Huzzah for updates! :) Thanks for the review, Rivan Warrioress! :D This is the next-to-last part.

It's flattering that you think I own Lord of the Rings. It's sad that I have to tell you the truth: I don't.

Part IV

Welcoming

Treebeard looked down at Isengard, and hatred filled him. His leaves ruffled, and he turned to his fellow Ents to holler, "RELEASE THE RIVER!" Yes, it was a good plan. This would distract Saruman and kill off all of his orcs, those orcs that chopped, hacked, and burned.

Treebeard watched as the killing commenced. Yes, it was a very good thing that the council had agreed with him. For the heck of it, the Ent lumbered over and picked up an orc. "For the trees," Treebeard creaked, and hurled the orc as far as he could. The orc landed with a satisfying splash.

The Ent got down to business, throwing orcs here and there. Other Ents were doing the same. And then the river came crashing down, washing away all of the orcs that were left behind. Treebeard stood still until the water settled. He turned toward the tower of Isengard, looking at the top of the tower. There was a lone figure in white standing there, hair blowing in the wind.

Treebeard glared at Saruman. "Come down!" Treebeard bellowed. "Come down and see what we have done!" Saruman, being the coward he was, backed up on his balcony, and disappeared back into the tower. Treebeard made a snarling noise and turned toward the nearest Ent.

"We need those hobbits," he rasped, and they really did get down to business then.

There were strange sounds coming from Isengard ahead. Aragorn dug his heels into Brego's side, and the horse quickened his pace. Aragorn passed Legolas and Gimli, and soon he was at the front, beside Gandalf.

"What's happening up there?" Aragorn heard himself whisper. Gandalf didn't even spare him a glance. Aragorn realized that Gandalf probably didn't want Aragorn to know. How horrible was it? What was even happening? It sounded like rushing water and trees crashing to the ground, with the occasional screech of an injured orc.

They came to a halt at the edge of the forest. Legolas muttered something in Elvish; he'd muttered it too low and too fast for Aragorn to bother translating. Gandalf lifted his staff. Aragorn drew his sword. They all would have launched themselves into the battle if it hadn't been for the Ent that suddenly halted in front of them.

"Gandalf the White," the Ent groaned. "Welcome."

Gimli evidently had the sudden urge to snicker. He didn't repress it.

"Isengard is ours," the tree continued, "but Saruman remains in his tower. We have two of ours trapped inside with him. I fear what he may do."

Aragorn swallowed. "What two?" he demanded. He felt Gandalf's eyes on the side of his head. "What two!"

"Two hobbits," the Ent responded, and Aragorn's heart sank. He'd hoped that wasn't going to be the answer. "We were all about to go inside to fetch them." Aragorn had to wonder how the Ents were going to manage to fit themselves through the door. He shook off the ridiculous thoughts of Ents running into the sides of the tower and tried to focus on the situation at hand.

"Let's attack!" Gimli suggested, lifting his axe. But Gandalf shook his head, raising a hand, signaling for silence.

"I shall take care of this," Gandalf said. He lifted his staff, pointed it at the tower, and began to murmur. Aragorn felt something odd stirring in the air around them. The Ent stepped back several times. For a few seconds, nothing happened.

Aragorn was suddenly bored, although he was very tense. Perhaps he was just casting about for something else to ponder on. He looked at their surroundings. There were trees, many trees, and water spilling over from the grounds of Isengard into the forest. The tower was looming above it all, looking dark and cold. Directly to Aragorn's right was a huge hunk of rock, with a flat top, sticking up above the water but still under the canopy of the trees. He stared at the rock for a while.

Suddenly, the rock wasn't sitting there alone; there were two new forms atop it. One of them, the standing one, was slashing around with a sword. The other was lying unconscious on the ground, soaked in blood.

Pippin Took turned round. His brown eyes widened, and he dropped to his knees, throwing the sword away. It splashed somewhere in the water beyond. He buried his face in his hands. "You're here," he said. Aragorn heard hitches in Pippin's voice and knew, with a feeling of discomfort, that the hobbit was sobbing. "You're here."

"We're here," Gandalf said, moving Shadowfax over to stand beside the rock. Gandalf offered his hand up to Pippin, and Pippin removed his hands from his face, taking Gandalf's hand in his left. He swung himself onto Shadowfax behind Gandalf. "Peregrin, what has occured?"

Aragorn wanted to know, too. He urged Brego forward the slightest bit, to make sure he heard everything. "We escaped into Fangorn Forest, away from the orcs, but…Saruman found us." Pippin sniffled and hiccuped. Aragorn was suddenly full of hatred, all directed at Saruman; it was because Aragorn could recall the carefree Pippin that the young hobbit used to be. "He tried to get us to tell him about the Ring…he thought we had it. He tried to get everything out of me first, but – but I fell unconscious. I guess…I guess Merry stayed conscious…"

Aragorn looked anxiously at the other hobbit, still unconscious on the rock. Merry was bleeding from a variety of wounds. He was missing his cloak and his waistcoat, and his shirt was badly buttoned, as if someone had thrown it back on him and not even bothered to button it correctly. There was a gash on the side of his head, but that looked days old. Merry's left leg looked the worst. It was purplish and yellowy, like it was bruised; spreading from a strange crescent-shaped puncture were what looked like long black veins. Aragorn took a deep breath.

"Poison," he whispered. There were slight gasps from the people of the company behind him. Aragorn narrowed his eyes, hating Saruman even more. He walked Brego over to the rock, reached over carefully, and lifted Merry. The hobbit remained unconscious.

Aragorn arranged Merry carefully in front of him. He exchanged a long look with Legolas, who also seemed to be thinking that they would never speak with Merry again. Pippin was crying quietly into the folds of Gandalf's robes.

And they started on the long road to healing.