Hinder

III. The Voice of Saruman

As they sat there—Éomer staring at the hobbits in amazement for he told Rowan he had never seen one before—Merry caught sight of them. He jumped to his feet and, placing his hand upon his breast, he bowed.

"Welcome, my lords, to Isengard!" he said with a dramatic, almost drunken gesture to the ruined stronghold. "We are the doorwardens: Meriadoc is my name and my companion—who, alas, is overcome with weariness—" he nudged Pippin awake with a foot, who grunted but got up to see why he was kicked "—is Peregrin. Our orders to watch the gate come from Treebeard, who has taken over management of Isengard."

"You rascals!" Gimli cried. "You woolly footed, wool-patted truants! A fine hunt you have led Legolas, Aragorn, Rowan, and me! Two hundred leagues, through fen and forest, battle and death, to rescue you! And here we find you feasting and... and smoking! Where did you come by the weed, you villains?"

Aragorn was softly chuckling, Rowan was smiling, and she bet the elf was too.

Pippin swung his legs off the rock, facing them. "Here you find us sitting on a field of victory, enjoying a few well-earned comforts."

"Well-earned?" Gimli repeated, then scoffed. "I cannot believe that!"

All the riders laughed.

"These must be the lost ones of your company, Gandalf," King Théoden guessed; the wizard nodded.

Both hobbits' eyes looked through the group, searching. Just like Nárind, Rowan knew who they searched for.

"Boromir fell at Helm's Deep," she said.

Sorrow filled their eyes; the best friends looked at each other.

"Come now, I am wasting time," Gandalf said, breaking the somber atmosphere. "I must speak with Saruman, even as useless as it may be. A wild beast cornered is not safe to approach. And Saruman has powers you could not guess. Beware his voice."

Aragorn told Pippin Hasufel would bear him and Rowan took Merry.

The hobbits jumped down, making a somewhat large splash. Not as large as one a full-grown man would've, but one like a child would've made. The water came up to their bellies.

Merry waded toward her as Pippin went to Aragorn. Bracing for the strain and pain, Rowan leaned down her left hand to haul him up. Éomer grabbed her right elbow to help steady her.

Pulling up Merry was agonizing. The stitches stretched again, and after situating the hobbit behind her, she felt of her waist to see if she had pulled one open. Her clothes didn't feel wet and nothing tickled her skin like blood was trickling through. She breathed hard, though, from the pain.

"Rowan?" Éomer asked. His hand was still on her arm.

She shook her head. "I'm alright."

"Are you hurt, Rowan?" Merry asked behind her.

The pain was receding. Rowan nodded as she grabbed Nárind's reins. "At Helm's Deep."

He must've put in what she did not say and knew what Boromir meant to her from her clipped answer. Merry lightly squeezed the left side of her waist for a hug, since she leaned more heavily on it than the other.

"I'm sorry."

***

As they rode toward the black tower, Merry and Pippin solved the riddles that had plagued Rowan, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli since tracking them into Fangorn Forest. The Uruk-hai began chopping the trees for a fire, angering a nearby Huorn. It lashed out, sending roots to drag Uruks under and impaling others. The hobbits crawled over to a discarded sword, cut their binds, and ran away from the forest. The Huorn came out of the woods, caught them, and took them back into Fangorn. It had them for a while until Treebeard appeared, fought and killed the bad Ent, and carried them away.