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| The Heir Apparent by Mirkwoodmaiden | 6 Review(s) |
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| Lindelea | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 5/17/2025 |
| MM! Starting again... Sometimes people shift blame for evil purposes (we watched an episode of Sharpe last night where a murderer pinned the blame on Major Sharpe), but sometimes they shift blame because they have a blind spot or because they cannot bear the knowledge that their decisions brought devastating consequences. I wonder which is the case with Dirhael? I doubt he'd have evil purposes, so I'm thinking it's either pride or unwillingness to own his stuff. His speeches are certainly to the point – sharply barbed, in many cases. Later in the chapter, you clearly show his capacity for honesty, even with his own uncomfortable truths. Thus, though he is indeed proud and bitter, he also sounds like an honorable Man. He always said it was men of stubbornness and conviction such as Dirhael that allowed the Dunedain of the north to survive the destruction of their kingdom for over 1000 years and keep their identity and their ways living for as long as they have. There's probably a lot of truth in this statement. Erithain sounds quite wise for his obvious youth; I have the feeling his wisdom was hard-won, but he learned his lessons well. But he is still very young to bear such heavy responsibility... This chapter is a fine example of why I love your stories so much. The details sound authentic (I know you do your research!) and pull the reader right into the scene, even smelling the smells and feeling the various textures along with seeing and hearing what the characters see and hear. And in a simple exchange of glances, you manage to put in so much information about the characters! The last part of the chapter left tears in my eyes. Well done. I'm doubly glad you added a chapter to this story and brought it back to the home page, where readers (self included) can more easily find it once more. (((hugs))) Lin Author Reply: Lin! So glad you have started this journey. I found Chapter 20 started but never finished and I liked what I wrote and decided to finish the chapter. Dirhael has no evil intentions. He is grief-stricken. I love to write characters who don't always act rationally. We don't; why should they? I have always been fascinated by the Dunedain. They had to be a stern and driven people to have survived over a thousand years. They needed some sort of societal structure to survive. I did do a lot of research and sort of a loose cross of Saxon England and Native American plains Indians made the most sense. Dirhael is strickened by grief. He has let it get out of control. Emotional rash decisions are made. Pride and stubbornness to also play their part. Grief can be very isolating. Erithain has been thrust into responsibility way too early and a responsibility he never thought would come to him with two older brothers. As he says he wanted to talk to Dirhael but never felt as if he could intrude upon his grief. Erithain is seeing the example of Dirhael grief play itself out in anger. And Erithain learns this. Dirhael is shocked and disturbed when he realises what his grief has created. We learn often by example but both Dirhael and Erithain have enough emotional maturity to admit they were wrong. The last part just flowed with I was writing this back in the day. Erithain is a good kid who was just overwhelmed by everything that befell him and had to muddle through. So happy you are reading! (((hugs))) MM | |
| Nurayy | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 3/8/2021 |
| Oh, there they begin falling in love. And there's already a lot of turmoil and grief and resentment. I loved how in the end respect grows between them. The beginning of something important. Author Reply: Nurayy! So glad you decided to read or at least start this story. It was the first many chaptered story I wrote as fanfic and it really holds a soft spot in my heart. I have always been fascinated by the Dunedain as a people. They survived the destruction of their kingdom and really their entire way of life and survived for a 1000 years. Arthedain, the last of the three kingdoms that was Arnor fell in 1975 TA. And yet their goal, their dream to the light restored and Amends for Isildur's failure remained true. How? That is why I am fascinated by the Dunedain. Also I have always been fascinated by Gilraen, "I give hope to the world by I keep none for myself." She left everything she knew to go with Estel to Imladris. She is frequently left out of a lot of fanfiction but I think she is so interesting. Very strong woman who sacrifices everything she was to help her people with their density. Thanks for reading. Stay Safe ((hugs)) MM Author Reply: Or rather "Destiny" and not "density" :-) *sigh* I would love to blame Autocorrect for this but alas I cannot!! :-) MM | |
| Lindelea | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 3/7/2020 |
| I think I missed this when it was first being posted. At least, I don’t remember reading it before. (Though sometimes my mind has played tricks on me, and I have left a glowing review on a story that seemed “new” to me, only to discover in reading other reviews that I too had left one at an earlier time. Yikes!) Fascinating, well-rounded (I’m not sure that’s the term I want; something meaning carefully thought out and rich in detail) vision of the life in the North lands for the people of broken Arnor. Erkenthal thought Arathorn, be gentle with him for he is so young as a small smile widened his face. Ah, he appears to know Arathorn so well, and trust him. I wonder if Arathorn is a healer with a gift for bringing out the power of athelas? Author Reply: Lindelea! Hello! So happy to see your review! I finished this story back in 2005 so it has been a long while. I'm glad you found it now! In this story Arathorn and Erkenthal have been compatriot warriors together for years. Brothers-in-arms together for longer than either care to remember! :-) I never thought about Arathorn having those healing powers, but he is the heir before Aragorn and has the same kinship to Elros and therefore Elrond. So yeah he could. Hmmm...possible story offshoot! I have always been fascinated by the Dunedain Rangers. How do a people with only a driving purpose survive the destruction of their cities and their entire society for over a thousand years. Arthedain the last of the three kingdoms of Arnor fell in TA 1974. I thought about it and how they were called a wandering, dwindling people, but you need some sort of society (even it is radically different from what you had before) when for the Dunedain who were long living if only for the Rangers to marry and have children in order to keep their purpose in life going. I thought of an Anglo-saxon-ish system of Chieftain and Thanes loosely combined with the Plains Indians that had Winter villages. Basically I had a lot of fun thinking of it all and framing it all around Arathorn and Gilraen meeting and basing it all on the appendices in the back of ROTK. Thanks again for the encouragement! Hope you enjoy the rest of the story! MM | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/2/2005 |
| An interesting look at that first meeting between Arathorn and his future bride. Author Reply: I'm glad you liked it!! It's a subject that doesn't get a lot of treatment and the Dunedain have always fascinated me! MM | |
| Eruanneth_Luin | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 6/29/2005 |
| First I must admit that had the name of Elrond not appeared in your update I would likely not have read this tale as I prefer elf-centered stories. But to my delight I found myself reading a thoughtfully written and intriguing tale. Obviously you are well-versed in the canon elements that you have woven into a believable story. As to the particular events, those of note to me are the understandable resentment of the Thane toward his Chieftain, even though unfounded in truth; his son a perfect example of not being able to refrain from speaking that which he had heard and seen for so long. The meeting of Arathorn and Gilraen was particularly enjoyable, mutual attraction, but tempered with good sense and respect. Overall the chapter has strong a feeling of honor and courage, realistically set in the waning years of the Dúnadain. Thank you. Author Reply: Eruanneth_Luin! Hello! I'm really gald that you found my story enjoyable and an interesting read. I usually favour Elf-centric stories, but I've also always been fascinated by Aragorn's childhood and his parents and the Northern Rangers. How they stayed a more or less cohesive people for so long I found really thought-provoking. And also so little is written about Gilraen and yet I think that she was important in Aragorn's life. So with Estel's childhood and writing about the Dunedain I could encapsulate both passions. When I decided to write about Aragorn's childhood I found that I had to go further back to his parents meeting. I needed to think of how the Dunedain would have survive. As singular Rangers they would never have survived as a people. Then had to be more. I'm glad you picked up on the feelings of honour and courage. Very important aspects of Dunedain culture! I'm really glad you have found the story and have liked it a lot. Thanks, MM Author Reply: That's "glad you found my story" I can't type tonight. :-) | |
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 9/28/2003 |
| I've been eyeing this story for a while now, trying to decide if I want to commit to reading it and I finally gave in to temptation. What a great opening chapter. I loved this glimpse of life among the Dunedain. And Arathorn is a fascinating figure. The details are so realistic here. Author Reply: Thanks Daw! Glad you've decided to join me in this insane odyssey of multi-chaptered fanfiction! I thought about what the Dunedain culture would have to be like 1000 years after the destruction of their last kingdom. Simple settlements loosely bound by a Saxon-y (at least less structured than the Norman social system) confederation, but also with a fierce sense of identity and destiny. Then I did some research into Saxon settlements. With Arathorn's character I wanted to portray a leader who was not a proto-typical warrior, a man with compassion for others, echoes of the personality traits that Aragorn later will display. MM | |