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Durian felt the burning pierce through him as the head of the black arrow came through the front of his right shoulder. he nearly fell of the horse but for his grip around Fay. Her expert riding got them further, but an assault by the orcs had the Gondorian archers retreat. He was fading fast and was losing his grip so Fay stopped her horse and got her down. He wanted her to go for it was too dangerous, but when he tried to speak, blood gurgled from his mouth. The arrow must have gotten part of his lung. Durian’s eyes rolled and fluttered as Fay worked to stop the bleeding. She broke the arrow and pulled the head through before stuffing a part of her torn tunic into it. But the Gondorians were yelling for her to get out of there, and a volley of arrows took down most of the first wave of orcs. Durian faded with the vision of Fay standing and slaying a charging orc.

The orcs had their eyes on Fay and pursued her, leaving Durian for dead. It was when they had run by him that Fay took a long look back to where she left him lay, and she saw an orc step up as if on a log, and blood showered up. She knew Durian was being trampled to death.

When Durian awoke, his ribs hurt and he was covered in blood. He managed to roll himself over and he started to crawl away from where he fell. The sound of battle was far away now toward the walls of the city, and the reserve orcs sped in that direction. Finally Durian found a slight slope, and he slid himself down into the scrub bush and swampy water that filled the ditch and tried to hide himself the best he could. He didn’t know if he did a well enough job to fool any roving eyes, for he soon faded into unconscienceness…

Fay was sitting quietly among the rest of the refuges and the fighters and she felt her eyes tear up. He was dead or so she thought. She covered her face with her hands as she let her tears fall. She lost the first person she ever really loved and felt like she couldn’t breathe.

Her body was shaking as she sobbed quietly into her hands. Nothing mattered anymore. She lost all that really mattered and she felt that it was her fault she should’ve fought more to not go. She should’ve made them go back to a small cabin together

The attack of the orcs had been stayed, but just barely. They had suffered losses. Galreth walked among the wounded and gave water to them. He paused when he looked to a soldier sitting alone in thought. No, grief. He approached and paused as he recognised her as Phaether. It had only been a couple days since they parted ways. She had gone with a man who claimed to be from the north to recon the Black Gate. Litte did any of them know that such a mission was taken too late.

Not long after they departed, the ranger company was attacked and they had to retreat toward Osgiliath. Theyheld for a time, but this day, the enemy forces seemed to only get stronger. Seeing Phae, he was curious what had happened to her, and what became of the man of the north. He knelt down beside Phae and said gently,

"Phaether? Are you wounded?"

He offered her a cup of water, not wanting to impose on her deep thoughts. He had never seen her so. Sadness dripped from her every pore. He wanted to comfort her, but knew her well enough that to do so uninvited would only cause her wrath to be unleashed. So he silently sat down beside her, letting her know that he was there for her. He looked to the side of her face as she sat unmoving, staring at some point on the ground before her.

She quickly wiped away her tears and shook her head then nodded. She was hurt she had a deep cut on her arm from an arrow skidding last her. She took the water and smiled a little “Thank you” she said softly but her voice was broken.

She sipped the water and seemed to stare off before she asked “Is this everyone?” She hoped to god the answer was no. She hoped Durian was alive and well and with the wounded

"It was all we found on the field. We were able to bring in some of the dead...."

Seeing Phae stir he knew she was going to see them. He put his hand on her arm and looked into her eyes as she turned to him,

"Be aware some of the dead are unrecognizable."

He then looked ar Phae's arm as he tore off a part of his tunic. He pulled out a small bottle and said,

"Let me attend you before you go. This will sting a little."

He poured a little of the distilled spiirit on her wound and it foamed white. He then wrapped her arm in the cloth. For a moment there he lingered, having Phae's soft skin in his hand. He blinked and let his finger's slide away.

"It is not poisoned, but it is deep. I think the arrow fletching cut you which is fortunate. Try and keep it clean."

For a moment there was silence as he beheld her shiny blue eyes with his own. He gave a slight smile and a nod, and though he had so many questions of her, this was not the time. He ponderd the letter to her he had penned some time ago as he sat and watched the falls over Henneth Annun, and why he never gave it to her. He swallowed in a stoic nervousness as she looked up at him.

Some of the dead were unrecognizable. Those words only prompted her to cry more. She stifled a sob as tears poured down her cheeks. She lost the one she loved. She ignored whatever else he had said and didn’t even noticed he was cleaning and patching her wound. She wrapped her arms around herself and was shaking as she began to sob.

Her whole world came crumbling down. She hated to appear weak but with her tears that’s all she seemed. ”I could’ve saved him... I could’ve kept him alive. If I had just fought harder...” she rambled on under her breath over and over

Gareth listened to Phae as she seemed lost to the world, swimming in dispairing thoughts. He was somewhat jealous that the man from the north who had helped them ambush the Haradians seemed to steal her heart at the first glance. He had hoped she would have looked to him like she looked at Durian when they met after the battle. The two had only been away a few days, but somehow in that time Durian was able to reach her in ways he could not, and now it broke his heart to see her there in such lamantation for him. What could he do for her now? He put his hand on her shoulder and said in a comforting voice,

"Phae, we can go out and look for him. He may not be dead. But the light is waning and I do not think Lord Faramir will allow it this day."

Faramir. Her good childhood friend. ”The thought of finding him dead is too much for me to handle... I’d like to see Faramir for I have missed him. It’s good to see you again too” she smiled a little and pulled him into a kind hug then stood up and walked off.

She went to find Faramir and when she did she hugged him tightly ”It’s good to see you again...”

Gareth gave Phae a gently pat on the shoulder as she hugged him.

"I think he is up by the broken bridge."

he said to her as she walked away. When she was lost to his sight in the ruins of the city, Anborn, Faramir's second-in command of the Ithilien garrison came over and said,

"Phaether is hurting. It is deep. It is good you are watching out for her. Where is she going?”

“To see Faramir. She was close to him and Boromir as she grew up. Much of her sword skill she learned from the brothers.”

Gareth replied. Anborn swallowed and looked grim. He said in a somber voice,

”I saw him up by the bridge watching the river. A small boat nearly swamped floated by. I could not see in it, but I think Faramir could from up there. I then found this floating by the old docks.”

Anborn held out a split horn. It was Boromir’s Horn of Gondor. Gareth shuddered at the sight. He looked to Anborn as he again spoke,

”All of Gondor will grieve if it is as I suspect. I too must go see Faramir.”

Anborn stowed the broken horn and made his way to find Faramir.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Faramir leaned against the charred broken stone rail of the Great Bridge of Osgiliath. The bridge was broken and thrown down in the year 2475 of the Third Age when the Uruks of Mordor attacked the city., joining the ruins of the Great Dome of the Stars that was destroyed by Castamir the Usurper in the Kin Strife a thousand years before that. Now, the once-great city of Osgiliath was no more than ruins, serving as fortresses for Gondor on the west side, and Mordor on the east side. For now, the east was abandoned, but Gondor had not the strength to reclaim it. As faramir pondered the fate of Osgiliath and its history, he saw a boay, bearly submerged in the River. He could see a great warrior laying in the water in state, and as he blinked to try and focus his keen eyes, it appeared to be his beloved brother Boromir! He took a deep breath as he watched the boat surrender to the swirling currents of the River Anduin, and with a last glint from the sword in his hand, the boat sank and was lost below the green waters. A tear formed in the corner of Faramir’s eye as his nightmare was realised. Boromir had perished.

He turned from watching the river when he heard footsteps approaching. He turned and his face softened as he saw Phaether approach,

”Phaether…”

He said as he extended his arm to give her a hug. He then put his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes and said softly to her,

”Boromir is dead.”

If Phae wanted comfort in Faramir, it was fleeting. The news was grim. He hugged her as he looked over her shoulder to see Anborn pause within his sight.

She felt her heart break at the news. Two people wry close to her heart left her. ”Faramir Im so....” she stopped herself. She was sure he had heard that enough.

”May he rest well...” she whispered and blinked away tears. ”Its good to see you Faramir. In times like these... old friends bring a little more light to the days.”

She offered a kind smile and hugged him once again. She turned upon hearing Anborn approach and seeing Gareth with him. The broken horn in his hands made her stomach churn. It was a heart breaking sight. She turned away and covered her mouth as more tears threatened to spill over.

Faramir drew Phae to him and gave her a long brotherly hug. It was as much for his benefit as hers. He whispered to her,

"I will need to go to Minas Tirith and bring news to my father."

He looked at her with his deep eyes, trying to find what darkness had filled her before the news of Boromir was known. He looked over to Anborn, and he and Gareth approached. No words had to be spoken. Faramir nodded and took the cloven horn. Faramir said,

"I must go to my father with this. Anborn, you are in command until I return. Gareth, Phaether, you will accompany me."

He paused seeing how deeply the hurt was upon Phaether. He said in a whisper,

"Dark is this day, but we must do what we can to keep the darkness from our brethren."

They then started to walk down teh stairs toward the stables and the city gate. They would be in Minas Tirith be sunset.

She walked in silence only glancing at Faramir and Galreth occasionally. She took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around her almost as if she needed more comfort. Oh how she was longing to be in the arms of her love once more.

”How I longed for battle in the days of my youth... now I long for it to end...” she said sorrowfully. She used to dream of adventure but now... upon seeing what battle and adventure brings... she dreams of a peaceful life with the one she loves. But she now knows... that can never truly be a reality.

She turned to Galreth and said with a small smile ”Now that I am... more collected than I was I’d like to thank you for properly handling my wound. And for letting me cry.” she laughed a little at the end then looked forward

Hearing Faramir's words had Gareth think of all their times in battle. He listened as Phae spoke, and he nodded at her longing. The Ithilien Rangers had not lost anyone in battle for some time, not since Phae had become a Ranger. To lose three this day hurt them deeply. And the news of Boromir was like a knife in the stomach that twisted this way and that. Faramir was right, they had to try and keep morale up.

He turned to Phae as she thanked him for tending to her wound. ... her physical wound. How he wished he could attend to her emotional wounds, but he knew it was something she would have to allow. He did reach for her hand and said,

"Sometimes we just have to let it out. It is good to cry; it oils the mind and body as it lets off pressure."

With a gently squeeze of her hand he let it go. They mounted up their horses and the three along with Faramir's two bodyguards set out with speed from the broken gates of Osgiliath toward Minas Tirith.

Durian was dead… was he dead? His head throbbed, and his ribs were sore. He tried to move but there was so much weight on top of him. He struggled to breath… Breathe? He was not dead! It would matter not though if he could not catch a breath. He pushed as hard as he could against the armoured body that was atop him, and he was met by a flood of black blood.

Orcs! He was in a burn pit! The bit of breath he did manage to get was filled with an acrid smoke, and as he pushed the carcass off him enough to be able to get out, he felt the heat of the flames. The smoke burned his eyes, and he had to use a piece of an orc’s breast armour to shield himself from the heat. They were on fire!

The men of Gondor had gone out to search for their dead, and they threw the orc bodies into the ditch where Durian had managed to crawl to. Apparently, an orc found him and was going to finish him when arrows killed it and it fell over atop him. The rest were just thrown in around him and set afire with oil. Durian realised that if the fire was being watched, if he struggled too much he would likely be shot by arrows. He remained still until he could try and see if anyone was nearby.

With his body torn between not wanting to move from his wounds, to wanting to move quickly to not get burned, Durian could feel the heat bite at his foot. He kicked against a carcass and pulled himself forward hoping a rain of arrows did not find him. But there was nobody there to watch for they had retreated back to Osgiliath with their dead and wounded, and the orcs were left to burn. He got free and crawled down the ditch through the swampy brine and put the oily flame on his foot out. It was another part of him that now hurt.

Taking some smoky breaths, he continued to crawl along until he came to an embankment where he slid himself down on his belly. He lost control of the slide and started to roll, feeling every bump and jolt and rock and log until he splashed into the Anduin. He was again awash in the river and he felt the deceptive currents swirling arond him pull at him wanting to take him under. He had the strength or ability to fight against it, and as he cried out,

”Fay my love… I am sorry…”

Hs words gurgled as water washed over him. In the blur of the green waters, he thought he saw her swimming to him. His arm seized her by the waist and they came bobbing to the surface. It was not Fay, but a large log he had seized. He held himself to it and tried to keep it from spinning him under, and he lay his head upon it totally spent.

The current turned him about as he went downstream, wondering how it was he was still alive, even if just barely.

Most of the journey she stayed quiet as she was too busy replaying the moments up to her departure with Durian. It all made her heart ache and it seemed that no matter how hard she tried she could not stop the moment form playing.

She grew tired, emotionally more than physically, and knew that the moment they reached their destination she’d request a place to rest her head. She needn’t have something fancy or lush. Even a pile of hay would do.

She glanced at her companions and smiled a little. She had been very good friends, practically brother and sister, with Faramir. And she had become good friend witha Galreth. Phae felt blessed to be among kind company in such dark times.

They arrived in Minas Tirith as a few red rays of the sun broke through from the west to touch the top of the Tower of Ecthelion. As if to announce their arrival, the last ray sparkled from the tower and soon the skies again fell into the gloom. They rode up to the sixth level of the city where they dismounted, and Faramir said to them,

"I must go to my father alone."

He took the wrap with the broken horn in hand and instructed a guard to show Phaether and Galreth where they could rest and clean up. Another came to tend to the horses, and as Faramir walked up to the seventh level of the city, Phae and Galreth followed the guard to the soldiers accommodation.

”You can rest here. I will come when Lord Faramir summons you.”

He left the two there, and Galreth looked about at the meagre room with two bunked cots, and said,

”You look like you need rest, I am not really tired. I can go to the healing house and see if they have any herbs and medicines we could take back with us.”

Galreth gave her a slight smile. Yes he was tired, for sleep had not come much over the past few days. But he wanted to give Phae her privacy.

She laughed and shook her head ”You’re tired too. If not more than I am. Please rest. I’m not opposed to sharing the room in fact I could use the company.” she smiled kindly at him and laid down on the little cot.

She didn’t really want to be alone. With someone there talking with her she’d be unable to replay the tragic events over and over. So she wanted him to stay. To keep her grounded.

”how’ve you been since I left?” She asked just making small talk and she turned to look at him. Her eyes sparkled in the light but there was something missing. Passion and hope. She lacked those components at the moment.

Gareth nodded as Phae seemed genuinely wanting him to stay and keep her company. Phae took the lower bunk, and Gareth instead of climbing to the top bunk, decided to sit on the small stool in the far corner. He said,

"Thanks for asking me to stay Phae. Yes, I am tired, and haven't had a bath since we left Henneth Annun. My apologies for being so rank."

He watched Phae and could tell she was hurting. He took off his cloak and vest and flexed his arms to free them of stiffness. He saw Phae lay down in the cot, and he said,

"I have to say that I worried for you after you left Phae. I had to ask Faramir why he allowed you to go, and he said he trusted in your judgement. But when we were attacked on our way back to Henneth Annun that day, we all worried that you and the northerner had walked into a trap. What happened out there Phae?"

Galreth had laid his thoughts out there. He added,

"When we saw you riding in, we were so relieved to know you lived. Thank you for coming back to us."

what happened out there.... she took a deep shaky breath. ”I foolishly fell in love... and I lost everything. That’s what happened. That’s all that matters.” her voice was tense but broken at the same time. She rolled on her side facing away from him and she curled up in her cot.

”I... I am happy to be back. It’s wonderful to see you all it’s just... it hurts a lot right now...” she said softly and rolled back so she was laying on her back. She was choking back tears. She wouldn’t cry anymore. Durian wouldn’t want her to spend her days sobbing.

Gareth watched Phae turn over. Was love foolish? It seemed to be. To be in love with someone who is not in love with you was a pain he had long since learned to accept. Even so, he felt that lump in his throat in empathy with Phae’s plight. He leaned back against the wall and stretched before saying,

”I can’t tell you how relieved we all were to see you again, especially… Faramir. Me too, for you brought a certain spark to our company. I think we should get rest, for I feel there will be little time to do so in the days ahead.”

He closed his eyes, but opened them slightly as he could hear Phae silently sobbing.