The ride to Isengard was swift, they slowed things down once they entered Fangorn Forest. Thought it still had an ancient feeling to it the air was lighter, not as sick as it was the first time they had been in there. The rode through the forest in a single file line, Gandalf leading the way. In the distance talking could be heard, the voices that of two very familiar beings.
"Only you've never done a hard day's work." Merry said, both of them laughing in response as they smoked their pipes. They both then saw a group come from behind the trees. Merry stood up on top of the wall they were sitting on and announced. "Welcome My Lords and My Lady to Isengard."
"You young rascals, a merry hunt you lead us on and now we find you feasting and...and smoking." Gimli scolded them while Legolas, Aragorn, and Autheil smiled at them, just glad to see them alive.
"We are sitting on a field of victory. Eating a few wells earned comforts. The salted pork is particularly good." Pippin replied. "Salted pork?" Gimli questioned, knowing he would like some.
"Hobbits..." Gandalf muttered under his breath unimpressed.
"Were under orders of Treebeard, who has taken over management of Isengard." Merry told them. "Come, we must go." Gandalf said. "Come, my little ones." Amdiriel said as she jumped off her horse, both hobbits running into her arms. "Are you both okay?" she asked as she pulled away looking over the two of them, checking for injuries. "No, no we are fine but do we have an adventure to tell you." Pippin said to her. "I bet you do." Amdiriel smiled. "Come one of you with me and another with Aragorn." She said and put her hand out to them. Merry grabbed her hand and Pippin went over to Aragorn who held out his hand out. "It's good to have you two back." he told Pippin.
They enter Isengard, the place was flooded with water making it mercy but no orcs or Uruk-hai in site but lots of trees, walked around, making this place their new home. "You were very busy, I see." Amdiriel said as she looked around at the scene in front of her. "You don't know the half of it." Merry replied, pride in his voice.
"Oh, young master Gandalf. I'm glad that you've come. Wood, stock and stone I can master but there is a wizard to manage here locked in his tower." the large talking tree named Treebeard said to them as they now stood in front of the tower.
Aragorn looked up at the tower angrily "Show yourself." he whispered as he looked up at he
"Be careful. Even in defeat, Saruman is dangerous." Gandalf warned them.
"We'll let's just have his head and be done with it." Gimli suggested. "Yes." Amdiriel quickly agreed thinking it was reasonable for all that wizard had put them through
"No." Gandalf rebuked them "We need him alive. We need him to talk." Gandalf explained his eyes scanning the top of the tower. Aragorn sat next to Amdiriel who was unsettled, the place was giving Amdiriel a bad feeling, and the master who ran the place had bad blood between them. He had killed her brother and two of her close friends.
"You have fought in many wars and slain many men, Théoden King, and afterward made peace. Can we not take counsel together as we once did, my old friend? Can we not have peace you and I?" a voice sounded from above them. They all looked up to see Saruman standing on top of the tower his staff in his hand.
"We shall have peace..." Théoden trailed off and then looks back up at Saruman, anger written all over his face. "We shall have peace when you answer for the burning of the Westfold and the children that lie dead there! We shall have peace when the lives of the soldiers whose bodies were shewn even as they lay dead against the gate of the Hornburg are avenged!" Théoden then gritted his teeth "When you hang from a gibbet for the sport of your own crows we shall have peace!"
"Gibbets and crows! Dotard!" Saruman shouted angrily, not believing he was insulted in such a manner "What do you want Gandalf Grayhem? Let me guess the key of Orthanc? Or perhaps the key of Barad Dûr itself? Along with the crown of the seven Kings and the rods of the Five Wizards." Saruman yelled down at them.
"Your treachery has already cost you many lives. Thousand more are no at risk but you can save them Saruman." Gandalf said. "You are deep in the enemy's counsel."
"So you have come here for information. I have some for you." Saruman said putting it all together. He then lifted his hand, revealing the Palantir to them. Saruman stared at it with a crazy look in his eye. "Something festers in the heart of Middle-Earth, something you have failed to see. The Great Eye has seen it. Even now he presses his advantage. His attack will come soon."
Gandalf rode forward alone, separating himself from the group.
"You are all going to die. You know this don't you Gandalf?" Saruman tells them and then looked to Amdiriel and Aragorn. "You do not honestly think this Ranger and this dishonored banished Captain will ever sit upon the thrones of Gondor. These exiles crept from the shadows will never be crowned King and Queen." Saruman says in disgust. If looks could have killed Saruman would have died a hundred times over. Aragorn leaned over and grabbed Amdiriel's hand. "You know we will and that is what scares you and your master. You know what we are capable of, what hope we inspire because we will not give in to fear." Amdiriel sneered.
"You should know fear, Amdiriel, you have held those closest to you as they have died in your arms. Yet you continue to push on, how much more will you have to lose before you give up? Will it be losing the man you love to death or to the darkness that would be your undoing? Or will it be the other way around, him losing you? Surely both of you will face death for Gandalf does not hesitate to sacrifice those closest to him, those he professes to love. Tell me Gandalf, what words of comfort did you give the Hafling before you sent him to his doom? The path you have sent him on can only lead to death." Saruman tells them.
"I've heard enough of this!" Gimli growls "Shoot him! Put an arrow in his gob!" Gimli orders. Both Amdiriel and Legolas gladly but slowly reach for their quiver of arrows until Gandalf stops them.
"No." he orders them and then turns back to Saruman "Come down Saruman and your life will be spared."
"Save your pity and your mercy! I have no use for it!" Saruman yelled and then directed a ball of flames at Gandalf.
The others jump back in surprise but as the fire clears Gandalf and Shadowfax stand there unharmed. Gandalf looks up at a scared Saruman and says "Saruman, your staff is broken." just then Saruman's staff explodes into pieces in his hand.
Suddenly Grima Wormtingue appears behind Saruman.
"Grima, you need not follow him. You were not always as you were. You were once a man of Rohan. Come down." Théoden King tells him. Grima bows and looks as if he is about to accept Théoden suggestion but Saruman's voice stops him.
"'A man of Rohan'? What is the house of Rohan but a thatched barn with brigands drink in the reek and their brats roll on the floor with the dogs?" Saruman insults and continues "The victory at Helms Deep does not belong to you, Théoden Horse Master. You are a lesser son of greater sires."
"You say that yet we defeated you. We defeated you and your army that was supposed to destroy all of us, we prevailed, we won and you failed." Amdrieil told Saruman. "Tell me how disappointed was the Great Lord Sauron with his puppet?" Amdiriel mocked.
"Grima come down. Be free of him." Théoden says ignoring Saruman.
"Free? He will never be free." Saruman stats but Grima stands up to him "No!" he tells Saruman who turns around to him and yells "Get down cur!" and smacks Grima across the face. Grima falls to the floor where none of those below could see.
"Saruman, you are deep in the enemy's counsel. Tell us what you know." Gandalf orders.
"Withdraw your guard and I will tell you where your doom will be decided! I will not be held prisoner here!" Saruman yells before Grima comes up behind him and stabs him twice in the back.
Legolas shot an arrow at Grima's heart making him stumble back. Saruman falls off the tower and is impaled on the spike of a large wheel. Merry gasp in horror as did Pippin from behind the man and the woman who just watched in disgust.
"Send word to all our allies and to every corner of Middle-Earth that still stands free. The enemy moves against us. We need to know where he will strike." Gandalf told Théoden who nodded in response.
The water wheel then starts to turn, making Saruman's body disappear under the water.
"The filth of Saruman is washing away." Treebeard tells them. "Tree's will come back to live here." he said and then started to list some trees as something in the water caught Pippin's eye. Pippin got off the horse he had been riding with Aragorn on and made way over to the strange thing he saw, Aragorn calling after him.
Pippin lifts the Palantir out of the water and stares at it in curiosity. "Bless my bark." Treebeard exclaims as the dangerous weapon must have slipped from Saruman's hand when he fell.
Gandalf rode up behind Pippin. "Peregrin Took, I'll take that my lad." he tells Pippin and holds out his hand. Pippin looks back at the Palantir. "Quickly now." Gandalf urges him. Pippin then hands it over to the wizard who quickly covers it with his cloak then turns away with almost an angry look in his eye.
Aragorn rides over to Pippin and helps him back up on to the horse, whispering a quick thank you before he is silent once again. The others then begin to leave but Amdiriel does not move. Seeing this, Aragorn joins her side, she was still staring at the place where Saruman's body disappeared under the water. "Hey." Aragorn tried but nothing happened until Aragorn touched her hand, which was gripping the reins tightly. Amdiriel finally came too "Hey, it's okay. He's gone." he told her. Amdiriel nodded sadly "I wish it was me that had done it, maybe it would have provided closure of some sort since the damage has already been done." she said to him. "We end this war and it will bring closure to everyone I think and especially you." he said and gave her hand a light squeeze. Amdiriel nodded before turning her horse around, pulling up close to Aragorn before leaning over and planting a kiss on his lips, causing the ranger to smile.
"Wait, when did this happen?" Merry questioned as he looked between the two and then over to his cousin who looked just as confused as he was. This caused Amdiriel and Aragorn to chuckle. "Oh, do we have a story for the two of you." Amdiriel told them as she pushed Rohal onward to join the others.