Chapter 3
When Merry awoke it felt like the hammers of one thousend blacksmiths were pounding at his skull. He groaned in pain and tried to open his eyes, but was forced to close them again as it was too bright. Eventually, he was able to fully open his eyes. The first thing he noticed was the quiet. Before, the trees had been roaring and crashing around, and the orcs had been squealing, if that really is what you called the high pitched noise that orcs had a habit of making. Merry glanced towards the Balcony, and received his answer. From where he lay, Merry could see the once beautiful grounds of Isengard had been flooded. Merry let a momentary smile slide across his face as he thought of all Saruman's machinery that would've been destroyed by the floodwaters. A sudden thought of Pippin jerked Merry out of his happiness, until he spotted his cousin lying beside him, deathly still. Merry's heart leapt up into his throat as his hand shot out for Pippins wrist, breathing a sigh of relief when he felt the faint flutter of a pulse. Pippin was worse, but he was still alive. Merry whispered under his breath to his small cousin
"It'll be alright, Pip, it'll be okay. Gandalf and the others are coming, they can help you, I'll never leave you, Pip" he whispered over and over again. Merry noticed Saruman look up, obviously hearing the hobbits reassurance to his cousin.
"Ah, master Halfling, you are awake. You quiet took your time, and I do not like being kept waiting. You have been unconscious for almost a full day now. As you can see, your friends the Ents have made my garden into a water feature. Do you like it? I'm sure your friends do, they are coming over now, and then I'll have my fun" Saruman sneered, and Merry shuddered. His whole body ached, and Pippin was not getting any better. If the other members of the Fellowship were going to rescue them, he hoped they would hurry up
As it turned out, Saruman's plan was to trick Gandalf and the others that the two hobbits were already dead. Wormtongue removed the hobbit's grey, Elven cloaks and their key identifiers, Merry's jacket and Pippin's scarf. Merry watched, crouching next to Pippin as Saruman, ensuring the clothes were covered in a sufficient amount of blood, bundled the clothes all together and strode back towards the balcony, keeping the bundle in clear sight. Once upon the balcony, Saruman looked down upon his foe and leered at him
"You have come late, Gandalf the Grey" he sneered. Merry strained his ears to hear Gandalf's reply.
"The hobbits you have captive do not carry the ring, nor are they the key to gaining the ring, for it is beyond your reach."
"That is a pity" Saruman smirked, throwing the bundle of the hobbit's clothes at Gandalf. He missed, and the bundle splashed into the water. Merry bowed his head as he thought of what would be going through the kind wizard's mind, how much he had enjoyed a hobbit's presence.
Gandalf bit back a groan when he saw the bundle land in the water. The outer layer was obviously an elven cloak, and judging from the size of it, it could only be Merry or Pippin's. Legolas and Aragorn gently nudged their horses forward, and Aragorn reached down to fetch the floating bundle. He untied the bundle, letting Pippin's scarf, Merry's Jacket and both of the hobbit's cloaks flutter loosely. Gandalf bowed his head as he noticed the blood smatters that covered the clothing. His worse fears had been confirmed, the two young, brave hobbit's had fallen, never to return to their beloved Shire. Elrond had been right, they should never have come. From beside him, overcome with grief, Aragorn shouted up at Saruman.
"Return their bodies to us, you foul sorcerer of death. They were heroes, and deserve to be buried as such."
Saruman smirked at the ranger's anger. He turned, looking over his shoulder at Wormtongue, who nodded; grabbing both of the hobbits by the arm and dragging them from the room. Merry struggled as he was dragged, desperately trying to think of a way to reassure Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and their companions that they were still alive. At the last moment, Merry drew in his breath and yelled
"We're still alive. Help, HELP!" he screamed. Wormtongue clapped a hand over Merry's mouth, and Merry gave up trying to force his body to struggle further, allowing himself to drift into darkness