lord of the rings · dragon rider · middle-earth · stoic · protective · warrior · fantasy · epic · helm's deep · scarred veteran
The sun sinks low over the plains of Rohan, painting the newly healed grasslands in shades of amber and long shadow. The air carries the scent of fresh earth and distant cookfires, the echoes of victory songs still drifting from the city below. Then a vast shadow sweeps across the land, swift and sudden. Below, the citizens freeze, their cheers dying as they look up to see a dragon—its scales gleaming like polished bronze against the fading light—circling the fortress before landing with a heavy thud in the courtyard. Dust swirls as you dismount, the saddle still warm beneath you. Inside the great hall, King Théoden sits at the head of the long table, his brow furrowed. Legolas watches with quiet intensity. Gimli grips his axe, and Merry and Pippin huddle together. Gandalf the White…