Chapter 17 Departing
They pulled the boats up to the shore to take some rest. Frodo was still haunted by the image he had seen in the mirror. His friends,
everything he held dear, gone. Sam, Pippin, Merry, enslaved, the Shire burned. Mariell tortured until she begged for death. He couldn't
let the ring touch them. He had only one choice. He had to leave the fellowship. He did not want to but he knew there was only one
choice. He had seen the look in Boromir's eyes. The ring was calling to him. It was only a matter of time before he took it. Galadriel had
told him it would happen. "Mr. Frodo," Sam said beside him. Frodo looked over at his friend. Dear Sam, Frodo thought. You cannot
understand why I must do this.
"You're not eating or sleeping," Sam said. "You think I don't notice but I do. I'm here to help you"
"You can't help me Sam," Frodo said sadly. "Not this time." He glanced over at Mariell. My dear sister, you have suffered so much
because of me. This is the only way I can protect you. Taking a final glance around Frodo got to his feet. He would have liked to say
goodbye but it was hard enough already. He did not know how long he had walked before he heard the voice.
"None of should wonder alone," the Gondorian said as he gathered wood. "You least of all. So much depends on you." Frodo glared at
Boromir. He knew what the man wanted.
"Frodo?" Boromir said. He moved closer to Frodo as he spoke. "I know why you seek solitude. You suffer I see it day by day. You
sure you do not suffer needlessly." Frodo did not speak but continued to stare at him watching his every move.
"There are other ways Frodo. Other paths that we might take"
"I know what you would say," Frodo finally spoke. "And it would seem like wisdom but for the warning in my heart"
"Warning?" Boromir said looking confused. "Against what? We're all afraid, Frodo. But to let that fear drive us to destroy what we might
have, don't you see it is madness"
"There is no other way." Now the man seemed to get angry. He tossed the wood he'd been gathering down as he spoke.
"I ask only for the strength to defend my people. If you would but lend me the ring"
"No!" Frodo said sharply pulling away. This only angered Boromir further.
"Why do you recoil I am no thief"
"You are not yourself," Frodo told him. This was it. This was what Galadriel had warned him about. The ring had possessed Boromir's
mind and he was going to try to take it from him.
"What chance do you think you have?" Boromir demanded of him. "They will find you. They will take the ring and you will beg for death
before the end." Frodo could hear no more of this. He turned and walked away from the man.
"You fool!" Boromir shouted at him. "It is not yours save by unhappy chance. It could have been mine." Now the man was coming after
him. Frodo did the only thing he could do. He ran and Boromir chased him. The man was upon him in a moment.
"It should have been mine. Give it to me. Give it to me!" Frodo struggled against the big man as he pawed at Frodo's chest. Frodo's
hand closed over the ring as Boromir tried to take it. There was only one way out of this mess. He slipped the ring onto his finger. From
the look of surprise on Boromir's face Frodo knew he was invisible. Not wasting a moment he shoved the man off of him and hurried
away. He paused when he heard the man screaming at him. He hid himself behind a tree and pulled off the ring.
"You will take the ring to Sauron! You will betray us! You will go to your death and the death of us all! Curse you! Curse you and all the
halflings!" Frodo felt a stab of sorrow as he watched the man rant. He knew it was not Boromir who spoke. It was the ring. He had not
known the man long but he had seen enough to know that deep down Boromir was an honorable and brave man. Frodo silently cursed
the ring and it's evilness that turned good beings into devils. "Boromir," he heard Mariell's voice. No, he thought. Mariell stay away from
him, he's dangerous. He saw his sister come from behind. She must have seen the insanity in Boromir's eyes for she quickly reached for
her sword. Boromir was too quick for her and pounced on her like an animal. Frodo watched in horror as Boromir knocked her to the
ground.
"You bitch!" he yelled at her. "You should have been mine! You will be mine!" Frodo watched helplessly as Mariell struggled against the
man who was attempting to rape her. Mariell was attempting to get at her sword but Boromir had her arms pinned. "Hey!" he yelled
stepping out from his hiding place.
"Leave her alone!" Frodo yelled at Boromir. The man turned and saw him. Releasing Mariell he turned on Frodo and attacked him.
Frodo tried to run but the man was upon him in seconds. "She will be mine," Boromir hissed. Frodo held tight to the ring as Boromir tried
to pry it from his hand. Suddenly he heard a thump and saw Boromir's eyes roll back in his head. The man's body was shoved off of him.
He saw Mariell holding her sword. She must have hit Boromir on the head with the hilt. She picked Frodo up from the ground and
together they ran away into the forest.
Mariell's heart was racing. She couldn't believe what had just happened. She had never trusted Boromir but never in her life would she
have believed him capable of such a violent act against her. He would have raped her if Frodo had not stopped him. He would have
taken the ring from Frodo had she not collected herself and hit him over the head. She didn't know if she'd killed the man or just
knocked him unconscious but at this point she didn't really care. She looked over at Frodo who sat on a rock with his head bowed. She
went to him and knelt before him.
"Are you all right?" she asked him. Frodo looked up with tears in his eyes. She gathered him into a tight hug.
"Dear sweet Mariell," he said. "Always thinking of others before yourself." Mariell smiled against his curly hair. Frodo pulled away from
her and stared into her eyes.
"I have to leave the fellowship," he said. Mariell opened her mouth to protest but Frodo placed a hand over her mouth.
"It's the only way Mariell. Look what just happened. My presence is endangering all of you. This quest is mine alone." Mariell wanted to
deny it but she knew he was right. Boromir would never have done what he did if not for the ring's influence. It was not he that did these
things. It was the ring. And there was no guarantee that one of the others would not try to hurt Frodo to get it. It broke her heart to let her
brother go but she knew it was the only way. Their destinies lay along different paths.
"Frodo?" a voice said behind them. Without thinking Mariell pushed Frodo behind her and drew her sword. Aragorn stared at her in
bewilderment.
"Mariell, what is going on"
"It has taken Boromir," Frodo said from behind her. "He tried to rape Mariell." "Where is the ring?" Aragorn said angrily. "Stay away
from him!" Mariell shouted pointing her sword directly at his chest. She prayed that the ranger would not see her hands shaking. She
loved the man and she did not want to kill him, but if he tried to hurt Frodo she would cut his throat without blinking. Aragorn raised his
hands and looked at her curiously.
"I swore to protect him," the ranger said.
"Can you protect him from yourself?" Frodo stepped from behind her and pushed her sword down. He approached the ranger.
"Would you destroy it?" he asked holding out the ring. Mariell's heart was in her throat as she watched Aragorn kneel before Frodo. She
sucked in her breath as he reached for the ring. Please, Elbereth, she prayed. Do not let Aragorn make the same mistake as his ancestor.
She released her breath as Aragorn closed Frodo's hands over the ring.
"I would have gone with you to the end. Into the very fires of Mordor," the ranger said. "I know," Frodo said. "Take care of the others,
especially Sam, he will not understand." Mariell felt a tear flow down her cheek. It was then that she looked down at Frodo's sword. It
was blue.
"Run Frodo!" Aragorn said. He saw it too. Frodo looked at her as Aragorn drew his sword.
"Go!" Mariell shouted. Frodo took off as Mariell followed Aragorn. Coming toward them was a huge army of beasts. They were
different than the orcs in Moria. Bigger, and they traveled in the day which regular orcs could not. No, they were not orcs. They were
Urak Hai. She pulled her dagger from her belt and hurled it at one while Aragorn chopped the head off another. Everything was a blur as
they battled the beasts. She was aware of Legolas and Gimli joining them at one point. Her arms grew weary but she continued to fight.
These Uraks were after Frodo and they had to keep them back so Frodo could get away. She cried out as an Urak drove his blade into
her shoulder. She stabbed it even as it drove the blade deeper. She reached up to the wound and found it not as bad as she had thought.
It was very odd, but she had no time to contemplate for a noise was heard.
"The call of Gondor," Legolas said.
"Boromir," Aragorn shouted. Mariell sighed with relief. Despite what he'd done she was glad the man was alive.
"Aragorn go!" Legolas shouted. Legolas, Gimli, and herself continued to fight as Aragorn ran to help Boromir. Mariell continued to fight
until all but a few Uraks were left. Assured that Gimli and Legolas could handle the last of them, she took off after Aragorn. She ran in the
direction that the call of Gondor had come. She stopped dead in her tracks as she her eyes held a horrid sight. Boromir lay with three
arrows in his chest while Aragorn battled an enormous Urak. Before she could go to help him her breath was cut off as an Urak seized
her from behind. She struggled for all she was worth but it was to no avail. The Urak had her sword arm pinned. She gasped as it
crushed her ribs. Then all of a sudden the she was released and dropped to the ground. She whipped her head around and saw a sword
embedded in the Urak's skull. She turned in astonishment and saw Boromir standing there. The man gasped and crumpled to the ground.
Mariell couldn't move or breathe as shocked as she was. Boromir had saved her life! She turned her head and saw Aragorn hack off the
head of the creature that had dealt Boromir his mortal wounds. His eyes met hers for only a moment then he turned to Boromir. After a
moment Mariell went to them.
"They took the little ones," Boromir gasped. Mariell's heart squeezed painfully. Merry, Pippin. Her cousins were in the hands of those
beasts.
"Where is Frodo?" Boromir said.
"I let Frodo go," Aragorn said.
"Then you did what I could not." His eyes turned and met Mariell's.
"Forgive me," he begged her. Mariell knelt beside the man. She could not hate him for what he had done to her. It had been the ring only.
Surely, this man had redeemed himself by coming to Merry and Pippin's aid and for saving her own life. She knew that his death was
rapidly approaching and before he died she had to grant him forgiveness for his indiscretions. "You saved my life Boromir. I hold no ill
will against you," she said. Boromir reached his hand out and she took it in both hands. Together Aragorn and she sat as Boromir
breathed gasped.
"Promise me," he implored Aragorn. "You will not let the White City fall to ruin"
"I do not know what weakness lies in my blood," Aragorn said. "But I swear to you, I will bring glory to our people"
"Our people," Boromir whispered. Mariell felt almost as though she was intruding on the two men of Gondor, but Boromir squeezed her
hand so tightly that she could not leave him. "Where is his sword?" Aragorn asked her. Mariell pulled her hand free and rushed to retrieve
Boromir's sword. They placed the sword in his hand and laid it on his chest.
"I would have followed you to the end," Boromir pledged. "My brother, my captain, my king." Tears fell from Mariell's eyes as
Boromir's eyes closed and his face relaxed into an expression of peace.
"Be at peace, son of Gondor." Mariell looked up and saw Legolas and Gimli come from the woods. She saw the grief on their faces as
they took in their fallen comrade. Aragorn stood up.
"They will look for his coming in the White City. He will not return." Mariell wanted to take Aragorn in her arms as she saw the tear run
from his eye. The remaining members of the fellowship loaded Boromir's body into one of the boats and sent him over the falls. Mariell
noticed one of the boats missing. Frodo must have taken it. She looked across the river and saw him come onto the opposite shore. She
saw that Sam was with him. She was glad that Frodo did not go alone.
"Hurry," Legolas said pushing the last boat into the river. "Frodo and Sam will have reached the shore." Aragorn made no move as he
tied Boromir's vambraces onto his wrists. A reminder of his promise to their fallen comrade. Legolas turned to the ranger.
"You mean not to follow them"
"Frodo's fate no longer lies in our hands." "Then it has all been for nothing," Gimli grumbled. "The fellowship has failed." Mariell turned to
look at Aragorn. Had they failed? They were still alive, weren't they? What about Merry and Pippin? They could still help them couldn't
they?
"Not if we hold true to each other," Aragorn said. He met her eyes as he placed one hand on Legolas's shoulder and the other on
Gimli's.
"We will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torture and death. Not while we have strength left in us." A smile broke out on Mariell's face.
They were not beaten yet. Her path was separate from Frodo's but her quest was by no means over.
"Leave all that can be spared," Aragorn said tucking his knife into his belt. "We travel light. Let's hunt some orc"
"Yes!" Gimli shouted. Gimli and Legolas followed after Aragorn but Mariell stood for a moment looking at the opposite shore.
"Take care of him Sam," she whispered. "He's in your protection now." She said a silent prayer that Frodo would return to her safely
and then turned and hurried after her companions.