Merry's POV.

We ran through the forest until we could hardly breathe. It wasn't until we stopped at the base of a huge tree that I realized my fingers were still interlaced with Sria's. I dropped her hand and raked my fingers through my messy hair awkwardly.

"Did we lose them?" I panted pathetically. Sria must think me out of shape.

"I think we lost them," Pippin replied. Sria remained silent, staring hard up at the trees, which were groaning louder than before. There was a look of unquestionable fear in her eyes, and the only thing I wanted to do was take her in my arms and comfort her.

"It will be all right," I said lamely, touching her arm gently with my fingers. She flinched slightly and looked up, staring into my eyes. A slow smile crept across her face, and my stomach began to do backflips.

"I'm gonna rip out your filthy little innards!" A raspy voice suddenly panted. I whipped around to see an Orc run the very same path we had tread not moments ago.

"Run!" I hissed to Sria and Pippin, and we tore off through the forest.

We finally came to the bottom of an old, gnarled tree, and I whispered, "The trees, climb!" Sria and Pippin immediately obeyed, and I followed closely behind. When I got about half way up, I surveyed my surroundings.

"He's gone," I said, thoroughly relieved. Sria grinned down at me, and her blue eyes caught the moonlight, shining brilliantly. Suddenly I felt a grimy hand grab hold of my foot and drag me down, the tree's knobby branches catching my cloak.

"Merry!" I heard Sria scream as I hit the ground. There was a great rumbling noise, and I heard Pippin give a surprised yelp. I looked up to see the Orc bending over me.

"Let's put a maggot hole in your belly." he rasped, but I barely heard him. I was too busy looking at a giant, root-like foot poised right above me.

I scrambled out of the way, just as it came crashing down on the Orc. I gazed up in fear at the tree, which had seemingly come alive.

"Run Merry!" I heard Pippin and Sria yell in unison, and I obeyed. I didn't get very far before I was caught around my middle and yanked upwards, finding myself staring into the mossy green eyes of the unusually tall, tree.

"Little Orcs, buur-a-ruum," the tree rumbled, and my eyes widened.

"It's talking Merry, the tree is talking," Pippin hissed. I said nothing. What exactly could you say to a talking tree?

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Sria's POV.

"It's talking Merry, the tree is talking," I heard Pippin hiss through my hair. We were both caught in one of the tree's large, mossy hands, and Merry in the other.

The tree growled. "Tree? I am no tree! I am an Ent." he stated with a hint of pride.

"A tree herder," Merry whispered in awe.

"Don't talk to it Merry," Pippin warned, "Don't encourage it."

"Treebeard some call me," the Ent said, beginning to walk forward with resounding thumps through the forest.

Merry smiled at me, and I couldn't help but smile back, even in the given situation. I found myself with butterflies in my stomach every time he glanced at me; and now it had gotten bad.

"And, who's side are you on?" Pippin asked timidly.

"Side? I am on no one's side! Because no one is on my side, little Orc."

I gulped. I knew where this was going, and I didn't like it.

"Nobody cares for the woods anymore." Treebeard said, and I felt his grip tighten ever so slightly.

"We're not Orcs, we're hobbits!" Merry protested, squirming a little in the tight grasp of the Ent.

"Hobbits? Never heard of a hobbit before," said Treebeard thoughtfully. "Sounds like Orc mischief to me!" he exclaimed, his grip tightening. I groaned and tried to wriggle free, but it was no use.

"They come with fire, they come with axes, gnawing, biting, breaking, hacking and burning!" I felt the circulation begin to cut off from my legs, and I cried,

"No! You don't understand! We're hobbits! Halflings!"

"Shire-folk!" Merry cried, and the grip tightened even worse, causing us all to cry out in pain.

Treebeard grumbled and began to loosen his grip. "Maybe you are, and maybe you aren't. The White Wizard will know."

"White Wizard?" Pippin repeated.

"Saruman." Merry and I breathed in unison. He was taking us to Saruman -- one of the very last people we wanted to see.