Story Downloaded from Open Scrolls Archive (https://www.openscrolls.net)

Title: Et omnia vanitas (#3950)
Author: RobinKa
Chapters: 1

Archive: Tolkien
Category: Lord of the Rings (Movieverse)
Description: On the Pelennor, trapped between life and death, Éowyn watches her brother despair. A response to the challenge “The Way I See It”. Movie-verse. *** 2009 MEFA winner: Second Place in Times: Ring War: General ***
Published: 01 Dec 2008
Updated: 01 Dec 2008
Warnings: None
Type: Angst
Characters: Éowyn; Éomer


Chapter 1 - Et omnia vanitas

Grey.

Everything is grey, as though wreathed in mist; poisonous no longer, for I breathe in the fumes without choking. Only the contours of things are darker; they dissolve, then appear again, and resemble figures wandering across the field, like ghosts, heedless, blind and mindless.

Smoke arises.

I find myself staring at the black cloud that invades the skies, suddenly opening above my eyes, then descending to gape in front of me when I stand up. It lures me, encourages me to enter as its form takes on the shape of great mouths, of a dark gorge the end of which I cannot see yet. I reach out; my hand is grey, and I look away. Am I truly trapped? The worst of fears that has always haunted my steps finally caught me, even though the invisible enemy cannot sting me with his blasphemous mockery, nor can he challenge me to more unequal combat. Am I caged between shallow intakes and exhalations of the air that makes me float like a vision straight from a fever dream? I will soon face the answers to my questions when the outside world becomes clear and colorful. Only the blurry silhouettes of warriors and steeds remain bereft of hues, and I realize that they are indeed ghosts.

So this is it.

This is the path I may humbly follow in the footsteps of my noble forefathers. Their summons has yet not reached me; the only voice I can hear is �omer's, calling my name. I am here, Brother, still here, though do not expect me to dwell much longer. I have done what I set out to do, and now they will bid me welcome to the Halls, like in the tales of old, though I am not a hero. Dernhelm might have been, but he does not exist. I have never hoped to gain a place beside them, at the soldier side, because what honorable deeds may a woman consider when she is forbidden to fight for what she loves? And yet, I did. I let illusions sip into my heart and cheat me.

The ground quakes beneath my feet; the battle comes back in the chorus of chords unnumbered that echo with a distant sound of hooves, and the grey mirages dissipate into nothingness.

Cling to life, Brother, not to me.

I am less than the first shy breath of spring on a winter day. Now, when dust and tears cover the battlefield, I can bow and leave the stage � and you, my anchor � and lay my head on the pillow of the enemy's bones, where it belongs.


-----------------------------------
A/N: The title comes from �Vanitas vanitatum et omnia vanitas� [Eng.: Vanity of vanities, all is vanity], the Bible, Ecclesiastes.

Many thanks to NancyBrooke for her invaluable advice, to Jenny and Marie for their constant cheer-leading, and Neume for her beta help.
------------------------------------------------------------------

Printed from Open Scrolls Archive (https://www.openscrolls.net) on Sat Nov 14, 2026 8:13 pm