towers

Chapter 3
THE URUK-HAI
Pippin lay in a dark and troubled dream: it seemed that he
could hear his own small voice echoing in black tunnels,
calling Frodo, Frodo! But instead of Frodo hundreds of hideous
orc-faces grinned at him out of the shadows, hundreds
of hideous arms grasped at him from every side. Where was
Merry?
He woke. Cold air blew on his face. He was lying on his
back. Evening was coming and the sky above was growing
dim. He turned and found that the dream was little worse
than the waking. His wrists, legs, and ankles were tied with
cords. Beside him Merry lay, white-faced, with a dirty rag
bound across his brows. All about them sat or stood a great
company of Orcs.
Slowly in Pippin’s aching head memory pieced itself
together and became separated from dream-shadows. Of
course: he and Merry had run off into the woods. What had
come over them? Why had they dashed off like that, taking
no notice of old Strider? They had run a long way shouting
– he could not remember how far or how long; and then
suddenly they had crashed right into a group of Orcs: they
were standing listening, and they did not appear to see Merry
and Pippin until they were almost in their arms. Then they
yelled and dozens of other goblins had sprung out of the
trees. Merry and he had drawn their swords, but the Orcs
did not wish to fight, and had tried only to lay hold of them,
even when Merry had cut off several of their arms and hands.
Good old Merry!
Then Boromir had come leaping through the trees. He had
made them fight. He slew many of them and the rest fled.
But they had not gone far on the way back when they were