FicWad

The Eagles had flown to the cliffs near the sea as dusk approached. Nymeria looked out to the setting sun, and the sea, and the waves that crashed down to the sands and soothed over the shore and onto her bare feet. The cool water made her shiver, and the sweet salt smell of the sea surrounded her. This evening was upon the first days Spring, and the chill of winter clung to these days. Her city was illuminated with the joy of her people, for they had prospered under her gentle rule. Even the poorest person had a full belly and a roof over their head, as a result the people loved her, but Nymeria knew that if she dove into the sea and swam far away that her city would be unaffected.

The people who she had placed to rule in her place were chosen with delicacy, ones who put the welfare of the people over their own. Ones who treated men of their lesser as men of their equals. Nymeria had made herself a figurehead, a person who was merely a symbol with not true power. And she was fine with it, she did not crave power, she craved adventure. Like the journey that she took so long ago in a world far away to fight a dragon and reclaim a homeland.

Those days, she feared, were far behind her and this world of untouchable dreams was the only path laid before her. The sky had darkened to the deepest blue and lighted with stars. Nymeria had turned to go back to her city; slowly she dragged her bare feet over the smooth stones of the shore. Her mind wandered to that of her old friends, and to one in particular. Her heart ached so much that she felt a physical pain ripple through her breast, she pushed the sorrows away yet the pain pressed on.

This was no pain of the heart and Nymeria was quick to realize it. With great speed the pain was a fire that spread to the very soles of her feet up to the top of her copper head. She could not even call out, for the pain was too much and it took away her voice. Upon the rocky shore she fell to her knees and rolled to her back. Her lovely face was contorted, her limbs twisted and her back arched in pain.

Then the strangest of things happened, an event that had only happened once before. The strings that tied her to the earth seemed to simply let go, and she fell into the sky past all of the stars. Faster and faster did she fall, and for a moment she felt as a bird would.

Bang!

Nymeria slapped into solid ground and squeaked in pain, she closed her eyes tight and laid on her back trying to cope with the sudden pain. All around her birds sang, and light shone through her pale eyelids. She opened her green eyes, standing over her was a grey man with a long beard and a pointed hat.

“Gandalf?” she asked.