastern shore." He turned and waited for them to follow. When no one moved, he asked Aragorn, "You mean not to follow them?"

"Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands." He stated simply.

Gimli walked towards the other males. "Then it has all been in vain. The Fellowship has failed."

There was a moment of silence as they all gathered together. Aragorn put his hands on Gimli and Legolas's shoulders. "Not if we hold true to each other."

Marina's voice was void of emotion. "They may be on their own path, but they are still dependent on us to help." She told them as she entered the small circle.

"And we will not abandon merry and Pippin to torment and death," Aragorn continued. "Not while we still have breath." He moved away, leaning down to grab something, a knife, Marina soon realize as she heard it against his sheath. "Leave all that can be spared behind. We travel light. Let's hunt some Orc."

The others looked to each other, smiles gracing their faces for the first time, and Gimli excitedly exclaimed before taking off after the Ranger. Legolas took off, only slowing to grab another bundle of arrows from one of the packs. Adjusting her grip on her staff, Marina turned to her furry companion. "Well, think you can sniff them out?" Samora barked happily, then bound ahead of her. Marina shook her head and, with a laugh, she began jogging.

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A/N: And here we finally finish the first movie! Sorry it took forever to get back to this story, I've been a little off lately. I'm out of work sick right now, as is my son, and so I have nothing better to do. As well as with the Mercury Retrograde. Supposedly that's a better time to finish old projects. So far, I've seen that to be true, as I've finished chapters on two or three stories in the last few days.

Read and Review my lovelies

AcaciaDawn