Eyes of the Goddess

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Boromir fought and fought some more. The Uruk-Hai seemed to spring out from the very ground there were so many of them. He did not see the archer but he saw the arrow sail past him into the ground and heard the creature howl. Boromir continued to fight against overwhelming odds praying, praying that his companions would arrive soon. He could not continue to defend the little ones on his own against this onslaught.

The second arrow sailed past Boromir as his head snapped up to see the archer roar with fury. Each time the archer had loosed his arrow the man had managed to spin away from his usually perfect aim. Boromir however was in fact quickly weakening, his sword arm throbbed and burned and his shield felt like heavy lead upon his arm. His lungs burned with each labored breath.

A resounding sword blow glanced off his own blade and slid into his shoulder opening a deep gash nearly to the bone with such force that it brought Boromir to his knees. As he looked up and saw the faces of his little ones staring at him with eyes wide and mouths agape he knew he could not let them down. He righted himself and continued to fight even though he knew the odds were not in his favor particularly now that his blood had been spilled.

He vaguely wondered why he hadn't collapsed from the pain but continued to fight. He sent up a silent prayer to the Valar for strength to continue until his companions arrived. A third arrow was released and this one grazed his other shoulder sending stinging pain throughout his arm. Yet again the archer snarled angrily closing the distance between himself and the human. Boromir again was rendered to his knees by two attackers. One of the orc's scimitars slid along the top of his hip cutting him but not deeply. He managed to defeat both attackers, but by this time the archer was upon him and this time he knew his luck had worn out. The archer could not miss this time.

Boromir's heart sunk when he saw the little ones being scooped up and carried away but he could not rise now. Then his heart lurched in his chest when he saw one of the Uruk-Hai pick up the Horn of Gondor and sling it over his shoulder as he retreated with the group who had taken the little ones.

The archer had notched his arrow before him and was about to finish Boromir. Then a screaming shadow burst from the trees and sent the archer tumbling. The archer's arrow again narrowly missed its mark.

"Aragorn." Boromir gasped.

Boromir tried to rise up in aid to his companion but was struck in the head by someone. His world turned black and he collapsed against the leaf-strewn ground. Perhaps he was dead...that would be for the best he thought just before blacking out completely.

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"Boromir! Boromir!" Aragorn yelled. Wearily Boromir opened his eyes.

"Thank the Valar, I thought I had lost you." Aragorn said letting loose a sigh of relief.

"They took the little ones." Boromir said trying to rise but Aragorn pushed him back.

"Stay still." Aragorn commanded as he assessed Boromir's wounds.

"Frodo. Where is Frodo?" Boromir asked frantically.

Aragorn frowned. He knew that the ring had caused Boromir to take leave of his senses.

"I let Frodo go." Aragorn replied.

"Then you did what I could not. I tried to take the ring from him." Boromir admitted, though it pained him greatly to say it.

"The ring is beyond our reach now." Aragorn replied still assessing the wounds on Boromir's shoulders, and the wound on his hip.

The one wound on his right shoulder was quite deep but would heal well if infection could be kept down, the other a wound from an arrow had torn a deep gouge into his upper arm but for all intent it was just a grazing and the wound on his hip was not bad. It would not leave a scar. What worried Aragorn was poison.

"Forgive me. I did not see it. I have failed you all." Boromir said sadly as he gasped for breath. Yes, Aragorn thought, the blades and arrow were indeed poisoned.

"No, Boromir. You fought bravely. You have kept your honor." Aragorn replied strongly shaking his head.

"Leave me be. It is over. The world of men will fail. All will fall into darkness, and my city to ruin." Boromir said wishing that Aragorn had not saved him but let him die with honor.

Then Aragorn said something that Boromir could not believe. "I know not what strength lies in my blood, but I swear to you I will not let the White City fall, nor our people fail."

"Our people? Our people!" Boromir gasped...the poison was already starting to take effect and his vision was blurring badly. Aragorn noted this and began searching his pocket for the dried athelas he kept there for drawing out poison from wounds such as this.

Boromir was beginning to slip from consciousness due to the poison and the nasty blow he took to the head, but before he slipped into the dark he clutched Aragorn's arms tightly. Boromirld nld not believe that Aragorn had finally embraced the people of Gondor.

"I would have followed you, my brother, my captain, my king..." Boromir was unable to finish what he was trying to say before he slipped into unconsciousness again. Boromir had thought that now he can die, in peace and with honor on the field of battle, under the eyes of his King.

Aragorn smiled softly and placed a soft kiss on his comrade's forehead. "Be at peace, son of Gondor. Once the athelas begins to work you will come back to us again. The poison is strong, but we can defeat it." He said as he began to sprinkle the athelas into the wounds on both shoulders and his hip to help draw out the poison.

Aragorn heard Legolas and Gimli approach. "Hurry...help me carry him back to the fire...he needs these wounds tended before the poison takes him!" Aragorn said gathering up Boromir's shield and sword handing them to the dwarf.

Legolas helped Aragorn pick up Boromir's seemingly lifeless body and carry it back to their camp on the shore of the Anduin.

At the camp the three remained watchful over Boromir's fitful sleep. The poison caused horrible spasms, but Aragorn assured the others this was normal. Within a few hours Boromir's writhing had calmed and Aragorn noted that the blood was now red and not black as it seeped from his wounds.

"He will live." Aragorn announced to his companions as he walked back to the Anduin to gather more water.

Both Legolas and Gimli were relived to hear this. After loosing Gandalf they did not want to loose another member of the fellowship.

"But what of Sam and Frodo? They have already reached the eastern shore!" Legolas stated pointing across the river.

Aragorn ignored the question and the statement instead he knelt down beside Boromir to change his bandages again.

"You mean not to follow them." Legolas realized suddenly that Aragorn did not intend to follow the ring bearer.

"Frodo's fate no longer rests in our hands." Aragorn announced standing back up to face Legolas.

"Then it was all in vain. The Fellowship has failed." Gimli said sadly as he leaned against his axe handle.

"Not as long as we remain true to each other. We will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment and death. Not while we have strength left. Boromir will awaken soon and will be able to travel his wounds are not fatal. We sh lea leave all that can be spared behind, we travel light." Aragorn responded replacing his knife in its sheath. The same knife he used to cut more deeply into each of Boromir's shoulders and his hip to remove the poison. Aragorn felt the pain, as acutely had it been his own body he had cut into.

Legolas and Gimli began breaking camp and packing only what provisions they would need. Aragorn did the same unburdening his and Boromir's packs of unessential items.

Boromir began to stir and Aragorn rushed to his side.

"What? I am not dead? Why are you still here?" Boromir asked groggily as he sat up only to be pushed back down.

"No my dear Boromir you are not dead. We are still here because we needed to tend to your wounds." Aragorn explained as he continued to assess his patient. He seemed well enough to travel. Aragorn thought.

"You should not have done so. You should have let me die, I betrayed you all." Boromir responded sadly casting hiss dos down and away from the blue gaze of Aragorn.

After a moment of checking Boromir's wounds Aragorn decided they could wait no longer to go after their friends.

"You do not mean that Boromir. Now come, we are almost ready to leave. We must go after Merry and Pippin. Do you think you can run?" Aragorn asked helping Boromir to stand.

"Gods, I feel like I have been skewered." Boromir said shaking his head, which was still foggy, and his vision was still blurred.

"The blades and arrow which cut you were poisoned, but I have cleaned the poison from your body. Plus you took a bad blow to the head of which I am sure is not helping matters. Do you think you can run?" Aragorn asked hoping that Boromir would soon stop feeling guilty about his self described betrayal. Neither Aragorn nor Frodo felt betrayed they knew what the ring was capable of.

"Yes, yes I think so." Boromir said then straightened himself more. He could do this...he has ran and tracked and rode injured before...though never before did his head feel as if it were inside a water skin either. Nor did he ever have such a great pain in his heart like he did now. He had to get the little ones back though; he loved both Merry and Pippin as if they were is own brothers. He could not let them die at the hands of those damnable orcs.

"Good. Let us hunt some orc." Aragorn replied lightly to the remaining fellowship.BoroBoromir, Gimli, and Legolas heartily agreed. Before leaving Gimli presented Boromir with his weapons and lighter pack. The four then set off into the woods to track the little ones.