The Edge of Night

Farewell, Son of Gondor

"Boromir is missing as well." This causes them all to run off, searching for their missing friends. "I swear if he has hurt Frodo..." Elfwyn whispers, mostly to herself but as Legolas is following her closely, he hears it as well.

"Frodo is strong. Believe me, these Bagginses are most hardy of the Shire-folk."

"You speak as if you know them well."

"I met his uncle, Bilbo, a long time ago. I was pleased to see the fruit did not fall far from the tree with Frodo." They crest the hill at this time and come across a scene straight from her nightmares. Aragorn is there, taking on a legion of Orcs by himself.

She races into battle, swinging her sword and slicing into one of the Orcs that were ganging up on Aragorn as Legolas and Gimli joined in. "Aragorn, go!" Legolas yells as they continue to hold off the onslaught. She beheads one for getting too close, before kicking it down the hillside where it takes out a few of its comrades.

They had cleaned up on top of the hill when a horn blowing in the distance causes her to pause. "The horn of Gondor." Legolas says, his eyes narrowed in concern.

"Boromir." Elfwyn and Aragorn say at the same time before taking off down the hill, slicing through Orcs as they go. Boromir, Merry and Pippin come into view just as one of the Orcs sends an arrow into his shoulder, causing Boromir to go down. He gets back up, swinging off the oncoming Orcs, but it is in vain. She stands, frozen in horror, as another one pierces his abdomen.

Her senses come back to her as she runs to him, sword drawn as she stands there, protecting him as he tries to catch his breath. As she kills one of the Orcs, she does not notice another coming up behind her until Boromir screams out and pushes her out of the way of its blade, a battle cry ringing from his lips. They seem to have gotten the upper hand when yet another arrow sinks into his stomach, and he falls for the last time to his knees.

As they grab Merry and Pippin and start running off. With their mission completed, or at least that's what it looked like, they didn't seem to be bothered by the members of the Fellowship they were leaving behind, save for the leader, who seemed determined to wipe out Boromir.

Without a second thought, she lunges the Orc. It does not take much for him to overpower her and throw her into a tree a few feet away, knocking her out.

When she comes to, the Orcs are either dead or gone, the one that had shot Boromir lie in two pieces, his head laying separate from his body. She sees Aragorn kneeling beside Boromir, the arrows still protruding from his body. "They took the little ones." She hears Boromir say as she limps over to them, her head still fuzzy.

"Lay still." Aragorn orders gently.

"Frodo. Where is Frodo?"

"I let Frodo go."

"Then you did what I could not. I tried to take the Ring from him."

"The Ring is beyond our reach now."

"Forgive me. I did not see. I have failed you all."

"You are not weak Boromir. That Ring has had us all in its grasp since we set out from Rivendell. It was only a matter of time before one of us fell victim to its corruption." Elfwyn says softly as she tries to clear the blood from his face. They may not have seen eye to eye, he was still someone she held dear, someone she had even looked up to at one time.

"You fought bravely. You have kept your honor." Aragorn adds as he tries to extract the arrows from his chest.

"Leave it. It is over. The world of Men will fall, and all will come to darkness, and my city to ruin."

Aragorn firmly grasps his arm as he makes this next vow. "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."

Boromir's breathing has become quite labored, the poison in the arrow tips now coursing through his veins, infecting every part of him. "Our people. Our people." He reaches out for his sword and Aragorn places it in his hand, before he brings it back up to his chest. "I would have followed you, my brother. My captain. My king." And so Boromir, son of Denethor, takes his final breaths, his eyes stare, unseeing over Aragorn's shoulder.

Elfwyn turns, furiously wiping the tears from her eyes as they are joined by Legolas and Gimli. "Be at peace, son of Gondor." Aragorn says before placing a kiss on Boromir's forehead. They stand, and Aragorn holds onto her as she cries over her fallen friend. "They will look for his coming from the White Tower, but he will not return."

...

They watch in revered silence as Boromir's canoe makes its way over the Falls of Rauros. Her eyes close as it disappears down the other side and she sends up a Rohirric prayer, asking the gods to guide him into peace. "Hurry. Frodo and Sam have reached the eastern shore." Legolas says, running a canoe out into the shallows. When Aragorn makes no move to follow, they turn back to him. "You mean not to follow them?"

"Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands." It was as she feared. The beginnings of her vision were falling into place. Soon, if it continued as she had seen, they would find their way to Rohan, back to her people and the suffering they were witnessing there.

"Then it has all been in vain. The Fellowship has failed." Gimli growls.

Aragorn approaches them, a determined look on his face as he places a hand on Legolas's and Gimli's shoulders, turning to look her in the eye, a new spark burning in their depths. "Not if we hold true to each other. We will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment and death. Not while we have strength left." He moves to grab his dagger, slamming it into the sheath attached to his hip. "Leave all that can be spared behind. We travel light. Let us hunt some Orc."

*End of The Fellowship of the Ring*