The Winter House Trilogy

Melted

Part 3

CHAPTER 1

WELCOME TO ISENGARD

AN- Whoo, hoo! Part 3 at last! I'm really gonna make sure this one turns out great...the best yet :)

Millie's POV

"Wake up, wake up sleepies, we must go, yes, we must go at once." I was half-asleep, Monday already? I thought. Wait, no that wasn't my mom's voice, it was Gollum. I opened my eyes, sat up and yawned. It was still kind of dark. Sam and I turned to look at Frodo, he looked very drowsy.

"Haven't you had any sleep Mr. Frodo?" asked Sam.

Frodo shook his head.

"I've gone and had too much." said Sam regrettably.

"I agree." I replied. "I have too….I'm sorry Frodo, I feel bad."

He managed a smile and I thought I heard a tiny chuckle, "It's OK you two, it's not that big of a deal."

Sam looked at the dark, gray, twilight sky. "It must be getting late."

"No, no it isn't," Frodo replied, "it's not even midday yet, the days are growing darker."

The ground quivered as a low, rumbling echoed throughout the valley.

"Come on, must go, no time….." said Gollum.

"Not before Millie and Mr. Frodo's had something to eat." Sam replied.

"No time, silly." Gollum answered.

Sam glared at him before holding up a piece of Lembas bread to Frodo.

"What about you?" Frodo asked.

"I'm not hungry, at least not for Lembas bread." Sam answered.

You sweetie, I thought, knowing he was lying, attempting not to make Frodo feel bad or for him to find out that we were low on food.

"Sam?"

"Alright, we don't have much left." He confessed. He held one out for me but I gently turned it down.

"No thanks, I don't have much of an appetite right now." I said.

"Well alright." He put it back in the knapsack, "We have to be careful or we're going to run out. You go ahead and eat that Mr. Frodo. I've rationed it. There should be enough."

"For what?" asked Frodo.

"The journey home," Sam replied. Frodo said nothing.

Gollum led us on through the winding torturous pathway, through bracken and over jagged rocks. I scraped my hand on one of the sharp rocks, I winced and let out a muffled "Ouch!" shaking my hand from side to side and blowing cold air on the scrape. "Are you OK?" asked Frodo.

"Yes, I'm fine." I answered, not wanting my little scratch to put more worries in his head.

"Hurry, come, come, Mordor is very close. No safe places here, hurry, shh." said Gollum.

Elizabeth's POV

Gandalf led Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Sam, Theoden, Boromir and I through a dark woodland. The moving forest of Fangorn opened before us, creating an avenue trees which allowed us access along the old Isengard rode. A thick, humid mist filled the forest. The forest separated ahead revealing the ruins of Isengard. We approached the gate.

"Wow, this place sure has seen better days." I commented.

"No kidding." Boromir answered.

All about us, the great wall was cracked and splintered, but however, in the distance, the Tower of Orthanc stood tall, pale water lapping about its base.

On top of the ruined wall, two little hobbits sat, before them a feast of bread, meats and wine, they leaned back in the sun, smoking pipes. Merry and Pippin!

"Welcome, my lords and ladies, to Isengard."

"You young little rascals," Gimli exclaimed, "A merry little hunt you let us on and now we find you, unharmed, feasting and smoking!"

"You had me worried sick!" Sam exclaimed.

"We are sitting on a field of victory," said Pippin with his mouth full, "Enjoying a few well-earned comforts, the salted pork is particularly good."

"Salted pork?" Gimli and Sam said in unison, suddenly interested.

I smiled and shook my head, patting Rayma; sometimes I thought Sam was a Dwarf. She and Gimli were so alike; they'd be kind of cute together.

"What are you smiling about?" asked Legolas.

I looked at him; it'd been ages since we'd last talked. "Just….I don't know, Sam and Gimli and Merry and Pippin, they just make me laugh sometimes."

"Hobbits," Gandalf said.

"We're under orders from Treebeard, who's taken over management of Isengard." said Merry. They jumped down from the gate. Merry mounted Rayma behind me, and Pippin mounted Hasufel behind Sam. It was kind of funny to see her on the back of that tall horse. Gandalf led us in through the gate and through the brown murky water all about Isengard and then we were approached by a giant walking tree, with eyes!

"Holy shisnap, it's a giant, walking tree!" I exclaimed, alarmed.

Sam rode up beside me, "The proper term is Ent and he's not gonna hurt you, he's harmless."

"Look at you being all geeky." I said, joking around.

"Gimli seems to like that about me," She retorted.

"You mean…..actually…..I think you two would be cute together."

"What!?" she exclaimed, her voice laughing and going up and octave, as it always did when something like this happened. "Umm, I don't think so."

"Umm, he's right there." I said. She turned.

"Oh, hi Gimli." She waved at him. He smiled and waved back before turning red again.

"Awe, that's so cute." I said. "He's got a thing for you, it's adorable."

She blushed. "Oh, just…just pipe down."

"Umm…." Pippin began.

I looked at him in surprise, and then at Merry behind me. "This didn't happen." I said, attempting to fix the awkward moment. They both nodded. We turned back and looked at Treebeard, who was talking to Gandalf.

"Huraroom ... Young Master Gandalf, I'm glad you've come. Wait, how old was he? Treebeard, I mean. "…..Wood and water, stock and stone I can master, but there's a wizard to be managed here ... Locked in his tower." said the Ent.

"And there Saruman must remain, under your guard Treebeard." said Gandalf.

"Let's just have his head and be done with it." Gimli said impatiently.

Gandalf stared up the long length of the tower, "No. He has no power anymore."

The old Ent nodded his head. "The filth of Saruman is washing away ...Trees will come back to live here, young trees . . . wild trees."

Suddenly, something caught Pippin's eye. "Pippin?" questioned Sam. In a flash, Pippin jumped off the back of Hasufel and picked it up. It was Saruman's old Palantir!

"Well bless my bark!" said Treebeard.

"Peregrin Took! I'll take that my lad." said Gandalf. Pippin hesitated, mesmerized by the smooth black stone.

"Quickly now!" said Gandalf. Pippin reluctantly handed it over to Gandalf who immediately tucked it into his cloak. Sam helped Pippin remount Hasufel and we turned and headed off.