- The following morning our three travelers run into these horsemen, who are led by none other than Éomer.
- While the meeting is a bit hostile at first, eventually they warm up a bit and Éomer even offers them two horses after telling the story of Théoden's corruption by Saruman, which resulted in his own banishment.
- Unfortunately, he also tells them that they left none alive when they slaughtered the orcs. Oh, and they didn't see any hobbits.
- So Gimli, Aragorn, and Legolas ride to the pile of burning orc corpses and, while at first dismayed by the smoldering hobbit belt, Aragorn sees signs of their struggle in the earth.
- They follow this path and realize Merry and Pippin escaped into Fangorn Forest.