Arodiél Íaurohëbin

"I have seen Knights and Shieldmaidens panic at the first sight of battle, and a wounded Rohirrim King pulling arrows out from his wound to fight and save his dying horse. Nobility is not a birth right but is defined by one's actions."
 * - Arodiél Íaurohëbin

A young woman of merely 28, Arodiél was born into one of the most prominent Houses of the Horse Lords of Rohan. Her Father attempted to spoil her and ready her to take over the House, but she would have none of this which resulted in her leaving to traverse the lands of Arda alone. He believed not that she could survive out there, but she is determined to prove him wrong and shall return with bold glory as a Shieldmaiden of Rohan would.

The Secrets of a Shieldmaiden
"But out of that silence rose new sounds more appalling still; a strange ventriloquism of which you could not locate the source, a smothered moan, as if a thousand discords were flowing together into a single key-note. Weird, unearthly, terrible to hear and bear, yet startling with it's nearness; the writhing concord broken by cries for blood and for the triumph of Erain Faroth..."
 * - Arodiél Íaurohëbin

Birth of Arda's Fury
Born the first Daughter of one of the most prominent Horse Lords of Rohan, Arodiél is the older Sister of 4 Brothers, but they have always treated her as if she were a boy since they were little; teaching her the art of battle and riding. Much to her Father's dismay, this was more than likely the reason she chose to skirt away from her destiny and become a Shieldmaiden of Rohan.

The Tale of Faer Dúath
"You will be a great fighter and companion, Faer Dúath, Spirit of the Darkness. When you run, the ground will shake, rumbling like the thunder of a storm in all it's glory. The sky will open and mere mortals will part. Part the way to near invincibility where you will meet me in the realm of Rohan from whence I will bestow upon you the blessings of the Divine Beings, so that you may, for as long as you are needed, walk amongst the mortals protecting your rider."
 * - Foretold by an unknown elderly man just before the birthing of Faer Dúath

Arodiél is known as one of the most gifted riders in Rohan, possessing an elegant black Mearas stallion named Faer Dúath. Like the Mearas of the old, she and the stallion bear a connection like no other. He is able to understand her when she speaks to him and able to sense her thoughts and emotions. This is why she rides him both without a bridle and saddle, putting her complete trust in him. When he was first born, her Father was content to cast him aside, declaring that he could never be tamed by anyone, but Arodiél, known for defying her Father and always looking for a challenge, tamed the colt at the mere age of 17. Since then her Father has always despised the black stallion, thinking he was unfit for a noblewoman to ride. It has also often been rumoured amongst the Rohirrim that Faer Dúath is the next Lord of the Horses.

Eldest child and only Daughter of one of the most prominent Horse Lords alive, Arodiél was well known by the Rohirrim, but not because of her Father's hierarchical rank within the society, rather because of her skills with horses. She was not only a highly gifted rider, but trainer as well and not just in breaking a horse. She also had an unsurpassed knowledge of how to best utilize a horse in combat. It was also rumoured that even Arodiél herself could somehow commune with horses, that she was a horse whisperer of sorts.

These rumours came about on her 17th Birthday when her Father took her down to their grand stables to allow her to pick out a new mount for recreational riding purposes. She looked at both colts and fillies, 2 year olds that had just reached the point in their lives in which they were ready to be trained. Arodiél liked not a single one. Not until she heard loud yelling and cursing as the most heavenly looking colt she had ever seen came crashing through the walls of his stall with a trainer barely holding on atop his back. This was Faer Dúath, Spirit of the Darkness, a Mearh colt that was even blacker than the depths of the night. It was rumoured that this colt's Dam was visited on the night of his birth by an unknown elderly man foretelling of his greatness. He spoke to Faer just as he had entered his Dam' birth canal, just before he was to take his first breath of life. All was overheard by a group of stable hands as such.

That trainer attempting to break him was thrown only seconds later before he was finally corralled in a round pen, many a man lining up to attempt to break the colt, but nay a man able to stay on or sometimes even get close enough to get on.

Arodiél looked on in awe between the slats of the round pen, admiring the colt who was said to be blessed by the Divine Beings, a fiery look in his eyes as he snorted and screamed ferociously, not allowing himself or his spirit to be broken. Without warning she had hauled herself up over the side of the round pen and found herself face to face with the Spirit of the Darkness; her Father's face red with anger and the laughing of the surrounding men echoing in her ears as she stared the colt down, shutting everything else out. It was just her and the blessed one in this moment. Calmly she reached out a hand as the colt screamed at her, an ear piercing squeal that sounded over all the lands of Rohan. Finally he snorted loudly in protest of her defying him and coming as close as she had. In that moment their eyes connected and stories were shared in just that one look. The colt had finally found his rider and this was how the Spirit of Darkness was tamed.

Decoding the Enigma
"They are proud and willful, but they are true-hearted, generous in thought and deed; bold but not cruel; wise but unlearned, writing no books but singing many songs, after the manner of the children of Men before the Dark Years."
 * — Aragorn, The Two Towers

Appearance
Lithe and short in figure at a mere 5'0", unusual for a Rohirrim, but muscular all the same, Arodiél is a radiant, raw beauty caught frozen in frame with long blonde hair that cascades like a waterfall just beneath her shoulders and piercing chromatic, sapphire blue eyes that see through the very souls of men.

Personality
Fierce and stubborn, Arodiél is the epitome of a Rohirrim in almost every way possible aside from the fact that she prides herself in her ability to read, write, and understand multiple languages. She holds one of the fairest voices in all the lands of Arda and it is said when she sings that even the most hardened of men shudder in it's glory. She is a sensible person who is worldly-wise, but in her young age could not be considered a holder of wisdom just yet.

When one is to first meet Arodiél she is cautious and with good reason, usually skirting around the niceties and also has a regular tendency to look down upon all men. Few have earned her respect and even fewer have seen the softer side of her. She is not cruel in this aspect, but simply indifferent towards all people.