Hope in the Darkness

Hope in the Darkness Part 9

Slowly, very slowly things begin to come back into focus and opening her eyes she is aware that she is lying on her back staring up at the tree tops.

"Meduineth, oh what have I done... Meduineth," Boromir's voice sounds distant and fuzzy and it takes another minute or more before she can clear her head and sit up.

"It's okay, not your fault," she says, her voice hoarse and painful as her hand automatically goes to her throat, pulling away from the tenderness there as she sees him wince. Before she can do or say anything else though the sound of running, heavy footfalls and snarling reaches their ears as well as the tiny cries of Merry and Pippin.

"They're here," he says in shock, fear and sorrow still plastered across his face as he jumps to his feet.

"Quickly, we must get to them," she says in what was supposed to be a yell but is more a pained whisper and with one last glance at her he begins to charge towards the noise with her close behind him.

Breaking through into the clearing Boromir immediately begins to cut his way towards the hobbits as Meduineth pulls her new sword out and follows suit. They fight side by side, desperately trying to save the two young hobbits from the Uruk's but these beasts are bigger and stronger than the ones they fought in Moria and Meduineth is already injured.

"There are too many," she wheezes as she narrowly misses a blade headed for her head when she is thrown painfully to the ground. Boromir roars as he cuts down three of them to reach her side and pull her up before he puts the horn to him lips. The noise sending a chill down her spine as well as little tendrils of hope. Please let Aragorn hear it, please let him come. She had never been in danger for so long without him before and it scared her more than she could say.

"Meduineth," Merry screams her name and she spins to face him, feeling a jolt as she does so and looking down, notes with some detachment that there is an arrow embedded in the edge of her shoulder. She screams then, the action causing pain to coarse through her throat. She is not sure she is screaming in pain or fury but everything seems to become tunnelled in that moment. Vaguely, she hears Boromir roar, more than once and the clashing of metal on metal as the fight continues but she is focused only on her own battle, her own enemies, on reaching Merry and Pippin. They are staring past her now, horror painted across their features, but she can't turn back to see why she instead pulls her bow, another scream ripped from her damaged throat as she aims and shoots the archer who seems to be the one who had shot her.

"Meduineth," it is Pippin calling for her this time and she sees that they have been picked up by the enemy and were being raced away, she tries to reach them, tries to kill them all but it is too late, they are virtually ignoring her now as they race by, having got what they came for. A gasping, wrenching breath from behind her and she turns to see Boromir swaying on his knees, three arrows sticking from his chest and she moves towards him but is knocked quickly to the ground by the passing Uruks another scream wrenched from her throat as the arrow shaft still embedded in her arm is snapped. Nausea rushes through her so powerfully she only just manages to turn to the side as she retches, feeling glad she had not yet had time to eat today. For a moment she can't move, every breath is agony and tears of pain are gathering in her eyes as she struggles to even focus on her surroundings but the crashing of footsteps forces her to her feet. The danger is not over and she would protect Boromir and so she stumbles towards him, her legs wobbling as she sees the state of him, before giving way completely as she realises that he will not survive and looking up sees Aragorn crashing through the undergrowth, skidding to a stop some feet from them.

For a moment Aragorn pauses, trying to take in everything, panting for breath and after he has seen that Meduineth is alive, his whole body nearly giving way and collapsing beneath him such is his relief, he races to Boromir's other side.

"No!" his voice is choked as he looks down at the warrior, who grimaces but still manages to lift a hand and grasp Aragorn's shoulder.

"They took the little ones," he says sorrowfully and Medunieth ducks her head, they had failed their friends.

"Be still," Aragorn murmurs instead choosing to for the moment concentrate on the wounded man before him.

"Frodo, where is Frodo?" he asks and Aragorn can feel Medunieth's eyes on his also as this question is asked and he smiles a little as he remembers how she had saved him without even knowing it.

"I let Frodo go," he replies and Boromir tightens his grip on the rangers shoulder,

"Then you did what I could not," Boromir says with a heavy sigh, "I tried to take the ring from him, just as I tried to take..." his eyes move to Meduineth and Aragorn looks up and takes her face in properly for the first time. Her head is bleeding and there is heavy bruising forming around her eye and jaw as well as dark bruising already appearing around her neck and he feels sick. "I am sorry Meduineth I did not know... I would never..." he breaks of and a rasping cough shakes his body, tears of regret and guilt in his eyes.

"The ring is beyond our reach now," Aragorn says his own emotions threatening to overwhelm him as he realises that the injuries on Meduineth's head and neck were caused by Boromir, that she once again had been hurt by a man and he had once again arrived too late to stop it.

"Forgive me. I did not see it. I have failed you all," Boromir says now his voice so full of resignation and absolute hatred for himself that she sobs before she can stop herself.

"No! Please Boromir, you fought so bravely, you saved me. Please do not give in," she sobs and it breaks both his heart and Aragorn's to see her so distressed.

"You have kept your honour my friend," Aragorn adds as he moves to pull out the first arrow,

"Leave it! It is over. The world of men will fall, and all will come to darkness... and my city to ruin," his voice is so pained that she sobs harder burying her face against his neck as his hand that had been grasping Aragorn's shoulder moves to press lightly against her hair, trying to offer her comfort and relishing in a moment of closeness with the woman he had come to love and had hurt so badly.

"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!" Aragorn says vehemently and his voice is impassioned and powerful, so much so that as Meduineth pulls back she sees a tiny spark of hope in the fading warriors eyes.

"Our people? Our people... look after her, take her home so that she might be where she belongs," his voice is rasping now as he reaches for his sword, which Aragorn quickly places in one of his hands, the other reaching for her small one which he grips tightly for a second, using the last of his strength for this. "I would have spent a life time making up for the wrongs I have done you, and I will spend an eternity watching over you," she is crying in earnest now, her throat aching more with each sob but she cannot stop it and is pleased when he finally turns to Aragorn. "I would have followed you my brother... my captain... my king!" the last word is whispered and with a final sigh he is gone.

"títhen-pen?" the voice is quiet and she wants nothing more than to throw herself into his arms but she is numb in the face of more death and can do nothing but cry in anguish. A hand grasps her arm to pull her up and she does scream now as it hits the arrow shaft still in her arm, her body falling backwards as the pain pushes through the shock and begins it's fiery trail up her body.

"What is it? What is wrong?" Legolas exclaims now kneeling at her other side,

"An arrow... my arm," she wheezes, her vision become spotted again as the pain consumes her suddenly, and there are hands ripping at her tunic, another whimpering scream leaving her as it pulls on the wound.

"Legolas, work with Gimli and see to Boromir," Aragorn says urgently, his eyes never leaving her face.

"Am I going to die?" she asks in a whisper and his expression is so hard she flinches when he looks at her.

"No!" she nods not knowing what else to do as he sets about pulling the arrow head from her arm. She retches again then, screaming and the pain of the scream tearing at her already fragile throat combined with the pain in her arm takes her consciousness from her quickly.