"No! No! Leave me alone! I cannot stand it anymore!" Diamond screamed at the top of her lungs. She shook the ropes that held her with all of her might. The guards came walking into the cell, well aware of what was happening. The hobbit-lass was slowly losing her mind. She would cry out at random times and could not be calmed. This fit was worse than usual however.
"Quiet!" growled the guard, bringing the whip down on Diamond's now raw back in an attempt to silence her, but she would not be quieted.
"Make it stop! Make it stop! Pippin you cannot die! Stop dying!" she screamed insanely at them. "I will do anything, just make him stop dying! Stop!"
Diamond let out a sob as the fit began to subside. Her body suddenly went into wild convulsions as she cried uncontrollably, tearing her wrists from struggling against the ropes.
One of the Uruks said, "She is finally ready. She has been broken."
They slowly lowered Diamond to the ground, and untied her bonds. It took the strength of both Uruk hai to keep her from flailing out of their grasp in one of her fits. They took her to the staircase that led to the center of the tower of Orthanc. Up the spiraling stairs they went, and they did not stop until they reached a large chamber of the tower. Saruman sat in a large black chair with long black spikes protruding from the top of it. Upon seeing the near insane Hobbit, Saruman smiled to himself.
"She is losing her mind, my Lord," growled the Uruk. "Constantly crying out and having terrible fits."
"Good work. Leave her to me, and return to your work," said Saruman, turning his attention to Diamond.
"Tell me, young one. Are you ready to tell me what you know?"
Diamond sobbed for several minutes before looking emptily up at him. There was little life left in her. She stared at him for a moment and then said, "If you can make me forget what I have seen than I shall tell you what I know. The scene of their last moments keeps replaying in head. Over and over again! Just make him stop dying..."
"Tell me, and it shall be done," said Saruman soothingly. "First tell me where your friends were bound for?"
"Rivendell..." she choked out between sobs. Saruman looked most pleased. It seems that that question answered what he truly wished to know, though he continued to question her.
"Indeed, now tell me. What do you know of the Ring of power?"
"I...I know that it once belonged to the dark Lord Sauron, and that he lost it a battle with men and elves. The creature Sméagol discovered it, and he was driven insane by its power. Then Frodo's uncle Bilbo Baggins found the ring in Gollum's cave and brought it back to the Shire. Gandalf would make constant visits to the Shire, often talking to Frodo. Though I seem to remember at the end he stopped coming and we did not know why. Please, that is all I know! Make it stop..."
"There is one more thing that I am most curious in knowing, however. There was some pipe weed in your traveling pack. It was the finest I have seen, and I want you to bring some to me in large amounts for my personal stores. If you agree to this I will make you forget what you know. Do you agree?"
"The Longbottom Leaf? This is what you wish for more of?" Diamond asked almost insanely. "Yes I will get it for you."
With that Saruman raised his staff, and Diamond suddenly saw memories flooding past her eyes. She saw her house in Long Cleeve and her sisters; followed by the first time she ever met Merry and Pippin. Then she found herself running through Farmer Maggot's fields, and climbing the tree with the flat branch. She remembered meeting Horro, and then meeting Estella at the bar. Next she was dancing with Pippin, and Estella with Merry.
This scene, being the happiest memory she had, stayed with her for a moment before it faded into the conspiracy forming, and herself screaming at Pippin because of Horro's treachery. She saw Estella being proposed to, and then parting with Fatty at Crickhollow. She saw the Lady Goldberry and Tom Bombadil, followed by her capture in Bree. The last image she saw was the terrible nightmare of her friends' death. The image lingered only long enough for Diamond to see it clearly one last time. When the memories had passed Diamond saw was a blinding white light, and then she forgot-but she did not simply forget the nightmare. She forgot everything and everyone she used to know. She forgot her name, her home, her friends, and worst of all she forgot Pippin.
Somewhere in the wild Merry stirred into consciousness. He sat up, unable to sleep, and reached for Diamond's book that he kept in his traveling bag. He wondered if he should tell Pippin the truth. Tell him that Diamond was not safely at home as his carefree cousin believed. He often pondered this to himself, but ended up deciding that it would break Pippin's heart too much and that his cousin needed his sanity if he were to survive their quest. He would tell him once the task was fulfilled. If they made it that far.
The confused Hobbit-lass sat up, and looked around. She had no memory of where she came from, who she was, or what she was for that matter. She looked up and saw Saruman sitting on his chair.
"Who are you, and how did I get here?" she asked very confused. "Who am I?"
"You are Keaira-little dark one," he said, realizing the potential of what he had done. "You are my apprentice."
"Who are you?" she asked suspiciously.
"I am Saruman the White-the greatest of all the Istari. I will soon be Lord over this Middle-earth. You are a Halfling, and as I said, my apprentice and servant. Firstly you will learn to wield a blade. When you have accomplished this, you will go with a band of men to a fertile land called the Shire, and you will slowly infiltrate it and take it over," he said, putting all the force and persuasiveness behind his voice
"Yes, my Lord. I will do as you bid," she said obediently, and without a thought.
"Good, young one. You will serve me well," he said smoothly. "And when I am through with you, I shall kill you like the rest," he thought to himself.
Just then the doors to the chamber opened and in walked two orcs leading a greasy, foul looking man into the room.
"Why have you come here? It has not been two fortnights time, and I am occupied with other things at the moment. Your reasons for altering my orders had better be good," said Saruman harshly, glaring at the man.
"I had good reason to come early, my Lord. King Theoden has taken me on as his most trusted advisor now, much sooner than we had expected. We should move quickly and begin to slowly overpower him now that we have the opportunity," the man replied, looking very pleased with himself.
"You have done well, Grima. Return to Rohan and use your cunning to very gradually influence the king's decision. When he has come to trust your opinion completely I shall do my part and then I shall claim possession over the lands of Rohan. This has begun to work towards my advantage and I am no longer regretting taking you into my services, but do not fail me or the consequences shall be severe," said Saruman to the man called Grima.
"Yes, my Lord," he said, as he bowed and turned to leave.
"Wait, Worm, I have another task for you. In a fortnights time I want you to bring me a man of Rohan capable of teaching swordsmanship. Bring someone with a weak will."
"I will do as you say, my Lord," Grima replied before hurrying out the large black doors. When the man had left the chamber, Saruman turned back to Keaira who had been watching curiously from the other side of the room.
"Come with me, you have much to learn," he commanded to her. Keaira's feet seemed to move without her telling them to, and she found it impossible to refuse his voice.
Saruman led her to a table in a large room filled with maps and books. He told her to sit down, and then he picked up a map of Middle-earth and set it down in front of her.
"You are here," he said, pointing to the symbol of a tower with a black ring around it. "In Isengard. This is my fortress. Our allies dwell here, in Mordor." He pointed to the lands of Mordor and the tower of Barad Dur.
"Is there a war going on?" asked Keaira curiously.
"Yes, and you are fortunate to be on the side of Mordor and Isengard. Our enemies are the elves of Rivendell and the men of both Gondor and Rohan. They have stolen a ring of power that once belonged to my Lord Sauron who dwells in Mordor. They selfishly took it to use in their own ways. They wished for power. They are weak, and will fall."
Saruman went on to manipulate Diamond's mind until she firmly understood him and the entire war. He had not intended for her to forget all of her past, and truly it was not gone. The Istari had not the power to erase one's memory, only to banish it to a secluded and unused part of the mind where it would dwell forever. The memories were still there, they were just hidden and could only be brought back by re-witnessing the happiest memory the person possessed.
This, however, was impossible. One could not watch something that happened in the past. That was why it was as if Diamond and all that she knew was gone forever. Her mind, now memory-less could be manipulated to Saruman's will. Diamond was gone - Keaira was all that was left. A cold, empty soul who was the opposite of all that Diamond had been. The jewel from Long Cleeve was no more.