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| Divers Drabbles II by Raksha The Demon | 11 Review(s) |
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| Little Dwarf | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 6/26/2008 |
| Very nice! I like the way you emphasized Aragorn's human nature... He is a man who has had his dark moments... and known both pain and terror... so your characterization is very well-written and in keeping to the original chapter! :) Author Reply: Thank you, Small Dwarf; and Welcome to Stories of Arda! I wrote this piece as a birthday ficlet for a member of HASA (Henneth-Annun Story Archive) who wanted a drabble where Aragorn is gripped by a strong emotion, if I remember right. Naturally, I thought of that moment of remembered horror that Strider reveals to the hobbits in Bree; and wondered what could have spooked Aragorn so much that it still chilled him years later? One of the things that makes Strider a little more interesting than King Elessar Telcontar is that Strider, for all his great strength and skill, does reveal human frailties occasionally along with his considerable virtues. I wanted to capture the moments when Strider is brought to bay but not broken, and meets terror with courage and intelligence. | |
| Agape4Gondor | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/14/2007 |
| This was stunning in the fear - reminds me of what Boromir and Faramir must have felt at the bridge - when the wraith attacked them! Wow.... I loved that he soiled himself, I love Halbarad, and I love the quote. *shudders* Author Reply: Wow; this is your second review - thanx much, Agape! This vignette practically wrote itself. Few things in Middle-earth are as downright terrifying as the Nazgul; and even Aragorn wouldn't have been immune to fear. It really struck me, when he cautioned the hobbits later, that he must have been scared, very scared, when he encountered them in the wilds all those years ago...And it seems reasonable to assume he might have had that embarrassing physical response. | |
| Agape4Gondor | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/12/2006 |
| Ooooh - this was good and breathtaking and frightening... somewhere in the midst of reading it - I was transported to Sleepy Hallow - one of the most frightening books I've ever read.... I love the reality of his reaction - sometimes people write Aragorn as if he had not a fear in the world - that he soiled himself is so telling... Wow! Glad you had the courage to write that! Author Reply: Sorry I missed replying to this review, Agape! I see Aragorn as a very brave man, most things don't scare him the way they'd scare you or me. He has probably been more afraid of losing Arwen, or never gaining her, than he is of Orcs. But Aragorn is not made of stone, he does feel fear and grief at different times in LOTR, and he reveals that remembered horror in his speech to the Hobbits, so I thought it must have been one terrifying encounter. Somehow, even if Halbarad was able to tell that Aragorn soiled himself, I doubt that he'd think less of his kinsman/Chieftain, or ever tell anyone. Halbarad would have agreed with me that Aragorn showed tremendous pluck in being able to act at all in his own defense, most men, even Dunedain, freeze in terror under Nazgul attack... | |
| Laerien | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/12/2006 |
| Oh, my! You wrote this so well that I could feel the darkness and the fear here in my sun-lit room. You know, I am glad I didn't find this at night! ;o) And I am even more glad that I have seen Aragorn from a different POV. Thank you! Author Reply: Thanx for reading and commenting, Laerien. To bring darkness and fear a bit closer to one's sunlit room was exactly my aim in writing the piece; and, I suspect, Aragorn's aim in mentioning that dread encounter to the complacent hobbits in Bree, if only for their own good. So I'm glad that it rattled you a bit. I'd rather write Aragorn having a picnic with Faramir and Arwen and Eowyn and the kiddies, but this was a mental challenge that wouldn't be denied. | |
| phyloxena | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/6/2006 |
| Very scary and realistic, and again I'm fascinated with your tone and language. I could just see that broad sturdy back, the uneven motion of the horse, the unbelievable daylight. Thank you! Author Reply: I'm glad you liked the ficlet, and thanx for reviewing! I was trying for scary and realistic in 500 words, so I'm pleased the tone, the feelings, came across to you. That was one tough mare of Halbarad's - I'm sure they gave her some extra apples at Rivendell. | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/6/2006 |
| Yes, one encounter that would definitely engrave itself firmly in his memory. Author Reply: Thanx for commenting, Larner. Oh, without doubt a run-in with the Wraiths would stand out among Aragorn's memories. Brrrr. But at least he would be more prepared, emotionally, for the next time. | |
| SurgicalSteel | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/30/2006 |
| Very nicely done - You capture quite well why Aragorn would still be in horror of the Ringwraiths even several decades later. He must have been absolutely petrified - and his reaction, while understandable, is one that a warrior would naturally be ashamed of. Author Reply: But still, even petrified, Aragorn was able to think (if somewhat less coherently than usual) and pursue a defensive course. His instincts and training saved him, and those instincts were testament to his essential toughness. Most men might have just collapsed in terror. Author Reply: Whoops, forgot to thank you for reading and reviewing, which, as always, I appreciate. | |
| Branwyn | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/29/2006 |
| In FOTR, Aragorn speaks with dread of the Nazgul, as if he has faced them before, and this gapfiller draws the details of his harrowing first encounter with them. There is a scene in FOTR where Strider tells the hobbits, "It would take more than a few weeks, or months, or years of wandering in the wild to make you look like Strider..And you would die first, unless you are made of sterner stuff than you look to be." Raksha gives us a glimpse of young Aragorn when he is first being tempered by the dangers and hardships of life in the wild. His shame at his loss of control is understandable, though what happened was a perfectly normal reaction to a life-threatening situation (ask anyone who has ever worked in an ER...). It is reassuring to know that he has a loyal and understanding friend in Halbarad, someone to watch his back. An intriguing gapfiller! Author Reply: I'm sure that young Aragorn kept control of all aspects of his responses in most tense and dangerous situations, but a surprise assault by three Nazgul is way out of the realm of usual perils, even for Middle-earth. I wanted to explore how Aragorn felt when under attack by beings able to freeze brave men with their ghastly cries alone. I think he did pretty well. Strangely, I think it was easier, despite the higher stakes and greater odds, for Aragorn to face the five who charged at Weathertop - he would have felt fiercer fighting to defend the helpless hobbits, and at least he had warning, and earlier experience, to fortify him. Thanx much for the review! | |
| Linda Hoyland | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/29/2006 |
| I think this is one of your best pieces yet and you capture the sense,menace of fear and horror brilliantly, I shuddered as I read this. I feel certain too that Aragorn must have had personal experience of the wraiths.It makes his courage in LOTR all the greater. Author Reply: For a man as tough as Aragorn to still show some fear at the memory, it must have been a whopper of an encounter; so I thought he had to have known sheer terror, and for more than a minute or two. 'Twas a bit scary to write, too; the fear of being set upon at night, isolated, by evil creepy things, is universal. (too bad Aragorn couldn't have gone about with a pack of wolfhounds; but that would defeat the purpose of being a very quiet and stealthy Ranger) I'm so glad you liked the vignette. At least Aragorn and Halbarad got to rest up chez Elrond after the ordeal. Thanx for reviewing! | |
| Radbooks | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/29/2006 |
| Very well done, Raksha! What a wonderful gap-filler. It makes his courage later all the more remarkable when you realize that he had encountered them before. You captured his terror very well - I'm so glad that Halbarad was there to rescue him. :) Author Reply: I was struck by that passage in FOTR, his acknowledgement that the Nazgul are darned scary and the implication that he'd had a terrifying rendezvous with them at some point in his life. It had to have been a ghastly experience to make grim ol' Strider evince the memory of fear. And yes, he'd obviously grown tougher as well as older since then, tough enough to take on five of the nasties on a dark hill in defense of the scared hobbits. I think the fact that he knew of the Nazgul's presence, knew they were hunting Frodo, might have made it easier for Aragorn to face them, he had time to mentally prepare himself; and he was fighting to defend the others, which might have fired him up even more, still, he was very brave. Thanx for reviewing; Radbooks; I'm glad you liked the tale. | |