Trapped in Isengard
Treachery! Pareth had a feeling that the Dunlendings in Tal Methedras under the leadership of Lheu Brenin could not be trusted. It was just a strong hunch and it started when she learned that a Dunlending had throne a stone at Saeradan of the Grey Company.
After tending to Saeradan and doing her best to ingratiate herself to the Falcon-clan in Tur Morva, she sensed the under-current of hostility from some of the locals. And whenever she spoke to Lheu Brenin, he never looked her in the eyes. To Pareth, that was a sign that he could not be trusted, and she discussed her misgivings with some of her companions.
It seemed that Théodred, prince of Rohan, shared her feelings and confided in her. At his request, Pareth scouted the areas around the Rohirrim camp to see if she could spot anything unusual. She found nothing and reported back to Théodred.
As it turned out, Pareth’s misgivings were accurate. Lheu Brenin deceived them all and Pareth, along with some of the Rangers and her companions, were captured and brought to Isengard. There they were taken down to the depths of Isengard and were treated as slaves.
Pareth was not treated as roughly as the men, but she was sent to the kitchens to clean up slop, and was taunted and threatened by the servants of the White Hand. But what chilled her the most was her meeting with Saruman. She saw madness in the wizard’s eyes. He would stop at nothing to get the One Ring for his own devices. His cold laughter gave her chills. She would never forget his piercing eyes while he questioned her relentlessly about the whereabouts of the Fellowship. She didn’t know enough to be of any use to him. So she was taken away and she presumed that she would perish in Isengard.
She had almost given up hope until she was sent with a bucket of slop to the dungeons. There was a prisoner who beckoned to her. He whispered that he knew how to escape Isengard and that he had a plan and explained it to her. But Pareth had to defeat the prison guard in order to get the keys to unlock the prisons. She did and they carefully and quietly made their way back to the surface of Isengard, without attracting any attention.
They had stolen some of the black powder that Saruman’s minions had left unattended. They would create a diversion using the black powder to set off a massive explosion and destroy one of the largest war machines in Saruman’s arsenal. One of their group would be left behind to set the explosion. It was a very risky plan but it worked and Pareth escaped unharmed except for minor injuries.
Little did she know that she would one day have to return to that awful place, but she would not go alone. Saruman’s treachery was now out in the open. And the horse lords of Rohan were ready to avenge their fallen comrades. They didn’t know it yet, but they would soon get help from the most unlikely source.
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