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| The Acceptable Sacrifice by Larner | 13 Review(s) |
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| Grey Wonderer | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 11/16/2005 |
| Poor Frodo! Everything, even memories of Bag End, hurt him now. I liked the simple way that Sam explained what had been offered to him and his logic about how that might have turned out. Very like Sam to see that the magic would have spoiled the garden! Author Reply: Even gone, the legacy of the Ring lingers on as Frodo suffers from survivor's guilt as well as guilt-guilt. It has conditioned him to feel responsibility for everything ever done, and letting go of that guilt and responsibility is very difficult. And so glad you appreciate Sam's logic. For a true gardener, the joy comes in the nurturing; to have it all done by magic would have removed most of the actual pleasure of the process and would have cheapened the resulting garden in the end. What joy is there in simply waving a hand and making it happen when there is no true investment in its outcome? I, too, appreciate Sam's wisdom, and am glad you appreciate how I try to express it. | |
| Lindelea | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 11/1/2005 |
| The Man shuddered. “The Valar defend you!” he murmured, his eyes briefly closed. “You survived that!” He looked at the two of them. “I almost sank to my death there, near a pool where one of my own people seemed to lie. I’d stopped to look in horror--and realized I was mired almost to my waist. I even fell into one of them.” He shook his head. “No wonder you were relieved to reach Ithilien.” (I love to read about Aragorn's other "lives" in the south. Very realistic, believable details in this chapter.) How tragically this chapter ends. Poor Frodo. I, like Aragorn, wish for more moments of peace for him. Author Reply: In part this is inspired by Timmy2222's "Untrodden Path"--a gorgeous story in which Aragorn is saved by drowning in one of the pools in the Dead Marshes after he caught Gollum the first time, and finds himself having to work to save the villagers who help him when they are threatened by orcs. But Aragorn realizes more of what Frodo has been through and is letting him know that he has reason to know horrible dreams and dark memories. But it is hard for Frodo to let go and accept that it is all right to be less than perfect. Thanks so much for reading on. | |
| Radbooks | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 10/24/2005 |
| Gosh it's nice to come home and have lots of chapters to catch up on! :) The joy of Sam with the oliphaunts and the joy of Frodo over the view of the sunset from Henneth-Anun remind me that even in the darkest days, there are spots of goodness and joy if we but look for them. So sad to think that Frodo did not even remember that whole part of his trip... but then that is a very natural thing that people do to protect themselves in horrible times. The whole part at the end where they are talking about Boromir and Aragorn says he did forgive him because the Ring was effecting him too was very moving. I loved how you showed the interplay between the three of them as they looked at each other and they expressed their love and concern, etc. Nicely done! Author Reply: Traumatic amnesia is one of the most interesting ways that we have been gifted with to protect ourselves from the moments that could truly devastate us if we had full access to the memories; although sometimes these memories need to be probed to allow full healing. And that there were moments of wonder and beauty helped to sustain Frodo and Sam, and particularly Frodo, I think, through it all. That his capacity for sharing beauty and sparking others to humanity, compassion, and joy helped others to live more fully and more morally as he passed their way helped make Middle Earth a better place to live. Glad you are home again and getting caught back up on the story. | |
| Inkling | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 10/23/2005 |
| Another interesting, insightful chapter. It’s nice to see everyone continuing to tell their tales…for, of course, they couldn’t possibly have covered everything the night before! I’m glad, too, to see you suggest the unspoken in Sam’s glance at Aragorn…that the Ring had detected his greatest weakness, too…and it wasn’t the temptation to become the Gardener of Mordor! Author Reply: Oh, I agree, Sam's greatest temptation, as with Aragorn, would have been to try to spare Frodo. It takes time to let all the details out, and probably some were never told, for they are simply too painful to recall. Thanks so much for the feedback, Inkling. | |
| Andrea | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 10/21/2005 |
| A fascinating conversation between Aragorn and Frodo! It's interesting to see, that the Ring tried to win both of them over by making them feel guilty. It's a link to your story "Fostering". Brothers of the heart, indeed! Aragorn was able to make Frodo genuinely smile for the first time. They are on the right path, but it's dangerously easy to go astray. Author Reply: Yes, it's terribly easy to go astray, particularly as physically and emotionally fragile as Frodo was. Once the Ring became aware of the emotion of guilt, I think it would use it liberally, particularly in the case of two such individuals as Frodo and Aragorn who were born with such a strong tendency toward personal and social responsibility. Glad you appreciate the link to Fostering and my other stories. And, yes, Frodo is finally beginning to smile about pleasant memories and all. And he deserves to know pleasure again. Thanks so much for your comments, as they are deeply appreciated. | |
| Kitty | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 10/21/2005 |
| It must be relieving for Frodo to know Boromir knew forgiveness before dying. Aragorn was wonderful in this chapter! I am so sorry for him he couldn't heal Frodo completely, no matter how much he tried. Well, I think it's good he brought Frodo to talk about his experiences - he needs it so badly, and it may help to relieve him at least of some guilt. And to realize all of them were influenced by the whispers of the ring may help him see his own "failure" in a new light. What a pity Frodo didn't knew then Sam would have not only the garden of Bags End back, but own Bags End as well so soon! It would be one reason less to feel guilty. Author Reply: There was much healing Frodo received after the rescue by the Eagles and Gandalf, but some wounds go too deep indeed, and need more help than the lesser children of Iluvatar can offer. And I think Frodo would have begun to accept, intellectually at least, that he won through and did all he could do; but there in a corner of his heart was always the seed of guilt nurtured there by the Ring that if he didn't do it all by himself then he failed, and that from time to time weeds of self-recrimination would spring up from it and flourish during his worse times. At the time Frodo's eventually manifesting gift of foresight which allowed him to foresee some of Sam's coming children does not appear to have as yet made itself known. That Sam might be thinking of calling upon Merry and Pippin to put pressure on their fathers in Frodo's behalf to regain possession of Bag End would probably not have occurred to Frodo; but I suspect Sam was beginning to formulate such a plan early on. | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 10/21/2005 |
| Crisis behaviour is one thing - the most surprising people do well in extreme situations - but I tend to think that the aftermath can be the most difficult to deal with. As if everything is taken away and you're just left - and you can't move forward and you find yourself with a hankering to move back when at least you understood the rules. Good to talk about Boromir. And the ring tempting Aragorn. And probably to learn what it was whispering to everyone else, too. But I don't expect it had ever come across anyone quite like Sam - who could see the picture it was painting and dismiss it. Author Reply: Yes, Sam would have been quite a shock to such as Sauron's Ring, wouldn't he? But then Frodo had been able to dismiss it and keep himself from succumbing for quite a time; and the Ring had only had just over a day in Sam's possession to work directly on him. That Sam could have realized, once Frodo snatched it back from him, that he might not have been able to keep up the defenses against the Ring's constant barrage indefinitely is something we need to keep in mind. It is probable that once the Ring was focused primarily on Frodo again he began to realize just how tremendous a job Frodo was doing after all, for he was fighting it day and night, and had been for months at that point. And Frodo needed to become aware NOW that the Ring was working more actively on Aragorn and Legolas than he'd realized. I now wonder if the reason that so many of the Fellowship ended up Hobbits because with their general lack of ambition compared to Men as well as the fact they'd not been taken into account in the crafting of the Rings of Power made them less vulnerable, giving the Ring fewer to focus its wiles on who were more likely to fall to its wiles, such as Boromir. | |
| Tigger | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 10/20/2005 |
| Oh my...Poor Frodo. He can't even take comfort in the fact they all made it through and that Boromir was forgiven for what happened. You are doing a wonderful and very believable job w/how Frodo is reacting. Looking forward as always to the next chapter. Author Reply: I think he was relieved to know that Boromir was able to redeem himself and know forgiveness, but that there are so many issues seeking to take over recently vacated guilt that he will be a time giving it over completely. I'm truly glad you find his reactions believable. Thanks so much for the feedback, as I do appreciate it so much. | |
| Linda Hoyland | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 10/20/2005 |
| What a treat to get a chapter with lots of Aragorn in it ! I enjoyed his talk with Frodo and many things were said which needed to be.Frodo badly needs to keep talking and accept the comfort of his friends.I also liked the mentions of Faramir. I do remember your mention of Aragorn reviving Faramir,Frodo and Sam,I would just love to read about from your pen in more detail ! Author Reply: We will see what comes out, Linda. I, also love to see Aragorn in my stories, and hope to see Faramir come more actively into it, also. Gotta find out what sparks the gift of the blue mantle that eventually comes to Ruvemir, after all! And I think that Sam, Frodo, and Aragorn all three are happy to discuss Faramir, as he's had a positive impact already on all three, and all are looking forward to him becoming close with Aragorn in the future. | |
| Armariel | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 10/20/2005 |
| Love the part about forgiving Boromir. Would really like to shake Frodo's guilt out of him though! Aragorn is beautifully depicted here, would love to take him home with me *sigh* Author Reply: I've been wanting to take Aragorn home with ME for forty-two years now, you must remember. I have loved that man for SOOOOO long! Glad you agree about the forgiveness of Boromir and the depiction of Aragorn. As for Frodo, you aren't the only one wishing he'd stop feeling guilty. They'll be working on him the whole time he's in Gondor on that, and then when they get home and see what Saruman and Lotho have done to the Shire it just starts all over again. Thanks so much for the response. | |