Chapter soundtrack: 'On My Way' by Phil Collins.

♪ = cue music

epiløgüe ➴

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Two years has passed since Sauron's defeat.

It almost seems as though the journey never happened, as if it was simply a dream, resting within the back of each participant's mind, only awakened and relived once summoned through memory.

Gondor's king returned, ruling the City of Kings beside his wife, Arwen. Gimli gathered his brothers and lead them to the Glittering Caves, establishing a new Dwarven kingdom. After restoring beauty to many forests, and assisting Gimli in his settlement, Legolas returned to the Woodland realm as guard and heir to his father's throne.

None have seen nor heard from Eretria, however the name 'Robin Hood' continues to spread throughout Middle Earth due to many successful robberies.

A memorial for Boromir has been delicately carved in honour at the peak of Minas Tirith, standing as he used to stand upon the White Tower in the morning.

The four hobbits returned to their homeland, garnished in royal attire and receiving a fair amount of curious glances from onlooking Shire folk. Everything came to settle, though for Merry and Pippin, it was rather hard to return from adventure and adjust back into their quiet little reality.

Samwise Gamgee married the love of his life, Rosie Cotton, and soon became a loving father. Frodo wrote about the adventure, deciding to name his book 'The Lord of the Rings'.

To some, the passing seasons are but ripples ever repeated in the long stream, yet beneath the sun, all things must wear to an end. There must come a time where every living being meets their last moments in Middle Earth, including wizards and high elves.

Gandalf the White sailed to the undying lands, spending the rest of his days in peace. Accompanying the wizard went all those who bore the rings of power. Galadriel, Celeborn, Elrond, and for the first time, two hobbits sailed to Valinor. Frodo and Bilbo Baggins.

The farewell was one to be remembered, as tears glistened down the cheeks of Pippin and Merry. Though, none felt the sadness as deep as Sam, who was last to meet eyes with Frodo before the young halfling's departure.

Now here the three hobbits dwell, within The Green Dragon, surrounded by the cheerful chattering of their own kin. Sam mingles with the crowd, Rosie Cotton by his side, light blue ribbons twirled within her soft ringlets. Pippin takes a swig of his fine brew, whilst Merry draws from his pipe, a lazy grin spread across his round face. Across the table, various other hobbits sit, listening to their talk.

For Merry and Pippin, the adventure had proven to be a spark which kindled a fiery passion. The journey had awoken a hidden desire in their hearts to explore Middle Earth. Though, unfortunately, not many adventurous opportunities reach the Shire. And to others, it is clear to see just how fond the halflings have grown with exploration, for they never shut up about their journey. In fact, at this very moment, they are informing the other hobbits of every fine detail.

"The most beautiful of elves, her hair as golden as a summer afternoon." Merry recounts his first sighting of Lady Galadriel, a puff of smoke escaping from his parted lips.

"Well, isn't that queer." Ted Sandyman, the miller's son remarks, alcohol heavy on his tongue. "You're telling me two hobbits travelled all the way to the elven woods?"

Merry and Pippin nod vigorously, rather proud of their tale. Though, a crackling laugh emerges from Ted, his round face blushing to a bright red.

"Ah, I can hear fireside-tales and children's stories at home if I want to." The drunk hobbit retorts, earning some laughter from the onlooking audience. They seem to believe that the miller's son has scored a point.

A deep frown adorns Pippin's flustered face, and he lowers his mug, chiming up with great confidence.

"It's the truth!" He declares, loud and clear for all to hear. "We even befriended Robin Hood!"

With this statement, a howling laughter arises from the onlooking hobbits. Pippin grows rather irritated at their mocking actions.

"Now you're telling me youse met Middle Earth's most famous outlaw?" Ted questions, a wide grin spread between his rosy cheeks. "My, this tale seems to keep growing queerer!"

"Young Frodo wrote nothing about Robin Hood in those old books of his!" Another hobbit pipes up, leaving both Merry and Pippin rather startled and lost for words of evidence.

"They're both cracking." Ted remarks, taking a swig from his frothing mug. "This is why us hobbits stay in the Shire, going away makes you queer."

The onlookers all agree, merry laughter and faithless smiles adorning their chubby features. Merry rolls his eyes, taking another draw of his pipe. Pippin catches a glimpse of Sam, and calls the halfling over.

"Sam was there! Tell them, they don't believe we met Robin Hood!" The Took proclaims, growing rather desperate. Sam turns to the crowd, two mugs of brew frothing in his hands.

"Ah, yes. Miss Hood." The stout hobbit chimes, a wide smile on his lips as he seems to recount the young outlaw. "Beautiful she is! Like a great tree in flower, hard as diamonds, soft as moonlight. Warm as sunlight, cold as frost in the stars. Proud and far-off as a snow-mountain, and as merry as any lass I ever saw."

"You proclaim this outlaw to be a she? Fancy that, 'Robin Hood' a she!" Ted remarks, chuckling in disbelief. "'She' sure sounds perilous."

"Perhaps you call her perilous because she is strong in herself?" Sam debates, taking a swig of his mug.

"I call her perilous because she is clearly word of tale!" Ted chimes up, earning a widespread laugh to cross the tipsy onlookers. The miller's son then turns to address the audience, spilling his brew in the haste of his action. "If these hobbits are where you get your news from, you'll never want for moonshine!"

Another roar of laughter crosses over the onlooking hobbits. However, they dim to silence as a loud crack splits the air.

The door to The Green Dragon has been swung open, smacking against the wooden wall. Outside stands a hooded figure, their height taller than any halfling. Each and every hobbit looks to the being with both fear and anticipation, a deathly silence cloaking the brewery.

Slightly ducking, the figure steps inside, before straightening their posture and lowering their hood.

The hobbits gasp, some recognising the infamous face, and a spark of delight lights within Merry and Pippin.

Robin's eyes scan across the room, a smug smirk etched onto her face as the breeze from outside fans her locks. Suddenly, another much broader figure ducks down to enter the building, and Merry and Pippin recognise the man to be Eomer of Rohan.

A wide grin spreads upon the outlaw's face as she views the two halflings. With confidence, she strides over, a still silence continuing to linger within the air.

"Well, if it isn't my two favourite damsels." She remarks, approaching the table of gob smacked hobbits.

"Robin!" Pippin calls out, stumbling towards the outlaw and embracing her waist. Robin chuckles, ducking to wrap her arms around his small shoulders. Merry is soon to follow, and Sam stands back, a soft smile on his lips as he meets eyes with the infamous thief.

Robin straightens herself, looking around the pub with a raised brow.

"What, never seen a goddess before?" She questions, causing a curious mutter to arise. Chuckling, she stoops to sit next to Pippin, barely able to fit on the hobbit sized stool. Eomer continues to stand, his head brushing the roof.

The lively chattering returns, though the onlooking hobbits who previously mocked Merry and Pippin now stand with wide eyes and tense postures.

"What brings you to our little town, miss Robin Hood?" Merry questions, his eyes glazed and a lazy grin adorning his rosy face. The audience of halflings grow shocked at realisation of the stranger's identity.

"Well, sir Brandybuck, I believe just over two years ago I made you and your little mate a deal." Robin chimes. Eomer looks to the crowd of hobbits with a curious glance, his arms folded. The halflings shuffle beneath his glare, rather intimidated.

"A deal?" Pippin questions, pondering her words. As if lighting a mental spark, his eyes widen in excitement.

"The drinking contest!"

"Bingo." Robin chuckles, rather amused at his reaction. "Beat Gimli, and I would teach you all my tricks to successful stealing."

Merry catches on, raising his brows in hopeful anticipation.

"Well, I honestly cannot remember who won, but I do know you two gave it a fair shot." Robin continues, rather disappointed in herself for being too drunk to view the outcome.

"And courage is awarded with honour." She states, before grabbing Pippin's mug and downing the rest of his brew in one swig.

"So you're going to teach us?" Merry questions with high hopes.

"Better." Robin grins, placing the mug back onto the table. "Come with me. Come with me and join the adventure of raiding kingdoms. I've heard that hobbits make great burglars."

Pippin almost falls off his chair at the offer.

A wide grin spreads across Merry's face.

"Nothing would make me more happy, my lady." The hobbit coos, standing to his feet and raising his pipe.

"I say yes too!" Pippin chimes, stumbling to his feet. "Though, will we still get second breakfast?"

Robin grins, kneeling to his height.

"You can even have third breakfast."

At this, the hobbits gasp, before hastily shuffling forward to follow Robin in a whir of excitement. The young outlaw stands and turns to exit, though an uncertain call from Ted Sandyman causes the two halflings to halt.

"Wait!" The flustered hobbit shouts, still awe stricken by the odd events. "What will we tell the others of your disappearance?"

Eomer looks to Robin with a raised brow.

"You tell them that we're on our way." Merry speaks, whisping out a puff of smoke and smiling at the miller's son, before exiting from the pub beside his best friend, favourite outlaw, and that one stern guy from Rohan.

♪

Night passes over, and the sun comes to rise. Robin steps out from Bag End, breathing in the fresh air of the Shire. A light smile forms on her face at the wholesome peace which lays upon the green mounds, and the small inhabitants who go about their morning chores. It's as though the sun smiles down at the blooming pastures below with a warming appreciation to her little community.

Never has Robin experienced such serenity.

The peace is disturbed by Merry and Pippin who come stumbling out, large packs hurdled over their backs. Eomer steps out with his arms full of more unneeded utensils, causing Robin to snort. Excitement shines within the eyes of the two halflings, like children attending their first day of school, and Robin can't help but swoon in admiration of their constant courage.

"Ready to go?" She questions, grinning down at her two hobbits.

"Yes m'lady!" Merry replies, a cheeky smile plastered on his rosy face.

"We're going on an adventure!" Pippin shouts, racing ahead with a bundle of energy.

Walking down the dirt path, Robin and Eomer step behind the beaming halflings. The two humans receive many curious glances from rather confused hobbits, causing Robin to raise a brow at the attention. She had heard of hobbits to be rather exclusive, though did not think they would be quite this timid.

Little does the outlaw know, she treks the same path Bilbo raced down the day he came to join Thorin's company.

Once onto a more open scenery, Merry and Pippin dance around, glowing with a child-like excitement. They break into song, and Robin raises a brow at Eomer.

"Farewell we call to hearth and hall,
though wind may blow and rain may fall,
we must away ere break of day
far over wood and mountain tall.

With Robin Hood, as well we should,
to rob the rich and feed the good,
through stealth and taste we ride in haste,
our refuge be the entish wood.

With fun ahead, behind us dread,
beneath the sky shall be our bed,
until at last our toil be passed,
our journey done, our time well sped.

We must away! We must away!
We ride before the break of day!"

A smile spreads across Robin's face as she claps along, rather chuffed at her reference. The grass beneath almost works as a pillow, so soft it seems to add a bounce to her step. Light birdsong fills the air, and blooming flora scents the gardens with a warming sense of comfort, Robin comes to realise this may just be the last time she visits the Shire, along with Merry and Pippin who have grown up within the green borders.

"So, little dudes, anything you want to do before leaving the Shire?" She questions, looking down at the two halflings.

Merry and Pippin look to each other with knowing grins.

Next thing Robin knows, she is bounding through farmers Maggot's fields, a load of crops held tightly in her arms. Merry and Pippin race ahead, corn cobs falling from their grip as they stumble through the tall shoots.

"Shit." The young outlaw mumbles to herself, as she hears the vicious barks of Maggot's dogs right on her tail. This is not what she had in mind, however, it does bring quite the thrill.

Stealing crops is new to her, along with navigating through a corn field, though the humoured grin remains on her features as she hears the muffled hoots of Merry and Pippin. Flora smacks her face as she struggles to view the short halflings, however the trio break from the tall fields, and a sloping hill comes into sight. Farmer Maggot's pitch fork can be seen raised above the corn, followed by disgruntled shouts. If they run down the hill, not only will they most likely lose the crops, they will also be easy to catch.

Robin scans the scene with haste. She sights an empty wheelbarrow sitting at the crest, only metres from where they stand.

"Jump in." She orders, dumping her stolen crops into the wheelbarrow. Merry and Pippin follow her actions before leaping to sit at the front.

Giving the wheeled tool a push, Robin jumps in to sit behind the hobbits, and the wheelbarrow begins to race down the grass hill. A high pitched squeal bursts from Pippin, and Robin hoots at the wind thrusting past her.

With a heavy thud, they hit the bottom, and the wheelbarrow falls to the side, dumping the trio to the soft grass below and covering them in stolen crops.

"Let's do that again!" Pippin remarks, bouncing up and shaking himself. Robin chuckles, rolling to her side and tossing Merry off her body.

Farmer Maggot shouts down at the thieves, his dogs aggressively barking by his side, however the three send him a mere smile and wave before walking away with his crops now in their possession.

Robin catches her breath, rather impressed by the cheeky nature of her little hobbits. Eomer comes into sight, leading two steeds, and one slightly smaller mare who wields most of the luggage.

"Eowyn told me you learnt how to ride." Robin speaks to Merry, emptying her crops into one of the saddlebags. "You and Pip can take Arita, she's as calm as a hobbit on Old Toby."

Robin places the two halflings into the white mare's saddle, handing the reins to Merry, before mounting her own steed, Marian.

"Two hobbits upon a man's steed, now that is something I never thought I would live to see." Eomer remarks, riding forward and leading the line of horses.

"And I never thought I would see your sister defeat the Witch King, yet here we are." Robin replies, grinning at the man who grows a proud smile at the mention of Eowyn's great feat.

A serene silence falls upon the riders as they cross the border of the Shire, one large step into a new, rather exciting life for two young hobbits.

"So, where are we off to?" Pippin questions from behind. Robin turns her head over her shoulder to meet his twinkling eye, a sly smirk spreading across her smug features.

"Mirkwood."

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I PRANKED YA'LL!

I hope you all enjoyed the actual last chapter.

I want to give the biggest of thank yous to all my merry women who stuck around and continued to read this story. Without your motivation through votes and encouraging comments, I never would have come close to finishing this story.

So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. And I hope you all enjoyed sharing this adventure with Robin. <3

P.s. Make sure to keep this book in your library, because I might have a little surprise coming in a couple of days (;