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Middle-earth Express Prompts  by Misty 9 Review(s)
LarnerReviewed Chapter: 24 on 12/8/2007
Ah--our Strider has a thing for inns no matter where he goes, apparently. And it is amazing how much a simple smile can change ones appearance!

Lovely, Misty.

Author Reply: Thanks. Yes, Rangers out on patrol get very cold and hungry, and must take advantage of inns wherever they find them. :) That smile certainly did change the boy's opinion of him.

harrowcatReviewed Chapter: 24 on 8/7/2006
Aw Misty - this one is going on my favourites list immediately. It is a real gem of descriptive writing and a warning to us all about judging on appearance and preconceived ideas.

Author Reply: Thanks! I think that description is something I need to work on a little bit sometimes, and was very careful to put in more visual description in this story, since the entire premise was based on first impressions and appearances. I think Edric learned very quickly that those appearances don't tell the whole story at all.

meckinockReviewed Chapter: 24 on 8/4/2006
I love Aragorn's transformation through Edric's eyes from the archetypal stranger your mother warns you about to a gentle, kindly man with a friendly smile. A really nice portrayal of both characters, and an accurate observation of human nature. Edric is a very likeable and well-drawn character, and the setting felt very lived-in also.

Author Reply: Thanks. I enjoyed writing this story, and am glad you appreciated it so much. Edric ended up changing his opinion of Strider at every turn whenever the man did something unexpected, and was left wondering just who this stranger was. Thanks for the review.

RSReviewed Chapter: 24 on 8/3/2006
Wonderful, Beautiful! Just makes Strider more of an enigma. So mysterious. And more appealing!

Author Reply: I'm sure he definitely left Edric wondering! I think he was more a mystery when he left than when he entered, as Edric was so sure at first that he knew what Strider was, but was left thinking he didn't have a clue as to who the man was. ;-) Thanks.

AmyReviewed Chapter: 24 on 8/3/2006
How true that a smile can change perceptions, and that a bowl of mother's stew is always a welcome gift.

I imagine that, decades later, Edric is in this town, prob. running the tavern, when the King returns to the north. I love Aragorn recognition fics!

Thanks so much for sharing this story.

Author Reply: Yes, a smile can change all your perceptions about someone, and Edric did what he could to help the stranger in return for helping him. I do like the idea of Edric meeting King Elessar sometime in the later years. I'll have to think about doing a story like that. :)


FireReviewed Chapter: 24 on 8/3/2006
This story makes it very clear indeed that you should never judge a book by its cover. Looks can be so deciving.

Author Reply: So true. Edric found out very quickly that his first thoughts of the man were not the truth. A man who was the evil assassin he first thought would never have stooped to help him clean up the mess. I doubt that Edric will be so quick to make assumptions about anyone else he meets again.

shireboundReviewed Chapter: 24 on 8/3/2006
I enjoyed this scene very much. Edric is such a discerning lad! A rare glimpse of that noble and weary man who lurks beneath such a grim exterior.

Author Reply: Yes, Edric showed a great deal of maturity in being able to look past the surface appearance and see a little of the man that Aragorn truly is.

lwarrenReviewed Chapter: 24 on 8/2/2006
I like the way you take Edric's reactions to Strider from one extreme to the other - from fear and trembling and suspicion of the dread 'assassin' to the gradual realizations that this was 1)a weary traveler who 2)needed that sword to protect him from the dangers of the road and 3)had a smile that softened his grim appearance and showed he was really a nice guy after all! Giving Strider the stew (Edric is a good kid!) in appreciation of his help was a nice touch, as was the coin (worth more than the stew itself) left by the appreciative Ranger! I like reading about ordinary people's reactions to the presence of the Rangers - they must have been scary, mysterious creatures in the eyes of the simple citizens of any village. Great!

Linda

Author Reply: Thanks. I think a lot of people would have jumped to conclusions about the Rangers based on their appearances and the stories that surely circulated about them. Edric was able to look past those appearances based on Aragorn's smile and see at least a glimpse of who he really was. When he thought that Aragorn might be just a tired, poor traveler, he did what he could in trying to help him with the stew. I think he was quite surprised when Strider left the coin. This was a fun story to write.

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 24 on 8/2/2006
Very nice! I am quite sure that is just exactly the first impression Strider must have given many people. At least Edric was able to learn that maybe first impressions are not always the best! Good job!

Author Reply: Thanks. I do think that Edric at least learned not to jump to any conclusions about the strangers he meets. He was still left wondering who Strider was when he left the inn, but at least he didn't think he had him all figured out anymore. :)

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