9 - Rohan Years - Beyond the Armour

Rómeniêl sat with her knees pulled up tightly to her chin and her arms tightly wrapped around them. A halberd lay by her side and glinted in the moonlight. She rested her chin on her knees and looked almost curled up like a ball. Slightly she rocked back and forth, which only added to that impression, but her green eyes were only fixed on the horizon.

Soft ocean noises could be heard from below. The moonlight played on the waves and sent a hauntingly beautiful light up into the air. Softly she hummed a sad tune.

The wind picked up her long hair, which was still braided in battle braids and lazily floated in the wind.

Slowly she stretched and let her feet dangle from the sheer cliff. Her hands wandered up and began unbraiding her hair, which the wind tucked wilder at her long dark hair. She inhaled deeply and leaned slightly forward to look down into the abyss. Waves crashed against the shore and sent foam and water up, that cause the light of the full moon to break into tiny colourful patterns.

Even more slowly she got to her knees and ran the hands over her armour. It was beaten and stained and her gaze fell upon it. She lovingly traced the engraved patterns and sighed as she slowly unfastened the tight straps, making it easier to breathe, yet making her feel uncomfortable vulnerable too. She undid the ties of her wristbands and gloves and removed them paying close attention, before she tossed them to the ground.

Rómeniêl looked at the moon and a beloved face seemed to smile down upon her. She swallowed hard and forced back a tear. She moved onto her knee and knelt, while taking of her boots.

The cool rock beneath her feet was damp and almost slippery, so she moved cautiously to the edge of the cliff and looked down into the dangerous waves. Still fixing the crushing waves below, she began to loosen the armour some more. Her fingers could feel where an orcish blade had run past her defences and it hurt to think of that right now. She could still feel how she had been lifted up when she had been too weak to walk for herself and blushed. She blushed for this moment of weakness. Again the stinging feeling of failure pierced her more painful than any blade that had cut into her flesh.

It became harder for her to withhold the tears, but she bit her lip as she opened the last buckle on her armour. Again she ran her fingers over that trusted shell, that had saved her life more than once.

Still it was a reminder of so many failures, mistakes and hurts. It was bloodstained again and that only reminded her that she had failed again. Looking down on her wrist she traced the fine half moon line and sighed. She had failed to safe friends, failed to show what was important to her. She had once more failed.

With great care she slid the armour from her shoulders and pulled it over her head. She held it out and looked at it in the moonlight. It was dented but strangely beautiful. Carefully she placed it on the ground, next to her boots and gloves.

Her gaze stayed fixed on it for a long while, inhaling deeply and feeling the breeze that went straight through the rough cloth of her shirt.

The night got darker and only the stars and the moon shone on her pale skin as she took of her shirt and pants, bathing in the moonlight.

Her pale skin shone white and her long dark hair trailed after her. She looked up at the moon and the stars, with a sad look. Her mind raced against time and it raced with memories of all those she had lost, with all the hurts she carried, seen and unseen.

Slowly she spread her arms and tears finally broke free, running down her face. She spread her arms as if they were wings, sending a prayer to the Valar.

She could feel the edge of the cliff at her toes.

She could feel the cold night air that crawled over her skin.

She fell forward into the abyss.

The wind rushed past her ears and bit her wet cheeks. She didn’t open her eyes but embraced the dark and cold night.

A loud splash could be heard and the waves closed around her. From above the moon shone as the waves crushed against the cliff.

On top of the cliff now lay a halberd and a dented armour as the sea below calmed. The wind rustled in the few blades of grass and no sound but the crushing of waves could be heard.

Rómeniêl felt the cold water around her and opened her eyes, blind in the darkness of the sea. Her lungs ached and suddenly she saw a light. A great calm came over her, the tears mingled with the salty sea. She didn’t struggle against the cold water anymore.

Suddenly her lungs filled with air again and her wide open eyes beheld the moon as she broke the surface.

Rómeniêl brushed back her hair and looked up, swimming against the current with ease. She came to a rock and clambered out the water shivering. There she sat, wrapping her arms around her knees, watching the moon and the cliff above, ready to make her way up again soon. There a halberd and an armour awaited her, for all those who could not see past it.