The Last Othellan

The Battle of Amon Hen

 Legolas and Gimli took off immediately into the trees. Aragorn sprinted in a different direction.

"Stay hidden!" I yelled at the remaining hobbits. I could see the fear and surprise in their eyes, but I could do nothing for them as I hurled myself after Aragorn into the woods.

I caught up with him easily, and he slowed down, looking carefully for tracks on the ground. I copied this action desperately, and eventually spotted tracks going west.

"Look" I said, grabbing Aragorn's wrist. We both jogged along the tracks with increasing urgency. The tracks were barefoot and, I knew, disproportionately large to the hobbit that made them.

The trees surrounding us seemed eerily quiet. Not a breath of wind rustled the leaves. I strained my ears for the sound of Frodo, or perhaps even Boromir. I wondered desperately if he had the ring. How would Frodo hold him off? He was a tall, strong man, whereas Frodo was just a hobbit. His courage could not make up for his height. Even now Boromir might be haring through the woods towards us, running away from some hideous crime...

"Up here!" Aragorn exclaimed. We trekked up to the crest of Amon Hen and, to my immense relief, Frodo was sitting with his back to us, deep in thought. He looked even smaller than usual, and he seemed to be crouching, hiding from something. My stomach dropped again.

"Frodo?" said Aragorn. At the sound, Frodo gasped and scrambled around. His panicky attitude made me look nervously around us. The feeling of evil close by had grown much stronger. I put my hand automatically on a dagger and Frodo seemed to stiffen as he saw. Confusedly, I moved my hand away again.

"It has taken Boromir" he told us. I pressed my lips together. As I had suspected. I had thought that, if anyone was sorely tempted by it, it would be he.

"Where is the ring?" asked Aragorn. His tone of voice set me on edge and I narrowed my eyes.

"Stay away!" shouted Frodo, scrambling further from us. Aragorn jogged forward and I followed, careful to keep my hands in sight of Frodo and away from weapons to avoid scaring him.

"Frodo!" said Aragorn. The lower tone of voice which had seemed so strange had gone. "I swore to protect you!"

"As did I", I intoned, putting my hands up slightly in imitation of the man next to me.

"Can you protect me from yourselves?" Asked Frodo warily. Suddenly, I knew what it was he meant to do. He opened his hand and, with relief, I saw that he still had the ring.

It seemed to hiss strangely but I clenched my fists. It had spoken to me at the council of Elrond, and I would not let it tempt me again. I would be stronger than the Othellans. I had to be.

"Would you destroy it?" Frodo asked Aragorn. His eyes seemed fixed on the ring and he walked slowly towards Frodo. It seemed to whisper to him and I stepped forward, but Aragorn fell to his knees and enclosed his hands around Frodo's.

"I would have gone with you to the end" he said "Into the very fires of Mordor". Gently, he let go of Frodo's small hand, and it closed on the ring once again.

"I know" Frodo muttered.

I stepped forward and knelt in front of him too. "Let your courage give you hope, Frodo." I put my hands on his shoulders. He nodded resolutely and I smiled sadly.

"Look after the others, especially Sam. He will not understand" Frodo told us. I nodded determinedly.

Aragorn and I stayed on the ground a moment, looking our last on the hobbit.