Return Of The Shadow

Chapter 10: Choose

Pippin was carried helplessly out of the dungeon and into Sauron's throne room. The dark lord's throne was empty. Pippin was set down in front of it.

The Mouth arrived shortly after they'd gotten there. He was followed by two more orcs who carried someone with them.

For a moment Pippin thought it was Legolas but soon saw that it was a man, not an elf.

He looked strangely familiar, Pippin had the feeling he'd seen him before but he couldn't remember when or where.

The man groaned and Pippin got a good look at the man's face. He couldn't believe who it was.

Faramir, Boromir's brother. What was he doing here? How was he still alive?

Pippin had a feeling that he was about to find out. A door at the far side of the throne room opened. Sauron walked out and Pippin shuddered.

He hadn't been fully conscious when he'd last been brought before Sauron, but now he was, and the young hobbit was terrified.

Sauron sat on his throne and then motioned for two more orcs to enter. They also had a prisoner with them.

Pippin recognized him immediately.

Boromir.

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Boromir's eyes rested on his brother and Pippin as soon as he entered the room. The sight of his brother beaten and bruised filled Boromir with grief.

And Pippin, what was the hobbit doing here of all places?

Sauron turned to him and smiled.

"I am glad you could join us Boromir. I suppose you're wondering why I've summoned you."

The man glared at him but his gaze quickly returned to his brother.

"You've been a prisoner in my tower for almost a year now. And I have done nothing to harm you. I plan on changing that."

Boromir forced himself to turn and face Sauron.

"What do you want?" he asked dryly.

"You are going to make a choice." An orc approached Boromir with a sword and handed it to him.

Boromir looked down at it in confusion. What did Sauron want him to do?

He said he was going to have to make a choice. What kind of-

A sickening feeling crept up Boromir's spine. He turned to Faramir and Pippin who were in front of him.

No... Please no.

"You get to choose whether your brother, or the halfling dies, and it will be done by your own hand."

Boromir faced Sauron in horror. The dark lord grinned.

"If you do not decide both of them will die. Now choose."

Boromir couldn't believe what was happening. He looked down at the sword in his hand. He knew it was worthless to try and fight in Sauron's own throne room.

Boromir felt the regret that had consumed him since he had first awakened in the dark tower burn inside him until it hurt.

Why hadn't he listened to the others? Why had he taken the ring from Frodo? Everything that had happened was his fault.

"Boromir?" The man winced at the sound of Pippin's small voice. It was filled with fear and sorrow.

He turned and faced the hobbit. Before he could say anything Sauron spoke.

"Time is almost up Boromir. Choose quickly or the decision will be taken from you."

Boromir looked desperately from Pippin to Faramir. He couldn't kill his brother... But he couldn't kill Pippin either. If he didn't choose, then both would die.

Faramir wasn't conscious. If he killed him he'd never know, but after what'd he done to his father... He couldn't kill his brother.

And Pippin, the young hobbit he'd grown close to, so young and innocent. He'd promised to keep him and the rest of the hobbits safe but he'd already failed there. How could he kill Pippin? He'd done nothing to deserve death.

If anyone deserved to die it was him.

But that wasn't a choice.

"Your time is up. Choose now."

Bormir looked at his brother, he thought of when they were boys, growing up in Minas Tirith, playing, training to fight with the rest of Gondor's men.

He turned to Pippin, took a step forward then paused. He looked down at the sword. He couldn't... What Sauron had asked him to do was... He didn't know what to do.

"Boromir?"

The man looked at the hobbit. His body trembled and he struggled to fight back tears.
He knew what Boromir's choice was. He would choose to save his brother.

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Pippin had known that Bormir would not kill his own brother.

He knew that because if it had been him having to choose between a friend, and a brother, he would save his brother.

As Boromir approached the hobbit he could see the anger, the pain, the regret that consumed him. This wasn't the same Boromir who had taken the ring and betrayed them.

This was the Boromir he'd met in Rivendell, his friend who would have given his life for his friends, and his people.

The man raised his sword and then hesitated. Pippin couldn't stop the tear that ran down his face. He looked up at Boromir, his hands shook as he held the sword.

Boromir looked desperately at the hobbit. He wasn't able to hold back his tears either.

"Forgive me. For everything I've done." Boromir pleaded.

Pippin's heart ached, he wanted to forgive Boromir, but...

No. He had to forgive him. He was his friend. Pippin glanced at Sauron. The last thing the dark lord would want was Pippin to forgive him.

Sauron wanted to break Boromir, Pippin wouldn't let him. He'd have one blow at the dark lord before he left.

Looking Boromir in the eye, he said the three words that Boromir had never expected to hear from anyone, especially the one he was about to kill.

"I forgive you."

Pippin closed his eyes. He lowered his head. Boromir raised his sword, without a word, and with every pain in his body, he brought his sword down on the hobbit.