Disclaimer
Apparently, these things are important. So I'll just stick this at the front of every story I put out here: this story is not for money ! I am not going to get anything for it ! That should be obvious, seeing as it's here on FF.net, but if it isn't then this makes it clear.
All right, as to ownership-- I do NOT own any characters mentioned in Lord of the Rings, nor do I own Lord of the Rings, nor do I own any rights to it ! There. So I think that means I own nothing at all in this story. :-o
Now you can read the story. :-)
-(----
I really couldn't help myself. I don't have any excuse, I know that. But the Ring! I could hear it sometimes, when I was near Frodo- it spoke to me, called me by name, whispered dark promises and forbidden gifts should I harken to it. I could feel it, like a burning heat in my mind, and I even fancied I could see it: dreaming, and waking if I wasn't careful, anything from a hint of gold at the corner of my eye to a perfect image of it itself, spinning just within my grasp.
I'm sure he noticed me. I often ran my boat up close behind his, contemplating a quick discussion right there on the river to explain my need and worthiness. But I knew he would not hear me. And no, I don't know what I was thinking: I didn't even have an inkling how to harness the power latent in the Ring, I don't even think I knew it made you invisible until Frodo put it on.
I cursed myself bitterly for that, I can tell you. I realized I did the completely wrong thing, and I steeled myself to apologize to Frodo when I saw him next, but I didn't see him. Instead, I heard Orcs, and almost welcomed them-- at least they took my mind off what I had done.
I found the Orcs charging Merry and Pippin; they were standing helpless, they would have been cut down if I hadn't arrived. I caught one Orc's axe, kicked him, drove the axe into his back, threw my dagger into another Orc's neck, and turned to find 20 more Orcs coming down the hill. I caught the first's sword on mine, turned it without thinking and drove my shield into his face. He fell back into the next Orc, they both sprawled, I slashed past another's guard and cleaved his head in two. I took the pause afforded to blow the Horn again, and I heard 'Boromir!' from somewhere to my left. Andúril whirled in, Aragorn wielding it in his peculiarly Elvish fashion, and together, we slew the Orcs, heaping the bodies until we were surrounded by the dead. Finally, when my arms grew weary beyond anything I had experienced, when the Orcs seemed near to victory, Legolas and Gimli arrived and finished the raiding party from behind.
Aragorn sank into a half-crouched position, breathing heavily. I just collapsed onto the ground. My shield had four arrows through it, one of which also pierced my arm, although I only felt the biting pain now. I ignored it, looking around for Merry and Pippin.
"Me- Merry?" I gasped. "Where are you?"
Aragorn glanced up. "Were Merry and Pippin here?" I nodded breathlessly.
"They were attacked by the Orcs, I ran forward to save them," I replied, finally recovering some breath. I decided not to tell them about what really happened with Frodo, not just yet. Legolas was about to say something when a small voice from behind me turned my head.
"Boromir?" Merry was standing there, wide-eyed. I noticed he was still holding his little sword. Pippin stepped out from behind him, looking even more astounded with his mouth open.
"Yes, Merry?"
"That was amazing."
I vaguely nodded my head. "Almost died of exhaustion, though."
"Yes, fighting is a more demanding exercise than most," put in Aragorn. "Especially when it is so unmatched, and stopping would end your life." I nodded.
"But where is the Ringbearer?" Legolas said suddenly, looking up from a discussion with Gimli- those two had become surprisingly good friends in Lothlórien. "And Sam?" I began trying to do something about the arrow in my arm, avoiding Aragorn's eyes.
"Frodo has already left," said Aragorn soberly. "I met him at the foot of Amon Hen, and he was very troubled. I would have brought him back here, but then I noticed Sting glowing; Orcs attacked us, and Legolas, Gimli and I had to fight them before I could come to Boromir's aid." He looked intently at me. "Why did Frodo say 'It has taken Boromir'? Did you try to take the Ring?"
Well, there it was. I don't suppose I should have been so surprised, he is more than twice my age. I stopped touching the arrow-- I wasn't helping anything anyway-- and tried to look up and meet Aragorn's eyes, but somehow I ended up turning away. "I did," I whispered. "I explained how I could defeat Sauron with the Ring, since no-one else dared to use it. He refused. I tried to take it from him, but he put it on and vanished. Then, apparently, he met you, Aragorn."
Everyone was staring at me by the time I finished. I suppose it made sense, here I was confessing that I had tried to ruin the Quest. It still made me wish I wasn't there-- or better yet, that I had never been born.
"I did not understand," I begged. "I tried to take the Ring because I thought I could save us. How can he avoid being captured? We can't possibly fight Sauron if he has the Ring, and we can barely fight him while he does not.
"But I know now that Gandalf was right. We cannot use it, even if we had the knowledge. We would become just like him, and turn even the Free Peoples to the Darkness."
I looked up, now ready to meet Aragorn's eyes. "Forgive me, I beg you."
Aragorn nodded shortly. "You fought bravely, Boromir, and I deem that you have kept your honor-- for now. But you would do better not to follow Frodo into Mordor; you should return to Minas Tirith as you planned. You would only risk yourself succumbing again."
I had to admit he was right. Well, I hadn't done much of a job not succumbing the first time, had I? But now I was quite ready to change the subject. "Could you get this arrow out of my arm?"
"I can, but you should come with us back to the camp," he replied. "And we need to find Sam. Merry and Pippin- no, that's not such a good idea. Legolas and Gimli, find Sam. Tell him he needs to wait for some of us. I'll bind Boromir's wound, and then all those who so wish will follow Frodo across the River. Boromir will make his way to the White City with any who wish to accompany him."
Apparently, these things are important. So I'll just stick this at the front of every story I put out here: this story is not for money ! I am not going to get anything for it ! That should be obvious, seeing as it's here on FF.net, but if it isn't then this makes it clear.
All right, as to ownership-- I do NOT own any characters mentioned in Lord of the Rings, nor do I own Lord of the Rings, nor do I own any rights to it ! There. So I think that means I own nothing at all in this story. :-o
Now you can read the story. :-)
-(----
I really couldn't help myself. I don't have any excuse, I know that. But the Ring! I could hear it sometimes, when I was near Frodo- it spoke to me, called me by name, whispered dark promises and forbidden gifts should I harken to it. I could feel it, like a burning heat in my mind, and I even fancied I could see it: dreaming, and waking if I wasn't careful, anything from a hint of gold at the corner of my eye to a perfect image of it itself, spinning just within my grasp.
I'm sure he noticed me. I often ran my boat up close behind his, contemplating a quick discussion right there on the river to explain my need and worthiness. But I knew he would not hear me. And no, I don't know what I was thinking: I didn't even have an inkling how to harness the power latent in the Ring, I don't even think I knew it made you invisible until Frodo put it on.
I cursed myself bitterly for that, I can tell you. I realized I did the completely wrong thing, and I steeled myself to apologize to Frodo when I saw him next, but I didn't see him. Instead, I heard Orcs, and almost welcomed them-- at least they took my mind off what I had done.
I found the Orcs charging Merry and Pippin; they were standing helpless, they would have been cut down if I hadn't arrived. I caught one Orc's axe, kicked him, drove the axe into his back, threw my dagger into another Orc's neck, and turned to find 20 more Orcs coming down the hill. I caught the first's sword on mine, turned it without thinking and drove my shield into his face. He fell back into the next Orc, they both sprawled, I slashed past another's guard and cleaved his head in two. I took the pause afforded to blow the Horn again, and I heard 'Boromir!' from somewhere to my left. Andúril whirled in, Aragorn wielding it in his peculiarly Elvish fashion, and together, we slew the Orcs, heaping the bodies until we were surrounded by the dead. Finally, when my arms grew weary beyond anything I had experienced, when the Orcs seemed near to victory, Legolas and Gimli arrived and finished the raiding party from behind.
Aragorn sank into a half-crouched position, breathing heavily. I just collapsed onto the ground. My shield had four arrows through it, one of which also pierced my arm, although I only felt the biting pain now. I ignored it, looking around for Merry and Pippin.
"Me- Merry?" I gasped. "Where are you?"
Aragorn glanced up. "Were Merry and Pippin here?" I nodded breathlessly.
"They were attacked by the Orcs, I ran forward to save them," I replied, finally recovering some breath. I decided not to tell them about what really happened with Frodo, not just yet. Legolas was about to say something when a small voice from behind me turned my head.
"Boromir?" Merry was standing there, wide-eyed. I noticed he was still holding his little sword. Pippin stepped out from behind him, looking even more astounded with his mouth open.
"Yes, Merry?"
"That was amazing."
I vaguely nodded my head. "Almost died of exhaustion, though."
"Yes, fighting is a more demanding exercise than most," put in Aragorn. "Especially when it is so unmatched, and stopping would end your life." I nodded.
"But where is the Ringbearer?" Legolas said suddenly, looking up from a discussion with Gimli- those two had become surprisingly good friends in Lothlórien. "And Sam?" I began trying to do something about the arrow in my arm, avoiding Aragorn's eyes.
"Frodo has already left," said Aragorn soberly. "I met him at the foot of Amon Hen, and he was very troubled. I would have brought him back here, but then I noticed Sting glowing; Orcs attacked us, and Legolas, Gimli and I had to fight them before I could come to Boromir's aid." He looked intently at me. "Why did Frodo say 'It has taken Boromir'? Did you try to take the Ring?"
Well, there it was. I don't suppose I should have been so surprised, he is more than twice my age. I stopped touching the arrow-- I wasn't helping anything anyway-- and tried to look up and meet Aragorn's eyes, but somehow I ended up turning away. "I did," I whispered. "I explained how I could defeat Sauron with the Ring, since no-one else dared to use it. He refused. I tried to take it from him, but he put it on and vanished. Then, apparently, he met you, Aragorn."
Everyone was staring at me by the time I finished. I suppose it made sense, here I was confessing that I had tried to ruin the Quest. It still made me wish I wasn't there-- or better yet, that I had never been born.
"I did not understand," I begged. "I tried to take the Ring because I thought I could save us. How can he avoid being captured? We can't possibly fight Sauron if he has the Ring, and we can barely fight him while he does not.
"But I know now that Gandalf was right. We cannot use it, even if we had the knowledge. We would become just like him, and turn even the Free Peoples to the Darkness."
I looked up, now ready to meet Aragorn's eyes. "Forgive me, I beg you."
Aragorn nodded shortly. "You fought bravely, Boromir, and I deem that you have kept your honor-- for now. But you would do better not to follow Frodo into Mordor; you should return to Minas Tirith as you planned. You would only risk yourself succumbing again."
I had to admit he was right. Well, I hadn't done much of a job not succumbing the first time, had I? But now I was quite ready to change the subject. "Could you get this arrow out of my arm?"
"I can, but you should come with us back to the camp," he replied. "And we need to find Sam. Merry and Pippin- no, that's not such a good idea. Legolas and Gimli, find Sam. Tell him he needs to wait for some of us. I'll bind Boromir's wound, and then all those who so wish will follow Frodo across the River. Boromir will make his way to the White City with any who wish to accompany him."