Solatiri gasped as she, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli approached the hill. They each looked at the burning corpses in horror. None of them wanted to think Merry and Pippin were in that pile somewhere. Gimli quickly started digging through the corpses with his ax. The smell was horrid.

"I think I'm going to be ill", Solatiri said as she ran toward the trees close by.

She vomited violently from the smell, but what she heard made it worse. Gimli pulled something out of the pile and held it out for Legolas and Aragorn to see.

"It's one of their wee belts."

Solatiri fell to her knees. It was too late. She had failed the Hobbits. She had failed to fulfill Boromir's oath to protect them. Legolas lowered his head and said a prayer in Elvish. Aragorn kicked an Uruk's helmet and screamed at the top of his lungs as he fell to his knees.

"We failed them", Gimli said.

"Boromir", Solatiri softly said. "Watch over Merry and Pippin."

She turned to rejoin the group. She watched as Aragorn looked down at the ground. He noticed there were some markings in the ground.

"A Hobbit lay here", he said touching the ground. "And the other…they crawled…their hands were bound…"

He started following the markings in the ground finding a piece of rope.

"Their bonds were cut."

He looked down seeing footsteps.

"They ran over here."

Aragorn followed the footsteps away from the pile of corpses.

"They were followed", he said.

Legolas and Gimli followed Aragorn as they followed the tracks. They ran to where Solatiri stood and looked at the trees.

"The tracks lead away from the battle", Aragorn said. "Into Fangorn Forest."

Solatiri gasped and stepped away from the trees.

"Fangorn?" Gimli asked looking at the thick tangled trees. "What madness drove them in there?"

"They had to escape somehow", Solatiri said.

She looked at Aragorn who looked at her and Legolas before looking back at the trees.

"Are we going in there?" she asked.

"We must", Aragorn said entering the forest.

The four of them walked through the woods. They heard loud footsteps coming from the forest. Gimli stopped as he saw something dripping from the leaves of a tree. He touched the leave to see what it was.

"Orc blood", he said.

"Do you think we'll be able to find Merry and Pippin here?" Solatiri asked.

"We have to try", Aragorn said.

He stopped as he stepped into a large hole. The group looked ahead to see more holes of the same size going in one direction.

"These are strange tracks", Aragorn said.

"The air is so close in here", Gimli half complained.

"This forest is old", Legolas explained. "Very old. Full of memory…and anger."

Everyone looked around as they heard the sound of wood moving. Gimli pulled out his ax ready for a fight. The noise grew louder and more aggressive.

"The trees are speaking to each other", Legolas said.

Everyone turned to Gimli knowing he was causing it.

"Gimli!" Aragorn said. "Lower your ax."

"They have feelings, my friend", Legolas said. "The Elves began it. Waking up the trees, teaching them to speak."

Gimli looked at the trees before lowering his ax. The trees grew quiet until nothing but silence filled the air.

"Talking trees", Gimli scoffed. "What do trees have to talk about? Except the consistency of squirrel droppings."

"Don't be rude", Solatiri said. "You never know what can happen in this place."

Legolas suddenly grew alert.

"Aragorn, something's out there", he spoke in Elvish.

"What do you see?" Aragorn asked in Elvish.

"The White Wizard approaches."

Everyone readied their weapons. Gimli held his ax close. Legolas and Solatiri held arrows against their bows. Aragorn had his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Do not let him speak", he whispered. "He will put a spell on us. We must be quick."

Everyone was silent. As they turned around, a blinding white light shone through the forest. Legolas and Solatiri fired arrows at the Wizard, but he merely shattered them into splinters. Gimli pulled a hatchet from his belt and through it at the wizard, but it was deflected. Aragorn raised his sword, but it burned to a great degree that he had to drop it.

Aragorn and Solatiri covered their eyes from the blinding light. Legolas and Gimli looked at the light unfazed.

"You are tracking the footsteps of two young Hobbits", the Wizard said.

"Where are they?" Aragorn asked.

"They passed this way the day before yesterday. They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?"

Somewhat Solatiri admitted.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Show yourself!" Aragorn said.

The light faded as they saw who the Wizard was. Everyone's expression grew from fierce to disbelief.

"Gandalf…" Solatiri whispered.