Sequel: A Burden ›
A Mistake
Death and All His Friends
She ran into the woods, not paying attention any more to where the other’s footsteps were leading them. Down a little below, Aragorn was kneeling over Boromir.
Raina sprinted the rest of the way there, where Boromir was speaking to Aragorn in urgent whispers.
“They took the little ones,” he was saying. His face was now pale and his mouth bloody.
Raina took a sharp breath inward when she heard this. Merry and Pippin… she could no longer hear their own footsteps, but rather their cries for help at least half a mile away.
Boromir looked up at Raina, and then spoke to her.
“Frodo! Where is Frodo?”
Raina crouched down next to Boromir, unable to give an answer.
Boromir took her hand in his trembling, cold ones. “Tell him… tell him that I am sorry. Tell him that I hope he can forgive me.”
Raina let out a sob. Would she ever be able to carry this message to Frodo? What if she died, or he died, before they ever saw each other again? She couldn’t bring herself to say anything, for fear that she will choke before being able to utter the words.
It was Aragorn, instead, who answered.
“I let Frodo go.”
Boromir seemed to smile a tiny bit. “Then you did what I could not.”
Aragorn nodded. “The Ring is beyond our reach now.”
“Forgive me,” Boromir sputtered. “I did not see it. I have failed you all.”
It was Raina, this time who spoke.
“Do not say such things!” she whispered. “You fought bravely. You have honored your family and the Fellowship.”
As she said this, Aragorn was trying to remove the arrows from Boromir’s chest.
“Leave them!” he gasped. “It is over! The world of Men will fall, and all will come to darkness… and my city to ruin."
Aragorn shook his head. "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!" he said strongly.
“Our people?” Boromir asked, as if he were almost in a daze. “Our people.”
With this Aragorn handed Boromir his sword, whom clutched it to his chest.
“I would have followed you my Brother… my Captain… my King!”
And with that, Boromir was gone.
Raina sprinted the rest of the way there, where Boromir was speaking to Aragorn in urgent whispers.
“They took the little ones,” he was saying. His face was now pale and his mouth bloody.
Raina took a sharp breath inward when she heard this. Merry and Pippin… she could no longer hear their own footsteps, but rather their cries for help at least half a mile away.
Boromir looked up at Raina, and then spoke to her.
“Frodo! Where is Frodo?”
Raina crouched down next to Boromir, unable to give an answer.
Boromir took her hand in his trembling, cold ones. “Tell him… tell him that I am sorry. Tell him that I hope he can forgive me.”
Raina let out a sob. Would she ever be able to carry this message to Frodo? What if she died, or he died, before they ever saw each other again? She couldn’t bring herself to say anything, for fear that she will choke before being able to utter the words.
It was Aragorn, instead, who answered.
“I let Frodo go.”
Boromir seemed to smile a tiny bit. “Then you did what I could not.”
Aragorn nodded. “The Ring is beyond our reach now.”
“Forgive me,” Boromir sputtered. “I did not see it. I have failed you all.”
It was Raina, this time who spoke.
“Do not say such things!” she whispered. “You fought bravely. You have honored your family and the Fellowship.”
As she said this, Aragorn was trying to remove the arrows from Boromir’s chest.
“Leave them!” he gasped. “It is over! The world of Men will fall, and all will come to darkness… and my city to ruin."
Aragorn shook his head. "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!" he said strongly.
“Our people?” Boromir asked, as if he were almost in a daze. “Our people.”
With this Aragorn handed Boromir his sword, whom clutched it to his chest.
“I would have followed you my Brother… my Captain… my King!”
And with that, Boromir was gone.