Disclaimer: I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.
21/01/2013
Thanks to all readers for making this story's Reviews and Followers reach over 100 in each category. To use a good Australian colloquialism I have 'cracked the ton' in both.
I am also glad that (so far) every reviewer has liked my idea of Boromir surviving. Obviously I am not alone in having Gondor as my favourite nation of Middle-earth.
JediMasterChris1: I think I was as old as my youngest nephew when that show came out Like him, at that age I absolutely loved Hulk.
CocoVita: Yours was reader reaction I never thought this story would cause :)
Spirit Speaker: No apologies are needed, as I fully understand where you are coming from. The Two Towers is my favourite part of the movie trilogy.
KungFu Jedi: Thank you for your kind words.
CreepyLOTRfangirl55: I think you might find a clue about the drinking game in an earlier chapter.
Chapter 14 – Hunting Prey
The Uruks that had taken Merry, Pippin and Banner hostage had left Amon Hen well behind. The Uruks moved in a westward direction until the forests had thinned out. They had come to a region known as the Wold that was made of open plains, occasionally dotted by clusters of rocks and boulders. The Wold was part of the eastern half of the Mannish Kingdom of Rohan.
Of the Uruks that had originally attacked the Fellowship, only forty had survived. The survivors had only stopped once since Amon Hen. It was so they could better secure their three captives. They bound the trio's wrists to the front with rope, allowing the Uruks carry the hobbits in a rough piggyback. Despite being back to his regular height, Banner was still too big to be transported this way. The large Uruk that lifted Banner at Amon Hen still carried him. The Uruk had wrapped its muscular left arm around Banner as it carried him over its shoulder. Banner's head and wrists brushed the Uruk's back as his captor moved.
Aside from binding them, the Uruks also removed any weapons the three still had on their person. For Merry and Pippin, this meant their personal gift from Galadriel. The Lady of Light had given each of them an ancient Elven or 'Noldor' dagger carried in an intricate wooden sheath. Banner had no weapons, but the Uruks found his battery dead iPhone that he had still in his possession. Having no knowledge of telecommunications, the Uruks were unsure what was the purpose of this strange relic. They agreed to bring it to Saruman in the hope he would give them an extra reward on top of the one he would surely give them for their hostages. Lurtz had been killed before he could tell the Uruks under his command that the Fellowship contained four halflings.
With the death of Lurtz, the command of the Uruks had passed to the only other Uruk-hai that Saruman had bothered to name. This Uruk-hai's name was 'Ugluk'. Ugluk was about Lurtz's height with deep grey skin and black splotches. His hair was dirty blond and white in colour. Ugluk was in the van of the company as it ran across the Wold's plains. It was morning four days since their battle with the Fellowship. As they approached a group of boulders, Ugluk raised his fist to bring the company to a halt. At this signal a group of a ten Mordor orcs crawled out from behind the boulders.
When he allied himself to Sauron, Saruman received from the Dark Lord the dubious 'gift' of several hundred Mordor orcs. Through his spies Sauron had found out about the force of Uruk-hai sent to attack the Fellowship the day after they had left the Orthanc. Communicating to Saruman through the palantir, Sauron 'requested' that some of the Mordor orcs join the Uruk-hai in their mission. Saruman obeyed Sauron only because he did not yet have the power to openly defy him. But he just followed the letter of Sauron's order by sending only a few Mordor orcs with orders to lay in wait for the Uruk-hai as they returned from Amon Hen. Their role would be to 'assist' the Uruks bring the hostages he wanted back to Orthanc. Being so close to getting what he dearly wanted; Saruman was not going to hand it over to Sauron at the last moment.
Most of the Uruks sneered at the sight of the Mordor orcs. As far as the Uruk-hai were concerned, their Mordor brethren were a lesser breed of Orc – not having the Uruk's strength or sunlight tolerance. Mordor Orcs in return believed the Uruk-hai to be an abomination to the whole race that the Free Peoples feared throughout the ages. The mutual contempt both breeds of orcs had for each other was underscored in the conversation they started.
"You're late," Grishnakh, the Mordor Orcs' leader, scolded the Uruks.
Grishnakh had ugly white eyes and similar coloured hair that clung to a bald patch on his brown skinned head.
"Our master grows impatient," he continued. "He wants the Shire rats now."
By 'he', Grishnakh meant Sauron. The Dark Lord had secretly instructed the orcs he sent to Isengard to bring him any hobbits that Saruman displayed an interest in. Unlike Saruman, Sauron did not care if hobbits were 'spoiled' in captivity as long the One Ring was returned to him.
"I don't take orders from Orc maggots," Ugluk growled back. Total obedience to Saruman was inherent in every Uruk's very being. "Saruman will have his prize. We will deliver them."
While Ugluk and Grishnakh expressed their mutual contempt, Pippin quickly checked up on the two other Fellowship members. Banner was a few feet in front of him with his face and hands drooped over a large Uruk's shoulder. To his immediate right, Merry was on the back of another Uruk. Merry had a large gash on his forehead and was seemingly unconscious.
"Merry, Merry!" Pippin urgently whispered to his cousin. "Wake up!"
Merry didn't stir the slightest.
Pippin unwisely told the Uruks, "My friend is sick. He needs water. Please!"
"Sick is he?" Ugluk sarcastically responded. "Give him some medicine boys!"
An Uruk next to Banner unstoppered a flask around its waist. The flask contained liquor with a strong, unpleasant odour. Banner's nose twitched at the smell and began to stir. The Uruk with the flask walked over to Merry and roughly poured its contents down his throat. Merry began to sickly choke as a result.
"Can't take his draught!" Ugluk cruelly observed making the other Uruks laugh.
"Stop it!" Pippin angrily told the Uruk with the flask. "Leave him alone!"
Ugluk strode up to Pippin and pointed a menacing finger at him.
"Why?" Ugluk sternly asked. "You want some?" After Pippin nervously shook his head, Ugluk then commanded him; "Then keep your mouth shut!"
"Ain't you a big, tough guy?" A slurred voice derisively told Ugluk from behind. "Beating up on two bound and wounded hobbits?"
"Bruce!" Pippin quietly exclaimed both in relief and warning.
Pippin was relieved that Bruce had spoken his first words since their capture. But the glazed look in Banner's eyes and slurred speech showed the Avenger was still in pain from his injuries. If Pippin knew anything about toxicology, he would have known that Banner was suffering the after effects of Saruman's sedative. Pippin didn't want him suffering the Uruk's cruelties like Merry just had.
"Hold your tongue, Man, or I shall cut it off!" Ugluk growled at Banner.
"Sure," Banner sarcastically agreed. "But you want to know what I'll first tell Saruman?"
"What?" Ugluk scornfully asked.
Banner gave an insolent smirk before saying; "It'll be how we totally kicked your asses by the waterfall."
Ugluk's anger turned to fury as Grishnakh and the other Orcs chortled at Banner's remark. The Uruk walked up to Banner and looked directly in his face.
"You are fortunate, Man," Ugluk said with barely contained rage, "that Saruman wants us to bring you to him alive and unspoiled."
At this remark, Banner seemed to quickly harden and sober. The Avenger's pupils momentarily glowed a faint green.
"Keep making me angrier, pal," Banner coldly threatened, "and find out who's really fortunate."
Before a slightly unnerved Ugluk could respond, a fellow Uruk began sniffing the air.
"What is it?" Ugluk quickly asked. "What do you smell?"
"Man-flesh," the Uruk replied.
Pippin's eyes widened in hope at this. Others in the Fellowship had to be coming to their rescue. As the orc said 'Man', Pippin secretly hoped that Boromir was still alive. Giving how Ugluk previously threatened him, Pippin knew it was not a good idea to call for help. But maybe he could leave a clue behind that would lead the Fellowship to their three friends? After fixing on an idea, Pippin began removing the leaf brooch that was around his Galadhrim cloak with his teeth.
"They've picked up our trail!" Ugluk cursed. "Let's move!"
At Ugluk's words, both the Uruk-hai and Mordor Orcs started running towards the Orthanc. Pippin finally had loosened the brooch and spat it on the ground. He was relieved that none of the orcs had noticed his actions or the brooch as they ran over it. Pippin exchanged glances with Banner who gave him a quick wink.
"Hang in there," Banner encouraged as he began slipping back into unconsciousness. "I think the cavalry's coming…"
A long way to the east, Aragorn lay at the top of a small rocky hill. He closed his eyes as he placed his ear to the ground. The orcs' movement clearly echoed through the earth. This valuable tracking skill he learned as a Ranger many years ago. Thor was standing next to him.
"Their pace has quickened," Aragorn commented about the orcs to Thor and himself.
"They know we're in pursuit," Thor quietly agreed in reply.
As he got up from the ground, Aragorn surmised, "They must have caught our scent." He then turned to the four Fellowship members standing further down the slope. "Hurry!"
Legolas rushed to join the pair leaving Rogers, Boromir and Gimli in their wake.
Still standing, Gimli puffed, "Three days' and nights' pursuit. Little rest, no food and little sign of our quarry but what bare rock can tell."
Having been in Middle-earth for nearly a month now, Rogers knew a good way to get Gimli moving.
"You know, Gimli," Rogers observed deadpan. "I don't hear Legolas complaining about those things."
After seeing Boromir release a tiny smirk, Gimli indignantly stated, "I didn't say I was giving up lads!"
Like the Uruk-hai who attacked them, the six hunters had long left the forests around Amon Hen well behind. As they ran in a westerly direction, Rogers felt the Fellowship was moving on a downward slope. The Wold's plains would make it easier to track the Uruk-hai that had captured Merry, Pippin and Banner. Still, Rogers found this pursuit among the hardest he had ever been part of.
Before the Fellowship began pursuit of the Uruks, Thor quietly suggested to Rogers the pair of them commence their own. Both possessed the speed to easily run down the Uruks – not to mention the strength to destroy them. Rogers replied that he didn't think it wise dividing the Fellowship any further. The events at Amon Hen had shaken Captain America out of any complacency about the threat posed by Saruman's forces. Apart from the three captives, the Fellowship separating into search parties had almost cost Boromir's life. The thought caused Rogers to glance at his friend running beside him.
Gimli was right about there being little rest. Mostly because of Boromir's injuries, Aragorn allowed the Fellowship to rest at night for two or three hours at most. Gimli was technically incorrect about there being no food. But given that a small bite of lembas was considered a 'meal' over four days, there was some justification to the Dwarf's complaint. The only other time that the Fellowship rested was when Aragorn stopped to examine for further evidence of the Uruk's trail.
Rogers opted to stay with Boromir and Gimli who both ran at a slower pace for different but obvious reasons. Rogers thought that, by SSR standards, Boromir wouldn't be even considered fit for duty. But the Gondorian insisted that he was well enough to join the Fellowship in their hunt. Rogers inwardly vowed to look after the injured Boromir even if he had to carry him. If any orc wanted to harm Boromir, this time they would have to go through Captain America first. Rogers still assuaged Boromir and Gimli's pride by saying that the three of them were 'protecting the rear' of the three other Fellowship members as they scouted ahead.
Aragorn reached the group of boulders that the Uruk-hai had rendezvoused with the Mordor Orcs earlier. He immediately caught sight of the brooch that Pippin had dropped on the ground. Aragorn bent down and picked up the brooch before he rested it in the palm of his right hand.
"Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall," he remarked to both Thor and Legolas.
"Our friends leave us a trail," Thor spelt out the corollary.
"They may yet be alive," Legolas said with rising hope.
Just then Boromir and Rogers caught up with the three of them. Aragorn showed them the Galadhrim brooch resting in his palm.
"At least we're on the right track," Rogers responded to the sight of the brooch.
"More than that," Aragorn advised. "Our friends are less than a day ahead of us. Come!"
At Aragorn's command the five of them recommenced their run. As they began running they all heard a loud crash come from behind. All but Aragorn turned to see the noise was the result of Gimli stumbling.
"Come, Gimli," Legolas encouraged him. "We are gaining on them!"
"I am wasted on cross-country," Gimli panted. "We dwarves are natural sprinters! Very dangerous over short distances!"
"I shall race you over the next hundred yards, Master Dwarf!" Thor playfully teased Gimli.
Gimli's frustration at being shown up in endurance by was evident in his reply. "For your sake, Odinson, you'd better be well in front me at the end that race!"
The eventually came to rest atop a group of low-lying rocky hilltops that gently sloped into a vast yellow coloured grassland. The grassland stretched westwards as far as the eye could see.
"Rohan," Aragorn described the lands that faced the Fellowship. "Home of the Horse-Lords".
At 'Horse-Lords', Rogers immediately thought of famous horse riding nations throughout Earth's history such as the Scythians, Huns and Mongols. When Rogers remembered some of the brutal excesses those nations' warriors were infamous for, he wondered if going across Rohan was such a good idea.
"Are Rohan's people nomads?" he questioned Aragorn to see if his concerns might be justified.
Aragorn shook his head in response. "No, Steve. Despite the love they have for their steeds, the Rohirrim reside in farmlands, wooden settlements. The largest is their crown city, Edoras, several days westward from here."
"What reception can we expect these Rohirrim to give us?" Thor asked.
Rogers was pleased when it was Boromir who answered Thor's question. If the Gondorian was able to speak at length, it was a good sign that he was recovering from his wounds.
"Gondor and Rohan have been allies for over five hundred years," the Son of the Steward advised Asgard's Crown Prince. "I've no doubt they'll aid us."
Boromir did not know it at the time, but he was to find out over the next few weeks just how badly relations had deteriorated between the two nations of Men. Aragorn drew the Fellowship's attention to the task at hand.
"There is something strange at work here," he warily sensed. "Some evil gives speed to these creatures, sets its will against us."
Legolas had moved to the front of the Fellowship as he perched himself on a boulder.
"Legolas!" Aragorn called out to his Elven friend. "What do your Elf-eyes see?"
After a pause, Legolas replied, "The Uruks turn north west. They are taking our friends to Isengard!"
"Saruman," Aragorn muttered grimly.
"Obviously Saruman knows a hobbit within the Fellowship bears the Ring," Thor accurately assessed. "But not which one."
"That makes sense," Gimli agreed. "But I can't think why the traitor would want Bruce. You Avengers weren't even here when the Fellowship set out."
Rogers silently concurred. By bringing Bruce to Isengard, Saruman risks unleashing the full power of –.
Rogers felt his anger rising as he figured out Saruman's likely interest in his fellow Avenger. During his years on the run, Banner had to avoid forces on Earth that wanted to trap him and draw out Hulk for their own twisted and evil ends. These forces did not care what happened to Banner or the experiments they subjected him to. Banner was now being targeted by similar forces in Middle-earth as well.
"Bastard," Rogers quietly cursed Saruman.
The others heard this and looked at Captain America in surprise. Even Thor could not remember him speaking as such.
Seeing he had drawn their attention, Rogers bluntly advised the rest of the Fellowship, "Saruman wants to create his own army of Hulks."
"By Elbereth!" Legolas gasped in horror upon thinking the ramifications.
"We'd better catch those Uruks soon," Rogers coolly continued. "Or they'll be the least of Saruman's forces we'll have to worry about."
Night had fallen across the Wold. It would've have been a major solace to their pursuers that the Uruks and Orcs felt exhausted as they did. At a signal from Ugluk, they ceased running with many collapsing to the ground. The Uruks that carried Merry, Pippin and Banner roughly placed them on the ground stomach first.
"We ain't goin' no further till we've 'ad a breather!" one Orc loudly panted.
Much to his internal disgust, Ugluk agreed with the Orc.
"Get a fire going!" he ordered the company.
A number of Uruks and Orcs brutally chopped at the trees that formed part of a large forest just north of the company. The forest was commonly known throughout Middle-earth as 'Fangorn Forest'.
While this was happening, Pippin slowly crawled on his stomach to where the other captives lay still. The Took managed to squeeze himself between Merry and Banner who were to his left and right respectively. While the wound on Merry's forehead seemed to have stopped bleeding, he still looked very unhealthy.
"Merry! Merry!" Pippin urgently whispered to wake his cousin.
To Pippin's relief, Merry stirred and opened his eye and gave him a weak smile.
"I think we might have made a mistake leaving the Shire, Pippin," Merry croaked with black humour.
"At least you didn't get sucked through a vortex from New Mexico," Banner grumbled.
"Bruce!" Pippin quietly exclaimed, relieved that Banner was conscious again.
Banner's first thoughts were on his verbal jousting with Ugluk that morning. Admittedly, a lot of the snark he directed at the Uruk was the result of the tranquilliser still in his bloodstream. It just now dawned on Banner that others could've paid the price for his insolence.
"Sorry for worrying you earlier, Pippin," Banner apologised to him. "That tranq's really messed me up."
"Tranq?" Pippin and Merry asked after being the first two inhabitants of Middle-earth to hear the word.
Given his drug-induced haze, it took Banner a bit longer than normal to come up with an appropriate description. "Um…sleeping potion."
As the orcs continued chopping wood, a series of loud groans and rumbles emerged from the forest. The sounds caught the captives' attention.
"Is that a bear?" Banner speculated.
"We have a few bears in the Shire, Bruce," Pippin told him. "The only time I really liked working was when I had to keep an ear out for them when minding my Pa's beehives. I never heard any bears growl like that."
After a pause Merry turned to the both of them and said matter of fact, "It's the trees."
"What?!" Banner and Pippin replied – the former not hiding his incredulity.
"You remember the Old Forest?" Merry asked principally to Pippin. "On the borders of Buckland? Folk used to say that there was something in the water that made the trees grow tall and come alive."
At this, Banner privately wondered if Merry had also been hit with tranquilliser. Especially given what he next attributed the Old Forest with.
"Trees that could whisper," Merry recalled further. "Talk to each other. Even move."
Their captors seemed oblivious to the sounds coming from the forest. Both the Uruks and Orcs had more immediate concerns.
"I'm starvin'," one of the Uruks complained. "We ain't 'ad nothin' but maggoty bread for three stinkin' days!"
"Yeah!" an Orc named 'Snaga' concurred in a rare show of agreement with an Uruk. "Why can't we 'ave some meat?" Snaga's greedy eyes rested on Merry, Pippin and Banner at which he sickeningly licked his lips. "What about them?" he asked of the three hostages. "They're fresh!"
"They are not for eating," Ugluk menacingly stated as a reminder of who was in charge.
One Uruk grabbed Merry and Pippin and another grabbed Bruce and pulled them up from the ground. The Uruks roughly pulled them further back from the company's main group. The Orcs were not ready give up their quest for a meal just yet.
"What about their legs?" Grishnakh suggested. "They don't need those. Ooh…they look tasty!"
A brawl threatened to break out as Ugluk forcibly shoved backed Grishnakh.
"Get back scum!" Ugluk shouted, fed up with the Orcs' insolence as well as his own hunger pains.
"Just a mouthful," Snaga suggested as a 'compromise'.
Ugluk spun around to see that Snaga had snunk up behind the three captives. Snaga had his dagger raised above Pippin.
"A bit off the flank!" Snaga staked his claim.
The three Fellowship members didn't even have time to react. Ugluk cut off Snaga's head with swift stroke from his falchion. Snaga's head bounced off the hobbits before falling on the ground with the rest of his decapitated body.
"Looks like meat's back on the menu boys!" Ugluk sadistically proclaimed before he and the other Uruks began tearing into Snaga's remains.
The Uruks holding the three captives unceremoniously dumped them to the ground as they rushed to eat one of Snaga's intestines.
"Don't ever expect these guys to win MasterChef," Banner dryly commented in disgust.
Merry sensed an escape opportunity.
"Pippin, Bruce," he whispered before jerking his head in the direction of Fangorn. "Let's go."
The three of them began crawling on their stomachs towards Fangorn. After only a few yards, the hobbits stopped when they each felt a heavy foot on their back. It was Grishnakh. He rolled both hobbits over before tightly pressing Merry's face with his while pointing a dagger at Pippin. It took Banner a couple of seconds to realise that Merry and Pippin were no longer crawling by him. He turned to see the pair was now in Grishnakh's grasp. At the sight of this, Banner felt a familiar sensation throughout his body.
Nice of you to join us, Banner thought.
"Go on," Grishnakh taunted the hobbits. "Call for help. Squeal! No one's gonna save you now!"
"Wrong, puny orc," a guttural voice rumbled.
Grishnakh nervously looked upwards to his right and saw Banner standing over him. Banner gave Grishnakh a powerful kick under the chin that sent the Orc flying backwards into the group of feasting Uruks.
"Bruce?" Pippin weakly inquired of Banner.
Both Pippin and Merry were slightly unsettled that Banner ignored him. The Avenger seemingly lost in a world of his own as he roughly pulled off his Galadhrim cloak and shirt. At the same moment, the Uruks were furious as Grishnakh crashed into the midst of them. They'd assumed he was trying to join in their 'feast'. Ugluk strongly pulled the Orc up by the throat.
"Know your place you Mordor slag!" he yelled at him.
"DO YOU KNOW YOURS?" Banner interrupted in Hulk's voice.
Ugluk instantly dropped Grishnakh. Banner had drawn the attention of the whole company. Before them he broke his bonds with a tiny flick of his wrists.
Looking at Banner's chest, one of the more stupid Orcs stated, "Ooh, I've never ate man-flesh that 'airy before!"
Ugluk ignored the remark as drew his falchion.
"It'll take more than breaking your bonds and throwing Mordor maggots to frighten the Uruk-hai, Man!" he threatened Banner who stood ten yards away.
Banner gave a sadistic smile before replying in his own voice, "How about my party trick then?"
Merry and Pippin had only seen Banner fully turn into the Other Guy in They were then just as surprised as the orcs when Banner transformed in the blink of an eye. Hulk's feet tore through the Galadhrim shoes and trousers Banner was wearing. Saruman told his Uruk-hai they did not know fear. The Uruk's first battle with Hulk would painfully underscore the misplaced arrogance Saruman had instilled in them.
The orcs were wide-eyed with terror as Hulk made towards them with a short but powerful leap. Ugluk was squashed under Hulk's feet upon landing while others were scattered in all directions. Hulk effortlessly disposed of Uruks and Orcs by a combination of brutal punches, kicks and powerful sweeps of his arms. Some orcs who were familiar with trolls assumed Hulk could be hurt like one. Despite being some three feet shorter than Middle-earth's smallest trolls, Hulk was much more powerful than any breed of them. The orcs' blades didn't trouble him the least as they deflected off his indestructible exterior.
Seeing their weapons were ineffectual against him, surviving orcs fled in the direction of Isengard. Given how exhausted they were from running over the last few days, their rout didn't last more than thirty yards. Using his own formidable speed, Hulk caught up with the orcs and killed all but one of them. Hulk noticed to his right that Grishnakh lay on his back, trembling in terror. Hulk walked over to him.
"Please…no…" Grishnakh pleaded to Hulk.
"Squeal for help then!" Hulk snarled in reply before crushing Grishnakh with a powerful foot stomp.
Merry and Pippin were in a combination of awe and shock. The pair of them had not moved from where they lay on the ground from when the Other Guy appeared. They both began to feel fear crawling up their spines when he strode towards them.
As Hulk towered over him, Merry squeaked, "You still somewhere in there, Bruce?"
The Other Guy gave the hobbits what looked liked a sardonic grin before something unexpected happened. Hulk moved his right hand to his forehead and began rubbing it. With a furrowed brow, Hulk began to diminish back in size until had Banner re-emerged. All that he was left wearing was Galadriel's braise. The rush from Hulk's unplanned appearance, along with the sedative still in his bloodstream, combined to return Banner to his previous disoriented state.
"I don't believe it," Banner said through gasps as he rubbed his forehead. "The Other Guy stopped by a headache."
Merrry and Pippin remained silent as Banner tried steadying himself. The Avenger noticed the pair's uncertain looks. Worried they were still frightened about the Other Guy hurting them; Banner tried settling their nerves.
"Let's cut you guys free," he tentatively started.
Banner picked up Grishnakh's discarded dagger and pointed it at the hobbits.
"I don't trust my coordination right now," he advised them with a wry smile. "Just rub your bonds against it."
After Merry and Pippin had freed them themselves this way, Banner dropped the dagger before groggily collected his shirt and cloak. As Banner slowly put them back on, Pippin broke his silence.
"At least we know Galadriel's braise works, Bruce," the Took mischievously observed.
The three of them looked at the undamaged braise that still snugly fit on Banner. The trio shared their first happy laugh since Amon Hen. Pippin's observation got his cousin thinking of other gifts Galadriel bestowed on the Fellowship.
Merry looked at the remains of the orcs before venturing, "I wonder if we should take any of their weapons? Or least try to find the daggers the Lady gave Pip and I?"
As if to provide an answer to the question, the three's attention were drawn westwards by a loud rumbling sound in the dark distance. The rumbling was drawing closer towards them.
"Horses," Banner correctly guessed the source of the sound.
The trio felt the vibrations under their feet caused by the horses' hooves hitting the ground.
"Would orcs ride horses?" Merry speculated aloud.
"I don't know how he did Merry," Pippin told his cousin. "This morning, Bruce predicted cavalry was coming our way. Perhaps its here to help us."
"Spigure of feech, Pippin," Banner muddled in correction.
The part of Banner's conscious that was still lucid sensed the Other Guy was unlikely to make two appearances in one night.
"Even if it means help, I don't think we should bet our lives on it," Banner concluded before pointing at the tree line a few yards north of them.
At Banner's words, the three of them ran Fangorn just in time to avoid detection by the oncoming cavalry. A hundred heavily armed horsemen and their steeds now arrived on the scene. Banner, Merry and Pippin ran deep into the forest as the horsemen began to examine the remains of Ugluk's company.
When I first saw 'The Two Towers', I was blown away by the opening scene where Gandalf and the Balrog duelled as they fell down into the Foundations of Stone. I have tried to have my version of The Two Towers have a similar beginning with Hulk's cameo performance at the start.
For the record I know Legolas said "The Uruks turn north east" in the film. We have all seen maps that show the Fellowship's journey. I think Legolas' Elven senses should be given their due respect by having him say the proper direction the Uruks were headed in.
[RD: Amending the original, this chapter outlines Cap and Thor didn't break off from the main group and conduct their own pursuit.]