A/N: So sadly, I do not own anything Lord of the Rings.
***Chapter 2***
**Deirdre's POV**
I threw open the door leading into Saruman's study, I had espied the Nazgul nearing from my own balcony and so I knew it would only be a few more minutes before I quit Isenguard for probably the last time. And I wasn't feeling too awfully sentimental.
"I take it my escort has arrived." I stated as I strode into the room purposefully.
Saruman turned around to look at me and gave a smile that could have curdled milk it was that sour. "Yes, it would be best to go to the roof so that you can depart."
I nodded once before leaving the room and heading up the stairs towards the roof. I swung open the door which was in one of the spikes atop the tower. Hovering beside the tower of Orthanc was a Nazgul on a fell beast. The cloaked rider walked along the neck of the flying beast until it reached the edge of the tower, before he opened his arm as an invitation for me to climb aboard the dragon.
I slowly approached the wraith with my head held high, not showing any fear. The cloaked figure bowed its head in a show of respect keeping its arm extended out in invitation. I nodded to the being just before taking my first step along the neck of the beast.
Working to suppress my nerves of falling from the creature that I now trod upon, I tried to resist the urge to look down. But still I glanced down and saw through the darkness the ground several hundred feet below. My fingers gripped the spikes that adorned the neck of the beast, keeping my balance as I made my way to the saddle. I took a seat, holding myself to the front of the saddle while I watched the wraith cross the neck of the Nazgul to where I sat.
The air chilled slightly the closer that the wraith got to me, filling the air like the approach of death. I kept my face a mask of calm as the wraith settled down in the saddle behind me. It's cloaked arms reaching around me to grasp the reins to the dragon as we took off, flying away towards Mordor.
The forest below us shifted slightly, as the Ents moved closer to Isenguard and in the midst of the forest I made out two tiny figures atop one of the moving trees. A throb of pain filled me, but I quickly squashed it down and looked ahead towards the seeping red light which we slowly flew towards.
**Merry's POV**
Isenguard. The great black tower stood in the center of its circular wall, or it had. Now it was a black tower erect amidst a lake. That was thanks to the Ents, and Pippin and me of course. I sat, eating some of the food that Pippin and I had found in Saruman's storeroom as well as smoking some of the fine Longbottom Leaf that the wizard had kept in stock.
"Have you seen, Deirdre?" Pippin's voice pulled me from my thoughts of the take-over that we had just been a part of.
"No, but I have seen Saruman and another man who seemed quite slimy." I replied, my eyes turning once more to the balcony that I had previously seen the elderly wizard standing and looking out amidst the destruction.
"I'm worried about her. She said that she would meet us here. But where is she?" Pippin voiced the thoughts that had been swirling through my mind.
I think that was one of the things that helped us to be so inseparable; we almost always knew what the other was thinking. I breathed out a sad sigh before turning my gaze from the tower back to my long-time friend.
"I don't know, Pip. I just don't know."
**Deirdre's POV**
I struggled to bottle the indignation that I felt when I literally got shoved into my new chambers. I snarl made its way up into my throat, but I shoved it down. With one last scowl at my new door, I faced my room and regarded the décor that I was going to be living amid.
The room was a combination of dark colors, deep purple, blood red, and midnight blue adorned the room with the addition of black. The majority of the furniture seemed to be made of ebony, but the different fabric and cushions were made of dark fabrics. Blood red curtains hung against the doorway to the balcony, blocking some of the red tinted light from entering the room.
I didn't have a plan to get out of Mordor, the plan that I had created for escaping Isenguard had proved faulty at best. So now, I had gone from the frying pan into the fire, I was where no one would come looking for me. Well, at least not successfully.
A ragged breath of agitation ripped its way from my throat as I threw my satchel from Isenguard down upon a chaise while I unfastened my swords from about my waist and collapsed onto the bed. Deciding it was time to plot the best way for me to escape the mess that I found myself in.
A knock interrupted my plotting and I rose from the bed, stalking my way over to the door and flinging it open. Standing before me was the mouth of Sauron, it's hideous teeth stretching his lips in unnatural ways.
"Yes?" I questioned in an emotionless voice, my patience wearing thin even though I had only just opened the door to talk to him.
"The Lord Sauron bade me give you a token of your betrothal." The mouth sneered, holding up a necklace in one his hands. "It would please the great eye should you wear it."
I stayed calm as I pondered over the other purpose of this token. I doubted that it could possibly only a symbol of affection, as I didn't think that Sauron was capable of affection. However, I was going to have to go along with it otherwise my stay here was going to get even more unpleasant.
"Thank you; I will most assuredly wear it if it will please my future husband." I replied extending my hand so that the mouth could drop the necklace into my palm.
The smile that dominated it's face spread even wider, the sound of the ragged lips and mouth sliding across teeth made my stomach churn. But I managed to repress the urge to vomit as I gave a chilling smirk before turning back into my room, shutting the door behind me.
The necklace was beautifully crafted, made of silver with interlacing strands. It reminded me of both a flower and of bones at the same time. It was macabre in its beauty with a single gem in the center of the pendant which looked as though it had been soaked in blood. With a shrug of indifference, I placed the pendant around my neck.
A wave of dizzying exhaustion overcame me, causing me to stumble towards the bed where I promptly collapsed on it. My mind swam as I attempted to maintain my consciousness, but the world around me tilted on its axis and my eyes rolled back in my head.
**Saffy's POV**
The battle had passed and we were nearing Isenguard. My eyes wandered over to Legolas, his face tight with repressed anger as he rode his horse with Gimli holding on behind him. I don't think the elf has spoken once when it hasn't been necessary since we left Helm's Deep yesterday afternoon. A dark cloud hung over the remainder of our fellowship as we rode towards the realm of Saruman. And even with Nimiwen riding at my side, the joy that brought didn't crack through the sickness of worry for my best friend.
"Is that Merry and Pippin?" Nimiwen's soft voice broke through my brooding thoughts along with the rest of the fellowships'.
"It appears to be so." Legolas responded, voice coming out emotionless.
I wasn't entirely sure how they were making out the figures atop part of the black wall encircling the tower of Orthanc. But, they were both elves and had better eyesight than the rest of us. A scowl settled on my face as my eyes turned to the spiked tower standing tall in the center of a black circle. The ground where the doors to the tower opened reflected the sun on the water's surface. With a quick glare, I turned my attention back to the small figures atop the wall, a smile crossing my lips.
Curling into the air like tendrils, smoke climbed its way from the pipes of the two hobbits sitting atop the wall of Isenguard. Their laughter was heard before we could make out any distinguishing features, but their chattering subsided as we neared and they spied our party. Sure enough, when we neared the massive gap in the defenses which we could ride through four abreast, the faces smiling back at us were Merry and Pippin our lost hobbits.
Their laughter trailed off when the two hobbits spotted us. A surprised cry erupted from Pippin's lips as he raised his tankard in salutation while Merry rose with his pipe in hand.
"Welcome, my lords, to Isenguard!" Merry called out, the smoke billowing from his mouth as he spoke.
"You young rascals. A merry hunt you've led us on and now we find you feasting and … and smoking!" Gimli stuttered out, his words jumbling with disbelief.
"We are sitting on a field of victory, enjoying a few well-earned comforts." Pippin slurred from too much ale and around the sandwich that he was eating as he spoke. "The salted pork is particularly good."
A light laugh rose up to my lips as I watched Gimli's face turn from scolding to coveting.
"Salted pork?" Gimli stumbled over the words as he looked up at them.
"Hobbits!" Gandalf scolded, shaking his head as he stared at the two atop of the wall.
"We're under orders, from Treebeard, who's taken over management here at Isenguard." Merry informed our party, which perked the attention of the Rohirrim in our party.
"Hmmm, I would like to have a word with Treebeard about the going ons. Would you care to join me Theoden?" Gandalf asked the king of Rohan.
Theoden nodded his head in acquiescence and spurred his horse onwards through the water surrounding the tower of Orthanc. Eomer gave our party a brief smile before he followed his uncle with the small party of Rohirrim that had ridden with us.
"So gentlemen, would you care to inform us how this came about?" Aragorn questioned, turning his attention from the party going to meet with Treebeard to the two hobbits with small smiles on their faces.
"Perhaps we should eat first. Stories go better on full stomachs." Gimli interjected, earning murmurs of agreement from the other members of our group.
"Right this way." Merry declared, moving towards a doorway on the inside of the wall.
As we moved towards the door, I glanced back to find that Legolas was standing stock-still, his eyes fixed upon the black tower with a longing filling them.
"Legolas, are you coming?" I asked softly, not wanting to alert the rest of the members of our party that anything was wrong.
The elf looked away from the tower and towards me, our eyes meeting and I couldn't help but notice that instead of the anger that had been burning in his eyes since the Warg attack his eyes bore suffering and sadness. With one final glance back at the tower, he nodded his head and began moving towards where our friends were now waiting for us.
**End Chapter 2**
So there you have it. If anyone is interested in being a proofreader/beta for this story I would be very grateful.