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Lesser Ring  by Larner 7 Review(s)
Baggins BabeReviewed Chapter: 27 on 8/27/2005
I so enjoyed these last two chapters - the contrast between Aragorn the King and Aragorn the husband, father and friend. The reference to Pip and Merry putting pine cones under his bedroll in Hollin made me roll about! How typical of those two!

I enjoyed the reference to the notorious quilt with all the pink patches - I can just imagine Aragorn ignoring the sniggers of his cousins and friends when he unrolls it. :-))

Author Reply: Somehow I managed to miss answering this one--or the answer got lost when the server was going wonkers on me during the time I posted this chapter and the ones following it.

I've always loved the stories folks have written on practical jokes various members of the Fellowship might have pulled on one another; and just love the story on the prank war that's been posted here over the past couple months. Every new trick that comes up has me guffawing more and more.

So many seemed to love the chapter in The Ties of Family about the quilt with pink patches it seemed perfect to include it here. And, like you, I think Aragorn would pointedly ignore each poorly suppressed smile and giggle and smirk as he reflected on the great deal of love that quilt expressed.

And Aragorn's many dimensions need to be expressed. He was not just a one-dimensional superhero.

Thanks for your patience with me.

KittyReviewed Chapter: 27 on 8/26/2005
My question about Ankhsarani is answered with this, I see. I’m a bit curious what she will have to say.

The visitors from Gondor seem to have some impact on the Farozi. I loved his informal visit in the guest wing. And of course I was as amused about the still scandalized servants and the bathing thing as was Éomer!

Another amusing part was the question of the quilt. Who could truly be angry at Pippin for this idea, even if the High King has to endure some odd glances because of the pink patches? I loved this reminder! And I wonder what the Farozi and his son think about Pippin – so very good with his sword, an excellent cook, a very close friend of the king on the one hand, and then the fun-loving one on the other hand.

The discussion about the ‚gift’ was probably quite interesting for the Farozi and his heir, as they got to know more about how Aragorn felt about his role as king.
Concerning Éomers worry for Elfwine, I suppose the gift is not so much the reason of elven blood but of the line of Kings of Númenor. Not all elves are healers, after all, and Mithrellas wasn’t of this line, as far as I know.


Author Reply: I agree that the King's Gift would most likely have been more due to being a descendent of Earendil and Elros rather than only having Elven ancestry, although the land sense of Elves seemed to be widespread among their kind.

But, for a Man, Aragorn does appear to have had a strong streak of Elven feeling to him, the last King of the Eldar days. Frodo could see his majesty and power and ability to heal about him. He drew fealty to him, evoked love and loyalty, was unswervingly devoted to truth and service. I so wish more modern world leaders were like him.

But at last the Farozi and future Farozi of Harad are seeing first hand that the great Lord King An'Elessar jokes with his guards, is worried over by his relatives, thinks nothing of scandalizing the Farozi's servants and slaves, and is humble and grateful enough for the signs of love embodied in a patchwork quilt to be willing to risk the amusement of his men. Aragorn rules not out of a need to express power, but out of love and duty.

It's quite an example to pose for others.

RadbooksReviewed Chapter: 27 on 8/26/2005
Very nicely done. I hadn't realized that there were other people that still needed to be judged, I thought that was everyone. But it does make sense that you would have a little bit of a different setting for them, though I think they should be judged or punished even harsher. It will be fun seeing what you do though. :) I enjoyed the fact that the Farozi and his son came and visited them down in the guest quarters in such an informal manner so that they could see all of them relaxing and just being themselves. Being friends and family with one another, it's very touching.

When I see all of them together, I realized how they really all need each other. Eomer, Eowyn, Faramir, Aragorn, and Arwen have no parents at all and Lothiriel, Legolas, Ruvemir, and Gimli have fathers but no mothers - at least mothers are never mentioned for those canon characters... could be either way! :) (so many of his characters do not have mothers!) But anyway, they really NEED each other to be family as much as possible, to be brothers and sisters to each other and to be aunts and uncles for the children, etc. Really the only ones that have extended families are the hobbits and Lothiriel has brothers. Anyway, that's what that scene made me think of when a lot of them were in the sitting room together - a big extended family gathering of some type and then I just realized how much they truly needed that.

I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next!

Author Reply: Just as Frodo "borrowed" his cousins and Sam to become his family within the Shire--even when Bilbo was still there, so Aragorn has managed to also form a family out of all who know him and who are beside him for any length of time. Yes, this is a family group, Elf, Dwarf, Men, Hobbits--they have learned to work together and support one another.

To be honest, I realized as I was preparing to post the last chapter that I'd forgotten the hearing for the nobles I'd indicated had been involved, then realized that such would be tried quietly instead. The Nobles of Harad might be fine with the public humiliation of common soldiers, slaves, and such, and would delight in that of a foreign agent such as Merdirion and would be okay with one of their own who was unpopular and particularly dense like Sherfiramun; but to have several of their own put on public display and possibly have countercharges come out--you know how it is: "Why am I the only one in trouble just because I did this? Didn't you realize that yesterday Johnny did that and last week Suzy was the one who did the other?" What we used to do when we were kids and caught in the messes we got caught in. No, members of the nobility wouldn't want that kind of thing, even if the Farozi ignored it, generally made public knowledge. So I left that trial as it was written.

Thanks so much for the feedback.

lindahoylandReviewed Chapter: 27 on 8/25/2005
I loved the discussion of the King's Gift and Pippin's pranks.It isn't usual in the UK for our Queen to bow to royalty that she visits.
I love the way you depict Aragorn's faith and confidence in the afterlife.
Thank you so much for your kind review, I agree 100%,Mahrod is a menace to society.

Author Reply: The King's Gift is merely the expression of the idea that the King stands between his people and the Creator, standing ever for the one before the other. It is the duty of the Sacred King to be aware of the needs of his people; and that the land sense of Elves had evolved in the descendants of Elros into the sense of the needs of the people the King serves simply made sense.

No, the Queen of England does not bow before foreign rulers when she visits; but my vision of Aragorn is that he is humble and secure enough in his own royalty to offer the respect due to others. He bows before those who, by virtue of office, birth, or displayed deserving, deserve to receive his honor. After both being comforted by Pippin and Isumbard and comforting them for the execution and the handling the lesser ring, he bows to them, and they certainly aren't royalty (although certainly Pippin is the closest to such the Shire boasts after his da).

And part of what makes Aragorn the proper King is that he has shouldered the role of the Sacred King, who has a special relationship with the Creator who has given him this unique responsibility for the peoples he serves.

And it is time for the Farozi to realize the closeness between Aragorn and those with him, and especially the Hobbits.

TiggerReviewed Chapter: 27 on 8/25/2005
What a couple of chapters these have been. Justice was truly done in the previous chapter. I can't believe the Umbarian asked for a sword to defend himself w/. The last act of a coward and/or the influence of the Lesser Ring combined. It was a very well written chapter and had me on the edge of my seat to see what would end up happening.

This chapter was also very well written. I loved how the Farozi and his heir visited his guests in their chambers for the very first time was for these visitors. Worthy indeed for such an honour. I was wondering if you'd revisit Pippin and the rest of the family's gift to Aragorn you introduced in one of your previous stories. That's one of my favourite chapters you've written in any of your stories. I just love the image of the High and Mighty King of Gondor having to bring our a pink patched bedroll in front of his men while out on patrol. :oD That's our Pippin for you. Aided and abetted by the rest of them of course. :o)

This was a wonderful break in the tension of the past few chapters. All of them relaxing after an extremely stressful few days and just acting like old friends. Just a lovely image of all them sitting together and talking at ease.

As always, looking forward to seeing what happens next. :o)

Author Reply: The family quilt is one of my favorite chapters as well. Yes, Aragorn, King of Gondor and Arnor and now to the small country of Camaloa beyond Far Harad as well, ally of Rohan and now Rhun and Harad, descendant of Elendil, has a quilt with very nicely displayed pink patches on it, and loves it! For Pippin that must have been one of the greatest of jokes he ever pulled off, knowing that his friend would proudly and humbly and with a secret cringe at the same time he feels a special satisfaction, pull that out and sleep under it in the wilds of Ithilien and Eriador, and when out hunting with Eomer and Faramir.

And the Farozi of Harad, who's survived by plotting and planning secretly, manipulating others, watching out on all sides for himself and his dwindling family--he sees that Aragorn gets by on developing relationships, and extraordinarily strong ones, where all watch out for one another, where the love is plain and palpable. And in doing so he shows his son a wonderfully different way to serve once he himself becomes Farozi.

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 27 on 8/25/2005
This was very nice, a restful interlude after all the action and suspense of the last few chapters. I enjoying seeing the Farozi putting aside formality to visit with his guests in a friendly fashion, and taking note of his observations. I'm glad he visited a bit with Eomer, who really has not had a good deal to do so far except be there.

Some of the little touches I loved were Pippin's observation that Aragorn looked like Frodo as he held little Elfwine, and the discussion of the Quilt Joke, LOL!

And I did love the bit when Pippin said he and Merry would be ahead of Aragorn at the end. Our Took is as saucy as ever!

Author Reply: Yes, Eomer needs some quality time of his own! After all, he's not just another pretty face. Am considering having a bit of sparring between him and the King out on the desert, Rohirrim style, with a relative few to see.

That there is a strong resemblance in many ways between Frodo the Scholar and Aragorn the King I felt ought to be brought out, and I think both would have delighted in the innocence of children, and here the relationship would be quite strongly shown. And had to establish for the Farozi that the friendship he'd been told of between King and Thain's Heir is unfeigned, and that the King gladly accepts the quiet laughter of his men for Pippin's sake, all realizing that the quilt in the King's blanketroll represents a humorous grounding in the loves that support him.

And not only is Pippin saucy, he is also bluntly honest, accepting his own shorter lifespan openly and not regretting it one bit.

Thanks so much for appreciating the thought in this chapter.

AmyReviewed Chapter: 27 on 8/25/2005
*melts at the big family love*

As an afterthought on recent chapters, it occurs to me that Hardorn and Arwen together make excellent Aragorn security directors.

Author Reply: Well, Hardorn was sent, I decided early on in his career, to Rivendell when quite a young man by Aragorn himself, newly come to Chieftainship, to learn the same skills as Aragorn had learned from Glorfindel and Elrond's sons. He's been Aragorn's personal bodyguard through much of his life, and is now Lord of the Privy Purse and head of security for Aragorn's court--and still often his personal guard as well.

With Arwen as his wife, you are correct--he does have an excellent pair of security directors! Glad you appreciate it.

And the feeling that these are Aragorn's family indeed in their eyes and his own is now truly being communicated to the Farozi and the future Farozi. Glad you also loved this!

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