The Departure of Two

Chapter One

"The horn of Gondor" said legolas as he glanced over his shoulder, his blue eyes in the direction of the noise.

"Boromir" said Aragorn as he shot past Legolas, causing the elf to lose balance.

Legolas watched his friend as he ran down the hill with great speed, cutting down every orc in his path. A cold feeling moved through Legolas's side then a searing pain as an orc ran a blade through the elf. The elf turned his head and looked at the orc, his eyes struck the orc dumb and it stood there, glaring at him. Legolas removed one of his twin blades and with one clean sweep, decapitated the orc, leaving its blade still in Legolas's side. The elf bit his lip as he removed the blade and putting pressure on the wound, continued fighting. He killed the orc with such speed and agility; it looked like he was performing a dance. The orcs kept running to the elf and he killed them so quickly they never got a chance to try and kill him. His side burned and his strength left him, but he kept on fighting and never stopped.

"Legolas" said a voice "Legolas, I could do with some of your fine shootin right now"

Legolas approached the voice, it was Gimli. He was backed into a wall by two very large orcs, he was waving his axe at them but they were quick and could avoid his blows. Legolas notched two arrows into his bow and fired them at the two orcs. They fell to the ground with a thud leaving nothing but a rather scared dwarf behind.

"Are you ok my friend" said legolas in his musical voice.

"I am now, but you could have come a little sooner" said the dwarf, his arms crossed and his face broad.

Legolas laughed and ran toward the larger battle happening further down the hill. He had managed to hide his injury from Gimli but he did not know how much longer he was able to go on. His legs could barely hold his weight and his hands were shaky. The colour was slowly fading from his face and he knew that his wound was going to be fatal. He ran down the hill, not to fast so he could conserve his energy for fighting.

'I'm not going to last much longer' he thought to himself, as his vision began to blur.

He shook his head and concentrated on his breathing, but he was scared, very scared and nothing could take his mind off the burning pain that engulfed his left side. He pushed harder on the wound as he could feel blood trickling through his fingers. He would not let this wound beat him; he was not going to die before he knew that Aragorn was ok and that the ring bearer was safe. He was not going to let his wound be the downfall of middle earth for he knew that everyone had an important part to play in the fellowship and that the death of anyone of them could cause the fellowship to fail. He was not going to let that happen.

*****

Aragorn glared at the arrows protruding for Boromir's body, they were long charcoal black arrows that look every bit the work of Saruman.

The orc that shot them, made his way to Aragorn. The orc stood tall and his arms bulged with muscles, his ears pointed and his teeth too. His appearance foul and looking at him sent shivers down the ranger's spine. He stabbed the foul beast in the leg, but it hit him, throwing back. It pulled the elvish dagger from its leg and threw it at Aragorn, but he blocked it with his sword. The orc threw Aragorn against a tree and then threw hid shield trapping Aragorn's head but the ranger manages to get free and runs his blade through the orc. The orc plays with him and moves closer to the ranger mocking him. Aragorn pulls his blade free from the orc and cuts off his head. He stands for a moment, his breathing heavy. He then turns his head to Boromir.

"No" He says under his breath.

"They took the little ones" said Boromir, almost choking on the blood in his mouth.

"Stay still" replied Aragorn as he inspected Boromir's wounds

"Frodo, where's Frodo?"

"I let Frodo go" replied Aragorn, his voice not much loader than a whisper.

"Then you did what I could not" Boromir paused, Aragorn looked at him with confused eyes "I tried to take the ring from him"

"The ring is beyond any of our reach now"

"Forgive me, I did not see, I have failed you all"

"No Boromir, you fought bravely. You kept your honour" said Aragorn as he tries to remove one of the arrows.

"No, leave it, it is over. The world of men will fall; do not leave my city to ruin"

"I do not know what strength I have in my blood, but I swear to you I will not let the white city fall; nor our people fail"

"Our people, our people" Aragorn said as he handed Boromir his sword.

"I would have followed you my brother, my captain, my King" Boromir went still and his breathing stopped. Aragorn clasped Boromir's head in his hands.

Legolas ran to see Aragorn and Boromir next to a tree, a look of sorrow covered Legolas's face s he realised that Boromir was dead. Gimli was the next to arrive and watched Aragorn in disbelief.

"Be at peace, son of Gondor" Aragorn kissed Boromir's forehead.

"It cannot be" said Legolas in a weak voice.

Aragorn got up and turned to his friends.

"I am going to check and see if I can see the anymore orcs, don't want to get ambushed." What Gimli was trying to do really is was leave legolas to comfort Aragorn, for he and Aragorn were allot closer that Gimli was to the ranger. Aragorn nodded in understanding and the dwarf ran over the hill in the direction they had come from. Aragorn studied legolas, he took into account the elf's pale face and how he was holding his side.

"Legolas are you ok?" asked Aragorn, sorrow was still evident in his voice.

"It's just a scratch, it's nothing" the elf replied.

Aragorn did not argue; he did not have the strength to argue. Legolas felt his knees go weak, his head went light and he collapsed, fitting viciously. Aragorn ran to legolas, pinning him down to try and control the fit.

"Legolas, Legolas" said Aragorn.

Legolas's fit subsided, leaving him weak and his breathing laboured. Aragorn inspected Legolas's wound and began to weep when he realised that he was not going to be able to save the elf.

"Not you too" said Aragorn, his voice full of despair and desperation.

Legolas slowly opened his eyes; they still sparkled even though he was dying.

"Aragorn" Legolas paused, his voice weak and almost non-existent "I'm sorry"

"No, you do not need to be sorry. I know elves are proud when it comes to seeming weak"

"It's not that. I feel as though I have failed you, not as part of the fellowship; but as your friend"

"NO, no you have been a loyal and good friend. You will always have a place in my heart" said Aragorn as he picked up legolas and cradled him in his arms, tears flowing from his tired eyes. Legolas coughed a blood began to spill from his mouth. Aragorn tried hard to comfort the elf, but Legolas's body just kept shaking. Aragorn could not bear it, his best friend was dying in his arms and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Legolas Went limp, his breathing stopped but his eyes stayed open.

"No" said Aragorn as he began to cry "NO"

Gimli ran to Aragorn to find him cradling Legolas's dead body. Two, two of the fellowship had died.

"Galadriel was right, the fellowship really is stood upon the edge of a knife, because we have strayed and the fellowship has failed" said Gimli.

"We need to bury the bodies"

"If we bury them, they will be eaten by scavengers"

"Then what do you suggest we do?" asked Aragorn, his voice emotionless and cold

"Put them in the spare elvish boats, they will protect the bodies and take them back to their homes"

"How did you know elvish boats did that?"

"Galadriel told me"

Aragorn new Gimli was right, but he did not want to get used to the idea that Legolas was dead; they had been friends for so long that it was something he thought he would never have to think about or get used to.

Aragorn lifted Legolas' dead body into his arms, the Elf was light. Aragorn had needed Gimli's help to place Boromir in one of the boats. Legolas' light form was easy to place in the boat. He hesitated, not wanting to admit that legolas was dead. Want to hold onto their friendship for just a while longer.

He let the boat drift along the river. He watched as Boromir's boat fell over the falls. Legolas' boat drifted up the river effortlessly, it was like the river currant was actually going in that direction. Tears fell from Aragorn's weary eyes. There was no more he could do; his mission now was to rescue merry and pippin from torment and death.