Part II: Chapter 3, Lost in Middle-Earth

As they crawled through the forest, the lembas began to boost their strength. Soon, they were walking. "Whoa," Dominic gasped. "This air is unbelievably thin! You need an oxygen mask or something."
"Hey, as long as we follow the Entwash and see *actual* Ents, I can survive. Besides, once we meet up with Treebeard, there's the chance that we might grow a few inches!" Billy smiled and cupped his hands to the crystal clear water, taking in greedy sips. It was the best water he'd ever tasted. Sweet and clear.
"Which way do we go?" Dom said.
"I'd say follow the way this water goes downstream, we'll probably be on our way. Other than that, the trees look all the same and if we go away from the Entwash we'll be lost forever."
"Good point, Pip." Dominic chuckled. So the two hobbits began to follow the stream through that hot, exotically tropical feeling forest.
Seconds turned into minutes. Fifteen minutes later, the hobbits had a feeling they were going the wrong way. "Wait a second, maybe that wasn't such a good point, Billy." Mr. Monaghan said. "I remember something about sun, and a stair carved into a hill, but there isn't any sunlight."
The Took had gone on ahead. "Oi!" He pointed up. "Look, a bit's filtering through! Follow that sunlight!" They ran towards the sun. Presently, they came upon a great, gray, stone hill.
"Now we're getting somewhere!" Dominic proudly reported as he climbed the steps.
"Yes, and I can *breathe* again!" Billy said. "But what about Treebeard? Where's he?"
"What about me?" Was heard a great booming voice behind them. The partners in crime leapt around to face the Ent, as happy as children on Christmas morning.
"You're an Ent!" They cried in unison.
"Why, why, hoom, yes I am. Hm, hrum, hroom, but what are you?" He started reciting the old list of all creatures and ended up with a puzzled look on his face.

"We aren't on the lists. We call ourselves hobbits, or halflings. I'm Peregrin Took, or Pippin. And this is Meriadoc Brandybuck, but you can call him Merry." Billy said.
"Ah, so that's what the little creatures are. Shall we add another verse?" Treebeard questioned.
"Half-grown hobbits, the hole-dwellers!" Dom and Billy said together.
"My, what a smart verse, hm." Laughed the Ent. "Let us get back to my, hroom, abode." He picked up the happy hobbits and marched off to one of his many homes.
"Score!" Billy said under his breath.
All the way to the Ent's "house", they chatted about Ents, what was happening, and the goings-on of distant lands. Up they trod a long slope, and at the top were two trees almost as if guarding the entrance. They moved aside as Treebeard stepped near, and two hobbits entered what they thought was the most beautiful place in all Middle-Earth.
"This is amazing!" Billy said as he whirled around, taking it all in.
"Yes, hoom, my young halfling. This is an Ent-House. Are you tired, hoom? Thirsty? Take some of this." He lightly commanded, setting a bowl of Ent-draught in front of them. After a few slurps, Treebeard started again. "Tell me of your journey, hm. How did you get to my forest? And do not be hasty. I have all the time in the world."
The hobbits told everything (all except about the party and how they were dropped here). They talked about the Shire, how beautiful it was, and about the Barrowdowns, Rivendell, Moria, Lothlorien, and lastly, perhaps the saddest, Amon Hen. Then they changed their tone and talked about Ugluk, Grishnakh and their torment. Treebeard pounded the table (Ent-Houses only have tables, no chairs) and there was a tremor when he spoke.
"Yes, this Ugluk, he is a burarum, his master is Saruman."
"Burarum?" Dom pronounced with great difficulty. "Oh, you mean orc?"
Treebeard shook his head. "You hobbits are most hasty, hoom. Anyway, this horrible Saruman has taken my trees, *my* friends, for his horrible work. I've known some of these from acorn and nut. Their cheerful voices do not fill Fangorn anymore. All because of that, that, hrum!" Treebeard hit the table again. "I was too hasty, but I do believe, hm, we must destroy that wizard's abode, hroom. He is a cruel and hroom, horrid neighbor. And you will help me."
Billy pointed at himself. "Us? Um, we really probably shouldn't I mean, we..."
Dominic poked him with his elbow.
"Pip!"
"We, we aren't properly rested. Show us the way!"
"Good, we now, hm, must assemble the other Ents, hrm. There are not many left, some have been turned pretty, hrum, well, tree-ish. And some went off in search of our Entwives."
"What are Entwives?" Dominic asked, trying to make the story flow. Treebeard launched into the least hasty "short" story ever. He told of how the Entwives were not happy with the same place, and how they went away, never to be seen again. For a long while, he sat quiet and very still.
"Still we must get the others." The Ent said when he got over his feelings.
"Fangorn, Finglas, Fladrif. I'll go get them. You stay here, hm, hrm." As he tramped off, Billy looked at Dominic.
"So much for not being hasty."
The next morning the two awoke in the fresh glade that made up the Ent-House.
"Well, now, let us be off, little hobbits, hm. We're going to an EntMoot." A long while Treebeard strode with the hobbits in his hands. Finally, he came to a spot and set the hobbits gently to the ground. The Ent cupped his hands to his lips and blew out a summon which sounded much like the Horn of Gondor.
Memories flooded Dom's heart. He wondered what had happened to the others and felt a feeling of hatred to Saruman. He wished EntMoots didn't take so long. They walked off to explore as the first few Ents arrived. Treebeard arrived after a while with Bregalad, or Quickbeam. Quickbeam looked to be one of the younger Ents. They walked, Billy, Dominic, and the Ent until they heard familiar Entstrides coming towards them.
"We come, we come with the roll of the drum, ta-runda runda runda rom!"
Sang the many baritone voices. Soon the voices changed. "To Isengard! Through Isengard..." The singing was endless. They kept marching with the travelers place in an Ent's hand. The song finally stopped as dusk approached. Many trees and Ents had joined the marching lines. Soon they stood overtop a valley with a tall, evil-looking tower in the center. The Ents stood, hair rustling in the breeze.
"Night lies over Isengard." Treebeard said with a smile.