CHAPTER TWO-
My first impression of Treebeard was "HOLY SHIT!" Taller than a three-story house, his presence was truly intimidating. "Young Master Gandalf…burarum," Treebeard intoned, "how nice of you to come. Wood and water, stock and stone I can manage; but there is a wizard here to be managed. Locked in his tower." "There he must remain Treebeard," Gandalf replied.
I turned in my saddle to face Pippin and whispered, "Did you hear him? He called that cranky, old fart YOUNG!" "I know! It is so funny," Pippin began shaking with silent laughter. Realizing that there was no going back I began laughing out loud.
The sound of a horse splashing through the water toward me drew my attention away from sharing a laugh with Pip. "Maybe Gandalf would like to know what you are laughing about," Legolas said loudly as he grinned mischievously. Gandalf's head whipped around, the look on his face a mixture of confusion and mild irritation. "Now that you have brought it up I would very much like to know why they are laughing," Gandalf addressed the elf prince.
"No-no," I tried to cover our tracks, "We were just sharing a private joke; nothing to worry about." By this point everyone, including Saruman who had appeared at the top of the tower, were staring at us. "I think that everyone wants to hear this," Boromir grinned. "It was nothing I say," I shot Legolas a venomous glance. "I doubt that," Gandalf raised an eyebrow, "So what was so funny." There was no way out. I was trapped. Fucking trapped because I forgot about the elf's damnable hearing (as attuned as my own now was)! "Okay! I'll tell you," I acquiesced, "We were laughing at the fact that Fangorn (I used Treebeard's elvish name) called you 'YOUNG,' okay?"
Everyone except for Gandalf had a good laugh at that. Even Treebeard gave a deep laugh. That's when Saruman's mocking basso came from the top of the tower. "You see Gandalf! Even being 'Gandalf the White' cannot keep you from petty insults! Your friends mock you," the once great wizard snarled.
Pippin began shifting uncomfortably behind me. Looking around I saw the glint of sunlight and Sauron's power emanating from an orb beneath the water. I knew that the Palantir was what was making him uncomfortable so I helped him into the water and told him to go retrieve it.
As Pippin made his way toward the Palantir I heard Gandalf say, "Your staff is broken." Looking up, I saw the Staff of Orthanc burst into thousands of pieces. Theoden and Gandalf were trying to get Grima to come down from the tower when Saruman bitch-slapped him and knocked him to the ground. A look of furious indignation crossed the wretch's face. His face shook with rage as he drew a dagger from his sleeve and plunged it as deeply as he could into Saruman's Back.
The wizard plummeted, screaming, and landed on the spike of a water wheel. Theoden was still trying to reason with Grima, trying to get him to come down. "N-no. I cannot! The people will kill me! I would rather wither away and die here," Grima shouted! "Grima Wormtongue," quit your accursed whining and come down to us," Gandalf's magically magnified voice echoed across the water. "Come down? You want me to come down wizard? Then here I come," Grima snarled as he took a running leap from the tower's summit.
We could only watch in horror as the once loyal Rohirric man threw himself to his death for his transgressions against his people. "It is done then," Gandalf growled before chanting something and closing Grima's eyes in eternal slumber. Pippin had reached the Palantir and picked it up as Gandalf turned his head toward the sound of someone mothing through the water reached his ears.
"Peregrin Took," Gandalf got the hobbit's attention, "I'll take that my lad." Gandalf wrapped the sinister looking orb in his cloak and Pippin returned to me so that I could give him a lift onto the back of my horse. Once Pippin was back on my horse we turned toward The Riddermark and began our journey back to Edoras.