Chapter 4: Enter Treebeard
The hunters on their lent horses rode off to where Eomer and his riders have burned the Uruk-hai that they slaughtered.
Lee and Kenny rode upon Thendred, the bright yellow horse. Aragorn rode upon Hasufel, the reddish-brown horse. Legolas and Gimli rode upon Arod, the white horse. And Larry and Doug rode upon Eothor, the jet-black horse.
As they were near the cremation site… they also found…
A spear sticking up from the ground that had an Uruk's head pierced on top of it. Lee gasped at the sight of the Uruk's head on the spear.
Lee went up ahead towards the spear, dismounted, and walked slowly towards the spear with the Uruk's head on it. The Uruk's eyelids were still open. Lee looked into the creature's eyes with great sorrow and remorse, despite how it was created by Saruman… a creature made of pure hate and mercilessness. That didn't matter to Lee because, each time he looked into a killer's eyes… he saw himself in his opponents because they fought for what they believed in… just like Lee does.
After a pause, Lee lifted his hand… and softly and gently closed the Uruk's eyelids. Aragorn looked on at his companion and silently expressed the same feelings that Lee had, knowing of his vow to never kill again. This could very well be the cause of how Lee can no longer stand to see death… even if it was an enemy that was just as fierce and merciless as the Uruk-Hai…
'This display of the Uruk's head wasn't necessary, that it wasn't' thought Lee, sadly.
"…Lee," said Kenny, sympathetically, "…we can get to mourning for the enemy later. First, we've got to see if My wife, Katjaa, Carley, and the Hobbits are okay."
Kenny then pointed where the rest of the hunters were dismounted from their horses, near the smoldering pile of Uruks.
"…Okay," said Lee.
'Merry… Pippin… Katjaa... Carley...,' thought Lee, hopefully,'I hope they're alright'.
Lee then went to rejoin his companions as they began scrambling around the burned pyre. Gimli shifts through the smoldering pile, along with Doug. Gimli suddenly pulled out a charred belt and dagger sheath that Galadriel gave to the Hobbits.
"It's one of their wee belts," Gimli stated sadly.
Doug pulled out a small Dagger, and two arrows. "…This is Katjaa's dagger, this is one of Carley arrow," he said.
Doug lowered his head in great sorrow as well.
"…Katjaa, Carley," said Lee to himself in sorrow.
Kenny slowly balled his hand into a fist. "…We were too late," he growled to himself, my wife, she's uh, "dammit all!"
"Hiro îth… ab 'wanath..." said Legolas, bowing his head and eyes closed.
Out of frustration, Aragorn kicked a nearby helmet and screamed in agony, "AAAAAAARRGGHH!"
Then he fell onto his knees, believing that they were too late to save the Hobbits, Katjaa, and Carley.
"We failed them," said Gimli, solemnly.
As the hunters continued to wallow in grief, convinced that the Hobbits, Katjaa, and Carley are dead, Larry interjects, "hey! Before you guys start the funeral…"
Larry kneels beside Aragorn, pointing at the ground. "…You might want to see how the Hobbits, Katjaa, and Carley ended up."
"Larry," said Kenny, "this isn't the time for wisecracking."
"It's alright, Kenny," resolved Aragorn. He looked to the side and saw the tracks that caught Larry's attention.
"A hobbit and two women lay here… and the other hobbit," said Aragorn, "but… " Aragorn sees a slight shift in the ground, there were more footprints.
Pippin rolling over and dodging the horse's hooves above his head, and then Pippin, Katjaa, Carley, and Merry crawling away on their stomachs.
Everyone began to feel a little relieved. Doug followed the tracks a little ways away from Aragorn.
Aragorn stood up and slowly followed the other Hobbit's tracks. "The other crawled," he said.
Everyone slowly followed Aragorn. Aragorn then found out something else…
"Their hands were bound…"
Aragorn then stepped a few more paces… and found and picked up a broken length of thick rope to examine it…
"…Their bonds were cut…"
Aragorn paced a little ways ahead of Doug as everyone continued to follow. It appeared that he was heading away from the battle instead of running towards it. Aragorn looked around, continuing to follow the tracks that may, hopefully, lead out of the battle as the other hunters have been following, so far…
"…They ran over here…"
Aragorn continued to follow the tracks and then… spotted other tracks that were, undeniably, from an Orc…
"…They were followed…"
Aragorn continued to quicken his pace even more away from the battle…
"…The tracks lead away from the battle!"
'Then that means, my wife is…' thought Kenny.
'Katjaa, Carley, Merry, and Pippin…' thought Doug.
'Are still alive…' thought Lee.
Aragorn continued his quickening pace…
At the night that Merry, Katjaa, Carley, and Pippin were thought to have been killed… Pippin continued to scream as he, Katjaa, and Carley looked up at a pair of thrashing hooves bearing down on him…
…SWOOP!
The Hobbit was somehow away from the horse.
Pippin looked up… and cried out, "Katjaa, Carley! Thank goodness you're alright.
Then she and Carley looks to see Merry, wondering where Pippin, Katjaa, and Carley is.
"Hey, Merry! Over here!" Carley cried.
Merry looked over, "Katjaa! Carley!
Merry crawled over to them and they helped cut his bonds.
Merry then helped to cut Katjaa, Carley, and Pippin's bonds as well. With the Hobbits' bonds finally cut, Katjaa, and Carley tried to guide them away from the fight, dodging under some horses and trying to stay out of harm's way.
"Come on, you guys," cried Carley, "we've got to go."
As they continued to flee…
A pair of Uruks began to come over to them. Carley got her bows and Arrows to shoot.
The four of Katjaa, Carley, and the Hobbits continued to dodge the riders of Rohan. But then…
…An Orc grabbed Merry by his belt and clingged on. It was Grishnákh, the same Orc that was pierced on the back by one of the rider's spears. Katjaa, Carley, and Pippin gasped with fright.
"The belt!" cried Merry.
"Let it go, Merry," cried Katjaa.
"Come on, Merry," cried Carley.
Merry undid his belt like they suggested leaving Grishnákh still holding onto the belt. The Orc angrily threw the belt aside… and continued to follow them…
"Run!" cried Merry once again.
Then Katjaa and Carley saw a nearby forest and figured it's a nice hiding place.
"Guys, wait," Katjaa said, "this way. We can hide in here!"
Katjaa and Carley directed the Hobbits toward the forest and entered…
"…Into Fangorn Forest," said Aragorn as the others stopped to look at the dense, dark forest before them.
"Fangorn," added Gimli, "…what madness drove them in there?"
"If you ask me," interjected Kenny, nervously, "it looks like madness to go in there. It's creepy by just looking at it, my wife is alive."
Faced with a new challenge within Fangorn Forest, Lee, Aragorn, and the hunters were at least relieved to know that their friends, Katjaa, Carley, and Pippin… were still alive.
Meanwhile, deep inside Fangorn forest…
Katjaa, Carley, Merry, and Pippin continued to run from the battle, trying to lose the pursuing Orc. All three of them collapse onto the ground, out of breath. They look around to see if they aren't followed.
"Did we lose him?" asked Pippin.
"I'm not sure, Pippin?" Katjaa though.
"I don't think he followed us?" asked Carley
"Yeah, I think we've lost him, too, Katjaa and Carley," added Merry.
Katjaa, Carley, and the Hobbits convinced that they lost the Orcs, began to take a rest. But it was, however, short-lived as they hear a rustling in the bushes. They looked to see the bushes in question.
"I wonder what that could be?" asked Pippin.
The bushes continued to rustle…
"Could it be Kenny?" Katjaa hopeful.
"Doug?" wondered Carley hopeful.
"…Or…" wondered Merry…
The bushes finally parted…
And an Orc appeared out of the trees, in bloodied and battered shape. It was the persistent Grishnákh, who just couldn't stay dead. Katjaa, Carley, and the Hobbits noticed the Orc and recoiled in fright.
Grishnákh looked around, frantically, for his prey… and then looked forward to spot Katjaa, Carley, Merry, and Pippin.
"I'm gonna rip out your filthy little innards!" cried the ferocious, bloodthirsty Orc as he brandished his blade and proceeded menacingly, towards Katjaa, Carley, and the Hobbits.
The four ran from the Orc, often huddling behind the trees.
"Hey Carley," said Pippin, "don't you have any of those arrows of yours?"
"Sorry, Pippin," Carley replied, frantically, "I'm fresh out."
"Hey Katjaa," said Merry, don't you have your Dagger and your healing cordial.
"Sorry, Merry," Katjaa replied, frantically, "I don't have my dagger, I only have my healing cordial,".
"…COME HERE!" roared Grishnákh, out for the Hobbits, Katjaa, and Carley's blood.
As the Hobbits, Katjaa, and Carley continued to run frantically from their cannibalistic foe… Merry had a suggestion.
"Trees!" Merry cried, "climb a tree!"
Pippin, Katjaa, and Carley looked behind and spotted a tree. The quintets quickly scrambled up the tree.
"Can you see him?" Carley asked Merry.
Merry looked around to see if they lost the Orc.
"…He's gone." Merry sighed with relief…
ARGH!
But Grishnákh took Merry by surprise as he grabbed Merry from below, at the leg and tried to pull the Hobbit from the tree. The Orc had managed to catch up with them, as he wouldn't give up trying to make a massacre out of Katjaa, Carley, and the Hobbits.
"Merry!" cried Carley.
Merry continued to struggle with Grishnákh, but the Orc was able to pull Merry forcibly from the tree… and fell onto the ground. The Orc leaned over Merry with his menacing blade. Merry tried to kick Grishnákh, but to no avail. Suddenly…
Carley take Grishnákh by surprise, punching him in the face. but…
The Orc took a swing with his blade, injuring Carley's Arm. She was unable to complete his attack as she tumbled onto the ground, in agony.
"Carley!" shouted Katjaa.
"Carley!" shouted Merry as he tried to go to her. But the Orc immediately held him down.
"Carley! Merry!" cried Pippin from above. And then…
Movement slowly overtook the tree that Pippin and Katjaa were in and startled them as they turned their heads to look at a pair of yellow eyes, blinking in the tree, which began to move and groan, like a living, breathing creature…
"…Argh!" screeched Pippin.
"Woah, it's alive," said Katjaa.
The tree then slowly turned its eyes… and looked at the startled Hobbit and groaned, "hoooooo…"
Pippin and Katjaa suddenly lost their gripa in fright… and grabbed at the air futilely as they fell. The tree caught Pippin and Katjaa before they hits the ground.
At the ground, Carley, still in pain from the injury, struggled to lift her head, and looked helplessly at Merry, who was at the Orc's mercy…
"Let's put a maggot hole in your belly," Grishnákh said, frighteningly. Suddenly…
The Orc sensed something behind him and as he looked up…
SMASH!
The tree stomped and squashed Grishnákh onto the forest floor, killing him instantly. Merry and Carley looked up at the tree that just stomped the Orc and became scared out of their wits.
"…Im… impossible," thought Carley, "…a walking tree."
Pippin called out, "run Merry!
Katjaa called out, Run Carley!"
"Come on!" said Merry.
Carlsy could barely run thanks to her injured arm. Merry tried to help him out but the tree scooped them up. Now the tree had all four of them in it's hands. The tree almost looked like an ordinary walking man, and appeared to have a long beard on its face. The tree observed its captives carefully…
"…Little Orcs! Two women!" the tree spoke as it started to stomp slowly, throughout the forest.
"It's talking," said Pippin, "the tree is talking guys!"
"…Im… impossible," stuttered Katjaa, "…now… the tree talks!"
"I don't get it," thought Carley.
"Tree?! I am no tree!" cried the tree.
"Okay, okay," Katjaa said nervously, "then what are you?"
"Are you sure that, you are not a tree," said Carley.
"…I am an Ent," it replied.
"A treeherder!" said Merry with a lightened expression, "…a shepherd of the forest."
"Wow, you really are a treeherder," said Carley with a lightened expression."
"Don't talk to it, Merry, Carley," Pippin protested to Merry and Carley's amazement, "don't encourage it."
"Yeah, Merry, Carley," added Katjaa, "we don't even know who he is, let alone what he's capable of."
The Ent answers Katjaa, Glenn, and Carley's question, "…Treebeard, some call me, little Orcs."
"Treebeard, eh?" said Carley, "that's a good name for you. You certainly have a beard, that's for sure."
"And," interjected Pippin, "who's side are you on?"
"Side?" queried Treebeard, "I am on nobody's side, because nobody's on my side… little Orc. Nobody cares for the woods anymore."
"Would you stop calling us Orcs, already," said Carley in frustration, "I still happen to care for the trees too, you know!"
"Carley's right," added Merry, "we're not Orcs, we're Hobbits!"
"Hobbits?" wondered Treebeard, "never heard of a Hobbit before."
"Well I on the other hand," said Katjaa, "I am a veterinarian, and Carley is a reporter and we're part of the motel survivors group."
"We're from a different world. We live in Earth, Atlanta, Georgia," Carley asked.
"Hmm?" Treebeard wondered again, "…I've not heard of the motel suriviors group, or Atlanta, Georgia either…"
Treebeard took a few moments to consider what the Hobbits, Katjaa, and Carley have said. However… Treebeard was still not convinced…
"…Sounds like Orc mischief to me!" Treebeard growled intensely.
Misao squealed at the Ent's growing anger as he tightened his hold on the Hobbits, Katjaa, and Carley, squeezing them. The four whimpered and squealed in pain.
"Hey," said Carley, "easy, pal! I'm injured you know…"
Treebeard went on, snarling, "…they come with fire, they come with axes…!
"…Gnawing, biting, breaking, hacking, burning…!
"…DESTROYERS AND USURPERS, CURSE THEM!" Treebeard roared out, stomping very loudly in anger.
"No, you don't understand," Merry said, pleading, "we're Hobbits… Halflings… Shirefolk!"
Pippin nodded, adding his plea to Merry's own plea.
"And Katjaa and I are women. who'd rather die than be one of those creepy Orcs!" yelled Carley.
"…Maybe you are," said Treebeard, settling down a little, "…and… maybe you aren't…
"…The White Wizard, will know…" Treebeard suggested.
"…The White Wizard?" wondered Pippin, in a low voice.
Merry paused for a moment as he realized whom Pippin was talking about…
"…Saruman," Merry gasped to himself, in realization.
Katjaa and Carley froze for a few moments and then frowned, regaining their wits as Treebeard dropped them on the ground. The quintets slowly picked up their faces... and looked up at the White Wizard… with astonished looks upon their faces…
'…Why that's… its…' Katjaa thought, speechlessly as she looked at the wizard with bewildered eyes, '…I, I don't… I don't believe it…'
"Can it be...," Carley thought.
Disclaimer: The Lord of the Rings and Telltale Series The Walking Dead are not mine. They belong to their authors, respectively J.R.R. Tolkien and Darrell Rodriguez. This fanfiction is created just for fun, not for any commercial purposes.
A/n: I hope you liked how I portrayed Aragorn's tracking of Katjaa, Carley, and the Hobbits into Fangorn Forest. Even though, each time Aragorn discovers a clue… there's a flashback to what happened. I hope you liked how I did it.
Please Read and review.