Death.
Robin had experienced a lot of things, but death was not one of them. Not until his eyes closed and the breath left his lungs, that is.
Not until he stopped fighting back.
The trumpets in the area of the arena blew. Armed warriors raced in through the open gates and four moved to drag a fighting Aragorn away, while the other two dragged Robin's lifeless body in the other direction.
He'd experienced a lot of things, but death was not one of them.
Neither was sacrifice.
Not in the measures he'd taken, that was.
Born of the Avari, one of the unwilling, Robin had never known what awaited him after death. He often avoided thinking of it. Because if he'd admit to a fear of any sort, it was what came after death.
A strange fear to someone with nothing to lose.
He wondered if he was doomed to wander the Halls of Mandos forever. Perhaps he'd be trapped in the darkness until the end of time. With nowhere to go, no escape, and nothing to do except reflect on what he had called a life.
He never should have stolen the King's sword.
The first thing Robin was aware of was the darkness. So thick and cold, it was as if nothing else existed. Nothing but the cold. Icy, stinging.
But he could hear the faint sound of waves.
The distant echo of singing.
In the breeze, he thought he smelled the ocean. Salty, bitter, and sharp. He would have cringed away. But at the same time, something about it called to him. Unlocked a yearning in his chest that was so strong, he wanted nothing more than to see it with his own eyes.
Robin stood against the darkness and searched for a source of light. But there was nothing.
Only the cold, the sea, and the betrayal of his own heart.
Maybe this was his punishment. To yearn forever for something that he'd never even be given the joy to see. To want for something he'd attain.
He'd spent his entire life yearning.
Yearning for the freedom to wander the lands, for the strength to protect his family. For the ability to claim vengeance for their deaths.
So maybe this was fitting.
A hunger that would never be satisfied. A thirst that would never be quenched.
Maybe it would drive him mad.
Surrounding him, the darkness seemed to thicken. Robin slumped down to his knees and bowed his head to his chest, feeling like the weight of the world had fallen atop his shoulders. He might've been breathing. He might not.
He only knew the darkness.
"Goheno-nin," he whispered. "Mother, father."
His words seemed to ring off the surrounding walls. But at the same time, they were swallowed up and silenced, before they could even reach his own ears.
I'm sorry.
Robin closed his eyes to the sound of distant waves. The laughter, the songs. Was that on the other side of the Hall? Or was it an illusion, created to tear him apart piece by piece?
He could smell the ocean.
Taste the salt.
"Willin."
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Hood » LotR ((ON HOLD))
Fanfiction❝ Hood. Robin Hood, at your service. ❞ Robin wasn't sure how he managed to get caught in the middle of a war. Perhaps it was stealing King Elessar's sword. Or maybe his past and the price on his head just finally caught up to him. But when Robin's l...
