Chapter 10

Fury Roused

"For Fangorn!"

The deep throated cry erupted all around the walls of Isengard. Stone work, that had stood for years uncounted, quaked violently and shattered into fragments. Orcs that had not marched to the battle of Helm's Deep stopped their labours and reached for weapons that lay near. Fear gripped every one of their foul black hearts as the supposedly indestructible stronghold of Isengard shook to its foundations.

Then the walls exploded under the pressure of many hands. Hundreds of Ents came, tearing vast chunks out of structures that had never been breached before; doing with their bare hands what whole armies had failed to do. They hurled giant boulders of stone at the tower and sent them rolling across the plain of Saruman's treachery. Creatures below, who had been wrought and corrupted by darkness, were crushed before they knew they were under attack.

The suddenness and volume of the assault below was enough to shake the dead in their grazes and in a room high above Merry felt Saruman's mind jerk away from his; their own battle haulted temporarily.

He fell back, gasping for air. That had been close, too close. Had they been like that, locked in a private war, a second longer the wizard would have had his mind open before him and to read like an open book.

"Hold him!" barked Saruman as he turned away from his prisoner and strode towards a window.

Merry tried to raise his aching body up on his elbows, but a weight on his neck crushed him back to the ground. Even through his blurred vision he could make out Uglúk's smirking features. "We all get what we deserve," he hissed into the hobbit's ear. "You will die here slowly and despairing, whereas I will be promoted to captain and given my own army. No more pitiful errands for Uglúk of the White Hand." His breath stank of death and decay.

Outside, the air growled like thunder and Orthanc vibrated under its influence. It sounded as if every stone for miles was being torn from the one next to it, then launched against the smooth, black fortress.

"You!" Saruman wield around, his eyes burning with a crazed fire. He bore down on the hobbit who, twisting as hard as he might, could not escape the Orc's iron clawed grip. A look malicious pleasure flashed across Uglúk's face as he saw the creature that had caused him so much trouble, even an arm, squirming in terror.

However, his revelries didn't last long as his master whacked the Uruk across the back with his staff. Uglúk grunted in pain and Merry was suddenly able to breathe again as the Orc rolled away from him.

"You said you left none alive! You said none saw you or knew that you lived; save this runt." Saruman's fury burned out of him and Merry pulled himself painfully away from the wizard's reach.

"Yes I did, my lord, and I spoke the truth. We killed the man defending them at Rauros. The horse boys knew of no captives and thought all of us dead. I let another Halfling drown for he was of no use. He was weak and would have died before he got here anyway. An elf attacked us in Fangorn and killed all the remainders of my troop. He was disposed of though by a poisoned arrow and his body is rotting now in the dead leaves of the forest. No others saw us and no others knew we belonged to Isengard." The Orc was terrified and Merry was given a few precious moments in which to delight in seeing his long tormentor so powerless.

"Then how do you explain this?!"

Uglúk leapt to his feet and dashed to the window Saruman kicked him towards. Cursing in his own tongue he leaned further out to get a better view at whatever was happening below.

Unexpectedly, a strangled cry escaped the Orc's throat as something flashed briefly into sight. Uglúk flopped backwards, dead before he hit the floor. A ruby hilted dagger was lodged between the staring, slit eyes. Merry stared at it incredulously. It was his. The same dagger he had been given by his grandfather Rory in his will. The same knife he had used to cut down the Orcs who had caused Pippin's death.

What was happening? What strange twist had fate taken out there in the world?

Saruman now turned his madness in the hobbit's direction once more. Far away, like an echo out of a dream, a voice floated to his ears. "And that's for my Merry!"

ooo

Overhead stars winked through swaying branches. He drew in a deep breath, rejoicing in the ability to do so. Memory eluded him presently and he knew nothing of his surroundings, but at the moment he did not care for he knew somehow he had been blessed and given a second chance. "A second chance at what?" he wondered.

He was regaining his hearing. He was now becoming aware of shouting and the sound of thunder. Breathing still hurt a little and though he couldn't recall why he was aware that there had to be an extremely good reason. Slowly he tried to move his fingers and to his surprise they obeyed without much of the pain that he had expected. The bark that he lay on and the view above made him think of Lothlorien. Lothlorien! He knew the name and, though he struggled vainly, he couldn't bring back the memory of it or why he knew of it.

Gently, Legolas raised himself up, using the branch above to help. The sight that met his elven eyes made him gape in astonishment and he reeled in confusion. Ahead of him was a huge black tower. Orthanc! Orcs ran yelling in terror and pain as they where crushed. It was the creatures that did the destroying that truly astonished him. "Onodrim!" he gasped slipping into his own tongue momentarily.

Pippin. The name leapt suddenly to mind. Where was he? For some reason he was sure that the hobbit should be there and that he must have had a hand in the chain of events that had led him here. He cast about searching for his small friend, a few memories coming back to him. Glancing up caused his breath to catch in his throat. All his contact with hobbits could not have prepared him for this.

ooo

Pippin stood on Treebeard's top branch, fighting gravities attempts at making him fall. Biting his tongue, he focused on the Uruk that was now leaning out of a high window above him. Drawing the dagger back over his shoulder, he took careful aim, using all his fury to fuel his strength, then threw in one smooth motion. Merry's ruby hilted dagger flew from his hand and soared through the air, somersaulting a high arch over the raging battle.

Pippin held his breath and his knuckles where white, as his nails dug into his palms. But the dagger was well aimed and it flew true, sinking deep into Uglúk's unprotected forehead. Pippin yelped in triumph and had to very quickly sit down to avoid falling of his high perch completely. "And that's for my Merry!" he screamed at the now vacant window, adrenalin pumping through his veins.

"Good shot, Pip!"

Pippin spun around and, to his delight, he saw Legolas perched just behind him. He leapt at his friend and pulled him into a tight embrace. Burying his face in the Elf's chest he started to sob uncontrollably, as emotions he had tried to bottle up came flowing out of him.

ooo

Legolas was more than a little perplexed, but was too concerned for Pippin to ask the thousands of questions he had.

"You stupid, stupid elf!"

Legolas decided to let that one go. Pippin was just upset; though he was no closer to finding out why.

"Are you alright? You've had me worried sick! You nearly got yourself killed! If it weren't for the Ents..."

"What? Killed?!" Now Legolas was truly confused.

"Yes, killed! I found you in a clearing in Fangorn more than half dead."

"Fangorn?! I have never been to that forest!"

"Don't you remember anything?" Pippin asked slowly, looking at the Elf as if seeing him for the first time.

Legolas closed his eyes trying to focus his aching brain. "I remember going down the river Anduin and stopping a little way past the Argonath and just before Rauros Falls. Frodo had gone for a walk to think of where he would go next."

Pippin gaped in unconcealed astonishment. "That was over a week ago!" Was that all? It seemed like years ago that they had all sat together waiting for Frodo to return. That had been the last time he had seen Frodo. "I can't tell you everything now, but at the moment we are fighting at Isengard, as I'm sure you realised, and for Merry."

It hit Legolas like a tidal wave. Memory surged back as the word "Merry" left Pippin's mouth. He clenched his eyes shut as memories of pain, despair and failure piled in; crushing him. "I didn't manage to save Merry. I sent him in your direction, but he was captured again and I was overpowered. I saw him being carried away by the leader of the Uruks just before it all went black. I am so sorry, Pippin! I will not even ask your forgiveness for such a failing."

Now it was Pippin's turn to be shocked. "My friend, you have done absolutely everything in your power to try and save Merry. You could have done no more and now you have come back there is no reason why we should not continue in our mission. I will not grant you my forgiveness purely on the grounds that there is nothing to forgive."

Legolas smiled, amused by the hobbit's seeming inability to be negative and remembering why it was that all four of the hobbits had grown so dear to him in the past few months. "I still feel I owe you something for breaking my promise to stay safe to you. Is there anything I can do?"

Pippin was about to protest, when a thought struck him and he grinned evilly. "You can continue to help me get Merry back..."

"Of course!"

"Don't interrupt, Legolas. It's not polite. ...AND you must try some pipeweed at the next possible opportunity we get. All your protests against it are ill founded if you have not tried it."

The elf stuttered incomprehensively, "Why you scheming, little..." was all he managed.

Pippin nearly fell off his branch he was laughing so hard. "Promises, promises," he choked.

At last, Legolas had to laugh too, "I suppose I had that one coming. Alright, I will try your pipeweed, Master Halfling, but I never would have suspected such devices from one as kind and innocent as you."

"Never underestimate hobbits my friend or you will be taught to regret it."

A thought suddenly occurred to Legolas. "Where's Arod?" he asked. "Éomer will not be best pleased if I have lost him. I thought I left him with you."

You did, and you have your still have your life thanks partly to the infuriating creature. The pain in the neck is outside the walls." Pippin frowned then turned to Legolas in mock annoyance. "That horse dragged me on a most undignified goose chase half way across that forsaken forest. True, it saved your life, but still I would have expected some manner of politeness in an Elven beast."

Laughing at the mental images conjuring before his eyes of what the scene must have looked like, Legolas replied grinning, "I have always believed that, in cases such as this one, good manners are inexcusable!"

"Release the river!" The cry rang around the destroyed stone circle. The friendly banter between hobbit and elf silenced as two pairs of green eyes raised themselves to the massive dam at the mountainside. Two Ents could be seen moving up there then, suddenly, a torrent of water gushed out from broken wooden barriers. The Isen had been unleashed and now it cascaded down into Isengard faster than a galloping horse. "Hold on my friends," shouted Treebeard above the noise as roll upon roll of water charged towards them.

Grabbing onto a branch, Pippin hung on for dear life as the full force of the water hit Treebeard around the middle; with enough force to topple a house. But the Ent stayed standing and continued to push forward.

A small island still protruded from the water and atop it stood an Orc staring out at the destruction of his master's work. Legolas and Pippin caught sight of the creature at the same moment, gave each other a quick glance, then both leapt into action. Pippin snatched a stone from his pocket with nimble fingers as Legolas loaded his bow; surprised at how easy it was, considering what he had been through. With a flick of his wrist, the hobbit sent the stone skipping and skimming across the surface of the water as, a short way behind, an arrow whistled in hot pursuit.

The owners of the missiles sat with baited breath, silently urging their missile to go faster. The Orc turned, saw the approaching arrow and threw itself to the ground, just avoiding it. However, as it straightened, smugness spread all over his deformed face, the stone slammed into his forehead. He was dead before the water engulfed him.

ooo

"I was going to spare you this," spat Saruman in Merry's direction. "I was going to save you from being questioned by the Dark Lord himself and all the slow torment that that would bring in its train, but now you have sealed your final doom."

Merry froze, dragging his eyes away from the dagger. The Dark Lord. Sauron! If he was taken to Barad-dûr then his situation would become worse than he had ever dared to imagine. He would be torn apart and everything he knew would be squeezed out of him and more. This could not be!

Saruman strode to the Palantír, placed one hand on top of it and his eyes rolled up into the back of his head. Merry stared, petrified by fear. A lidless eye, wreathed in flame appeared in the dark orb. It looked back and forth as if searching for something and he knew, with a certainty he could not deny, that the Ring and those who knew of its whereabouts where the soul purpose of its hunt. The thought chilled him to the bone.

The wizard stood like this for less than a minute, but to Merry, it seemed days. When he turned back to the hobbit his voice was ice. "A Nazgul is on its way, Halfling. I offered you every way out, but your blinded foolishness will not be impressed upon. I will though, in my mercy, give you one last chance to tell me where the Ring is hidden. Either tell me now, or tell it to the Dark Lord himself and see the world fall to darkness about you!"

Sauron. He was going to be taken to the Eye itself. How would he survive? His own voice spoke quietly at the back of his head. "I won't, but neither am I about to give up before I am totally beaten. Telling Saruman now or Sauron later will make no difference to the final out come, but every minute I can buy Frodo brings him closer to Mount Doom and to victory."

He raised his eyes to meet the wizard's, both pairs burning with hatred. He spat in Saruman's face and sealed his death. "I will never tell you or your puppet master anything! It is you who are the fool, for you forsook the title "wise" the moment you threw your lot in with Sauron."