Chapter soundtrack: 'Game Of Survival' by Ruelle. Suggested by M_A_N_I_A_Queenie.

† Chp. XIV †

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I sigh in relief as I see that we are about to reach the shore, glad at the fact that my feet will soon be on solid land. Going for a boat ride isn't so bad, but sitting at the front while staring at Gimli and Legolas the whole time made it pretty boring.

Well, I guess it could've been worse. I could've had to stare at Boromir instead.

"Do dwarves like water?" I ask Gimli, trying my best to look inquisitive.

"It is said that we sink like a stone, but in fact us dwarves are incredibly feeble in the water!" The dwarf roars with confidence, and I smirk.

Perfect.

As the boats are about to hit shore, I move forward, shoving Gimli over the edge.

"Gwahhhh!" He bellows, before landing in the water with a loud splash. The dwarf then gasps for air as he tries to keep his head above the surface, before realising that his feet can touch.

Gimli sends me the mother of all glares, and my eyes water up from laughter. Legolas furrows his eyebrows in concern, before a humoured grin breaks onto his face.

I also jump out, pulling the boat to shore as the water comes up to my thighs, but am soon attacked by a heavy weight slamming onto my back.

"Nobody shoves a dwarf!" Gimli shouts, crash tackling me into the water. He has a lot of strength for such a little dude.

Splurting out half the river, I spin around and dunk the dwarf again, struggling to breathe from laughing so hard.

Merry and Pippin catch on, as they look to each other with wide grins before swaying heavily to one side, capsizing the boat and dunking themselves along with Boromir.

I snort at the sight, before my head once again gets pulled under the water by Gimli.

Boromir surfaces, chuckling as he puts the hobbits into a headlock and dunks himself along with the halfings. Looking back to my boat, I see Legolas walking across the wooden canoe to jump off the front and onto shore, but before he can get anywhere, I pull on the back. He loses his balance and comes splashing into the water, landing on his butt as I burst into a fit of laughter.

Merry and Pippin are quick to sabotage Frodo, Sam and Aragorns boat, as they cling onto the edge and flip the canoe over, dunking the three.

And just like that, a water fight breaks out. All worries and concerns are pushed aside as we cry with laughter, enjoying the moment that we know will be regreted once we get on land. But that doesn't matter, as a little fun never hurt anyone, especially when so much stress has been strained over the last couple of days.

Within an hour, we manage to drag our drenched bodies out of the river and gather enough wood for a small fire. The hobbits rest, weary with exhaustion, and I squat by the fire, aiming to create a bigger flame.

"We cross the lake at nightfall, hide the boats and continue on foot." Aragorn informs, carrying supplies over from the non-capsized canoes. "We approach Mordor from the North."

"Oh, yes, just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil, an impassable labyrinth of razor sharp rocks." Gimli mutters, clearly exhausted but refusing to show it. "And after that gets even better, a festering, stinking marshland, far as the eye can see."

"Someone's feeling adventurous." I snort.

"That is our Road." Aragorn replies. "I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength, Master Dwarf."

"Recover my-"

"Get over it, short stuff." I cut Gimli off, tossing some more wood into the fire. "Do you want to save the world or not?"

The dwarf grumbles a reply, and I furrow my eyebrows as I spot Boromir's shield. He hasn't come back from the woods in a while.

"Where's Frodo?" Merry asks, dumping a pile of fire wood at Gimlis feet.

I raise my eyebrows, catching Aragorn's eye before looking back to Boromir's abandonned shield.

"I'm onto it." I shout, before swiftly standing up and taking off into the woods.

•

Half an hour goes by, and I still haven't spotted any sign of Frodo other than the tracks that I'm following. The woods are eerie, every little sound echoing around the abandonned forest. There is no movement, not even the rustling of leaves.

A harrowing feeling spreads through my stomach at the thought of Frodo being taken by something ungodly, the fact that both he and all of Middle Earth could be in danger, but my thoughts are interrupted by a distant cry.

"Frodo! I'm sorry!"

I tense, identifying the voice of Boromir as I sprint into his direction.

"Frodo! Please! I'm sorry!"

The man comes into view, and I see him stumbling through the foliage, tripping and landing flat as something catches his foot.

"What the hell are you doing?" I question, as I stomp over to him. "And where is Frodo?!"

Boromir whimpers, placing his hands over his face as he shakes, and my expression softens with concern.

"Boromir, what ha-"

"I tried to steal it." He cuts me off, a tear running down his cheek as he looks up to meet my eye. "I tried to steal the ring from Frodo."

I sigh, kneeling down to face the sulking man.

"Get up." I order, and he attempts to steady his breathing.

"Get up!" I command again, gripping onto his arm and pulling him to his feet.

"You have to compose yourself before you can fix this, okay?" I utter, placing my hands on his shoulders. His watery eyes once again meet mine, and my heart breaks at his state.

"Why are you helping me?" Boromir asks, his voice raspy from shouting. "I thought you couldn't stand me."

"Yeah, you can be a pain in the ass, but we're humans. You and me both have our weaknesses, especially when it comes to tempation, and that means we have to support each other." I reply, patting his shoulder before turning on my heel. "Now let's go find Frodo."

And with that, we trek back through the woods, looking to fix what has just been broken.

•

~3rd persøn~

For the first time, the fellowship has been divided. Aragorn is first to find Frodo, yet the halfing is frightened from his previous encounter with Boromir, therefore he fears if the same greed resides hidden in the other man.

Aragorn kneels down, closing Frodo's fingers over the forsaken object.

"I would have gone with you to the end, into the very fires of Mordor." He utters, softly pushing the hobbit's hand against his small chest.

"I know." Frodo replies, looking at Aragorn with trust and despair. "Look after the others, especially Sam. He will not understand."

Aragorn nods, but his gaze is suddenly drawn to Frodo's glowing sword.

"Orcs!" The man hisses, standing up and drawing his own weapon. "Run. Run!"

Frodo takes off in the opposite direction, as a large mob of ghastly creatures emerge from the still forest.

However, these are no orcs. They are Uruk-hai. They have been bred faster, bigger, and stronger. But Aragorn does not fear such evil, as he approaches the swarm with his sword drawn, taking out the front line  whilst remaining unscathed. The beasts begin to close in on the man and he temporarily retreats to the ruins, Legolas and Gimli coming to aid.

Frodo stumbles through the foliage, pressing his back against a tree to remain hidden, until two small voices summon him to their hiding place. But Frodo slowly shakes his head, sadness in his eyes as Merry and Pippin send each other a confused look.

"He's leaving." Merry whispers, meeting Frodo's gaze with understanding.

The two halfings jump out of their hollow, hollering to grab the attention of the Uruk-hai as they lead the beasts away from Frodo, giving the hobbit a chance to run.

With shallow breaths and quick steps, the two halfings run as fast as their short legs can handle through dead leaves and around thin trees.

"It's working!" Pippin exclaims, leaping over a log.

"I know it's working, run!" Merry shouts in reply, as the Uruk-hai remain hot on their tail.

However, it's not long before the two hobbits find themselves surronded, their large feet coming to a halt at the end of a mossy stone bridge. Uruk-hai roar and belch as they thunder down the slope towards the halfings, weapons drawn and their wretched faces contorted with blood lust.

It seems as though all hope for survival is lost as the hobbits eyes are wide with fear, their small hands shaking as they grip onto the handles of their daggers. The scene is like that of two fawns confronted by a raging fire.

But in the nick of time, with much speed and determination, two heroes emerge, running to defend their friends.

Robin and Boromir jump infront of the halfings, clashing sword and daggers with the axes of the twisted beasts. Bringing her foot hard into the stomach of an Uruk-hai, Robin knocks the beast back, before slicing its thick throat with her blade. Boromir dislodges a dagger from his belt and sends it hurtling through the air, straight into the neck of a looming uruk.

"These aren't orcs." Robin states, tugging her blade from a falling beasts chest as she turns slightly to Boromir. "They're harder to kill."

Merry and Pippin attack the horrid creature as it attempts to stand back up, and Boromir sends Robin a concerned look.

"We need the others." He speaks with urgency, grabbing his horn and giving it a blow as more Uruk-hai thunder towards where they stand.

Robin slings her bow off her shoulder, picking off the beasts one by one until there are too many to bare. She clenches her jaw, beginning to fear for her life as she hastily grabs for her daggers.

An Uruk swings its axe towards Robin's face, slicing her cheek as she fails to move quick enough. The beast then brings its elbow back into Robin's jaw, splitting her lip as she falls to the ground. Raising its axe, the uruk attempts to bring the blade against her skull, but Robin is fast enough to slice the beasts knees with her daggers, ending its life as she stands to her feet and sends an arrow into its throat.

Robin fires more arrows and Boromir blows the horn of Gondor once again, following the hobbits as they run into an area which seems uruk free. But this is not the case, as they are once again swarmed by the horrid hybrids.

Merry and Pippin peg rocks at the Uruks, and Robin returns to her daggers as she receives a black eye from another one of the beasts, but a loud thud causes her body to tense.

Turning on her heel, her eyes widen as she sees that Boromir has been brought to his knees, a large arrow embedded in his chest. Anger courses through her veins, and her glare draws her towards a massive uruk who comes striding down the hill, a large bow grasped in its hand.

She lets out a battle cry, slicing the head off an uruk as she kicks its body over and removes the shield from its grasp. Boromir stands back on his feet, continuing to protect the hobbits even with his life dwindling at an urgent pace. Another arrow hurdles through the air, once again thumping into Boromir's chest.

Robin races towards the culprit, knocking all other uruks aside with the shield in which she gained. She throws her dagger at the hybrids neck, but it is quick to deflect. The beast towers over her, and she raises the shield, but the uruk is too strong as it lifts Robin by the sheet of metal and sends a harsh blow to her jaw, causing her to hit the ground hard. But she refuses to give up, as she picks one of her daggers from the ground and slots it back into her belt.

Standing to her feet, Robin knocks an arrow in ground breaking time and sends it into the beast's chest, but it just lets out a gut wrenching laugh. She then proceeds to advance on the uruk with her daggers drawn high, but the hybrid knocks her aside with so much force that she flies into the trunk of a tree, her vision dazed as she hits her head incredibly hard.

With the earth spinning, she places her hands either side of her body in an attempt to lift herself, but before she can even move, a large black arrow thuds into her shoulder.

Merry and Pippin cry out for Robin and Boromir, distressed to see their friends in dwindling states, and Robin blacks out as her body falls limp.

Boromir stands, refusing to let evil win as he fights off more uruk. It is a true moment of dignity, the man creating himself to be a hero in the eyes of the hobbits.

He slices the knees of an uruk, sending it to the ground as he impales it from behind with his sword. Another uruk steps forward with its weapon swinging, and Boromir spins, releasing a battle cry as he slices the beast right down its ghastly chest.

Another arrow flies through the air, lodging into Boromir's torso as he falls to his knees for the last time, gasping for breath. Merry and Pippin cry out in fury, racing towards the uruks with their weapons drawn, but they are no match as the halfings are swept off their feet with ease.

Boromir kneels, hunched over as he sends a defeated look in Robin's direction. The girl twitches, before her eyes slowly open. Her gaze is drawn to Merry and Pippin as they are swept away, then to Boromir.

Uruks race past the wounded man, and with the gaps in which their eyes meet, Robin knows what he is trying to communicate.

There is nothing she can do for him. There is no way he can survive his wounds. With a heavy heart and a slight nod of her head, Robin's sorrowful gaze meets Boromir's one last time before she slips into the shadows of the woods, her task to pursue the halfings. 

The Uruk-hai empty out of the woods, achieving what they had been sent to do, and Boromir kneels in silence, drowning in defeat.

His eyes are drawn to two large black boots, then up towards the Uruk leader who towers over his wounded body. The beast draws back its bow, set on ending Boromir's life, but before the arrow can be fired, the hybrid is knocked aside by a heavy blow.

Aragorn clashes his sword against the uruks weapon, before being flung against the trunk of a tree. The beast sends its sheild flying to lodge itself around Aragorn's neck, but the man slips out just in time to avoid being beheaded.

He kicks the hybrid and sends a dagger into its thigh, but this does nothing as the uruk lifts Aragorn and headbutts him back to the ground. The man stands to his feet, plummeting his sword into the beasts stomach.

The uruk growls, pulling the blade in deeper as it mocks Aragorn, but the man pulls out his sword and swings it to the beast's neck, beheading the filth.

Its limp body falls to the ground, and Aragorn rushes over to Boromir. The man lays with his back against the ground, his face pale as the life is visibly being drained from his wounded body.

"They took the little ones!" Boromir cries, and Aragorn attempts to stop the bleeding as he ushers for the man to keep still.

"But Robin is in pursuit." Boromir adds on, a smile hinting at his lips. "Frodo, where is Frodo?!"

"I let Frodo go." Aragorn whispers.

"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. I have failed you all."

"No, Boromir, you have fought bravely, you have kept your honour."

Aragorn attempts to stop the flow of blood from Boromirs chest, but to no avail.

"Leave it! It is over." Boromir demands over short breaths, and Aragorn places his hand against the mans pale cheek. "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." Aragorn replies, his soft gaze taking in that of his dying friend.

"Our people." Boromir repeats with shallow breaths. "Our people."

Legolas and Gimili come dashing over as they spot the injured man, halting in their tracks to not disturb the moment. Aragorn places the hilt of Boromir's sword into his shaking hand, bringing the blade to rest on his chest.

"I would have followed you my brother, my captain." Boromir utters with his last breath. "My king."

And with the death of Boromir also comes the breaking of the fellowship. Frodo and Sam head to Mordor, their aim to destroy the ring once and for all. Robin follows in pursuit of the other two hobbits, as they are carried away to an unknown torture. Aragorn creates a proper funeral for his fallen brother.

Legolas pulls a boat from shore, insisting that the three will make it to Frodo before nightfall, but Aragorn doesn't budge.

"Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands." He states, uninterested as the two hobbits make off into the forest on the other side of the river.

"Then it has all been in vain...the fellowship has failed." Gimli grunts in a low tone.

"Not if we hold true to each other. We will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment and death, not while we have strength left." Aragorn replies, removing a hunting knife from his bag, as the elf and dwarf look on with eager eyes. "We follow Robin. Leave all that can be spared behind."

The man turns to meet his eyes with the others, a subtle grin playing at his lips.

"Let's hunt some orc!"

And with that, Aragorn dashes back into the forest. Legolas and Gimli glance at each other with eager grins, before following behind the man with a loud battle cry bursting from the dwarf.

Although separated, the fellowship remain connected by faith and friendship, something that will be needed in the time to come.

-

And thats a wrap with movie one! How do you guys like it so far?

Also, remember that I'm taking song suggestions. (: