Moving On

Chapter 12

The fellowship lay in their beds as Samantha sat awake. She was completely immune to the snoring of Gimli and the hobbits after so many nights of traveling with them. Even with the noise, it might as well just be her and her thoughts. She had much to think about. Galadriel had shown her many things she did not wish to see. What choices could she make to avoid those fates and the fates of her friends? Already, she felt that her presence had changed the course of the future in a way none of the others could comprehend.

She let out a long sigh as she looked up at the beauty of Lothlorien. 'I wish you were here Gandalf.' If he were, perhaps he could help her sort out what she had seen in the mirror. Everyone dying one by one, as if the enemy knew where they were going to be...

A sharp intake of breath could be heard as her heart fell like a rock to her stomach. 'I get taken...' She realized then that the scream she heard in the vision was her own. She had been captured and most likely tortured. Her mind broken and her memories of the war's events free knowledge to the enemy. Her wide eyes looked out over her sleeping companions. They would all die, because of her.

As she looked over the fellowship she caught the tired face of Boromir as he sat up from his restless sleep. He gave her an odd look, unsettled by her panicked expression so early in the morning. He looked down at himself, "I do not have a spider on me, do I?"

Samantha shook her head and looked out in front of her in a daze.

Boromir thought the reaction odd but shrugged it off as he stood. It was good to see her again. He had not seen her since the elves had taken her away to be healed, he was indeed grateful to them. If only this entire place didn't make him feel so uneasy. He grabbed two apples and strode over to her, sitting beside her. "What has you so troubled so early in the morning?" He said handing her an apple as he took a bite out of his own.

She didn't take the apple, she hardly heard him speak. It was a moment before she spoke, "I need to train. Today." It was hardly above a whisper but she knew he heard her.

The fighter gave her an incredulous look. She was just recovering from a near death experience and she wanted to train? "You are still injured and weak, you must heal before you can train."

She turned toward him, her eyes more serious than he had ever seen them. "I have to." Samantha looked into his eyes and could see Boromir's fate the mirror showed her. Her heart clenched at the thought as she remembered the many arrows in his chest as Aragorn gave him comfort in his last moments. She did not want that to become a reality for her friend.

The look in her eyes made Boromir halt as an unsettling feeling settled within him. "Did she show you something?" She remained silent and looked away. Her actions were enough for him to know. "What did she show you?" He pressed.

Samantha shook her head, "Things I don't want to happen. So, I need to train. I need to be able to defend myself, so this doesn't happen again." She said resting a hand on her bandaged neck. "I can't constantly continue to depend on you guys when you're fighting for your own lives too."

Boromir nodded, understanding her thoughts and concerns. He would give her a sword immediately and start a lesson had it not been for her injuries. He couldn't help but think what it was that she saw. "She too showed me a vision." He put the apple in her lap and rested a hand on her shoulder. He gave it a gentle squeeze remembering his own unpleasant experience with the Lady of Light. "We will change fate. But we will not train until you are ready." He did not want to risk her injuring herself because she could not properly hold a sword.

Samantha nodded, picking up the apple and this time, actually finished it. The two sat in silence as the other members of the fellowship slowly began to wake up. She looked over at Legolas, his back was against a tree with a pillow cushioning him. His head tilted up as he slept. When she first learned that elves slept it was a surprise to her. Legolas explained to her that elves did not need as much sleep as humans. Several hours is plenty for a few days, and they can go far longer if need be and not suffer the same effects as humans. She found it fascinating.