I stabbed my enemies again and again. Aragorn had lured some of the orcs onto the stone platform and was twirling his sword with deadly precision. I rolled between two orcs and rammed my sword into one and my dagger into the throat of the other. Only just did I duck under an attack, block it and cut off my enemy's head. But no matter how many orcs Aragorn and I killed, more kept coming. Some had also already run into the forest to look for Frodo and the Ring. I could only hope that they did not find it. And I could also hope that Merrin and Pippin were hiding somewhere and would not attack. I reached into my jacket pocket and flung a knife into my enemy's eye, he went down on one knee. Suddenly Legolas came running, closely followed by Gimli. They must have heard the sounds of battle. Legolas rammed an arrow through the head of an orc before pulling it out again with a jerk and shooting another enemy. My head flew to the stone platform from which Aragorn had just come flying down. An orc had grabbed him by the neck and pulled out his sword. I quickly blocked my attacker's blow and flung a knife at the orc who was standing bent over Aragorn. The only thing that told me I had hit the monster's back was its squeal.
Suddenly the sound of a horn echoed through the forest.
"The horn of Gondor!" Legolas shot two orcs at once.
Aragorn gripped his sword tighter "Boromir! Come Leona!" and off he ran.
I looked doubtfully for a moment at Gimli and Legolas, who were still surrounded by dozens of orcs, but then I decided to help Aragorn. Legolas was not so easily killed, neither was Gimli. Careful not to hit the forest floor, I ran down the hill. With a scream I jumped down from a rock, rolled off and decapitated two orcs at the same time. I jumped back up and kept running. There were no more orcs to be seen, that could only mean one thing they had found what they were looking for "Please don't." I muttered to myself. I doubled my pace once more. The orcs must not have found Frodo. Behind some trees I could make out Aragorn, who was in the process of cutting off an orc's head. The beast went headless to its knees, staining the ground with its black blood. But Aragorn did not wallow in his victory for long, but ran towards something. As soon as I had come a little closer, I could see who it was and, horrified, I quickened my steps again. Still running, I put my weapons away, for the few orcs still in the forest were dead.
Boromir lay coughing on the forest floor. Three arrows had pierced his torso "They have Merrin and Pippin!" he gasped to Aragorn who knelt beside him.
Aragorn whirled around to face me "You're a healer, do something!" Tears had formed in his eyes.
I knelt on the other side of Boromir "I wish I could." Boromir was already too close to death.
"Please" Boromir grabbed Aragorn by the arm "I have seen my home lie in ruins." he gasped "The Tree of Kings will fall and all good will perish." a tear rolled down the cheek of the Lord of Gondor and joined the blood running from the corner of his mouth.
Aragorn held the man's hand tightly "I will summon all the strength I can, I promise you, neither will the White City fall, nor will our people fail!"
This elicited a smile from the dying man "Our people." his eyes slowly lost their lustre "I would have followed you my brother" he looked Aragorn in the eye "my captain" he gasped "my king."
Wincing I wiped my eyes to wipe away the tear. Boromir did not deserve such a death.
"Leona." croaked Boromir, so softly I barely understood "my sword....please!"
Immediately I looked around for his sword, I knew it was a kind of rite among human warriors to die with a sword in hand.
I spotted it and was about to place it in the man's hands but he stopped me by placing his hand on mine "Keep it." he grinned faintly at me "the folk of Middle-earth are lucky to have a protector like you."
Reverently I stroked the edge of the sword "I will treasure it Boromir." my lip trembled slightly.
Boromir's hand went limp. The light in his eyes went out, he breathed his last. The Lord of Gondor was dead. Two tears rolled down my cheeks in sync. Even though we hadn't had the best start, Boromir had been as important to me as anyone in this fellowship. I stood up and murmured "Kilmin malur ni zaram kalil ra narag. Khaled zâram Boromir con Gondor."
It was only when I turned that I saw Gimli and Legolas standing a few paces away, looking down at the ground in dismay.
"May you rest in peace." Aragorn closed Boromir's eyelids with his fingers "Son of Gondor." he then turned to us "Legolas help me get him into a boat." he looked back to his tribesman "We will pay our last respects."
Legolas put his bow away and together with Aragorn lifted the dead man. Another dead man I was to blame for. If I had found Boromir a little quicker, he would still be alive. I strapped Boromir's sword to my belt and looked stubbornly straight ahead.
"I know that look on you Leona." grumbled Gimli "Don't blame yourself for everything."
I smiled weakly at him and shook my head but said nothing but followed Legolas and Aragorn to the river. The two had placed Boromir in one of the boats and placed his shield and horn each in one of his hands, which he held crossed.
"May we meet again in the halls of our fathers." murmured Aragorn, pushing the boat out onto the water a little. It gained more and more speed until it plunged down the waterfall.
Looking at the waterfall for a few more seconds " They will watch for him from the towers of Minas Tirith, but he will not return to them."
A splash from the shore caught my attention, it was Legolas pushing the last boat into the water " Come quickly Frodo and Sam have reached the Eastern Shore!"
But when neither Aragorn nor I moved from the spot, he too seemed to realise that we would not follow them, we were not allowed to. What had happened to Boromir could happen to any of us. The ring could possess any of us.
"We won't follow them, will we?" the Elf pulled the boat back a little ashore.
I shook my head "They will have to find their own way now." as hard as it was for me to let the two of them get dragged into danger, it was better that way. I walked over to Aragorn who was struggling to bandage his arm "Let me." I took the two ends of the cloth stiffener and deftly knotted them together.
"So that's it." Gimli looked at the ground "The Fellowship has failed."
Aragorn started to smile "Not if we are loyal to each other." he looked at Gimli, Legolas and me in turn "We will not leave Merrin and Pippin to torture and death." he put a knife in its edge "Anything you don't need leave here. We travel light." he was halfway into the forest when he turned again " Lets hunt some orcs!"
Gimli and Legolas looked at each other grinning "Come on." Gimli ran after Aragorn.
For a moment Legolas and I looked at each other silently, then we too ran after them.