Chapter III

The Deal

Saruman looked out from his balcony over his army, still wearing the Master Ring on a chain around his neck. The great gates of Isengard lay open, and the Uruk-Hai stood clear of the pathway to Orthanc. Soon enough, the wizard saw a company of Rohirrim riding into the fortress, bearing a flag of truce. Leading the company were Gandalf, his companions, Théoden, and Éomer. They rode up to the base of the tower, and Saruman spoke.

"So, indeed you have come, King Théoden," said Saruman. "It is good that we can agree to settle matters peacefully."

"Peacefully!?" sneered the king. "I think that you and I have different ideas of peace."

"I know you have the hobbits," said Gandalf. "We will not negotiate unless you release our friends immediately."

"Of course, my old friend," said Saruman. "I would be more than happy to do so, and I shall make offers better still." He turned to Wormtongue, who had been in the Palantír chamber behind him. "Tell them to release the Halflings."

Wormtongue nodded and went down to the dungeon. Within a few minutes, the doors of Orthanc were opened, the four Halflings were set free, and they rejoined their companions.

"I have given you your friends," said Saruman. "Now, I make my demands. There will be peace between Isengard and Rohan. Not a sword shall be drawn, not an arrow shall be loosed against Rohan by Isengard, or against Isengard by Rohan."

"Then why have you ravaged our lands and slaughtered our people?" asked a baffled Théoden.

"Because I wanted you out of my way," explained Saruman. "My true target is Mordor, and I do not want anyone interfering with my plans. When Wormtongue informed me that Gandalf would try to negotiate, I resolved that I might not have to waste my time with Rohan. What say you? Can we not take counsel together as we once did, my old friend? Can we not have peace, you and I?"

"What makes you think that you can take on Mordor?" questioned Gandalf. "Even if Rohan does not interfere, Sauron's armies still outnumber yours, and Gondor will not support you when Denethor hears word of your crimes against Rohan."

"For the matter of Gondor, I will have that man deal with it," Saruman said as he pointed to the Dunedain ranger at Gandalf's side. "Denethor will have no choice but to bow to you, Aragorn, the true King of Gondor, and you will either help me or stand aside. Make no mistake, to fight me is to ensure your destruction at the hands of the Dark Lord."

"Even if Rohan and Gondor do not make war against Isengard," said Gandalf, "what makes you so sure that you can destroy the might of Sauron?"

Saruman unclasped the chain around his neck and held aloft the Ring. "This," he said.

They all simply stared at the golden band, shaken by the sight of it in the wizard's hand while the Uruk-Hai roared at the triumph of their glorious leader, until Gandalf spoke after a moment. "That will not help you, Saruman! Return the Ring to Frodo if it is truly your wish to see Sauron vanquished."

"Your crimes are many," said Aragorn, "and the Ring will only serve to enable you to commit further crimes before bringing Sauron's wrath down upon you. Gondor will not stand for this. Surrender the Ring!"

"You understand so little, Isildur's heir," said Saruman. "I've been told that you were a person of great wisdom, perfectly fit for the throne of Gondor, but here I stand quite disappointed. Perhaps you've shared too many words with Gandalf. Understand this, ranger. I alone have the greatest ability to master this weapon, aside from the Lord of Mordor himself. I am the head of the order of the wizards, and the most powerful of all beings in the west of Middle-earth. We have a common enemy, and you would be wise to help me defeat him. Gandalf, Théoden, friends of old, I am afraid you have little choice. I stand poised to strike down any kingdom that opposes me, and I am offering you a chance to rid the world of the evil of Sauron. Do you not see, Gandalf? For many centuries, we have worked to achieve this goal, and it is nearer to completion than ever before. Kings of Rohan and Gondor, I ask again. Shall we have peace?"

The elf and dwarf on the horse next to Aragorn whispered to each other, and the elf took up his bow.

"No, Legolas," said Gandalf softly. "Bloodshed will not help us here. He has given us Frodo, Sam, Pippin, and Merry, and he has given his terms in a peaceful parley." Legolas promptly lowered his bow.

"Are we to accept his terms, then?" asked Aragorn.

"Why should we?" growled Théoden. "He killed my son and slaughtered many of my people. He must pay."

"He will," assured Gandalf. "In due time, of course."

"It was only a means to an end," claimed Saruman. "Had I known that you would be open to negotiation earlier, I would not have done it. When Mordor falls, I will pay whatever price you demand of me."

Gandalf sighed. "We don't have a choice. We must do it."

Théoden and Aragorn nodded in agreement.

"Do we have a bargain?" asked Saruman.

"Yes," said Théoden. "There will be peace between Rohan and Isengard, for now."

"I will do my utmost to ensure that Gondor does not attack you," said Aragorn.

"Yes!" Saruman exclaimed. "This is good. You have made a wise choice."

As Théoden signaled for the company to leave, Gandalf stayed behind. "But beware, Saruman. The powers of our masters are still at work in the world. Be careful not to let your own resources overtake you."

With that, Gandalf rode out of the fortress with his friends, and Saruman retreated within Orthanc. As he climbed the great stairwell to the pinnacle of the tower, Wormtongue approached him.

"What did he mean when he said to not let your resources overtake you?" Wormtongue asked.

"Trees," said Saruman quietly. "Of course, yes. The forest."

Saruman hurried up to the trap door that opened up to the roof, leaving Wormtongue a fair bit confused. He stood high above the fortress and looked out to the expanse of Fangorn Forest that was yet untouched. Saruman had all but forgotten about the sorts of creatures that lived within the older forests of Middle-earth, but Gandalf had surely known about them all long, and Saruman was thankful for the warning. He had once walked with the ents in their woods, but now they had been slumbering for hundreds of years. If they were to wake and see what had become of the woods around Isengard, their retribution surely would be terrible. And so Saruman put the One Ring on his finger, and harnessed its power, albeit with some difficulty. He raised his hand, muttered ancient words, and cast a spell over the remainder of the forest, prolonging the ents' sleep.

Satisfied that the ents were no longer of any threat, Saruman descended the tower and returned to the Palantír chamber. So much had been done to progress his plans, and he wanted to share the good news. He removed the black cloth that covered the Orthanc Stone and looked to the West beyond the sea. There lay the island of Tol Eressea, with the continent of Aman just beyond it. Upon the island was the great Tower of Avallónë. Within the highest chamber of the tower rested the immense Master Palantír, but there was nobody there. Perhaps Saruman had been naive to think that she would have returned.

"Sister?" he pleaded, almost wanting to laugh, but nearly on the verge of tears. "It's almost done, after all these centuries. I'm closer now than ever before. Please, won't you speak with me? Please..."


Author's note: I'm not sure how long this fanfic is going to be, but it's almost certainly going to be shorter than The Lord of Isengard and the Queen of Doriath, which I still have yet to complete. Speaking of which, who is this sister to whom Saruman refers? You'll have to read The Lord of Isengard and the Queen of Doriath if you haven't done so already, because I don't feel like explaining the whole thing here, and you might be confused later on without certain information.

If any of you are fans of the game Bloodborne, I'm working on a Bloodborne fanfic if you want to check it out.