...Gwaihir who told him what had happened? And didn't Aragorn have to spend a
long time explaining what had happened to them?
IIRC, Gandalf had been weary from his ordeal with the Dark Tower and was
worried about that experience for a long time. I am not sure that he would have
even been thinking about Merry & Pippen at that time (although it was 2 or 3
days later - not sure).
I think he very deliberately trying, even then to get Sauron's attention
focused on Isengard, and to deal with this threat before Mordor was ready to
attack, and the Ents were the ones he 'chose' for this. Presumably Gwaihir was
aware of the army in Isengard
I like your idea about Gandalf starting the Orc quarrel, although, in the
circumstances, I do think they were more than capable of starting that
themselves.
"... in storm he delights, and laughs amid the roaring of the waves."
