Chapter 22:
The morning brought with it a warm fog. The dampness hung heavy in the air, and despite the long night, my clothes would not dry. I gave Aragorn back his cloak and pulled my tunic over my head. I tied my own cloak back around my neck, hating the way it weighed me down.
"I can't abide fog," Sam said once everyone had crawled from their boats, "but this seems to be a lucky one. Now perhaps we can get away without those cursed goblins seeing us."
"Perhaps so," said Aragorn, fastening his cloak. "But it will be hard to find the path unless the fog lifts a little later on. And we must find the path, if we are to pass Sarn Gebir and come to the Emyn Muil."
"I do not see why we should pass the Rapids or follow the River any further," Boromir spoke up. "If the Emyn Muil lie before us, then we can abandon these cockle-boats, and strike westward and southward, until we come to the Entwash and cross into my own land."
I looked reluctantly towards the boats, unsure if I would resent leaving them behind or not. In the boats, I could save my energy, but they left me feeling so exposed. But I knew that whatever Aragorn said was what I was going to agree with.
"We can, if we are making for Minas Tirith," said Aragorn in reply. I glanced up at him, knowing that he didn't wish to go to Minas Tirith, "but that is not yet agreed. And such a course may be more perilous than it sounds. The vale of Entwash is flat and fenny, and fog is a deadly peril there for those on foot and laden. I would not abandon our boats until we must. The River is at least a path that cannot be missed."
"But the Enemy holds the eastern bank," Boromir argued. "And even if you pass the Gates of Argonath and come unmolested to the Tindrock, what will you do then? Leap down the Falls and land in the marshes?"
"No!" Aragorn bit back, unappreciative of Boromir's sarcastic remark. "Say rather that we will bear our boats by the ancient way to Rauros-foot, and there take to the water again. Do you not know, Boromir, or do you choose to forget the North Stair, and the high seat upon Amon Hen, that were made in the days of the great kings? I at least have a mind to stand in that high place again, before I decide my further course. There, maybe, we shall see some sign that will guide us."
There was a long silence, and I shifted awkwardly on my feet, my socks squishing in my boots.
"It is not the way of the Men of Minas Tirith to desert their friends at need," Boromir said, finally, "and you will need my strength, if ever you are to reach the Tindrock. To the tall isle I will go, but no further. There I shall turn to my home, alone if my help has not earned the reward of any companionship."
His last words made me feel sick, and I tried not to let my grief show. Boromir had not been particularly amicable with me, but after his initial reluctance to let me join the Fellowship, he had stayed out of my way. He seemed like a kind man, and it pained me to think about what the Ring was doing to him. We would need him at Amon Hen, more than he could ever know. I pushed the thoughts from my mind, doing my best to forget that Amon Hen was only days away.
As noon approached, the fog began to lift, and the air became less humid. As we sat around the boats, finishing our breakfast, Aragorn and Legolas stood.
"Legolas and I will venture along the banks. It is my hope to find some way by which we can carry the boats and our baggage, for I dare not risk the rapids," Aragorn said. "Boats of the Elves would not sink, maybe, but that does not say that we should come through Sarn Gebir alive. None have ever done so yet. No road was made by the Men of Gondor in this region, for even in their great days their realm did not reach up Anduin beyond the Emyn Muil; but there is a portage-way somewhere on the western shore, if I can find it. It cannot yet have perished; for light boats used to journey out of Wilderland down to Osgiliath, and still did so until a few years ago, when the Orcs of Mordor began to multiply."
"Seldom in my life has any boat come out of the North, and the Orcs prowl on the east-shore," Boromir started again. He was beginning to get on my nerves. "If you go forward, peril will grow with every mile, even if you find a path."
He was right, of course, but his persistence in arguing with Aragorn was getting old.
"Peril lies ahead on every southward road," answered Aragorn. "Wait for us one day. If we do not return in that time, you will know that evil has indeed befallen us. Then you must take a new leader and follow him as best you can."
'Him'. His words struck me heavier than they should have. Don't be silly. You wouldn't know the first thing about leading this group. My irritation vanished quicker than it had appeared, knowing that the ranger had not meant it as an insult. I watched in silence as the pair left. Legolas offered me a reassuring smile, but I didn't need it. I knew they'd be back.
Sure enough, only a few hours later, they returned. The two slid easily down the steep hill around us and joined us by the boats.
"All is well," Aragorn said as we all stood to greet them. "There is a track, and it leads to a good landing that is still serviceable. The distance is not great: the head of the Rapids is but half a mile below us, and they are little more than a mile long. Not far beyond them the stream becomes clear and smooth again, though it runs swiftly. Our hardest task will be to get our boats and baggage to the old portage-way. We have found it, but it lies well back from the water-side here, and runs under the lee of a rock-wall, a furlong or more from the shore. We did not find where the northward landing lies. If it still remains, we must have passed it yesterday night. We might labour far upstream and yet miss it in the fog. I fear we must leave the River now, and make for the portage-way as best we can from here."
I listened intently, not liking the sounds of the journey to come. Boromir did not agree with Aragorn's plan, either, complaining that it would be a difficult task to complete, even if we were all Men.
"The legs of Men will lag on a rough road, while a Dwarf goes on, be the burden twice his own weight, Master Boromir!" Gimli retorted, up for the challenge.
Though the boats were surprisingly lightweight, the ground was too challenging for any save Boromir and Aragorn to carry them. As much as I longed to prove my worth now by helping to carry a boat with Legolas, I knew that the task would most likely be too hard for me. So the rest of us tagged behind on each trip, hauling the baggage along with us.
The walk was difficult, and I was glad that I had not been entrusted with a boat. Brambles scraped me through my breeches, and though the fabric protected me from cuts, my legs had begun to itch. The hobbits had a difficult time avoiding the holes that lay hidden beneath the weeds, and on several occasions they tripped in them. Thankfully, once we reached the portage way, the going got easier.
"I can help carry one of the boats with Legolas," I offered as we prepared to make the first trip down the pathway. "If the path is not too difficult, then we should have little trouble."
"It should not be too difficult," Legolas replied. Together, we hoisted one of the boats up onto our shoulders and started off with the others. Despite being easier to travel on then the previous walk, I found myself tiring quicker than I would have liked. I was relieved when we finally reached the landing and laid the boat down by the shore. We made the trip once again, carrying the rest of the supplies while Aragorn and Boromir carried the third boat. It was almost dark by the time that we all collapsed down by the river, exhausted.
"Well, here we are, and here we must pass another night," Boromir muttered. "We need sleep, and even if Aragorn had a mind to pass the Gates of Argonath by night, we are all too tired-except, no doubt, our sturdy dwarf."
I noticed that Gimli was nodding off and exhaled abruptly through my nose, not having the energy to chuckle but finding the sight funny nonetheless.
Before we settled down for the night, it was decided that we would set off again on the river as early as possible in the morning. Legolas and Aragorn took alternating watches, and I quickly nodded off.
I woke up in the morning even more damp than I had been the night before. A quick glance around me confirmed that we had had rain over night, and I was surprised that I had slept through it. We packed up our camp after a quick breakfast, and took to the river as soon as the sun was up.
Sometime before noon, it began to rain. I helped to unroll the covers over our knees to prevent the boat from flooding, and then sat there, feeling as though I could have cried. It was cold, and I was soaking wet once again. It came down so heavily that it became difficult to see the banks to our right. Thankfully, the rain soon stopped, and the sky lightened until all traces of the clouds and the fog had faded away.
"Now we all are wet," Legolas said to me, attempting to lighten the mood. I huffed, wishing that I was in the mood for laughter.
The river picked up speed as it narrowed, and the banks on either side of us rose steeply, dotted by a few trees here and there. Up ahead, far in the distance, I could see two large pillars of rock which stood on either side of the river. I soon realised that these were carved in the form of men. The Argonath.
"Behold the Argonath, the Pillars of the Kings!" Aragorn said proudly as we approached, speeding down the river. "We shall pass them soon. Keep the boats in line, and as far apart as you can! Hold the middle of the stream!"
I dipped my paddle into the water on the opposite side as Legolas', and helped him to keep the boat in line. I watched in awe, eyes wide, as we passed through the figures, my eyes following them up to the sky. They were huge, far more enormous than I ever could have imagined, and it amazed me that they had been crafted by hand.
I had not expected the long chasm that we now passed through. The cliffs towered over our boats. They were so tall that the sun's light struggled to reach the river between them, and I shivered in the cold beneath my wet clothes. Fortunately, the river was swift and we soon emerged into a wide lake. My eyes traveled to the far end of the oval, falling on the tall peak at the centre of the water, and my heart raced nervously. We had reached Rauros.
"Behold Tol Brandir!" Aragorn's voice carried back over the thundering of the falls ahead. "Upon the left stands Amon Lhaw, and upon the right is Amon Hen the Hills of Hearing and of Sight. In the days of the great kings there were high seats upon them, and watch was kept there. But it is said that no foot of man or beast has ever been set upon Tol Brandir. Ere the shade of night falls we shall come to them. I hear the endless voice of Rauros calling."
The lake was longer than I had originally thought, and we took the opportunity to have a bite to eat, letting the strong current carry us out into the middle of the water. As the sun began to set behind the hills to the west, we took up our paddles again and hurried on our way to the western shore. Rauros was rumbling loud, and I found myself fearing that we would be dragged towards it and over the edge as we made our way South. It was dark by the time we reached the shore. The boats slid up onto the sand and we climbed out into the darkness.
I found it incredibly difficult to sleep that night, unable to calm my nerves. Rauros thundered nearby, and I stared out into the darkness of the woods around us. I had been surprised at the pleasant appearance of Amon Hen. The grass that we camped on was greener than anything that I had seen in many days, and a small stream trickled down the slope behind us. Parth Galen, Aragorn had called the lawn. I could hear him as he turned in his bed, restless. Eventually, exhaustion won over, and I fell into a fitful sleep.
I was woken up by the sun as its rays beamed down from above Tol Brandir. Opening my eyes, I watched in silence as it rose above the dark clouds along the horizon, painting the sky red and gold. As beautiful as it was, a heavy dread had settled on my shoulders and would not leave.
"The day has come at last," Aragorn broke the heavy silence as we ate. "The day of choice which we have long delayed. What shall now become of our Company that has travelled so far in fellowship? Shall we turn west with Boromir and go to the wars of Gondor; or turn east to the Fear and Shadow; or shall we break our fellowship and go this way and that as each may choose? Whatever we do must be done soon. We cannot long halt here. The enemy is on the eastern shore, we know; but I fear that the Orcs may already be on this side of the water."
A long silence followed the ranger's heavy words, and I surveyed each member's face, trying to read them. Anything to keep my mind off of the events that were about to occur. The Fellowship will break, I muttered to myself in my mind, my eyes landing on Boromir. They then travelled to Merry and Pippin, who sat beside the Gondorian. It broke my heart to see the two little hobbits so quiet. They had barely spoken a word since we had left Lothlórien.
When no one replied, Aragorn spoke up again. "Well, Frodo, I fear that the burden is laid upon you. You are the Bearer appointed by the Council. Your own way you alone can choose. In this matter I cannot advise you. I am not Gandalf, and though I have tried to bear his part, I do not know what design or hope he had for this hour, if indeed he had any. Most likely it seems that if he were here now the choice would still wait on you. Such is your fate."
"I know that haste is needed, yet I cannot choose," Frodo said after a moment of silence. "The burden is heavy. Give me an hour longer, and I will speak. Let me be alone!"
A whole hour? Aragorn agreed to give him some time alone, andI watched as Frodo stood and wandered into the woods behind us. Uncertainty tugged at the corners of my mind. I knew little of the book events, and so far, that was how things seemed to be proceeding. At least, I hoped that that was how they were proceeding. What if you've already messed things up by tagging along? I silenced the voice quickly. What could my presence alone have messed up so far?
After a little while, the rest of us all sat down by the water and struck up a conversation to distract ourselves. I paid little attention as Aragorn discussed the vast histories of Gondor, instead staring off into the woods, ever fearful of them.
"It is now more hopeless than ever for the Company to go east, since we have been tracked by Gollum, and must fear that the secret of our journey is already betrayed. But Minas Tirith is no nearer to the Fire and the destruction of the Burden."
The conversation had shifted since I had zoned out, and I quickly tuned myself back in, sensing an important topic had come up. Aragorn continued.
"We may remain there for a while and make a brave stand; but the Lord Denethor and all his men cannot hope to do what even Elrond said was beyond his power: either to keep the Burden secret, or to hold off the full might of the Enemy when he comes to take it. Which way would any of us choose in Frodo's place? I do not know. Now indeed we miss Gandalf most."
"Grievous is our loss," Legolas spoke up, "we must needs make up our minds without his aid. Why cannot we decide, and so help Frodo? Let us call him back and then vote! I should vote for Minas Tirith."
His words surprised me. Everyone here knew that Frodo needed to eventually get to Mordor. Surely they would not abandon him so easily? I listened as Gimli agreed.
"We, of course, were only sent to help the Bearer along the road, to go no further than we wished; and none of us is under any oath or command to seek Mount Doom."
"We cannot leave Frodo," I interjected, furrowing my brows in concern.
"Well of course not," Gimli replied. I swallowed, unsure if I had upset him or not. "I would choose Minas Tirith, but if Frodo does not, then I follow him."
"And I too will go with him," Legolas agreed, glancing between me and Gimli. "It would be faithless now to say farewell."
"It would indeed be a betrayal, if we all left him," Aragorn added. "But if he goes east, then all need not go with him; nor do I think that all should. That venture is desperate: as much so for nine as for three or two, or one alone. If you would let me choose, then I should appoint three companions: Sam, who could not bear it otherwise; and Gimli; and myself. Boromir will return to his own city, where his father and his people need him; and with him the others should go, or at least Christa, Meriadoc and Peregrin, if Legolas is not willing to leave us."
I kept my mouth shut this time, despite the sting his words had on my ego. I knew full well that I wouldn't want to travel to Mordor if I was given the choice. Thankfully, I knew that I wasn't going to have to decide on my own. Merry and Pippin, however, were not so silent.
"That won't do at all!" Merry complained. "We can't leave Frodo! Pippin and I always intended to go wherever he went, and we still do. But we did not realize what that would mean. It seemed different so far away, in the Shire or in Rivendell. It would be mad and cruel to let Frodo go to Mordor. Why can't we stop him?"
"We must stop him," Pippin piped up. "And that is what he is worrying about, I am sure. He knows we shan't agree to his going east. And he doesn't like to ask anyone to go with him, poor old fellow. Imagine it: going off to Mordor alone! But the dear silly old hobbit, he ought to know that he hasn't got to ask. He ought to know that if we can't stop him, we shan't leave him."
"Begging your pardon," said Sam. "I don't think you understand my master at all. He isn't hesitating about which way to go. Of course not! What's the good of Minas Tirith anyway? To him, I mean, begging your pardon, Master Boromir."
When no reply came, we all turned and quickly discovered that he was nowhere to be found. His shield sat against the rock where he had been sitting, along with his pack. Oh God.
"Now where's he got to?" Sam added, clearly worried. "He's been a bit queer lately, to my mind. But anyway he's not in this business. He's off to his home, as he always said; and no blame to him. But Mr. Frodo, he knows he's got to find the Cracks of Doom, if he can. But he's afraid. Now it's come to the point, he's just plain terrified."
Sam rambled on, but I couldn't be bothered to listen to him. My hands tightened on my bow by my side, trying to keep my nerves in check. When would it all begin? In my mind I had pictured everyone jumping up, springing to action the moment Boromir had been discovered missing. But instead, we sat here, discussing where Frodo had gotten to and what he would choose to do.
"The hour is long passed. The morning is wearing away. We must call for him." Aragorn said, making to stand. In that moment, a rustling in the trees behind us made me jump. I tensed, turning around quickly to see Boromir emerge from the woods.
"Where have you been, Boromir?" Aragorn said as Boromir sat down without a word. "Have you seen Frodo?"
"Yes, and no," Boromir answered, after a hesitation. "Yes: I found him some way up the hill, and I spoke to him. I urged him to come to Minas Tirith and not to go east. I grew angry and he left me. He vanished. I have never seen such a thing happen before, though I have heard of it in tales. He must have put the Ring on. I could not find him again. I thought he would return to you."
I watched Boromir's eyes trail along the ground, my heart racing nervously. Aragorn stepped towards Boromir, eyes narrowed.
"Is that all that you have to say?" He asked sternly.
"Yes," he replied, before shaking his head. "I will say no more yet."
Sam jumped up then, brow creased with concern. "This is bad! I don't know what this Man has been up to. Why should Mr. Frodo put the thing on? He didn't ought to have; and if he has, goodness knows what may have happened!"
"But he wouldn't keep it on" Merry said, trying to calm Sam. "Not when he had escaped the unwelcome visitor, like Bilbo used to."
Pippin jumped up as well to join Sam. "But where did he go? Where is he? He's been away ages now!"
My pulse began to race as I watched Aragorn take another step towards Boromir, who looked up wearily as the ranger approached.
"How long is it since you saw Frodo last, Boromir?" Aragorn asked. I could hear the edge of fear in his voice, no matter how well he was trying to conceal it.
"Half an hour, maybe," he said quickly. "Or it might be an hour. I have wandered for some time since. I do not know! I do not know!" His head fell into his hands and I looked up at Aragorn, genuinely scared about how things were playing out.
"An hour since he vanished!" Sam cried out as he looked towards the forest. "We must try and find him at once. Come on!"
"Wait a moment!"
Aragorn's plea was ignored, and I watched as Sam leapt into the trees, Merry and Pippin in tow. "We must divide up into pairs, and arrange-here, hold on! Wait!"
"Frodo! Frodo!" the hobbits called as they disappeared, drowning out Aragorn's voice as the camp erupted into chaos. I watched in dismay as Legolas and Gimli jumped up next and run into the woods in a different direction. In a panic, I sat there, fingers clamped around my bow, and stared at Aragorn, wide-eyed.
"We shall all be scattered and lost!" Aragorn said as he watched everyone go their own ways. "
"Boromir!" He said, turning back to the other man. "I do not know what part you have played in this mischief, but help now! Go after those two young hobbits, and guard them at the least, even if you cannot find Frodo. Come back to this spot, if you find him, or any traces of him. Christa, go with him. I shall return soon."
I stood up quickly as he left, turning to Boromir. Nope, no way was I going with Boromir. "I'm going to go after Legolas and Gimli," I said. I didn't wait for his reply before turning and dashing into the forest. I had no idea where the two had gone, but I could hear their voices not too far ahead as they called out for Frodo.
The forest rose up and down in sloping hills, and the trees were tall and winding, their branches masking my vision across the woods. Ran for several minutes, trying my best to follow the voices, but soon I stopped hearing them. The forest around me fell silent as I halted at the top of a slope, eyes scanning the trees around me. I quickly grew anxious as no sound reached my ears other than the faint sound of Rauros behind me.
Suddenly, out of the silence, I caught to distinctive sound of metal on metal. My breathing hitched and I tensed, slinking back against the nearest tree. The noise quickly grew louder, and soon I found myself turning and running back in the direction that I had come from in hopes of running into someone from the company. My blood pumped in my ears, blocking out all other sound as I ran.
As I crested the next hill, however, I was greeted by the exact opposite of what I wanted to see. Running below me were the Uruk-hai, broadswords in hand, metal armor clanging. They were huge, even bigger than I had been expecting. My eyes focused on the white hand that adorned their armour. I quickly stepped backwards in an effort to hide, but I had been spotted.
I didn't turn to look, but I heard several pairs of iron boots pounding the earth behind me. My fingers tightened on my bow, and I reached over my shoulder as I ran to pull an arrow from my quiver. I nocked it, my fingers trembling. When I reached the top of the next hill, I turned around and looked down the shaft of my arrow quickly, before letting it go. It sank itself into the throat of one of the beasts, and I nocked another arrow as quickly as I could. I let it fly as two more Uruk-hai ran towards me, and watched in disbelief as it hit its mark as well. The third was approaching quickly, but I drew another arrow in hopes of being quick enough to take care of it. I wasn't.
I let the arrow go, but it missed completely as the beast charged towards me. I dropped my bow and jumped to the side as it swung its sword in my direction. I landed on my shoulder, rolling over and standing up quickly as Haldir had taught me, before reaching over my shoulders and pulling out my knives. They felt good in my hands, but I held them awkwardly out in front of me, eyes wide as the Uruk turned to face me again. It sniggered at the sight of me, and my eyes narrowed despite my terror.
After a short pause, the beast attacked again, it's sword swinging dangerously close to my face as I jumped out of the way. I landed hard on the ground, springing up as quickly as I could as I heard the Uruk's sword swing again. I tried to spin out of the way, raised my blades as I eyed the back of the Uruk's neck, but I knew I had been too slow. I felt the jagged edge of the sword rip through the side of my thigh as I leapt towards the beast, sinking both of my blades into the thick flesh at the base of its neck. It roared as it fell, and I cried out in pain as I hit the ground.
I lay there for a moment, my pulse racing as I reached for my leg. I dared not look at it, but I could already feel the warmth of my blood as it soaked my breeches. Get up! I screamed at myself in my head, knowing that I could be spotted at any moment. I dragged myself to my feet, limping to the nearest tree before leaning against it, fingers clutching the rough bark. I could hear the sounds of battle not too far away, and looked up at the branches, making up my mind. As the clangs drew nearer, I mustered up every ounce of my strength and sprang up, pulling myself into the tree. I climbed up as high as I dared, only stopping when I was sure that I wouldn't be spotted.
Clinging to the tree's trunk, I winced and gritted my teeth together in pain. As my adrenaline died away, the true extent of the pain was hitting me. The world around me grew fuzzy, and I held on tighter to the tree as everything began to spin.
Through the trees, I could see several forms as they rushed along a dip in the hills. Merry and Pippin. My focused on the sounds of their voices, and my eyes followed them as they dashed between the trees, fleeing from the Uruk-hai that followed them. I heard the clang of Boromir's sword as he engaged the beasts, and it wasn't long before I caught sight of him.
Time seemed irrelevant as I sat in the tree, my eyes dropping to the ground where my bow sat, useless, and suddenly I contemplated climbing back down to help Boromir. Are you stupid? You will die. I hated myself for leaving it down there in the dirt. The sound of the horn of Gondor tore me from my thoughts, and as I watched the first arrow pierce Boromir's chest, I hated myself for not being able to help him. My head began to spin again as another wave of pain swept over me. My eyes shut tightly as I heard the second arrow tear through Boromir's tunic, but still he did not fall. I only looked down at him when I heard the bowstring twang again, and watched as the man finally fell.
Blackness gripped my senses, and the last thing that I heard before I fell from the tree was Merry and Pippin as they cried out for help.
I was jolted back to consciousness as my hip hit the ground, the rest of my body following it with a thud. I moaned and lay there, tears springing from my eyes. I could feel the blood from my wound saturating my breeches, my whole upper leg now covered in it.
"There she is!"
Voices penetrated my clouded mind, but I didn't react. I lay there, teeth ground together, as I tried not to black-out again. The trees above me all melded together, a smear of green and brown.
"Christa!" Legolas' voice cut through my hazy mind as his and a pair of heavier footsteps approached.
"Lass, are ye all right?"
"I'm not sure, Master Dwarf, what you would consider to be 'all right'," Legolas said as he kneeled down beside me. "For she certainly is not. Christa, can you hear me?" he asked again, pulling aside my tunic to look at my wound.
"I can hear you, Legolas," I managed after a moment as I opened my eyes, swallowing a cry as he gently pulled aside the torn fabric of my breeches.
"Can you walk?" he asked me, looking down at me. I must not have looked as bad as I felt, if he was even considering the idea of me on my feet. I bit my lip and shook my head weakly. Without a moment's hesitation, he scooped me up in his arms. I cried out, unable to restrain it this time. "We must find Aragorn," he said as he started off through the forest, Gimli at his side. A quick glance back at the tree confirmed that we were headed in the direction that I thought to be correct, so I shut my eyes again.
"Try to stay awake, mellon," Legolas said firmly to me, and I opened my eyes as wide as I could, suddenly afraid of what might happen if I did drift off again.
Legolas soon stopped and I peered into the glade, my eyes traveling to where Aragorn was bowed over Boromir's still form.
"Alas!" Legolas said softly as he stepped forward. "We have hunted and slain many Orcs in the woods, but we should have been of more use here. We came when we heard the horn – but too late, it seems. I fear you have taken deadly hurt."
"'Boromir is dead,' said Aragorn. 'I am unscathed, for I was not here with him. I fear Christa may have fallen as well, for I sent her with him," he said, still holding Boromir's hand.
"Nay, she is here," Legolas said, laying me down as gently as he could on the earth. Aragorn quickly turned to me, relief washing over his face. "However she has not escaped unscathed."
"This wound is long," Aragorn said, turning to examine the cut in my leg. I winced as his fingers ran along the wound. "But not deep. You have lost a lot of blood, Christa."
I was quickly offered a canteen, and drank eagerly. Aragorn was already pouring water from his own canteen over the wound, rinsing it. "I will need some Athelas, Legolas," he said, not bothering to look up. Legolas disappeared quickly into the trees, and came back a moment later with the plant. That stuff must grow everywhere, I mused as my mind cleared slowly.
Aragorn quickly set to work mashing the plant up, before he smeared it carefully into the wound. I bit back a scream, wishing that I wasn't acting like such a wimp, but quickly relaxed as the plant worked magic on the pain.
"This should be sewn," Aragorn said to me, looking at me calmly. I quickly shook my head.
"Can't it just be bandaged?" I asked, sure that I wouldn't be able to handle to process. Aragorn looked at me sceptically.
"It would heal much faster if you let me sew it," he replied, sighing when I didn't drop my gaze. Pulling a cloth from a pouch at his side, he wrapped it tightly around my breeches. He then turned back to Boromir and looked at him pensively.
"He fell defending the hobbits, while I was away upon the hill."
"The hobbits!' cried Gimli "Where are they then? Where is Frodo?"
"I do not know," Aragorn answered wearily. "Before he died Boromir told me that the Orcs had bound them; he did not think that they were dead. I sent him to follow Merry and Pippin; but I did not ask him if Frodo or Sam were with him: not until it was too late."
"I saw it all," I spoke up quietly as I looked at Boromir's body. "Neither Frodo nor Sam were with them. I could have helped, but I was a coward and hid," I added at a whisper.
"You would have surely been killed as well," Aragorn said quickly. "It is well that you hid."
I knew that he was right, but I couldn't shake the guilt. What if I had taken down a few of the Uruk—hai from afar? I might have been able to hold them off long enough for Aragorn to arrive and help. But then Aragorn might have died. And what would you have done then?
"All that I have done today has gone amiss. What is to be done now?" Aragorn continued after a moment of solemn silence.
"'First we must tend the fallen," said Legolas, turning to look at Boromir. "We cannot leave him lying like carrion among these foul Orcs."
He was leaning back against one of the trees, his eyes closed. If it hadn't been for the arrows that protruded from his chest, I might have believed him to be sleeping. The blood the soaked his tunic said otherwise, and I looked away as my stomach churned. Just a short while ago, he had been alive. The idea was stranger than I had anticipated, and my heart seized.
"But we must be swift," Gimli said. "He would not wish us to linger. We must follow the Orcs, if there is hope that any of our Company are living prisoners."
"But we do not know where the Ring-bearer is," Aragorn said. "Are we to abandon him? Must we not seek him first? An evil choice is now before us!"
"Then let us do first what we must do," Legolas said quickly, clearly eager to be moving on. "We have not the time or the tools to bury our comrade fitly, or to raise a mound over him. A cairn we might build."
"The labour would be hard and long: there are no stones that we could use nearer than the water-side," Gimli pointed out.
"Then let us lay him in a boat with his weapons, and the weapons of his vanquished foes," Aragorn decided. "We will send him to the Falls of Rauros and give him to Anduin. The River of Gondor will take care at least that no evil creature dishonours his bones."
The others worked quickly, piling up all of the Uruk's weapons while I rested. My strength returned quickly, aided by the Athelas, and I was soon able to stand up. As they rummaged through the carnage, Aragorn picked up two knives and held them up, looking them over. They were Merry and Pippin's knives, and as he looked around, he also found their sheaths.
"Well, now, if they still live, our friends are weaponless. I will take these things, hoping against hope, to give them back." Aragorn said, packing them away in his bag.
Legolas too, was scouring the bodies, pulling out all of the arrows that he could find that weren't broken. He held one up, looking over it closely, eyes narrowing curiously.
"'Here lie many that are not folk of Mordor. Some are from the North, from the Misty Mountains, if I know anything of Orcs and their kinds. And here are others strange to me. Their gear is not after the manner of Orcs at all!"
As Aragorn spoke up, I walked over slowly to join them. Looking closer, I noticed for the first time that not all of the beasts were Uruk-hai. Some were smaller, their faces more beastly than their taller companions.
"'I have not seen these tokens before. What do they mean?" The Ranger said again as he kneeled down to get a closer look at one of the Uruk.
The three of them pondered over the mystery of the white hand and 'S' markings, before finally deciding that they must have been for Saruman.
"Well, we have no time to ponder riddles," Gimli said, after Aragorn had puzzled over Saruman for a moment. "Let us bear Boromir away!"
On a stretcher made from branches, the three of them carried Boromir to the river side, where I waited with Aragorn while Legolas and Gimli went to retrieve the boats farther up the lake.
"Do not blame yourself for the loss of Boromir," Aragorn broke the silence as we sat by the river. I looked out over the water at the other shore, wondering where Frodo and Sam had wound up. "There was nothing that you could have done."
I nodded my head, knowing that he was right. As guilty as I felt, I suddenly realised how much I could have messed things up if I had somehow been able to save Boromir. If everyone had escaped the ordeal alive, Boromir's being alive might have jeopardised the whole plot. I kicked at a rock by my feet, wishing to rid myself of the image of Boromir as he fell.
"How is your leg?"
I turned to the ranger this time. "It is fine," I said simply, managing a small smile in thanks before turning my eyes back to the lake. Neither one of us spoke again, thoughts wandering, until Legolas and Gimli returned. I heard their paddles on the water and looked up as they came around the bend.
"There is a strange tale to tell!" Legolas called to us as they made their way towards the bank. "There are only two boats upon the bank. We could find no trace of the other."
"Have Orcs been there?" Aragorn asked, standing up as the boats slid onto the rocks.
"We saw no signs of them," Gimli said, shaking his head. "And Orcs would have taken or
destroyed all the boats, and the baggage as well."
"I will look at the ground when we come there," Aragorn said, looking down the shore curiously.
Legolas and Gimli stepped from the boats and together the four of us placed Boromir into one of them. We arranged his cloak beneath his head, and placed as many of the enemy's weapons as we could fit beneath his feet. His own sword was placed on his chest, along with his horn, which had been cloven in two.
Silently, we then all climbed into the last boat and towed him out to the middle of the lake. I held the boat still along with Legolas and Gimli as Aragorn cut Boromir's boat loose, and we watched as it floated swiftly along with the current. Rauros thundered as the sun shone gold upon it, and soon Boromir disappeared over the edge. We sat in silence.
"They will look for him from the White Tower," Aragorn said sadly after a long moment. "but he will not return from mountain or from sea." He then started to sing.
"Through Rohan over fen and field where the long grass grows,
The West Wind comes walking, and about the walls it goes.
'What news from the West, O wandering wind, do you bring to me tonight?
Have you seen Boromir the Tall by moon or by starlight?'
'I saw him ride over seven streams, over waters wide and grey;
I saw him walk in empty lands, until he passed away
Into the shadows of the North. I saw him then no more.
The North Wind may have heard the horn of the son of Denethor.'
'O Boromir! From the high walls westward I looked afar,
But you came not from the empty lands where no men are.'"
I was struck by the emotion in his voice, and felt tears prick my eyes as I stared at the edge of the water. Legolas sang next.
"From the mouths of the Sea the South Wind flies, from the sandhills and the stones;
The wailing of the gulls it bears, and at the gate it moans.
'What news from the South, O sighing wind, do you bring to me at eve?
Where now is Boromir the Fair? He tarries and I grieve.'
'Ask not of me where he doth dwell – so many bones there lie
On the white shores and the dark shores under the stormy sky;
So many have passed down Anduin to find the flowing Sea.
Ask of the North Wind news of them the North Wind sends to me!'
'O Boromir! Beyond the gate the seaward road runs south,
But you came not with the wailing gulls from the grey sea's mouth.'"
Aragorn finished off the song, his sad words following the water down over the falls.
"From the Gate of Kings the North Wind rides, and past the roaring falls;
And clear and cold about the tower its loud horn calls.
'What news from the North, O mighty wind, do you bring to me today?
What news of Boromir the Bold? For he is long away.'
'Beneath Amon Hen I heard his cry. There many foes he fought.
His cloven shield, his broken sword, they to the water brought.
His head so proud, his face so fair, his limbs they laid to rest;
And Rauros, golden Rauros-falls, bore him upon its breast.'
'O Boromir! The Tower of Guard shall ever northward gaze
To Rauros, golden Rauros-falls, until the end of days.'"
As he finished, I gave in, letting the tears stream down my cheeks. I hadn't been expecting myself to cry, but the song had broken me. We started back towards the shore as I cried quietly, unashamed. We soon reached Parth Galen, and stepped out onto the lawn.
"The Orcs have been on this ground," Aragorn said, stooping down to look at the prints in the grass. "Otherwise nothing can be made out for certain. All our footprints are here, crossing and re-crossing. I cannot tell whether any of the hobbits have come back since the search for Frodo began."
Wandering back to the bank, he pointed out to us that a hobbit had been into the water and back, but nothing else in the ground was clear enough to read.
"How then do you read this riddle?" Gimli asked the ranger.
"Two packs are missing, and one is certainly Sam's: it was rather large and heavy." Aragorn replied, walking back up to where we had made camp this morning. "This then is the answer: Frodo has gone by boat, and his servant has gone with him. Frodo must have returned while we were all away. I met Sam going up the hill and told him to follow me; but plainly he did not do so. He guessed his master's mind and came back here before Frodo had gone. He did not find it easy to leave Sam behind!"
"But why should he leave us behind, and without a word?" Gimli asked gruffly. "That was a strange deed!"
"And a brave deed," Aragorn said to the dwarf. "Sam was right, I think. Frodo did not wish to lead any friend to death with him in Mordor. But he knew that he must go himself. Something happened after he left us that overcame his fear and doubt."
"Maybe hunting Orcs came on him and he fled," Legolas said, and I shook my head involuntarily, getting tired that it was taking so long.
"He fled, certainly," Aragorn agreed, "but not, I think, from Orcs."
"Well," Legolas spoke again, "so much at least is now clear, Frodo is no longer on this side of the River: only he can have taken the boat. And Sam is with him; only he would have taken his pack."
"Our choice then," Gimli said "is either to take the remaining boat and follow Frodo, or else to follow the Orcs on foot. There is little hope either way. We have already lost precious hours."
"If Frodo did not wish for us to follow him, I don't think that we should," I offered, wishing to contribute something to the conversation.
"Let me think!" Aragorn said, brow creasing. "And now may I make a right choice and change the evil fate of this unhappy day!"
I watched as he ran through the options in his mind, feeling pity for the Ranger. I found myself wishing again that I could reassure him, all of them, that everything would work out, but it was out of the question. It would be foolish of me to jeopardise the story like that.
"I will follow the Orcs," Aragorn said suddenly, turning back to face us. "I would have guided Frodo to Mordor and gone with him to the end; but if I seek him now in the wilderness, I must abandon the captives to torment and death. My heart speaks clearly at last: the fate of the Bearer is in my hands no longer. The Company has played its part. Yet we that remain cannot forsake our companions while we have strength left. Come! We will go now. Leave all that can be spared behind! We will press on by day and dark!"
Hastily, we pulled the last boat from the water and hid it in the trees, piling all of the gear that we didn't need underneath of it. I grabbed my pack and helped to pack the food, before hoisting it onto my shoulders. We left Parth Galen as quickly as we could, making our way back through the woods to where Boromir had fallen. Though it was nearing dusk, it wasn't hard to pick up the trail of the Uruk-hai.
"No other folk make such a trampling," Legolas pointed out as we began to follow it through the trees. "It seems their delight to slash and beat down growing things that are not even in their way."
"But they go with a great speed for all that, and they do not tire. And later we may have to search for our path in hard bare lands," Aragorn said wearily.
"Well, after them!" said Gimli. "Dwarves too can go swiftly, and they do not tire sooner than Orcs. But it will be a long chase: they have a long start."
I laughed to myself at his words, and turned to Aragorn as he spoke.
"Yes, we shall all need the endurance of Dwarves. But come! With hope or without hope we will follow the trail of our enemies. And woe to them, if we prove the swifter! We will make such a chase as shall be accounted a marvel among the Three Kindreds – Elves, Dwarves, and Men. Forth the Four Hunters!"
My heart skipped a beat as Aragorn took off through the trees. The Four Hunters. It struck me then that I really had become a part of the story, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. I could only hope that I would not interfere with anything.
"Let's hunt some Orc," I said, unable to help myself as I followed after him. I heard Gimli grunt enthusiastically from beside me, and smiled despite the situation. Pain shot up my leg with each step, but I was determined to not let it get the better of me. I needed to keep up with the others.
As the sun set, we left the woods behind us, coming to long sloping hills of rock. They rose up in jagged peaks around us, silhouetted against the red sky. The sun soon fell behind us, and in the darkness, we carried on, making our way along the rocks. Both Lothlórien and the River Anduin were behind me now, and I couldn't look back.
End of Book 1
I will be continuing the second book of this story as "Waking Dreams: Book 2", so please be on the lookout for that! I cannot tell you when I will have the first chapter of Book 2 up, but when I do get the second story posted, I will post an Author's Note here in this story to let you all know!
Thank you to everyone who has joined me on this adventure! I would not have been able to get this far without all of your support. The readers who followed and favourited this story, and who left me reviews, are the only reason that I was able to carry on with this work! I am still in disbelief that my fic managed to round up this much support, and I have all of you to thank for that! I hope that all of you will return for the next installment of the story, and that I will continue to hear from you all!
Thanks again, for reading, and I hoped that you enjoyed this chapter!
-Eru