"Pippin please, do you know what will happen if you leave? We will both be forced to stay in Rivendell or return to the Shire when Frodo leaves for Mordor! If you leave there is no guarantee that you will find her, nor that you will make it back before they intend to leave!" shouted Merry exasperatedly. He had been trying to convince Pippin not to go search for her more forcefully since the news from the Council of Elrond had reached them, but Pippin would not be swayed.
"What do you propose I do then, Merry? Leave with the rest of you to Mordor, from which I doubt several of us shall not return, knowing that I did nothing to look for her!"
"Send an elf, Pippin. If Diamond convinced Fatty to tell her that we left through the Old Forest, which I am sure she did, then she would most likely head to Bree. We can ask Lord Elrond if he would send an elf back along the path that we came here from Bree. If the elf finds her then he will bring her here and you may send her home safely to the Shire and come with us, but if the elf does not find her then you shall go in search of her and I shall come with you. Do you agree?"
"Alright Merry, you win. Send an elf," said Pippin exasperatedly. Merry smiled and ran off to ask Lord Elrond if an elf could be sent.
Lord Elrond agreed to send an elf in search of Diamond due to Merry's consistent requests. He summoned an elf named Tinedhel to him and bid him follow the path through the wild to Bree. Lord Elrond then had Merry give Tinedhel a detailed description of what Diamond looked like.
By that afternoon Tinedhel had set out for Bree following the path they took in the wild. It took him two days to reach Bree, traveling fast on horseback. He saw no sign of Diamond, or of anyone for that matter...that is until he reached Bree.
Diamond walked sulkily along the path, which had turned into a rather wide road. She could hear the sounds of metal being crushed in the distance and looked up. She stopped walking and gasped when she saw that they had reached a gateway that stood tall and menacing. The gateway seemed to be the only entrance to the great fortress for a ring wall of solid stone rose up around it. In the center stood a great tower reaching up high into the sky. It's black turrets looked dangerous and menacing against the sky now filled with mysterious black clouds. The Southerner led her through the gates, and along a path leading to the stairs of the tower. She followed, her fear ever mounting at the thought of what terrible things might await her inside the tower.
As they were walking up the dark stairs to the tower the large black doors suddenly swung open and Diamond saw a man dressed in white robes with long white hair and a long beard. He resembled Gandalf in a way, though his face was much harder and less friendly. "So this is Saruman," thought Diamond to herself.
"Is this the Halfling who bears the ring?" said the wizard in a harsh voice, though Diamond could tell there was an air of anxiousness in his tone.
"Nay my Lord, she is one of their companions," growled the Southerner, but upon seeing the angered and utterly disappointed look that crept over Saruman's face he walked up the stairs to face him directly and leaned down to speak directly to him so that Diamond could not hear what he said.
"She knows all about the ring and about where they intended to take it. Bill Ferny and I did not get much out of her as we left that up to you, my Lord, but we did tell her that her friends had been compromised. I would not tell her otherwise because she may be less inclined to give away information," the Southerner said to Saruman in a low voice.
"Pathetic fool! Do you not think that I can get information out of her just as easily as I can have you disposed of?" the old wizard hissed back at the Southerner. Then he lowered his voice and it became calm and mellow, persuasive almost. "You have done well, however, bringing her to me. You shall have your rewards."
The Southerner looked utterly pleased with himself, and followed an Uruk that Saruman had summoned to bring him to his reward. As soon as they were out of sight Diamond heard the unmistakable sound of a sword falling and the Southerner cried out in pain one last time before his blood stained the already filthy ash of Isengard. Diamond winced at the sight of the mangled body being dragged away. If this was how Saruman treated an ally then how would he treat her, an enemy?
"Halfling," Saruman cooed, turning his attention toward Diamond. "I am very sorry to hear about your friends. I think that I could help you, send you safely back to your home. Would you like that? All I would ask in return is information about your friend's journey."
Diamond looked at the old wizard. He looked kindly and for a moment her thoughts betrayed her. Diamond thought of the Shire and of how she longed to see her home again. She was about to agree when she thought of her friends, and of how they were killed by the likes of one such as Saruman. Then she thought of the Southerner, and how Saruman had betrayed and killed him once he had gotten what he wanted. Despite an argument that still lingered in the back of her head Diamond's heart was still resolute, though destroyed.
"You may kill me if you wish, for I do not doubt that you intend to do away with me once I have fulfilled whatever use you had for me, but I shall not betray my friends' memories. You killed them! You and your terrible allies of the dark forces! I will not help you!" she spat glaring coldly at him.
"You are smarter than most who work for me, and they do not all give in at first. Time is all I need to break you, and time I have. You will give in, young one, you will give in. . ." Saruman said, as if he had been expecting this answer.
"So that is his plan," thought Diamond. "He intends to break me, and then kill me. If I can hold out, perhaps I can prolong my death. But then again, what use is there to live if the ones I love are dead?"
She could not think anymore for an Uruk hai's large hands grabbed her and dragged her away towards the caverns. Down long, terrible, dank smelling tunnels he led her until they reached what seemed to be the lowest level of the caverns. Diamond was thrown into a room barely large enough for her to stand in. There were no windows and no form of light. Diamond's pockets were searched and her travel bag taken away from her. The only thing the Uruk left was her crown of lilies that were made by the Lady Goldberry.
"Here," he snarled, throwing them at her feet. "This is the last you will see of the world above!" The Uruk hai then slammed the door shut and Diamond could no longer see at all. The darkness scared her and she tried to move around in the small dark cell. There was just barely enough room for her to lie down, and she was thankful that she was short.
Diamond began to cry, for the darkness was depressing. She wondered if she would ever be able to see again, for being in the constant darkness could not be good for ones eyes. Diamond's body became racked with uncontrollable sobs and she pounded against the solid stone walls of her cell.
They left her there for two days with neither food nor water. Then, on the third day of her imprisonment the doors to Diamond's cell were slowly opened and Diamond shut her eyes quickly for the light burned into them. A pair of rough arms reached in and grabbed her roughly by the arm and dragged her out. It was scorching hot down in the caverns for the liquid metal they used to make weapons gave off a horrid temperature and smell.
The Uruk dragged Diamond down another dank corridor and into a large room. Diamond could see ropes extending down from the ceiling and more that protruded form the floor. The Uruk proceeded to bind her hands tightly to the ropes hanging down from the ceiling, while another bound her feet to the floor. Then the Uruk pulled a rope off to the side and Diamond rose into the air. She continued to rise until her hands were stretched tightly above her head and her feet pulled down to the floor. She could not move if she wanted to, and Diamond felt as if she were about to be torn in two.
Then, as if the pain could not grow any worse, the Uruk began to whip her back with a many-thronged whip. It tore through her dress, and she could feel the blood begin to run down her back. She let out a sob and the Uruk just laughed and left the room, shutting her into total darkness once again.
Pippin paced the floors of his room waiting for word from the elf Tinedhel. Suddenly he heard the unmistakable sound of horse's hooves on the road outside. The elf had returned.
Pippin ran outside to find the elf alone with no sign of Diamond. He did not speak to Pippin but went off in search of Lord Elrond. When Tinedhel reached Lord Elrond he said, "I must speak with Master Merry."
"You have returned!" cried Merry, running into the room. "Did you find her? Please tell me you did!"
"Master Merry please come with me. I should like to speak with you alone," replied Tinedhel sorrowfully.
Merry nodded solemnly and followed him into the next room. Tinedhel sat down on the bed in Merry's chambers and gave him a sad look. "I am afraid I have terrible news," said the elf looking down at Merry's defeated face.
"What is it?" asked Merry, wondering if he wanted to know the answer.
"I did indeed find that your friend Diamond had reached Bree. I went into the tavern and inquired about her. A Bree-lander there told me that she had been...oh Master Merry they said she had been...killed by a mob of angry ruffians for associating with the ones who brought destruction to their town. I looked around for any sign of her, but all I found was this," he said, handing Merry a tattered, weather-worn journal with an envelope sticking out of it.
"Her book!" cried Merry, a tear falling down his face. He opened it up and began to page through the journal, growing ever more upset as he did so. When he reached the last page he read the note that she had written to Pippin and almost couldn't stop himself from breaking down and crying right there. Merry then noticed the letter folded up and attached to the back of the book. It was addressed to him.
He opened it, and read it.
Merry,
I want you to know that your proposal took me completely by surprise, but I am overjoyed nonetheless! Diamond asked me to write this letter to you, though I do not know why. It is as if she were going to take it to you herself, odd isn't it? I want you to know that I have placed the gorgeous ring you gave me on my right hand, and when you return I expect you to propose the right way! I love you and hope that you return soon.
Love Always,
Estella
He wanted to smile, he wanted to be happy but he could not. Inside he was happy, for he would have someone to return to, but poor Pippin would not. "How will I tell Pippin?" Merry asked aloud.
"I do not know, I am very sorry," said Tinedhel removing himself so that Merry could be alone.
Just then Pippin walked in the room, and Merry quickly hid the book under the covers of his bed. He racked his brain for a way to tell Pippin, but he could think of none.
"So I suppose we leave tomorrow to look for her," said Pippin in a sad, but determined voice. It almost broke Merry's heart. He couldn't possibly tell Pippin, for he would probably die of grief.
"No, Pip. It seems Tinedhel did find Diamond..." Merry trailed off, and then put on the largest smile he could muster. "He said that Estella and Chrysie followed Diamond to Bree and took her home to the Shire with them. She is safe, if Frodo can destroy the Ring. Will you come with them now?"
Pippin smiled and relief clearly showed on his face. "Yes I will go now. We shall join Frodo and when I return Diamond shall be waiting for me, and Estella for you. I just know we shall make it back, and then we shall be wed. I am going to go ask Lord Elrond if he would find me a ring with which I could propose! I shall see you later Merry."
As soon as Pippin left, Merry felt worse than he had ever felt before. He would return to Estella and perhaps be happy again, but Pippin would return to no one, and he didn't even know it...