Amdiriel reached the top of the hill and caught her brother's gaze as a third arrow lodged itself into his chest. "NO!" Amdiriel yelled as her brother fell to his knees, gasping the last of his breathes. She raced as fast as she could down the hill but was confronted by three more uruk-hai the others in retreat as she heard her and her brother's name being called by Merry and Pippin .
Amdiriel had just slain the last orc when she heard footsteps coming from behind her, somehow she knew they belonged to a man, probably because they were light but not light enough to be an elf. Amdiriel looked up to see one uruk-hai holding her brother by the hair and an archer taking aim for his head but Boromir stood fearless in the face of death.
Both Aragorn and Amdiriel ran forward to attack. Amdiriel pulled her dagger from her waist and threw it just as the archer had let his arrow fly. The tip of the arrow was stopped dead in its tracks by the blade of her dagger. The two then tackled the uruk-hai to the ground, Aragorn going after the archer and Amdiriel after the one who was holding her brother captive.
Amdiriel and the uruk-hai rolled on the ground a couple of times, Amdiriel had somehow lost her sword in the process near Boromir. Amdiriel had moved on top of the uruk-hai, and was about to move to stab him, but she received a punch to the face causing her to fall backward. She continued to roll out of her way back to her sword but the uruk-hai had picked her up. Amdiriel was about to stab the uruk-hai but she had a knife put to her throat, ready to slice her open. Suddenly, the uruk-hai yells in pain, dropping the knife and Amdiriel. The uruk-hai turned and Amdiriel could see Boromir's dagger in the lower back of the uruk-hai. She then looks up her to see her brother fall to his knees in pain and onto his back.
Amdiriel got to her feet and ran at the uruk-hai advancing on her brother. Amdiriel pulled her curved dagger out and jumped on the back on the uruk-hai stabbing him in the shoulder. The uruk-hai yelled again and spins around sending Amdiriel to the ground. She fell just in reach of her sword, she reaches her hand forward her fingers just reaching the tip of the hilt.
Boromir watched as he could do nothing as his sister was thrown to the ground again. He could tell that his sister seeing him dying was weighing on her mind, making her fighting reckless. he spots her sword near his left foot as she reaches for it. He musters up the strength he could and kicks her blade towards her. Amdiriel's blade was thrusted into her hand, she then turned around and thrusted it into the gut of the uruk-hai sending him to his knees. Amdiriel spun around, dodging another fatal blow, using the momentum from her spin to push herself to her feet. This time swinging at the neck, removing the uruk-hai's head from its miserable shoulders.
"Boromir." Amdiriel whispered as she fell to her knees in front of her brother, Aragorn falling next to her not even a second later. "They took the little ones." he told them. "Be still." Aragorn told him. "Frodo? Where is Frodo?" asked Boromir as he gripped the ranger's shoulder as Amdiriel ran a frustrated hand through her hair seeing the loss of blood flowing from her brother's body. "I let Frodo go." Aragorn told him. "Then you did what I could not. I tried to take the Ring from him." Boromir admitted. "The Ring is beyond our reach now." Aragorn replied. "Forgive me, I did not see. I have failed you all." Boromir said. "No, don't you dare say that." Amdiriel said. "No Boromir, you fought bravely. You have kept your honor." Aragorn said.
Amdiriel then figured it would be best to remove the arrows while Aragorn distracted Boromir, so she reached for the arrows but Boromir's hand grabbed hers. "Leave it! It is over, for the world of men will fall and all will come to darkness and our city to ruin." Boromir told them. "No, it will not because you are going to be fine and we are going to go back to Gondor together." Amdiriel said. "It is too late for me and you know it is." he told her. "Then take whatever life that is in me. Take it!" she said as the tears silently streamed down her face.
"No Amdi, not even you have a heart strong enough for the both of us. If you die, hope dies." he told her. Aragorn then moved to try and removed to pull them out the arrows anyway but Boromir extend his arm to stop him. "Boromir." she whispered, pain evident in her voice. Aragorn spoke up "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 told him.
"Our people?" asked Boromir. Aragorn nodded slightly who then repeated his words. "Our people?" Aragorn nodded again. There was suddenly a peace in Boromir's eyes. "Amdi, when the time is right you must go back to Minas Tirith, you must keep my promise to Faramir." He said still holding her hand in his. "I promise." she said. Boromir gave her a small smile. "I love you sister. Tell Faramir I love him too." Amdiriel nodded her head and squeezed his hand, praying he didn't let go. "I love you, too." she replied. Boromir then looked over to his right, his sword lying just beyond reach. Aragorn then placed the hilt of the sword in his hands and then helped Boromir bring his hand over his heart. Boromir looked at Aragorn, his eyes pleading. Aragorn indeed knowing what the man was asking, to look after his sister.
Legolas now joined behind them but neither acknowledged the elf. Boromir had a small smile on his lips. "I leave Gondor in good hands. I would have followed you, my brother and sister, my captains, my King and Queen." he whispered the last word so it was barely heard but both Aragorn and Amdiriel heard it as Boromir breathed his last.
"Boromir?" she asked as the grip on her hand released. "No, Boromir, please don't leave me." she whispered as the grip finally released. Amdiriel could feel her heart be rise as she came to grip with reality as pain ripped through her. "NO!" she screamed as she felt her heart broke in two, she didn't even know that a surge of energy left her body causing the leaves around her be picked up and flutter in the air. Amdiriel placed her hands on the face on her brother and wept into his shoulder. "You were not supposed to leave me. It should have been me."Aragorn didn't try to pull her from her brother. He just rubbed her upper back in comfort, he knew she needed to cry it out to be able to move on with what they needed to do next.
After a bit, Amdiriel sat up and opened her hand, inside laid a navy blue pendant with the tree of Gondor in white and the crown of the king resting above the tree on it. Amdiriel squeezed her eyes shut, the tears still flowing as she grasped the pendant in her hand.
Aragorn let the tears fall down his face quietly as he touched his hand to his head and then to his lips in respect. He then landed down placing his hand on the side of Boromir's face "Be at peace, son of Gondor." he whispered then kiss Boromir's forehead then closed his eyes.
Amdiriel then took in a deep breath and went to remove the arrows but Aragorn stopped her, she shouldn't have to. Legolas then came up behind her and lead her to the side as Gimli knelt down beside Aragorn to help him remove the arrows carefully. When they were done, Legolas helped carry her brother's body. Amdiriel walked in front of them as the others trailed behind her in silence her brother's shield and sword in hand.
Once they reached the shore they place Boromir in an empty boat. Amdiriel pulled a rag from her bag and dipped it in the water and wiped the blood away from Boromir's vest at the same time, Aragorn placed his shield in the boat at the top of the boat. Amdiriel let Aragorn clean his sword as she removed Boromir's arm braces from his arms. Aragorn then placed the sword in Boromir's hand as Amdiriel then wiped the blood and dirt from his face. When she was done she let her fingers run through her brother's hair. Amdiriel looked at the others, seeing they were ready. Amdiriel took a deep breath and leaned down " Tell mother I love and miss her." she whispered and kissed his forehead for the last time. She then nodded to the others who gathered around the boat. With her nod, they pushed the boat off the shore and into the water. She then whispered a spell to take the boat to Gondor, she knew there Faramir or one of the Ithilien Rangers would find him.
Gimli, Legolas, Aragorn, and Amdiriel then started to tend to their small wounds. Amdiriel then walked over to Aragorn and handed the arm braces to him. "He would have wanted you to have them...I want you to have them." she told him. "May I?" she asked. Aragorn nodded and gave her one hand. Amdiriel took his hand and put on one brace and then the second, making sure they were both secure.
Amdiriel then pulled the necklace in her pocket out and looked at it with a long sighed. "Can you put this on me?" she asked. Aragorn nodded, Amdiriel placed the necklace in his hand and turned around. Aragorn looked down a the pendant, recognizing the design of the necklace immediately. "What is this?" he asked as he placed it around her neck. "It's an heirloom, it was given to Boromir's when he was born. It signifies that he would be the next to rule as Steward. He gave it to me, he didn't say to give it to Faramir..." she trailed off. Aragorn finished clasping the necklace, letting his fingers linger a little bit on her skin. "Gondor's fate now rest in your hands." he said. Amdiriel turned around and shook her head slightly "No, it rest in yours." she corrected as she wiped away the stray line of blood on his cheek.
Aragorn was going to tell her that he remembered everything and that Gondor's fate rested in both of their hands but it was cut off by their elf friend. "Hurry! Frodo and Sam have reached the eastern shore." Leoglas said while pushing a boat into the water. He looked back at Aragorn who didn't move from his spot but looked across the lake as Frodo and Sam disappeared into the trees, Amdiriel's eyes following the until the silhouettes were gone.
"You mean not to follow them." Legolas whispered as a statement more than a question.
"Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands." Aragorn told him. Legolas looked back at the eastern shore as he walked to Aragorn.
"Then it has all been in vain. The Fellowship has failed." Gimli said as he stood next to Aragorn while the others wore looks of sorrow at the failure.
Aragorn shook his head and placed a hand on Gimli's and Amdiriel's shoulder. "Not if we hold true to each other." he told Gimli who grabbed hold of the arm that held his shoulder. Aragorn turned to Legolas who was already looking back at the Ranger. "We will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment and death." he told them. He then looked Amdiriel who was already smirking at him.
"Not when we have strength left." he finished. Amdiriel grabbed her small bag with supplies in it. She then went over to one of the extra bags. She grabbed the Lembas bread and tossed it to the elf, dwarf, and man.
"Leave all that can be spared behind." Aragorn ordered picking up his knife. "We travel light." he said and slipped his dagger into his sheath. He gave them an evil smile "Let's hunt some Orc." he said with determination and ran into the trees, Amdiriel followed right after him. Gimli smiled at Legolas who mirrored his "Yes!" he smiled and took off after Aragorn, Legolas right on his tail.
Amdiriel stopped at the top of the hill and looked back out at the falls were she knew Boromir's body drifted towards home. "Goodbye, brother. Yours and mother's death will not be in vain, I swear. I will end this." She said and then ran off after the others.
The hunt was afoot.