Far Horizons ❦ Boromir

twєntч-nínє: rєѕt ín lσthlσ́ríєn

UNDER the night the trees stood tall before them, arched over the road and stream that ran suddenly beneath their spreading boughs. In the dim light of the stars, their stems were grey, and their quivering leaves a hint of fallow gold. The company's hastened pace slowed, they were not yet to safety but the dangers were hours behind them. Now, however, an entirely new and different danger lurked in the silent trees.

Well within the borders of the forest, they all came to a halt and settled around a small fire to have a quick bite and tend to any injuries. Sam had procured the worst one, he had an ugly cut on his right forearm, though not deep enough to require stitches. Aragorn moved to clean it, with cool streamwater, but Aeardis pulled out the small vial of snow-flower juice.

The Ranger sat back on his haunches in awe of the finely crafted vial and the cold blue contents within. She uncorked the vial and tapped a single drop into the center of the cut. Samwise winced and glanced up from the cut, though when he looked back down it had sealed close leaving naught even a faint scar. "How did you come by that?" Aragorn inquired as she tucked it back into its sash and hid it away within her small pack. "It was a gift," she responded, "from Arethusa." The Ranger nodded, knowing now that the fairy must have had good reason to give away the last of the potent cordial.

Before night enveloped the land, they were moving on once again, further into woods. Out of the nine companions, it was Boromir and Gimli who were at the most unease, each did not have a particular fondness for the race of elves. But a certain inexplicable warmth and gladness filled Aeardis while she walked among the tall trees, it did not seem like such a strange land, but another type of home.

The Company turned from the path, and went into the deeper shadows of the woods, westward along the mountain-stream away from Silverlode. Not far from the falls of Nimrodel they found a cluster of trees, some of which overhung the stream. Their great grey trunks were of mighty girth, but their height could not be guessed, they were the mighty mallorn trees and in comparison to the rest of Middle Earth, they seemed out of place. Reminders of a fairer time, of a fairer land.

A voice spoke suddenly from the tree-shadows above them. "Daro!" it said in a commanding tone. All nine travelers came to a halt. The voice spoke in an elvish tongue that none but Legolas fully understood, he called up back using the same tongue.

"What are they saying?" asked Gimli in an acrid tone, his two-handed grip on the ax tightened.

The elf glared down at the dwarf for his imprudence. "They say that you breathe so loud that they could have shot you in the dark." Even in the dull light of the moon, Aeardis could see the dwarf's cheeks redden in anger. The affronting quip forming on the tip of his tongue was stopped when Boromir gripped onto his shoulder in warning. Legolas now wore a fleeting smirk, "but they say also that you need have no fear. They have been aware of us for a long while."

Haldir was the name of the elf who had commanded them to halt, soon after he descended from the trees with two others, his brothers Orophin and Rúmil, both as fair and graceful as their leader. "You bring evil to these lands," Haldir stated, his gaze fixated upon Frodo, "you may go no further." It was then that Aragorn stepped forward and walked ahead with the three elves, he began speaking to them in a low, grave tone.

Aeardis tried to hear the exchange but could make out little of what was being said. She turned back and stood between Boromir and Gimli. Frodo looked alone with the three other hobbits huddled together behind him and while she wished to comfort him, she knew it was not possible, but then Boromir spoke suddenly, "Gandalf's death was not in vain. Nor would he have you give up hope," he paused, looked at the halfling and could see the toll that the journey had taken, "you carry a heavy burden Frodo. Don't carry the weight of the dead."