Chapter Eleven

            The company sailed for hours before seeing two enormous statues of men. "That's amazing." Phoenix awed. She looked over at Strider saying something to Frodo and Sam. Shortly after seeing the statues they found an old dock and beached their boats.

            After getting on shore Merry disappeared from the group muttering something about getting firewood. Frodo began to wonder away slyly as Legolas and Strider discussed the Eastern Shore. Sam sat against one of the old stone pillars, catching a light nap. Pippin and Phoenix sat on a log, nibbling some food.

            "We approach Mordor from the North," Strider stated to Gimli and the others.

            "Oh?" Gimli objected. "Tis just a simple matter of finding our way across Emyn Muil, an impassable labyrinth of razor-sharp rocks!" Pippin looked at Gimli with his mouth still full of food. "And then it gets even better!" Pippin gulped his food. "Festering, stinking marshlands as far as the eye can see!"

            "That is our road," Strider replied back. "Perhaps you should take a break to regain your strength." Gimli looked outraged by this commented and huffed.

            Merry returned, dropping the firewood almost on top of Pippin. He looked around. "Where's Frodo?" Strider looked around seeing Frodo and Boromir missing. "I'll get more wood." Merry walked away.

            "I'm going to go talk to him," Pippin said. He got up and followed Merry's path. As Merry picked up the sticks he noticed Pippin following him.

            "What are you doing?" Merry asked, annoyed.

            "Why are you avoiding me and being mean to Phoenix?"

            Merry turned to him dropping the wood that was in his hand. "You let her get in the way."

            "Way of what?"

            "Us! Ever since you met her our friendship has been breaking!"

            "What are talking about?" Pippin asked dumbfounded.

            "You are such a fool! You're being blinded by love!"

            "You're just jealous!"

            "Jealous?" Merry retorted.

            "For once in my life I have found someone that loves me! That loves me for who I am."

            "I love you!"

"And doesn't think I'm a fool!"

            "You are a fool if you think she'd ever love you!"

            Pippin glared at Merry and before thinking lunged at him, punching him in the cheek. Merry retaliated by hitting Pippin in the face. The two of them fell to the ground wrestling each other, exchanging punches.

            Phoenix approached the fighting Hobbits quickly to warn them of the on coming danger. "Stop it!" she yelled at the two of them. "Stop it!" She pulled on Pippin's cloak, getting him away from Merry. "Those things are coming!"

            "What things?" Merry asked whipping the blood from his lip.

            "Those things! The ugly things!" She tried to explain.

            "Orcs!" Merry concluded. "Follow me." he led them threw the woods, down a hill and under some rocks with a bush in front of it. Merry sat as far from Pippin as he could. Phoenix looked over at Pippin.

            "What happened?" she touched his bleeding wound on his cheek and he flinched.

            "Nothing," he said.

            "Shh," Merry ordered. Frodo came running down the hill and ducked behind a tree. A few Orcs ran past the tree not seeing him.

            "Frodo, hide here!" Pippin tried to bring him over. Frodo shook his head at his younger cousin. "What's he doing?"

            "He's leaving," Merry concluded.

            "No!" Pippin jumped out of the bushes. "Frodo!"

            "Pippin!" Merry went to grab his coat but it was too late, the Orcs had spotted them. "Run Frodo, go." Merry watched Frodo run. "Hey you! Over here!" The Orcs started to head towards them. "Come on!" Pippin, Merry, and Phoenix began to run through the woods.

            "It's working!" Pippin shouted.

            "I know its working, keep running!" Merry yelled back.

            They ran down a hill, sometimes loosing their footing as Orcs chased them down. They reached a small bridge and saw Orcs coming from the other direction. Merry and Pippin drew their swords, as did Phoenix.

            Suddenly they saw Boromir coming over a hill with his sword out. The three Hobbits stood as Boromir stabbed and killed Orcs left and right. Out of nowhere and Uruk-Hai stood on the hilltop tall and almost proud as a he drew an arrow. The arrow flew threw the air and with force hit its target in Boromir's shoulder. He moaned in pain and fell to his knees looking at the Hobbits. Within a moment he stood up and began fighting again. Another arrow shot him in the stomach but he continued to fight in defense of the Hobbits. A final arrow shot him again and this time Boromir could not lift himself up.

            Merry and Pippin watched their friend slowly die. "Go." Pippin whispered to Phoenix.

            "What?" she replied. "Go where?"

            "Go hid somewhere…I can't bring you into this battle,"

            "Pippin…I-" he stopped her sentence by placing a kiss on her lips. He pulled away and drew his sword high. He and Merry ran into the heard of oncoming Orcs. "No!" the Orcs simply scooped Merry and Pippin up as if they were pieces of luggage. "No!" she screamed again. She tried to run after them but she could see Pippin mouthing 'stay'. The Orcs disappeared into the distance out of site.

            Phoenix collapsed to the ground and didn't notice the Uruk-Hai being killed by Strider or Strider listening to Boromir's final words. She didn't notice any of it. Her eyes were welled up with tears that slowly fell out and rolled off her cheek. She looked up seeing Strider, Gimli and Legolas pick up Boromir's dead body and carry it to the boats. She slowly followed them not saying a word.

            They placed his body in one of the three boats and let the boat go down the river and fall down the waterfall to a watery, peaceful grave. She heard them say something about Frodo leaving but she sat on the bank of the river.

            "Phoenix…" Legolas bent down to her level resting his hand on her shoulder.

            "They…they took Pippin…oh God…"

            "What?" he asked her.

            "She was right…that bitch Galadriel was right…she knew it would happen," Phoenix realized.

            "What was she right about?"

            "When…when we went to that place…and she was talking to us…she was in my head…she said…she said that I couldn't but my love in Pippin. And this is why. The Orcs took Pippin and now I'll…I'll never see him again,"

            "The it was all in vain," Gimli, said walking over to them. "The Fellowship has failed."

            "Not as long as we remain true to each other," Strider said to the group. He lent his hand down and helped Phoenix to her feet. "We will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment and death. Not while we have strength left." He took his sword sticking it in his belt. "Leave all that can be spared behind, we travel light. Let's hunt some Orc."

            Gimli cheered while looking at Legolas. Strider ran off and Gimli behind him. Phoenix looked down at the scarf that she was wearing. It had belonged to Pippin.

            "Are you coming?" Legolas asked her.

            "Give me a sword," she stated. Legolas smiled and handed her one of his swords. "Come on. We've got Orc to hunt. I'll be damned if Galadriel is right in what she told me." She ran to catch up with Gimli and Strider. She knew what she had to do now, she knew her purpose. Her purpose to find Pippin now and she would accomplish that no matter what.

THE END

            Yes, yes I know that's a major cliffhanger ending. But don't worry a sequel shall be coming out! LOL it may take me a while but don't worry it shall come. I hope you enjoyed this story its one of my favorites. Thank you all for your reviews and please continue to review. LOL. Thank you and goodbye for now.

            -Merton Lynn