We have come to the end of the Fellowship. The next chapters that will take us into the Two Towers won't be posted till after my final exams. So I will be leaving you all with a bit of a cliffhanger with this chapter.
Also I would like to say thank you to all of the readers, followers, and reviewers. Without your support, I would have given up long ago.
Have your tissues ready if you are big fans of Boromir.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Hobbit or LOTR.
It takes the Fellowship a day of traveling down the small river before it meets up with the larger, Anduìn River. They stay on the Anduìn for three more days before something causes them all to feel uneasy. It the mid-morning sunlight, a raven is heard squawking from the trees. This causes everyone to be on edge from the foreboding sound.
That night, along the river's edge, the Fellowship stop to take their rest. They agree on Boromir and Aragorn taking first watch for the night. As Boromir watches a log float by, he is surprised to see a creature holding on to it.
"Gollum." Aragorn says from behind Boromir. "He has tracked us since Moria. I had hoped that we would lose him on the river, but he's too clever of a waterman."
"And if he alerts the enemy to our whereabouts," Boromir says as he keeps an eye on the opposite shore line. "it will make the crossing even more dangerous."
"He is an unknown element." Inara says as she comes back from where she went to relieve herself. "An uncertain part of fate."
"And what do you know of fate?" Boromir says gruffly at Inara.
"More than I wish to know." Inara says as she walks back towards her bedroll near the fire.
"What does that mean?" Boromir asks as he moves to sit near the fire.
Inara looks at Boromir then to where Tauriel and Kili are sleeping. "If you found out that the reason why someone lives is because you came into their life, what would you do?" Inara looks back towards Boromir.
He had seen her looking towards the elleth and the dwarf, and thinks he knows something. "You mean to say that those two would be dead if you were not a part of their lives?"
Inara chuckles softly. "For Kili, yes. He was fated to die upon Ravenhill during the Battle of the Five Armies. Along with his brother, Fili, and their uncle, my husband. Yet, because my daughter and I came to Middle Earth, my presence here has changed their fated deaths to one of life."
Aragorn, who had begun to smoke his pipe, heard what Inara had told Boromir. This knowledge that Inara just let slip shocks Aragorn completely. He had never heard of someone 'coming' to Middle Earth from a different world. Nor had he ever heard that the former King Under the Mountain and his two nephews were fated to die. This has Aragorn wondering on if Inara's presence with the Fellowship has changed the fate of the members.
"So just being around you allows people who are fated to die, to live instead?" Boromir says questioningly.
"No." Inara giggles. "My presence offset their fates into unknowns. Certain choices they could have made, that would have led them to their deaths, didn't happen. Hence, they are still alive and have many children."
"And what of this power to speak with the dead?" Boromir asks Inara. He is intrigued that this woman could be a cause that could change someone's fate.
"I have always had it." Inara says shyly. "My grandfather was a holy man of his tribe. His wife, my grandmother, was the daughter of a different tribes' war chief and granddaughter of a holy man herself. To my people, every living thing houses a spirit. When things die, you honor the life and spirit of it. The holy man, or woman in my case, has a natural connection to the spirits. It takes years of practice, but those with this connection can commune with the spirits of the living as well as the dead. My grandfather taught me how to do this before he died. After that, my parents tried to force me to stop this connection and to block it. I'll just say, where I come from hearing voices that have no physical form isn't a good thing. So I learned to ignore the spirits the best I could. Then when I came to this place, I felt that connection become stronger than ever before. At first I was afraid, but some divine advice got me to open up again. So now, if I can focus well enough I can hear the spirits that reside in Middle Earth or the afterlife."
Boromir and Aragorn are shocked by this knowledge that the queen of Erebor has just given them. Never before had they heard of someone with this ability. Let alone ever meeting someone with it.
"Is that why Gandalf said you are to be protected?" Aragorn asks Inara from where he is seated.
"Partially." Inara says before looking over at Kili to give the sleeping dwarf a scowl. "It would appear that my nephew-by-marriage and my husband decided that the white wizard and Sauron are hunting me."
This causes both men to sit up straight in surprise.
"What do you mean?" Aragorn asks, wondering why he wasn't told about this new threat to the Fellowship.
"Because of my ability, Saruman and Sauron know that I am a threat to their plans just by being here in Middle Earth. If they were to capture me, I would be forced to bear the white wizards' child so that Sauron may take possession of its body." Inara says with a slight blush appearing on her cheeks. "Any child that I bear could have my ability. And yes two of my children with Thorin have inherited this ability from me."
"So now we have to protect you as well." Aragorn says softly as he lets his knowledge sink in.
"You place us and yourself in danger on this quest. Not only will we be hunted down because of the Ring, but also because you are with us." Boromir says exasperatedly. "And if we do reach Mordor, you would be walking straight into Sauron's lands. Have you not thought about that?"
"I have." Inara growls out at Boromir. "If I am with the Fellowship, I can distract Sauron's forces from ever capturing Frodo and the Ring. Don't you get it? Even though Sauron and Saruman want the ring, they both want me more than it. Yes the Ring gives Sauron power, what good is power without a body to use it?"
Hearing Inara speaking like this has Aragorn getting up from his place and moving to sit near the fire and Boromir.
"You mean to sacrifice yourself so that Frodo is able to destroy the Ring." Aragorn says to Inara worriedly.
"If it comes down to that, then yes." Inara replies as she looks Aragorn in the eyes.
"What about your dwarf husband? Your children?" Boromir asks Inara. He is wondering if the Queen of Erebor is going suicidal in her old age.
Inara breaks her eye contact with Aragorn to look at Boromir. "Thorin is getting close to an age where most dwarves die. So it would not be a long wait before he was to join me in the afterlife. My children would understand my reasons, and they all know that no matter what happens to me, that I will always be with them."
Neither men cannot believe how Inara can be so serious about using herself to divert attention away from Frodo and the Ring.
"I am off to sleep." Inara says as she stands up. "And please, do not worry yourselves about me. Goodnight."
The next morning the Fellowship are back in there boats, traveling down the river again. Only this time, Inara is riding with Aragorn, Kili, Frodo, and Sam. While Kelda is still in the same boat as Gimli and Legolas. Tauriel, Merry, and Pippin share a boat with Boromir.
By mid-day, they travel past two very large, carved statues of Aragorn's kin before heading towards a stone dock on the side of the river. It is at this dock and its pebble covered beach that they will return to dry land for the afternoon. Further down the river is a large waterfall, which is so tall that it would kill even the bravest of jumpers.
As the boats hit the shore, Aragorn has everyone help set up a quick camp. Only a few of the supplies are removed from the boats to be used on shore.
"We cross the lake at night fall, hide the boats, and continue on foot." Aragorn says as he removes a pack from one of the boats. "We approach Mordor from the North."
Legolas is standing guard near the tree line, with his eyes looking into the small forested area. Something about the trees has him on edge.
"Oh yes." Gimli says patronizingly to Aragorn. "Just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil, an impassable labyrinth of razor-sharp rocks? And after that, it gets even better."
"Gimli." Kili says warningly to his cousin. "Enough."
"Festering, stinking marshlands," Gimli continues, totally ignoring his older cousin's heeding. "far as the eye can see."
Aragorn replies to Gimli's words with irritation in his voice. "That is our road. I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength, Master Dwarf." Aragorn knows that the dwarf is cranky from the little sleep that has been had while traveling along the river.
"Recover my..." Gimli starts to say before Inara steps in.
"Gimli, that is enough." Inara says harshly to the dwarf. "I suggest you do as Aragorn says. For all we know, the enemy could be lurking in wait over there, and we will need everyone to pull their weight during a fight."
Kili snickers at Gimli getting a talking to from Inara. However, this only causes Inara to turn on him as well.
"What are you snickering about, Kili? You should follow Aragorn's advice as well." Inara barks out at the dark haired dwarf.
Inara harsh behavior causes everyone to become weary about wanting to say anything to her out of fear that she would take it the wrong way. The woman walks past where Kili, Gimli, Pippin, and Merry are sitting, and makes her way into the tree line.
Legolas, who has been ignoring the conversations, moves away from the trees. He heads straight for Aragorn.
"We should leave now." Legolas says softly to Aragorn.
Kelda, who was removing a pack of Lambas bread from a boat, listens in to what the two are talking about.
"No. The Orcs patrol the eastern shore. We must wait for the cover of darkness." Aragorn replies to Legolas.
"It's not the eastern shore that worries me." Legolas says as he looks back into the trees near their camp. "A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind. Something draws near. I can feel it."
Before Aragorn can say anything, Merry says something that throws the camp into turmoil.
"Where is Frodo?"
They all glance about wondering where Frodo has gone to, but it is what Kelda says next that has everyone heading into the tree line.
"Has anyone seen Boromir?" Kelda asks as she steps out of the boat and onto the beach.
Inara, meanwhile, is wandering around the old relics of what remains of buildings. As she wanders, she opens herself to the spirits of the trees, and the echoes of those who once lived in these old buildings. As she steps out from underneath a roof of a building, she is knocked down to the ground by an unseen force.
"Oww." Inara groans as she hits the ground hard. However it is the panting of breath that comes from what is lying on her sore back that worries Inara. Looking over her shoulder, she sees a mop of curly brown hair. "Frodo?"
The hobbit rolls off of Inara's back as he realizes where he is. "Sorry."
"It's alright." Inara growls out as she moves to sit Indian style on the ground. "You got the jump on me there. Is everything alright?"
"Yes. I'm fine." Frodo says cautiously to Inara. However, his eyes still show some fear in them.
"Frodo?" Aragorn's voice says, which causes Frodo to jump in surprise only to land, again, on his back.
Inara, however, rolled head-over-heels before twisting around to face the person with both tomahawks in her hands. "Jeez, Aragorn. Trying to give us a heart attack?" Inara says as she moves to stand up, yet she still keeps her weapons drawn.
"It has taken Boromir." Frodo says quickly to Aragorn and Inara.
"Where is the Ring?" Aragorn asks with a growl in his voice.
"Stay away!" Frodo says as he crawls a short distance in an attempt to get away from a now approaching Aragorn.
"Frodo?" Aragorn shouts as he moves to follow after the hobbit.
"Frodo! Aragorn!" Inara says as she moves to try to keep Aragorn from chasing Frodo. She is afraid that Aragorn is going after the Ring like Boromir tried to do. As she forces her way past Aragorn, Inara places herself only a few feet in front of Frodo.
"I swore to protect you." Aragorn says to Frodo as he looks past Inara. He holds his hands open, with their palms up to show that he hides no weapons.
"Can you protect me from yourself?" Frodo asks as he keeps backing away. He isn't sure what Aragorn will do or say, but Frodo realizes that Inara has never shown an interest in the Ring. Nor has she ever tried to take it from him. It is then that Frodo comes to the realization that the Ring has no effect on Inara. If anything, it leaves her alone, as if it is content to be near her.
"Would you destroy it?" Frodo asks Aragorn while watching Aragorn closely as he opens his hand that holds the One Ring.
As Aragorn moves towards Frodo, Inara prepares to launch herself towards Aragorn.
"Let him pass." Frodo says to Inara.
"Are you sure, Frodo?" Inara asks as Aragorn comes even closer towards her and the hobbit behind her.
"Yes."
Inara steps aside but keeps herself ready to defend and protect Frodo if Aragorn should try to take the Ring. "Very well."
Both Inara and Frodo watch as Aragorn get closer to Frodo and the Ring. As Aragorns' hand reaches for the Ring, Inara shifts into a ready-to-tackle stance. However, Aragorn's next movements surprise her and Frodo. The ranger moves into a single-knee-on-the-ground position and forces Frodo to close the hand holding the Ring with both hands.
"Aragorn?" Inara carefully asks her fellow traveler.
"I would have gone with you to the end," Aragorn says to Frodo, like one who is making a solemn vow. "into the very fires of Mordor."
"I know." Frodo says as Aragorn removes his hands from the hobbits'. "Look after the others, especially Sam and Inara." Then Frodo looks towards Inara. "He will not understand."
Inara would have given him a smile, but her eyes are glued to the pale blue light that is escaping from sheath that holds Sting.
Aragorn must have seen it too, for he draws his blade quickly. "Go, Frodo. Run, Run!"
Frodo looks in shock at Inara before looking back towards Aragorn. The hobbit seems frozen in shock at the sight of the pale blue glowing of Sting.
"Frodo, you must leave. Now!" Inara says as she pushes Frodo away from them. However, she hears Aragorn call out to her over the rumbling that is causing the ground to quack under her feet.
"Inara. Go find the others! Now!" Aragorn shouts as he moves to confront the oncoming onslaught of the enemy.
"We must go!" Inara says as she pushes Frodo into the safety of the bushes, and back towards the boats and camp.
Inara and Frodo runs as fast as they can while listening to the clanging of steel meeting steel behind them. However, at the feel of the earth trembling beneath her feet and the spirits of the trees around her screaming in terror, Inara can only hope that she and Frodo are moving fast enough to stay out of the enemies hands.
Following the sound of clanging weapons Legolas, Kelda, Tauriel, Kili, and Gimli come charging into the fight to help Aragorn. With Legolas and Tauriel keeping several of the orcs at bay, they make a clear path for Aragorn to reach them. Gimli and Kili are helping Aragorn with a few of the enemies that make it past Legolas and Tauriel's arrows. Kelda is keeping the orcs from attacking Tauriel and Legolas's back while they shoot.
"Aragorn, go!" Legolas shouts to his friend.
Aragorn, not needing to be told twice, rushes past the two elves and Kelda in an attempt to go after any of the enemy who might be chasing Frodo or Inara. Following closely behind, Aragorn are the others as they too follow after Inara and Frodo. However, they run straight into more orcs and continue fighting.
"Where is Inara?" Kili shouts to Aragorn while fighting in tandem with Tauriel, who is now using her daggers.
"She went with Frodo." Aragorn shouts back as he forces his blade into the chest of an orc.
"And where were they headed?" Gimli shouts as he pulls his axe free from the stomach of an orc.
"Back towards the camp." Aragorn shouts as he swings his blade at an approaching orc.
"We must reach them before the orcs capture them!" Kelda shouts as she ducks to evade an orc's blade. An arrow flies over where her head used to be, and embeds itself into the orcs' throat. She turns to look behind her to see that it was Legolas who shot the arrow. However, another orc appears which causes Kelda to roll away to evade its weapon.
Another arrow flies and kills that orc as well.
"Keep your mind in the battle, Nóruiloth!" Legolas shouts as Kelda as he moves to help her stand up. Then he pulls her along as they follow the others down the decline of the hill.
While the others are fighting, Frodo stumbles down some of the decline of the hill some distance away from the fighting. Inara, who was right behind him, helps him up off of the ground. Seeing a small hiding place, near the base of a tree, Inara pulls Frodo with her towards the tree. Then she drags Frodo with her to the ground.
"Shhhh." Inara hisses into Frodo's ear just before a few orcs run past their hiding spot.
Once five orcs pass them, Inara and Frodo hears a voice off to their right. Looking that way they see Merry and Pippin hiding in the broken parts of dead trees.
"Frodo! Inara!" Merry tries to call out softly
"Hide here! Quick!" Pippin calls out after he sees that the cost is clear temporarily. "Come on!"
Inara notices that Frodo has no interest in heading towards his two cousins. Before she can say anything to Frodo, she hears Merry call out to Pippin.
"Pippin!" Merry charges after Pippin, and that is when the two hobbits realize that the orcs are now headed for them. Merry looks towards Inara and Frodo. "Run Frodo! Go on!" Then the hobbit calls out to the orcs. "Hey! Hey, you!"
Pippin following Merry's lead also calls out to the orcs. "Hey you! This way!"
Then the two hobbits run off, hoping that the orcs will follow them. Turning to look behind them as they run, Merry and Pippin realize that it is working, however, they also realize that they don't know where they are headed.
"They're crazy." Inara says as she watches the two hobbit run with a trail of orcs following them. "Frodo. You need to go. I can't go with you, but I can bide you some time so that you can complete your quest."
"I know." Frodo says to Inara. "I overheard what you told Boromir and Aragorn. And I am grateful that you have stayed with me this far."
Inara gives Frodo a smile before brushing the knuckle of finger against his cheek. "I promised Bilbo that I would look after you on this journey. So that is what I am going to do." She leans in to place a kiss against Frodo's forehead. "May the spirits of the earth guide you, beshwaji."
Inara charges out of their hiding spot to follow after the orcs who are chasing after Merry and Pippin. Little does she know that this decision of hers will have a huge impact on things to come.
Merry and Pippin come to a stop on a stone bridge and see that there are more orcs coming towards them now from the trees in front of them. Both look to their left and see even more orcs charging towards them. However, what the two hobbits don't see is that Boromir is charging to intercept the wave of orcs coming from the left, while Inara sneak around the other side to take on the orcs charging straight at them.
"Get down!" Inara shouts at the two hobbits as the throws one of her hidden daggers at an orc that got past Boromir. Then she charges her way up to where the hobbits are. Just as she reaches them, the orcs from the front come in, which has Inara busy as well as the two hobbits.
"We need to move to better ground!" Inara shouts as she kills an orc with her two tomahawks in hand.
Boromir quickly pulls Inara's dagger from an orc before throwing it at another. "Where?"
"I don't know!" Inara yells at Boromir as she takes down another orc in close combat. "Anywhere but here!"
In another area of the forest Legolas, Aragorn, Kelda, Kili, Gimli, and Tauriel are stragglers of the orcs group.
Kili, who is trying to keep tabs on Kelda while fighting, doesn't notice as an orc approaches him. It is when he hears Tauriel call out to him, does Kili realize his mistake. Turing to face the enemy, all Kili sees is the fist of an orc hand before he is sent flying backwards to the ground.
"Adad!" Kelda shouts before having to use the X block with both of her blades at an oncoming, orc sword.
Letting out a groan, Kili opens his eyes and sees a bleary world. However, he can hear the approaching footsteps of the orc. As he tries to get up, his world spins and this causes Kili to stumble. Just as the orc is about to take a swing at Kili, Gimli's axe finds its way into the orc's back.
"Alright there, cousin?" Gimli asks just as the orc falls to the ground dead besides a sitting Kili.
"I'm fine." Kili slurs out as he tries to get his eyes to focus.
"Kili!" Tauriel says as she moves to kneel down in front of Kili. She starts to check his head and comes across some blood at the back of his head. "You're hurt."
"Said I'm fine." Kili slurs out to Tauriel as he tries to push her hands away from his head.
"No you are not." Tauriel says to Kili. "You have a head wound." Moving one of her hands to in front of Kili's face, she holds up three fingers. "How many fingers do you see?"
"Six fingers and a pretty lass." Kili says with a smirk on his face.
"He alright?" Gimli asks Tauriel with a worried look upon his face.
"He has a head concussion." Tauriel huffs out. "And here he was always tells me that dwarves have thick skulls."
Gimli lets out a chuckle as he keeps guard over his cousin.
"Is Adad alright?" Kelda asks after killing her last orc.
"In time he will be." Tauriel replies to Kelda. "Gimli, I am going to need your help getting Kili from falling to the ground."
"Let me help, Naneth." Kelda says as she comes over to help Tauriel get Kili off of the ground.
Once Kili is up on his feet, thanks to Tauriel and Kelda, they all hear a horn off in the distance.
"The horn of Gondor." Legolas says out loud.
"Boromir!" Aragorn shouts as he rushes past Legolas.
"Stay here, lasses, and look after Kili. The elf and I will go with Aragorn." Gimli says to Tauriel and Kelda before charging after Aragorn with Legolas.
Several yards away and down the slope of the forested hill Boromir, Inara, and two hobbits are fighting against the ever growing hoard of orcs. With Boromir at the rear trying to cover the small group, Inara is leading the two hobbits slowly as she hacks away at every orc that approaches.
"Where are they?" Inara shouts back to Boromir as he blows his horn again, to signal to the rest of their group where their location is.
"They'll come." Pippin says to Inara as they comes to a tree with several stone statues nearby.
An orc charges at Boromir, which causes him to leave his horn and fight the orc. He is able to defeat the orc, but there are more coming towards them. Keeping his sword at the ready, Boromir keeps fighting the orcs charging towards his small group.
Inara fights as well, though she is starting to grow tired from the battle. "I need to get back into shape." She whispers to herself, as she slices the neck of an orc that she brought to its knees.
"Run! Run!" Boromir shouts at the hobbits and Inara as he tries to cover their attempts to flee the amassing orcs.
Running a short distance down the hill again, Boromir fights against every orc that comes at him. Merry and Pippin stop when they notice Boromir isn't following them. Seeing some hand-sized stones, the two begin to throw the stones at the orcs that are heading for Boromir. Not hearing the hobbits' footsteps, Inara turns to see that they are throwing stones at the orcs. Not wanting to leave the hobbits, or Boromir behind, Inara charges back up the hill to join Boromir with holding the orcs at bay.
"They are too many!" Inara shouts as she fights besides Boromir. She refuses to allow him to stand his ground alone.
"We hold the line here!" Boromir shouts back as he keeps taking down orc after orc.
The two keep fighting together, which the number of dead orcs around them begin to build. However, this doesn't last long. A shwing whistle from an arrow passes over Inara, as she had ducked low to swipe at the mid-section of an orc that was approaching from her left.
The arrow, hits Boromir in the chest with a sickening thud. This causes the hobbits to stop throwing their rocks, and Inara looks over her shoulder once she has killed the orc she had been fighting. Her eyes open wide as she realizes that the arrow was meant for her.
Boromir gathers what is left of his strength though, and keeps on fighting with the injury. He knows that it is fatal, but refuses to allow it to hold him back from fighting.
"Get out of here!" Boromir shouts to Inara and the hobbits as he swings to strike at another orc that has approached them.
"No! We will not leave you here!" Inara says as she too keeps fighting the orcs. However, as she takes down another orc, she looks up to see an orc with a white hand on its face strutting its way towards them. When she sees the bow in the orcs' hand, she realizes that this orc was the one trying to kill her.
"Your ass is mine, bitch." Inara growls out before throwing herself at an orc that was getting near Boromir. She is determined to reach this particular orc, with its bow, to take him down. 'He must be the leader.' She thinks to herself as she sees that the orcs are now trying to stop Inara from making her way towards the bow carrying orc.
However, what Inara doesn't notice is that the orc leader is not aiming for her, but for Boromir. It lets another fly through the air. Again a sickening thud of the arrow hitting its target echoes in the air.
This pulls Inara out of her determined mindset of going after the orc leader. Changing her heading, Inara now attempts to reach Boromir instead. She sees him fall to his knees before the hobbits and this somehow pushes Boromir to continue to fight.
"No!" Inara screams out as a third arrow makes its way into Boromir's body. She is still fighting through the orcs to get to him and the hobbits.
As Merry and Pippin charge towards the orcs, with their daggers drawn, as a fourth arrow goes flying towards Boromir since he is now on his knees. Before it the arrow can hit its mark, Inara has somehow managed to reach Boromir. She throws herself in front of Boromir, so that she faces the oncoming arrow instead of him. Just as the arrow is about to penetrate Inara's skin, her pendant and her body send out a blinding wave of pale pink light, which obliterates the arrow and many of the surrounding orcs as it shoots away in a growing circle.
Boromir, as the light passes through him, hears his mother's voice softly calling out his name.
For Merry and Pippin, they hear their dead loved ones as well.
This pale pink shock-wave blows past the remaining orcs, who were more than six feet away from the epicenter that is Inara, without harm. The light keeps moving through the forest and goes past the others who are fighting near the top of the hill.
As the shock-wave hits Aragorn, he hears his parents voices call out his name. For Legolas, he hears his mother's voice saying a nickname that she used to call him when he was a child. For Gimli, he hears his mother and uncle's voices. It passes through Tauriel, who hears her parents' voices calling to her. Kili hears Dis's voice as well as a male voice that he has never heard before. But for Kelda, she hears a few young voices calling out to her.
Once the shock-wave has traveled about a mile away from where Inara is, it disappears into nothing.
Inara, however, collapses to the ground in a dead faint from the energy that was released from her selfless act. She lands with her right side hitting the ground first before her head does. Her display of power has some of the orcs stunned into stillness before their leader yells at them. Then they charge forwards towards where Inara, Boromir, and the two hobbits are.
Two orcs lift Merry and Pippin as the two hobbits try to defend their two friends. The rest of the orcs continue charging past as Boromir and Inara as if they are invisible. But there is one who approaches the two humans with a purpose.
Boromir, knowing that he will not live long from his wounds, tries to reach Inara's still body that lays only six feet in front of him. But the heavy sounds from an approaching orc has him look up. He watches in dismay as an orc reaches down and picks Inara up by one of her wrists like a rag doll. Her two tomahawks lay on the ground where she fell. The orc sniffs at Inara's body before a sting of growls startles the orc from its interest. Boromir watches at the orc tosses Inara's body over its shoulder like a sack of grain before moving to catch up to the others. He keeps watching the orc carry Inara's body away till the sound of a bow being drawn back pulls his attention away. Looking in front of him, Boromir sees the orc leader has an arrow ready to fly.
Out of nowhere, Aragorn appears and knocks the orc leader away from Boromir, and the once drawn arrow lands with a thud into the ground next to Boromir's foot. Aragorn battles with the orc leader in a deadly game of strikes and blocks. Then the orc does something that Aragorn was not planning for, the orc tosses Aragorn at a tree. Seconds later an orc shield flies at Aragorn and the ends of its curved top embed into the tree on either side of Aragorn's neck.
The orc leader, senses that he may have just won the battle approaches Aragorn with a blade held ready to strike. What the orc leader wasn't counting on was for Aragorn to loosen the shield enough to slip out from underneath it. The orc blade strikes the tree, and Aragorn begins hitting the orc in the stomach with his fists. The orc leader grabs hold of Aragorn and shoves him away as he pulls the blade out from the tree.
Seeing Aragorn on the ground, and weaponless, the orc swings down to try and kill Aragorn. But Aragorn moves quickly to evade the swing of the blade. The orc leader swings down again, and Aragorn rolls out of the way. Pulling a dagger that he was given by Celeborn, Aragorn stabs the orc leader in the thigh. This causes the orc leader to howl in rage, and in pain, before punching Aragorn in the face.
With Aragorn stunned by the punch, the orc leader lifts him up by his shift and head butts Aragorn before tossing him towards another decline of the hill. The orc pulls out the dagger from his thigh and throws it at a now recovering, but bloodied up Aragorn. Using a sword, Aragorn knocks the blade away before it can hit him. Then he charges at the orc leader with renewed energy from that he has finds deep within himself.
The orc leader and Aragorn continue with their sword fighting, till Aragorn is able to defeat the beast. First by cutting off its sword arm, followed by a stab in its belly, and as the last blow Aragorn slices off the head of the orc leader. Taking a quick second to catch his breath, Aragorn glances over his to see Boromir lying on his back.
"No!" Aragorn growls out between breaths before jogging over to where Boromir lies.
Boromir, who could do nothing to help Aragorn during the fight, is trying to stay alive long enough to speak with Aragorn. Seeing the dark haired ranger kneeling down beside him, Boromir hurries to tell Aragorn.
"They took the little ones and Inara." Boromir say while laboring to breath.
"Lay still." Aragorn says as he tries to check on Boromir's wounds.
"Did you not hear me? They took Inara." Boromir repeats again.
"I heard you. But you must lay still." Aragorn says worriedly. He knows, as well as Boromir, what fate is in store for Inara now that she has been captured by Saruman's orcs.
"Frodo. Where is Frodo?" Boromir asks.
"I let Frodo go." Aragorn says as he realizes that Boromir's wounds are fatal.
"Then you did what I could not." Boromir says to Aragorn. "I tried to take the Ring from him."
"The Ring is beyond our reach." Aragorn says in a comforting voice.
"Forgive me, I did not see. I have failed you all. I failed to protect Inara. She took an arrow for me."
"No, Boromir. You fought bravely. You have kept your honor by protecting the hobbits and Inara. It was her choice, not yours, to take an arrow that was meant for you." Aragorn says trying to give Boromir some comforting words.
"Leave them. It is over." Boromir says as he reaches out to stop Aragorn's hand from pulling the arrows out of his body. "The world of men will fall, and all will come to darkness, and my city to ruin."
Boromir tries to take hold of Aragorn's shoulder, but his strength is leaving his body now. But Aragorn takes hold of Boromir's hand and holds it his shoulder like Boromir wants to.
"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." Aragorn vows to Boromir.
"Our people." Boromir barely says with breath. "Our people." He tries to reach for his sword that lays nearby, so Aragorn helps Boromir by placing the pummel into his dying hands. Boromir brings the sword to rest above his heart in a show of sworn oath.
In the distance, Legolas catches up but stays a small distance away from the two men and watches them with some fascination as to what is happening between them.
"I would have followed you, my brother. My captain. My King." Boromir says to Aragorn before letting out his last breath of life.
Aragorn watches as the light of life leaves Boromir's eyes. Giving a small gesture of farewell, Aragorn takes Boromir's face into his hands and leans forwards slightly.
"Be at peace, son of Gondor." Aragorn says softly to Boromir.
By this time, Gimli has caught up to Legolas with Kelda, Tauriel, and Kili not too far behind him. Both Kelda and Gimli look to the ground as they realize that Boromir is dead.
"They will look for his coming from the White Tower," Aragorn says as he stands up. "but he will not return."
"Where are the others?" Kelda asks Aragorn.
Aragorn answers her question as he sheaths his sword. "Merry, Pippin, and Inara were taken by the orcs."
"What about that wave of light? Where did that come from?" Gimli asks what everyone else was thinking.
"I don't know, Master Dwarf." Aragorn says as he lifts Boromir's body from the ground.
The group slowly make their way back to the river's edge and see Frodo and Sam rowing across the large expanse between the two shores.
"Where are they going?" Kelda asks as she watches them.
"Frodo and Sam go to Mordor on their own." Aragorn says as he sets Boromir's body into one of the two remaining boats. Gimli helps remove their packs out of the boat, while Legolas fetches Boromir's things.
Tauriel and Kili watch as Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas prepare the boat and Boromir's body for its last trip. Kelda keeps watch on Frodo and Sam since she is hesitant to watch the others. Once Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas are done preparing the boat everyone, but Kelda, say a last goodbye to their fallen comrade before sending the boat into the river. They watch as the boat travels with the current and goes over the waterfall.
"If we hurry we can catch up to Frodo and Sam on the eastern shore." Legolas says as he shoves their last boat partially into the water.
Tauriel, who is binding on of Aragorns' wounds, gives Legolas a sad look. She knows that Legolas wants to continue with the quest, but she also knows that they can't leave Inara or the two hobbits with the orcs.
"You mean not to follow them." Legolas says to Aragorn while ignoring Tauriel's sad look.
"Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands." Aragorn says before stepping away from Tauriel since she has finished seeing to his wounds.
"Then it has all been in vain." Gimli says to Aragorn as he approaches where the man is standing. "The Fellowship has failed."
"Not if we hold true to each other." Aragorn says as he looks at the remaining members of the Fellowship, who are now standing near him. "We will not abandon Merry, Pippin, and Inara to torment and death. Not while we have strength left."
"Then we should leave what can be spared behind." Kili speaks out properly since his concussion is no longer bothering him.
"We will travel light." Tauriel says as she looks at Kelda with a reckless grin.
"Then let us hunt some Orc." Aragorn says as he heads into the forest quickly.
"Yes!" Gimli shouts before heading after Aragorn.
Kili and Tauriel are quick to follow after the other two, which leaves Legolas and Kelda on the beach.
"Are you coming?" Legolas asks Kelda as he hands her the dagger that Haldir had given her. She had lost track of it during the fighting, but Legolas had picked it up and kept it with him.
Kelda looks at the dagger before taking it from Legolas's hand. However, his other hand places itself onto of hers that was taking the dagger.
"I promise you, that I will see that you return to him alive and safe." Legolas vows to Kelda.
"Don't make a promise that you can't keep, Legolas." Kelda says softly as she looks at the serious expression on Legolas's face.
"But I intend to keep this one, Nóruiloth. Now come or the others will have left us behind." Legolas says as he releases Kelda's hand and allows her to put away her dagger. Once her dagger is put away, Legolas and Kelda hurry after the others with great speed.
Yet, what the Fellowship has failed to notice in the trees above them, is a Raven from Erebor. The Raven, Aslan, has heard every word that was spoken between them even though he was supposed to have given a message to Kili from Thorin. However, once the last of the Fellowship heads into the forest, Aslan takes to the sky. He will follow the Anduìn River, till he reaches Beorn's lands. For that is where Thorin and over two-hundred dwarves are currently staying. They are waiting to travel south on the River with the help of Thranduil's barge boats that he uses for commerce with the Rohirrim and Lothlorien. That is where he will tell the former King of Erebor that his Queen has been captured by Orcs.
So we have reached the end of the Fellowship. So what do you all think so far? Have I made it interesting enough to keep you all coming back for more?
Leave a review if you choose to. For reviews are well-loved and cherished.
Selene