<Scene moves from the trackers into the nighttime chase of Merry and Pippin. The hobbits run into the Fangorn, seeking to lose the pursuing Orc. They collapse onto the ground, out of breath.>
Pippin: Did we lose him? <Looks around> I think we lost him.
<Suddenly, Grishnákh appears from behind the trees, brandishing a blade.>
Grishnákh: I’m gonna rip out your filthy little innards! Come here!
<Merry and Pippin run and hide behind a tree.>
Merry: Trees! Climb a tree!
<Pippin and Merry quickly scramble up a tree each.>
Merry: <Looks around and then sighs in relief.> He's gone.
<Suddenly, Merry is pulled by his legs and falls to the ground. Grishnákh leans over him with his menacing blade. Merry tries to kick him off but to no avail.>
Pippin: Merry!
<Pippin looks down in horror but as he turns his head, he spots a pair of gleaming yellow eyes blinking in the tree he’s clinging to. The tree starts to move and groan.>
Treebeard: Hooooo...
Pippin: Argh!!
<Pippin loses his grip in fright and grabs at the air futilely as he falls. The tree catches him before he hits the ground.>
Grishnákh: Let’s put a maggot-hole in your belly. <Suddenly he senses something behind him and as he looks up, the tree stomps and squashes him onto the forest floor.>
Pippin: Run, Merry!
<Merry tries to run away but is scooped by the tree.>
Treebeard: <Looks at the creatures in his hands> Little Orcs! Burárum...
Pippin: It’s talking, Merry. The tree is talking!
Treebeard: Tree?! I am no tree. I am an Ent. <Stomps slowly through the forest.>
Merry: A treeherder! A shepherd of the forest.
Pippin: Don’t talk to it, Merry. Don’t encourage it.
Treebeard: Treebeard, some call me.
Pippin: And whose side are you on?
Treebeard: Side? I am on nobody’s side because nobody’s on my side, little Orc. Nobody cares for the woods anymore.
Merry: We’re not Orcs. We’re Hobbits!
Treebeard: Hobbits? Never heard of a hobbit before. Sounds like Orc mischief to me! <Tightens his hold on the hobbits and squeezes them. Merry and Pippin whimpers in pain> They come with fire, they come with axes. Gnawing, biting, breaking, hacking, burning! Destroyers and usurpers, curse them!
Merry: No, you don’t understand. We’re Hobbits... Halflings! Shirefolk!
Treebeard: Maybe you are and maybe you aren’t. The White Wizard will know.
Pippin: The White Wizard?
Merry: Saruman.
<Treebeard drops them on the ground and the hobbits look up at the White Wizard.>
<Following Gollum, Frodo and Sam reach the end of Emyn Muil and see that Mordor is now closer.>
Gollum: See, see, we have led you out! Hurry hobbitses hurry. Very lucky we find you.
<Gollum jumps on a rock. Frodo walks past, Gollum shrinks as Sam draws near.>
Gollum: Nice hobbit. <Leaps after Frodo, putting a wide berth between him and Sam.>
<Sam’s foot slipped into muck.>
Sam: Whoa, it’s a bog! He’s led us into a swamp!
Gollum: A swamp, yes, yes. Come, master. We will take you on safe paths through the mist. Come, hobbits, come. We go quickly.
<Gollum looks back and gestures for the hobbits to follow.>
Gollum: I found it, I did. The way through the marshes. Orcs don't use it. Orcs don't know it. They go round for miles and miles. Come quickly. Swift and quick as shadows we must be.
<The marsh lands stretch for miles and miles as far as the eye can see. The hobbits and Gollum appear as little specks. As the three pick their way gingerly though the marshes, they see faces floating in the water, still, rotting and pale, and flickering flames on the swamps.>
Sam: There are dead things! Dead faces in the water!
Gollum: All dead. All rotten. Elves and men and orcses. A great battle long ago. <Turns to face the hobbits.> The Dead Marshes. Yes, yes that is their name. This way. Don’t follow the lights.
<Sam’s foot slips again into the water.>
Sam: Ohh!
Gollum: Careful now, or hobbits go down to join the dead ones and light little candles of their own.
<Frodo is drawn to one of the faces in Elven armour. He stares at it intently, until suddenly its eyes open and Frodo falls face-down into the water.>
Sam: Frodo!
<Frodo is in the water and sees many faces of the dead, no longer still but screaming and grasping, their rotten robes and hair flowing about their gruesome faces. Their hands are reaching for him. Suddenly he is grabbed from behind. Frodo sputters and gasps for air as Gollum pulls him out of the water.>
Frodo: <Looks at Gollum in perplexed gratitude and disbelief.> Gollum...
Gollum: Don’t follow the lights! <Crawls away>
Sam: <Runs to Frodo’s side.> Mr. Frodo! Are you alright?
<Frodo lies panting, staring after Gollum>
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