Pippin and Merry were sleeping when the uruks reached Isengard. They were hurled into a room that had stacks of unused parchment lying in each corner and by the walls. Merry awoke abruptly when hitting the ground, but Pippin had his head knocked hardly into the floor, thus remained unconscious.
A few hours later, possibly 4 or 5, an orc came into the room and brought some food for the captives. Merry was awake staring at his knees, rocking a little bit, and Pippin was still lying the way he hit the ground hours previously. The orc threw bread at Merry, and tried to wake Pippin as well. He kicked into him harshly, but he just groaned and did not open his eyes. Then the orc took up the small hobbit and threw him heavily into the ground. Pippin's eyes flew open. The orc tossed another piece of bread at him. Neither of the hobbits were able to speak to each other, since both were still in shock, so they just ate the bread they had received.
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Later Saruman called to his servants that he wanted to see the Halflings.
An orc and an uruk hai came to collect the hobbits, still tightly bound by cords. The hobbits heard the last word from their conversation. "I tell yah, Nukshet, he won't let us have them," the uruk hai said glumly and angrily. The orc looked menacingly at the Halflings.
They were brought to Saruman, only hearing his servants talking in orcish loudly.
"So..." Saruman began. "So, I would like you to tell me... where is the Ring." Saruman walked a while, looking as if he were deep in thought. He looked at the hobbits. "You. Tell me," he said pointedly and harshly to Merry.
"I won't say anything. ANYTHING that can help you," Merry replied back angrily.
Saruman stared at Merry for a few second, then away, and licked his own dry lips. He stopped and looked at Pippin instead. "You," the wizard said, in a higher and louder voice this time.
Pippin only gazed at him, not saying a word. Saruman went over to him, and squeezed his arm, his long nails cut into his skin almost as much as the orcs' had. "I asked a question," Saruman said through gritted teeth.
Pippin had cried out in pain, and kicked at Saruman to let go. Merry almost jumped onto Saruman, but managed to restrain himself. Suddenly one of the kicks turned quite hard, making Saruman suddenly let go and back away a little.
He looked threateningly at Pippin. "You'll be sorry," he hissed.
Merry watched helplessly at the terrified Pippin, and as Saruman ordered the orc to take Merry out.
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The orc, Nukshet, was nearing the room where the hobbits had previously been kept in, when Merry heard a scream. He flinched.
Another orc came along the corridor, and started yelling and roaring with Nukshet in orcish. He hadn't seemed to even realise that Merry was there, so he pressed himself to the wall. The orc suddenly stabbed Nukshet with a dagger, and he fell back with a faint groan, the weapon still sticking out of his stomach. Merry remained where he was, as he watched the orc walk on.
Merry saw his chance, and he didn't hesitate.