Chapter Four
A/N: So sorry this took so long! I've been busy with exams, which are thankfully over, and I've given you guys a nice long chapter.
Anna snapped back to reality, feeling weighed down once again by the memories that she couldn't escape. Suddenly, she heard someone approaching, and quickly wiped the tears from her face. She turned around and began to walk away when she heard a familiar voice behind her.
"Anna?" Boromir said softly. Crap, she thought. She turned around, putting on a casual smile.
"Hello," she said. "How did you find me here?" she asked.
"I was simply wandering," he said, looking out over the balcony. "I needed some air with all the noise and crowds in there I suppose." He looked back up at her, and his brow furrowed with concern. "What's wrong?" he asked, seeing her tear-stained face.
"Oh, nothing," she said sighing, putting on a fake smile once again. "I'm just a bit overwhelmed I suppose." Boromir did not look convinced.
"I know I certainly have no right to pry, given that I have only known you a day," he said. "But I see the look on your face now." He took a step closer to her, and she backed away from him, turning away and leaning over the railing of the balcony. Boromir stepped back, taken aback by her sudden, almost instinctive reaction. "You have seemed in distress ever since you arrived here. At first I assumed it was merely your confusion at your sudden appearance, but I believe now it is more than that."
She was surprised by his insight, and made a bit uncomfortable by it. He dared to step closer to her again, resting a hand gently on her shoulder. She whipped her head around to look at him. He saw the hurt in her eyes, the obvious pain, and looked he looked back up at her again. "I know this is a strange place to you," he said. "But you are not alone here. Remember that."
And with that, he removed his hand and walked away, leaving her there again.
She didn't know what possessed her to do it, maybe it was the pain she saw in his eyes as well, but she called out to him.
"Boromir," she said. He turned around. Suddenly she was at a loss for words. "Thank you," she said finally. He nodded, giving her a small smile before walking away. After he had turned his back, she allowed herself her own small smile, this one genuine.
That night she slept fitfully, drifting in and out of sleep.
"I'm so sorry," he said to her. He had shown up that day at the door with flowers and a fake apology. "I wasn't myself the other night Anna, I wish I could take back what I did, I really do." His apology sounded genuine. "Please, just give me another chance. Please?"
Unfortunately she bought it, and she moved back in. After two more months of beatings, manipulations, and false apologies, Anna was back at Rachel's doorstep, but this time Rachel didn't want to hear it.
"Rachel, please, I didn't know! I bought it, I know I shouldn't have, but-"
"Save it Anna," Rachel said harshly. "I told you he was bad news, I told you over and over again and you never listened. Now you want my help? What's going to happen the next time he shows up with another fake apology?" Anna had tears in her eyes, feeling terrible about herself. She should have listened to Rachel. "Find somewhere else to go, Anna." And with that, she shut the door.
Anna got back into her car, angry. She was angry with Rachel for her sudden heartlessness, but she was angrier at herself for being fooled. She sat in her car and sobbed, letting everything from the past year and a half out. She was destitute, and utterly alone.
Anna woke up suddenly, realizing she had tears running down her face again. She looked around, realizing again where she was. She was slightly calmed by the view she had of the stars and the sounds of crickets outside. She wiped the tears from her face and, exhausted, let herself sink back into the soft bed, finally surrendering to sleep.
When she woke up, the sun was shining, and she heard birds chirping. She smiled at the beautiful atmosphere, and then groaned, not wanting to get out of the bed, which had become ten times more comfortable than it was the night before. There was a knock on her door, and, still groggy, she grudgingly hauled herself out of bed.
She opened the door to find Lauriel standing there, a strained smile on her face.
"It's almost time," she said. Anna blinked, still sleepy, and then widened her eyes as she realized what today was. "Come on," Lauriel said. "Get dressed. You don't want to be late, do you?"
Without another word, Anna nodded and rushed to the wardrobe, throwing on a simple pale blue dress and slippers, arguably much more comfortable than what she had worn the night before. After running a brush through her knotted hair and deciding she was presentable enough, she dashed out the door. She began to walk down the corridor when it hit her that she had absolutely no idea where she was going.
She felt a tap on her shoulder, and turned around to see Lauriel standing behind her with a smirk.
"Need help?" she asked with a chuckle. Anna nodded, embarrassed. "Come with me," Lauriel said, walking down the hall with a charismatic air.
After about only ten or so minutes, they reached a large, open courtyard with about twenty chairs assembled in a semi-circle, with Elrond in an elaborately carved chair facing the rest. There were already about ten people seated. She recognized Frodo across from the doorway she was standing in, along with an old, bearded man sitting next to him, seeming almost as if he was guarding him. She gave Frodo a small smile, seeing the nervous look on his face, and he returned it, or at least made an effort to. She also noticed Boromir seated across from Frodo with his back to her. He must have seen Frodo look up, because he then turned around.
"Good morning," he said, gesturing for her to sit down. She walked into the semi-circle, somewhat self-conscious, and sat down next to Boromir. She also recognized Strider sitting two seats over from Boromir, closest to Elrond, and Gimli, along with an older, white-haired dwarf.
"Welcome, Anna," Elrond said. She nodded politely. "It seems we are still waiting on quite a few people," he said, although just as he did, several other people walked in.
"How did you sleep?" Boromir asked, seeing the nervous look on Anna's face.
She looked at him, forcing a smile, although it ended up as more of a grimace.
"Not very well," she admitted. "I suppose it's not easy adjusting to this place, as beautiful as it is." He nodded understandingly.
They made small talk for a few minutes, with Strider remaining silent the entire time, every once in a while glancing at them out of the corner of his eye.
Without further ado, Elrond stood and began to speak.
"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle-Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate–this one doom." Elrond waved his hand, gesturing to the small pedestal in the center of the courtyard. "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo," he said.
Frodo anxiously walked to the pedestal, and placed the ring on it, turning quickly and going back to his seat, as if he were glad to be rid of it. Anna realized she had been holding her breath, and she let it out, gripping the sides of her chair, her knuckles turning white. She was no Lord of the Rings expert, but she knew what the ring did, and how powerful it was. She looked towards Boromir, remembering also how the ring had corrupted him. She saw the look of awe on his face as he raised his hand to his mouth in shock.
"So it is true," he said, almost in a whisper.
She was surprised to see that Boromir actually looked troubled by the ring, seeming to shy away from it. Then, with a pained look on his face, he slowly stood up, and she tensed.
"In a dream, I saw the eastern sky grow dark," he began. "In the west, a pale light lingered. A voice was crying, 'Your doom is near at hand.'" He began to move towards the ring slowly, and Anna saw Elrond and several others, especially the old man next to Frodo, tense as well. "Isildur's bane is found." His hand began to reach for the ring, and Anna wanted to get up and stop him, but found herself unable to move. "Isildur's bane…"
Just as Boromir was about to touch the ring, the old man next to Frodo jumped up and began to chant in a language she had never heard before. The sky grew dark and Boromir quickly backed away, as if stepping out of a trance. She saw Frodo clutch his head in pain, and she herself felt like she was going to pass out, and she collapsed back in her chair. The man, who she now assumed was Gandalf, the wizard, stopped chanting, and the scenery returned to normal, and the wave of nausea that had come over her passed. She looked to her side to see that Boromir was back in his seat, looking still shaken.
"Never before has anyone uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris," Elrond said sternly.
"I do not ask your pardon Master Elrond," Gandalf said. "For the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the west. The ring is altogether evil," he finished, his glance landing on Boromir. She looked over at him again, and he seemed to have more than recovered from the effects of Gandalf's speech. He stood up again, this time not hesitant whatsoever, and Anna put her face in her hands in a vain attempt to avoid the scene she knew was about to play out.
"It is a gift," Boromir began, now sounding confident, powerful. He was speaking in a voice that Anna not only recognized, but hated. "A gift to the foes of Mordor! Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe!" He began to raise his voice, and Anna looked up, glaring at him. "Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy, let us use it against him!"
She cringed as he said this. She knew his heart was in the right place, at least for now. She could tell how desperate he was to protect his home - and that perhaps that was the sadness she had seen in him the night before. Still, this was not the man she had met the day before. He was changed. She had seen the same change before, and she was suddenly repulsed by him.
Suddenly Strider spoke up.
"You cannot wield it," he said. "None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master." Boromir turned to face him, a nasty scowl on his face.
"And what would a ranger know of this matter?" he taunted. A new wave of anger surged, and she hated him in that moment.
"He is no mere ranger." Anna turned to face Legolas, who had spoken. "He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn." She looked back at Aragorn. "You owe him your allegiance," Legolas said. Boromir walked towards Aragorn.
"Aragorn?" he said mockingly. Anna was becoming increasingly angry. "This is Isildur's heir?"
"An heir to the throne of Gondor." Everyone turned around to face Legolas, shocked by his insult, however Anna was impressed, knowing what a blow he had dealt Boromir.
"Havo dad, Legolas," Aragorn said in a calm voice, gesturing for him to sit down. Boromir turned his venomous gaze back to Aragorn.
"Gondor has no king," he said. "Gondor needs no king." With that, he finally returned to his seat. After a moment he looked over at Anna, seeming calmer, but she avoided his gaze, not wanting to so much as look at him. Slightly hurt, he looked down, but she felt no pity for him.
"Aragorn is right," Gandalf said. "We cannot use it." Boromir looked further dejected, but Anna only shot him a glare before looking away again.
Elrond stood. "We have no other choice," he said in a commanding tone. "The ring must be destroyed."
"Well then what are we waiting for?" Gimli piped up. He stepped towards the pedestal, despite Legolas trying to stop him, and swung his axe down, only to be thrown back.
"The ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, by any craft that we here possess," Elrond said. "The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came." He paused. "One of you must do this. No pressure, Anna thought.
"One does not simply walk into Mordor," Boromir said. Anna looked at him harshly, but his tone had changed. He was beginning to make sense again, the comment seeming to come from some actual common sense. "Its black gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep and the great eye is ever watchful. 'Tis a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this," he continued, shaking his head. "It is folly."
When he had so recently sounded vicious, he now sounded merely hopeless.
"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?" Legolas said, standing up. "The ring must be destroyed!"
"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" Gimli accused.
"And what if we fail then?" Boromir said, standing again. "What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?" Anna began to see that Boromir's harshness had stemmed from something that was not greed, but hopelessness and fear, although that did not, at the moment, make her any less angry with him.
Chaos ensued, with nearly everyone beginning to argue, shouting at each other, flinging insults back and forth. Amidst the fighting Anna spotted Frodo across from her, still sitting, and looking incredibly overwhelmed. Suddenly, he stood slowly.
"I will take it!" he shouted, although no one heard him besides Gandalf, who closed his eyes, clearly upset. "I will take it!" Frodo shouted again. This time, people heard him. "Though...I do not know the way." Anna felt another wave of pity for the poor hobbit, and yet she admired his bravery. Gandalf then stepped up.
"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear."
Aragorn then stepped forward and knelt down in front of Frodo.
"If by my life or death I can protect you, I will. You have my sword."
"And you have by bow," Legolas added.
"And my axe," Gimli joined in.
Boromir then stepped forward, and Anna tensed.
"You carry the fate of us all little one," he said. "If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done," he added with a curt nod. Anna was surprised at his words, but she was not convinced that he had changed his mind so quickly.
Although she was hesitant, and knew she would probably not be of much help, Anna could think of no other purpose for why she was in Middle Earth. She stepped forward calmly, not needing to fully kneel to be eye to eye with Frodo.
"Frodo," she said. "I know I have only known you for a short time, but I have already seen your courage. I can think of no other purpose for my appearance here other than to accompany you and help you in any way I can. I may not have skill with any sword or bow, or axe," she said, smirking at Gimli. "But I will help you bear this burden, if you will have me." Frodo smiled at this, this time a genuine one.
"I would be honored to have you," he said. She smiled back at him, and stood with the rest of the group.
"Mr. Frodo's not goin' anywhere without me!" she heard a voice pipe up. Suddenly, Sam came dashing into the courtyard from a pair of bushes, which he had apparently been hiding in the whole time.
"No indeed it is hardly possible to separate you, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not," Elrond said sternly. They looked at him only to find that he had an amused smirk on his face.
Merry and Pippin also suddenly came bounding into the courtyard from behind two pillars.
"Oy!" Pippin chimed in. "We're coming too!"
"And you'll have to send us home all tied up in a sack to stop us!" Merry added. Anna couldn't help but smile at the hobbits' devotion to their friend, not to mention the comical air they couldn't help but carry with them.
"Anyway," Pippin said. "You need people of intelligence on this sort of mission...quest...thing!" Merry shot him a look.
"Well that rules you out Pip!"
Elrond looked over all of them.
"Ten companions," he said. "So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."
"Great!" Pippin exclaimed. "Where are we going?" Everyone turned to look at him quizzically, and Merry thumped him on the back of the head.
By the time everyone had dispersed, Anna was already exhausted. She had no idea what this journey held, but she knew it wouldn't exactly be fun. After she had left the courtyard and was walking down the corridor when she heard a voice from behind her.
"That was very brave of you to join Frodo." She whipped around at the sound of Boromir's voice. She stopped in her tracks. "Especially since arriving in this strange place." She forced herself to turn and look at him. He had been leaning against a rail, but he turned to her and began to walk towards her. He looked like himself again, although now she wasn't sure if this was the real Boromir, or the vile man she had seen in the courtyard. She knew from what she had seen of the movies that the ring could corrupt even the best of people, but she wasn't taking any chances with him. "What is it?" he asked, seeing the cold look in her eyes.
"Leave me alone," she said. It came out sounding more venomous than she had intended, but she wasn't sorry. She turned on her heel and sped in the opposite direction, leaving Boromir dumbfounded.
A/N: My last chapter only got one review :/. I really appreciate your feedback, and it really motivates me to write more, so please review! Thank you!