Ohh my goodness... You guys missed something cute that Collin said! Soph said, "It'd take a fool to love me," and a little while later, he said "Well, I'm a fool..."

Get it, get it? :D

Just me? Oh, okay...

Well, this could be the last chapter I post until next Sunday. I don't want it to be! So, I'm going to skip classes tomorrow just so I can get ahead on writing! Besides... I need to pack. XD

Amon Hen's coming up... O.o It's all led up to this.

I don't own Lord of the Rings. My official disclaimer is on my profile.

(Kristy)

"Kristy...?" Eowyn opened the door to my room at the inn, and was surprised to se me up and ready. "You're already awake?"

I sighed and rubbed my tired eyes. "I've actually yet to fall asleep..." Darn nerves are keeping me up. I haven't felt this nervous since the fellowship left Rivendell. "Surely, I look like a wreck. No sleep means no beauty. That's what Mom always said, at least..."

Eowyn gave me a small smile as she shook her head. "You look lovely, as always. Have you eaten anything?"

"No, and I dare say that I won't be able to hold anything down." Again, with the nerves.

My friend let out a sigh and nodded in agreement. "Yes, well... It's never easy, the first time you send those you love off to battle."

"It gets easier?" I asked, surprised.

"No. I am afraid that it doesn't..."

I bowed my head and fiddled with my hands. I didn't think so...

Eowyn cleared her throat and backed out of the door. "Come. It is time."

We walked out of the inn, headed towards the gates. The sun was still hidden by the horizon, yet the faintest light could be seen. Everything was quiet. Those who weren't still sleeping were standing at their doors, waving a goodbye to the departing soldiers, or walking with their loved ones to the gates. The wails of a baby could be heard from somewhere down a street, and the silent sobs of an old mother or wife were muffled with sleeves.

War's a nasty business. You never truly understand how it feels until its at your front door. Although I've only known Eomer and Theodred for a short time, I love and adore them. There's nothing I want more than to get this over with, so they can come home and get on with life.

My heart about broke when I saw a little girl give her daddy a hug before he mounted his horse. That's when I caught sight of Theodred, giving out orders one of his men. When he saw Eowyn and I approaching, he sent away his man, and turned to us with a sad smile.

"I am glad that you two have come to see us off." He plainly stated, although his eyes showed how much it truly meant to him. "It is strange, seeing so many of my childhood friends saying farewell to their wives and children. It's beginning to make me feel old..."

Theodred could die any day, now, and there's one question that's always bothered me. "Why aren't you married, Theodred?" It'd be useless to be formal around him, now. We were friends, after all.

The prince chuckled. "You know, you are the first person to ask me that, Kristy."

"Really?" That's shocking.

"Really." He nodded with a shrug. "I suppose people are afraid of offending me. I do not know why... Well, to answer your question, I must say that I've never met a woman worth it. Of course, when father still retained some of his health, he'd always suggest that either Eomer or I should marry Sophie. It was an odd request, but he seemed to admire her heart. It was tempting, especially for Eomer, and it was even tempting to court you at first, in all honesty. Yet the truth remains; I've yet to fall in love."

Huh... Who would have thought? Such a simple answer...

"Love is a beautiful thing, Kristy." Theodred nudged me playfully with his elbow, winking. "Do not let it slip out of your hands."

I gave my friend a smile, and pulled him into a hug.

"You're a good friend, Theodred. You'd better come back alive."

He returned the hug, a small chuckle in his throat. "I intend to, milady."

I moved out of the way to give Eowyn a chance to hug her cousin, and was surprised when Eomer turned me around into a big bear hug.

"I will miss your smiles." He whispered, refusing to let go. "You take care of Eowyn for me, alright?"

A little stunned, I carefully wrapped my arms around the mighty warrior and gave him a small pat on the back. "Of course, Eomer."

He pulled away, a small smile playing on his lips. "Good. Stay away from Grima until we return."

For such a sad morning, he sure seemed in a good mood. "Are you not worried?"

Eomer shrugged, looking up at the sky. "This is not the first time that I have battled orcs. Of course I am a little worried; I do not want any of my men to die..."

"And what about yourself? Are you worried about yourself?"

Eomer smiled at me, and looked down to the ground. "Perhaps not as afraid as I should be. There are other things to be worrying about. Now, please, do not worry for me. Just keep yourself, and my sister, safe. Understand?"

My eyes narrowed as I studied the man in front of me. Who's not afraid of death? Isn't that supposed to be a typical fear? Should I believe him? I mean... I'm sure as heck afraid of dying. He's bluffing... I'm sure of it.

"I understand, Eomer. Stay safe, and return home so you may protect your sister, yourself." She'd die if he fell in battle. Her uncle's all but dead, himself, and she never got to know her parents. Eomer and Theodred are all she's got.

"Yes, Eomer... Come back." Eowyn nearly tackled her brother, tears spilling from her eyes.

Tears stung my eyes as I watched the brother-sister encounter. My own brother was out there, somewhere... Oh, I'm such a fool... I was so flustered over Legolas that I hardly gave my brother a proper farewell. I should have spent more time with him, instead of spending time with an elf I had only just met... I missed them both, though. If I could go back, maybe I would do things differently. I would have told James about my feelings for his friend...

Oh, what am I saying? I'm a grown woman, for goodness sake! I shouldn't have to tell my brother everything!

But I should have anticipated his hot-headed reaction... Now, he and Legolas are on rocky shores... Perhaps they've reconcilled?

I wonder what they're doing, now?

(Sophie)

"You're not really going to make me kill a poor, helpless bunny, are you?" Oh, please... Just say no...

"Of course, you're going to kill it!" James smiled as he handed me his bow.

He and Legolas thought that it would be fun to take me along on one of their hunting expeditions. Why? No one knows, really. I think that everyone was a bit shocked when they asked.

"Well, men, we're off to get us some rations!" James chirped happily as he and Legolas reached for their bows.

Everyone ignored them, basically. We'd spent a long day fighting the rapids; we don't need James's irrelevant positive energy.

James stood awkwardly, still waiting for a response. "Ohh-kay... Well, then. C'mon, Sophie!"

Everyone stopped their previous activities to eye the young man. That surely got their attention.

I looked around, confused. "Someone say my name?"

"No." Boromir shook his head and waved his arms wildly, just to further emphasize his 'no.'

James pleaded and begged; even Legolas threw in a 'please,' at one point. Boromir would have none of it. There was no way that I'd be going with them, and that's final! After all, we didn't know what could be out there. He didn't need his lady in any danger.

I, of course, was completely lost. "What are we talking about?"

After much laughter on the hobbits' side, and much argument between Boromir and James, Gimli finally settled the argument.

"Just let the lassie go! It's about time she pulled her weight around here!"

Even though I had no idea what they were talking about, that hurt. Come on, Gimli! I have strengths! I'm the comical relief!

Anyways, that's how I ended up in the middle of the woods with my best friend and his elf buddy with a bow in my hand.

"I don't feel comfortable with this..." Just the thought of killing that helpless rabbit hurt my soul. It was so cute, just sitting there... Nibbling on some grass. "James, you know that I had a pet rabbit, once..."

"Oh, really?" Legolas asked merrily. "What was its name?"

"His name was Mr. Dimples, and I don't feel comfortable killing his brother!"

James rolled his eyes, letting out a frustrated sigh. "Oh, come on, Soph! It doesn't even look like Mr. Dimples!"

"I don't care! You know that I don't kill things that I've named!"

"You haven't named it!" James cried.

"Yes I have! His name is Charlie! There, now he's saved!" There's no way that I'm killing anything, today!

Legolas, who had remained calm while James got frustrated, put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Just think of it this way... You have a terrible shot. The chances of you killing dear Charlie are slim. Just let off one shot, and we will be satisfied."

... Really? "Just one shot?"

The elf gave me a reassuring smile. "One shot."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"You'll let me go?"

"YES!" James nearly yelled, just quiet enough to keep the rabbit from running away.

Well... Okay...

So, I aimed in the laziest manner possible and let the arrow fly.

Charlie fell to the ground, an arrow protruding from his side.

The three of us stared in disbelief.

.

"Sophie, will you stop crying?" James sighed as he helped Sam cook Charlie over the fire.

Only a few tears were falling from my eyes; the last drop of girlish childhood letting go, after killing a helpless little rabbit. "You're an ass."

James held his hands up in defense, a cocky, douche-bag smile on his face. "Oh, okay. I'm an ass. You're the one that killed a happy little rabbit." He dodged a hefty stone that I chucked his way, and it went on to nail Gimli's helmet. Lucky for him, he always wears that helmet. Unfortunately for James, Collin chucked an even larger rock, nailing him in the face.

"Dang it, Collin! What was that for?"

Collin glared at our friend, arms crossed. "I don't know. It just felt right." So, he threw another rock, which hit James in the arm.

Oh, Collin. How you make me smile.

"Ow! Stop that!" James rubbed his bruising arm, eyebrows furrowed in frustration. "Look, be mad at me all you want. I'm an ass, whatever! At least we've got some food!"

"We had lembas bread." Boromir laughed. "You should not have scarred Sophie needlessly. Besides... One rabbit is not going to feed our entire camp..." Boromir sighed, eyeing the rabbit stew that Sam was preparing. "I might as well suffer the elven bread for another night... Let the hobbits have their fill."

Awhh... Such chivalry. I'd be impressed, but I couldn't stop thinking about that sick feeling in my stomach. I actually killed something... Something that wasn't an annoying fly. Something with cute, fuzzy babies!

Screw the life of adventure; I'm never killing for food again. Collin's not allowed to be an adventurer, either. He's taking an arrow to the knee the moment we get to safety.

"Eat quickly." Aragorn demanded, handing out the bowls and lembas bread. "We must cover more ground, today, if we wish to make good time."

"So long as the rapids don't kill us, I'm happy." Gimli huffed as he tossed some herbs into his stew. "This bloody river is giving us more to worry about than the orcs."

True that, bro. The hobbits and I have to hold on for dear life if we want to avoid drowning. Let me tell you, I'm no fan of death, but I'm especially not a fan of drowning. I can't even imagine how that must feel.

After I swore off of meat for the rest of my life, and once the men were finished eating Charlie, we were back in the boats, floating down the river at uncomfortable speeds. Curses were thrown left to right, water drenched most everyone and everything, and Pippin earned Collin's lifelong gratitude after he saved Collin's camera from flying out of their boat.

All in all, a rather productive day.

"LAND!" The hobbits fell to the ground as we pulled the boats up onto a small island in the middle of our giant river.

Of course, I didn't fall to the ground like a ninny. No, I have a good reputation to live up to.

Heck, I cried after killing a rabbit... I have no reputation.

It was getting dark, and most people were settling down after a bite of lembas bread. I, on the other hand, wasn't tired enough to go to bed. I spend all day sitting in a boat while Boromir tries to not get us killed. It's a tight squeeze, with Merry, Pip, Boromir and me. Collin rides with Aragorn, Frodo, and Sam, while James hitched a ride with Legolas and Gimli. Originally, us three foreigners were going to get our own boat. The second we set off, though, Collin and James discovered just how hard steering a boat can be. So, we had to make due with what we had.

"Oiyoiyoi..." Collin fell to the ground, rubbing his head. "Of all things, Sophie... Out of everything we've gone through on this journey- Moria, Caradhras, a month worth of walking- nothing has made me fell more sick than sitting in a boat all day..."

"Every superhero has to have a weakness, Ollie." I sat down next to him and pat him on the belly.

"It's a burden I have to bear..." He sighed, rolling over, and falling asleep almost instantly.

Poor child. Out of everyone here, he has to have had the most difficult time getting used to riding down a river. I think he's nearly thrown up several times as we've gone down the rapids. It's hard to tell, since our boats are always far away from each other, thanks to the rapids. It sucks. The only times that I see my best friend are when we pull over for potty breaks. Oh, and that time when I killed Charlie, but that wasn't even a good time.

Oh, well. I guess withdrawals are what we get for hanging around each other so much. It's time that we grow up, not that I want to stop hanging out with him. I've just got to understand that one day we'll both get married, and we might not see each other as much. Heck, if he really wants to go through with that 'Marco Polo' act, I definitely won't see him, anymore.

Well, I've got to enjoy him as long as he wants to stay around. I love that boy, you know.

Goodness... I can't believe that this journey's almost over, for me. Aragorn said that Gondor wasn't too far off. Of course, in Middle-earth, that's still quite some time. In any case, it feels weird; especially since Gandalf's not here... I almost don't want it to end... That almost makes Gandalf's death real. Like, this is all a dream, and he'll be here in the morning. It's been a long time since he's fallen, yet I still can't get over it.

I'm not really looking forward to Gondor, either... Two words: Boromir's dad.

"Sophie, I need to talk to you." James's voice was unmistakable in the dark of night, and he put a hand on my shoulder as he lowered himself down to the ground beside me. "It's been a while. How've you been?"

"Uh... Okay, I guess?" The middle of the night is a great time for small talk, I guess. "How are you?"

"Good. Now, I need to know something. It's been bugging me, and Gimli and Legolas can't seem to come to an agreement on it..."

Oh, goodness. I can only imagine what can have those three chatting it up. "Go on..."

As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I could see James look back and forth suspiciously, before leaning in to whisper to me. "You and Boromir... Is it a thing?"

... "A thing?"

"Yeah."

"What defines a thing?"

"Oh, you know..." James ran a hand through his hair, searching for the correct wording. "Thinglyness..."

James's loss for words never ceases to amaze me. "Seven years living with elves, and you're still just as dumb as you were, back home."

My friend glared at me, but he didn't pinch my shoulder. That's odd... Whenever I used to insult him, he'd pinch me... I guess he's learned one thing: chivalry.

"You know what I mean, don't be a brat."

Oh, my goodness. Is it illegal to kill him? "James, it's obvious that we're a thing. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure that out."

"Okay, good. 'Cause I was wondering... Can you hook me up with a nice house in Minas Tirith?"

"Excuse me?" Doesn't he have an elf wife? Don't elves prefer nature settings?

"Yeah!" James smiled, as though it were a simple request. "You see, once this is all over, I want to settle down somewhere closer to you guys. Besides, Minas Tirith doesn't have giant spiders!"

"James, go to bed." Honestly, what's he doing awake? Did he stay up for this very thing? Prick. I was in deep meditation.

Knowing better than to argue, he got up, but didn't hesitate to leave a final message. "Think about it, Soph. You know it'd be nice to have me back in town."

No, it would not be nice. Okay, that's a lie. It'd be semi-okay, and that's being generous.

.

"No rapids, today!" I could hear Gimli cheer merrily from his boat. "We're nearly at the end of this blasted river. Good riddance to it! The sooner we get out of these waters, the sooner we get to Mordor."

Yes, Gimli. Great idea. Because Mordor is much better than rapids! I, for one, love volcanoes. Lava's great for the skin.

It was all easy-going, from here on out. Aragorn kept the pace up, smiling in anticipation. "If my judgement is correct, we should be able to see the Argonath, soon."

"Aragorn, you've been going on about the Argonath for days!" Collin exclaimed, relaxing in his boat. "What exactly is it?"

All the ranger did was smile, something he hadn't done in quite some time. "You will see, my friend. You will see."

Goodness. If it's enough to make an old coot like Aragorn excited, then it must me good. That ranger's been all work no play ever since we left Lothlorien. We shouldn't have expected anything else, though. Poor man's more stressed than ever.

Today was a good day. As we sailed along the Anduin, Collin and James sang happy tunes, told funny stories and jokes about the good old days, and they even tried to explain to the hobbits the concept of Harry Potter. If only JK Rowling could see this place... Someone definitely needs to jot this stuff down.

Just as my eyes began to close as I dozed off, Merry and Pippin gasped. I opened one eye to see the most ridiculous statues I've ever seen. They were taller than any skyscraper I've ever encountered, and they just gave off this aura of 'back off, bro.' So this is the Argonath...

"Who are they?" Frodo asked, his eyes wide in wonder.

Aragorn smiled as he gazed up at the massive figures. "They are Isildur and Anarion; my ancestors. This place was built to show the old borders of Gondor. What a magnificent sight... Long have I wished to see this place, and now the day has finally come."

Wow... I wish that my ancestors were that cool... Even though Isildur's a complete prick.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Collin slip his camera out to film the giant stone men approaching. Good; he's hardly used that camera, lately. I was actually beginning to miss it... It gave me something to be annoyed with.

Soon after we passed the Argonath, the roar of a great waterfall could be heard. We pulled over to the side and parked our boats for a break.

"We've made good time!" Aragorn chirped. Boy, he's in a good mood, today. "We shall wait until nightfall before crossing the river. We will continue on from there. Until then, get some rest, and gather your strength. We're going to need it."

Great. More walking. I was beginning to enjoy the whole boat thing.

"I am going to go get some firewood." Boromir took my hand and helped me out of the boat like a true gentleman. "Would you like to come?"

"I'll go!" James appeared out of nowhere, bouncing on his heels. "I need to walk around; my legs feel dead."

Boromir turned back to look at me, and I gave him a smile. "You two go on ahead. I'm gonna take a nap or something. Just be careful, mmkay?"

With a salute, James clicked his heels and turned away. "Aye aye, ma'am!"

With those two gone, I decided to plop myself down next to Collin, who was picking at some lembas bread. There was a distant look in his eyes, and he let out a yawn that could blow the fire out of a balrog.

"You okay, Coll?"

"Yeah..." He sighed, taking a small bite of bread. "Just sleepy, is all. I didn't sleep well last night. I had this weird dream that I had to fight a balrog for a plate of chocolate chip cookies..."

"Wow, that is weird. In my dream, I married Gimli, then mistaked a woman dwarf for him... Then Pippin came to the rescue and I married him, too? I dunno... It was a mess..."

Collin chuckled. "Well, you three would make a lovely couple..." He sighed, looking down at his bread. "Do you even remember the taste of chocolate?"

Huh... I haven't really thought about it. "I guess that I don't... Do you?"

"No. I can't even remember the taste of bananas or peanut butter."

My jaw dropped. How have we lived without peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?

(James)

"So, uh... Boromir?"

"Hmm?" The man was bent over, picking up a large twig.

Okay, here goes nothing. We're guy pals, after all. What's the worst that could happen? "What would you say to hooking me up with a house in Minas Tirith?"

Boromir eyed me, a small smile on his lips. "James, as much as I respect you, I can't just give you a house. You would have to buy it."

Yeah, because I didn't already know that. "Well... Legolas bought me a house."

"Yes, and he also owed you for almost getting you killed on several occasions."

Dang it... He's got me, there.

"Listen..." I began, but Boromir cut me off with the wave of his hand.

He eyed our surroundings, his ear angled to listen in on whatever caught his attention. "Did you hear that?"

Did I hear what? The sound of defeat? Yeah, I heard it. What's a man got to do to get a house around here? I just don't want my kids to get eaten by giant spiders. Is that too much to ask for?

Boromir moved forward, not thinking twice about leaving me behind. Cool, bro.

"Hey, where are you... Frodo?" The little hobbit was off in the distance, wandering around aimlessly. There was an empty look in his eyes, and he seemed completely lost. Who let the guy with the ring of power wander off?

We jogged up to him, but even as we drew closer, he never seemed to notice us. It was like he was in a trance, hardly able to think.

"No one should go wandering about on their own." Boromir called out to Frodo, playfully. "You, especially."

"Yeah, seriously. You're kind of important, Frodo. We lose you, we lose everything."

The little hobbit looked away from us, almost frightened. He shifted back and forth on his legs awkwardly, like a child getting caught stealing from the cookie jar. "I know..." He sighed. "I was just deep in thought, is all."

Ah. That's understandable. The little guy's got to have a lot on his mind. Evidently, rings are dangerous business.

"Don't worry about it, Frodo." I gave him a comforting pat on the back. "Camp's in that direction. You'd best be heading back; the others will be worried if you don't return, soon."

The hobbit gave me an understanding nod, and turned in the pointed direction to head back. Then, before he could move a step, Boromir kicked up the conversation, again.

"I understand why you have come so far from camp... You wish to get away. You'd rather suffer alone." Frodo's eyes widened, but Boromir continued. "I see it in your eyes. It is getting worse every day, is it not? Are you sure that this is worth it, Frodo?"

"Of course it's worth it!" I laughed. "What other choice do we have? You were at the council. You know that we must destroy the ring."

Boromir glared at me, shaking his head. "There are other ways."

Frodo backed away, his eyes never leaving Boromir. "I know what you would suggest, Boromir..."

"I have no idea what he's suggesting. Care to explain?" Aragorn's going to want to hear about this. Goodness, I feel like such a tattle-tale.

Boromir shrugged, as though it was obvious. "We could take the ring to Gondor. It would be safe, there."

Ha! Wow, okay. "I think that you bonked your head on something while going through the rapids, Boromir. You speak nonsense."

"It seems wise, at first." Frodo nodded, moving to stand by me. "Yet I cannot bring myself to even consider it."

"And why not?" Boromir snapped. "It could save my people, and bring a swift end to this chaos. Is that not what you want, Frodo? Is that not why you are here, in the first place? Surely, you must see things my way. You must understand. Taking the ring to Gondor will protect my people."

"It would doom your people!" I dropped my firewood; getting a little more than ticked off. "Sauron won't hesitate to attack your city. Come on, Boromir. You know this. What has gotten into you?"

"What has gotten into me?" Boromir slammed his twigs down to the ground, his anger rising. "What are you suggesting, James? I am only thinking of what's best for Frodo, and the ring. Are you suggesting that I am a danger to Frodo, now?"

"Yes, you are!"

"Boromir!" Frodo shouted from behind me. "Calm yourself!"

Boromir moved forward slowly, looking frighteningly like a lion about to pounce on its prey. "You two refuse to see reason. You are turned in the wrong direction, and you will fall in the end! Sauron will take the ring, and my city will be doomed to fall! If you continue on this road, you will betray us!"

This is madness! "Frodo, get out of here..." There's no way that this is going to end well. I'm not strong enough to take on a man like Boromir. He's going to make a mistake; something that he will regret. He's not himself.

I've got to stop him.

Without another word, I lunged towards Boromir, knocking him to the ground, stunned. While he was disoriented, I turned to shout at the small, terrified hobbit. "Run, Frodo!" I barely got the words out, when Boromir knocked me onto my back. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Frodo sprint away, and I breathed an inward sigh of relief.

He's safe.

But I'm not.

I tried to kick Boromir away, but it was useless. He was too strong for me. It was time to break out the low blows.

Taking a deep breath, I threw my knee up, making contact with the one place a guy doesn't want to be hit. It hurt him, but not enough to slow him down for long.

Crap.

Time for plan B.

Everyone has always said that I have a hard head; it's about time I put it to good use.

Bracing myself for the pain, I shot up, my forehead making direct contact with his. Pain shot through my skull, but I didn't have time to let it fade. As Boromir was distracted, I rolled out from under him and jumped to my feet. I drew my sword, prepared for a fight, but even more prepared to run. There's no way that I could beat Boromir in a fight.

Fortunately, I didn't have to. Boromir sat on the ground, hand on his head, bowed over and completely still. He looked up at me, a small trickle of blood falling from a cut in his forehead. His eyes were wide with fear, the kind of fear that screamed, 'what have I done?'

"James?" He whispered my name, like he couldn't remember anything. "Frodo... Where is Frodo?"

"He's gone." I backed away, still unsure of the man in front of me. "What happened to you, Boromir?"

"I don't know..." He sighed, tears beginning to fall from his eyes. It's one thing to see a man cry, but to see Boromir cry? It was almost unbelievable. "The ring... I let it control me... I am a fool. I have shamed myself. There is no escaping from this! If you were not here... I would have tried to take it."

I lowered my sword, taking a deep breath. "We need to get back to camp. He ran in the opposite direction. He could be anywhere."

Boromir nodded, standing up, leaves all over his clothes. "Aye. It is about time I take my leave from this fellowship. Oh, Sophie... She is never going to forgive me for this."

Obviously, you don't know Sophie. "She's more understanding than you thing, Boromir. Regardless, we've got more important matters at hand."

"Yes... Let us go."

(Sophie)

"If you don't stop pacing, you're going to dig a hole in the ground..." Collin commented blankly from his seat on a small rock.

"I can't help it!" I cried, kicking pebbles as I continued to pace. "What if something happened to him? The whole world needs him!" He'd better be with Boromir and James. If anything ever happened to that hobbit, life would be as good as over.

Everyone ran off to find Frodo, asides from Collin and I. We're here in case he comes back, and if he doesn't come back soon I might just have to kill another rabbit. Who's job was it to watch him, today? Isn't that Sam's full-time job? Why did he just run off? Doesn't he know that he's important?

Aghh, I am going to shoot him in the foot when he gets back. Bloody hobbit, scaring me to death.

Just when I thought that I couldn't worry any more, a familiar noise arose from deep within the forest.

The Horn of Gondor.

Collin shot up, grabbing his sword.

"Where are you going?" I cried, pulling on his hand.

Collin looked back and forth between me and the forest, conflicted. "Sophie, I've got to go. Boromir's in trouble!"

Ahh Boromir...

My heart began to fill with even more panic as I held on to Collin's hand even tighter.

"I'm afraid."

Collin smiled at me and brushed a strand of hair out of my eyes. "I know, Sophie. I am, too. But I've got to go help."

I sighed and let go of his hand. "Be careful, okay?"

He laughed. "Always am, Soph." Then, before I knew it, he ran into the woods in search of our lost friends.

Bloody men and their warmongering.