By the Light of Earendil's Star by Branwyn
Bodkin · 29 July 2004 · Chapter 6: Red Was the Sunset
What an exciting (and gruesome) story. I hope they get out of this safely. It's one thing to know that orcs eat people, but quite another to be a spectator as your friends are eaten. I look forward to the next instalment.
Wopt · 28 July 2004 · Chapter 5: Draw the Bow; Let Loose the Arrow
Ahh this is a really good series so far, and it makes me nervous! please finish!
daw the minstrel · 28 July 2004 · Chapter 5: Draw the Bow; Let Loose the Arrow
"Before Boromir could lay hands on him, Eldahil muttered under his breath “you son of an orc” and started smearing dirt on his clothes." Heehee. I'm glad there are some light moments in this. But Yay! Boromir to the rescue and not a moment too soon.
daw the minstrel · 28 July 2004 · Chapter 4: Of Rhymes and Ruins
Oh my, what a grim chapter. Watching your companions get eaten one by one would destroy most people, I would think. Faramir is tough though, much tougher than people sometimes think. He's young here though, right? Geez. I wonder how long it took him to recover from this.
Author's reply
Hullo, Daw-- Thanks for writing...I believe Faramir is very tough. Remember, Aragorn (who would know) calls him "a man of staunch will." His upbringing would have instilled mental and physical discipline, and he inherited his father's strength of character. That said, he is young in this story--about twenty (which I thought would be a reasonable age for him to start leading patrols; he would have been in Ithilien for a couple of years before taking on that duty.) So, losing people under his command is new to him. Also, though I am sure he had seen many orcs down the shaft of an arrow, I see this as being the first time he has seen them close at hand. While he is intellectually sophisticated for his age, he is still really young, and you are right, it will take him a while to recover. (But that would be telling...) The other ranger, Hirluin, is a few years younger than Faramir--about eighteen. And, not having Faramir's mental discpline or years of military training, he is truly lost in this situation. Regards Branwyn
Iawen Londea · 28 July 2004 · Chapter 5: Draw the Bow; Let Loose the Arrow
Don't leave there!! How cruel!! I didn't realize it would end here. I just now found this story and I love it! I want to know what happens next!
annmarwalk · 27 July 2004 · Chapter 5: Draw the Bow; Let Loose the Arrow
Hello Branwyn: What a treat to have one of these each evening before I go to bed! A scary bedtime story though. You are doing a great job! Ann
Author's reply
I am glad that you are enjoying this! I just sent tonight's installment of the scary bedtime story. LOL Branwyn
rikki · 27 July 2004 · Chapter 4: Of Rhymes and Ruins
What an intriguing story. Faramir knows he is only "beef on the hoof" so to speak, but he still attempts to calm his last ranger and provide hope where there is none. He doesn't give up. I hope the ambush coming up goes successfully with the rescue party. There is so much that can go wrong.
daw the minstrel · 25 July 2004 · Chapter 3: On the River; On the Road
Boromir's explanation to his cousin was good. The cousin may be different but he's not a coward. I liked him teaching the men to row. But Faramir certainly seems to be in trouble. Things are going from bad to worse. I liked his memory that included Boromir protecting him. That seems fitting under the circumstances.
Author's reply
Thanks for the reviews! All the people in Gondor seem so brave, noble, high-minded, and serious; it occurred to me that there must be at least a few more average people. So I came up with Eldahil the-not-nearly-so-noble-as-Boromir-but-still-a-decent-sort. (Also, it seemed like Boromir would need some allies to help him so I sent along the cousin and that old captain.) Regards, B.
daw the minstrel · 25 July 2004 · Chapter 2: Hope Fades; Stealing Away
OK. This was really grim. But I thought you handled it well. And Faramir is right that this was like dying in battle. But wow. Boromir is doing stuff I might not have predicted. You can see how upset he must be. Great tension in this story.
Author's reply
Regarding Boromir's willingness to run down everyone in his way (so to speak), remember that he is quite a bit younger in this story than in LOTR; in my mind, like many young men, he is somewhat wild and heedless. By the time we meet him in the books, he has had time to settle down. ;-) Also, while he is very concerned with right conduct, he does believe that if the situation is serious enough (and very, very few situations would qualify), the ends justify the means. I don't think he would have tried to take the Ring if he hadn't already had that mindset (just my opinion). However, I did wonder, while writing this story,to what extremes he would actually go to save his brother. Regards, Branwyn
daw the minstrel · 25 July 2004 · Chapter 1: Prisoner; News from Ithilien
This is very exciting! Boromir is so intent on saving his brother that he's willing to cut a few corners. And poor Faramir! What an awful situation.
annmarwalk · 25 July 2004 · Chapter 3: On the River; On the Road
Great job! I particularly liked the image of Denethor telling the bedtime story; then bundling up the boys to go outside and look at the stars - a very original and endearing touch. Ann
annmarwalk · 25 July 2004 · Chapter 2: Hope Fades; Stealing Away
Branwyn, I too am new to the site and am not familiar with the etiquette. I agree, though, a story with too many chapters might scare away readers (It would have scared me.) Perhaps add a chapter or two every few days? You might post this question on the message board too. It you think of it, could you let me know when you post more chapters? (Sorry to have hijacked your review page - I couldn't find your email on the members list) Ann
annmarwalk · 25 July 2004 · Chapter 2: Hope Fades; Stealing Away
Excellent! I don't often read action/adventure stories but this is quite enjoyable. When will we see more? Ann
Author's reply
Thank you for the kind review! The story is written through Chapter 7 (of 11 or 12); however, I thought it might scare readers off if I posted it all at once since it is fairly long (currently at 20,000 words). Please let me know if I am wrong about that--I am new to this site.
Raksha The Demon · 24 July 2004 · Chapter 1: Prisoner; News from Ithilien
Good to see this exciting and moving story posted on this site! An excellent read, keep updating!