Saruman is standing in his chamber, his palm over the Palantír. "The world is changing." He says. View changes to the tower of Barad-dûr, showing orcs matching across a bridge. "Who now has the strength to stand against the armies of Isengard and Mordor." He sneers. "To stand against the might of Sauron and Saruman, and the union of the Two Towers.". On top of the tower of Barad-dûr sits the Eye of Sauron.

"Together, My Lord Sauron, we shall rule this Middle-Earth," Saurman says. Orcs are working in the caverns of Isengard. Voiceover: "The old world will burn in the fires of industry. Forests will fall. A new order will rise. We will drive the machinery of war with the sword and the spear and the iron fist of the orcs." "We have only to remove those who oppose us."

Saruman surveys the pits of Isengard. "I want them armed and ready to march within two weeks!" Saruman sneers. "But my Lord, there are too many! They cannot all be armed in time; we don't have the means." An orc explains, scared. Build a dam, block the stream, work the furnaces night and day." Saurman demands. "We don't have enough fuel to feed the fires." The orc says again. "The Forest of Fangorn lies on our doorstep. Burn it." Saurman says.

Saruman holds an audience in his chamber. "We will fight for you," Dunlending says. "Swear it," Saurman says. Dunlending cuts his hand with a large knife. Blood drips out of his fist. "We will die for Saruman," Dunlending says.

———

Saruman is standing in the middle of a group of Wildmen, who are holding torches and weapons. "The horsemen took your lands. They drove your people into the hills to scratch the living off rocks." He says to the wildmen. The group murmurs in agreement. "Take back the lands they stole from you. Burn every village!" He yells. The crowd roars with approval. "It will begin in Rohan. Too long have these peasants stood against you. But no more." Saruman's voice comes on the sound tape. The Wildmen and orcs attack a village. A woman calls out to her children. "Èothan, Èothan! You take your sister. You'll go faster with just two." She puts a little girl onto the horse in front of her brother.

"But Papa says Èothan must not ride Garold. She's too big for him!" The little girl, Freda says. "Listen to me! You must ride to Edoras and raise the alarm. Do you understand me?!" The woman urges. "Yes, mama!" Èothan says as he holds onto his sister. "I don't want to leave! I don't wanna go!" Freda cries. "Listen to me. I will find you there." The mother says. "Quickly!" She looks as her children ride away. "No child!"

The army sets fire to the village. Èothan and Freda look back from a distance. "Rohan, my lord, is ready to fall," Saurman says again.

———

On the banks of the Isen river, bodies of men and horses lie in the rain. Men on horseback approach. "Théodred. Find the king's son!" Eómer says to his men. "Mordor will pay for this." One of them says solemnly. "These Orcs are not from Mordor." Eómer sneer. Èomer kicks over a dead Orc, revealing a white handprint on its armor. "My Lord Èomer. Over here!" Another soldier calls to his captain.

Èomer rushes to Theodred and turns him over. "He's alive!" He exclaims.

———

The group of horsemen rides across the plain. Èomer carries a wounded Théodred in front of him. A woman runs up the stairs to the Golden Hall of Meduseld and enters a chamber where Èomer has taken Théodred. She kneels in front of the bed. "Théodred!" She exclaims. Èomer gives his sister a meaningful look, and Èowyn draws back the covers and sees that Théodred's wound is fatal.

The two are with king Théoden, sitting motionless on his throne, looking aged beyond his years. "Your son is badly wounded, my lord," Èowyn says sadly. "Orcs ambushed him. If we don't defend our country, Saruman will take it by force." Èomer adds grimly.  "That is a lie!" The man called Grima hiss as he appears from the shadows and walks to the king. "Saruman the White has ever been our friend and ally." He continued.

Théoden mumbles feebly to Gríma, who leans closer to the King. "Orcs are roaming freely across our lands. Unchecked, unchallenged, killing at will." Éomer informs. "Orcs are bearing the white hand of Saruman." He adds. He then drops a helmet onto the ground. It has the white handprint on it. "Why do you lay these troubles on an already troubled mind?" Grima says with false concern.

"Can you not see? Your malcontent, your warmongering, wearies your uncle." He says to Éomer. "Warmongering?!" Éomer exclaims, angry at the little man. Èomer grabs Gríma and pushes him against a pillar. "How long is it since Saruman bought you? What was the promised price, Gríma? When all the men are dead, you will take a share of the treasure?" He hisses in Grima's face. Gríma's eyes flick to the right, watching Èowyn as she walks by, who stops to stare back for a moment before departing.

Èomer jerks Gríma again and clutches his hand around Gríma's jaw. "Too long have you watched my sister. Too long have you haunted her steps." He sneers. Gríma's eyes look to the left, and he relaxes, and Èomer is pulled off Gríma by guards. "You see much, Èomer son of Èomund. Too much." Grima snarls. "You are banished forthwith from the kingdom of Rohan, and all its domains, under pain of death." He adds.

"You have no authority here. Your orders mean nothing." Éomer growls. "This order does not come from me. It comes from the king." Grima says and displays an order with a sunburst seal and a scrawled signature. "He signed it this morning." He adds with a sicking grin. The guards take Éomer. "Argh!" He protests.

———

Uruk-hai and orcs continue to march. Aragorn, Legolas, Glóreddhel, and Gimli run after them. "Keep breathing; that's the key! Breathe! Hooh!" Gimli mumbles to himself as he runs after his friends. "They run as if the very whips of their masters were behind them." Legolas jokes, and Glóreddhel chuckled softly. Legolas sends her a smile. The Uruk-hai and orcs stop at nightfall.

"We ain't goin' no further 'till we've had a breather!" Uruk pants. "Get a fire going!"Uglúk orders. Pippin crawls towards Merry. "Merry! Merry!" He calls. "I think we might have made a mistake, leaving the Shire, Pippin," Merry says softly. As the orcs chop at the trees, low groans and rumbles come from the forest. "What's making that noise?" Pippin says and looks around.

"It's the trees." Merry answer.  "What?" Pippin says. "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." Merry says. "Alive?" Pippin asked.  "Trees that could whisper, talk to each other. Even move." Merry adds. "I'm starving. We ain't had nothing but maggoty bread for three stinking days!" Uruk suddenly says, growing the Magot bread on the ground.

"Yeah! Why can't we have some meat?" The orc rests his eyes on the hobbits. "What about them? They're fresh!" Snaga sneers. "They are not for eating!" Uglúk snarls, angry. "What about their legs? They don't need those. Ooh! They look tasty!" Grishnák snickers. "Get back, scum! The prisoners go to Saruman. Alive and unspoiled." Uglúk snarls again. "Alive? Why alive? Do they give good sport?" Grishnakh hiss. "They have something. An Elvish weapon. The master wants it for the war." Uglúk says.

"They think we have the Ring," Pippin whispers to Merry. "Shhh! As soon as they find out we don't, we're dead." Merry whispers back. "Just a mouthful. A bit off the flank." Snaga hiss and licks his lips. Uglúk cuts off Snaga's head.

"Looks like meat's back on the menu, boys!" Uglúk laughs. "Pippin, let's go!" Merry whispers Yelp to pippin. The hobbits try to crawl away, but Grishnák catches Pippin. "Go on, call for help. Squeal! No one's going to save you now!" He sneers. A spear pierces the orc's back. Riders burst out and attacked the orcs. "Pippin!" Merry calls, and they head towards the forest. Suddenly Pippin turns and looks up at a pair of thrashing hooves bearing down on him.

"Argh!" He screams.

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Thanks for reading this far:)

-Saph