𝐄𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐘━︎━︎L. Greenleaf ✓︎

❝CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE❞

▌𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 ━︎━︎ 𝐈𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝 ▌

━︎━︎━︎━︎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 to Isengard, travelling through the forests in silence. Ellaria glanced around as the tree's groaned. Something had awakened them, the Ents, and if the Ents were awaking from their long slumber it was safe to say that danger was ahead. A laugh echoed and Ellaria quickly followed the sound with her eyes. A bright smile pulled on her face when she saw Merry and Pippin sitting there, eating away and smoking their pipes. Merry stood. "Welcome, my lords and lady, to Isengard!"

     Ellaria laughed. "You're alive!"

     Pippin bowed, "And as well as ever, my lady." Ellaria smiled and shook her head at his antics.

    "You young rascals!" Gimli shouted. "A merry hunt you've led us on, and now we find you feasting and. . . and smoking!"

     "We are sitting on a field of victory enjoying a few well-earned comforts," Pippin answered. "The salted pork is particularly good."

     "Salted pork?" Gimli asked, mouth watering at the simple though.

     Gandalf only shook his head. "Hobbits."

     "We're under orders from Treebeard, who's taken over management of Isengard." Merry informed.

     "Come on, you two." Ellaria called. Merry and Pippin jumped down. Ellaria held out her hand and Merry grabbed it, letting her pull him up onto her horse. Pippin climbed on behind Aragorn and they continued into Isengard where Treebeard stood at the entrance of the tower.

     When he saw them coming, he hummed. "Young Master Gandalf. I'm glad you've come. Wood and water, stock and stone I can master. But there is a wizard to manage here, locked in his tower."

     "Show yourself," Aragorn muttered.

     "Be careful." Gandalf warned. "Even in defeat, Saruman is dangerous."

     "Well, let's just have his head and be done with it." Gimli suggested.

     Ellaria nodded. "I agree."

     "No," Gandalf dismissed. "We need him alive. We need him to talk."

     "Then can I place an arrow between his eyes?" Ellaria asked. Gandalf looked at her and she scoffed. "What? His creatures killed my friend."

     Saruman's voice came from above. "You have fought many wars and slain many men, Theoden King and made peace afterwards. Can we not take counsel together as we once did, my old friend. Can we not have peace, you and I?"

     "We shall have peace," said Theoden. "We shall have peace. . . when you answer for the burning of the Westfold and the children that lie dead there! We shall have peace when the lives of the soldiers whose bodies were hewn even as they lay dead against the gates of the Hornburg, are avenged! When you hang from a gibbet for the sport of your own crows. . . we shall have peace."