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Burden of Guilt by Linda Hoyland	4 Review(s)
Lady Saruman	Reviewed Chapter: 57 on 2/26/2006
I see, the sequel to this story is called "A Web of Treason", right? -Lady Saruman :) Author Reply: Yes,that is it.It will be on this site eventually.

Lady Saruman	Reviewed Chapter: 57 on 2/25/2006
This chapter demonstrated a good example of what would have happened in Middle-Earth if someone like Mahrod commited crimes like those. He really deserved this punishment, since he should suffer more. But nowadays, the law is much more sterner than Aragorn--they hold someone in custody for decades before they are condemned to the electric chair. That good-for-nothing Mahrod who also has no self-respect certainly came off easy. I think this quote below was very well written because it accurately describes how the king felt after the execution. But I certainly hope that he will have to harden his heart--after all, who knows if he will have to sentence a lot more people to death? Feeling nauseated, Aragorn turned and walked away, the crowd's merriment ringing in his ears. He was a seasoned warrior but killing in cold blood was something different. Poor Alis. She certainly has suffered much, since she kept going on the run because she knew her husband would find vengeance and inflict many hurts towards her. I'm glad that she is truly safe now, but whether or not Mahrod's memories would haunt her, I do not know. Good chapter! I can't wait until your next update! And one more thing: Today (Friday) we had the Westward Ho! Day. It really wasn't bad like I thought it would be--in fact, I think it was one of the happiest days in my life. The square dancing was actually fun. You see, I think I understand now why I hated the dancing before. It was because during all those rehearsals, I was always paired up with a guy that I didn't know, and so dancing with him felt awkward and strange. But today, I was assigned to a group where the guys there were my friends, and the girls that were in my group were also my friends. But, here is a detailed account of my day: I woke up in the morning at 8 o' clock, since class starts at 9:10 today. I had my breakfast and junk, and here was the trouble. My dad had no plaid shirts, but he certainly did have shirts that looked really western-y, and I had trouble deciding which one I wanted. Then, I had to tie my hair in a ponytail, but I looked so much like a guy! I grabbed the cowboy hat and zoomed out the car. There was a problem with the car for the last couple of days now. The engine kept sputtering and refused to turn on. Now, this car is a pretty old car. We've had it for 10 years--or, rather, 4 months short of ten years, so it's a wonder that it even runs that long. But, it finally turned on, and I got to school, thankfully not late. First, we went to our silent reading class to get our schedules. When I recieved mine, I found that my third choice, which was ice-cream, got crossed out, since we had time for only four periods. The people who decided our schedule for us certainly had hearts. They gave us our last choices for first and our first choices for last--so that we get the best for last. But here was my schedule as follows: Pathfinders, Spiritual Pouches, Applesauce, and Indian Beading. Pathfinders: It was sooooo boring! We were given compass-like objects and we had to follow directions which we got on a piece of paper. This was a bit of what the paper said: Turn right 60 degrees, and walk 8 paces. Turn right 120 degrees, and walk 5 paces. And so on.... It totally didn't make any sense! Finally, we gave up and copied off what my other friends got. We then played MASH (do you know what that is?). My friends paired each other off with such disgusting people! The bell rang, and we went to our second period with wet bottoms from sitting on the grass. Spiritual Pouches: This class was one of my favorites. The teacher explained the significance of these pouches--that Indians used them to hold objects that were spiritual to them. We then got to choose our colors, and the work began. Well, of course we weren't expected to finish within three-quarters of an hour, and so our teacher told us that she would draw us out of silent reading the next week so that we could finish our work. Applesauce: IT WAS ABSOLUTELY MY FAVORITE! IT WAS SO FUN! We got to peel and shred the apples, but we didn't necessarily make the applesauce. First, our teacher taught us how to peel the skin of the apple with a peeler. She was making it really clear, because the earlier periods made a fiasco of it, and well, there were accidents. My friend then accidentally cut her thumb, and she had to stop immediately. She then watched us peel and "shred" the apples into tiny little pieces. Her wound wasn't wide, but it certainly was deep. The blood wouln't stop gushing out, and despite everybody's efforts to stem the flow of blood, it still came out as easily as anything. Finally, after almost an hour, did the blood stop flowing and she was able to do the apples. We only had ten minutes left of the period. This was how the whole process went: 1. We peeled the apples. 2. We then had this apple separating thing that was circular and it had seven "blades" to it--well, they weren't exactly blades, but they were sharp enough to cut into the apple. This was my favorite part. You put the apple so that the core was perfectly perpendicular to the flat of the table, then you fit the apple cutter thing on it. You then push down, and it separates the core from the apple and separates the apple into six pieces. It was a very neat process, and the aftermath of the cutting produced beautiful results. 3. We were given plastic knives so that we have to chop the apples into tiny little pieces. It was fun, certainly, but it sure was messy work! Some guys at a neighboring table decided to experiment, and they broke an apple in half just by using their hands. It was cool, but it created a shower of juice that flew into their faces and a big mess for them to clean up afterwards. Indian beading: This wasn't even Indian beading. We just made bracelets out of regular E-beads and that was it. We were all fooled! We actually thought that we going to get the beads that Indians use. The people who gave us this choice could have taken out the "Indian" part, and we wouldn't have been so decieved. After that, we went into the gym to watch the people from band and auxilaries dance, since they couldn't do it the time that we originally going to do it, due to the fact that they MUST be present during 6th period because they have to perform in the Camillia festival tomorrow. It was fun watching them dance, because we've only seen ourselves dance, and we don't know what that looked like. Then, there was the "Western Costume American Idol" contest. That part was kind of boring, but in the end two people (with really bad costumes, in my opinion) won. LUNCHTIME! At first we thought that it was really going to be good, since all the teachers said thatt it would be. But, in my opinion, it wasn't that good, and some things just make me SICK. We had barbecue beef in bread, which was pretty good, and we also got baked beans, corn bread, applesauce, and some lemonade. Okay, the baked beans were simply disgusting. I thought it would taste like how regular baked beans taste like, but instead, it was disgusting because it was all sweet and stuff. The corn bread tasted like this raw food thing I ate before. The "applesauce", as the teachers call it, wasn't really applesauce at all. It was just the apples that we cut earlier, still in little pieces. The only difference was that perhaps it looked a little bit more rotten, and brown sugar had been added to it. The lemonade just tasted like those bottled lemonade that you could buy at the store, instead of lemonade that we actually make with their own hands. Then, here came the best part: square dancing. I used to hate it, but if you get to dance with a friend, then it can really be satisfying, and the people in our group were hysterical. When the teacher told us to do our own thing, we were to go to the center of the circle (the groups we're in always stand in a circle, if you've ever seen square dancing before, you'll understand me) and do our own thing. When I got called up, I took off my hat and whacked my friend with it as revenge. See, when we had to do that left-hand star and the right-hand star (that's when you all put your hands up inwards and walk the opposite direction of the hand that you're pointing up. E.g., if we have a right-hand star, then our right hand goes up and inward, and we walk to the left.) Well, my friend grabbed my hand (you weren't supposed to though) and pinched it, so I got my revenge by whacking her with my hat. The guys from our group were even funnier. One even jumped up really high (I could have sworn he took kung-fu class) and pretended to kick my partner. That was funny!!!!! My partner's hat fell off and that "kung-fu" guy's bandana fell off. The other PE classes came out to watch us, but this time, we really didn't care. It was fun! After that, the best part came: the teachers had to square dance! It was funny, because five of the teachers were ladies, and so they got to pick their own guys (which happened to be students) to dance with them. That was truly a hysterical scene because the guys were all shorter than the teachers. There was then a guy-girl mixup, because when they had to dance with their corner partner, but they found themselves facing another female because the two boys were somehow mixed up and stood next to each other. But, they still danced. They had quite a large audience, consisting of almost 200 people, because our team was there, except some of them had band and auxilaries, but other people came too. Ah, it was a great day. It was tiring though. >_< We are going to have to dance again, because of Civil War day in March, but for now, we are savoring our moments. The End ^_^ Once again, you've posted a great chapter, and I wonder how you liked my day... Hershey's kisses/hugs, Lady Saruman ^_~ Author Reply: Many thanks for your much appreciated review.I agree that Aragorn will have to become harder as that is one of my themes for future stories.I expect alis will be haunted ,but hopefully in time will recover now she knows Mahrod will never trouble her again and she need no longer live in fear. Your Western Day sounded great fun,we never had anything like that when I was at school !

French Pony	Reviewed Chapter: 57 on 2/24/2006
"Whatever murdering devil that could treat a woman like that should be hung!” “He has been this very morning, Dame Ioreth,” Aragorn informed her. For the first time he could remember in their acquaintance, Ioreth could think of nothing to say. That is the single most perfect ending to a chapter you've written yet. I love it. It just sums up everything that Aragorn feels about Mahrod, and it's such a wonderful character moment for both characters. This is what writing should look like. And I don't believe for one instant that the slow, agonizing nature of Mahrod's death was due to lack of skill on the part of the executioner. Most executioners worth their salt would know exactly how to hang a man so as to break his neck and how to hang a man so as to strangle him. That executioner knew what the mob wanted, and he gave it to them. Author Reply: Many thanks for your much appreciated review.I wrote this chapter on the last moment as an afterthought and I'm pleased the ending turned out well as Ioreth seemed the perfect character to finish with. I read an interview with the last hangman in the UK who said it only took him 10 seconds to execute a criminal, so it is pretty obvious the Gondorian hangman wanted Mahrod to suffer as he made his victims suffer.

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 57 on 2/24/2006
If ever there was a good candidate for being suspended at the end of a rope .... Poor Alis. Not easy being the family-less wife of a - what is the expression I'm looking for? - something like 'dieu de rues, diable de maison'. (I googled it!) The sort of slimebag whose acquaintances all think he's a good bloke - and then he goes home and terrorises his poor wife. (Until he rapes one, of course. Then they see him a bit more realistically.) Still - now Aragorn is on the case, she stands a pretty good chance of the two of them leading a better life. Author Reply: Many thanks for your much appreciated review.The English equivalent of that saying was a favourite of my late Mother's and brought back many memories.IT certainly applies to Mahrod! I enjoyed writing Alis who jumped into my head unexpectedly one night and demanded to have her story told !

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