Linda Hoyland
· 17 August 2008
· Chapter 9: IX. Cold Fire (Faramir, AU)
This is a very chilling and scary tale,which I'm delighted came about as result of my impromtu challenge,as I never thought you would write Faramir as unable to resist the Ring!Just brilliant,as Faramir with the Ring would be a force to be reckoned with who might end up making the Witch King look quite harmless!I am reminded of what Legolas said about Aragorn,as the two are of similiar quality.
Author's reply
If Faramir had let himself, he could have succumbed to the Ring's lure as did Boromir, to save Gondor. And imagining Faramir as Ring-bearer, losing his compassion and becoming very dangerous, was interesting.
Thanx for reading and reviewing, Linda!
Larner
· 17 August 2008
· Chapter 11: XI. Long Under Tree (Thranduil & family)
So wonderful to see this one here as well. Love this tale of naming!
Author's reply
I wondered how a proud, tough-minded warrior king managed to name his son 'Green Leaf', LOL. Glad you liked the piece!
Larner
· 17 August 2008
· Chapter 10: X. Destiny of Fire (Ecthelion)
If only he could have held that estel in his heart to the end!
Author's reply
I deliberately tried some wordplay on the estel motif, considering Denethor's history with Aragorn, and Aragorn's deliverance of Minas Tirith. Thanx for the review, Larner!
Larner
· 17 August 2008
· Chapter 9: IX. Cold Fire (Faramir, AU)
Ah, yes, another of the more awful might-have-beens. And to lose compassion for his father was perhaps the worst thing of all.
Author's reply
Thanx for reviewing the tale, Larner. Writing the insidious corruption of Faramir was rather ghastly - he could be a horror if turned to the dark side.
Little Dwarf
· 29 June 2008
· Chapter 8: VIII. Seeds Under Stone (Faramir)
Beautiful little piece!! I loved the rebirth/regeneration/renewal motif, and the small flower as the symbol of it... And Faramir comparing his finding to Aragorn's is very in character and well-inserted! :)
All in all, another wonderful series of vignettes!!! You really have a great talent at placing so many and so deep ideas in so few words! :) Excellent job!!!!!
Author's reply
Vignettes can be fun to write; and I seem to have become addicted to writing them.
I thought of Faramir toiling away at the razing and reclamation of Minas Ithil for decades; and had to let him start seeing signs of new and uncorrupted life. Faramir would appreciate the flower, as a Ranger and Lord of the Garden of Gondor.
Thanx for reading and reviewing!
Little Dwarf
· 29 June 2008
· Chapter 7: VII. Reflections in the Smoke (Gandalf)
Wonderful!!! You're right about the 'purposeless' part - though Gandalf had one more important task to make: help Aragorn find and restore the White Tree, to give Gondor a reminder of its roots...
Are Olorin and Sauron brothers? I know they are both Maiar, but doeas Tolkien mention them as 'brethen'? (not physical, of course, but maybe in the way that Manwe and Morgoth are brothers...)
I loved the last line and the contrasting use of the different names! :)
Author's reply
I'm not entirely sure that Gandalf was aware of the existence of the new White Tree at this point. If he had known that there was a fruit of the sacred-to-the-Kings tree still alive and not too far from Minas Tirith, surely Gandalf would have told Aragorn before they set out for the Black Gate, to give the King hope. I tend to think that the Valar themselves held the sapling in reserve, and gave it an extra growth spurt after Sauron fell. Then they would have communicated the fact of the tree's existence to Gandalf, but not necessarily the night after the last battle, with King and wizard so far from the little Tree.
I thought that Gandalf might have, at one point in his long-gone 'youth', have thought of Sauron as a brother, since they were both Maiar and most of the Maiar served the Valar. A bit of poetic license, perhaps.
Glad you liked the use of the different names - Gandalf and Sauron had accumulated so many!
Little Dwarf
· 29 June 2008
· Chapter 6: VI. The Prisoner of Time (AU, Denethor)
Oh, my! This was a very good ficlet, though I'm very, very glad it is just AU! I wouldn't have minded Denethor surviving, but Faramir's death because of his father's pride makes me angry!! :(
But I really loved your characterization, and of course the writing! (as an English major, good writing is a must for me, so that's why I keep mentioning I like your style...)
I also liked this part: "He had led the defenses on the south wall, fighting in the front until the Morgul-spawn retreated, caught between the hammer of the captains of the West who scoured the Pelennor and the anvil of Minas Tirith itself." - book Denethor would have been able to do just that, he, who walked clad in armor beneath his robes... (remember the scene in the book?)
Oh, and this: "The City (...) now throws open her broken gates to Isildur's upstart heir like a giddy strumpet opening perfumed knees." - what an expressive simile!!!
Author's reply
I'm glad the piece is AU too; it would just be too horrible to have Denethor survive only to sit around, embittered and irrelevent, and Faramir dead.
Yes, a strong, martial Denethor rallying the troops on the walls of Gondor would have been something to see. Tolkien said he had been a great Captain.
Poor Denethor would have felt, watching the people of Minas Tirith welcome their new King, that the City had personally betrayed him; the joy of the crowds would have put him in mind of a strumpet behaving promiscuously...
Thanx much for reading and reviewing, Little Dwarf!
Little Dwarf
· 29 June 2008
· Chapter 5: V. Moonset over Gondor (Faramir)
Well-written and very atmospheric! I loved the tenderness between Faramir and Eowyn, and also the bittersweet memory of Frodo... :) Lovely!
Author's reply
I was trying for a certain atmosphere; the moon, the water, the heights of Henneth Annun; so I'm pleased you noticed. I'm sure that Faramir would have missed Frodo and regretted that the one who saved them all did not get to enjoy the victory and peace for very long.
Little Dwarf
· 29 June 2008
· Chapter 4: IV. The Fire of Hope (Aragorn)
A wonderful look at a younger Aragorn, determined and clearly in love... *sniff*
The book Aragorn betrays nothing of his love for Arwen; the movie Aragorn is *very* romance-oriented, being sentimental but not overly so. Your young Aragorn was well-balanced, though I'm certain that becoming King meant much more to him than a means of conquering Arwen's hand.
Am I wrong to think that this happens before their troth? Because from this:"She had looked upon him as if he were a clever child when he spoke his admiration. Ah, but he was patient." I gather that, as this point, his love for her was still one-sided...
I also *loved* the description of the peaceful and secluded life of the people of Bree and their ignorance... And the contrast reminds me of some fanfiction ideas I had... :)
Author's reply
No, you're not wrong to think that this tale happens before the trothplighting of Aragorn and Arwen. I think Aragorn is about 25 here, give or take a year or two. If he'd asked Arwen for her hand at this point, she still would have said the polite equivalent of 'Dream on, kiddo'. It's only after Aragorn has acquired 25 more years of military and other-cultural experience, not to mention a little humility and a lot more wisdom, that he is at last a match for the nearly 3000-year-old Peredhel princess.
But one of Aragorn's more endearing qualities is patience, and I think he would be willing to wait. Aragorn also seemed to have tremendous self-confidence; and that would give him the conviction that Arwen would accept him in time.
I would enjoy seeing what those fanfiction ideas of yours are...
Little Dwarf
· 29 June 2008
· Chapter 3: III. Before the Black Gate (Pippin)
Wonderful! When I read the title and saw the protagonist of this ficlet, I was prepared for an angsty piece, but you knew better than that!! This was very in character for Pippin (he is a lot braver than he used to be, but remains the Hobbit who values the joys of life) and Beregond's appearance was fitted. I loved the little story! :)
Author's reply
I find it very difficult to write hobbits; and have only tackled hobbit angst peripherally. From the outset, this vignette was intended to show Pippin's courage and the strength of hobbits, as well as their priorities.
You are right that Pippin is braver than he used to be; he had to grow up quickly, and he has seen things that most hobbits, even most Tooks, never do; and learned about honor and courage (as well as developing his own). Pippin has always been my favorite hobbit.
Thanx for reviewing, Little Dwarf!
Little Dwarf
· 29 June 2008
· Chapter 2: II. Wind of Change
Wow. Just wow.
At first, I was a little confused by the shift from one character to the other, but by the time I realized where you were taking this, I was already admiring the beautiful style! I *loved* it, what an insired idea!!! :)
Author's reply
It's a piece that's a bit off my usual track; especially since Glorfindel is a character normally well out of my range, ditto the Witch-King. But I loved connecting them to the house in Aldburg and what was happening there.
Thanx for the comment; I'm so glad you liked the vignette.
Little Dwarf
· 29 June 2008
· Chapter 1: I. Rider of the Last Hope (Faramir)
Excellent! The last paragraph captures Faramir's... essence... so well! I loved the angsty introspection, and your characterization was perfect!
Author's reply
One of the things that has always drawn me to Faramir is that not only is he a man of letters, an intellectual, but he is an outstanding warrior and military leader. He may personally prefer to be gentle and gracious, but when necessary, he'll lead the charge and cut down Haradrim or whoever is invading Gondor. I wanted to capture this dichotomy, and show that Faramir, weary as he was, could draw on deep reserves of strength to do his duty; and then spare some sorrow for the music and the lore he was leaving to lead an ill-starred and dangerous mission.
Thanx much for reading and reviewing, Small Dwarf.
Branwyn
· 18 May 2008
· Chapter 6: VI. The Prisoner of Time (AU, Denethor)
Ooh, a chilling but plausible AU! Denethor has enough wisdom to turn away from immolation but not enough wisdom to accept the restoration of the King. This fits very well with canon, where Denethor does waver before the end and Imrahil does remark that Denethor's mood has been "strange." Personally, I find this version of events, where Denethor's fall is only partial, more believable than canon.
Having Denethor realize that he doesn't know the words to the fashionable, new songs is a nice touch. He realizes that the world outside is changing even if he refuses to change. How his own irrelevance must have galled him, almost as much as Aragorn's kindness.
An original view of an often-discussed subject.
Author's reply
I do feel bad for Denethor here, he's become a prisoner of his own device. The angry, paranoid Denethor we saw in ROTK would not have readily let Thorongil/Aragorn, the upstart who Mithrandir was going to supplant him with, put his grubby vagabond hands on Faramir; he'd have trusted Gondorian healers to save his son. Sob.
Thanx for reading and reviewing, Branwyn.
Branwyn
· 18 May 2008
· Chapter 7: VII. Reflections in the Smoke (Gandalf)
It must have been strange for Gandalf to be at rest, after so many years of hurry and conflict. I wonder if he was bored in his "retirement" or if he was assigned other tasks. In this fic (and in Tolkien's writing) he is clearly at ease in the company of Men and Hobbits. Was he changed by so many years among mortals? I liked the reference to his brotherhood with Sauron--it is easy to forget that Sauron, like Lucifer, was a fallen angel.
A well-written and interesting piece!
Author's reply
I hope poor Gandalf was bored silly after a few years of peace and harmony in paradisical Valinor! He seems to be such an active, resourceful guy, someone meant to strive as well as reflect.
Yes, imagine younger Olorin and younger Sauron, during the time of the Trees and earlier, fellow Maiar; they might have even been friends.
Thanx for the review, Branwyn!
Branwyn
· 18 May 2008
· Chapter 8: VIII. Seeds Under Stone (Faramir)
How lovely! Too bad that Sam is not there to rejoice with Faramir. The land around the Black Gate, lifeless and blasted, always seemed less hideous to me than the Morgul Vale with its deformed living creatures. I don't think Farmir should denigrate his own achievement--Aragorn found a miracle waiting for him on the mountainside, but Faramir's labors allowed this miracle to happen.
Thanks for sharing this lovely piece of writing!
Author's reply
I do hope that Sam will see the rebirth of Minas Morgul, or at least the transitional phase; I have the feeling it will still be several decades before the vale is deemed safe. And yes, credit for the slow transformation belongs to Faramir; though I'm sure he's smart enough to have accepted the aid of dwarves and elves in this slow but crucial endeavor.
Thanx for the review, Branwyn; I'm glad you liked the piece.
obsidianj
· 18 May 2008
· Chapter 4: IV. The Fire of Hope (Aragorn)
Awww, this is sweet. How many times over the years will Aragorn sit in lonely places warmed by thoughts of his love alone? I like it how the musings lift his spirit and make the lonely post more bearable. His ideas for a big family are adorable and still show how young he is.
Author's reply
Sorry I'm so late in answering.
Aragorn is still quite young, isn't he, and not that removed from the boy who fell head-over-heels with the vision of Luthien in the groves of Imladris - he hasn't seen that much of the world, or known much of the pain that life, and that world, can inflict. Right now he has his dreams, and his considerable strength and unusual patience, and that can be enough; which is what I wanted to capture.
Young Aragorn is also a rather endearing sort of fellow to write!
Thanx much for reviewing, obsidianj!
meckinock
· 11 May 2008
· Chapter 7: VII. Reflections in the Smoke (Gandalf)
You're captured that moment of odd moment of blankness that comes when a great work is done. How strange it must have seemed for Gandalf.
Author's reply
A belated reply to your review - thanx for reading and commenting. Yes, that's what I was aiming for, the odd mingling of relief and aimlessness that comes after the end of a great endeavor. And for Gandalf, the work had been so long...
meckinock
· 11 May 2008
· Chapter 8: VIII. Seeds Under Stone (Faramir)
It's so in character that Faramir would notice the flower, and stop to wonder at it.
Author's reply
Thanx for reading and reviewing, Meckinock - yes, Faramir is very observant, and sees the small details as well as the big picture; and he would be quite knowledgeable about plants...
meckinock
· 11 May 2008
· Chapter 6: VI. The Prisoner of Time (AU, Denethor)
I think this is the most realistic "Denethor lives" AU I've ever read.
Author's reply
Thank you, Meckinock! Most of it just flowed out of me. I still feel bad about writing down such misery, but I think it was a likely consequence of Denethor's survival - he was not ready to accept Thorongil as King of Gondor, and would have been unwilling to trust him with Faramir's life.
I must say, I now have the urge to write a happy AU where Denethor survives the Pyre, Faramir lives, and Denethor settles down to writing political satire or founding the Boy Scouts of Gondor or something..
shirebound
· 11 May 2008
· Chapter 8: VIII. Seeds Under Stone (Faramir)
Small it was, yet still a brave harbinger of change
Awwww. A lovely image, and I really like the possibility of a hobbit possibly bringing it there.
Author's reply
Thanx for reading and reviewing, shirebound!
The seeds could have been borne into the Morgul Vale, and taken awhile to germinate, or at first flowered in hidden places behind rocks and whatnot, until one flower peeked out on a path that Faramir revisited...If I had lots more time, or was a faster writer, I could do quite a story about Faramir and Minas Morgul...
shirebound
· 11 May 2008
· Chapter 7: VII. Reflections in the Smoke (Gandalf)
It felt strange to have no course left but the path to the West.
I'm sure it did. There were many quests achieved in the War, Gandalf's life-purpose not the least. Beautifully written.
Dreamflower
· 11 May 2008
· Chapter 8: VIII. Seeds Under Stone (Faramir)
That was utterly gorgeous! I can see him cherishing this sign of life, finally returning to a place blasted by evil.
I hope that Faramir wrote to Samwise, and told him of this--I think it would have done the little gardener's heart good!
Author's reply
I'm sure that they're going to plant some athelas as well, at some point.
When the various Minas Ithil plotbunnies were nipping at my ankles, one variation on this theme that percolated in my head did indeed have Faramir think of Samwise. I'm sure that Faramir made sure that Sam knew about the flower on the path to Cirith Ungol...
Thanx for the review, Dreamflower!
Dreamflower
· 11 May 2008
· Chapter 7: VII. Reflections in the Smoke (Gandalf)
This is just beautiful! Indeed, it *must* have seemed very strange indeed to have finally accomplished his long and thankless task. Of course, he did have just a few loose ends to tidy up, pleasant little tasks like crowning a king, helping to find the scion of the White Tree, and officiating at a wedding, and seeing four hobbits home to the Shire--but those must have been the last things on his mind in those first few hours of knowing that his major duty was completely fulfilled!
Author's reply
A belated THANX for reading and reviewing, Dreamflower! Yes, Gandalf did have a few little things left to do; but they were tangential; his purpose had been to help bring about Sauron's downfall. Those tasks were probably joyful extras for Gandalf, rather than an endless burden that was finally lifted. I'm glad you liked the piece.
Dreamflower
· 11 May 2008
· Chapter 6: VI. The Prisoner of Time (AU, Denethor)
How utterly sad, and utterly plausible. Victory turned to ashes for so many.
Author's reply
Thanx for reviewing, Dreamflower. Tolkien nearly killed Eowyn off himself, before finally uniting her with Faramir, who himself was a fairly late edition to LOTR. But I kept wondering, given Eowyn's despair in the Houses of Healing, how she survived without Faramir's intervention; she seemed intent on destroying herself.
Larner
· 11 May 2008
· Chapter 8: VIII. Seeds Under Stone (Faramir)
So perfect for our young Prince Steward! A smaller victory in ways than the finding of the White Tree, ut as necessary and desired an accomplishment in the end, to see normal plants return HERE.
Author's reply
I loved how Tolkien seemed to identify Faramir with greenery, spring, and forests; including Faramir's happy speculation about all things blooming with Eowyn's arrival in Ithilien. I think JRRT and Aragorn intended Faramir to be in charge of the reclamation of Minas Morgul, which would have been a titanic chore - every sign of normality, of some kind of life that had nothing to do with the corruption by Nazgul and Sauron, would have been a victory, another step on a long road.
Thanx for the review, Larner!