General Plot

The orcs that Serethiel has heard of have come to Orthanc seeking the vat technology that Saruman used to create Uruk-hai. They know they cannot stay long -- too close to Rohan and the Ents of Fangorn have taken the place over. But the Ents move slowly and the Riders cannot be everywhere at once. They have come in minor force -- two hundred of them -- to search the ancient tower from top to bottom -- and of course they will find what they are looking for in catacombs under the tower.

Elessar is still focused on the Sea of Rhun area though and he sends Serethiel and Umar with his warband of twelve Riders to investigate what is going on in Isengard.

They come across the orcs preparing to leave with what they came for -- but they don't know what it is.

Will they investigate the lower levels to see what is there, or track the orcs to see where they go.

Eventually they will be able to follow the orcs across half the world back to the Sea of Rhun.

There is an island in the middle of the sea when the orcs are amassing an army, hidden from view. Now they have the vat technology they can start to build super warriors.

Determined to find out what is happening Umar and Serethiel will try to sneak onto the island and investigate. They find the vats and the hidden army, but get spotted. Running away, Umar stays to hold them to allow Serethiel to get to their boat and warn King Elessar. She is torn, but duty is duty.

She warns the king and then goes back for Umar with his warband

Serethiel and Umar's warriors sneak back onto the island and come upon a scene where Umar is about to be sacrificed to their dark gods and they have to rescue him.

There are too many orcs to fight their way out, so instead they go underground, into the heart of the ancient temple of the black gods that the orcs have been using as their new base of operations. Here they come across an evil force that bars their way and Serethiel must overcome it with her elven powers. Helpless to assist her, Umar must watch as she is ravaged by the evil force, but in the end she overcomes this obstacle and they all escape to a tunnel that leads north under the sea to the woods at the north end of the Sea of Rhun.

Here they meet up again with Elessar and Eomer and can guide a large force through the hidden tunnel to spring upon the orcs from behind while the main army assails the island from the sea.