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Sundry Scrolls III by Raksha The Demon	10 Review(s)
Periantari	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 9/11/2015
So beautifully written. So introspective and rings true to me. Positive change is on the horizon.

Periantari	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 9/7/2015
oh i liked this very much. I always wondered what Faramir thought at the changing of the guard to have Aragorn become King and have a change of rule. This explains some of it. :)

Soledad	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 6/23/2009
It's always kind of sad when an Age comes to its end; even if a new Age follows, that promises to be glorious. The Stewards did good work indeed, keeping Gondor together for 26 generations... a shame that many people seem to forget that. Sorry for the late review. I'm just getting back to reading. RL work can be a mite inconvenient. Author Reply: Thanx for the review; I'm always glad to get them; and RL is occasionally more important than fandom, believe it or not! I think Faramir was glad to welcome the new King; but it had to have been a bit of a wrench to bid farewell to the rule of Gondor, for the sake of all his ancestors who had worked hard to hold the land together; not to mention it being the order of things, and a relatively good order, in his life up until March 3019.

Agape4Gondor	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 3/23/2009
When I read this line, I kind of felt like Sam in the movie - when he and Frodo are watching the Elves depart - incredibly sad. 'He had held his last Council as Ruling Steward...' I wonder what you base this sentence on? Faramir only met Aragorn once before this - and that near death in the Houses. Faramir was still in the Houses when Aragorn left for the Black Gate. Do you think he had the same foresight as his father? 'Aragorn son of Arathorn would be, Faramir believed with all his heart, not just any King, but one of the greatest to ever wear Gondor’s Silver Crown.' Needless to say - this line tore at my heart. 'Faramir’s right hand tightened on the remade white rod as he willed his thoughts away from the brother who should now have borne it.' Last lines were beautiful. Very nicely done, all the way around! Author Reply: Faramir was near death when he first met Aragorn in the Houses, but he saw, intuited, mind-melded, whatever, enough to recognize him as King and proclaim him as such. Also, Tolkien never said that Aragorn didn't see Faramir at all before he left for the Black Gate - maybe he did, maybe he didn't. Faramir could have also formed that opinion just on hearing the story of Aragorn's life, which he probably had by then; and it's a pretty impressive c.v.; especially if Faramir also knows that Aragorn was Thorongil (which he might well have learned). Aragorn saved Minas Tirith (if he hadn't stopped the Corsairs, the Rohirrim's arrival would probably just have put off the taking of the White City), he's the rightful heir of Elendil, as Thorongil he probably saved parts of Gondor from destruction for years by destroying the Corsair fleet, and he's a mighty warrior with healing hands, etc. And I do think that Faramir has a certain degree of foresight - the dream did come first and most often to him, which indicates that his mind is open to such 'extra' things. Tolkien did say that the true blood of Numenor ran more definitely in Faramir than in Boromir, or something to that effect (too lazy to go look it up right now). A thought-provoking review; Agape; thanx much.

Nesta	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 3/21/2009
That's a moment I'm always turning back to - it had to have sadness in it. And I don't like to think of the Steward's banner being raised for the last time. Surely it must have flown over Minas Tirith when the King was away and Faramir was deputising for him. I was wondering what banner the Prince of Ithilien would have - a green one with a wreath of bay leaves, perhaps? Author Reply: Tolkien said: and upon the White Tower of the citadel the standard of the Stewards, bright argent like snow in the sun, bearing no charge nor device, was raised over Gondor for the last time. It's one of the few canon bits that I am tempted to deny. However, at this time, Faramir probably believed that the Steward's banner would not fly again on the White Tower. I've read more than one story that had Aragorn make some accomodation for the banner... I've often thought about what kind of banner/insignia the Prince of Ithilien would have; I keep seeing green and silver, or green and silver and black, as the colors, and perhaps a crescent moon over a tree, since Ithilien is the Moon-land? Thanx for reviewing, Nesta!

shirebound	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 3/21/2009
Faramir raised the white rod in salute to the banner of his sires. Change was coming. Destiny had seemingly appointed him to return the rule of this city and land to the realm’s true lord. Oh, what a proud and poignant moment. The Stewards indeed held the city for a thousand years, in war and peace, for this very moment. Author Reply: Thanx for reviewing, Shirebound - that's what I was aiming for, the pride and poignancy of this unique moment, a moment that was all Faramir's, and that he could best appreciate.

Rugi	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 3/21/2009
I like seeing Faramir on the cusp of the real Return of the King. It was interesting to think about him fulfilling all of his duties so perfectly in order to make everything perfect for his replacement. And I love that he was satisfied to do so. In some ways, I think that a lot of the true greatness of Faramir lies in his capacity to labor for someonelse's happiness, fame, and greatness. Graciously standing aside is hard, and he does it well. Author Reply: I think Faramir must have had a few moments of regret, perhaps, knowing that the change was lowering his status. But Faramir had a historian's perspective too, and would look on the change as the natural culmination of the Ruling Stewards' duty, to hand the rule of Gondor back to the king after holding it safe for the kings for so long. Faramir does have that capacity to labor for others - so did Aragorn, who for years served under other lords and putting their will above his own. But I look on this time as one where Faramir starts to truly come into his own, out of the shadow of his father and brother, ascending not just to one high office (the Stewardship, even non-Ruling, is a pretty big deal) but a high rank, and preparing for marriage too... Thanx for the review, Rugi!

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 3/21/2009
A special vigil held. YES! Love it! Author Reply: Thanx for reading and commenting, Larner. Someone had to hold vigil, I mean, besides the guards; for all that was passing, for the great new era that was coming, etc. I'm glad you liked the piece!

eiluj	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 3/21/2009
Yes: I'm sure that's just how it was. (And surely it could be a ten or twenty-chapter story....) Thanks also for the link to Altariel's fic. I'd read many of her early Faramir stories, but I don't remember that one. Author Reply: Thanx for reviewing, Eiluj. Yes, it could be a ten-chapter story, but others, including Tolkien, have already chronicled that stretch of days and many of Faramir's activities; I wanted to focus on a few moments... Oh, Altariel's A Kind of Valediction is a glorious piece of fanfiction; I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Linda Hoyland	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 3/21/2009
I just loved this.You capture Faramir's feelings perfectly before this very special day and I can imagine him having these very thoughts about Aragorn. Author Reply: Thanx for the review, Linda. Faramir had to have conflicting feelings, including some powerful emotions on this eve of change. I wondered if he would have wanted to be reveling on the Pelennor, but think he'd almost rather be appreciating the last night of the Stewards' rule, knowing what was and anticipating what was to come and his role in it.

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