Bodkin
· 4 January 2007
· Chapter 7: Sing All Ye People! (Faramir)
The arrival of the eagle must, in itself, have been like waking up in a story - and then to hear it singing with echoes of recognisable voices! It would take someone like Faramir to cope with it and interpret it correctly - without, perhaps, trying to shoot the messenger.
Good omens - and powerful approval.
Author's reply
Faramir, more than any other except for Sam and Frodo, would have appreciated waking up in the happy ending of a story. A special delivery of a special message on a very special day for Middle-earth.
Thanx for reading and reviewing, Bodkin.
Bodkin
· 4 January 2007
· Chapter 6: Far From Home (Boromir)
Two fish out of water - it must have drawn them closer together. At least until the Ring started its whispering.
Author's reply
Hopefully, the voices of all those Elves singing Tra-la-la, Back to the Valley drowned out the Ring, at least now and then.
Frodo liked the Elves, and being at Rivendell; but he was already scarred by the Ringwraiths, and possibly felt singled out for doom at this point, a feeling that Boromir, heir to the rule of an imperilled land, probably shared. And they couldn't help but think of happy times at home.
I don't see Frodo and Boromir as having a lot in common, but at times, like this, they could have shared a quiet moment of understanding.
Thanx for the review, Bodkin!
Larner
· 1 January 2007
· Chapter 8: Better Days Ahead (Shagrat)
Ooh, how awful a new years party! And did he truly remove Tark from LOTR? I still read my old editions, you see, and didn't realize it might have been excised.
Author's reply
No, I don't recall JRRT saying he'd removed tark from LOTR; but as far as I can tell, the word is used twice, in the same speech.
Not a really fun new year's party. Maybe if the orcs had some confetti and champagne, they'd have been a bit more mellow?!
Linda Hoyland
· 1 January 2007
· Chapter 8: Better Days Ahead (Shagrat)
This both very funny and very chilling. I wouLd not accept an invitation to an Orc New Year party !
Author's reply
Thanx for reviewing, Linda. I can understand not wanting to go to such a party! I'd go, if I could come in a tank and stay there, and observe from a safe distance.
Linda Hoyland
· 1 January 2007
· Chapter 7: Sing All Ye People! (Faramir)
I hope Faramir did indeed hear the voices of his lost ones.This is a very moving interpretation of a beautiful passage.I can imagine Faramir especially appreciating the messenger of the Valar.
Author's reply
I'm glad you liked the piece; Linda; it felt a bit risky to write; but that's what came out. Thanx for the review!
Linda Hoyland
· 1 January 2007
· Chapter 6: Far From Home (Boromir)
This is very haunting and it is good to see a rare moment of rapport for Frodo and Boromir.It is so sad to know, Borormir will never see home again.
Author's reply
Terribly sad to think that the last time Boromir marked the year's turning was in a place so far from his home and kin. And poor Frodo probably believed it was the last time he'd see the year end, too.
meckinock
· 1 January 2007
· Chapter 6: Far From Home (Boromir)
This is sweet. I love how these two are brought together by a shared homesickness.
Author's reply
There aren't too many Frodo/Boromir moments; so I thought of both of them finding common ground in homesickness. Rivendell was beautiful and hospitable, and there would be pretty songs, but one always thinks of home at holidays if one isn't there. Also, Rivendell didn't celebrate Yule for another three months or so.
Thanx for reviewing, meckinock!
Nesta
· 1 January 2007
· Chapter 8: Better Days Ahead (Shagrat)
I thought they wouldn't get rid of Shagrat so easily!
Perhaps if Beregond killed Shagrat in single combat, they might relent over his exile from MT>>>?
Author's reply
Nah, Shagrat seems too tough to kill. As long as he wasn't in Barad-dur itself at the time the Ring, and Sauron, met their ends, i.e. out there with the huge host of Orcs and other nasties, Shagrat had a good chance of surviving his Boss' downfall. What might have happened to him and other Orcs afterward is open to debate, hence this ficlet.
Go, Beregond! But Shagrat would fight dirty. Of course, if Shaggy threatened Faramir, Beregond would probably fight dirty as well. (though of course, Faramir would also be capable of dispatching the Orc-captain)
Imhiriel
· 1 January 2007
· Chapter 5: What I Have Found (Faramir)
Argh! How could I have missed this drabble? Faramir and Hope and Houses of Healing! Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!
You have worked out perfectly the mood in that time, on the knife-edge between almost certain doom and "a fool's hope", when every feeling is so much more poignant and overpowering, and Faramir just... shines in his hope and faith and trust. That he dares to grasp the positive aspects, the happiness, of the moment is one of his most endearing and admirable qualities for me.
I imagine that he would have had to learn to do this: to grasp those good moments for himself, whether he had someone to share them with him, or even be happy for him, or not.
Author's reply
It must have been a very strange time, and Faramir would have experienced some intense emotions at both ends of the scale, in the time preceding his discovery that he loved Eowyn. I think that Faramir had learned to keep such strong emotions leashed a good deal of the time, especially in the last year.
I'm glad you like this - Tolkien's evocation of Faramir teetering between despair and hope and defiantly choosing to hope and accept the love that has enriched him at such a precarious time, just begged to be explored.
Thanx for the review, Imhiriel!
Imhiriel
· 1 January 2007
· Chapter 8: Better Days Ahead (Shagrat)
This captured an Orcish mindest very well - coarse, rude, violent... but also funny, somehow (as long as one can read about it from a safe distance ;-)). The narrator's personality came through very clear.
Author's reply
Yes, distance is definitely a necessity when a non-combatant is observing any Orc activity. Lots and lots of distance!
I was struck, when going back over Tolkien's orc scenes, how varied and complex they are, far from mindless brutes, they have hierarchies and ambitions and some just wish for the simple pleasures (which we don't really want to know about and definitely don't want to be part of). The tragedy is that they're all marred from birth, pretty much irrevocably; unlike humans, they probably cannot change their nature. But many of htem do have a sense of humor!
Imhiriel
· 1 January 2007
· Chapter 7: Sing All Ye People! (Faramir)
This is wonderful, Raksha!
The indiviudal voices Faramir hears for the respective verses fit perfectly, and the ending, his musings about the Eagle and the unknown voice... that was just... beautiful, and very moving.
Happy New Year to you and yours!
Author's reply
Happy New Year, Imhiriel, and thanx for the review! I was most nervous about this peace, because it gets into what passes for Middle-earth spirituality; not to mention one of the most triumphant moments of LOTR (and I didn't want to mess that up!). I'm glad it worked for you.
Werecat (lazy as a cat to sign in)
· 1 January 2007
· Chapter 8: Better Days Ahead (Shagrat)
Loved it! You did a great job in portraying your orc, and I certaily enjoyed the, ahem, naught bits. :D
Happy New Year!
Author's reply
Thanx for reading and reviewing, Werecat; and Happy New Year!
Considering your expertise at writing orcs and other nasties, I'm delighted that you enjoyed this ficlet - it was my first orc vignette.
harrowcat
· 1 January 2007
· Chapter 7: Sing All Ye People! (Faramir)
For some reason this didn't show on the Author Alert! It would have been such a crime to have missed such a great piece!
Author's reply
I wonder if it didn't show on the Author Alert because originally Chapter 7 was the orc ficlet; and then I was finally, after over an hour's work, able to format Sing All Ye People! properly; after which I made this one Chapter 7 and the orc piece Chapter 8.
Anyway, I'm glad you liked this vignette. I always wished JRRT had delved into Faramir's actions and words right after the Eagle finished, but of course, he had to get on with the narrative...
harrowcat
· 1 January 2007
· Chapter 8: Better Days Ahead (Shagrat)
oops! I meant mingling of course!
harrowcat
· 1 January 2007
· Chapter 8: Better Days Ahead (Shagrat)
*Urgh* What a horrible threat and awful parody of Aragorn and Arwen's mongling of the Races. Well done!
Author's reply
That's an interesting thought. I hadn't realized the parallel between the mingling of Elven/Human blood; but you're right in that there is a similar, shadowy counterpart. I was thinking of the fact that human/orc matings had already occurred, Tolkien mentioned half-Orcs, and since I doubt that women would find Orcs acceptable mates, I thought that the Orcs would take the women against their will. And considering the sad penchant for violence and cruelty that exists still in humanity, I can definitely see a trace of orc-blood remaining still. (and thankfully, still, one can see traces of Luthien's blood in many people's courage and artistry)
harrowcat
· 1 January 2007
· Chapter 6: Far From Home (Boromir)
Oh, two home-sick people at Yule. And neither sees his home again - at least not properly.
Author's reply
Thanx for reading, harrowcat. Yes, much as Frodo loves the Elves and seeing Bilbo again, I think he'd yearn for the more homely, familiar ways of the Shire at this time of year; especially since Rivendell's New Year is celebrated in the spring. And Boromir would think about Mettare in Minas Tirith...
eiluj
· 1 January 2007
· Chapter 7: Sing All Ye People! (Faramir)
Oh, how unusual, and how lovely!
Author's reply
Thanx for reading and commenting, eiluj - it was an interesting piece to write; and the closest I've come to dealing with man's relationship with the Divine in Arda.
Bodkin
· 24 December 2006
· Chapter 5: What I Have Found (Faramir)
It's amazing how often there are moments of hope in the midst of despair - and this must have been a revelation that inspired Faramir to keep fighting.
Author's reply
Yes, Faramir's post-Pelennor renewed hope, probably shadowed again by the leaving of most of Gondor and Rohan's armed forces on what was a suicide mission unless Frodo triumphed, has gotten a big boost with his growing fondness for Eowyn. I think Faramir had not ever known deep romantic love before; the feeling seems to have taken him a bit aback in its sudden intensity.
Thanx for the review, Bodkin!
Larner
· 22 December 2006
· Chapter 5: What I Have Found (Faramir)
Lovely, Raksha--so very lovely indeed. "A surfeit of minstrelsy"? Lovely description. And so life asserts itself, finding love when hope seems dimmest, even.
Author's reply
I think that Boromir would have enjoyed music in terms of merriment and fine dining; but it's far more important and intense for Faramir, and is entwined with the passion he is feeling for Eowyn; so both I, and Faramir, could mentally hear Boromir's reaction, were he alive, to Faramir's love-induced whistling.
Thanx for reading and commenting, Larner!
Linda Hoyland
· 21 December 2006
· Chapter 5: What I Have Found (Faramir)
I love the way that Faramir never gives up hope even in the darkest days. Eowyn is a lucky woman indeed !A very nice glimpse into Faramir's thoughts.
Author's reply
Thanx for reading and reviewing, Linda.
Yes, Eowyn - very, very, very, very lucky.
As for Faramir never giving up hope; in TTT he said it was long since they had any hope; but at this point, after being healed by Aragorn and Minas Tirith being reprieved, he's been given reason to hope anew along with overwhelming evidence that they're still all doomed; only now, it seems, he's holding onto hope with both hands and all his spirit; a time of spiritual/emotional ambivalence during which the love that Faramir has come to feel for Eowyn is tipping his emotional scale toward hope again.
Imhiriel
· 26 November 2006
· Chapter 2: The Exile (Beregond)
This brought tears to my eyes; Beregond's qiet longing is incredibly moving. His pride and love for his city come through very clearly. All of his experiences there, good and bad ones, made up the man he was, and not to have access to where those memories were made must have been very painful, even as he accepts the judgement and deems it was worth it.
Loved Faramir's silent acknowledgement of his captain's feelings.
While I personally don't interpret Aragorn's words as an actual banishment of Beregond from MT (of course, just this question is an important issue in my WiP), I think your premise is equally valid.
What I wondered about was the beginning of the story - that he was born and raised in Minas Tirith - because of this quote:
"We might have journeyed to Lossarnach, to my grandsire's house; it is good to be there in Spring, the woods and fields are full of flowers." (RotK, Minas Tirith)
Do you propose that they moved to the city, or that they have several houses?
They say the new White Tree is in flower, in the Citadel that I once guarded.
This is sooo sad!
And then, slowly, the Great Gates close.
Oh, very good. I don't know why, but somehow I am glad that you chose not to use this sentence as the final line. Perhaps it would have felt too much, I don't know. Or perhaps it is more effective/affecting to close with a more personal thought by Beregond...
Author's reply
Thanx for reading and reviewing, Imhiriel!
I'm glad you liked the ficlet. It wasn't easy to write. To be exiled, yet to have to see your former home frequently, and never enter it; well, there are worse things, but it had to hurt.
I do interpret Aragorn's words as a banishment from Minas Tirith; but I recognize that the sentence could be interpreted otherwise. I just don't think Aragorn could let Beregond get off scott-free after spilling blood in the Hallows, though he ameliorated the banishment by rewarding Beregond as well as punish him.
There is evidence that Beregond's own ancestors did not live in Minas Tirith, he mentions their being from the mountains. But it could be that Beregond's father or grandfather settled in Minas Tirith. Bergil's mention of his grandfather's house in Lossarnach could refer to his mother's father; who could have been visiting Minas Tirith, or staying there for awhile with relatives, when Beregond met and courted her. Or it could be that Baranor (Beregond's father) was not an only son of a father in Lossarnach, and sought a career in the City Guard, and settled in the White City.
I think Faramir would always value Beregond and honor his sacrifice, and be aware of what it had cost him.
Not being able to see the new, living White Tree, after years of guarding the old dead one, must have been particularly painful for Beregond.
Larner
· 14 November 2006
· Chapter 4: Legacy (Elboron)
Again, a most appropriate Veterans Day memorial, for those who died to protect others against numbers beyond belief.
Author's reply
We owe so much to the Veterans, much of which cannot be repaid. I think Elboron would have felt the same way.
Thanx for reading and reviewing, Larner.
meckinock
· 12 November 2006
· Chapter 4: Legacy (Elboron)
Very nice. I'm glad Elboron does not appear to know the darker side of his uncle's last days, and that Boromir remains an untarnished hero in his eyes.
Author's reply
Elboron actually might know that Boromir was tempted, and briefly corrupted, by the Ring - I just can't see Faramir keeping that from his son, though he probably waited until Elboron was at least a teenager to tell him. I doubt that Elboron knows all the details of how Boromir attacked and frightened Frodo, but even if he does, I see Elboron as pragmatic enough to forgive Boromir and see him as a warrior who regained his honor through the courage with which he died.
Glad you liked the piece, meckinock, and thanx for the review!
Branwyn
· 12 November 2006
· Chapter 4: Legacy (Elboron)
Boromir would be pleased to know that he is remembered with love and honor throughout MiddleEarth. It is easy to imagine Faramir and Aragorn holding this vigil each year on the anniverssary of his death (and Aragorn carrying on alone after Faramir's death). Elboron shows his father's compassion and insight when, instead of judging Boromir, he tries to imagine Boromir's feelings during the desperate fight at Osgiliath and later on the Quest. He wisely decides that he can never understand what it was like to fight against such odds. I like how he seems so much like his father.
Skillfully-written and an apt meditation for Veterans' Day.
Author's reply
Not sure that Aragorn could hold this vigil with Faramir every year; since doubtless he spent time away from Gondor, possibly several years in the North occasionally, not to mention military campaigns. But I do think that Aragorn tried to hold that vigil as often as he could.
I would think that both Aragorn and Faramir forgave Boromir long ago, and Elboron would probably take his cue from them. I think Elboron has more of a warrior-streak in him than Faramir, and would think both with a soldier's pragmatism and of a warrior's honor, and sympathize with Boromir's last stand. But he would also, as you pointed out, be reflective enough to know that he can never quite understand what the desperate days of 3018-3019 were like for the warriors, of the Fellowship and Gondor, who fought in them. Elboron is like his father, too, but I'm not sure if his imagination is as wide as Faramir's. Still, he'll make a formidable Steward and Prince when the time comes.
Thanx much for reading and reviewing, Branwyn!
Linda Hoyland
· 12 November 2006
· Chapter 4: Legacy (Elboron)
This is very moving,there must have been so many others as well as Boromir who never lived to see peace. I hope Elboron realises that is father was also a war hero, who was lucky to survive.
Author's reply
I'm glad you liked the piece. Yes, Gondor must have lost hundreds, if not thousands, of fine men, husbands and brothers and sons, in the Ring War and its prelude (the battle for Osgiliath). I'm sure Elboron knows that Faramir was a hero as well; in fact, Faramir is probably still Elboron's hero to a certain extent.
Thanx for the review, Linda!