A/N: OOOOOH goodness. It has been a hectic semester but I finally finished this chapter so HOORAY! Now more to the reason for the M rating *wink wink nudge nudge* ...Ahem, annnnyways I hope you all enjoy this chapter and if all goes according to plan it won't be long until chapter 15 is posted.
Now to address some of my lovely readers, First off a big Thank You to all of you who reviewed and now for specifics:
SatanBubbles: Thank you for the correction, I like to avoid spelling mistakes and the like as much as possible! I'm really excited to write the rest of the story with Boromir in it. I think he was such a great character and its a shame he was killed off.
silentmayhem: Thanks so much! I try to keep Rosa fun, there are a lot of dark themes to her background and in the up coming parts of lotr so I want to keep it upbeat as long as I can!
Biku-sensei-sez-meow: I love reading your reviews. As to what happens with Gondor...well you'll just have to keep reading to find out. Hopefully this chapter will sate your want for battle scenes, if not...there will be more to come. Thanks so much for your reviews, I hope they keep coming!
ElvithienAranel: Thank you! You have no idea how happy that makes me! I can't wait to get more into her past and how it unravels with the rest of the story.
~Chapter Fourteen~
The wind whipped about furiously, tugging at Rosa's hair. Rosa didn't mind the wind or the heat, or even the blinding sunlight. She would have gladly endured all three if it meant that she didn't have to get on that horse. She had been staring it down for the past five minutes while Boromir talked with the man she now knew as Eomer.
"We must ride soon, we stopped only momentarily to give the horses rest, however we can spare two horses."
Rosa's attention snapped away from the horse to stare at Eomer in horror. She glanced over at Boromir, "We're not going to, ahem, ride horses are we? I mean...you're injured and...and your stitches, we won't want to..."
"Nonsense, we must reach-
Rosa reached out for Boromir's hand, her eyes locking onto his. He was at first confused by the desperation in her eyes but when they darted to the horse nearby he understood. He turned his hand and laced his fingers through hers. Smiling he turned back towards Eomer, "My thanks, but one horse will be quite enough." Beside him Rosa was violently shaking her head and Eomer chuckled with understanding.
"May this horse bear you to better fortune than his former master, farewell."
Rosa planted her feet firmly in the ground as she watched the men ride away. No way was she willingly getting atop that horse. She felt Boromir squeeze her hand and turned towards him, "Please don't make me get on that horse."
"I'm sorry, Rosa, but-
Rosa pulled her hands away from him trying to get as far away from the horse as possible
"Oh no you don't," Boromir step forward. His legs were much longer than hers and he was easily able to capture her. With one arm around her waist, he pulled her back but she hadn't given up fighting.
"No...please don't!" she squealed as he picked her up and placed her on the horse. A few seconds following. he was sitting behind her using one hand to hold the reigns and the other to stop her squirming.
"There's nothing to be afraid of," he said trying to comfort her, but she would have none of it, she pressed back against him and he took the opportunity to wrap one arm around her and rest his chin upon her shoulder. They were so close he felt her shudder against him as he whispered in her ear, "Just relax, Rosa. I won't let you fall."
Rosa tilted her head so she could see him. He was so close. Her gaze wandered up from his lips to his eyes only to find that they were focused on her own lips. Slowly she started to relax. If she turned a bit more they would be close enough to-
Rosa jumped as the horse nickered, her hands gripping Boromir's thighs for support. Her fear kept her from noticing the smile that spread across Boromir's lips. Shaking his head he asked, "Are you ready?"
"No. Definitely not."
The horse set off at a slow pace but they quickly gained speed until Rosa had her eyes squeezed tightly shut and was chanting mantras in her head trying to calm down. Boromir wasn't sure if he should feel bad for her or laugh.
When they finally came to a stop, Rosa slid of the horse groaning, "Good god why would anyone choose to ride a horse, I don't think I'll sit for a week...I miss my car." Now that they were out in the grassy hills of Rohan they had no option to build a fire and the sun had set hours ago, leaving Rosa at a loss for warmth. She hunkered down on her bedroll, clinging tightly to her blanket. How could it be this cold? They'll find us frozen to the ground weeks from now...
What happened to the fellowship?
One by one they went their separate ways...except for Boromir and Rosa; dumbasses froze to death before the end!
Grumbled at her own thoughts, Rosa rolled over again.
"Rosa?"
She started at the sound of Boromir's voice, "Yes?" His voice was barely louder than a whisper, and the emotion in it made her wish she had already fallen asleep, "I wanted to thank you."
"What for?"
He sighed, "For...many things. I have not been myself. Not worthy of your care, or forgiveness, yet I still wish to ask for it."
Rosa chuckled, "Well I don't think its that bad but sure, I forgive you for making me ride a horse. As long as you don't make me do it again."
When Boromir's laugh rang out it was hollow, forced, and the sound made Rosa's chest ache. She reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze.
"I wish my crime were such a small thing, that could be so easily forgiven," Rosa heard him shift and sat up to look at him, he kneeled before her. The look in his eyes so intense that she wished to look away but could not, "I was foolish, blinded by my own shortsightedness. I... tried to take the ring from Frodo, I could have hurt him, but you stopped me. And when I thought I would not live to see the morrow, you saved me. I could never repay the debt I own you but know this. From this day forward I will protect you with my life, whenever you need me I will be there. I swear it."
Rosa's eyes brimmed with tears from the memory, she was glad that it was too dark for him to see her face. She remembered the battle well, he almost died and the memories alone had been enough to keep her from sleeping at night.
The horn of Gondor echoed in her ears. The only thing louder was the sound of her pounding heart. Rosa clutched her daggers in her sweaty palms, where are they?! The thundering of ground beneath Uruk feet grew louder as they swarmed through the valley. She could feel the fear welling up in her chest. This was it. She was going to die here.
"Run! Run!" Boromir called to her and the hobbits. She shook her head. No. She wouldn't leave him. She wasn't going to let him die. This time it would be different, she would make sure of it. Rosa let out a savage battle cry, the sight of Legolas and Aragorn in the distance renewing her vigor. Slowly but surely she made her way towards Boromir.
The clash of metal against her weapon jarred her, she stumbled backwards falling. Rosa was barely able to roll out of the way as the Uruk-hai's blade swung downward, lopping off a portion of her cloak. Quickly she kicked out at the Uruk's legs, taking advantage of it's stumbling, she jumped forward, one blade slicing across its throat while the other stabbed savagely into his chest over and over. By this point she was panting with the effort to keep moving. When she was finally standing her eyes darted around the battlefield. Where had Boromir gone? The trees dashed by as she ran, when she saw Merry and Pippen drop their stones, horror filled her heart.
"Boromir!"
Her eyes swung across the Uruk-hai strewn battlefield until they rested on Boromir. Without a second of thought her feet carried her forward, but not towards Boromir. Instead she charged at the leader of the Uruk-hai and as soon as distance allowed she threw her body at him, but not before the second arrow had been released. Rosa cried out as she was thrown through the air, colliding painfully against a tree trunk.
Through her blurred vision, Rosa could see the hobbits being carried off. Her aching joints protested as she climbed to her feet. The sound of her compatriots breaking through the horde, gave Rosa hope. Blinking away the pain, she ran as fast as her feet could carry her. The forest was strewn with bodies, making her run more of an amble as she tripped over them and herself in her panicked dash back to the camp.
Her lungs burned as she collapsed on her knees gathering her bag to her. This is what she had saved it for. With her bag securely in her arms she made her way back to Boromir. Her heart was pumping with adrenaline and fear. Could she do this?
You couldn't save him, what makes you think you can save Boromir.
Her chest clenched with doubt as she made it back to Boromir, her eyes resting on the sight of Aragorn leaning over him, "I do not know what strength is in my blood, but I swear to you I will not let the White City fall… nor our people fail!"
"Our people? Our people."
Rosa collapsed beside them, her hands working faster than her thoughts. They were unshaking and confidence filled her. This she knew, this she could do.
"I would have followed you my Brother… my Captain… my King!"
No. I can save him. I WILL!
She shoved Aragorn from his side with anger, "Out of the way. I need to save him."
"Rosa its too late..."
Her eyes were unwavering as she turned towards Aragorn, "I can save him. I can...just help me." Aragorn nodded but his mind was still filled with doubt. Rosa gave a brief smile before assessing Boromir's wounds. There were only two arrows, one in his shoulder, while the other was lower on his chest. She just hoped that it hadn't hit anything important. Her fingers felt for his plus, it was there but barely. Her hands dug into the bag for alcohol and gloves. They didn't have time to sterilize the area. She poured the alcohol over their hands and pulled the gloves on.
Once the cloth was out of the way she looked back at Aragorn, "We'll need to pull the arrow from his chest, just this one but on my mark because as soon as it is removed I need to repair any internal damage as well as stop the bleeding. I'll need you to soak the blood up with these," she threw the cloths at him, "so that I can see what I'm doing." Aragorn nodded his understanding.
"Are you ready?"
"Rosa? Did you hear me?"
"I..what? Yes, sorry...I was...thinking."
"We're not far from the village and there we can stop for supplies and rest."
Rosa perked up at his words, "Rest? Like in a real bed?"
Boromir chuckled, "Yes, in a real bed." Rosa was so relieved that she did not complain about riding a horse the rest of the day. Her mood did not last. They could see the smoke in the distance before they heard the screams or saw the flames. Both Uruk-hai and man swarmed the village, killing and burning everything in sight.
"We have to help them!"
Boromir gripped the reigns tightly, "We're outnumbered."
"That's never stopped us before!"
"There were more of us before."
Rosa quickly slipped off the horse and out of his reach, running into the village, with an angry Boromir trailing behind her. He left the horse at a safe distance, taking only their weapons. He would be sure to berate her later for leaving hers behind. What had she expected to do with only her bare hands?
What he didn't know was that she was not empty handed. No, her hands were holding a familiar friend that she was quite proficient with. Her gun.
Hidden behind the side of thatched-roof building, she scoped the battle field. There were less than she originally thought but still far to many for her to take on by herself. Her gun would be easy enough to use against the men, they didn't have helmets. The Uruk-hai would be a different story. As she made to dart around the corner of the building she felt a hand grab her and pull her back against the building.
Instantly her gun was up and ready but instead of a monster she was met with Boromir's angry green eyes.
"Jesus, Boromir, you scared me!"
He furrowed his brow and roughly grabbed her hand, placing her forgotten weapons in her palm.
"Oh...my bad."
"Your," an exasperated sigh escaped him, this woman would be the death of him. He watched a skittish smile grace her lips before she darted around the building, "Rosa?!"
She didn't waste time shooting the first man in sight. Her movements were smooth, efficient. Aim. Fire. Aim. Fire. She didn't bother aiming for anything other than their heads. Within a minute she had dropped the number by nearly a third but at the same time she was out of ammo. The noise of the gunfire had drawn all the Uruk-hai towards her and Boromir. Dropping the gun she drew her blades and took a few steps back, attempting to calm herself.
She needed to use her head in this battle or they would be dead in minutes. Though well on the mend, Boromir wasn't at full strength and she wouldn't let him tear his stitches just because she recklessly ran into the battle. Shaking her head of thoughts she glanced around to look for anything to use to her advantage. Her eyes rested on the fire. Running forward she dropkicked the Uruk, who fell back into two others. Once on the ground she rolled to the left, lifting a flaming stick and throwing it into the pile of Uruks that were getting to their feet.
The screech that followed was more than painful to her ears, ignoring it she scrambled to her feet to see Boromir in full swing. It was an amazing sight, she could hardly tell that he was injured by the way he moved. With blade in hand he charged forward, using his shield as just as much a weapon as the sword. She chuckled to herself he was like a battering ram.
Her small reverie was interrupted by the scream of a woman near by, alerting her to the Uruk-hai that was charging at her from behind. Rosa dropped to her knees, swinging her blades across his legs, then somersaulting to the side as he fell to a heap where she had previously been standing. She finished him off swiftly before turning back to the woman to give her nod of thanks.
Then she was off again running to assist Boromir in anyway she could, which was mostly just providing the Uruk-hai with another target.
"Hey, Ugly! Over here!"
The Uruk-hai snorted in her direction, but instead of one, three charged at her. With a yelp she ran to the side, "Don't insult their looks, Boromir. It's apparently a touchy subject!"
She could hear his laughter ring out as he finished off yet another. Her eyes took in the pile of bodies around him and she smiled, if this was a contest...she was losing badly. Quickly, she ran around the corner of, surprisingly, a house that wasn't burning. Leaping onto a crate and then onto the roof, Rosa held her blades in the air running to the edge yelling, "Death from above!" as she jumped from the roof sinking her blades into the shoulders of an Uruk, simultaneously killing him and using his body as a landing mat. The other two Uruks turned back in her direction and she yanked her daggers from the dead Uruk.
"Let's dance."
Rosa let out a deep breath and let them come to her. Her mind was reeling with all the things that Boromir and Aragorn had taught her. As the first one came crashing towards her she used the strength of his swing against him, stepping to the side as she stabbed her blade into his side. Twisting it she spun to the right as the second Uruk's blade passed by her. She could feel the wind from the force of his blade against her face and shuttered. Too close.
Boromir's hand brushed against her back as he moved past her, his blade whistled through the air and came to rest in a deadly blow to the Uruk-hai that had nearly chopped her head off. When he turned back to her she gave a gasp of surprise as he pushed her back against the building, his shield and sword laying on the ground where he had just been standing. His lips pressed hard against hers with a fervor and desperation that she had never felt from anyone before. One hand tugged her against him and the other twisted its way into her hair. In response she arched her body into his, opening her mouth to his urging tongue. It wasn't long before they were battling for dominance.
When he finally pulled away his hand moved up to her face, gently brushing her hair back, "Don't you ever do that again."
Before she had a chance to respond his mouth was on hers again but this time it was gentle and soft. Slowly it grew to more. She was pulling him closer and his hands were lifting her up to his waist. He pressed her harder against the wall and groaned as she ground her hips into his. His hands tugged her shirt out of her pants sliding up under the cloth. Rosa moaned into his mouth as his hand cupped her breast. When he started to pull away she gave a soft whimper, "Don't stop."
He gave a small growl as his mouth moved off hers and down to her neck, kissing down until he found her sweet spot. Rosa moaned bucking her hips again. His hands moved up again grazing her peaked nipples. She barely contained a moan as his warm hands massaged her breasts. With a muffled grunt he rocked his hips against hers until her whimpers of pleasure were too much. Slowly he pulled away, resting his forehead on her own, both panting as he slowly put her clothes back to the way they were. With a shiver he let her back onto the and took a large step back, "We...we should leave soon. The King must be informed, if he does not already know."
Rosa was stunned into silence, she wasn't sure what she had expected him to say...but that certainly wasn't it. She managed a feeble, "Okay," before she turned away to pick up her weapons.
What did you think he would do? Give some sort of declaration of love?
Of course not.
Rosa marched back to the horse, angry at herself for acting like a horny teenager.
You are a grown woman, Dammit! Get your shit together!
"Rosa, are you all right?"
"What? Yes! Of course. I'm fine. Fine. Why wouldn't I be?"
Boromir raised an eyebrow at her, "Would you like me to help you onto the horse?"
Rosa looked angrily at the horse then back to Boromir, her eyes darted down to his hands. His large, warm hands...
"No...no, its fine."
She stomped up to the horse. She could do this. I can do this. It's just a...very large...beast. That could easily throw me off.
RIGHT. I can do this!
Placing her foot into the stirrup and her hand on the horn, she pulled herself up onto the horse. Sitting uncertainly on the top of the horse she turned and gave Boromir a look of triumph. He only smiled at her and climbed up onto the horse. Once he was settled in behind her, Rosa shifted uncomfortably.
Was he always sitting this close to her?
Did the movement of the horse always rock their bodies together?
Clenching her teeth Rosa attempted to move forward but only succeeding in wiggling against Boromir's lap which earned her a tighter grip and his lips against her ear as he whispered, "Stop that," in a husky voice. She could feel his heated breath on her neck as his lips brushed against her skin. It was all she could do to keep from slumping against him and giving in to his touch as his hand slipped into her shirt.
"B-Boromir..."
His arm tightened around her, "Yes?" he murmured against her neck.
"I...I can see someone in...in the distance."
He nuzzled against her neck, his hand working its way up to her breasts, "So?"
"Bo-Boromir, stop. I can't think straight." She felt rather than heard the chuckle rumble through his chest, "That does not sound like a bad thing to me." Rosa pulled away and smacked his arm, "Seriously!"
Grumbling Boromir pulled away and looked into the distance, the rider was moving swiftly, and in their direction. Rosa leaned forward squinting in her seat as Boromir opened his mouth to say, "Is that-
Rosa perked up in the saddle, "Gandalf!"
A/N: As always please Review! Thoughts, comments, questions, critiques, everything is welcome! :)
