Return to our Destiny.

5. Meat's Back on the Menu

Uruk-hai and orcs, continue to march trying to reach Isengard before they are caught up to. But Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli are persistent and will continue to run after them. "Keep breathing, that's the key! Breathe! Hooh!" Gimli gasps as he chases after his two long legged companions. "They run as if the very whips of their masters were behind them." Legolas says before he starts running even more. 

***

The Uruk-hai and orcs stop at nightfall. "We ain't goin' no further 'till we've had a breather!" an Orc gasps out from the prone position he threw himself into. "Get a fire going!" the Uruk leader ordered, Merry and Pippin are pitched to the ground a few feet from each other. Pippin crawls towards Merry. "Merry! Merry!" Pippin says softly but urgently, "I think we might have made a mistake, leaving the Shire, Pippin." Merry says tiredly.

As the orcs chop at the trees, low groans and rumbles come from the forest. "What's making that noise?" Pippin asks, Merry sits up with a bewildered look on his face, "It's the trees." Pippin starts to look around more than a little confused and scared. "What?" Merry nods, "You remember the Old Forest? On the borders of Buckland? Folks used to say that there was something in the water that made the trees grow tall, and come alive." he says.

"Alive?" Pippin asks, Merry smirks. "Trees that could whisper, talk to each other. Even move." he says locking eyes with Pippin. "I'm starving. We ain't had nothing but maggoty bread for three stinking days!" one of the Uruks, growls as he throws down his bread. "Yeah! Why can't we have some meat?" one of the orcs says before catching sight of the two hobbits. "What about them? They're fresh!" he asks as he spits as he speaks. 

"They are not for eating!" The leading Uruk says. "What about their legs? They don't need those. Ooh! They look tasty!" the leading orc stats as he moves towards the two hobbits. the leading Uruk pulls Merry and Pippin back as he growls at the advancing Orcs, "Get back, scum! The prisoners go to Saruman. Alive and unspoiled." the Orcs look at the hobbits from around the Uruks, "Alive? Why alive? Do they give good sport?" he states then makes a gross noise.

"They have something. An Elvish weapon. The master wants it for the war." the leading Uruk says explaining what Saruman told him and the previous leader. "They think we have the Ring." Pippin says worriedly and Merry shushes him, "Shhh! As soon as they find out we don't, we're dead." he says just before one of the orcs sneaks over to them, a blade raised and ready, "Just a mouthful. A bit off the flank." but he never gets the chance to swing. 

The leading Uruk cuts off the orc's head. It falls and lands between the two hobbits whom wiggle to get away from it. "Looks like meat's back on the menu, boys!" The Uruk-hai pile on the dead orc. "Pippin, let's go!" Merry calls as they take the chance to escape. The hobbits try to crawl away, but Pippin is caught by the leading Orc. "Go on, call for help. Squeal! No one's gonna save you now!" he says and just before he's about to harm the hobbits,

A spear pierces the orc's back. Riders burst out and attack the monstrous party. "Pippin!" Merry calls as the hobbits head towards the forest. Suddenly Pippin turns and looks up at a pair of thrashing hooves bearing down on him. "Argh!"

***

Thilia and Boromir reached the northern part of the Forest of Fangorn a little after midmorning. The pair had to stop for a bit due to Boromir needing some rest. As they arrived they could see gray smoke billowing up from over a section of hills. Worried they rushed to get to there the smoke came from. When they got there; there was a pile of burning bodies. The head of an Uruk is on a spike, 

Jumping down from the horses, they rushed to the pile of bodies, fumbling around looking for any sign of the hobbits. But the fire was still going and to avoid spreading the fire, they had to wait till it died out. So they shifted to the smaller piles that were already out. It wasn't till early afternoon when they were able to go through the biggest pile. Thilia was digging when Boromir noticed the two approaching horses, with the familiar faces of their friends.