Pippin awoke from dark dreams to find reality was worse. Surrounded by hundreds of Orcs. Merry was beside him but unresponsive. Pippin desperately tried to piece together the events from earlier that day. He and Merry had foolishly left the others to find Frodo and ran into the Orcs. They drew their swords but the Orcs did not try to fight. Each time they tried to grab one of the hobbits they were met with a slash and stab of the sword. Merry had cut off several hands. Boromir came crashing through the trees and then the Orcs had to fight. The Man of Gondor slew many but when no help came after his horn blow the Orcs attacked. He could not remember much more. "His last memory was of Boromir leaning against a tree, plucking out an arrow; then darkness fell suddenly" (p. 47, The Two Towers).
Pippin felt scared and useless thinking Elrond right for not wanting to send him. His Orc guards ordered him to cease moving. He began to realize he could understand the harsh voices around him. They were using the common tongue since there were Orcs from the Misty Mountains, Isenguard, and Mordor. And to his horror Pippin realized they were talking about their captives. Some wanted to kill them quickly. A deep voice said his orders were to bring them in alive. A softer voice, and yet the most evil, agreed with the deep voice saying also that they must not be searched. The deep voice agreed. Again a cry was raised to kill them; clearly from the Orcs from the Misty Mountains who had come for vengeance on the Fellowship. The deep voice, Ugluk, said they were going to Isengard. "'Is Saruman the master or the Great Eye?' said the evil voice. 'We should go back at once to Lugburz'" (p. 49, The Two Towers). This was Grishnakh from Mordor.
The conversation became heated with Ugluk and Grishnakh trading insults. Soon weapons were drawn. Ugluk stepped forward and beheaded two other Orcs and his comrades killed others. The Isengarders were in control and Ugluk called for the fighting to cease. They needed to stick together and make good speed across horse-country (Rohan). One of the bodies had landed near Pippin. Using a blade he quickly cut his wrist bonds making a loose knot so as to appear he was still bound. A scout return reporting that a single horsemen was seen in the distance. Ugluk called for the company to set out at once berating the scouts for not killing the man. They roughly handled the hobbits forcing a dark, strong liquid down their throats. Pippin found his strength renewed and Merry was revived. Ugluk even treated the gash in Merry's head for he needed the hobbits to be able to move on their own.
On and on they ran. Pippin and Merry were guarded by three Orcs each. Pippin was thinking of what he might be able to do. "Every now and again there came into his mind unbidden a vision of the keen face of Strider bending over a dark trail, and running, running behind" (p. 52, The Two Towers). Could it be? Even if Strider followed how would he be able to pick up hobbit tracks with so many heavy footed Orcs around? In an instant Pippin swerved out of the reach of his guards and ran away. Quickly the Orcs were after him and just before they caught him he let drop the Elven broach on his cloak given to him in Lorien. His plan had worked. He could not escape but he had left signs that he and Merry were alive should the others be following them.
Pippin's vision was accurate. Long through the night the Three Hunters (Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli) were making their pursuit. Aragorn figured they would take the straightest path to Isengard and was searching for a trail in Emyn Muil. Legolas called his companions finding the bodies of the Orcs slain hours before. "Five dead Orcs lay there. They had been hewn with many cruel strokes, and two had been beheaded. The ground was wet with their dark blood" (p. 24, The Two Towers). They were unsure of what happened and Aragorn's best guess was a quarrel had broken out that ended in blows. But only the bodies of the Orcs from the Misty Mountains were present.
Aragorn was able to pick up the tracks from that point. As the deep night gave way to gray and the a sunrise over lands Aragorn paused to look in the direction of Gondor saying a poetic lament about his desire to go home. It was a brief respite before chasing the Orcs again. As they left the Emyn Muil into the outermost edges of Rohan Legolas spied an Eagle up high. By my count this is the third time the Fellowship had seen an Eagle since leaving Lorien. With his longsighted eyes Legolas could see it was flying urgently North. He was also able to make out a large company, some 12 leagues ahead of them across the plains. In the clear light of day the Hunters went forward with all speed. The fair lands of Rohan, where spring seemed ready to burst, invigorated them.
Suddenly Aragorn cried for them to halt. He spied small footprints breaking from the pack of Orcs and bent to pick something up. He told his friends they were plainly hobbit footprints and most likely Pippin's and then he held aloft a green leaf shaped broach which Gimli and Legolas recognized instantly. "'Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall' said Aragorn. 'This did not drop by chance: it was cast away as a token to any that might follow'" (p. 26, The Two Towers). This gave great encouragement to the Hunters. Legolas urged his companions on: "'Come! Let us go on! The thought of those merry young folk driven like cattle burns my heart'" (p. 27, The Two Towers).
Middle-earth timeline: Third Age, 3019, February 26-27th
Today's reading comes from: The Two Towers, pages 47-52; 22-27
No comments:
Post a Comment