Disclaimer: See Chapter One

A/N: Do I kick ass or what!!! Two updates in less than one week! This is definitely a new record for me :-) I wrote this chapter at work, while I was supposed to be working. :-) I love goofing off at work. Hope you all enjoy!!! (Oh, but don't get used to this whole 'timely update' thing…I'm sure I'll get back to my normal self soon :-)

And on with the story…

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Chapter Eleven

"We should not have left him." Aragorn muttered miserable for what seemed the hundredth time. Their escape from Isengard had proved uneventful, Gandalf's cloaking spell making it possible for them to walk out unchallenged. As they rushed away, each member could not help but feel an ache in his heart as their thoughts remained fixed on the one they had left behind. As they neared the border of Fangorn Forest, Aragorn only seemed to voice that which they all believed. They should not have left him there.

"We did not have a choice, lad." Gimli said sadly. "Not one of us wanted to leave him behind, but we have a duty to our people and to Middle Earth."

"And what of our duty to each other?" Aragorn snapped. "Does that count for nothing?"

"Aragorn," Boromir began calmly, "it was what he wanted. You would have had us do the same if it were you instead. And you would have understood when we left, just as he does."

Aragorn sighed. "I know. Let us retrieve the Ring as quickly as possible so that we may return to free him."

"Our journey will be a swift one." Gandalf said. "I have horses for us in the forest. We will reach Parth Galen sooner than you think."

They followed Gandalf into the forest, walking deep within its dark confines. Emerging into a small clearing, they spotted four striking white horses.

"Hoom, hmmm!" A booming voice greeted them. "So you have returned then?"

All but Gandalf, Sam and Frodo whirled around, their eyes searching for the newcomer. Hands strayed to their weapons as their gaze fell upon a peculiar form.

"Talking tree?" Boromir whispered to Aragorn.

Aragorn nodded. "Talking tree."

"Good. I was afraid that venom had harmed my mind."

"That still remains to be seen." laughed Aragorn.

"Funny."

Meanwhile, Gandalf greeted the newcomer warmly. "Treebeard, my friend, it is good to see you." he was saying as Sam and Frodo rushed up to hug the large tree.

"They all seem very friendly." Boromir observed.

"Indeed." Aragorn agreed.

"Hoom, hmmm!" Treebeard answered, smiling down at the hobbits. "It is good to see you well. I was afraid you would not return." He gestured to the horses. "I have kept your horses safe for you, as you requested of me."

Gandalf inclined his head in gratitude. "We appreciate all of the help you have given us, Treebeard. The Orc gear did well in hiding our identities."

Treebeard beamed. "I am pleased to have assisted you."

Gandalf grew quiet, lost in thought, as he debated whether or not to tell the Ent of Saruman's betrayal.

"We have seen much on our journey to Isengard." he began slowly.

"Oh?" Treebeard frowned slightly.

"Yes." Sam added. "Much destruction. It was horrible."

"Destruction of what?" Treebeard asked, confused.

"Of the trees." Sam blurted out before Frodo clamped a hand tightly over his mouth. Sam gave his friend a puzzled look, confused by his actions.

"The trees," Frodo whispered, "were his friends."

Sam's eyes grew wide with understanding as Treebeard stammered. "The trees?" he repeated softly.

"Treebeard, my friend," Gandalf said sadly, "Saruman's army has destroyed all of the trees at the border of Fangorn."

"And all of the trees in Isengard." Sam added mournfully, tears welling up in his eyes.

"All of the trees?" Treebeard asked in shock. "Curse him! Many of those trees were my friends, creatures I have known from nut and acorn! Many had voices of their own that are lost forever now. And there are wastes of stump and bramble where once there were singing groves. I have been idle. I have let things slip. It must stop!"

"We are sorry." Gandalf told him. "But the Ents need to know of Saruman's betrayal of the trees."

"The Ents had no quarrel with him." Treebeard growled, his sorrow fueling his fury. "Hoom, hmmm! But we do now. I bid you a safe journey, my friends." he said, turning abruptly to leave. "I must go now and speak with the other Ents."

"What do you think they will do?" Pippin wondered as he watched the large being disappear into the thick of the forest.

"That remains unknown, Pippin." Gandalf answered, mounting his striking white horse. "Perhaps the Ents will finally go to war."

"We could use their help." Boromir commented, reaching down to help Gimli onto his horse.

"I refuse to ride on that beast." The Dwarf huffed stubbornly.

Boromir smiled. "It will be a long walk, Master Dwarf. And the sooner we find the Ring, the sooner we can return for Legolas."

"Blasted Elf, forcing me to ride atop a horse!" he took hold of Boromir's hand, pulling himself onto the horse behind the man. "But do not expect me to hold on around your waist, human." he growled, a smirk on his face.

Boromir feigned a disappointed look. "Well, you just dashed my dreams, but I will try to survive."

Aragorn laughed as he helped Frodo onto his horse, Sam joining Gandalf on his. Merry and Pippin stared up at the remaining horse, doubtful expressions on their faces. "You expect us to ride that?" Pippin asked, astonished. "It will kill us."

"The horse will protect you, young hobbits. He will not allow you to fall off." Gandalf assured them. "Do hang on tightly though."

"How do you expect us to get on him?" Merry asked. "He is taller than the two of us together."

Gandalf muttered a few elvish words and the horse bent down, allowing the hobbits to climb onto his back.

"Smart horse." Merry admitted.

Pippin laughed. "Smarter than you, Merry."

"Quiet, Pip." Merry rolled his eyes.

Gandalf called for their attention. "Let us ride swiftly. The fate of Middle Earth depends on us."

"And the fate of Legolas." Aragorn added grimly.

"Shadowfax." Gandalf whispered to his horse, who raised its head to listen. "Take us to Parth Galen quickly, my friend, and we will forever be in your debt."

Shadowfax whinnied in understanding and with a final snort, took off at a fast gallop, followed by the others. Reaching the edge of the forest, they burst from the trees into the plains, their speed increasing until their surroundings became a blur as the fellowship, minus one, headed off in search of the Ring.

* * * * * * * * * *

Legolas had never been so sick in his entire long life. As he lay on the floor, the room spinning madly out of control in front of his eyes, he fought off waves of nausea. Jolts of fire assaulted every nerve, his muscles spasming and trembling painfully. He closed his eyes in an effort to block out the spinning as another agonized cry escaped from his lips. His cheeks flamed red with embarrassment, as he could almost sense the unseen eyes watching him light up at his display of weakness. He had vowed not to make a sound when Amras and Saruman had stormed into his cell, furious at the escape of the others. The two inept guards had already been swiftly dealt with by Ugluk, their heads separated from their bodies in a gruesome way. After the Orcs had been dispatched, Legolas had found himself to be the center of their brutal attentions. Amras had been thorough in his ministrations, each blow to his bruised and battered body had been meticulously placed to cause Legolas as much pain as possible. Yet, he had not cried out. And he had not cried out when the cruel whips had begun to fall across his bare skin, opening up wicked, bleeding gashes. They had lashed out at him for hours, taking out their anger and frustration on their only remaining prisoner. In the midst of the beatings Legolas had had the strange thought that if he had blurted out the exact location of the Ring, it still would not have placated their anger enough to cease the abuse. Finally, a frustrated Amras stayed the whips and scowled down at the bloodied, yet defiant Prince.

"You will suffer greatly, Little Prince." he had promised.

"Promises, promises." Legolas had muttered, looking up at the elf through swollen eyes. "I should not be the one to suffer for you ineptness, Amras." Legolas had to admit, in retrospect, that he was mildly surprised at just how sarcastic he could be, even after his entire body was bloodied and aching. He had received a swift kick to his side for his comment, as he had expected.

"You have had experience with the Spiders Venom, Legolas." Amras had growled, his anger still boiling. "That was just a small dose. We will see how you like a much larger dose." And before Legolas could resist, his body exhausted from its ordeal, he had felt Amras pour the hot red liquid into one of the open gashes on his stomach. The poison had entered his bloodstream quickly, the effects of the larger dose had been much worse than he had anticipated. Amras and Saruman had left the cell laughing as Legolas had curled into a tight ball to ward off the pain. An anguished and surprised cry had escaped as the force of the pain overwhelmed him, causing him to clamp his jaw tightly together to keep any other sounds from escaping. He had vowed not to let them hear him suffer and he had done his best, but he was not able to stop every sound. That had been hours ago and the effects of the poison were still just as sever. He shoved his fist into his mouth as another wave of pain shot through his body, desperate to keep from crying out. As the pain receded, he withdrew his fist, not surprised to discover that he had drawn blood. Sighing softly, he shut his eyes tightly again as the room continued to revolve sickeningly around him.

* * * * * * * * * *

"You gave him too much." Saruman observed wryly, watching the writhing form on the floor with interest.

"Nonsense." Amras argued. "It is not fatal to him and he must realize just how precarious his situation is." he smiled as the Prince shoved his fist into his mouth to stay a cry of pain. "He is close to breaking."

Saruman frowned. "You believe so? This one is willful and stubborn. No…I do not believe you will break him this easily."

Amras narrowed his eyes as he turned his gaze away from the elf to glare at Saruman. "Everyone breaks, Saruman. Some are just more fun than others."

"You have plans for him then? I need that Ring quickly."

"You will get your precious Ring, wizard, do not worry." Amras assured him. "When he discovers what I have created for him, he will beg to give you the Ring."

"You can not kill him until I have that Ring in my possession."

Amras inclined his head. "As you wish. But when you have it, the Prince is mine."

* * * * * * * * * *

Treebeard walked slowly out into the baron wasteland that lie at the edge of his forest. Gaping holes blotted the landscape…holes where his friends had once proudly stood. A pained roar escaped from his throat, echoed by the grieving Ents that surrounded him.

"What they said was true." Treebeard mourned. "Some time ago I began to wonder how Orcs dared to pass through my woods so freely. Only lately did I guess that Saruman was to blame and yet I did nothing. He has been spying on me, discovering my secrets. He and his foul folk are making havoc now. They are felling trees--good trees. Some of the trees they just cut down and leave to rot, but most are hewn up and carried off to feed the fires of Orthanc. We have seen the smoke rising from Isengard for many days, and yet we did nothing." Treebeard gazed intensely at his fellow Ents and they were surprised to see the flicker of green fire in his eyes. "I will stop it!" he boomed. "And you shall come with me!" The Ents roared their agreement, their voices booming.

"If Saruman wants a war," Treebeard yelled, "then the Ents will give him one."

* * * * * * * * * *

Legolas was jolted from a pained sleep by a thunderous roar from above. He took a deep, calming breath as a wave of nausea assaulted him, then subsided. The poison was slowly working its way out of his system, much to his relief. Another boom echoed through the chamber, breaking chunks of rock and dirt loose from the ceiling and Legolas covered himself as it rained down on him, covering him in soot.

'What is going on up there?' Legolas wondered to himself. 'It sounds as if the whole place is going to come down on top of me!'

He made his way to the door and peered out of the barred window, shocked to discover that he was entirely alone in the eerie dungeon. Another rumble was heard as he spotted his guards retreating quickly up the stairs leading out of the dungeon.

"Hey!" Legolas shouted. "Get me out of here!"

Sudden pained, inhuman squeals echoed from the stairwell and when Amras appeared, his sword coated in blood, Legolas understood why.

"Cowardice Orcs." Amras sneered, wiping the blood away. "Always deserting their post and running away."

Another explosion covered Legolas in more soot and rock as the foundation trembled. Amras looked thoughtfully up at the ceiling. "I think they may actually bring this place down." he observed.

"Who?" Legolas asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Amras faced him, a smirk on his face. "It would appear as if the illustrious Saruman has made an enemy of the Ents. I warned him against killing those trees so needlessly."

"The Ents?"

"Feisty creatures, those Ents. And perfectly capable of destroying this place. Saruman has failed, which is why we are getting out of here." He muttered a few words in elvish and unlocked the door. "You are coming with me."

Legolas tensed as powerful arms seized him and the burning sensation of liquid once again assaulted his skin. "No more venom." he mumbled as a sudden weariness overcame him.

"Not venom this time, little Prince." Amras said softly, supporting the weight of the now unconscious elf. He easily picked him up and hoisted him over a shoulder. "Just a little sleeping potion. We must not give you the opportunity to escape. Not before you give me the Ring and make me the ruler of Middle Earth."

A deafening explosion rang through the chamber as Amras climbed the stairs, he and his prisoner making their way out of the dungeons and away from the doomed Isengard.

* * * * * * * * * *

The sun was slowly, lazily making its climb into the morning sky when the horses finally slowed, giving their riders a chance to see their surroundings for the first time since leaving Fangorn Forest. Pippin gazed in awe around him as the landscape became very familiar. They had been traveling non-stop for little over a day, yet to his surprise they had already reached the outskirts of Parth Galen, a journey that should have taken twice as many days.

"These horses are indeed the fastest in all Middle Earth." he commented to Merry, who nodded.

"We are truly blessed with their help."

"Let us hope that we find the Ring with the same ease." Boromir said, bringing his horse up next to theirs.

"Have you figured it out yet, lad?" Gimli asked, peering around Boromir.

Pippin shook his head sadly. "No, Master Dwarf, I have not. I fear Legolas was mistaken in his belief that I could find it. He never once told me of its location."

"One can say much without ever saying a thing, young hobbit." Gandalf said kindly. "It will come to you in time."

Silently they rode up the hill leading to the clearing, the place where the first attack had occurred. Frodo once again spotted the remains of the fallen Orc soldiers, their lifeless corpses rotting and rittled with bite marks from passing animals. Bile rose in his throat. "What evil beings Orcs must be, to leave their dead unattended."

"Orcs do not value life." Gandalf explained. "They value death even less."

Frodo nodded, his eyes seeking out the horizon. The view was not as he remembered. When they reached the top of the hill he knew why.

"The trees." he heard Sam whisper. "They are gone."

It was a scene familiar to them all, for they had seen it twice before. The trees that had once dotted the hillside were gone, cut down at the base of their trunks.

"Why?" Frodo could not help but wonder. "Destruction follows the Orcs wherever they go."

"The Ring." Aragorn explained. "Legolas said that he hid it in a tree. They could not find it."

"So they cut them all down?" Frodo asked in disgust. Aragorn only nodded.

"If they could not find it," Pippin groaned, "then neither shall we."

"He is right." said Merry. "If it truly was hidden in one of those trees, the Orcs would have found it."

"Or," Boromir added, "it fell out when the tree fell and is lying somewhere on the ground.

Gimli huffed. "Perhaps it was not in a tree. Legolas only said that to divert the Orcs."

Aragorn dismounted, landing lightly on the ground. "We have no choice, we must hunt for it."

Following his lead, the others jumped to the ground and hiked through the trees, their eyes searching.

"It is no use." Sam moaned after hours had passed, to no avail. "It is lost forever. Perhaps it should remain where it is and Sauron will never find it."

"His Ringwraiths can sense it." Aragorn explained. "Keep searching."

Sam nodded, bending over to check the ground, when something suddenly attacked his head. "Ouch!" he cried, flailing out with his arms.

"Sam!" Frodo laughed. "The mother bird is back."

"Sam has a new friend." Boromir joked as they gathered around the embarrassed hobbit.

"Make her leave me alone!" Sam wailed as the bird perched atop his head, chirping madly.

Gandalf bent forward, his gaze on the bird. "Odd. She speaks of Gwaihir."

"The Windlord?" Pippin asked, recognizing the name.

Gandalf started at the comment and he twirled around to face Pippin. "Where did you learn that name, Peregrine Took?" he demanded.

Pippin backed away slowly, surprised at the intensity in the wizard's eyes. "Legolas told me," he stammered, "when I could not sleep. Gwaihir comes to the wood elves if ever they are in need. Legolas has seen him." Pippin looked to the others, hoping that they could explain Gandalf's strange behavior, but they appeared just as confused as he.

"Bright lad!" Gandalf shouted, startling everyone. "Brilliant, cunning elf! I knew he would not let us down!"

"Gandalf." Aragorn asked, bewildered, "what are you talking about?"

"All is not lost, my dear Aragorn." Gandalf laughed with joy. "Legolas has given us hope." He smiled at the blank faces that stared back at him. "I know where the Ring is!"

* * * * * * * * * *

A/N: So, have you figured it out yet? Does everyone know where the Ring is? I'm getting closer to wrapping this story up…only another five or so chapters to go :-) Thanks again to everyone who has read and reviewed my story. Your comments mean a great deal to me. And isn't everyone proud of me for updating so quickly? :-) I will do my best to have the next chapter posted in a couple of days.