Sunshine, thank you for your kind words.

Story:

Eadhild had been in her room studying all of the lessons she had learned from Saruman. As she heard Saruman's voice, she heard a different yet slightly familiar voice.

"Eadhild. Eadhild! Get out now!", the voice said.

"Who?", Eadhild asked, confused. Then she remembered. "Galadriel."

"Shh. Get out now. You must.", Galadriel's voice urged, as Eadhild saw the knob start to turn on the door.

"If he shows you the Palantir, your soul will be lost.", Eadhild remembered Galadriel saying.

Seeing that he was right outside the door, she grabbed her travel pack and climbed out of the window. She clung to the edge of the window, as she gingerly placed her feet on the grout of the stones. She grimaced in pain, as her fingers started to bleed. Yet she clung with dear life to the tower.

She closed off her mind to the pain as best she could. She began her slow descent to the bottom of the tower. She never knew that the third floor was up quite so high. Yet she knew it now. She kept in mind the fact that if did not have a secure footing, she could well fall to her death. As she began her descent to the bottom of the tower, she never saw her father and Saruman just below her.

She had been making her descent for what seemed like hours, when she finally made her way down to the audience chamber. She peeked inside, careful not be seen as she avoided touchingthe open glass windows.

She saw Saruman, her father, and the dreaded Palantir. Before she could warn her father or make any move at all, the glass windows flew shut. She started to reach out, in order to try to force the windows open.

"No. There is nothing you can do child. Run. Now. It is your only hope. Gandalf will surive this. I have seen it.", Galadriel said in Eadhild's mind. "Now go. Go while you still can."

Stifleing a frusterating sob in her throat, she jumped the last three feet and ran straight towards the forest. With the exception of coming into Isengard from the path, she never dared venture into the forest. Although she longed to walk through the trees, she was always careful never to obey her master.

This time however, she did go into the forest. She knew now with all certainty that she had no choice, if she wanted to keep her soul. She tripped and fell on several roots as she kept running. As she fell again, she felt herself being lifted by what seemed to be roots, sticks, wood and limbs.

"What do we have here?", she heard a very deep voice bellow.

She was certain that Saruman had found her, and all was lost.

"A little orc perhaps? How freely you roam through my forest. How freely you destroy what good there is here.", the voice boomed, as she felt what seemed the weight of a crushing vice about her midsection. She sobbed in sharp pain.

"But I am not an Orc! My name is Eadhild!", she cried out, all the while trying to get a look at her captor.

"If you are not an Orc Eadhild, what are you?", the voice asked, as she felt herself lifted further into the sky.

"I am a witch.", she said.

"If you are truly a witch, then you can fly out of here."

"If I could fly, do you not think I would have done so?", she asked truly annoyed at her situation. "I am a witch, However I am just now learning to control my powers. May I know the name of my captor?"

"My name is Treebeard. I am an ent little witch.", Treebeard answered his tone softening. "Why do you flee? Is not the white wizard training you?"

"He has betrayed us. Even now my father is held captive by him. I was told by a friend to.", she stopped. Both she and Treebeard heard a sudden, loud, incessant, flutter of wings coming towards them from Isengard.

"Quickly! I must hide you.", Treebeard said, finaly satisfied that she had not lied.

Before she could reply, he picked her up and placed her in a tree. The tree had such heavy foliage, that even the sharpest of eyes could not see through them.

"Stay here. I will return for you.", Treebeard said, as he quickly stomped out any evidence of her presence.

Just before the source of the sound entered the forest, Eadhild took a deep breath. Then she saw them. They were flying through the forest. It was easy to tell they were searching for something. They flew even into the trees. Eadhild knew instinctively that she was what they were looking for. She clung to the limbs of the tree with all of her might, as the crows flew past her.

"The crows are gone. You are safe for now little witch.", Treebeard said, as he gently lifted her from her hiding place. "Come. I know the way out of here. You will find yourself on the plains. Travel only by day. Watch out for the crows. Keep clear of them. For they are the very eyes of the white wizard you fear."

Treebeard sat her on the upper most part of his limbs, so that they were at eye level. It was then, that he noticed her hands.

"Did you know that your limbs are injured?", Treebeard asked. He was truly concerened for his young charge. She tried to reach for the bandages in her pack.

"Ah! I am afraid, I will have to wait until I can find some shelter for the night. It hurts to move my hands.", she said, as she smiled weakly at Treebeard.

"Very well. We will be at the plains shortly.", the ent answered, as they continued their trek to the plains.

A few hours they were there.

"Here we are little witch. Take care. Remember, travel only by day.", Treebeard said, as he gently sat her down on the ground once more.

"Thank you for helping me.", she said, as she hugged him about one of his massive trunk like legs. "I will never be able to repay you.", she added as she ran towards the plains.

"Watch for the crows little witch.", Treebeard admonished. "Take care that you see them 'before' they see you."

Treebeard watched Eadhild for a time. He watched after her until she was out of sight. He was relieved that she never stopped running. Then he walked back into the forest.

Saruman had just defeated Gandalf, and had leviated him to the top of the tower. Gandalf noted as he lay there in agonziing pain, that there had been no sign of his child. He tried to raise himself to see over the ramparts.

"I have yet to find her.", Saruman's deep voice said above Gandalf. "Rest assured, when I do she will see the Palantir."

"You have not 'found' her?", Gandalf asked, with a highly amused look in his eyes. "Tell me. How does a white wizard 'lose' an Istari apprentice?"

Gandalf was rewarded with Saruman torturing him yet again. Then watching helplessly as Saruman sent out the crows to find her.

"I will find her. When I do Gandalf Greycrow, she will pay dearly for daring to defy me!", Saruman growled, as he glowered at Gandalf who was now moaning weakly. "Think about that for now."

Saruman left a beaten, and battered Gandalf. As he went to the lower levels of the tower, the rain and hail poured down upon Gandalf. He stood at the balcony, and looked across the horizen.

"Both he and my apprentice will join me. They will serve both Sauron, and me. If only I could get him to join me 'before' the crows find her. Then I would be able to devote more time to making Isengard a force worthy of Mordor.", Saruman stopped. He suddenly snapped his fingers, recalling the crows from their quest.