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Brothers at Heart  by Radbooks 9 Review(s)
LarnerReviewed Chapter: 22 on 8/24/2006
It is still over sixty years until the current situation changes markedly. But Aragorn is the Hope of not only his people but of others as well; and he's been well prepared for what is to come.

Author Reply: Thanks for reviewing!! Yes, he has been very well prepared and is now getting the practical knowledge he needs to put it all together. I cannot imagine how hard it must have been to keep going for that many years, hoping that things would change and that somehow it would work out for you to marry the woman you loved. I guess he had true faith and hope!

Linda HoylandReviewed Chapter: 22 on 8/10/2006
An excellent chapter underlying the different facets of Aragorn's character and all the skills he is needing as well as his care for his people.
I loved the ending,as we know Aragorn will be king !

Author Reply: Thanks so much for your review and your very kind words. This chapter turned out much different than it started. I had written more than five pages and I just did not like certain things I was doing with a particular character and tossed it all to try and get back more to Aragorn and Halbarad which I was able to do even in the midst of the wolves. It turned out much better this way. :)

Halbarad never does forget who Aragorn is; he talked about that back at the beginning of the story. Since you've read my 'Safekeeping' story you also know that over time he does start calling Aragorn 'lord' and they have words over the issue at one point... which ends in a draw. :)

grumpyReviewed Chapter: 22 on 8/9/2006
So Aragorn has had his first battle with wolves, and lived through it. Skninny wolves and skinny rangers. I wonder if Aragorn can come up with a way for the rangers to be at home more. Fatten them up a bit.

Author Reply: Thanks for reviewing! I doubt that Aragorn will ever be able to come up with a way for the Rangers to be at home more... things are only going to get more dangerous over the next seventy years. After he becomes king he might be able to do that. :)

fantasiaReviewed Chapter: 22 on 8/8/2006
Hi
Glad to see another chapter. I really enjoy your stories. Well, we have now Aragorn, no more Estel in this chapter. It will be interesting to see how his elf-family will treat him when they see each other again. He will be Aragorn, but for his family, he still will be the youngest son and little brother. I look forward for Halbarad & Aragorn visiting Rivendell together. It may be not in this story, but I’m sure that you can have it in another one, please. By the way. I saw that you have a sequel for Aragorn’s safekeeping, good; I really enjoyed the previous story and now the new one. Keep writing and thanks again for your wonderful job.

Fantasia


Author Reply: Thanks for reviewing the latest chapter, I'm glad that you are enjoying this and my other stories. I don't have any plans to have Aragorn returning to Rivendell, certainly not in this story which only has three or four chapters left. I know that my next story - besides the 'Safekeeping' epilogue - is going to be the Eomer and Aragorn story, but I have no idea what I might write after that point. I've thought about Aragorn's time as Thorongil, but I'm not sure... I'm sure there will be something. :)

insigniaReviewed Chapter: 22 on 8/8/2006
Thank you for yet another gripping instalment! Well written and with lots of character thought. The standoff (of sorts) between Aragorn and Tathor is most convincing, and I can see such an occurence in real life. Also, the way you describe Aragorn's reflections on the hard way of life of his people is quietly moving. Particularly when you think that in about 6/7 years he will be leaving them to it for a years and years! That must then have been a very hard decision for him and I look forward to hearing how you deal with that (if your story is going to go that far?)

One thing - I was a bit confused in the fight with the wolves. I was thinking that there were only two, and that Aragorn and his companion fought them, so was quite surprised when one of the other men turned out to have been bitten and it became evident that there had been more than two. But maybe that is just me being dense!

I have not reviewed for some time so I apologise for that. However, I have been enjoying this story and seeing connections between it and your last epic. I look forward as ever, to your next chapter.

Author Reply: Thanks so much for your review, I do appreciate it. There definitely are connections to my last epic story, a lot of the young Rangers in this story appear in that one... not that they have more than very minor roles. In fact, this whole story started because of an incident that was mentioned in that story... Aragorn was relaying something that had happened to him and Halbarad and I decided to tell about the incident. I thought it would be a short little story, but it grew. :) By the way, that incident hasn't happened yet, but it will soon as the story only has about four more chapters... I think.

As I mentioned the story won't be too much longer and so won't cover that time when Aragorn leaves his people. I've never understood how he was able to do that... after he'd been gone for eighteen years to just leave his people again. I'm guessing - and this is how'd I'd write it - that he had encouragement from Gandalf to do that. At some future point I may come back and write that period of time, but I'm anxious to write an Eomer - Aragorn story and to finish up the 'Safekeeping' epilogue.

About the wolves... the wolf howls came from several sides of the camp and so I was trying to show that they were surrounding them. Then Faelon and Tathor checked and found out that there were eight wolves that had attacked them... though I only showed Aragorn and Gilost fighting them. I hope that makes sense.

Oh, I'm glad you thought the Aragorn - Tathor 'discussion' was realistic... it took me awhile to get it.

Thanks again!

harrowcatReviewed Chapter: 22 on 8/8/2006
A wonderfully detailed and descriptive couple of chapters Radbooks (I have been out of internet range. ) The final couple of lines made it for me!

Author Reply: Thanks so much for reviewing, I'm glad that you enjoyed it. It would be so hard to be out of internet range for any length of time!

jack bauerReviewed Chapter: 22 on 8/8/2006
Good stuff as always. Keep it up :)

Author Reply: Thanks so much... I'll try!

Raksha The DemonReviewed Chapter: 22 on 8/8/2006
That's quite a burden Halbarad is placing on Aragorn's shoulders; but Aragorn is ready for it. I just feel a bit sorry for him, knowing that your people are slogging through the monotony of constant patrolling for the glory of the line of Isildur is a bit scary.

Aragorn is learning more and more about his very special, and not entirely enviable, destiny. At least he won't be always alone on the rocky road he'll tread to accomplish it - he'll have Halbarad, and other companions well worth the knowing. And one day he'll have Arwen's love.

Author Reply: Thanks for reviewing the latest chapter, I appreciate it. It is a burden that Halbarad placed on Aragorn's shoulders and I don't think that any of the older men would have said that to him, but Aragorn did need to hear it.

People only do things like that - the patrolling, the way they live, etc., - because they strongly believe in something or someone and because they have hope it might be different someday. Children grow up hearing about that hope and they all put their trust in someone, in this case, the heirs of Isildur.

But Aragorn was thrown into this without that background. I don't care how much book knowledge he has or how much Elrond and the other elves tried to prepare him for this after they told him who he was - it's not the same as experiencing it and seeing it played out day to day in front of you. He is ready for it, but he has to accept that burden as well... you can understand something without truly taking it to heart, which is what he needs to do.

Thanks again and I'm sorry for such a lengthy response... I was sort of writing my thoughts aloud here and got carried away and so hopefully they are some what coherent. :)

FiondilReviewed Chapter: 22 on 8/7/2006
I've been enjoying this story very much. Didn't get an chance to review it earlier as I was trying to pack to come to China and it took me 3 weeks to get internet connection once I got here so I could continue reading this story (and others) as well as post my own. I like the growing friendship between Halbarad and Aragorn and the fact that Aragorn, elf-educated though he may be, doesn't know everything (yet). Looking forward to seeing how this ends.

Author Reply: Thanks so much for reviewing, I appreciate you taking the time with all you have going on right now! I'm glad that you are enjoying the story and Aragorn and Halbarad's friendship. No, Aragorn doesn't know everything... no one does and I think Tolkien said that over the years Aragorn grew to be elven-wise and so he didn't learn everything from the elves as he was out amongst Men at that point! :)

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