Three boats sail down the river. The sun is sitting late in the day. Aragorn puts his hand on Ariel's shoulder and calls to Frodo who looks to him. He nods his head forward and both Ariel and Frodo look forward seeing two large statues.
"The argonath. Long have I desired to look upon the kings of old. My kings." Aragorn says softly. Ariel closes her eyes, letting her senses take over. She feels strength and bravery flowing off the statues. She smiles and looks back up at them as they sail through them.
...
They pull up to shore just before the waterfall. Aragorn helps Frodo out then turns to Ariel smiling. He puts his hands on her waist and lifts her out of the boat carrying her to shore so her feet don't get wet. She shakes her head with a smile at his silliness. "What isn't going to melt me Aragorn" she jokes. "Just making sure my love" he returns a cheeky smile before turning back to help the others unpack the boats.
Ariel and the hobbits have started a fire when Aragorn calls out to everyone "we cross the lake at nightfall, hide the boats and continue on foot. We approach Mordor from the north." Gimili cuts Aragorn off "oh yes, just a simple mater of finding our way through emyn Muil? An impassable labyrinth of razor sharp rocks. And after that, it gets even better! Festering, stinking marshlands, far as the eye can see!"
Aragorn pipes up again "that is our road. I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength master dwarf". Gimili then goes on mumbling. Legolas walks up to Aragorn as he watch's Ariel poking at the fire.
"We should leave now" says Legolas. "No, orcs petrol the eastern shore. We must wait for the cover of darkness." Aragorn replies. Legolas looks back at the group "it is not the eastern shore that worries me. A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind. Something draws near, I can feel it."
They stop when they hear merry say "where's Frodo?". They look and notice Ariel and Boromir are gone too. They race off into the trees trying to find everyone.
Ariel is walking with Frodo when Boromir appears before them. Whispers start sounding in Ariel's head. Warnings. Something is wrong with Boromir. Ariel stands in front of Frodo. "None of us should wonder alone. "Ariel quickly replies "we clearly are not alone".
"You least of all, so much depends on you."he continues as if she doesn't even exist. Frodo holds onto Ariel as he turns to them "Frodo? .... I know why you seek solitude. You suffer, I see it day by day. You sure you do not suffer needlessly? There are other ways Frodo. Other paths that we might take. "
Frodo cuts in "I know what you would say, and it would seem like wisdom but for the warning in my heart." Boromir stars walking towards them. Ariel is doing her best to keep herself between the pair.
"Warning? Against what? We're all afraid frodo. But to let that fear drive us to destroy what hope we have, don't you see it? This is madness" Frodo replies "there is no other way. Boromir continues to advance on them. "Are ask only for the strength to defend my people!" Boromir starts to yell angrily.
"If you would but lend me the ring" Frodo recoils at his words "no!". "Why do you not recall that I am no their." Frodo holds onto Ariel tighter "you are not yourself". Boromir starts to look at them madly "what chance do you think you have? They will find you, they will take the ring and you will be for death before the end!"
Ariel quickly push's Frodo to start walking away from him back to the others. "Fool! It is not yours, saved by unhappy chance. It could have been mine! It should have been mine! GIVE IT TO ME!" Boromir yells and lunges at them. Ariel push's Frodo out of that way and gets tackled by him.
She starts to wrestle with him to stop him from getting to Frodo. "Frodo run! NOW!" She yells. She watch's him run but is overpowered by Boromir has he starts to choke her. She feels the hum under her skin as a branch snaps out from a tree pulling him off her and flinging him back.
Ariel crawls to the tree, resting her head against it while whispering "thank you friend". Boromir is snapped out of his madness. He see's what he has done. "Oh god what have I done. Ariel I'm so sorry. No god Frodo. Damn it! I'm so sorry."
Ariel stares at him. Trying to sense if his mind is free of the ring. She feels his grief. She stumble to her feet. Boromir slowly steps toward her. She holds her hand out to him. He sighs with relief, quickly grabbing her hand and trying to check her injuries.
They hear the sounds of multiple feet marching. They both look at each other alarmed. Ariel grabs her sword and follows Boromir as they look for the others. They see merry and pippin trying to escape a group of orcs.
Ariel's does her best to deflect the blows still struggling with sword play. Boromir is taking down orcs left and right. Ariel gets a feeling deep in her stomach. Something tells her to run but she hesitates. She is to late when she hears the sound of rushing wind.
She feels a thump. Boromir, merry and pippin stare at her in disbelief. She starts to feel pain from her midsection. She feels with her hand. Something lodged in her stomach. She looks down to see a large black arrow.
She falls to her knees staring at it. Boromir rush's forward fighting off any orc that got close. She hears a horn sound. She looks up to see boromir blowing into his horn. He looks down at her worriedly before blowing into the horn again. He starts to fight off the orcs again, refusing to let them near her.
She hears a commotion. She looks to see merry and pippin being taken away by some orcs. "No..." she barely managed to get out. Her vision is beginning to dim. She hears the familiar sound of wind then thump. But it's not her. Against the sounds but she feels no impact.
The tingling beneath her skins starts going full force. A bright light behind her eyes. Then .....nothing.
Boromir is on his knees with arrows sticking out of his body. He watch's Ariel's body lay motionless. He looks up at the approaching sound. The orc with the arrows stands before getting ready to finish the job.
Aragorn see's this and starts to fight the orc. It pins him to a tree with its Shield. He manages to escape. They fight hand to hand before Aragorn stabs it in the leg with a small blade. The orc throughs him off. It rips out the blade and throughs it at Aragorn who knocks it away with his sword.
Aragorn struggles to get to his feet as the orc rush's him. He lifts his sword at the last minute, stabbing the orc. The orc tries pulling him closer. Aragorn pulls away, pulling his sword free and swings it cutting off the orcs hand.
He takes a few minutes to catch his breath, he looks over to where Ariel had been but only see's the arrow lying on the ground covered in blood. "NO!! Please no!" He crawls to where she had been. He can't understand where she had gone. He sits up and looks around, when he sees Boromir.
He rush's to him. Boromir is struggling to breath and speak. "The hobbits...taken...orcs......Ariel....sorry...Frodo.. where is frodo? I tried to take the ring" Boromir manages. Aragorn shakes his head "I let him go" boromir nods "then. you did more then ..... I could. Forgive me...I did not see...I have failed you all"."no, you fought bravely." "don't speak. Just hold on. We'll get these arrows out" says Aragorn as he goes to pull an arrow.
Boromir stops him "leave it.... It is over....The world of men will fall...and the world will come to darkness." Aragorn takes his hand " 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."
Boromir shakes and stares him in the eyes "our people....our people..." he reach's for his sword as the others run up to them. "Finally he says "I would have followed you my brother, my captain, my king..." Boromir takes his last breath.
Aragorn tries to control himself. He leans forward and kisses his forehead "be at peace..son of Gondor". The tears stream down Aragorn face.
...
They have removes all the arrows and place boromirs body in one of the boats. They say there farewells and watch it fall over the edge of the waterfall. Legolas rush's forward with one of the boats "hurry, Frodo and Sam have reached the eastern shore...you mean not to follow them" he states as her looks at Aragorn who is watching frodo and Sam disappear.
His mind is racing and his heart is breaking. He lost her... he can feel himself breaking as he pictures her in his mind. Her lips are moving but he can't hear her. He focuses on her mouth more. 'Save them' finally he realises what she is saying. He takes a deep breath composing himself. The pain in his heart does not fade but he opens his eyes and looks at the others determined.
"Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands" Aragorn says. Gimili steps forward "then it has all been in vain. The fellowship has failed." Aragorn sighs deeply and steps towards gimili and Legolas. "Not if we hold true to each other, we will not abandon merry and pippin to torment to death. Not while we have strength left". He walks off grabbing his weapons "leave all that can be speared behind. We travel light....let us hunts some orc" he turns running off into the woods with the other two follow close behind.
'A voice whisper's through the wind .... "Eruraviel" .....