"Are you leaving, my lady?" Freida asked as Solatiri mounted her horse.

All the villagers in Helm's Deep were returning to Edoras until their villages were rebuilt. Theoden, Eomer, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Gandalf were going to Isengard to confront Saruman, face to face. Solatiri wanted to accompany them. She wanted to avenge Boromir and Hama's deaths. Her revenge was long overdue.

"Yes", Solatiri answered. "I must accompany the king. My father is no longer here to protect them. So I must do it."

Freida and Eothain hugged her goodbye. She smiled and hugged them back before turning to their mother.

"I wish you luck on your journey", Solatiri said. "Stay safe, all of you."

She turned and joined the men who were on their way to Isengard.

"Coming with us?" Aragorn asked.

"I want to see Saruman dead with my own eyes", she said. "When my child is born, I want to tell it how I was there to see its father's killer dead."

He said nothing as he saw the bump stretching her shirt. The six of them rode to Isengard in silence. The trees that surrounded Helm's Deep had left and returned to Fangorn Forest, making the journey safe for them.

As they rode through Fangorn in silence, the trees began to creak and moan. Solatiri and Legolas smiled as they looked at them.

"Thank you once again for helping us", she whispered.

Almost as if the forest had heard her, the trees creaked loud as if to respond. As they approached the walls of Isengard, everyone heard two young voices laughing.

"I feel like I'm back at the Green Dragon."

"Mm, Green Dragon."

"A mug of ale in my hand…putting my feet up on a settle after a hard day's work."

"Only, you've never done a hard day's work."

Solatiri smiled as they made their way past the last of the trees and saw Merry and Pippin sitting on the ruins of the walls of Isengard. The two of them looked at them with amazed, happy faces.

"Merry! Pippin!"

Solatiri dismounted her horse and ran to the wall hugging the both of them.

"Oh, thank the heavens you're both safe."

"We're happy to see you too, my lady", Pippin said returning the hug.

"Welcome, my lords to Isengard!" Merry said greeting everyone else.

"You young rascals!" Gimli said with a smile on his face. "A merry hunt you've led us on and now we find you…feasting and…and smoking!"

"We are sitting on a field of victory enjoying a few well-earned comforts", Pippin said eating some food. "The salted pork is particularly good."

"Salted pork?"

"Hobbits…" Gandalf said shaking his head.

"We're under orders from Treebeard, who's taken over management of Isengard", Merry said puffing his pipe.

"Please", Solatiri coughed. "Please do not smoke around me. I am with child and the smoke is bad for me."

"Child?" Pippin asked. "You mean…Boromir's?"

Solatiri nodded.

"Now tell us. Who is this Treebeard?"

Everyone rode through the flooded lands of Isengard. Everything was destroyed except for Saruman's tower and giant moving trees were walking about. One tree with a long beard of leaves and moss walked toward them and spoke with a deep voice.

"Young Master Gandalf. I'm glad you've come. Wood and water, stock and stone I can manage. But there is a Wizard to manage here…locked in his tower."

Everyone looked up at the tower waiting for Saruman to appear.

"Show yourself", Aragorn said.

"Be careful", Gandalf warned them. "Even in defeat, Saruman is dangerous."

"Well, let's just have his head and be done with it", Gimli said.

"No. We need him alive. We need him to talk."

"You have fought many wars and slain many men, Theoden King…and made peace afterwards", a deep, dark voice said from the tower. "Can we not take counsel together as we once did, my old friend? Can we not have peace, you and I?"

Everyone looked to see Saruman standing on the top of the tower above them.

"Saruman", Solatiri growled. "You murderer!"

"Solatiri", Aragorn said trying to calm her down.

"We shall have peace", Theoden said looking up at Saruman. "We shall have peace…when you answer for the burning of the Westfold…and the children that lie dead there! We shall have peace when the lives of the soldiers whose bodies were hewn even as they lay dead against the gates of the Hornburg are avenged! When you hang from a gibbet for the sport of your own crows…we shall have peace."

"Gibbets and crows?" Saruman said. "Dotard! What do you want, Gandalf Greyhame? Let me guess. The Key of Orthanc. Or perhaps the Keys of Barad-dur itself…along with the crowns of the seven kings and the rods of the Five Wizards!"

"Your treachery has already cost many lives", Gandalf said. "Thousands more are now at risk. But you can save them, Saruman. You were deep in the enemy's counsel."

"So you have come here for information. I have some for you."

Saruman held up a dark magical stone that began to light up in his hand. Gandalf looked at it in horror. Saruman looked into the stone with an evil smile.

"Something festers in the heart of Middle-Earth", he said. "Something that you have failed to see. But the Great Eye has seen it. Even now he presses his advantage. His attack will come soon. You're all going to die."

Gandalf moved his horse forward so he could face Saruman alone.