North, South, East, or West, Ents in the Entmoot Did their Best
2 March 3019, of the Third Age
12 Rethe 1419, Shire-Reckoning Time...
In blackened spirits I wrapped my cloak around myself. Treebeard silently picked us up and ignored the fact that we were all very depressed.
"I will leave you at the western borders of the forest. You can make your way north to your homeland from there."
I nodded, and Pippin's voice burst out like a bell. His spirits had taken over and desperately he called out.
"Wait! Stop! Turn around, Treebeard! Take us south!"
Merry looked up in confusion.
"South? But that would lead you past…Isengard," Treebeard said. "Hoom."
Pippin's grin spread over his face and light shone from his eyes. "Yes. Exactly. If we go south we can slip past Saruman unnoticed. The closer we are to danger, the further we are from harm. It's the last thing he'll expect."
Merry raised his eyebrows and narrowed his eyes in his "I-cannot-believe-you-are-so-stupid-do-you-not-know-anything-Pippin-where-do-you-get-your-deranged-ideas" look.
"Hoom. Well, that doesn't make sense to me, but then, you are very small. Perhaps you are right. South it is, then. Hold on, Shirelings, I always like going south. Somehow, it feels like going downhill."
Merry still did not catch on. "Are you mad? We'll be caught!" He whispered furiously.
"No we won't," Pippin said with a grin at coming up with something Merry hadn't. "Not this time."
We approached the border of Isengard as Treebeard talked about field mice tickling his bark, when he gave a loud "Oh," and sadly looked around at the destruction of the outskirts of Fangorn. "Many of these trees were my friends... Creatures I had known from nut and acorn."
"I'm sorry, Treebeard," Pippin said, but he flashed a smile at Merry. It was exactly the reaction he had wanted.
"They had voices of their own," Treebeard continued. "Saruman! A wizard should know better!" Stretching himself out, Treebeard let out a loud howl that caused the entire forest to rumble and shake. "There is no curse in Entish, elvish, or the tongues of men for this treachery!" He cried.
"Look!" I said, pointing suddenly. "The trees are moving!"
"Where are they going?" Merry asked.
"They have business with the orcs. My business is with Isengard tonight," Treebeard said. "Hoom! Come, my friends. The Ents are going to war. It is likely that we go to our doom…In the Last march of the Ents."
"Yes!" Pippin cheered.
We strode over the walls of Isengard, ripping stones from the walls, stomping on the orcs, and destroying everything in the paths of the Ents. Pippin and I went bowling for orcs ourselves, with a triumphant cry from Treebeard.
"A hit. A fine hit!"
Pippin tossed another stone to Merry which hit one orc and then bounced to another. They both fell into Isengards' pits. I threw what stones Pippin tossed to me, missing often but hitting a few orcs in the head. My arms were sore, but I kept throwing, with gritted teeth. "Take that, you beasts," I hissed. "You wanted us to suffer and begging for death…now your master will suffer us!"
Far above, Ents attempted to pull on the wall holding back the river Isen.
"Break the dam!" Treebeard roared. "Release the river!"
They did so, and the water rushed towards Isengard, falling and frothing straight toward us. Treebeard braced himself. "Hold on, young hobbits!" He cried as the water roared our way.
"Pippin!" Merry cried, holding his hand and mine. "Hold on!" The water struck at full force, washing everything in sight away; orcs, machinery, and weapons of all kinds. I saw this just as I closed my eyes for the great spray of water rushing toward us now. I felt the pull of the water and clung to the branches as tightly as I could. Cold water splashed my face and arms and Treebeard staggered back. Pippin cried out, and the roar of the water died down. Finally, I opened my eyes and pushed soggy hair out of my face.
The Ents stood still while the river filled the ring of Isengard, and up in Orthanc, Saruman howled. As the water drained. Treebeard finally plucked us from his shoulders and began to bring us down.
"Wait! Wait!" I cried, looking down at the thick brown water. "We might drown…hobbits can't swim!"
"Hoom…" Treebeard said. "I can feel the ground not far below." Despite my complaints, he let me go in the water. He stood with the water at his ankles though it for us was waist deep.
"He doesn't look happy," I said cheerfully¸ eyeing Saruman at the brink of his tower. "Does he, Merry?"
"Nope. Not happy at all, Mandy," Merry grinned and waved daintily at him. "Still, I suppose the view would be quite nice from up there."
"Oh yes, a quality establishment," Pippin said, jokingly turning over an imaginary deed to Orthanc. "I hear the staff is very good."
I sighed. "Well, the world's back to normal again."
"Nope, it isn't, I'm starving," Pippin placed a hand on his stomach. We had not eaten scarcely anything in four days, and I realized how weak I was.
"Good luck trying to find something decent around here," Merry said unhappily. "Probably only dead rats and moldy bread."
An apple floated by and all three of us looked down at it. More apples joined it and we collected them, before spotting a roasted chicken, wine, and basket full of apples.
"What are the odds?" I laughed, picking up a head of lettuce. Following the food, we entered a huge room just full of food.
"Saruman's storeroom!" Merry smiled, placing his hands on his hips. He eyed some barrels labeled 'Southfarthing.' "It can't be," Merry said quietly.
"I don't believe it," Pippin said firmly.
"It is," Merry exclaimed, opening a barrel. "Longbottom leaf! The finest pipe weed in Southfarthing!" They caught me watching. "Er…one barrel each for Pip and me. You're a bit young to smoke," he added.
I smiled. "Not anymore," and seized his pipe.
"Hey!" Merry laughed.
"I want ale, too," I said, handing back his pipe. "You can have your Longbottom Leaf."
"I get it," Pippin said finally, tapping his nose. "Don't be hasty." He pulled out his pipe.
"Exactly," Merry said, pulling his own out and placing it in his mouth. "Bar hoom!"