Chapter soundtrack: 'My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark' by Fall Out Boy.

♪ = cue music

† Chp. XXXVII †

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"Koda?!" I exclaim, my eyes wide in suprise as I observe the tall harad who looms over my position on the ground.

A wide smirk carves onto his dark features, and he offers me a hand. I accept the gesture, jumping to my feet.

With a large grin, I envelope the man into a firm hug. His chest vibrates with a chuckle as he wraps his arms around my torso.

"Well, that was certainly a memorable reunion." I retort, stepping back and crossing my arms.

"Your fighting has gotten rather sloppy." He teases, and I raise a brow.

"That's what happens when you're trained by an amateur." I reply with an emphasised attitude.

"That's what happens when you run on impulse and overconfidence, let alone picking street fights with strangers." Koda fires back.

"You've got to admit, I did kick his ass." I retort, lifting my chin.

The dark man raises his brows, his brown eyes trailing down to my bicep.

"What have you done this time?" He questions, gently placing his fingers against my arm, and lowering his head to observe the thick burns with furrowed brows.

"My reunion with an old friend didn't go so well." I reply with a snort, pressing my lips together. "I guess it has turned into a common occurance."

Suddenly, a movement towards the side of the alley grabs our attention, and Pippin emerges from the crates, rubbing the top of his head. I jump back from Koda, observing the hobbit for any injuries, however he seems to be fine. The harad's abrupt arrival distracted my mind from the halfling.

"What's going on?" Pippin questions, continuing to rub circles a top his curly head.

And I can completely understand the hobbit's confusion. Koda would seem rather odd to anyone who has never encountered the Haradrim race, for the Southrons can seem fierce and daunting when first sighted. The tall man hides an array of tattoos beneath his cloak, the designs decorating his brown skin as symbols of both skill and culture. His facial structure is bold, almost harsh, although his voice is rather smooth for that of a harad. Amongst this is the fact that we were having a brawl only minutes ago.

"Pip, meet Koda. He's been a friend of mine for awhile." I introduce, bringing Pippin closer to the man.

"Well that was a great way of greeting a friend." The hobbit remarks, eyeing down the harad.

"Someone needs to keep the girl on her toes." Koda remarks, ruffling Pippin's hair, before moving to step out of the alley. I swiftly grip his shoulder in order to hold the man back.

"Wait, won't it be dangerous for you to walk around all these Gondorians?" I question with concern, before narrowing my eyes and furrowing my brows. "In fact, why are you here to begin with?"

Koda turns to face me, his body standing within close proximity to my own.

"I don't agree with the alliance my race has formed with Mordor. Middle Earth is in grave danger, and I would prefer to fight for good over some ungodly swine." He retorts, and I can feel his warm breath against my cheeks, causing slight tingles to prick the back of my neck. "These people are oblivious to the war which lays around the corner, let alone Sauron's allies."

And with that, he turns into the street. I shrug down at Pippin, gesturing him to follow as I move to step beside my old friend.

A female outlaw, a hobbit, and a harad. Don't we just make such a motley crew.

Although, the humorous diversity is expanded as Gandalf can be spotted moving towards us in a hurried pace.

"Slow down, grandpa, you might cramp your back." I remark, haulting as the wizard comes to stop infront of us. He sends me an irritated glance, before his eyes scan over Koda, although he doesn't seem to express any concern.

"There is a task now to be done." Gandalf informs, his eyes falling to land on Pippin. "Another opportunity for one of the Shire folk to prove their great worth."

The wizard then spins on his heel, turning back to troop uphill. I get the impression that he expects us to follow, which I happily oblige to, as I am rather curious as to what 'needs to be done'.

"Need some help?" Koda questions. "Or are you still little miss independence?"

"We've got this." I reply with a subtle smirk, sending a quick glance towards the hobbit.

"I wouldn't doubt you for a second. I'm getting something to eat." Koda remarks, lightly punching my shoulder, before turning to head in the opposite direction. I notice the way in which others seem to move out of his way, as the harad's height sits taller than most men, his confident stride an aspect of his race.

Pippin and I rush behind the wizard, and Gandalf leads us to the base of what appears to be a watch tower.

"The outcome of this task determines the fate of Gondor. You must not fail me." He utters, looking between Pip and I.

No pressure.

"Is that even a possibility?" I grin. Pippin heads towards the cliff base, and I follow in pursuit, devising a plan before we carry out the task.

•

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↚third persøn↛

High up, in the summit of the mountains overlooking Minas Tirith, sits the watch tower. A narrow stone bridge seperates the beacon from the two guards, who seem to be more interested in their brew over keeping watch.

The bitter wind nips at their armoured figures, as snow encases the mountain peeks, a contrast to the fiery chasm which boils across the wide plain.

One of the metal-clad men hands a bowl of hot stew to his fellow guard, a rather nice meal to keep their stomachs warm, when a disturbance coming from the side grabs their attention.

A young girl, wrists bound behind her back and a rag sealing her jaw, stumbles towards the men, her steps weak and uneven. Her boots scuff along the stone ground, as she fails to lift her feet.

Through the way in which she sways, and how heavy her eyelids seem to appear from the way she squints her eyes, exhaustion is evident. It is quite an odd sight for the two guards, seeing a young, tied girl stumbling a top the summits of Gondor. And quite frankly, it is also rather concerning.

One of the men raise his sword, however his companion is soon to scould.

"Lower your blade. Can you not see that she is bound and exhausted?"

Robin stumbles closer, before coming to a hault, attempting to speak, however the rag restricts her words.

"How has she scaled the summits?" The man replies, resheathing his sword.

"Must've climbed the stairs." His fellow guard answers, stepping towards Robin with narrowed eyes. "Although, I am curious as to who she runs from."

"Orcs?"

Suddenly, Robin heavily sways, and the first guard races forward, supporting her shoulder with his steady hold to prevent her from toppling over. Lowering his head to observe her hands which rest against her back, his brows come into a heavy furrow.

"Her wrists are not bou-"

Before the guard can finish his sentence, Robin catches his arm, twisting the limb and kicking his side in order to send the man to the ground.

She lifts her gaze, her eyes meeting that of the other, rather shocked, guard.

♪

The man reaches for the hilt of his sword, and Robin dashes forward, sliding across the ground and kicking the man's heel. His body comes to the ground with a hard impact, and his sword clutters to the side. Robin stands to her feet, using her boot to kick the blade over the edge.

The guard rises, and races forward, but Robin is quick to duck away from his launch. With a stumble, the man finds himself attempting to regain his balance over the side of the high platform, and the outlaw grabs the back of his armour, tugging the man back onto firm ground. He spins around, and Robin sends a forceful kick to his stomach, causing the man to fly against a wall, his head hitting the stone with a hard impact.

One opponent down. However, another guard still remains conscious, and he storms towards Robin from behind.

The outlaw spins at the sound of his heavy footsteps, and barely manages to block his swing. Whilst attempting another hit, he steps forward, and Robin dashes to the side, kicking the joint of his knee with a swift roundhouse.

He stumbles to a kneel, and the outlaw removes the rag from her mouth, tightly wrapping it around the man's throat. The guard gasps for air, clawing at the cloth which constricts his neck.

Right as the man seems on the edge of passing out, Robin releases her hold, sending a hard punch to the side of his head. He falls limp, and the outlaw kneels to catch his head before it can smash against the stone ground.

"Now, Pip." Robin shouts, standing and turning her head towards the stacked wood and straw which adorns the beacon. A small, curly head pops up from behind the pile.

The halfing heaves himself upwards, scrambling to the top. His breaths are heavy, which is understandable considering he quite literally just scaled a mountain.

Gripping the edge of the large bowl of oil, Pippin reaches for the burning lamp, however his short arm cannot reach past the wide metal dish.

Suddenly, a supporting rope snaps, and the container of oil spills upon the dry material below. Pippin lunges forward and grabs the lamp, tossing it down at his feet. A burst of flame flickers upon the beacon.

Robin rushes across the bridge with a loud cheer, and the halfing grins at the young outlaw, before making a sudden realisation.

He's standing upon a burning stack of wood and straw.

Robin haults before the beacon, her eyes wide in realisation, and she holds her arms out towards the worried halfing.

"Jump!" She orders. "I'll catch you!"

The hobbit leaps from the burning stack, and heaves into Robin's arms, causing both the individuals to barrel over. Just as they lift themselves to view the beacon, it erupts into flame.

"That's my boy!" Robin exclaims, gripping onto the halfling and bringing him into a loose bear hug. The two watch the flaring fire with wide grins, and a new found sense of hope.

And from that single lighting on the hobbit's behalf, the fire spreads. Beacons strewn even across the summit of Gondor's mountain range burst into flame, signalling for the lighting of the next visible stack.

Hope has been kindled.

From the harsh, ridged stone adorning the mountains, to the snowy summits above the clouds, each beacon adoring the seven peaks of the White Mountains come to light. From Amon Din, the 'silent mound', to Amon Anwar, the 'Hill of Awe' the fires spread from East to West. Until, the final lighting upon the 'Holy Mountain' of Gondor, overlooking the Firien Wood, catches the eye of a certain ranger.

Aragorn stands to his feet, observing the distant flame from the city of Edoras, before breaking into a sprint. The man races through the town, kicking up dust as he barges into the great hall.

"The beacons of Minas Tirith! The beacons are lit!" Aragorn shouts, grabbing the attention of each body which scatters the large room. He comes to a hault in front of the King, speaking with heavy breaths.

"Gondor calls for aid."

Theoden looks upon the man, as silence seeps it's way into the atmosphere. Tension arises, the population awaiting the decision of their king.

"And Rohan will answer!" Theoden announces. Aragorn breathes out in relief. "Muster the Rohirrim!"

Eowyn looks to Eomer with a wonderous expression, and her brother places a reassuring hand upon her shoulder. He moves away, obeying the orders of the king.

What the rider fails to notice is the burst of flame which flickers within his sister's eyes.

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So, what's your opinion on Koda so far?

Our Harad man will be played by  Ricky Whittle.

P.s Happy New Year to all my Merry Men / Women!

May 2019 bring you endless amounts of happiness <3