Linger

IV. Fangorn Forest

As they rode eastward, Rowan's nervousness of riding with Boromir—pressed against him—had disappeared before the tree-clad slopes grew thicker. Seeing the eaves of Fangorn relieved Rowan—they were now back on the right path, but Éomer saying his Rohirrim hadn't ambushed the Uruk-hai scared her. What about Merry and Pippin? Had they already reached Isengard? How would they meet Treebeard and set into motion the Ents fighting against Saruman now?

Just like she feared, things had changed... again.

Like in the movie, they came upon the set where the Uruk-hai are slain before Fangorn Forest. There was no grand pile of burning; no Uruk-hai head staked on a spear. But there were clumps of dead Uruk-hai bodies. Arrow shafts didn't protrude from their backs, chests, or necks.

Each dismounted to survey the ground, hoping to find a clue about Merry and Pippin.

It was a good sign finding the Uruk-hai dead—meaning the hobbits hadn't been delivered to Isengard. But what had happened? Earth was broken and had been violently dug up like something burst through the ground. Dirt clods and grass were lodged in some of the Uruk-hai's helms and armor. One of them lay awkwardly like he listened to the earth; getting closer, Rowan found his head shoved into the ground.

Rowan glanced at the dark forest. With its gnarled trunks and roots, and a heavy shroud of darkness deeper within, the forest truly looked evil. It gave off a foreboding aura against trespassing.

Had something come out of the trees and killed the orcs? Could Ents have done this? Was there something dangerous in the woods that Tolkien never mentioned, so Peter Jackson didn't put into the film?

"What killed them?" Rowan asked Aragorn.

Squatting, the Ranger had been searching the ground; now he sat on his haunches, looking around in bewilderment. "I'm not sure. There are no tracks, but the signs left behind present a riddle unlike any I have ever seen."

"How so?"

"The earth is broken from the inside like roots shot up to impale the Uruk-hai, or as in that one" —he gestured at the orc with his head buried— "wrapped around their necks to pull them under. These Uruks and orcs are considerably less.

"If this was indeed the work of the Ents you have mentioned, Rowan, they are more violent than what you have said, and more aggressive than those from the Old Tales." He looked up at Legolas. "What of you? Has Elven-kind heard of such Ents?"

"No. My kind awoke the Onodrim long ago, but they did not teach them vehemence. This worries me. I fear the Darkness has sickened Fangorn."

"That pleases me," Gimli said.

Boromir gripped the dwarf's shoulder. "Hearten yourself! If our young friends have fled into the forest, like Rowan said, then in we will go." He looked over at Aragorn. "What news of Merry and Pippin?"

Aragorn walked around some more, eyes to the ground the whole time. He kneeled a few times before getting up and moving to another spot. Finally, he gave a cry.

"Two hobbits lay here." He moved up, tracking them and continued to call out what he found: "They crawled... Their hands were bound..." He picked up some thick but frayed rope. "Their bonds were cut!"

The Ranger hurried on their zigzagging path. "They ran over here.

"Their tracks lead away..." Aragorn said as he followed the trail, then slowed to a complete stop. The Ranger squatted to brush away dirt and grass, cast about, then moved side to side doing the same thing.

Rowan glanced at the dark trees, realizing the Ranger wasn't anywhere near entering it. "Their tracks lead into Fangorn Forest... right, Aragorn?" Panic rose at his refusal to answer. "Right?"