In the battle that followed, Boromir had no time to decide whether his interrupted speech was a matter of disappointment, or relief. Suffice it to say that the capture of the two younger hobbits, and the flight of Frodo and Sam, redoubled the guilt in his heart.
"I am to blame," he said heavily to Aragorn, after the last orcs were dispersed. "I acted foolishly, and now we may all regret it."
"You cannot blame yourself for Merry and Pippin, at least," broke in Gimli. "You were lucky to escape with your life." The dwarf stood stout and grim, his axe in hand, and it was clear that the loss of his two cheerful companions had stung him deeply. But he was right about Boromir. The man had fought valiantly and stood his ground far outnumbered, and it was only a hefty strike from Aragorn which had saved him at the last moment from death at the hands of the orc chieftain. He was heavily wounded, but more painful to him still was the thought that he had driven Frodo into danger. He sat now with his back to a tree, head in his hands. "What has been done is done," said Aragorn. "Whichever way, he would have to turn to Mordor eventually. If he was driven there sooner than we planned, so be it."
"But if he returns, he will never forgive me for letting his friends becoming orc-food."
"Do not give up hope so soon," said Legolas, as he resheathed his long knife. "They were not killed outright, but captured. Maybe the orcs have some purpose with them yet."
"I think the same," said Aragorn. "As long as we catch up with the orcs before they reach their destination, there is hope we will find them alive."
"And if they are not, more than one of those swine will feel my axe at their necks," muttered Gimli.
Boromir looked up at them wearily. Despite the pain of his injuries, and the guilt, and the restless tension that had plagued him ever since the beginning, he relished the thought of giving chase to those miserable beasts with his friends at his side.
"Well, then," he said, getting to his feet, and for the first time in ages the glimmer of a smile played on his lips. "What are we waiting for?
The chase was hard and long, until the four companions came at last to Rohan, land of the horsemen. There they found Gandalf again, to their great astonishment and awe, and sought refuge at the home of King Theoden. All this while, Boromir did not speak much to Legolas, unless it were to do with everyday matters and the tasks in hand. But he would steal longing glances at him, when he was not looking, and he saw that the elf's face seemed to grow paler and paler with each passing day. Nor did this go unnoticed by Aragorn and Gimli. Even the dwarf could see that Legolas's eyes had become dull, and his voice had lost its music, and it seemed that there was a sickness in his heart.
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