Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Two Gundams ❯ Isengard Vanquished ( Chapter 7 )

Chapter 7: Isengard Vanquished

Standing on the damaged battlements of Helm's Deep, a clear dawn revealed that the strange forest that had sprung up at the end of the canyon was gone. Everyone was relieved, most of all Duo.

“I really didn't want to go through those trees,” Duo said. “I think they had murderous intentions.”

“Judging by the number of earthen mounds I don't recall being there before,” Eomer said, “I think they carried out those intentions on the orcs.” Eomer seemed to have recovered from his impromptu tiger spit-bath, although he generally kept several people in between himself and Roku.

“Indeed,” Gandalf agreed gravely. “I would say that the forest of Fangorn avenged ancient wounds yesterday.”

“I still say trees shouldn't be able to walk,” Duo grumbled.

“I think it unlikely that such an event will occur again,” Gandalf said.

“Good!”

“It is well that the forest is gone,” Théoden said. “I want our people to be able to return to Edoras, but I would not have wanted them to pass under those trees. Eowyn, will you lead the way? I would like to accompany Gandalf to Isengard.”

“I cannot accompany you?” Eowyn replied unhappily.

“You should have an escort, sire,” Eomer added worriedly.

“We will all be going as well,” Treize said, indicating himself and the other Gundam pilots. “We want to make sure the rest of our family is all right. “

“We will be going also,” Gimli said quickly. “I am still anxious to learn how our young hobbits fare.”

Legolas and Aragorn nodded in agreement.

“I think an escort of eleven men, three of whom are wizards, should provide adequate protection for his majesty,” Treize said.

Eomer wasn't happy about this. “Perhaps that would be so in normal times, but these are not normal times. If you would heed my counsel, I would advise that some one hundred of my riders and I accompany his majesty to ensure his safety. The remainder can escort my sister and the rest back to Edoras, or wherever their homes may lie.”

“That is wise counsel, nephew,” Théoden said. “It will be as you say. And once we have dealt with Saruman, we will return to Edoras with all due haste.”

With the plans made, they were quickly put into action. Supplies were assembled and bundled into packs for the former refugees to carry back to their homes and for the party heading for Isengard to put into their saddlebags. When everything was ready, Théoden looked around with a wistful expression.

“Once again, Helm's deep has saved the people of Rohan. This battle will never be forgotten.”

“It is not the first great battle that was fought and won here,” Aragorn said. “But let us pray it is the last.”

“It better be,” Heero muttered. “It's hardly a safe place anymore with the wall breeched, the gate knocked in and the doors battered down.”

“No kidding,” Wu-Fei murmured in agreement.

Théoden apparently hadn't heard their exchange. He continued in the same grave tone. “Let us be on our way to Isengard and finish this.”

A steady flood of people, on foot and on horseback, flowed down the ramp from the keep and set out across the plain. The refugees made their way nervously between the fresh mounds of earth where presumably the trees had interred the orcs. No one talked much, clearly considering it bad luck to speculate how trees had accomplished this task. Once they were past the end of the canyon, Théoden and his party split off and headed across country toward Isengard. The track they followed was scraped free of vegetation.

“I think this is the way the trees went,” Trowa remarked.

“Did you have to say that?” Duo complained. “Now I won't be able to stop worrying about catching up with them.”

Trowa shielded his eyes and looked ahead. “I don't see anything. I doubt we'll overtake them.”

“They're trees! How fast can they possibly move?!” Duo scowled. “I want to go back to Mars. It's a nice airless place with nothing but little, young trees.”

“Don't worry, Duo,” Wu-Fei said sympathetically. “I promise that if I see any trees trying to sneak up on you, I'll set them on fire.”

“You're a good friend, Fei.”

“How long will it take to reach Isengard, Gandalf?” Quatre asked.

“Two days, should we encounter no impediments,” Gandalf said.

“We could fly ahead, Mama,” Roku suggested. “Two days by horse is less than day on the wing.”

“Very true, but we should stay with the others for now. Duo, did you tell Zechs we were coming?”

“Yeah. He says watch out for flooding.”

“Flooding?”

“Uh-huh. Apparently, Saruman stopped up the river and the dam was broken during the battle. There was some pretty significant flooding as a result.”

“Ah.”

They didn't see any signs of flooding on the first day, but very early in the morning on the second day, the river near which they were camped suddenly rose from a trickle to a significant torrent.

“Well, that's something!” Eomer exclaimed. “This flow is much more normal for this river this time of year. I had been wondering where the water got to, and now we know.”

They broke camp quickly to avoid getting caught in the overflow and continued on their way.

At midday, one of the riders pointed ahead. “Do you see that? It looks like smoke!”

“Smoke rising above Isengard?!” Théoden exclaimed. “What could it mean?”

“It's not smoke,” Roku said. “It's steam. It kind of stinks.”

“Do you smell anything else?” Trowa asked curiously.

“Dead orc, wet tree bark, crushed granite, rusting iron, damp hobbit, fresh mud, soggy wool, tobacco smoke, wet little girls, rotting hemp and Uncle Zechs.”

“Damp hobbit?!” Legolas cried.

“Tobacco smoke?!” Gimli exclaimed eagerly.

“Zechs?” Treize murmured with a smile.

“There's other stuff, too.”

“I think that's sufficient,” Quatre said.

“Let's hurry!” Théoden said. “I am anxious to see what has befallen the wizard's lair.”

They pushed ahead and by mid-afternoon were slogging through knee deep water that squelched with mud underneath, approaching the partially tumbled-down wall surrounding the tower of Orthanc. As they drew near, Gimli suddenly cried out.

“Look there! I see two young hobbits perched on the stones ahead!”

“Did you only just now spot them?” Legolas smirked. “I observed them quite some time ago.”

Since the two of them were riding the same horse, with Gimli in back, the dwarf used the advantage of his position to clout Legolas on the side of the head. “And you said nothing? Knowing how worried we've been, a kindly word would have been appreciated, wretched elf!” Gimli waved his hand. “What ho, little ones! Well met!”

The hobbits stood up and waved back.

“Ahoy, Gimi!” Merry cried. “Well met, indeed!”

Pippin just puffed contentedly on a long-stemmed pipe and smiled.

“What is this?!” Gimli snorted. “We chased you half-way across Rohan, fearing for your lives, and here we find you smoking!”

“And drinking ale,” Pippin added. He picked up a tankard from the stone beside him and quaffed it.

“I never!” Gimli spluttered.

“There's another barrel,” Pippin said.

Gimli rubbed his chin. “Well, then…” he began, but Gandalf interrupted.

“I see there has been some hard work done here,” he said. “Where is Treebeard? We should hold council, I think.”

“He's over there,” Merry pointed off randomly. “The Ents are still ripping down the walls and filling in the pits. They've found all manner of stores in the process. We've been collecting it up and assembling it in a room near here that's still mostly intact. We can have a pretty good dinner tonight.”

“Nice!” Duo rubbed his hands together. “We can always count on hobbits to make sure they've got their next meal lined up.” He slid off his horse. “We'll help. Where are Jett and Alexa?”

“Jett's with a couple of Ents warbling holes into the tower walls so the Ents can get their fingers in,” Merry reported. “Alexa and Zechs went to get some supplies that the Ents found in a room they exposed a little while ago in the wall over there.” Merry waved a hand rather vaguely off to his left. “But since Zechs said you would arrive today, we decided to wait for you.”

“I see.” Gandalf rubbed his chin. “Well, Théoden and I should meet with Treebeard. The rest of you I'm sure have catching up you want to do.” He, Théoden, Eomer and a handful of riders picked their way through the fallen stones and went off more or less in the direction Merry had indicated.

Treize followed them. “I'm going to look for Zechs and Alexa.”

“Stay close to the wall,” Merry advised. “It's hard to spot the bottomless pits under all the water.”

Everyone eventually made their way inside the wall to discover that the valley of Isengard had become a shallow lake. Here and there the shattered remains of timbers stuck up out of the water, but otherwise, nothing but the looming black tower and several of what looked like skeletal trees broke the expanse of murky water.

“I'm surprised the flood didn't knock those trees down,” Gimli said.

“They're not trees,” Pippin said. “They're Ents.”

“Ents?”

“Tree-herders!” Merry said. “Shepherds of the forest! I thought they were a myth, but that's what Treebeard and his ilk are. They look like trees until they start moving about.”

Duo held his head. “No more walking trees!”

“They talk, too!” Pippin put in.

Duo groaned.

“Here comes Jett.” Pippin pointed. Marching toward them through the water at a stately pace was what looked like a birch tree, with Jett sitting on a branch swinging her legs.

“That's just not right,” Duo muttered.

“Momma!” Jett shrieked. Several leaves fluttered off of the Ent she was in. “Oops! Sorry!” Jett shinnied down the Ent and splashed the rest of the way to them on foot. “You're here! Come and see! I made a big crack and Mr. Saruman started crying.”

The birch tree Ent stopped near them and made a rustling sound that might have been laughter. “It was an amusing sight. The wizard stood on his balcony shaking his fist and demanding that the child cease breaking his tower.” The Ent rustled again. “I think perhaps I did see the sparkle of moisture on his cheeks.”

“We should probably leave Saruman until Gandalf is ready to deal with him,” Aragorn said. “We've ridden far today and I wouldn't say no to food, drink and a smoke.”

This sentiment was shared pretty much by everyone, so the group set about making a meal and exchanging stories. Merry and Pippin were astonished to hear about the battle at Helm's Deep, and everyone else was equally stunned to hear about the fall of Isengard. Treize, Zechs and Alexa returned with more supplies while everyone was talking, so some stories had to be repeated, but in the end, everyone knew what had happened to everyone else.

It had gotten dark by then, so when Gandalf and the rest rejoined them, along with Treebeard, it was decided to leave the matter of Saruman until morning, and everyone settled down to sleep, since the Ents were keeping guard. But in the morning, everyone remounted their horses and Gandalf led the way to the tower along a path flanked by Ents to keep them out of the pits. Roku swam along beside them, weaving in and out around the trunks of the Ents. As they drew near, Saruman appeared on a balcony far above them.

“You have no business here, Gandalf the Gray!” Saruman shouted at them. “Begone!”

“I am Gandalf the Gray no more, Saruman,” Gandalf called back. “I am Gandalf the White, tasked to fulfill the duties you shirked when you fell under Sauron's spell.”

“I am under no spell!” Saruman snorted. “My mind and my powers are my own!” He lifted his staff and a bolt of lightning sizzled into the water in front of Shadowfax's nose.

Shadowfax flicked an ear and huffed air out of his nose.

“He seems unimpressed,” Treize remarked.

“But he just called Saruman something most unflattering,” Trowa snickered.

“There's a man up there with him,” Roku said. “It's that Grima person Théoden kicked out of Edoras.”

“Grima?!” Théoden said in surprise. “Grima!” he called. “Come down from there! You do not have to throw your lot in with that wizard. Forgiveness may yet be had should you seek it.”

“Forgiveness for a traitor?” Grima squeaked from behind Saruman, but there was a hopeful note in his voice.

“Silence, fool!” Saruman backhanded Grima angrily before leaning back over the rail. “Leave this place at once. I warn you…” He held up his staff again, but Gandalf made a sharp gesture. With a loud crack, Saruman's staff snapped in two and tumbled from his fingers. “No!” Saruman screamed. “How dare you?!”

“There can be forgiveness for you, too, Saruman, but only as a mortal man,” Gandalf said gravely. “Your power is gone.”

“Never!” Saruman picked up the broken pieces of his staff and flung them at Gandalf, but his robe caught on the edge and something fell from his pocket with a loud thunk. “Ah!” The wizard turned to retrieve the object, but Grima, already on his knees, was quicker. He scooped up the object and flung it over the railing with a strangled cry.

“You fool!” Saruman shrieked. He grasped Grima by the neck and shook him so hard that they could all hear Grima's neck snap.

“Grima!” Théoden cried.

While everyone was distracted by Grima's unfortunate demise, Pippin, who'd been sitting behind Gandalf on Shadowfax, slid off the horse and splashed through the water to where the object had fallen.

“I don't think you should touch that, Pippin,” Roku said.

Pippin lifted the object from the water; a dark glass orb the size of his head. “But you saw the way Saruman reacted! It must be important!”

“Undoubtedly,” Roku agreed. “But that doesn't mean you should touch it.”

“Pippin!” Gandalf suddenly called. “Bring that here at once!”

“See?” Roku said.

Pippin slogged guiltily over to Gandalf and held up the orb.

Gandalf quickly secreted it away in one of his pockets. “I do not think Saruman would have readily given this up,” he said. “It is as well that Grima threw it, though it cost him his life. Treebeard, I think you can stop guarding the tower. Saruman no longer has his staff, so he cannot harm anyone. Let him go.”

“What?!” Heero, Wu-Fei, Trowa, Quatre, Duo, Treize and Zechs shouted in unison.

“You're going to let him escape?!” Quatre clarified for the group.

“He can no longer do any harm,” Gandalf said. “What is the point of slaughtering him now?”

“Maybe to avenge all the men who died at Helm's Deep?” Treize snapped instantly.

“And he may not have power, but that doesn't mean he's harmless,” Zechs pointed out.

“Nevertheless,” Gandalf said, “vengeance is useless here. It is time we returned to Edoras.” He reached down to grab Pippin's hand and hauled the young hobbit back up behind him. Then he turned Shadowfax around and rode away, followed by Théoden, Eomer, Aragorn and Merry, Legolas and Gimli, and the rest of the riders of Rohan.

“Who besides me thinks this is the stupidest idea anyone's had today?” Heero growled.

Eight hands and a paw shot up.

“Good!” Heero nodded sharply. “The rest of you go on ahead. Wu-Fei and I will wait here and finish cleaning up the mess. We'll catch up with you later.”

“Sounds good,” Treize said.

Zechs just shook his head. “Who in his right mind thinks leaving a live enemy behind is better than leaving a dead enemy behind?”

“It's hard to fathom,” Trowa agreed.

“It's a good thing we're here,” Quatre said. He nudged his horse to a walk. “Don't be too long, you guys.”

“We won't,” Wu-Fei said.

Outside the valley, the Gundam pilots quickly caught up with the rest of the party.

“Where are Heero and Wu-Fei?” Aragorn asked.

“They're bringing up the rear,” Quatre replied calmly. “Just in case the Ents missed someone.”

Aragorn studied him suspiciously. “We saw no one on the way here.”

“It never hurts to be careful.”

The company stopped to make camp about an hour before sunset. It had been full dark for about an hour when Heero and Wu-Fei rode into camp.

“Did you run into trouble?” Aragorn asked. “You fell quite a ways behind us.”

“No trouble,” Heero said. “The way behind us is safe and clear.” He lifted an eyebrow at the other Gundam pilots.

Aragorn frowned. “I think you have acted in defiance of Gandalf's instructions,” he whispered sharply. “Or am I wrong to think that Saruman no longer lives?”

“You're a clever man, Aragorn,” Heero replied. “So I'm sure you recognize the wisdom of not leaving a dangerous person on the loose, no matter how helpless some people might imagine him to be.”

Aragorn chewed his lip. “Well, perhaps that was the wiser decision in the long run, but it might have been better to discuss it.”

“We did discuss it.”

“I meant with us.”

“Oh.”

“Well, it's done now,” Wu-Fei said, “so further discussion is pointless. What's for dinner? Something that died recently, I hope?” He sniffed with vague alarm at the smells wafting from the cook fires tended by the riders.

“You wish,” Duo smirked. “But Roku has apples.”

“Bless you, Roku. What else have you got?”

“Food-wise? Three beef roasts, one of which is uncooked, four hams, six roast chickens, a roasted duck, three live ducks, eight trout, two frogs, a dozen snails, some mushrooms, fifteen ears of corn, a bushel of potatoes, three bunches of carrots, seventeen onions, twelve garlics, eight loaves of bread, some dark, some rye and some white, a wheel of hard yellow cheese, about a third of a wheel of soft white cheese, a bushel of red and yellow apples, a tub of butter, three jars of currant jam, a small cask of red wine, two barrels of ale, a jug of milk and an assortment of canned goods.”

Wu-Fei stared. “You have canned goods?”

“And a can opener.”

“Back up,” Duo interrupted. “I want to know why there are snails.”

“They're fun to lick out of their shells,” Roku said. “They're the big kind.”

Wu-Fei grimaced. “I'll pass. How about just an apple, some cheese and a little bread?”

“Sure thing.”

“Just when did you acquire all of that food, young man?” Quatre demanded sternly.

“There was a lot of stuff lying around in the back rooms of Helm's Deep. Since everyone was leaving, I didn't see any reason to just leave it there to spoil. And the rest I picked up back at Isengard.”

“I doubt either of those places had canned goods.”

“Oh, that. I got that before we left Mars. Just in case.”

Quatre put a hand over his face. “From where?”

“Miss Noin's house.”

“You stole Noin's canned goods?!”

“I left her a turkey.”

“A roasted one?”

“No, it was alive. I didn't know when she'd get a chance to eat it.”

Quatre rubbed his temples. “You left a live turkey in Noin's house?”

“Yes.”

“She's going to kill us.”

“But she said she liked turkey.”

“This cannot possibly end well.”

Roku waved a paw. “You worry too much.”

“He's right, Quatre,” Trowa said. “Try not to think about it.”

“You'll feel differently when we all die at Noin's hands.”

“I'm sure she'll forgive us. Noin is very understanding.”

“I don't think we're talking about the same person.”

“Maybe we'll get lucky and Sally will take care of the turkey before Noin ever sees it,” Zechs said.

“Personally,” Treize said, “I would like to know where Roku got a live turkey on Mars.”

“That's the sort of question that should probably go unanswered,” Zechs replied.

“True.”

“Does anyone else want anything?” Roku asked.

“I want a chicken,” Jett replied.

“Eat some vegetables with that,” Duo said absently.

“And some carrots,” Jett added.

“I'll have the same,” Alexa said. “With an apple. And bread.”

“And butter and jam,” Jett continued.

“If food is being handed out,” Gimli spoke up, “I wouldn't say no to a nice pair of trout.”

“Did I hear you mention ham?” Aragorn asked.

"Yup."

“It's too bad you haven't any lambas bread,” Legolas said.

“Oh, I have some of that,” Roku replied. “I just didn't mention it because Papa Wu-Fei asked me about food.”