Two Favorite Moments
by Linaewen
For Gimli Day, Two of my favorite Boromir and Gimli moments......from the film, as recorded in my inkling, Son of Gondor; in honor of Gimli on his day.
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[The Company is passing through the Great Hall in Moria.]
.........Gandalf led them forward, and they
followed slowly, still gazing in wonder and awe at the sights all
around them. Suddenly, Gimli gave a wordless cry and ran towards a
doorway through which a cold blue light was shining.
"Gimli!" cautioned Gandalf sharply, but he was ignored. The Company followed slowly into the room.
The chamber was lit by a beam of light
shining down through a high wide shaft; by that light they could see
many bones lying, and among them broken swords and axe-heads, and
cloven shields and helms. The room was littered with books and papers
from the broken and plundered chests that lined the walls and the
alcoves of the chamber. The light from the shaft fell directly on a
table in the middle of the room: a single oblong block, several feet
high, upon which was laid a great slab of white stone. Gimli knelt
before the stone and wailed his anguish as he read the runes that were
graven upon the slab. Gandalf leaned over and read the runes aloud.
"Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of
Moria." He straightened and his face was lined with sorrow. "He is dead
then. It is as I feared."
The ring of helmet on stone was loud in the silence as Gimli dropped his head to the tomb and began to weep.
****************************
The Company stood silent before the tomb of
Balin as Gimli wept and lamented in his own tongue. Gandalf stepped
forward, and handing his hat and staff to Pippin, he stooped to
retrieve a book from the skeletal hands that gripped it. It had been
slashed and stabbed and partly burned. Gandalf lifted it carefully, but
leaves crackled and fell from it as he opened the book and blew the
dust from the pages. He looked through it for a moment before speaking.
"This seems to be a record of the fortunes of
Balin's folk," he said. "Perhaps we may discover how they came to this
fearful end."
As he turned to the end of the book and began
to read, Boromir stepped forward and laid his hand on Gimli's shoulder.
There was not much he could do to console his companion, but at least
he could show him that he understood his sorrow. Boromir had seen many
of his own men die horribly at the hands of Sauron's minions, and he
had mourned each one even as Gimli now mourned his kin.
Behind him Boromir heard Legolas speaking
quietly. He was cautioning Aragorn that they ought to move on, and not
linger. Boromir sighed inwardly. Of course Legolas is right, it is
dangerous here, he thought, but Gimli must be allowed some time to
grieve. These are his people, his kin, whom he hoped to see again, and
now they are lost to him...........
********************
The empty, rocky folds of Dimrill Dale lay
bright about the Company as they stumbled out and away from the dark
archway of the Gates under the mountain's shadow. Grief at their loss
overcame them; some wept, cast upon the ground, while others stood
silent, or walked aimlessly. Boromir's throat was tight and tears
pricked in his eyes, but he gritted his teeth and held them back; he
did not like to be seen weeping. He gripped Gimli tightly; in his grief
and anger, the Dwarf was determined to return to the Mines to wreak
vengeance upon the enemy.
"Gimli!" Boromir cried, raising his voice to
be heard above the Dwarf's cursing. "Gimli, listen to me! It will do no
good, not now! Do not throw your life away on such a fruitless pursuit!
It will not bring him back!"
"No," growled Gimli, relenting suddenly,
leaning back into Boromir's embrace with a sigh. "No, but it would make
me feel better!"
He sat suddenly, and put his head in his
hands. Boromir laid his hand on Gimli's shoulder, and the two warriors
stood thus for a moment; their loss was too keen and their hearts too
angry for tears...............
