Hood » LotR ((ON HOLD))

Chapter Eighteen: The Plan

"Wait, what?!"

Aragorn took a calm puff of his pipe, taking a long, drawn out moment before answering. Robin's blood boiled-- but he forced himself to take a deep breath.

"I get I'm the bait. But they will kill me."

"That's supposed to be bad, right?" Thralor muttered. Robin shot him the darkest glare he could muster, before turning it to the king.

"I can't just go in there and ask for your stupid sword back. I mean... asking? Really?!"

Legolas walked over to the fire, setting down the pile of dry wood he had collected. Sitting down beside Aria, he glanced around. "What are we talking about?"

"Just making arrangements for my funeral," Robin growled.

Legolas arched a brow.

"Elanor, Aria, and I will go into the city with you," Aragorn spoke slowly, as if he was talking to a child. That made Robin's blood boil just a tad bit more. "You just need to get us in, we can take care of the rest afterward. And yes, even if that means asking."

Robin clenched his jaw. "I'm surrounded by orc brains."

"I still don't see why we can't go with you," Gimli grumbled, glaring into the fire. "I would show those desert crones exactly why you shouldn't say no to a dwarf."

"That's exactly why you can't go," Elanor said. "With you being a dwarf and the others being elves, they'd have us all in nooses in a second."

"That'd be such a shame too," Robin muttered.

"I think the Easterlings are just jealous that the elves have everything that they could never dream of," Elladan joked, wiggling his eyebrows. "You know, with the immortality, good looks, and extensive knowledge and everything."

Legolas tilted an eyebrow, staring at the twin. "I believe you have spent too much time around Robin, mellon."

The ellon only shrugged. "Perhaps."

"Okay, let's reiterate my favorite part of the plan." Robin interrupted. "Once your dandy sword is in your dandy hands, I go free?"

The king nodded. "That is the exchange."

Pursuing his lips, Robin nodded, brushing his hand over his chin. "Or, you know, I could just pretend to be following along, while really playing with the Easterlings for my freedom by giving you, the King of Gondor, into their greedy hands."

Thralor tensed, the look in his eyes suddenly going murderous. "Then I would hunt you down and gut you like a fish."

Robin shrugged. "That's not the worst threat I've ever recieved."

"Betting on the Easterlings would be foolish, even for you," Elanor interjected, glaring at him over the fire. "They'd sooner kill us all than let you go for the fun of it."

"I have gotten out of there before."

"That was luck."

Placing a hand over his heart, Robin gasped aloud. "Robin Hood never gets achieves something out of luck. It's all skills and handsomeness, love. Skills and handsomeness."

Thralor looked ready to punch his lights out. Elanor only rolled her eyes.

"But say something goes wrong," Aria spoke up for the first time, raising her dark eyes off the flames. "What's the plan then?"

"That would be where we come in," Elrohir beamed.

Robin frowned. "What about the whole death to the elves and dwarves gambit?"