Harry removed the last bag from the fourth boat and trudged back to the camp they had made on the river bank, a small makeshift campfire burned brightly, Gimli threw a couple of sticks onto it and it grew brighter "We cross the lake at nightfall," said Aragorn pessimistically as he trudged across the bank and threw a bundle of blankets on the pile of bags.
"Be a good idea to hide the boats," muttered Harry.
"Hide the boats and continue on foot, we approach Mordor from the North."
Harry smiled lazily as he leaned on his beautiful staff that Galadriel had given him, "Oh yes?" Gimli challenged irritably "Just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil an impassable labyrinth of razor-sharp rocks, and after that," he held up a stick for emphasis "It gets even better, festering stinking marshland as far as the eye can see."
"That is our road," said Aragorn calmly, he paused before saying "I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength, Master Dwarf."
Harry bit back a snigger as Gimli muttered and protested, Harry saw Legolas walk over to Aragorn and began to converse and they both ended staring into the forest surrounding the camp, there was a loud thunk behind Harry and he jumped a foot in the air and turned round, his hand rested on Istar's hilt "Sorry," apologised Merry "I didn't mean to scare you I just bought some more firewood."
"Oh don't worry," said Harry, smiling then his smile vanished "Where's Frodo?" He asked quietly. Those two words seemed to electrify the group and they cast frantic glances across the bank and into the forest, Harry's eyes then came to rest on Boromir's rounded shield and so did Aragorn's "Oh dear," groaned Harry.
The Fellowship plunged into the forest and had split up into groups to look for Frodo and Boromir, "Where do you suppose he is?" Asked Harry.
"I do not know," replied Aragorn gruffly, they walked quietly though the forest surveying everywhere they could see and soon they had approached some ruined monument.
"You go right and I'll go left," suggested Harry, Aragorn nodded and he hurried off to the right side of the monument, Harry wandered through the forest and then he heard raised voices.
"...It should be mine! Give it to me!" Shouted Boromir.
"No!" Harry heard Frodo yelp, he tore through the the forest and arrived in a clearing and saw Boromir pull Frodo too the ground and try rip the Ring off its fine chain round Frodo's neck.
"Boromir!" Yelled Harry and he ran at the elder man and tackled him knocking him off Frodo and the wind out of his lungs, he coughed and spluttered in the clearing, Harry drew his sword "Go!" He ordered, Frodo stared at him "He will come to his senses soon and the Ring's effects hasn't worn off yet, go!" Without a second glance Frodo took off and by pure luck in the direction of the monument Aragorn was searching, Harry watched Frodo disappear into the distance when suddenly a terrible pain erupted in his cheek. Boromir had just punched him and hard, Harry spat blood out of his mud "Sorry!" Harry said, raising Istar and a calming hand "I had to do it, you weren't yourself!"
But Boromir was listening he couldn't hear Harry over his rage at the young Hobbit with the Ring "Why did you let him go!" Howled Boromir "Curse you! Curse Him! Him and all the Halflings!" Harry calmly walked up to Boromir and slammed the butt of Istar into Boromir's forehead, the man crumpled to the floor before he woke up. Harry definitely knew the effects had worn off, there was a quaver in Boromir's breathing "Frodo?" He whispered, he climbed to his feet nervously "What have I done? Please Frodo, Frodo I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Then Boromir seemed to notice Harry there, "Hadrid?" He asked "Where is Frodo?"
"He has gone," said Harry sadly "He is going to Mordor alone, but I assume Sam will go along too," Boromir looked at the floor in shame.
"It's my fault," Boromir muttered "It's all my fault, I have broken the Fellowship," Harry put a hand on Boromir's shoulder to comfort him but was cut short when two loud screams filled the air, Merry and Pippin's screams.
"The Hobbits!" Shouted Harry, he punched himself in frustration "Come on Boromir they need our help!" The two males tore through the forest, weaving in and out of the trees following the source of the scream, their swords drawn. Harry saw the black creatures before they did, they were huge, taller than Legolas and Gandalf, their coal black skin glistened in the sunlight, their golden cat like eyes visible through the slits in their helmets which were decorated with the White Hand of Saruman and long manes of black hair that reached their back and they were headed straight for Merry and Pippin. The two hobbits were standing on a small stone bridge and watched in horror as hundreds of the creatures poured through the trees like water, a large axe wielding warrior lead them and he raised the axe to bring it down of Merry's head when Boromir barrelled into the warrior and grabbed the axe before it hit and stabbed the warrior, Boromir threw his dagger and it embedded itself in a creature as it ran towards them. Harry slashed at the legs of the creatures with Istar picking them off one by one but more and more creatures replaced them, Merry and Pippin stabbed at creatures that came within in two meters of them and as Harry pulled his blood-stained sword out of a creature a loud clear sound pierced the air and now Harry knew why Boromir carried that horn around. Harry could almost see the rest of Fellowship sprinting in their direction in his head as Boromir stylishly judo flipped one of the creatures and Harry stabbed Istar down into it, Boromir blew two sharp notes on his horn, while Harry cut down the fast approaching creatures.
Harry saw Merry and Pippin tackle a warrior and kill it with their swords when Boromir blasted his horn again, Harry smiled at the two Hobbits who were holding their own very well, but the creatures were quickly beginning to overwhelm them "Run!" Shouted Boromir and the two hobbits sprinted for their lives, quickly followed by Harry and Boromir after cutting down two more creatures. Merry and Pippin reached a safe distance and started lobbing stones at the creatures and even killed a few of them, generally making life easier for Harry and Boromir but that's when they all saw the leader. He wore no helmet but was most definitely the strongest of all the creatures, a white hand was plastered across his face and he raised a bow and loaded an arrow, and pointed it at Boromir who was sitting down creatures left right and centre and let the arrow fly.
Time slowed down as the arrow flew towards Boromir and there was nothing Harry could do to stop it, the arrow pierced Boromir's chest and he gasped in pain, Merry stopped in mid throw and the whole world went quiet as Boromir fell to his knees, Harry heard himself screamed "No!" The leaders face contorted his face into a gruesome smile at the fallen warrior. But then Boromir rose to his feet and as he screamed a war cry he launched himself at the creatures and Harry joined in, Harry stabbed and jabbed but then he heard another gasp of pain, he turned round and saw another arrow sprouting from Boromir's chest, he fell to his knees once again, his head bowed as he panted in pain and shock. Boromir slowly looked up at the frightened Merry and Pippin, his tunic stained in blood, he screamed and whipped round and onto his feet and stabbed a creature and brought down two more, arrows sticking out of his body like a hedgehog. Harry heard a sudden whoosh and then another gasp, once again Boromir fell to his knees, a third arrow was now sticking out of his chest, 'he'll get up' thought Harry staring intently at Boromir but he did not rise, "For Boromir!" Shouted Harry at the top his voice and the two hobbits joined his cry and they raced into battle. They were a whirlwind of swords but they were soon stopped, two of the creatures seized Merry and Pippin by their necks before they slung them over their shoulders like sacks of flour, they screamed and flailed but to no avail the creatures were to strong. The creatures ran round the kneeling and dying Boromir "Merry! Pippin!" Harry roared and he turned to run towards the creatures but there was another loud whoosh and pain Harry had never experienced before erupted in his calf, a large arrow sprouted from it and Harry saw the leader lower his bow. Harry screamed in pain and dropped to the ground, black spots appeared in front of his eyes, his staff lay beside him, Harry was utterly helpless and he couldn't  go after Merry and Pippin, he lay amongst the dead creatures, slowly the spots started to consume his vision, he heard a bowstring being pulled back. Harry turned his head towards Boromir who had an arrow pointed at his heart "No," Harry croaked, then suddenly out of nowhere Harry heard someone scream a war cry, and he saw Aragorn engaging the leader in a duel, they fought for a few seconds before the leader threw his shield at Aragorn, pinning him to a tree. The leader raised his sword but at the last minute Aragorn wormed out of the way but the leader threw him onto the floor, then Aragorn stabbed his elven dagger into the leader's thigh who roared in pain before punching Aragorn and then lifted him up and head butted him hard. Aragorn rolled down the slope, hemorrhagic blood dripping from his mouth and nose , the leader pulled the dagger out of his leg and threw it at the dazed Aragorn who only just managed to defied it with his sword. He climbed to his feet and charged the leader, the clash of their swords rang out across the forest and suddenly Aragorn cut off the leader's sword arm and stabbed him through the gut, the leader's eyes widened before he grabbed the sword's hilt and pulled it in towards him, dragging Aragorn along with it presumably to kill him but in the nick of time Aragorn pulled his sword out of the leader's body and chopped his head off. Harry cheered out loud for Aragorn but he wasn't listening as he ran towards Boromir.
"They took the Hobbits!" Called Harry, he slowly struggled to his feet and hobbled over too Aragorn, using his staff as a crutch.
"What happened?" Asked Aragorn.
"We were attacked," said Harry, wincing slightly "and you can see the results but what about Frodo, where is he?"
"I let him go," said Aragorn calmly.
"Good," said Harry gratefully.
"I tried to take the Ring from him," croaked Boromir, Harry jumped, he had forgot that Boromir was there.
"The Ring is beyond our reach now," said Aragorn, his eyes looked shiny and Harry realised they were tears.
"Forgive me," said Boromir, his voice quavered as he spoke "I did not see it, I have failed you all..."
"No Boromir," Harry interrupted, he knelt down slightly on his good leg "You fought bravely in the end and kept your honour," Harry was starting to feel tears welling up in his eyes 'I won't cry' he though to himself 'I won't.'
Aragorn made to pull one of the arrows out of Boromir's chest "Leave it!" Boromir said, pushing Aragorn's hand away rather roughly "It is over," Harry started to see blood drip out of Boromir's mouth, death was now close to him "The world of men will fall and all will come to darkness and my city to ruin," he placed one of his hands on Aragorn's shoulder and shook it.
"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," promised Aragorn, he gripped Boromir's arm reassuringly.
"Our people," Boromir echoed, Aragorn nodded "Our people," his breathing became increasingly heavier and quicker, he stretched out his hand and groped for his sword next to him, Harry passed it to him gently, Boromir gripped it tight and held it against his chest and he smiled slightly. Harry heard footfalls behind them and he turned round to see Legolas and Gimli and he saw the looks of shock and horror and sadness pass over their faces, Harry turned back to the dying man in front of him, "I would have followed you, my brother," said Boromir to Aragorn "My captain," he paused slightly and then confidently "My king," a small tear fell off the end of Aragorn's nose and onto Boromir's forehead. He turned his head slightly in Harry's direction "And you," he said "I am so sorry I doubted you Hadrid Dagorlad, you are the bravest person I have met, I... I... I am sorry..."
"Don't be..." Harry began but then Harry saw the light disappear from Boromir's eyes and he felt his skin go cold, Harry put his head in his hands and his shoulders shook as he silently cried, Harry watched Aragorn touch his fist to his forehead, the to his lips and put it behind Boromir's head and slowly bent down and pressed his lips to Boromir's forehead, a final blessing of farewell.
"Farewell," said Aragorn sadly "Son of Gondor."
Harry screamed in pain as Legolas pulled the arrow out of his calf, before he out some sort of herbal goop into it and put a piece of cloth over it forming a makeshift bandage "Done," said Legolas half-heartedly and then he walked away from Harry dejectedly, Harry watched the small elven canoe bob in the water, Boromir's dead body lay inside it, his head was rested on his bag next to his rounded shield, he clutched his sword and the puncture marks where the arrows had pierced him were still visible (the arrows had been removed and thrown into the river).
The boat slowly slipped away from them as they tended each other's wounds "Goodbye," whispered Harry as Boromir's body and the boat toppled off the edge of the waterfall and into the unknown and Harry closed his eyes in remembrance.
"Hurry!" Shouted Legolas sliding the two remaining canoes into the water "Frodo and Sam had already reached the Eastern Shore!" Harry could see the small white outline of a canoe on the other side of the river and the figures of Frodo and Sam disappear into the forest. "You mean not to follow them," realised Legolas, staring at Aragorn as he tied a makeshift bandage.
"Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands," said Aragorn gruffly.
Legolas looked slightly less than pleased as he looked across the water "Then it has all been in vain," grumbled Gimli making Harry jump "The Fellowship has failed."
Harry looked at Gimli in an annoyed way, Aragorn turned to the three of them "Not if we hold true to each other," said Aragorn reassuringly, Gimli smiled weakly "We will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment and death, not while have strength left, leave all that can be spared behind," he sheathed his dagger "We travel light, let's hunt some Orc."
Gimli looked at Legolas and Harry and they looked back holding a silent conversation "Yes!" Gimli roared delightedly and he ran after Aragorn along with Harry and Legolas into the forest.
"Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Hadrid!" Harry cheered "On an adventure to save Middle-Earth! Ha, Ha!" And the loud voices of the brave quartet slowly faded away into the forest towards their destinies.
The End
(For now)