TW: Thank you.
Amy, Pippin and Merry were being carried by the Uruks who had taken them at Amon Hen. Their wrists were bound, Merry and Pippin being carried piggyback while Amy had been thrown over the shoulder of one and was being carried.
The Uruks had struck Amy across the head and so she was barely conscious, appearing to mutter to herself while Merry drifted in and out, also having a nasty gash across his temple.
"Merry! Merry!" Pippin called out in concern but received no response.
The leader of the Uruks raised his fist and the group stopped as a group of Orcs stepped out and their leader stepped forward.
"You're late. Our master grows impatient. He wants the Shire-rats now," he said.
"I don't take orders from Orc-maggots," the lead Uruk sneered and the Orcs snarled angrily. "Saruman will have his prize. We will deliver them."
The leaders sneered at each other before walking away from each other and back to their own groups.
"Merry! Merry, wake up!" Pippin called out desperately.
Again, he received no response. Seeing an Uruk brink some kind of beverage, Pippin felt hope.
"Please, my friend is sick!" Pippin called out and the Uruk snarled at him with its wet lips. "He needs water! Please!"
"Sick, is he? Give him some medicine, boys!" the lead Uruk said with a menacing laugh.
The Uruks all laughed as the dark beverage was poured down Merry's throat and he gagged at the foul taste.
"Stop it!" Pippin cried out as the Uruks continued laughing.
"Can't take his draught!" The leader laughed as Merry coughed, spitting it out.
"Leave him alone!" Pippin protested.
"Why? You want some?" the leader demanded as he turned to Pippin menacingly.
Afraid, Pippin didn't answer. Taking this as a no, the leader pointed towards him.
"Then keep your mouth shut," the leader said before walking off.
"Merry," Pippin called out softly once the leader was gone and his cousin turned to him with a grin.
"Hello, Pip."
"You're hurt," Pippin said worriedly.
"I'm fine, it was just an act," Merry said and Pippin stared at him incredulously.
"An act?"
"See? Fooled you too," Merry said before glancing at Amy. "How's Amy?"
"'M fine," Amy muttered, lifting her head although the Hobbits could see that she was still a little dazed. "Don't worry. The Doctor and Rory'll come for us."
"What is it?" the leader asked as he heard another of the Uruks sniff the air. "What do you smell?"
"Man-Flesh," the Uruk announced to the alarm of the other Uruks.
"They picked up our trail," the leader realized.
"I told you," Amy said softly to Pippin and Merry.
"Aragorn," Pippin realized with a smile.
"Let's move!" the leader shouted.
As the group of Uruks and Orcs began to move out, none of them noticed Pippin pick out a leaf broach from his cloak with his teeth. He spit it on the ground, hoping Aragorn or the others would see it.
On a hill, Aragorn laid his head down on a large rock before lifting his head, opening his eyes.
"Their pace has quickened. They must have caught our scent. Hurry!" Aragorn shouted at the others before running off.
The Doctor and River, having been standing closest to Aragorn, quickly followed after him. Legolas then followed as well, running up the hill before turning to the others.
"Rory, Boromir, Gimli, come on!" he shouted before following the others.
Rory and Boromir followed after him more quickly than Gimli, who huffed before pausing.
"Three days and nights pursuit. No food. No rest. And no sign of our quarry, but what bare rock can tell," Gimli grumbled, using his axe to support himself as he walked.
"You can complain to the Uruks when we catch them. Now let's go!" Rory shouted back at him and Gimli grumbled before running after them.
Boromir was silent as he ran beside Rory. It had been with guilt that he confessed what happened with Frodo, looking at Rory in guilt as he explained ow he had attacked Amy while they had taken a brief rest.
"I am sorry Rory. The Ring, it drove me mad," Boromir confessed, looking on the verge of tears as he looked down, unable to look at Rory.
For a moment, it was silent before Rory walked over to him. Then, to Boromir's surprise, Rory reached out, laying a hand on his shoulder.
"Like you said, it was the Ring, not you. You want redemption? Stop feeling sorry for yourself and let's go find her, Merry and Pippin so you can apologize to Amy."
After a moment, Boromir nodded, not quite ready to accept Rory's forgiveness but knowing he was right. Only Amy could offer him absolution, and they had save her to do that.
"Aye."
The group of seven continued running for some time before Aragorn stopped, knelling down and picking up the broach Pippin had dropped earlier.
"Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall," Aragorn noted as The Doctor and Legolas neared him.
"Merry and Pippin are leaving us a trail. Oh, you clever Hobbits," The Doctor said with a smile.
"They may yet be alive," Legolas realized as Rory, River and Boromir reached them.
"Is that what I think it is?" Rory inquired and River nodded.
"One of the leaf broaches from one of the cloaks," River said as she looked down at her own.
"One of our friends is leaving us a trail," Boromir said with a smile.
"Then let us follow it. Come along everyone!" The Doctor shouted, running in the direction where they had spotted the leaf.
"They're less than a day ahead of us," Aragorn added as Gimli crashed behind them, having fallen down the cliff.
"Come, Gimli! We're gaining on them!" Legolas called out and Gimli grumbled before getting to his feet, running around the group.
"I'm wasted on cross-country. We Dwarves are natural sprinters. Very dangerous over short distances," Gimli huffed as he ran after them.
"Then prove it," River called back to him and Gimli grumbled before beginning to run faster.
"Nice," Rory muttered to River, who smiled as they continued to run.
Climbing up a hill, they came upon a hill overlooking a plain with numerous hills and rocks.
"Rohan, Home of the Horse-lords," Aragorn noted as he took it in.
"What is this Rohan exactly?" The Doctor inquired curiously.
"Rohan is a land of mostly farmlands and settlements. They're ruled by kind Théoden, who is a good man," Boromir answered.
"You know him?" Rory inquired and Boromir shook his head.
"Only by reputation. But I've fought alongside his son and nephew many times," Boromir explained.
"There's something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures. Sets its will against us," Aragorn said uneasily.
Legolas then jumped onto a large rock as the others followed downhill.
"Legolas! What do your elf eyes see?" Aragorn inquired as Legolas looked out into the distance.
"The Uruks turn northwest. They're taking the Hobbits and Amy to Isengard," Legolas said in dread.
"Saruman," Aragorn realized in horror.
"Who is Saruman?" River asked as she, The Doctor and Rory saw the reactions of the Middle-Earth Natives.
"Once a wizard like Gandalf who used to fight for good. Now, he fights for Sauron," Aragorn said grimly.
"He knows a Hobbit has the Ring but he doesn't know which one, which is why the Uruks took Merry and Pippin. Amy was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time," The Doctor realized.
"So let's go find them then. If Saruman gets his hand on the ring…" Rory trailed off but everyone got the message.
"We cannot allow Saruman to get the ring," Aragorn agreed firmly.
With those words, the group moved out once more, hoping to find their friends before it was too late.
As night fell, The Uruks and Orcs were forced to rest, dropping Merry, Pippin and Amy to the ground none too gently. As the Orcs began making a fire, Pippin crawled over to Merry and Amy.
"Merry. Merry," he whispered and Merry's eyes opened.
"I think we should never have left the Shire," Merry said with a grim smile.
As the Orcs and Uruks began cutting down tree limbs, Amy stirred as they heard some strange noises.
"What is that?" Amy wondered.
"It's the trees," Merry realized, confusing Amy and Pippin.
"What?" Pippin asked.
"You remember the Old Forest, on the borders of Buckland? Folk used to say there was something in the water that made the trees grow tall...and come alive," Merry explained.
"Alive?" Pippin asked as he looked back at threes.
"Trees that could whisper, talk to each other...even move," Merry whispered.
"Would've called you mad a few months ago. Now, nothing seems too farfetched," Amy muttered as she watched the trees curiously, thinking of all the things she'd once thought impossible that she had witnessed since The Doctor came back into her life.
Hey, there was a Star Whale. Trees that could talk and move wasn't that farfetched.
"I'm starving. We ain't had nothing but maggoty bread for three stinking days," one of the Uruks complained.
"Yeah! Why can't we have some meats?" an Orc added.
It was at that point that the Orc spotted Amy and the Hobbits. And as they saw the hungry gaze on his face and the way he licked his lips, they realized they were in trouble.
"What about them? They're fresh," he pointed out.
"They are not for eating," the lead Uruk said.
Nevertheless, Amy, Merry and Pippin were hauled to their feet, suddenly surrounded by the Orcs.
"What about their legs? They don't need those. They look tasty," the Orc said menacingly.
He tried to rush towards them but the Uruk leader stepped into hi path, pushing him back roughly.
"That's enough! They go to Saruman. Alive and intact," the Uruk leader commanded.
"Alive?" the Orc asked as he looked at Amy and the Hobbits curiously. "Why alive?
"They have something. An Elvish weapon. The master wants it for the war," the Uruk leader explained.
"They think we have the ring," Pippin realized.
"As soon as they realize we don't, we're dead," Merry pointed out unhappily.
"So talk a bit quieter," Amy told them softly before sensing a presence behind them.
Turning around, they saw an Orc looking down at them hungrily. Amy immediately pushed the Hobbits behind her, standing in front of them protectively as it raised a dagger.
"Just a mouthful...a bit of the flank," it said hungrily.
As Amy tried to figure out how they could get out of this, the lead Uruk swung his sword, taking the head off the Orc. The body and head fell to the ground as the Orcs roared angrily.
"Looks like meat's back on the menu boys!" the Uruk leader said with a laugh.
Amy, Merry and Pippin were shoved violently to the ground as the Uruks and Orcs rushed each other, beginning to tear each other apart.
"Come on, come on let's go," Amy told the Hobbits as they began crawling away, hoping they couldn't be noticed.
They didn't make it far when a boot was shoved onto Amy's back. She cried out before she was turned over, seeing one of the Orcs pointing a dagger at her.
"Come on, squeal. No one's gonna save you now," he taunted her.
Before Merry and Pippin could even start to figure out how to save Amy, something struck him in the back. The Orc let out a wail of pain and fell onto his side as everyone looked up, seeing a group of men wearing armor burst onto the scene.
The men began attacking the Orcs and Uruks as Amy pushed the Orcs off her, beginning to pull Merry and Pippin away.
"Come on, we need to go, now," Amy ordered.
Before she could get far, a horse made its way over. Amy looked up as it got spooked, raising its front legs up. Pippin screamed before it brought them down to the ground.
Not a whole lot of changes to Two Towers just yet, but hope you guys enjoyed it anyway.