Stories of Arda Home Page
About Us News Resources Login Become a member Help Search

Neath Anor, Ithil, and Gil  by Larner 12 Review(s)
AntaneReviewed Chapter: 79 on 5/2/2010
I liked the linking of the stories, the singing, the blessing on the new bearers and the mention of Glorfindel, a little gap-filler for an intriguing part of history.

Namarie, God bless, Antane :)

Author Reply: Am so glad you do, Antane. The story of the Hobbits' swords is one that has fascinated me for quite a time, and I was glad that the B2MEM challenges gave me a chance to write to their forging at last! Thanks so!

KittyReviewed Chapter: 79 on 4/7/2010
Nice little ficlet about the crafting of the knives that became swords to the Hobbits and what made them so powerful that Merry could help to slay the Witch-king of Angmar with one of them. Elrond and Glorfindel and the others must have recognised them, too. Wonder what they thought?

Author Reply: I think that will be covered in my next chapter of "In Empty Lands." However, I have been finding myself torturing a certain errant King at the moment, and contemplating, along with the Witch-king of Angmar, shaping a very nasty future for him! Buahahahahaha!

Raksha The DemonReviewed Chapter: 79 on 3/28/2010
A fascinating story. I loved this look into the history of the swords found in the barrow; and the brooch. How wonderful and how fitting that Merry and Pippin's blades had such a distinguished history. I loved it that Bombadil added his own song of power to the protections already laid in the blades.

Author Reply: I've been wanting to write a story of the forging of the blades for SO long, and so it was good to find a good reason for which to write it at last. And if we're visiting the barrow again, we must imagine the brooch as well as the swords. That Tom would, on seeing the knives and choosing to bestow them on the Hobbits, should offer his own blessing on both blades and those who should bear them just seems so right! And he, too, must rejoice at the end to know that these did help to bring down the might of the Witch-king!

Thanks so, Rhaksha.

InzilbethReviewed Chapter: 79 on 3/25/2010
This is the first story I've come across which addresses the former ownership of those knives and, most particularly, that brooch which I have wondered about and searched HOME looking for more details! Yours is a very plausible and delightful tale. Beautifully done, Larner.

Author Reply: Thank you so, Inzilbeth! I wrote this to go as a companion piece to "The Ritual Disturbed," also in this collection. I've been wanting to write this for quite some time, so I am grateful that the challenge offered in the B2MEM activities allowed me to write to this. It gave me a chance to visit both the brooch and the barrow-blades at the same time!

TiggerReviewed Chapter: 79 on 3/24/2010
Ooooh...This is lovely Larner!! So this is the origins of the hobbits swords then. Loved it and no wonder Merry's sword had the power to help take down the Witch King. It had been empowered by a Song of Power by his greatest enemy after all.

Love all of the back ground and little touches you always put in your stories. They just link up so wonderfully w/the canon it always amazes me. :o)

You do know what you have to do now though? You need to write out Glorfindel's reaction to seeing these weapons again after so long a time. :oD

Really loved this. Lovely, lovely, lovely!! :o)

Author Reply: Am so very glad you found it so satisfying, Tigger. It was wonderful to be able to write this story at last, and to see so many cooperating to see the swords forged properly. And I do love expanding on canon, as you know.

And I do think that it is likely Boromir might soon hear Glorfindel's thoughts on those swords soon enough! Heh!

Thank you, thank you!

Linda HoylandReviewed Chapter: 79 on 3/23/2010
What a fascinating glimpse of the history of these amazing swords!

Author Reply: Am so glad you appreciated it! Thanks so, Linda.

LindeleaReviewed Chapter: 79 on 3/22/2010
a particularly sardonic smile, eh?

Makes one wonder... for some reason you recalled to my mind the journey Glorfindel made with the leader of the Fallohides, to wrangle safe passage for the hobbits through that hostile and Shadowed land... (not canon, of course, but plausible, I hope)

Well done, a nice tying together of past and present, building upon hints in the narrative.

Author Reply: I am going to have to read "Shire" now, as it's one tale of yours I've not read as yet. I wrote this in part as a companion piece to "The Ritual Disturbed," and am so glad it works so well for all.

Elena TirielReviewed Chapter: 79 on 3/22/2010
Oh, this is a great backstory for the barrow-swords, Larner! And you even solved the mystery of the sapphire brooch! *vbg*

But there is also a hint of regret over the loss of the youngest prince of Cardolan and his family.... such a waste of potential!

Well done!

- Barbara

Author Reply: I had to give some context for that brooch, I found, now that I've finally explored a possible beginning for the blades. It was written to fit in with my story "The Ritual Disturbed," so the blades had to be somehow tied to the ones I saw being buried here in that story. And I do regret the loss of that young prince. You are so right in your recognition of the loss there.

Thanks so, Elena Tiriel.

FiondilReviewed Chapter: 79 on 3/22/2010
This gave me chills, Larner. Excellent backstory on the Hobbits' swords. Now we know and it sheds a whole different light on the Barrow-downs chapter. Thanks for sharing.

Author Reply: I've always wanted to explore what smith wrought those blades and how the spells against Angmar were wound around them. And I got to visit that barrow once more, which was satisfying, somehow. Thanks so!

AndreaReviewed Chapter: 79 on 3/22/2010
"Blessed are they by representatives of all of the Free Peoples; may they serve their bearers well."

All Free Peoples? Actually, they forgot a certain people. And so I found it very fitting that the "swords" ended up in the hands of hobbits and that it was one of those hobbits who successfully used the blade against the Witch King of Angmar.

Author Reply: You're fight--not quite ALL the free peoples, although their blessing comes through bearing them! And what a blessing that proved, as you note.

Thanks so, Andrea.

First Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Last Page

Return to Chapter List