A/N: Written for a Pipathon challenge on LJ. Thank you to Pipwise for the beta!

At the End of One Quest and the Beginning of Another

"It's a bit like coming home, isn't it, Merry, for all the time we've spent here," Pippin said, nodding toward the Tower of Orthanc. Looking quite out-of-place amidst the clear water and green orchards surrounding it, it stood not far from where the hobbits now sat and smoked, resting alongside the other travellers after their ride. "Though it seems a more comfortable place now than it did when we last saw it," he added with a grin.

"Treebeard and the Ents have been busy," Merry noted, admiring the absence of stone and steam and smoke that had so cluttered Isengard after the battle.

"Where are those Ents? Do you think we will see them today?" Sam asked, his voice hopeful. Two tall trees now stood marking the path toward Isengard and he squinted up at them curiously, as if expecting them to suddenly spring to life.

"If I know Treebeard, he saw us arrive, and he already knows who and how many we are, and what we are doing and saying," Pippin said, laughing as Sam warily glanced around, looking for watchful eyes. "I'm sure he will be along soon enough, but there is no use being hasty when it comes to Ents, Sam. They walk and talk and do things at their own pace."

Sam looked doubtful but Frodo laughed as he once did, so loudly and full of mirth that it sounded strange amongst the quiet trees. "Well, that's something I didn't expect – Pippin telling Sam to be patient!" He laughed again and shook his head. "You, my dear cousin, have grown in more than just height," he added, wagging a finger at Pippin.

Just then they heard a hoom-hom sounding in the distance, and the travellers looked up to see Treebeard and Quickbeam coming along the path. Sam's eyes grew round and he timidly hung back, staring as the Ents greeted the company.

Treebeard knew more about what they had done in the far-off places of the world than even Pippin had expected, and he praised each person in turn until at last his piercing gaze settled on Frodo and Sam.

"Hm, hoom, now, Merry and Pippin, these must be your kinsfolk," he said, his eyes twinkling brightly. "I have heard much about them as well."

Frodo bowed in greeting, but Sam stared in awe at Treebeard.

"Bless me, but Hal was right," he cried, and promptly burst into tears.

Treebeard's eyes flickered in confusion, and he looked down at Sam in concerned bewilderment.

A sudden memory came to Pippin and he gasped aloud, wondering how he could have ever forgotten it. "Of course," he muttered half to himself and, heedless of the confused stares he was attracting from both the Ents and his fellow travellers, excitedly turned to Sam, who was furtively wiping his nose on his sleeve.

"I just remembered something," Pippin said, babbling in excitement. "Once during a visit to Bag End, Frodo sent me to the market and I overheard Ted Sandyman talking about you, Sam. I didn't say anything at the time, but he said you were getting to be as cracked as any Baggins, because you said that your cousin had seen a walking tree."

Sam glanced apologetically at Frodo. "He did say those horrible things, Ted did, but Halfast did see an elm tree walking across the North Moors. Our Hal wouldn't lie about that," he said with a mighty sniffle.

"Of course he wouldn't," Pippin said, soothingly patting Sam's shoulder to the amusement of their friends. He glanced up at Treebeard with a grin. "Perhaps one of the Entwives did make it to the Shire!"

Treebeard muttered to himself, a sound like low, rumbling thunder in the distance, and his eyes flickered, bright and green. "Hoom, you are very hasty, Pippin," he said. He swayed for a moment in thought and tugged at his mossy beard. "But you may be right. I did think that the Entwives would like your country."

"I'll look for them," Pippin said suddenly. "There are Tooks in the Northfarthing. When we get home I shall write to them and ask if they have ever seen anything. They might know just where to start searching."

"And Hal and I will help you, Mr. Pippin," Sam said with a firm nod. "I'm sure he hasn't forgotten what he saw and where he saw it and I know a thing or two about plants," he added, straightening his shoulders before he flushed and cast a worried look at the Ents. "Begging your pardon, sirs. I meant no harm."

Treebeard rumbled again, this time in laughter. "Hoom, well, perhaps you will find them. Send word to me if you do. I am glad that ‘hobbits' were added to the old lists after all," he said, his eyes twinkling merrily as the conversation turned to Saruman.

---

"Well, Sam, what do you think of the Ents?" Pippin asked him later, after Treebeard and Quickbeam had left them and the travellers were preparing to leave Isengard.

"They're not quite what I expected," Sam said slowly. "After hearing you and Mr. Merry speak of the Ents and all they did I thought this Treebeard and his folk would look like warriors and not be so treeish, if you follow me. I didn't expect him to look at all like that tree Hal saw. And his eyes! I've never seen anything like them. Why didn't you say anything about his eyes, Mr. Pippin?"

"I would have, if I had known how to describe them," Pippin mused thoughtfully. "Even now I can't think of the right words to use. After the orcs, and the Forest being so dim, Treebeard's eyes were the first bit of light and brightness that Merry and I had seen in, well, in days. It's…it's not easy to describe something like that."

Sam nodded. "I understand," he said. "They remind me of the Elves, the Ents do. So happy and sad and strange, all at once."

"You're right," Pippin agreed. "And even though they've both been here for so long, it feels like they're always leaving." He looked toward the cluster of trees that Treebeard and Quickbeam had disappeared into. "I don't want the Ents to disappear, Sam. I wish we could find the Entwives for them."

"Perhaps we will, Mr. Pippin," Sam said and he, too, gazed in the same direction. "Perhaps we will."