Divers Drabbles II by Raksha The Demon
Periantari · 28 May 2023 · Chapter 5: What I Have Found (Faramir)
I was just rereading that line that Faramir spoke in Houses of Healing in the Steward and the King Chapter. So nice to see a fic that is inspired from that. I loved how you wrote this and reasoned why Faramir won't fall to despair, not yet and how Eoywn played a part. Thank you.
MusicDreamer7 · 31 March 2013 · Chapter 2: The Exile (Beregond)
Another beautifully poignant piece. I've wondered countless times how bittersweet the exile from Minas Tirith must have been for Beregond. On the one hand, he became a great Captain and was given the chance to serve Faramir for the rest of his days, but there were some things his sacrifice caught him. I loved that you included the idea that Beregond likely never saw the White Tree he guarded for so long in bloom. I always imagined that to be the case in my head, but there's something lovely about reading the idea in a fic.
Virtuella · 28 May 2009 · Chapter 6: Far From Home (Boromir)
"We both are far from home." I've never looked at it like that before, but yes, this is certainly something these two have in common.
Author's reply
Oops, I missed this review - thanx, Virtuella. Both Frodo and Boromir loved their homelands very much, and risked all they had to save the Shire and Gondor.
Soledad · 13 December 2008 · Chapter 8: Better Days Ahead (Shagrat)
Prep talk by an Orc! Now I've seen it all. *g*
Author's reply
I can't imagine Shagrat as a motivational speaker to humans, but I'm sure he could motivate his troops, one way or another, LOL! Thanks for reading and commenting, Soledad.
Soledad · 13 December 2008 · Chapter 10: Girl Talk (Lothíriel and Éowyn)
Éowyn's last scar made me howl with hilarity. So did the only war-scar of Lothíriel! Some girl-talk indeed.
Author's reply
Thanx much for reading and reviewing this story, Soledad - I rarely write Eowyn stories, or stories without male characters, so I'm glad you enjoyed it. The dialogue came very easily, I could picture the girl-talk between the more experienced Eowyn and the younger, more innocent, Lothiriel, with their mutual respect and liking, and plenty of alcoholic beverages///
Little Dwarf · 26 June 2008 · Chapter 14: The Tides of the World (Aragorn)
Oh, poor Aragorn is so adorable here, I wish I could hug him! Aww... Seriously now, I really liked this final drabble, Aragorn's perspective was like some sort of epilogue to "The Falcon and the Star"... You emphasized the importance of the day so beautifully, and I especially loved Aragorn's selflessness and his satisfaction for healing others! :) He deserves a good night's sleep! :) And so do I, though I didn't save anybody today... :)
Author's reply
This piece does have a thematic connection to "The Falcon and the Star", doesn't it...Still, it's more like the entire 24 hours is suddenly crashing down on Aragorn's tired shoulders, and Halbarad's death is starting to burn instead of being a numb thing that cannot be considered. I do hope he got a little rest. And I hope you get some rest tonight! Thanx for reviewing all these pieces, Small-Dwarf!
Little Dwarf · 26 June 2008 · Chapter 13: A Mother's Touch (OFC & someone important)
I can't believe I'm really saying this, but this was... cute!!! :) You fooled me again, I was certain it was a child or a young hobbit, not a dragon cub! ;)) What a great turn! It reminds me of another fantasy series of novels ("Inheritance" by Christopher Paolini), where dragons are not evil, but intelligent and strong creatures... Of course Paolini's fantasy can in no way be compared to Tolkien's great work, but your dragons in this fics reminded me of his... :) "We stain ourselves only with the blood of foes and prey, not common dirt. A good dragon is fearsome, but never dirty!" Hahahahaha! Excellent line! :)
Little Dwarf · 26 June 2008 · Chapter 12: Under the Eyes of the Evenstar (Arwen)
Very good introspection for Arwen! I especially liked this part: "This was one of the three men who stood between Estel and Gondor’s winged crown, and so between me and my dearest hope." So true, and so sad that poor Boromir never had the chance to return to his City...
Author's reply
I'm surprised that there aren't more stories told of, or at least including, a meeting between Arwen and Boromir. What might they have thought of each other. Arwen in the books, what little we see of her, gives an impression of wisdom and kindness, so I could see her being hospitable even to someone who was a major stumbling block to her future happiness. And she would have sorrowed that so brave a man would not return to his faraway home. Thanx for reading and commenting!
Little Dwarf · 26 June 2008 · Chapter 11: Measures of Time (Éowyn)
Very beautiful! And certainly not the usual we get for Faramir and Eowyn... I've always thought that there will be some pain - especially for Eowyn - in their earlier days together. She, being a lesser mortal, would certainly age (and die!) sooner that Faramir, whose Numenorean blood would preserve his youth and strenght longer... It is sad, but I loved how you handled the situaltion here - it was so realistic! And of course I couldn't help but go "awwww" at how visible Faramir's love for Eowyn is... :)
Author's reply
I think it would have been harder for Eowyn to face the effects of ageing than it would have been for Faramir, had she been the Numenorean throwback rather than he. Eowyn, while an intelligent woman who can read and write, comes across as a woman who is used to physical activity and thrives on it. And I see her as a perfectionist; who would hate having to lose physical strength and flexibility. She would fight it, and then, with Faramir's support, make what accomodation she could; as she does in this story. It is not, at least here, that Eowyn is losing her looks and her vitality, it is that she no longer has the energy of a 25-year-old when she is in her 50's, and it bothers her; she would still be beautiful and could out-dance me on my best day, but she knows her body is not as strong as it once was. Faramir of course, sees the whole picture - Eowyn as a young maiden, Eowyn the wife and mother, Eowyn as she is now, and Eowyn's fiery spirit - and loves it all. Thanx for the review, Little Dwarf!
Little Dwarf · 26 June 2008 · Chapter 10: Girl Talk (Lothíriel and Éowyn)
*giggles* This was so sweet! :) I don't particularly like the idea of Middle-Earth ladies overindulging, but this ficlet was fun! :)
Author's reply
I think some ladies in M-e would overindulge; though for the most part, at least in the West, good manners are valued, so drunken misbehavior would be frowned upon, but an occasional celebratory libation would have been okay. I would imagine that there were a lot of celebratory libations after the Ring was destroyed, or at Faramir and Eowyn's wedding, or in the Shire when the Ruffians were defeated. I had fun writing Eowyn and Lothiriel getting tipsy together - thanx for reading and reviewing, Small Dwarf!
Little Dwarf · 26 June 2008 · Chapter 9: Fading Embers (Nerdanel)
Wow. Just... wow. Powerful piece. And so, so, very painful! *sniff* Poor Nerdanel, what it must have been to her to suffer her husband's and her sons' terrible fates... :(
Little Dwarf · 26 June 2008 · Chapter 8: Better Days Ahead (Shagrat)
Man, wasn't this creepy? I mean, it's well-written, but it makes me sick in a way... "Men will still give us their gold and their women. Nah, I don’t mean women to eat. You still hungry?" - couldn't help but chucle at that. Though I have to confess the origin of the Uruk-hai makes me shudder....
Author's reply
Any Orc New Year's Party would be creepy, I think, if one is not an Orc... The story is supposed to be creepy as well as funny in a really, really nasty sort of way. I often think that mankind's capacity for violence and cruelty could be explained by orc-genes, as could mankind's capacity for heroism and kindness by the blood of the Elves; if one wants to take JRRT's works so literally; and that got me thinking about what the Orcs were up to after Sauron's fall, and some of them didn't want to just fade into the mountains and quietly die out... Thanx for reading and commenting.
Little Dwarf · 26 June 2008 · Chapter 7: Sing All Ye People! (Faramir)
A splendid rewriting of one of the most solemn and elevating scenes in the whole book! (probably the most!) To me, the Eagles and this song always seemed... Biblical. And I'm sure Tolkien meant that, seeing that he had Sauron to be overthrown on March 25 (Annunciation - the beginning of the redemption brought by Christ). And you capture all that sense of awe and spiritual elevation! Faramir reacts exactly as I would expect him to, and the fact that he thinks of Eowyn and that their love is possible in the new situation is soooo beautiful! Congratulations for a very good drabble!
Little Dwarf · 26 June 2008 · Chapter 6: Far From Home (Boromir)
Excellent companion to "The Burning of the Year"! :) Boromir's not my favourite character, but I have to feel for him in this ficlet! And I loved Frodo's appearance to comfort Boromir - ironical, that is, considering what will happen next between them...
Author's reply
No, Boromir is not one of my favorites either, but he was Faramir's brother, and seems to have exerted a good influence on him, especially in childhood; and whatever else can be said about Boromir, he was a very brave man. And for someone like Boromir, used to being the center of attention in Gondor, and often celebrating Mettare at home, it had to be hard on him to be stuck in a place he would have thought of as alien, at that time of year. I don't think that he and Frodo had much in common, but I could see them bonding, or at least commiserating in an understated way here... Yes, it is a sort of companion to The Burning of the Year! Thanx for reviewing.
Little Dwarf · 26 June 2008 · Chapter 5: What I Have Found (Faramir)
*Sniff* This was absolutely beautiful! And so believable and in character!!! You captured Faramir's feelings so well, and with such tenderness! The obsessed Faramir/Eowyn shipper in my is deeply grateful for this wonderful piece!!!!
Author's reply
I see Faramir at this point in his life as really having become an expert in holding onto the most important things, finding purpose even in the darkest of times, so the beginning of his love for Eowyn, while Faramir was Stewarding a City under threat of imminent doom, must have hit him like the proverbial ton of bricks, unexpected and as exciting as it was distracting. I'm pleased you liked the story!
Little Dwarf · 26 June 2008 · Chapter 4: Legacy (Elboron)
Beautiful. I loved it, especially the way you wrote from Elboron's perspective - we can feel that he has something of Faramir in him, and a resemblance to Boromir as well. And your dedication is simply heartbreaking, both for the fandom and for real life! *sigh* But who is Elboron's lady? :)
Author's reply
I didn't have time to figure out who Elboron married; sorry; I'm sure he was a very desirable figure on the marriage-market, and I hope he wed for love, as did his parents. I'm glad that the resemblance to both his father and uncle came through; since Elboron's character is less clear in my mind than is his physical appearance; or at least less clear than that of the sisters I gave him. And yes, the sacrifices that soldiers make for their countries are heart-breaking and awesome; I wanted to mention that... I'm glad you liked the piece.
Little Dwarf · 26 June 2008 · Chapter 3: A Pirate's Life For Me!
Awww... Absolutely adorable!!! I have to admit you got me completely fooled by the first lines of this story... For a moment I really thought I was going to witness a brave battle... :) But i think I like your resolution even better! Dear old Imrahil, playing with his nephew... I know i'm not going to see a fic where Denethor himself plays with his sons, but that would be very nice indeed... *sigh* As for the last part... how very, very sweet!! I'm a sucker for family stories with Faramir and his children, and this was so cute! And your name for Faramir's daughter was really fitted as well - preserving the "mir" in both her father's and her uncle's name... :) Thanks for sharing such a wonderful piece! :)
Author's reply
I'm glad you liked the piece; I don't find writing children to be easy; so I'm happy when they come out believable. Though I think Faramir would have been precocious, a kid is still a kid; and most of them would love playing pirates with uncles or fathers. I believe I've read at least one or two stories where Denethor plays with his children; though I don't remember the titles or authors. I don't see Denethor as a man who is particularly at ease with young children, who would be a hands-on father, though I believe he loved his sons, particularly Boromir. I do think Faramir would enjoy playing with his kids when he had the time; and I could see him trying to give his daughter some quality time too. (the way I see the character, it would be hard to ignore Miriel, she'd find a way to participate!)
Little Dwarf · 26 June 2008 · Chapter 2: The Exile (Beregond)
Beautiful! To be very honest, I never looked too deeply at Beregond, I always assumed he would be more than happy to serve Faramir in his new princedom... But you're very right, his exile must have been equally painful for him... A very intelligent and complex study of a character often overlooked! ;)
Author's reply
It has been debated whether Aragorn actually exiled Beregond, and looking at Aragorn's sentence, it is up to a certain interpretation; but I always thought that Aragorn did exile Beregond, while rewarding him for his initiative. But to someone who had been a man-at-arms in the Tower Guard, with all the pride that Beregond had in defending Minas Tirith, it must have been sad to leave it, and, occasionally, to remember that he could not return to it.
Little Dwarf · 26 June 2008 · Chapter 1: Some Dark Place (Aragorn)
Very nice! I like the way you emphasized Aragorn's human nature... He is a man who has had his dark moments... and known both pain and terror... so your characterization is very well-written and in keeping to the original chapter! :)
Author's reply
Thank you, Small Dwarf; and Welcome to Stories of Arda! I wrote this piece as a birthday ficlet for a member of HASA (Henneth-Annun Story Archive) who wanted a drabble where Aragorn is gripped by a strong emotion, if I remember right. Naturally, I thought of that moment of remembered horror that Strider reveals to the hobbits in Bree; and wondered what could have spooked Aragorn so much that it still chilled him years later? One of the things that makes Strider a little more interesting than King Elessar Telcontar is that Strider, for all his great strength and skill, does reveal human frailties occasionally along with his considerable virtues. I wanted to capture the moments when Strider is brought to bay but not broken, and meets terror with courage and intelligence.
Violin Ghost · 12 April 2007 · Chapter 11: Measures of Time (Éowyn)
You hit Eowyn's sore spot perfectly! Ever since she was young she wanted to prove herself. I can understand how frustrating it must be for her to realize that she can't do everything she used to. Though, I must admit, even if she's old she still must be beautiful. (I've always imagined her so.) It's sweet, the way Faramir shows how much he still cares for her. He'll never stop loving her, never, I know it. ;) I liked Cynwen dancing with Faramir. And I like how you show Eowyn's jealousy. Wonderful. :)
Author's reply
Thanx for reading and reviewing, V.G.! I've always seen Eowyn as a perfectionist, and a very restless one. She likes being the best, and settling for less due to age-related weakness, would be very hard for her. I think Eowyn would age very slowly, and be a striking woman well into her seventies. Poor Eowyn knew it was petty to feel jealousy of her own daughter; which made it doubly hard for her.
Branwyn · 18 March 2007 · Chapter 14: The Tides of the World (Aragorn)
Elladan and Elrohir's concern is touching (especially when you consider that they would not have experienced the same weariness). Elrond was wise to send those two to be with Aragorn in this stressful time. I like Aragorn's reflection on the price of victory. He would never deny the need for sacrifice, but neither would he forget what had been given. Another lovely fic from your pen!
Author's reply
Thanx for reading and reviewing! I'm sure that Elrond was concerned about Aragorn, and sent the twins along to look after his errant fosterling; but I can also imagine the twins thinking how many orcs there would be, so close to Mordor, that they could kill. Still, I have the impression that the twins were quietly very supportive to Aragorn, and they probably strengthened and helped him during the mass healings of the night... Poor Aragorn's long life has been a series of losses to Mordor and Mordor-related evils. A partial victory must have cheered him, as well as the healings he performed, but there would be that sense of balance... And thanx for the great beta-ing on most of the stories in this compilation!
meckinock · 18 March 2007 · Chapter 14: The Tides of the World (Aragorn)
It's amazing, that with everything Aragorn has gone through in the past few days, he didn't just fall flat on his face. I liked the "bladeless battles," and Elladan and Elrohir flanking him as he makes his way out of the city. Even with the dead still littering the battlefield below, and Mount Doom belching in the distance, seeing the sunrise that morning must have given him some hope.
Author's reply
Thanx, Meckinock. Yes, our poor King-to-be had certainly been a busy boy in the past week. Probably had bruises on his bruises. I think he was ready to fall flat on his face earlier, but healing Faramir and the other two gave him a second wind, and then he thoroughly exhausted himself saving various unnamed folks from the Black Breath. That bed must have looked very good to him; though it's a shame that Tolkien said he slept only for a few hours.
Agape4Gondor · 17 March 2007 · Chapter 14: The Tides of the World (Aragorn)
'He had fought bladeless battles throughout the long night...' Love this line. Very nice (long) drabble - sometimes you just can't say things in 100 words! Very nice.
Author's reply
Hey, for me, six hundred words is just a teeny-weeny piece! I often start out trying to do a true drabble, but it usually just mutates into something longer. Glad you liked the story.
Julia · 17 March 2007 · Chapter 14: The Tides of the World (Aragorn)
Very good indeed. Poor Aragorn, so tired, yet with "miles to go before he sleeps."
Author's reply
Aragorn can finally get to sleep at the end of the ficlet; but we know from ROTK that he only sleeps for a few hours; the heavy weight of responsibility is coming down on his shoulders now as he's shown himself to be the true king...
Bodkin · 17 March 2007 · Chapter 14: The Tides of the World (Aragorn)
A moment full of hope - with, unfortunately rather more loin-girding to come. I love the way the Elrondionnath look after their little brother and see that he doesn't do more than he can endure. Not the end, but the beginning of the end. Sort of.
Author's reply
Thanx for the review, Bodkin. Yes, this was a definite lull between storms for Aragorn; and one he definitely needed. And I think that the twins would have looked out for Aragorn; they don't seem very demonstrative in LOTR, but they are quietly effective.