[[The gift of the shield is mentioned in this post.]]
The kite shield was beautifully made. Its edges were reinforced, its surface polished and old dents smoothed out; the emblem upon it shined as a reminder that it would be nothing but stalwart in its defense of those who stood behind it.
Roen could only stand there breathless and frozen as she stared at the gift that the mail moogle had delivered into her hands.
The paladin had not opened it immediately; she had a caravan ambush to check on, and had tied the well-wrapped package onto her chocobo saddle as she rode with the Elezen knight. And as was suspected, they had found more groups of aevis devouring the fallen caravan, nothing left but a wreckage of wagons and mangled bodies in the snow. The group of knights made quick work of the scalekin, driving swords and lances into them, putting an end to yet another group of dragon thralls in an endless string of many.
But after the last aevis fell, Idristan would brook no further argument. He ordered her to return to Whitebrim Front for rest and sustenance, for their patrols would begin again in the morn.
So it was within the barracks that the paladin found a moment’s pause, and she laid the package onto the bed and unwrapped it.
Roen stared at the shield for what seemed like hours, the hearth flames lending its metallic surface an orange glow. The letter that had accompanied it was still in her hand, crumpled in her grip as her fingers clenched around it.
“I hope that this new kite shield allows you to continue to mentor others and serve you well. You are a true Paladin, Roen.â€
Those were Kage’s words. She had not thought to hear from him again. Not since Natalie died and they had drifted apart. He was lost to his grief, and Roen had been swept up in Nero’s revolution. She had wistfully thought of the Lalafell and others during Starlight, friends and loved ones that held a special place in her heart. She had sent Kage a gift of a white beret, as a reminder of times of long gone.
And now the shield and the beret both seemed to stare back at her, their very image spearing her clear through with memories and emotions she long sought to bury here amidst the frozen mountains.
“May we never falter.†Those were the words of her oath that she had recited many times over. It was a mantra she had fallen back on when she felt hopeless and lost. And yet she had faltered.
“Remember who you were.†She had told Kage this when she wrote to him during Starlight. And yet it was she who was now eager to forget.
Then his voice came unbidden from the depths of her memory. The one recollection she desperately did not want returned.
"You and I will become a sword and shield. I will slay those who encroach upon us. You shall defend justice and the innocent. An apt analogy, no?"
Before she knew it, Roen had snatched up the shield from the bed and quickly strode to the door, throwing it open despite the gust of frozen rain that greeted her. A blizzard pelted her face as she hurried through the courtyard, boots wading with haste through knee deep snow. Once clear of the gates, Roen hurled the shield into the darkness with a loud, hoarse cry. Her scream was swept into the chasm below by the howling winds, just as the kite shield landed many yalms away, skidding and spinning upon the icy ground until it came to a stop at the edge of the ravine.
Ice cracked and crunched beneath her armored weight as the paladin collapsed to a seat on the frosted ground, her eyes forlornly looking out into the night. She refused to shed more tears; those she gave to the sea as were the last, the remnant shards of her shattered heart falling there too. But no more tears after. She had promised herself.
The paladin remained there, alone in the night, wanting the cold to numb her senses again. A thin sheet of sleet had cloaked her frame by the time Roen rose again, stiff hands pushing up against her knees to regain her bearings. She turned back toward Whitebrim's gate, intent on quick strides back to the shelter.
Instead, Roen plodded through the snow to the cliff’s edge and bent to pick up the kite shield. Its emblem still held onto the dim light that was behind her, glimmering ever so faintly. She did not notice the numbness of her fingers as she brushed off the dirt and ice from its surface, her weary eyes going over its dented but dauntless surface once more.
Releasing a long breath into the night, the paladin turned and made her way back to the fortress, the shield in hand.
The kite shield was beautifully made. Its edges were reinforced, its surface polished and old dents smoothed out; the emblem upon it shined as a reminder that it would be nothing but stalwart in its defense of those who stood behind it.
Roen could only stand there breathless and frozen as she stared at the gift that the mail moogle had delivered into her hands.
The paladin had not opened it immediately; she had a caravan ambush to check on, and had tied the well-wrapped package onto her chocobo saddle as she rode with the Elezen knight. And as was suspected, they had found more groups of aevis devouring the fallen caravan, nothing left but a wreckage of wagons and mangled bodies in the snow. The group of knights made quick work of the scalekin, driving swords and lances into them, putting an end to yet another group of dragon thralls in an endless string of many.
But after the last aevis fell, Idristan would brook no further argument. He ordered her to return to Whitebrim Front for rest and sustenance, for their patrols would begin again in the morn.
So it was within the barracks that the paladin found a moment’s pause, and she laid the package onto the bed and unwrapped it.
Roen stared at the shield for what seemed like hours, the hearth flames lending its metallic surface an orange glow. The letter that had accompanied it was still in her hand, crumpled in her grip as her fingers clenched around it.
“I hope that this new kite shield allows you to continue to mentor others and serve you well. You are a true Paladin, Roen.â€
Those were Kage’s words. She had not thought to hear from him again. Not since Natalie died and they had drifted apart. He was lost to his grief, and Roen had been swept up in Nero’s revolution. She had wistfully thought of the Lalafell and others during Starlight, friends and loved ones that held a special place in her heart. She had sent Kage a gift of a white beret, as a reminder of times of long gone.
And now the shield and the beret both seemed to stare back at her, their very image spearing her clear through with memories and emotions she long sought to bury here amidst the frozen mountains.
“May we never falter.†Those were the words of her oath that she had recited many times over. It was a mantra she had fallen back on when she felt hopeless and lost. And yet she had faltered.
“Remember who you were.†She had told Kage this when she wrote to him during Starlight. And yet it was she who was now eager to forget.
Then his voice came unbidden from the depths of her memory. The one recollection she desperately did not want returned.
"You and I will become a sword and shield. I will slay those who encroach upon us. You shall defend justice and the innocent. An apt analogy, no?"
Before she knew it, Roen had snatched up the shield from the bed and quickly strode to the door, throwing it open despite the gust of frozen rain that greeted her. A blizzard pelted her face as she hurried through the courtyard, boots wading with haste through knee deep snow. Once clear of the gates, Roen hurled the shield into the darkness with a loud, hoarse cry. Her scream was swept into the chasm below by the howling winds, just as the kite shield landed many yalms away, skidding and spinning upon the icy ground until it came to a stop at the edge of the ravine.
Ice cracked and crunched beneath her armored weight as the paladin collapsed to a seat on the frosted ground, her eyes forlornly looking out into the night. She refused to shed more tears; those she gave to the sea as were the last, the remnant shards of her shattered heart falling there too. But no more tears after. She had promised herself.
The paladin remained there, alone in the night, wanting the cold to numb her senses again. A thin sheet of sleet had cloaked her frame by the time Roen rose again, stiff hands pushing up against her knees to regain her bearings. She turned back toward Whitebrim's gate, intent on quick strides back to the shelter.
Instead, Roen plodded through the snow to the cliff’s edge and bent to pick up the kite shield. Its emblem still held onto the dim light that was behind her, glimmering ever so faintly. She did not notice the numbness of her fingers as she brushed off the dirt and ice from its surface, her weary eyes going over its dented but dauntless surface once more.
Releasing a long breath into the night, the paladin turned and made her way back to the fortress, the shield in hand.
