Daughter of the Shapeshifter (A Lord of The Rings Fanfiction)

Chapter 22

*Aragorn's Pov-

I shouted as I ran towards Boromir, hoping to save him from the Orc that now towered over him.  I tackled the Orc.  Rolling to my feet, I slashed at the Orc but didn't manage to kill it.  I finally managed to stab it, it simply buried the blade deeper in its chest before I finally withdrew the blade and beheaded it.  I immediately turned and knelt beside Boromir, who'd finally collapsed on the ground, choking on blood.

"I failed them...  Era...  The hobbits...  Frodo..."  I shook my head at him.

"No, you didn't fail them.  You did what you could."  He coughed as he shook his head.

"No...  I tried to take the ring from Frodo...  I let let Era down...  She was taken by the Orcs...  Same with the hobbits."  He gasped for air as he fought back some tears.  "I promised to protect her, Aragorn...  I failed."  I knew immediately that he was talking about Era.

"No...  It's not your fault.  We should have gotten here sooner."  I looked up as Legolas showed up and froze.  "It us who failed them, Boromir.  You did what you could."  Boromir's eyes started to droop.

"Promise me, Aragorn...  Promise me you'll save her and the hobbits both.  Promise me you'll take care of her best you can..."  I nodded and promised as Boromir's eyes widened and gently shut.  I fought back the tears as I shook my head.

Boromir was gone...  Frodo and Sam had gone ahead...  Era, Merry, and Pippin had been taken by Orcs.  I swallowed hard as we took the body to one of the boats and sent it over the waterfall as our burial for him.  Legolas stood beside me as we watched the body go over the waterfall.

"What are we going to do now, Aragorn?"  I swallowed hard and looked down at the ground.

"We're going after the Orcs...  I swore I'd save Era, and I intend to not only save her but avenge Boromir."  Legolas sighed as he looked at me.

"This can't be good, Aragorn..."  He shook his head.  "Taking both shapeshifters...  Our enemy may plan on using them against us."  I nodded.

"I know...  That's why I'm so worried.  I plan on saving Era and keeping her safe from being taken by our enemy again."  Gimili nodded beside us.

"I would storm any fortress in this world to protect Era and Skyrena for the sake of the memory of Thorin.  If they're in danger, I'd do anything to save them."  I smiled and looked back at Legolas.

"What do you say, Legolas?  Are you willing to step up and protect the daughter of your childhood friend?"  He smirked a little.

"If Era has half the spunk her father had when I met him, I actually feel sorry for the poor fools who've threatened us."  He shrugged.  "However, if she's anything like her mother, she's definitely gonna need our help in this one."  He nodded.  "I'm in..."  Gimili nodded.

"I'm in, too!"  I smiled and looked back towards the waterfall.

We'll find her, Boromir.  We'll destroy the Orcs and avenge you.  I swear that we will do whatever it takes to find her and ensure she and the hobbits are safe.  I swear it, Boromir.  I looked back to the woods.

"First, we have to track down the pack of Orcs.  Then, we do whatever we can to make sure we get the hobbits and Era to safety."  I nodded towards the woods.  "Let's go."  We dove back right into the woods and back to where we found Boromir.

*Pippin's Pov-

When I finally woke up, we were being carried on the back of Orcs through some unknown terrain.  Wait, we...?  I saw Merry, who was out cold, being carried on the back, same as me.  Era, who was in her human form, was slung over an Orc's shoulder, out cold.  I swallowed hard as we came to a stop.  The Orcs set me and Merry down before crowding around Era.

"She's been out for hours...  Either she's weak, or she's been overdosed on the drug."  I swallowed hard as I looked at Era's pale face.  Please tell me she isn't dead...

"It doesn't matter.  Master said keep her drugged until we get back.  As long as she's out, she can't cause any problems."  Beside me, Merry groaned, drawing attention to us.

"They're awake...  Maybe we should drug them, too."  I swallowed hard as the leader spoke.

"No...  The drug is for the shapeshifter.  We'll make them run."  One handed me a flask and grinned evilly at me.

"Drink, hobbit...  Drink or you'll never make it to our master."  I swallowed hard and took a tiny sip.  The liquid burned clear down to my core, but I managed to swallow it.  Some Orcs tended to Merry, who had a goose-egg on his head.  I shook my head as I glanced between Merry and Era's unconscienous bodies.

"Stand up..."  Merry groaned as he got pulled to his feet.  "We still have a long way to go."  I watched as another Orc slung Era over his shoulder.

"Should we dose her again, just to be safe?"  An Orc approached with a larger, darker flask and tilted her head back as he poured some of the contents into her mouth.  She sputtered and coughed as she groaned.

"She's waking up...  Make sure she swallows."  Another Orc grabbed her head and forced it back as another yanked her mouth open.  She groaned and started to fight, but another caught her by her hair, holding her head in place.  She coughed as some of the liquid was poured in her mouth and went limp.

"Finally...  Now, let's get back on the road."  I ignored the Orc guards as we were prodded along, more worried about Era.

What is she going to say when she finds out what happened to Boromir?