Return to our Destiny.

7. Treebeard

.:Recap:.

Thilia and Boromir reached the northern part of the Forest of Fangorn a little after midmorning. The pair had to stop for a bit due to Boromir needing some rest. As they arrived they could see gray smoke billowing up from over a section of hills. Worried they rushed to get to there the smoke came from. When they got there; there was a pile of burning bodies. The head of an Uruk is on a spike,

Jumping down from the horses, they rushed to the pile of bodies, fumbling around looking for any sign of the hobbits. But the fire was still going and to avoid spreading the fire, they had to wait till it died out. So they shifted to the smaller piles that were already out. It wasn't till early afternoon when they were able to go through the biggest pile. Thilia was digging when Boromir noticed the two approaching horses, with the familiar faces of their friends. 

***  

As Thilia tells Aragorn and Legolas what her and Boromir found, Gimli starts to go through pile and pulls out a charred belt. Everyone turns to him as he holds it up to show them, "It's one of their little belts." Legolas bows his head and closes his eyes. "Hiro hyn hîdh ab wanath." (May they find peace in death.) Thilia turns to him, "They aren't dead! Don't say that!" she snaps, getting emotional. Boromir pulls her into a firm hug and hold her as she cries.

Aragorn kicks at an orc helmet. He yells as if physically injured as he falls to his knees. "We failed them." Gimli says defeatedly, Aragorn looks to the side and tracks catch his attention. "A Hobbit lay here, and the other." he says as he moves beaten and ripped up grass. Pippin yells as he looks up at a pair of thrashing hooves bearing down on him. He rolls over, avoiding them. "They crawled." Aragorn says as he starts to follow the tracks, 

With Thilia, Boromir, Legolas and Gimli behind him. Thilia scents the air, following Aragorn by with the smell of the hobbits. Merry and Pippin crawl away from the battle. "Their hands were bound." he says, and she scents again, "They were scared, and confused," she says still following him. Pippin rubs his bonds against an axe. "Their bonds were cut." Aragorn calls as he holds up a broken rope. "They ran over here..." Aragorn says and before he can add, 

Thilia cuts in with an angry growl, "and were followed." [The hobbits run away from the battle, dodging under a horse. As they flee, the lead orc grabs Pippin by his belt. "The belt! Run!" Merry gasps, as he undoes his belt and the hobbits run off into the trees. "The tracks lead away from the battle! Into... Fangorn Forest." The five of them look up into a very dense forest. "Fangorn! What madness drove them in there?" 

Thilia sets her hand on Gimli's shoulder, "One of two things, cousin." she says as she sneers at the burning bodies. 

***

The hobbits run in to the forest. They collapse onto the ground, panting. "Did we lose him? I think we lost him." Pippin says as he lays panting with Merry, the lead Orc bursts through the branches. "I'm gonna rip off your filthy little heads! Come here!" it growls and Merry thinks fast, "Trees! Climb a tree!" he says and the hobbits climb. Merry looks around and then sighs in relief. But it was too soon to relax.

"He's gone." Merry says only to have himself pulled by his legs and falls to the ground. The orc leans over him. Merry tries to kick him off. The blood sprays off onto a nearby bush. "Merry!" Pippin shouts. Pippin looks down and as he turns his head, he sees a pair of gleaming yellow eyes blinking in the tree. The tree then starts to move. "Argh!" he gasps as he lets go but then Pippin loses his grip and falls. The tree catches him before he hits the ground.

"Let's put a maggot hole in your belly." the orc growls as he holds his blade over Merry's stomach. Dirt falls and trickles off the orc's head before Merry crawls away in time before the tree stomps and squashes the orc. "Run Merry!" Pippin shouts, Merry tries to run away but is scooped by the tree. "Little orcs! Búrarum." the tree says startling the two hobbits. The tree starts to walk.

"It's talking Merry. The tree is talking." Pippin is freaking out, "Tree! I am no tree! I am an Ent." the tree says, "Treeherder! A shepherd of the forest." Merry says delightfully, "Don't talk to it Merry. Don't encourage it." Pippin says sounding like the smart one of the two. "Treebeard some call me." the tree says introducing himself. "And whose side are you on?" Pippin asks getting to the point.

"Side? I am on nobody's side. Because nobody is on my side, little orc. Nobody cares for the woods anymore." Treebeard says as he walks with the two hobbits gripped in his hands. "We are not orcs. We are Hobbits!" Merry says  and Pippin nods to confirm. "Hobbits? Never heard of a Hobbit before. Sounds like orc mischief to me." He strengthens his hold on the hobbits. he says and the two hobbits struggle as it's painful. 

"They come with fire, they come with axes. Gnawing, Biting, breaking, hacking, burning. Destroyers and usurpers. Curse them!" Treebeard roars as he still hold on tightly to the two hobbits. "No! You don't understand. We are Hobbits, halflings. Shirefolk!" Merry says before it becomes too painful and hard to speak, "Maybe you are, and maybe you aren't. The White Wizard will know." Treebeard says and the two hobbits panic,

"White Wizard?" Pippin says and Merry frowns, "Saruman!" Treebeard drops them on the ground and the Hobbits look up at a White Wizard.