"Why would he have gone this way?" Gimli asked Aragorn.

"I do not know." Aragorn replied. Honestly the ranger didn't understand at all what Boromir was doing.

Instead of heading straight for Gondor he was heading towards Rohan.

He was still going to Gondor but it would take him much longer to reach Minas Tirith the way he was going.

Aragorn stood from where he had been kneeling on the ground. He had easily picked up Boromir's trail and had followed it for almost three days.

Although they hadn't seen any sign of him yet, Aragorn believed that they were getting close.

Legolas walked silently up to Aragorn and stood beside him. The elf had barely spoken a word since they'd left. Aragorn glanced sideways at his friend.

He seemed nervous. "Prestad?" He asked. Legolas shook his head.
"U-iston." Legolas turned away from Aragorn and looked ahead.

"I've been restless ever since we left. I feel like something has been clouding my mind. I cannot think clearly."

Aragorn looked at his friend in concern. He knew that elves couldn't get sick, and they didn't tire easily either. What could be wrong?

"Perhaps we should rest for awhile." Gimli suggested. "We haven't had a proper rest in three days."

Aragorn was about to agree when Legolas objected. "No, we must keep moving." There was no doubt about now in Aargorn's mind. From the sound of his voice it was clear that the elf was exausted.

But why? Even though they hadn't properly rested in a few days, Legolas shouldn't be tired.

Aragorn pushed the thought away. He would find out what was wrong later. They needed to rest. He could even tell by looking at Gimli that his energy was also almost spent.

"We rest here for the night. We will continue our hunt at dawn." Gimli sighed in relief. A rest was just what he needed.

"No." Legolas put his hand on Aragorn's shoulder. "We must keep moving." Aragorn removed Legolas's hand and looked him in the eye.

"Listen to yourself Legolas. You are exausted. You need to rest." Legolas looked confused.

"Exausted? I'm not-" his words were cut short as he stumbled onto the ground. Aragorn quickly crouched down next to him.

"See? You must rest. All of us." Aragorn looked at Gimli, the dwarf made no argument. He looked at Legolas, who finally conceded.

"We leave at dawn."

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Gimli stood watch as Aragorn and Legolas slept. The dwarf tried not to look at Legolas while he was asleep. It still seemed unatural to him that the elf slept with his eyes open.

Gimli looked at the sky. It would soon be dawn. He'd had the last watch so he would be the one who woke Aragorn and Legolas.

Although, after what happened the last time Gimli woke the elf up, the dwarf wasn't enthusiastic about doing it again.

Gimli tensed. He heard something. Something growling.

He grabbed his axe and cautiously looked around the area. He froze when his eyes rested on the source of the growling.

A warg, and not just a warg, but a warg rider. Gimli carefully made his way over to his sleeping companions.

He nudged Aragorn with the end of his axe until the man awoke, which he thankfully did quickly and quietly.

Aragorn noticed that it was not yet dawn. He sensed that something was wrong.

"What is it?" he asked quietly. Gimli silently gestured with his axe to the warg rider, who vanished behind a large boulder just as Aragorn noticed it.

Aragorn shook Legolas, he awoke quickly considering that he had already been half awake.

Legolas sat up and listened quietly as Aragorn told him about the rider.

The three friends stood and drew their weapons. They slowly began walking away from where the warg and its rider had disappeared.

They kept their eyes and ears open for any sign of more riders or the one Aragorn and Gimli had seen earlier.

They moved silently and swiftly behind one another. Aragorn in the front and Legolas in the back. Legolas had his bow out and had an arrow in the string.

He glanced around nervously as he followed his friends. A howl split the air followed by several more. They'd been spotted.

"Run!" Aragorn shouted. The three friends raced over the plains and around large boulders. The sounds of wargs growling and howling echoed through the air.

Legolas quickly assessed the situation. There were two wargs behind them, two on either side them, and three more that he couldn't tell the positions of.

Legolas suddenly stopped, turned around, and fired an arrow at one of the wargs that chased them.

Legolas had aimed for the beast's throat, but the arrow missed and merely scratched the warg's side.

Legolas turned back around and continued running.

How did I miss?

It hadn't been a difficult shot. The warg had been close enough for him to have thrown a rock at.

What is happening to me?

The wargs gained on them. They began to close in as they ran.

There were twelve wargs in total, and even with their combined skills, the three of them wouldn't be able to hold them off for that long.

Especially when Legolas couldn't seem to aim straight. Aragorn continued to lead them until he skidded to a stop.

Two monstrous wargs appeared in front of them. Their riders sneered down at them.

They had been caught.

Aragorn raised his sword while Gimli gripped his axe. Legolas fitted another arrow into his bowstring and aimed it at the nearest warg.

They waited for the wargs to attack but they made no move. Instead, a dark figure imerged from between the two large wargs.

Aragorn's blood turned cold.when he recognized the figure.
"Boromir?"

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Aragorn immdeiately knew that something was wrong with Boromir. Dark circles had fromed around his eyes, which were filled with madness.

He seemed taller and more menacing then when they had last met.

"I'm surprised you survived. I was certain that the orcs would have killed you." He spoke calmly as if he was merely having a friendly conversation with them.

Boromir turned to Legolas and smirked. The elf bristled and gripped his bow tighter.

"Where is the Ring?" Aragorn demanded. Boromir turned back to him and smiled. "You mean this Ring?"

Boromir lifted his left hand and revealed the Ring; which he was wearing on his finger.

The three were dumbstruck. They couldn't believe it, Boromir was wearing the Ring! Without turning invisible. He wasn't just wearing it, he was wielding it.

"You were wrong Aragorn." Boromir said lowering his hand. "All of you were wrong! The Ring can be used, it has given me power."

Boromir gestured to the warg riders that encircled them. "Power over orcs and all living things. Including you Legolas."

The elf's eyes widened. He glared at Boromir as he continued. "You've probably been wondering why you haven't been able to think clearly the last few days, or why you've bee so tired."

Boromir lifted the hand with the ring up. "It's because of this. I've made you no better than a mortal. That's also why you couldn't sense me following you, or the wargs that hunted you."

Legolas glared at Boromir as the man smiled back. "The Ring is corrupting you Boromir."
Aragorn said firmly.

"It may have given you power but it will betray you."

Boromir glanced at Aragorn who still gripped his sword.
"The Ring serves but one master. Your "power" will not last long."

"Oh Aragorn, you are so blind, all of you are! Your eyes cannot see what lies in front of you! I can wield the Ring! It answers to me and does my will! I will use it to overthrow Sauron and-"

"Become the new Dark Lord?" Aragorn took a step forward and kept his eyes locked on Boromir.

"What has it tempted you with Boromir? Power? Fame? All reasonable things to betray your people and friends for."

"I have not beyrayed my people!" Boromir's voice changed, it didn't sound like his voice at all. "I am going to save them! And evryone else on this earth! I will defend my people and strike down all who appose me!"

Boromir paused. For awhile no one spoke. Everything was silent. A menacing grin suddenly crawled across Boromir's face. He looked the three beings standing in front of him.

"And right now... You three stand in my way... You will try to take the Ring for yourselves..."

Aragorn opened his mouth to speak but was silenced when Boromir shouted towards the orcs, "Seize them!"

Before any of them could react the orcs urged their wargs forward. The three held their weapons, ready to defend themselves when Boromir lifted his hand.

Aragorn dropped his sword and shouted in pain. He fell to his knees and clutched the sides of his head in his hands. Beside him, Legolas and Gimli were in the same state.

The orcs dismounted their wargs and grabbed each of them. Boromir lowered his hand and watched as the orcs tied their hands behind their backs and forced them to their knees.

Boromir inspected them, smiled, and without another word he turned and walked away. Turning to the lead orc he said, "Take them to Isengard."