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| The Siege Of Minas Tirith by Morwen Tindomerel | 1 Review(s) |
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| FantasyFan | Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 4/16/2004 |
| "We did win didn't we?" "Oh yes." the Man looked grimly around, added quietly. "The only thing worse than a battle won is a battle lost. And sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference." This is a heartbreaking comment on the horrors of war. So much death - so much lost. Even in this war, which was necessary, it is still tragic. It's an interesting movie choice to have Pippin find Merry on the field of battle, and for you to have Aragorn carry him into the city, right after arguing six ways to Sunday that he won't go in. I'm glad you changed the line back to "Are you going to bury me?" because it's so heartbreaking, although I lament the loss of Merry's comments about being small and how it isn't always a bad thing to be overlooked. I do like Eomer's reaction to being named king, here in its different setting. In the heat of battle on the field of Pelennor, wrath and a cry of Death was appropriate. Here, after the battle is finished, it seems better for him to express sorrow and a little bitterness at the unfairness of Theoden's death, after so many other deaths, so soon after he had fought off the poison of Saruman and Wormtongue. I'm glad you gave fitting honor to Halbarad, but you mention 'Aragorn's Elvish lady'. Is Arwen there? How did she get there, or when? And how do the people in the room know who she is? Author Reply: The 'only thing worse than a battle won is a battle lost' quote is not original but a paraphrase of a comment by the Duke of Wellington after the Battle of Waterloo. He was certainly in a position to to know. I like 'are you going to bury me' better myself which of course is why I put it back. I'd forgotten about Merry's lines on being overlooked, maybe I'll manage to squeeze them in later. All indications are Eomer loved his uncle and probably rather hero-worshipped his cousin in a younger-brother sort of way, (rather like Faramir and Boromir). It seemed to me he'd be bound to feel their loss bitterly when he finally had a chance for some quiet reflection. And it must be a little intimidating, not to mention disorienting, to suddenly be king when he'd been perfectly happy serving his uncle as lord of Eastfold and Third Marshal, and expected to do the same for Theodred. As for Arwen...Ouch! Shortly after publishing the story it dawned on me that those who haven't read 'I've Made My Choice' aren't going to have the faintest idea how she got there! The two stories are converging you see - somehow I'm going to have to work in that Arwen accompanied the Grey Company to Dunharrow. Eomer also meets her on the battlefield after the host of the Dead sweeps over him and his men. | |