Stories of Arda - Lord of the Rings Fan-Fiction Archive


	About Us News Resources Login Become a member Help Search

An Unexpected Meeting by Bodkin	6 Review(s)
Jay of Lasgalen	Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 11/18/2004
'If we keep her out of his way for a century or so, he will cease to be a problem,’ Galadriel pointed out. ' Well, that's blunt! I loved that line. She knows herself, though: 'You counsel me not to interfere?’ Galadriel mused. ‘It goes against the grain to let matters take their own course.’ That sounds so much like her! For some reason I hadn't twigged that of course Boromir is one of her descendants, and had forgotten that he had a trace of Elvish blood - yet I knew his mother was Imrahil's sister. Thanks for reminding me! Jay Author Reply: True though. But I suspect that Fate and the hand of Iluvatar are probably involved with Arwen and Aragorn. I think Galadriel does know herself well - she's had a long time to learn - (she might even amuse herself when she observes the way she reacts.) She knows deep down that this is one she can't change, however much she might want to. Boromir just doesn't seem to have much elfy-ness about him. Faramir, on the other hand, seems (in my opinion) to have inherited Boromir's share of the family's elfy traits.

SharonB	Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 11/16/2004
Oh, Imrazor did have reason to think his son might destroy the journal. Galador really was hurt by his mothers departure. How sad. But I am glad that the journal heped Mithrellas heal and know how truly loved she was. And she spoke up to Galadriel about Aragorn and Arwen. Let them be and what is supposed to happen will. Who knows how things would have changed if Galadriel had not heeded her advice? And to have met Boromir and talked with him. That certainly does seem an unsettled meeting for Boromir. More so than the inital one with the Lord and Lady of the Golden Wood? That may be so, after all Mithrellas was a part of his own personal history. Funny, in a way, that Aragorn was more comfortable with her that Boromir her own descendant. It certaily does show that environment part of growing up. Nurture or Nature does make a difference. And those meeting are what inspired her to make the effort to meet her family again before she left for the west. This has been really good so far. Thanks. Author Reply: He might have destroyed it - and then it's too late to change your mind. I'm glad she received it. At least Galadriel knew when to listen. I don't think Boromir felt hugely comfortable in Lothlorien - all a bit too airy-fairy for him. Not one much into metaphysics. More into ale and fighting. Aragorn, of course, was very comfortable around elves - I wonder how he coped with life as king, actually. I think he would have found that hard. I'm glad you're enjoying it. There's not much left, I'm afraid.

daw the minstrel	Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 11/16/2004
This tale is going on beautifully. I especially liked Aragorn's explanation of why he could accept Mithrellas, but I also liked her scrutiny of her distant descendant, Boromir. Mithrellas has nerve to advise Galadriel, but Galadriel seemed to value the experience she drew on. And I also liked the contrast between the two sets of leaders of the Golden Wood. Celeborn and Galadriel are indeed far better leaders for this time, so perhaps things worked out for the best. Author Reply: Galadriel is no fool - she's been watching Mithrellas for 1000 years and probably knows her value. C and G are much better leaders for any time really. Well up on the meaning of noblesse oblige. I liked the idea of Mithrellas meeting Boromir and Aragorn and spectating on A and A. (Shame the rest of the Fellowship couldn't fit in really, but it would have been a stretch).

Bejai	Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 11/16/2004
Oh, this was a fun chapter! Good to see all these familiar events through someone's else's eyes. And a canonical character, no less! She had wonderful insight into Arwen and Aragorn, as well. Loved the meeting with Boromir! I hadn't thought about it before, but when I realized what you were doing -- that he was meeting his many-times great grandmother, you took my breath away. Loving this story. Author Reply: A lot of years packed into a small space! It began to feel a bit like a history essay. She is - with Luthien and Idril who aren't there - probably the best person to understand Arwen's love for Aragorn and the only one qualified to give meaningful advice. I've seen Boromir meets Mithrellas somewhere else (although I'm afraid I can't remember where) but it really is a likely meeting - they were both in the same place at the same time. Faramir will be green with envy when he realises that he has missed out on the opportunity.

Imrahoil	Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 11/16/2004
The exchange between Mithrellas and Galadriel about Arwen's choice is just great, the concept of forsaking immortality for love however great was why I always had a problem with Arwen. You make it easier to believe. And "‘It goes against the grain to let matters take their own course.’" had me in stitches, Galadriel is one of my most favourite characters, but I have to admit that sums her up rather too well. Author Reply: Arwen is quite an undeveloped character, I think, so it is difficult to understand her. She seems to represent the literary convention of 'beautiful bride as reward' type of heroine. Not to mention the 'let Elrond suffer' convention that Tolkien likes to employ! (There seems to me to be a lot of 'fate' involved in it all.) Galadriel made me grin too - I don't think she is one to find it easy to let things just happen. She definitely feels that she knows best! Thanks for reading.

elliska	Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 11/16/2004
This must have been incredibly hard to write. I have found in the fic I did that the chapters where you have to pass through centuries covering important details without dedicating entire chapters to them are by far the hardest to write. You want to do justice to the event but you don't want to dedicate a whole chapter to it. You did a really good job here. Much better than I could imagine. I loved the talk between Galadriel and Mithrellas about Arwen and Aragorn. The fate of the world and the fate of Arwen--that was well handled. But what I didn't see coming was the conversation with Boromir--well done! I would have missed that opportunity and it was very interesting. I loved the reference to how fascinated Faramir would have been to meet Mithrellas. Too true and a touching brotherly moment. And I liked the contrast between Boromir's incredulity and Aragorn's easy acceptance. He would see things differently indeed given the environment that raised him. Loved that speech, by the way. And I liked I liked Elphir's comment about the elves. That is something that I think is interesting in LotR--everyone is in their proper place to bring about the end of Sauron. Everyone did play their role. Even the people that supposedly 'failed' (Radagast, for example--did he fail or was he in the right place to send the eagles to help Gandalf escape from Orthanc / and Boromir as you pointed out--did he fail or did his presence at the Council of Elrond set into motion the events that would bring aid to Gondor). I love that line of reasoning and it is very interesting to me. You packed so much into this chapter. Loved it. Author Reply: It was a bit tricky - it was just so much time, and yet most of the events would have been fairly irrelevant to Mithrellas in the Golden Wood - and you can't have characters telling you what year it is. I'm flattered you think it worked. Galadriel probably would talk to Mithrellas about this subject - she's the only one around with actual experience, since neither Idril nor Luthien are available. I'm sure I've read another story where Mithrellas met Boromir - but if she were in the wood, she would want to see this man of Gondor - from sheer curiosity, even if she didn't know he was a descendant. I never felt that Boromir was very comfortable with elves (unlike Faramir) but Aragorn would have been pretty at home. And you're right - there was more to success than being at the Black Gate or up Mount Doom. So many of the smaller events were vital to the outcome - Merry and Pippin in Fangorn, Gandalf turning up at Edoras, Frodo's compassion towards Gollum, Faramir's willingness to let the Ring go. Boromir's failure to resist the Ring and then his redemption sent Frodo and Sam on their way in the nick of time, sent Merry and Pippin on their way to lead Treebeard to Isengard and pushed Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli towards Edoras, the Paths of the Dead and Minas Tirith. Without his 'failure' maybe the whole house of cards would have collapsed and no-one would have succeeded.

Return to Chapter List