CHAPTER 8
DUNHARROW
Samantha's POV
I ran out of Denethor's hall, tears spilling down my face, and found Boromir outside, "Your father's gone mad! He's sent Faramir back to Osgiliath….to his death!"
Boromir looked at me is disbelief. "What!" he yelped, "No! I will not stand for this, I'm following him." He began to fast-walk off. I followed him into the armory where he put on his armor hastily then headed toward the stables. I arrived just as he mounted Mikayla, "Boromir, you can't go, you'll die!"
He looked down at me, "Better me than my brother." He flicked the reins, "Hurry Mikayla!" He rode off, leaving me in the dust, "Boromir, no, Boromir!" I called desperately as he disappeared out through the large gates.
Elizabeth's POV
We galloped into a large camp beneath a cover of trees, which was inhabited by men, horse and tents. King Théoden acknowledged a Marshall of Rohan.
"Grimbold, how many?"
"I bring five-hundred men from the Westfold, my lord."
Then another Marshall said, "We have three hundred more from Fenmarch, Théoden, king." The king smiled half-heartedly and we rode on toward the camp.
"Where are the riders from Snowbourne, Gamling?"
Gamling shook his head and said grimly, "None have come, my lord."
We joined Théoden looking over the bluff; below us were thousands of men and horses. Many small campfires covered the valley in a twilight glow.
"Six-thousand spears….less than half of what I have hoped for….."
"Six-thousand will not be enough to break the lines of Mordor." Aragorn said.
"More will come," I said, "I'm sure."
I looked up at Théoden who slightly smiled. I smiled back.
"Every hour lost hastens Gondor's defeat. We have till dawn. Then we must ride." Aragorn said.
Théoden nodded. The horses whinnied loudly in the distance and I looked behind me at the looming mountain before we headed down to the camp. It was evening and Legolas, Gimli, and I moved through the camp. The horses reared in terror as the Rohan soldiers tried to quiet them. We then turned our gaze to a group of Rohan soldiers; they sat hunched, no one speaking. We then turned to Eomer who was unsaddling his horse, "The horses are restless…..and the men are quiet?" Legolas said.
"They grow nervous in the shadow of the mountain…." Eomer said.
My eyes traveled to look at a group of ancient standing stones that marked the entrance of a road leading away from the encampment and into the mountain.
"Where does that road lead?" I asked.
"It is the road to the Dimholt, the door under the mountain." Eomer explained, "None who venture there ever return…that mountain is evil."
I looked up at Aragorn who stared at the road, appearing to be in some kind of trance.
"Aragorn!" Gimli began; the man snapped out of his trance and peered down at the dwarf.
"Let's find some food." Gimli said. I smiled, and then realized how hungry I was. I ate a quick meal and hung out with Legolas and Gimli outside their tent. I sat on a rock and slumped my cheek in my enclosed fist and sighed deeply. I stared straight ahead of me and began to zone out and daydream, about a certain strawberry blonde who I adored so much. Suddenly, the empty scape ahead of me turned into a vision, I saw Boromir standing there, then, a vision of me in a white dress and bare feet, my fiery red hair flying behind me. I ran up and jumped into Boromir's arms; he spun me around and kissed me. I smiled. Then the vision faded and I felt sorrow, my smile turned into a frown and I sighed.
"Let's have a song." Gimli said.
I snapped out of my trance, "What?...Oh, OK." I clipped my iPod onto Sam's android that I always kept at my side and put on the song, took a deep breath, and began to sing.
I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed,
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
I hope you dance... I hope you dance...
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance,
Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin',
Lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth makin',
Don't let some Hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
I hope you dance... I hope you dance.
I hope you dance... I hope you dance.
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their years
and wonder where those years have gone.)
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
Dance... I hope you dance.
I hope you dance... I hope you dance.
I hope you dance... I hope you dance.
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their years
and wonder where those years have gone.)
"I like that one." Gimli said. I smiled.
"Thanks." I said. I looked at Legolas, who nodded without much eye-contact, forcing a small smile. Suddenly Gimli got up, Legolas and I followed, and saddled our horses. We found Aragorn with Brego, appearing ready to leave.
"And where do you think you're off too?" Aragorn managed a small grin and beamed down at the little dwarf, grateful for his courage.
"Not this time…this time you must stay, my friend." Aragorn said.
"Have you learnt nothing of the stubbornness of dwarves?" asked Legolas.
"Or of me?" I added.
"You might as well accept it - we're going with you, laddie." Gimli said. Aragorn smiled and shook his head. We mounted and headed off towards the pass.
Samantha's POV
"Open the gate! Quick!" shouted a guard. I ran and peered over the edge of the wall. A single black horse and her rider appeared, carrying a figure…. "No…." I said. I ran down to the entrance of the gate.
"Boromir!" I exclaimed. His face was covered with dirt and scratches; there were tears in his eyes. The soldier he carried was impaled with orc-arrows….and that soldier was none other than Faramir. Boromir clutched his left shoulder, despite his right arm being wrapped around Faramir's body. His face was pale and he looked as though he was going to pass out at any moment. "I arrived too late." He sobbed, "I've failed…..my brother….." he broke off and buried his face between Mikayla's ears. Some other soldiers arrived and mounted Faramir on a stretcher; I helped Boromir down from the tall horse, as soon as his feet touched the ground, his eyes rolled and he fell unconscious. I caught him in my arms and began to drag him towards the Houses of Healing. I knew where it was because I had gone there on an errand for Denethor. That named was nails on a chalkboard to my ears. I found Ioreth, an elderly woman, one of the most skilled healers.
"Ioreth…." I panted, "It's Boromir….he's hurt…..and unconscious."
"I shall tend to him right away."
"Thank you." Two of the male healers came over and carried Boromir away toward one of the rooms.
"He'll be okay," said Ioreth, "Do not worry." I nodded in understanding and headed off to the Tower Hall. I arrived just as Denethor emerged and looked down at his son lying on the stretcher, "Faramir….say not that he has fallen." The steward said.
"They were outnumbered," said a soldier named Iorlas, "None survived."
"My son is dead. My line has ended." I ran toward Faramir and bent toward him. I ran my hand across his forehead, it was warm and I heard a small muffled groan. "He's alive!" I exclaimed.
"The House of Stewards has failed!" Denethor exclaimed.
"He needs medicine, my lord." I said.
"My line has ended."
"My lord!" I raised my voice. Denethor slowly turned away and peered over the wall, he stared down in terror than struggled to regain his voice, "Rohan has deserted us!" a huge boulder smashed into the wall. "Théoden's betrayed me!" another boulder smashed into a balcony of civilians. "Abandon your posts!" Denethor screamed, "Flee! Flee for your lives!" Suddenly Gandalf appeared and raised his staff, prepared to club Denethor with it.
"Can I do it?" I asked.
He looked at me and handed me the staff, "Be my guest." I smashed the staff in the back of Denethor's head, and then repeated it again, clubbing Denethor to the ground, unconscious.
"He deserves that." I said to myself.
I handed Gandalf his staff and he spun around and addressed the soldiers. "Prepare for battle!" he headed down toward the battlements. I looked down at Denethor, then back to Gandalf, I stood there for a minute before I ran toward my room and got my weapons. I then went to the stables and saddled up Hasufel. I rode through the midst of battle and ran into Gandalf, he turned around to face me, "What are you doing here?"
"I came to help you." I said, "I want to fight."
"You are a servant of the steward, not a soldier." Gandalf said grimly.
"But I….."
Gandalf shook his head, "I'm sorry….but you must go back."
"But I can fight…." Suddenly, a massive orc lunged at me, I was taken by surprise. Gandalf smacked the orc aside with his staff. He turned toward the orc and cut it down with ease. Suddenly, one of the beasts prepared to cut down the wizard. I drew my axe, "Hiya!" I decapitated the orc with the powerful weapon. Gandalf turned to me and I smiled despite myself.
"Guard of the Citadel, indeed!-now back up the hill quickly and go find Pippin!" he told me. I nodded, happy to have proven I could fight before putting my axe away and heading back up the steps.