°∴,*⋅✲✦ ( ♕ ) ✦✲⋅*,∴°

━━━━ »•» act two. age of shadow

30. bitter glory «•« ━━━━

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ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ third age ━━ year 3019

𓇻 wilderland; anduin {great river}

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ELGARAIN FELT RESTLESS, AS THOUGH A STORM WAS TRAPPED BENEATH HER SKIN, BIDING ITS TIME TO BREAK FREE AND SWEEP HER AWAY. She hadn't slept much, constantly throwing weary looks to the other side of the river. Even though their enemy hadn't shown themselves again, her skin still prickled as if there were eyes upon her at that very moment.

She finally decided to drop the pretense of sleep and sat up straight with a sigh. She got to her feet and walked over towards the lake, splashing the cold water on her face, as if she could wash away her fears. She reached for her flask and filled it with fresh water, then drank eagerly. The water tasted sweet and the meaning of it turned her stomach into a knot. They were so far away from the sea that even the water was different. Back home they had built special mills to expel the salt taste of the sea water. Her father had asked the help of the Dwarves from the Blue Mountains to build the mighty wooden wheels.

He always did have a gift of uniting the different races. A gift which Lord Elrond clearly valued, for he had called up all the different races of Middle-Earth to discuss the weapon of the enemy. The sacrifices she had to bring during this quest would all be worth it, if they could save all of the free folk of Middle-Earth. It was the only hope she had to fuel her bravery and face the dark lands awaiting them.

Soft footsteps approached her and she didn't have to turn around to know who they belonged to. She could recognize his step, his shadow, his very breath, even while she slept.

"We should wake the others to discuss our road," Aragorn said.

Her heart faltered with disappointment, hoping against all reason he had approached her to discuss whatever was still left unspoken between them.

She got to her feet and turned around, trying her hardest to keep her face void of emotion. "I shall prepare some tea." Without awaiting an answer she made her way back to the camp.

It turned out she hadn't been the only one unable to sleep. Except for Gimli, Sam and Pippin, everyone was already awake. She looked around the camp for any sign of the Head of the Guard and finally found her standing near the water, staring at the enemy shores with the very same restlessness reflected within her eyes that had taken hold of Elgarain.

"Gyda?" She asked softly as she approached. "What is it?"

Gyda turned around to look at her, biting the inside of her cheek as she contemplated her answer. "I do not know," she finally replied.

Elgarain offered her a reassuring smile. "Come join the others," she muttered as she reached out and pulled her along towards the camp.

The Elleth followed without complaint, though she couldn't resist one last look over her shoulder.

Elgarain hated seeing Gyda on edge. There were few Elves she knew of who had better attuned senses than Gyda did. If she somehow sensed something was off, Elgarain knew she'd be foolish to ignore it.

The Fellowship sat gathered by the small fire Sam had made upon being woken by Aragorn. The little bit of warmth it provided felt like the greatest of comforts. Elgarain immediately got to work on gathering herbs to make a tea, hoping to make the little bit of comfort they had last a little while longer.

Aragorn straightened his back as he turned to address them. "We cross the lake at nightfall and approach Mordor from the north."

A shiver crawled down her spine at the very mention of that dark land. Hearing the name spoken out loud instead of merely murmured within her thoughts made the danger seem that much more real.

"Oh, yes?" Gimli spoke up. "Just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil, an impassable labyrinth of razor-sharp rocks." His voice rose in volume as he pointed his pipe at Aragorn. "And after that, it gets even better. Festering, stinking marshland as far as the eye can see."

"We'll make it through," Gyda said determinedly, her eyes flashing like the steel of her sword in the sunlight. "I know how to navigate those plains. I shall lead us through them."

"It is our road." Aragorn confirmed gently. "I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength, master dwarf."

"Recover my--!"

"Gimli," Elgarain said playfully as she eyed the Dwarf.

He started muttering beneath his breath in his own tongue and then finally turned to Pippin, who was seated next to him, to express his displeasure. "Pay no heed to that, young Hobbit."

She shook her head, an amused smile tugging at her lips. Though her smile faltered when she noticed Legolas beckon Aragorn and whisper something to him, his worried frown never faltered. She averted her gaze and focused on the boiling of her tea, hoping to distract herself from adding any more worries to her own troubled heart.

Gyda took a seat next to the Hobbits, her stern yet kind features reminded Elgarain of all the times she'd seen her tutor the young Elflings back at home. "Have you all still got your weapons close?" Gyda asked them softly.

They nodded and Pippin even took his sword in his hand to show her.

"Do you think we'll need them...in M-mordor I mean?" Merry wondered, trying his hardest to swallow his nerves.

"Mordor will be dangerous. Many dark and dangerous things live in the shadows." Gyda frowned as old ghosts seemed to haunt her. "But I'll be there to look out for you all, alright?"

Elgarain looked away from her, unable to watch her friend try to bury painful memories.

"When this is over, will we see you again?" Pippin asked.

"Only time will tell Master Hobbit," Gyda replied, before getting to her feet and leaving them to contemplate the danger ahead. With steady steps she walked over to where Elgarain was sitting, her presence finally announced when her shadow fell over Elgarain, like a moon eclipsing the sun. "What runs through your head?" She asked calmly as she took a seat beside her.

"Well Pippin certainly asks difficult questions," she muttered. It was as if her body had a will of its own and her eyes wandered towards where Aragorn was standing against her will. Her heart skipped a beat, as it always did whenever she looked at him. Her next words were spoken in a whisper, as if she wasn't even really aware she was saying them at all. "Will we see each other again when this is all over?"

Gyda drew her knees closer to her chest and rested her head upon them, "I wish I had the answer Elgarain. I wish many great-a-thing for this Fellowship." She sighed. "I think our lives are intertwined now. People bound by fate..." Her eyes flickered towards Legolas. "They'll always find their way back together."

"So it would seem," Elgarain said, an amused smile tugging at her lips. "Care to share what happened back in Lothlórien between you two?"

"I have a feeling you might already know." Gyda replied quietly.

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't." Elgarain shrugged innocently, she wasn't about to let her get away that easily.

Gyda bit her lip and for a moment she looked almost shy. "The meeting of the souls." Her voice was barely more than a whisper, as if she was telling her a secret. "It's... it's a strange feeling and yet, it is as if I hadn't lived until I met him."

Her eyes sparked with genuine happiness. If anyone deserved to experience the wonderful warmth of love, it was Gyda. "I couldn't be happier for you, nésa."

Gyda hesitated for a moment, tugging a strand of hair behind her hair, a habit Elgarain recognized as nerves. "He asked me to join him," she finally said vaguely.

"Join you where?" Elgarain asked with a raised brow.

"Mirkwood, but my place is at your side Elgarain," Gyda faced her with a serious expression. "I will always fulfill my vow to you first."

Elgarain frowned, a sudden anger flaring up within her stomach. Though before she could open her mouth and tell her friend just exactly how foolish she was being, Merry's concerned voice cut through their little camp.

"Where's Frodo?"

Immediately the two Elves jumped to their feet, sharp eyes searching the riverbank.

"Boromir is not here either," Gyda said.

Her heart filled with dread as her thoughts started spinning out of control. She hated herself for even thinking it but how could she not worry? She'd seen the shadow grow within Boromir, she knew darkness was closing in on his heart. No matter how much she cared for the man, she couldn't ignore the signs and endanger the Fellowship in the process...

"Spread out, they can't have wandered far!" Aragorn instructed.

Elgarain was about to hurry into the woods when Gyda turned to look at her and the Hobbits. "Stay at the camp, watch the boats." She ordered firmly.

"But—"

"Elgarain, stay at the camp, please."

She clenched her fists. "Okay."

Gyda nodded gratefully before walking towards Aragorn. "Alright let's go." The two of them headed north, while Legolas and Gimli headed south.

The others had barely disappeared into the shadows when Merry spoke up: "We can't just stay here and do nothing."

Elgarain turned to look at him and felt her heart drop. "Where's Sam?" She looked around but the Hobbit was nowhere in sight. "He must've slipped away to look for his master while we were discussing what to do," she concluded with a sigh.

"Then why are we staying here?" Merry argued.

She didn't reply and instead started pacing back and forth, feeling as though her heart was torn in two. She promised Gyda she'd stay here, but at the same time she couldn't just wait. Boromir could very well need help and she refused to stand here and let the ring take him. She would never forgive herself if she did nothing while Frodo was in danger.

"I'm going to find Frodo!" Pippin declared and marched off into the trees.

"Pippin, wait—"

"Me too!" Merry declared and hurried after his friend.

For a moment she simply stood here, tethered by doubt. Then, with a shake of her head, she forced herself awake and followed the two Hobbits. She couldn't just let them wander off by themselves. She was pretty sure Gyda would be angrier with her for leaving them behind then she would be for disobeying her orders. Besides, she outranked her friend. If there were to be any consequences for her decision, she would face them later. When everyone was safe.

With her hearing focused and her eyes sharp, Elgarain led the Hobbits through the forest. She was holding her spear in a tight grip while trying to remember everything Est—Aragorn had once taught her about tracking. But the ground was covered in leaves and the worry within her stomach was boiling, giving her very little patience to actually see anything that might be useful.

"You don't think anything has happened to them, Elgarain?" Merry asked.

"I'm sure they're both perfectly fine," she said but her words failed to convince even herself.

Merry frowned but didn't ask any more questions, perhaps he too was afraid to find out what they were all thinking had become real. They all knew Boromir was a good man, an honorable man. He wanted so badly to protect his people and that desire was precisely what Elgarain feared the ring had used to poison his mind.

The three of them tried to move as fast as they could up and down the slopes on which the forest was rooted. She kept looking from left to right, hoping to catch any sign of Boromir or the Ringbearer. The longer they went without finding them, the faster her heart started beating.

"Wait!" She held up her hand and the Hobbits came to a halt. With a frown she focused her hearing, following the echoes of the sound she feared she might've heard. "No..."

"What is it?" Pippin asked, his eyes wide.

In the distance the ferocious snarls of orcs echoed between the trees, though they sounded far louder than any other orc she'd ever heard before. The clear ringing of steel meeting steel followed their growls closely. The enemy finally caught up to them.

She turned to look at the Hobbits, eyes filled with worry. "The orcs have found us."

Merry's eyes widened while Pippin's skin paled.

"Stay close to me," she ordered while raising her spear.

They nodded and followed her as she turned around and hurried back to the boats. She had to get the Hobbits as far away from the fight as possible. Gyda taught them well but they couldn't possibly face so many orcs on their own.

Her heart was pounding like a war drum within her chest as they rushed back down the hill. Soon enough, she didn't even need her Elf-hearing anymore to hear the horrible snarls and howls of their enemy. Both Merry and Pippin were now capable of hearing them as well. They kept looking over their shoulder, waiting for the moment the monstrous shadows would appear behind them.

Dread filled her like poison when realization hit her, these orcs moved much faster than any other she'd ever faced. They were getting closer with each passing second, they couldn't possibly hope to outrun them. And even if they did, they'd be caught between their enemy and the water.

Her eyes scoured the forest around them until she saw a fallen tree. She stopped in her tracks, making the two Hobbits next to her come to a halt. "Down," she muttered, pushing both of the Hobbits to the ground.

They hid behind a fallen tree without protest.

Elgarain forced herself to inhale deeply and force her heartbeat to calm down. Carefully she peered through the branches of their hiding place and watched as their pursuers appeared on the top of the hill. They were much bigger than any orc she'd ever seen, as though they were some kind of different breed altogether...They moved fast, despite their heavy armor and broadswords.

Pippin shifted beside her and then whispered: "Frodo?"

Her head snapped to the left and her eyes widened. Only a few steps away from them, Frodo was hidden between the roots of a tree. His blue eyes were filled with unshed tears. The very sight made her heart shatter.

"Hide here," Pippin whispered as he motioned for Frodo to come over. "Quick!"

But Frodo shook his head and her heart shattered even further. There was only one thing that could have made Frodo decide to go on alone...Her worst fears had come true.

"What's he doing?" Pippin asked.

"He's leaving," Merry said, having come to the same conclusion she did.

"No!" Pippin cried out and he stood up to rush towards their Ringbearer.

"Pippin!" Elgarain shouted as she tried to reach for him but he was too fast.

She got to her feet to pull him back and threw a worried look over her shoulder at the approaching orcs. It was too late, they'd been spotted. She turned to look at Frodo, who was watching her with a pained expression. There was no time to think things through and so she did the only thing that seemed right in that moment. The one thing to make sure their quest would not fail.

"Run, Frodo," she ordered. "Go! We'll distract them."

Merry nodded and then started waving his arms. "Hey! Hey, we're over here!"

"This way!" Pippin shouted as he started waving as well.

"Run!" Elgarain ordered as she pushed the Hobbits forward.

The very ground was shaking with the heavy footsteps of the orcs as they headed after their prey.

"It's working!" Pippin exclaimed as they rushed down the hill.

"I know it's working," Merry shouted in reply. "Run!"

The greenery passed her by in a blur as they ran as fast as their feet could carry them. But their enemy did not tire and stayed close behind them. Everything she knew about orcs seemed to have been shattered. They should not be able to move this fast in daylight. Some evil power had given them unnatural strength and it frightened her to the bone, fueling her strength to keep running.

The three of them were forced to a halt when more orcs appeared up ahead. Frantically she looked around for any possible escape route between the many branches and enemy shadows. "This way!" She shouted and directed the Hobbit towards the left.

But another pack of orcs came running up behind them. They were completely surrounded.

She adjusted her grip on her spear and pushed the Hobbits behind her. If this was how she were to die, she would go down fighting. She bared her teeth as the first of the monsters reached them. With a shout she trusted her weapon forward. The silver point tore the armor apart and buried itself deep within the monster's heart.

Pulling the spear free she stumbled backwards, watching as Merry and Pippin picked up stones from the ground and tossed them towards the enemy. Their aim was surprisingly accurate as they hit them on the head each time.

Twisting her spear between her fingers she brought the weapon up to block the blow from another orc aimed at her head. Something moved in the corner of her eye, another orc was approaching fast, aiming at her completely exposed left side. A groan left her lips as she struggled against the strong hold of her enemy, while forced to watch helplessly as the other orc approached her steadily.

A shout caught her attention and in a blur of blue and red, Boromir jumped in between her and the approaching orc. With one mighty swing of his sword, the creature was brought down.

Encouraged by his arrival, Elgarain pushed the orc she'd been struggling with back. Before it could regain its balance, she'd thrown her spear forward and killed it. But the monster was instantly replaced with another one. A startled shout escaped her lips as she was forced to duck to avoid a blow to the head. As she got back up, she aimed her spear at the orc's stomach, burying the steel tip under its breastplate, killing it.

Boromir's hand landed on her shoulder and pulled her back. His face was stoic, a warrior wearing his battle mask, but she could see a small shimmer of panic within his gaze. There were too many orcs and they were too few to withstand them. His features hardened and he reached for the white horn he always carried attached to his belt. He raised it to his mouth and with one deep breath he blew a loud, deep tone. It echoed through the forest and made the very earth shake.

For a moment, the orcs came to a halt. The creatures looked around as if they expected soldiers to jump at them through the trees at any given moment. It was said that if the horn of Gondor was blown near its borders, help would always come.

Though as soon as the orcs realized that no help was coming this time, they attacked with full force.

She blocked a sword aimed at her chest and killed the orc with a shout. Her heart was pounding as she twirled, stabbed and shouted. Her mind was overthrown with worry for her friends, who she could only hope were alright. But the many enemies descending upon her forced her to stay focused, to stay alive.

Behind her, Boromir blew the horn once again. The sound it produced was no longer strong, a challenge for their enemies. Instead, it sounded desperate...The third blast was interrupted when an orc swung at Boromir. The man quickly decapitated the orc but was immediately set upon by another. He kicked the creature to the ground and pushed his sword into his stomach.

Merry and Pippin had freed their swords and jumped at another orc, stabbing it everywhere their tiny swords could fit between the armor. They were taken from her view when another orc jumped in front of her. She raised her spear but her arms were starting to tremble from exhaustion. Gathering all her strength she thrusted the weapon forward and pierced the throat of her enemy.

For one little moment she was allowed to breathe but the next wave of orcs was already descending down the hill. With wide eyes she tried to count them but stopped upon realizing it only made the pit of hopelessness within her stomach larger.

"Run!" Boromir shouted as he pushed Merry and Pippin back.

The first orc of the next group reached them and ran straight towards the man of Gondor. Boromir blocked his sword and kicked him away to create enough space to first slay the second orc that had come after him.

Elgarain ran forward and drove her spear through the orc's back before it had another chance to attack her friend. Boromir's gaze crossed her own and nodded, grateful. Then, suddenly, he stumbled. The spark of gratefulness died out and his eyes glazed over.

For one, horrifying second, Elgarain was too stunned to move. Her brain desperately tried to catch up with what her eyes were seeing: a long black-feathered arrow protruded his chest. Boromir fell to his knees, his breath heavy while blood was already trickling down his chest.

The world seemed to spin around her while her entire body was numb. Her skin didn't feel like her own, as though she was trapped in this moment of time, forced to watch her friend be slain.

The frightened cries of Merry and Pippin freed her body from its numbness. So suddenly, her senses picked up everything at once. The horrible smell of blood, the taste of her tears, the ferocious snarls of the orcs as they kept on coming at them.

Rage boiled within her stomach like a volcano about to erupt, worse and more destructive than anything she'd ever felt. Elgarain let it consume her.

In a red fury she rushed forward and let Rilya dance between her fingers. Her spear killed one orc after the other. And as if her furious attack had awoken whatever strength was left in Boromir, the man pushed himself back on his feet and attacked his enemy with a battle cry that rattled her bones.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she lay waste to her enemies, her dying friend and the two Hobbits beside her. The orcs fell down around them like leaves in autumn. Through her rage, a ray of sunlight warmed her heart. Maybe they could hold them off long enough for the others to arrive, maybe then they could defeat their enemy, maybe then there would be enough time left for her to heal Boromir...

But her hopes were shattered when the man of Gondor cried out in pain as a second arrow pierced his chest. The scream that left her lips was barely recognizable as her own voice. She wouldn't have believed the sound belonged to her if it weren't for her raw throat.

Once again, she was forced to watch as Boromir fell to his knees, trembling as the pain took a hold of him and poison burned through his veins. And yet, somehow, he managed to push himself up. Stumbling on his feet he fought against his enemies and killed at least three more.

Her eyes scoured the hill for the archer responsible and as soon as she found him, her heart was set aflame with all-consuming rage. She couldn't think about the consequences, about whether or not she would even survive this. Instead, she was about to throw herself forward and fight her way through all of the orcs between her and the archer.

A trembled whisper of her name was the only thing that stopped her.

With misty eyes she turned around and faced him. The fire within her died out immediately and left her shaking.

"F-forgive me," he whispered.

She shook her head, barely managing to get the words past her trembling lips in a desperate attempt to console him. "There's nothing to forgive."

Suddenly he stormed forward and pushed her aside, decapitating the orc who had been about to kill her. She had lost count of the number of times he had saved her life and now she couldn't do the same for him...

But in that one small moment of distraction, an orc managed to grab her arm and twisted it behind her back in an attempt to make her drop her spear. She shouted out in pain as her bones broke. Rilya slipped out of her grasp and was trampled beneath the heavy footsteps of the orcs.

Elgarain cradled her broken arm and stared her enemy in the eye. This was it, the end.

But destiny had other plans.

The orc came at her, lifted her from the ground and threw her over his shoulder. To her right, she saw two others pick up Merry and Pippin as well. Then they started running, each footstep made her wince as her broken arm was rattled.

She lifted her eyes and between the retreating figures of the orcs she could see Boromir, seated on his knees. Three arrows now pierced his chest but his head was still held high and that was the very last thing she saw before darkness took her.

°∴,*⋅✲✦ ( ♕ ) ✦✲⋅*,∴°

𝕬𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝕹𝐎𝐓𝐄 . . .

So, I might have cried writing this chapter.

Chloe and I have been going back and forth about if we wanted to keep Boromir alive. We seriously discussed it but in the end, Boromir's death is simply too impactful for both his own arc and the overall story to change it. We felt it would take away a very meaningful part of the story. So, even if it hurts like hell, we decided he had to die.

But, even if writing this chapter was absolute torture, I did finally get to set up a plot point I'm very excited for! Because why would the orcs take Elgarain as well? I guess you guys will have to wait a little while to find out. ;)

Thank you so much for all of your support on this book. It means the world to me!

See you soon!

xx Nelly