Dragon Rider in Middle Earth

XVII

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They fight just as Arya rushes into the scene.
She watches as the Uruk raises his sword and strikes, but Aragorn slips beneath the shield. Aragorn pulls out a knife and stabs the captain on the leg.

The Orc roars and pulls out the knife, licks the blood from it, and throws it at Aragorn. Aragorn bats the knife away with his sword.

Aragorn closes in on the Orc and in a flurry of swordplay, slices his arm off and then stabs him through chest.

The captain pulls himself up on the sword, closer to Aragorn, snarling.
Aragorn grimaces, pulls his sword out of the Orc, swings it, and hacks off the Uruk-hai's head. The rest of the Orc falls to the ground.

Arya pulled her attention back to the wounded Boromir who is laying on the floor in a very uncomfortable looking position.
Aragorn pauses a moment, panting. He then races to Boromir as well.

-No!- Boromir, pale and bloodied, is now lying on his back. Aragorn kneels near Boromir, who grabs Aragorn's shoulder. Arya holds him up steady against the tree.

-They took the little ones.

-Be still- he looks at Arya hopefully but she shakes her head.

The appalling smell coming from the wounds meant only one thing. The orc had infected their arrows and their poison had been in his system too long and was already coursing through his blood.

In addition, the arrows had made him loose too much blood so even if she healed him, which would drain her, most of his blood would have poison in it and he would die.

-Frodo! Where is Frodo?- Boromir clutched Aragorn's shirt.

-I let Frodo go.

-Then you did what I could not. I tried to take the Ring from him.

-The Ring is beyond our reach now.

-Forgive me. I did not see it. I have failed you all.

-No, Boromir, you fought bravely! You have kept your honor- he reaches out to pull the arrows from Boromir.

-Leave it! It is over. The world of men will fall, and all will come to darkness... and my city to ruin.

-I do not know what strength is in my blood, but I swear to you I will not let the White City fall... nor our people fail!- Arya felt sad for them.

-Our people? Our people- He reaches for his sword. Arya places the hilt in his hand, and helps Boromir clasp it to his chest -I would have followed you my Brother... my Captain... my King!

-Be at peace, son of Gondor- Aragorn bends and kisses Boromir on the brow. Arya kisses the man's hand before laying it softly on his chest.

Legolas and Gimli arrive at the scene. Legolas looks sadly at Aragorn and Boromir.
Gimli bows his head and turns away.
Aragorn stands up yet Arya doesn't.

She makes her decision.

Shuffling closer to the near death man she places her palms to his worst wounds.

-Waíse heill (heal yourself)- her hands flowed as she to a bit of Argent's energy to manage the spell -Waíse heill (heal yourself)- she repeated more insistently.

The skin begun to heal and knit itself back together. It would leave a scar but she didn't think Boromir would mind.

She then muttered a few more complicated changes and managed to burn the poison away. Once she was done she staggered back.

The other three watch in awe as the man that had been about to draw his last breath took a deep gap to fill up his lungs.

Boromir relaxes against the tree, his eyes closing gently.

-Argent- they wait a while before the dragon finds a spot in the trees and lands, breaking off the dead ones from the ground -take him back to lady Galadriel. I did the best I could but he still needs rest. Help me with this please- she turns to the stunned trio.

Aragorn is the first to move and he helps her strap the Gondor man onto the saddle on the dragon.

They then watch both of them leave.

Without a word Aragorn placed a hand on Arya's shoulder as of thanking her. She smiles, happy that she managed to save one of her companions. Gimli and Legolas stand at their sides also looking up at the sky before they turn to more pressing matters.

Arya sighed. The things she would have to explain later on just kept piling up.

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Frodo stands upon the pale grey shore, staring into the distance, with the Ring lying on his palm.
Sam ran through the woods, following behind Frodo.

-Frodo!- he shouts.

Weeping silently, Frodo hears his voice speaking from his conversation with Gandalf in Moria

-I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.

-So do all who live to see such times but that is not for them to decide. All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you- Gandalf said.

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