THIRD BOOK IN THE RANGER OF THE SOUTH TRILOGY
Keira gets a message from Gandalf that the One Ring is found, she immediately leaves to try and protect Frodo from the Nazgûl, leaving Erebor in the safe hands of her son, Thrain.
When she arrives in Ri...
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I was leading my horse after the others. It was the day after the battle of Helm's Deep and we were currently making our way to Isengard to pick Merry and Pippin up and to confront Saruman, who was apparently held prison into his tower.
I had sent Dwalin with the remaining dwarves, which were fewer than I had hoped for, to Erebor. After that, a Lothlorien elf had come up to me and had given me a pair of bracers, telling me Haldir had made them for me before they had left for Helm's Deep.
Carden had decided to stay in Edoras, saying his wounds needed rest.
A smashed wall came into view with two hobbits sitting onto it.
"Welcome, my lords and lady, to Isengard!" Merry exclaimed. The two of them were enjoying a good pipe and I smiled as I saw Gimli's eyes widen.
"You young rascals!" He exclaimed. "A merry hunt you've lead us on, and now we find you feasting and smoking!"
"We are sitting on a field of victory, enjoying a few well-earned comforts," Pippin said, his mouth full of food. "The salted pork is particulary good."
I rolled my eyes and pulled Merry up behind me on the horse.
"Happy to have you back, Merry," I said, smiling down over my shoulder at him.
"Happy to be back," Merry replied. "We're under orders from Treebeard, who's taken over management of Isengard."
Gandalf lead us through the flotsam and jetsam which floated upon the muddied water surrounding the tower. A giant ent strode towards us, alarming us all but Gandalf.
"Huraroom . . . Young Master Gandalf, I'm glad you've come," the ent said. "Wood and water, stock and stone I can master, but there's a wizard to be managed here . . . Locked in his tower."
"Show yourself," I could hear Aragorn whisper as he looked up at the tower.
"Be careful," Gandalf warned him. "Even in defeat, Saruman is dangerous."
"Well then, let's just have his head and be done with it," Gimli said from behind Legolas.
Gandalf stared up the long length of the dark tower. "We need him alive. We need him to talk."
I shuffled nervously into the saddle. Fighting off an orc army or facing a wizard were two different things.
Saruman appeared on top of the tower, looking down at us, and I had to tighten my grip onto the reigns to prevent myself to shoot an arrow between his eyes. He was the reason Haldir and so many others were dead.
