Chapter soundtrack: 'September' by Earth, Wind & Fire.

♪ = cue music

☨ Chp. V ☨

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Aragorn's eyes narrow at the surrounding deep woods, searching for any possible chance to escape. Though, his chances are minimal, for the ents guard close behind, their large limbs crashing into the foliage with each wide step. In front, the silver girl leads, and by her side the grey wolf paces, its hackles raised and ears flattened. Looking to Legolas, the King meets his eye, though the elf seems just as hopeless in ideas.

"I hope these 'Masters' are good in heart." Aragorn mumbles, uneasy at the idea of confronting possible enemies. Woods are known to be thresholds to wild men, brutal and savage when dealing with others. The very thought causes the King to tense his jaw.

"It is unlikely the ents would side with anyone who displays ill intentions." Legolas responds, he himself seeming rather alarmed. "Though they can be easily influenced, as was seen in the attack against Isengard. It is best we do not resist what is to come."

Aragorn slightly nods, turning his head to view the two forest shepherds who linger behind, assisting the young girl in her escort. Legolas is certainly right, they would have no chance in conflict against the wooden limbed creatures. As if their circumstances couldn't grow more complicated, now they have to hope that these 'Masters of Fangorn' aren't as savage as the wild men who are known to terrorise Middle Earth.

"We are here." The silver girl remarks, coming to a halt. A heavy rustle sounds from the trees, and Treebeard emerges, stepping forward as he observes the two trespassers with a curious eye.

"Hm, hoom. My eyes are met with familiarity. The prince of the woodland elves... and the King of men. They are... friends of the trees." He hums, the ent's voice low and almost musical. Aragorn's heart rises in hope at their recognition. "Hm, there have been changes made to the Treegarth... since you last came to visit. Hoom... this matter is for the masters."

Aragorn breathes out in annoyance, not understanding why Treebeard couldn't just use his recognition to get them out of this mess. However, his irritation is soon eaten up by worry as they step out into a clearing, preparing for whatever fate will follow.

Two voices can be heard bickering over the light rustle of leaves stirred by a night breeze.

"I'm telling you, I have better knowledge of the matter. I will make the call."

"And who put you in charge? I am just as smart!"

"Is that so? "

Aragorn comes to freeze, completely overcome by shock. His eyes grow wide, and a slight grin tugs at the corner of his mouth upon the sight of two familiar halflings.

Merry and Pippin are standing a top a large boulder, arms crossed as they plummet deep into an argument. Legolas seems to be just as stunned, for the events of the night grow more odd by the second.

"Aragorn?"

Pippin calls out the name in surprise, a spark lighting within his eye at the sight of an old friend.

"What does he have to with anything?" Merry questions, unaware of their presence.

"No, look Merry! It's Aragorn!" Pippin exclaims, evidently excited.

Whipping around his curly head, Merry's eyes come to widen in surprise. With a whir of excitement, the hobbits leap down from the boulder, bounding forward to greet their old friend. Though, Merry hesitates as he reaches Aragorn, and Pippin halts behind, startled at the unexpected reunion.

"Ah, my lord?" Merry speaks out, coming to kneel before the King, unsure of how to properly greet his position of royalty.

"And my prince!" Pippin remarks, noticing Legolas and awkwardly lowering his head in respect. The hobbits are quick to avoid eye contact with the woodland elf, leaving him rather confused. The silver girl stands back with her arms folded, a brow raised in surprise.

"There is no need to bow, my friends." Aragorn humbly speaks out, a hint of amusement in his eye. "As a matter of fact, It seems as though we should be the ones who kneel to you, 'Masters of Fangorn.'"

Pippin raises his head in pride, a lazy grin on his round face as Merry stands from the ground.

"The title is only temporary. It is handed down to us whilst Eretria and Éomer are away." The halfling states in a casual manner. Aragorn's eyes widen, and Legolas looks to him with raised brows.

"Eretria is here?" The King questions with a new found confidence.

"Not at the moment, no." Pippin pipes up. "Hence why we are the current Masters of Fangorn."

"When will she return?" Legolas questions, speaking for the first time within the whole ordeal.

"We never know." Merry informs. "Sometimes they are gone for days, other times they are gone for weeks. It is hard to tell how long their raids will take."

Aragorn purses his lips, his heart sinking as the chances of retaking Minas Tirith grow thinner by the second.

"Then we will wait for her return." Legolas speaks up, determined to find the outlaw. "We will set up camp in the woods."

Pippin snorts at the comment, amused by the elf's cluelessness.

"There will be no need for that." The hobbit remarks, mischief twinkling within his eyes.

•

•

•

Aragorn's brows raise in disbelief at the scene which they behold. The sun has begun to emerge, the colours of the waking earth returning as lush foliage gleams with mildew. Orthanc stands tall in the valley, glittering as though it has been replenished with a new life of prosperity.

The land has changed since they last viewed it during the reign of Saruman. The stone circle has been thrown down and turned into a garden filled with orchards and trees, a stream of fresh water flowing through the new born oasis. In the midst of all there sits a lake of clear water, Orthanc emerging from the still depths with it's black rock mirrored within the pool. And although Saruman's destruction has been wiped, new structures can be seen scattered within the lush garden, including archery grounds and apparent obstacle courses.

"Welcome, my lords, to Robin's academy!" Pippin remarks, pulling out a pipe wrought with fine silver.

"A refuge to children in need of a home and a family." Merry adds on, also pulling an identical pipe from his pocket.

"Academy?" Legolas questions, causing the halfling to nod in response.

"Silver here was one of the first we found." Pippin speaks, gesturing towards the young girl who had escorted them through Fangorn. "She was our inspiration."

Silver nods, a light smile on her face as she approaches Aragorn and Legolas. The grey wolf still lingers by her side, though the menace has seemed to cool within its golden eyes.

"I didn't get the chance to properly introduce myself." She claims, extending her hand. "I do apologise, protecting the academy is one of my main priorities."

Aragorn shakes her hand, followed by Legolas. Both are still slightly startled by the discoveries of the night, though neither question it.

"Now follow me, my lords, and we will treat you to the great hospitality of our academy!" Pippin chimes, puffing out smoke as he takes a draw from his pipe.

•

•

•

The inside of Orthanc is quiet, as if the tower itself has fallen into a deep slumber, vulnerable as it's secrets are open to any who have not succumbed to sleep. And although empty of people, the tower does not lack life. Colour pops in all directions, along with the sweet scent of inside shrubbery. Long vines coil pillars and stair wells, blossoming with precious white flowers as the scent of fresh pine gently wafts throughout the tower. What once was a dark building, voided of life has now come to be a secret oasis to those of many different races, as can be seen with the interior. Vibrant paintings scatter the gleaming walls, clearly crafted from the hands of children, and a splash of each species has combined to create a harmonious environment fit for any.

"We have rooms designed for each race." Pippin states, his tone low in order not to wake any sleeping kids. "Dark and bedazzled chambers for the dwarves, tree-themed for the elves, and my personal favourite, rounded rooms with a circle window for the hobbits."

♪

Though the tower is not quiet for much longer, for as Middle Earth comes to wake, so does the academy. Before long, the place is bustling with children of all different races, each curious towards the two new faces as word has already spread of their arrival. Some stop to say hi, others observe from a distance, too shy to approach, though the energy of the environment has definitely come to highten. An ash blonde teenager approaches Aragorn and Legolas, her gold speckled eyes sparking in interest as she views the guests.

"Hey, sorry about before. Sometimes it is hard to keep control when the bitch takes over." She remarks, observing Aragorn and Legolas with a humoured grin. Realising they seem confused, she breaks into a light chuckle, combing her long hair over her shoulder. "My name is Daciana, I'm the grey wolf who attacked you."

Legolas and Aragorn raise their heads, looking to each other in understanding.

"Thank you for the apology, though there is no need. You were simply protecting the academy." Aragorn replies, gently smiling at the young girl. With a light grin on her face, she nods at both the man and the elf, before continuing on her way.

And so the hobbits continue to show Legolas and Aragorn around a refurbished Orthanc, though due to the halflings growing distracted at almost every turn by nosy kids, along with the fact that their guests are still startled and hence not taking in all they have been shown, they are unable to truely appreciate the beauty of the academy. One dark haired male elf catches Legolas' eye, his face lighting up in slight recognition, though the woodland prince holds no memory of the boy. Lowering his glance, the dark haired elf disappears within the bustle of kids.

Finding a quiet corner where no children seem to dwell, Aragorn sits at the table, followed by Legolas. Quite frankly, the king is still uneasy. It feels as though his mind wanders in a different realm, one far from anything he has come to know. Sauron is alive and thriving, his ghastly clutches grasped to the city Aragorn has come to love and vowed to protect. Without Robin, there is no hope to saving Minas Tirith, let alone the rest of Middle Earth once Sauron's forces have grown and spread. The king cannot rest until he finds the outlaw.

The morning grows older as Aragorn and Legolas remain seated at the table, discussing their plan of attack once Robin returns. According to the elf, the simple knowledge that someone is using your body to cloak themselves is enough to weaken the spell. Though, only once the two come to be in the same room can it be completely broken. Therefore, even after reuniting with Robin, they still have to venture back into Gondor and somehow get her close to Sauron without being slaughtered.

Aragorn sinks his face into his palms, both mentally and physically exhausted. The task seems impossible.

"Looks like someone needs to go beddy-byes."

The king lifts his gaze to land eyes on an extremely pale elf. Long, dark hair trails down her back, swept across her ink black cloak, and her irises radiate a deep shade of purple. With much confidence, she strides over to the table, taking a seat across from Legolas.

"What are you guys doing here anyway? Last I checked, this is a refuge for kids, not grandpas." She remarks, a sly smirk plastered upon her porcelain face.

"Our business is that of our own." Legolas replies, observing the teenager with narrowed eyes. She snorts in reply.

"Calm down, blondie. It's not like I actually care."

Both Aragorn and Legolas look to each other in confusion, before another voice arises.

"Ithy, there you are. Fang and I have been trying to find you for the last half hou- oh!" Another, rather short and oddly curvy elf shouts, cutting herself off as she notices the two new, rather attractive, visitors. She approaches the table with a white and black wolf by her side, her wavy red hair bouncing and bright green eyes sparking in interest as she observes the men. "Are these your new friends?"

"No." Ithilwen responds, petting the wolf as it bounds over to her side. Surprisingly, a genuine smile grows on her face as she addresses the hound. "Sit, Fang. Who's my good boy?"

"Hi, I'm Alyssia." The other, red haired elf boldly introduces herself, extending her hand which both Aragorn and Legolas shake, before also taking a seat at the table.

"It is nice to meet you, both of you." Aragorn speaks up, sincerity in his tone as the King tries to engage in conversation to forget his current circumstances. "You both know of Robin?"

"You mean Eretria? Everyone knows her, we call her mum, even though I'm sure it makes her uncomfortable." Alyssia speaks, a wide smile accompanying her lightly blushed cheeks.

"Yeah, she's basically a god around here." Ithilwen adds on, continuing to pet the wolf who sits by her side. Aragorn nods, rather impressed by how the young outlaw seems to forever gain admirers.

A light conversation arises, mostly based on Robin, before the red elf turns her attention to the prince of Mirkwood.

"You're pretty." Alyssia chimes, her eyes raking Legolas as if she is a mountain lion preparing to pounce. The woodland elf tenses at the remark.

"Oh god Alyssia, do you always have to make everyone uncomfortable?" Ithilwen grumbles, rolling her eyes at the flirtatious young girl. "They are both way too old for you."

Aragorn furrows his brows in discomfort, before a commotion grabs the attention of them all.

"They're back! They're back!" Someone shouts, causing an uproar within the academy as the children dash towards the front entrance and out into the garden. Both Aragorn and Legolas rise, their eyes lighting in hope.

"By the sounds of it, they're back." Ithilwen states sarcastically, humoured by the commotion.

"I wonder what stories they have for us this time!" Alyssia exclaims, rising from her seat and following the crowd with great excitement.

Out within the blossoming orchard, the children gather, welcoming the return of their two favourite outlaws. A fresh face has been brought along with them, a new addition to the academy. The children are quick to introduce themselves to the short haired brunette, and her green eyes light up in joy at her new family. The atmosphere buzzes with excitement and happy hollering, bringing even more life to the thriving garden.

Aragorn reaches the doorway as he observes the gathering of children, Legolas approaching his side. The King feels his heart rise in hope as a familiar face is spotted within the crowd, and this time no dark shadow looms over her face, nor is there an evil hue within her gaze.

A bright smile is spread upon Eretria's face. She radiates warmth and joy towards the kids who embrace her, a liveliness about her that would cause even the thriving greenery to grow jealous. Glancing towards the academy, she locks eyes with Aragorn, and a startled expression grows on the outlaw's features, two simple words slipping from her lips.

"Holy shit."

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-

My sincerest apologies, my updates have been really, REALLY slow. However, I promise they will speed up once I'm back from my trip.

Yeah, that's right. Ya bitch is going on a trip. And guess where....

NEW ZEALAND BABY!

I'll be leaving in just over a week, so if you want to see pictures and updates of my trip chuck me a follow on insta - savannah_clements.

Adios my merry women!