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The Ranger and the Eagles by Cairistiona	16 Review(s)
Lexilooper	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/13/2026
Watching Aragorn waken from his injuries was nearly as painful as being injured oneself, Gandalf decided. Aragorn had slept quietly through the night, exhaustion and blood loss no doubt acting as a better painkiller than any herbal remedy, but now with dawn’s first hazy light, the poor man grimaced and groaned and shifted his legs and moved his arms as though trying to roll himself over. When he flapped his arm toward his wounded back, Gandalf had to intervene. "Easy, Aragorn. No need for that." skaksdhfjk yesssssssss watching Aragorn slowly, slowly and painfully wake up,,, trying to roll over, trapped on stomach, trying to reach okay "flapping his arm toward" is kinda so cute Grey eyes opened to stare fuzzily at him. A chalky voice garbled one questioning syllable. "Whu’?" sksdkha poor injured guy "What happened, or where are you? I believe both questions are valid," Gandalf smiled down at the befuddled man. <33 Aragorn is not often befuddled Aragorn shut his eyes and frowned. He looked decidedly cross as he again tried to reach behind his back. skasjfh decidedly cross <3 Gandalf stopped him by grasping his wrist and then had to quickly reconsider his evaluation of Aragorn’s mood. The eyes glaring at him now were not merely cross; they were furious, and Aragorn enraged was a sight to make any man blanch and step back. HEHEHE LOVEEEE lolllll quickly reconsider Aragorn is ENRAGED now and I rather love that it is specifically because he is in pain and confused and someone is now stopping him from putting his arm where he wants, it's a rather entirely misplaced and doesn't-understand fury, which is wonderful angst and rather heartbreaking that he's in such a mind-melted pain and fever and blood loss and things lol yessss Aragorn's rage is indeed a thing to cower before Of course, Gandalf was hardly any man. "Aragorn," he said, and then, when he continued to struggle, more sternly, "Aragorn! Do not fight me! You are injured, and you must not reach back there or you’ll pull loose all the stitches I painstakingly applied in order to stop you bleeding your life out on this cave floor." YESSSSS he is hardly any man. Aragorn's furious eyes do no more to him than to make him go "whoa" and understand better what sort of emotions and state of mind he is dealing with here. His stern commands <33 do not fight me! coming from a friend is one of my favorite whump trope things The fury drained away as Aragorn seemed finally to come a bit more to himself. In fact, so piteous was his bewildered contrition that Gandalf almost wished for a return of the anger; he did not like seeing his normally composed and hardy friend laid so low. sksajdfhjasgkjasdsk <:(((((( bewildered contrition ;_; awwww poor buddy Gandalf released his wrist and patted his shoulder. "There now, I know it’s disconcerting and painful, but time will set you aright." <33 I love grandpa Gandalf so much Speech seemed beyond Aragorn, but the questions that filled his eyes did the asking for him. awwww in this miserable middle place when he's too injured and befuddled and exhausted to speak but clear enough of mind to be filled with questions "I do not know what happened, exactly. I think you may have been caught up in that avalanche." He framed it almost as a question and nodded at the acknowledging flicker of returning memory on Aragorn’s face. "Ah, so it was. Do not worry about the details... you may tell me the entire sad tale when you’re feeling stronger and what memory you have of it returns. Suffice to say that somehow you made it from wherever you were to this cave, where I had set up camp for the night. I patched that which needed patching and warmed that which needed thawing, and you will no doubt be fully yourself, save for a stiff back, in a day or two." I loveee his perception, watching Aragorn's face carefully and immediately catching the recognition "a day or two" okay that is extremely optimistic but probably the reassurance Aragorn needs at the moment ("you better not walk for two weeks so help me" would probably just encourage despair and restlessness) so thank you "My... back.... What...?" oh dear "One might say that I pulled a rather large splinter from it." lolll one might "Wasn’t," he paused to swallow, "wasn’t... arrow?" okay he does remember now sounds like he either still has very scrambled memories and only remembers more recent things, or the knock on his head was either before or very near to the stick and the general experience of being caught in an avalanche muddied his brain enough that he couldn't ever figure through what was stabbing him in the first place, and as he couldn't see it properly either, came to an arrow being the most likely conclusion "Ah, so you knew something was sticking you. I should say you would, at that. But no, it was not an arrow. From the looks of it, I’d guess you impaled yourself on a bush or a tree, or perhaps a stray broken branch was driven into you during the avalanche. However it happened, there was a segment of one sticking right into your lower back. Not too far in, thankfully. Had it not been for your heavy coat and cloak, it might have gone straight through and killed you outright. Still, it’s sure to be painful even so." mmmm good point thank you for those thick fur garments keeping him alive in more ways than one <3 Aragorn nodded. He pushed at the ground, weakly lifting his head a bit. awww he's honestly like a newly hatched chick poor guy trying to picture him drawing up an arm just enough to press against the ground a bit <3 barely able to life his head "Do you want to lay on your side? Too soon yet for laying on your back." <3 thanks Gandalf Another nod, and with great care Gandalf helped roll him onto his right side. Aragorn let out a few scratchy groans, but seemed to tolerate the move fairly well. After a quick check to ensure the bandages were still in place, Gandalf wadded up Aragorn’s nearly empty pack and slid it beneath his head. "Better?" <333 yayyy scratchy groans but he made it Aragorn didn’t reply, but reached up and felt the bump over his ear. "Head hurts." <3 okay yeah he is really not feeling well he didn't even take the opportunity to reassure Gandalf that he was and instead complained about a different pain, like. Very uncharacteristic "You’ve a nasty bump there, and a cut. I imagine you’ll feel the effects of that bang for some days." indeed <33 thanks for the reminder that it's rather worse than I was picturing Aragorn let his hand drop, then winced and lifted it again. He rubbed his elbow and then his forearm. "You have bumps and bruises all over. oooh yeah that would hurt much to drop any of his body even a few inches especially to a stone floor It must have been quite a tumble you took. Thankfully nothing seems broken, but I imagine you’ll be stiff and sore for a few days. Pity we have no athelas, for I’d bathe you with it to ease the stiffness and the aches." aww that would be sweet <3 bathing someone with athelas is just. Very tender and intimate and healing. He reached for his waterskin. "I do have some miruvor, but your father advised me not to drink it if I’d taken a bump to the head, and I imagine the same applies to you, so I think we best start with water. Drink now, there you go." yesss great excuse for not giving Aragorn the relief of miruvor :) He held Aragorn’s head a bit more upright as he dribbled a few slow drops into Aragorn’s mouth. love love love people having to hold his head up to help him drink you know this <3 When those went down easily, he allowed him to sip a bit more. "Not too much," he said as he pulled the waterskin back. "I do not want you to sicken yourself. That bump on your head might put your belly in a bit of a tip. I wouldn’t be surprised if that doesn’t give you more misery in the near run than the wound in your back." ooooh okay if he threw up right now...that would be...ouch Aragorn looked around the small cave, seeming to take in every detail despite there being a certain bleariness in his gaze that troubled Gandalf greatly. Aragorn’s right eyelid drooped a bit more than his left, though both eyes seemed to move in concert with one another. He had seen men hit so hard their eyes crossed. At least Aragorn didn’t seem to have that problem, but still, that drooping lid was troubling as there didn’t seem to be any other cause for it beyond the bump on the head; Aragorn’s face had been spared the battering the rest of his body took. "Where is this place?" ooooooh eyelid drooping yessss troubled Gandalf greatly <3 I love this combo of him sharp enough to carefully take in every detail and yet there's an unmistakable bleariness there "Oh," Gandalf started, realizing he had completely lost himself in his worries. "Yes, right. It’s a cave, and not a very big one, but dry and serviceable and blessedly free from any evidence of cracks that could open up without warning to let in orcs or swallow up wounded Rangers. Due west of The Carrock, not too far from the Eagle’s Eyrie. I believe, in fact, that it was on that mount that your avalanche nearly buried you." I'm so glad I've read the Hobbit now, it's very fun to have a fuller context and scope of even just like, the geography of Middle-earth. "It was. I was looking in some caves there." nine words in a row!! good job <3 "And did you find anything? Any sign whatsoever?" "None," Aragorn murmured. "Eagles. No Gollum." okay through a train of thought I am now wondering if the eagle Elrond followed in Aragorn's hellscape of the Black Breath was like. Normal sized eagle or giant eagle. Does Middle-Earth have normal sized eagles? also his murmur sounds so...tired and defeated. Like not giving up but. Exhausted. "Well, it’s early days yet. I did not expect we would find Gollum in our first weeks or even months, to be perfectly honest. I think it would be quite a miracle to find any signs of him in this area after all this time, let alone find the creature himself. But do not fear that our summer has been wasted. As you said, it would have been foolish not to check...." mmm indeed I love them working together <3 Gandalf stopped talking, for Aragorn had drifted back to sleep. Gandalf brushed a lock of Aragorn’s hair away from his cheek. "Forgive an old wizard for rambling on so. Sleep is all you need right now, and not endless prattle. Talk of the hunt can wait." He adjusted the blanket and again made sure moving Aragorn had not dislodged the bandages. All seemed as well as it could be, so Gandalf turned his mind to their situation. awww <333 fussing over him a little bit, making sure all is well, brushing away that lock of hair <3 There was no gainsaying it: their plight was precarious in the extreme. Aragorn was in no shape to travel, not for days yet, and this cave, though snug enough, was hardly secure shelter. A blizzard could howl down from the heights at any time, barring Gandalf from finding fuel and food, and even if the weather proved merciful, there were still orcs and other dangerous beasts about. mmmm yes yes yes they are not out of the danger also at this point Aragorn's in no shape to be upright so hopefully it's a couple days before the wound starts to really need to drain anything. I mean, it can while he's laying on his side, a little I expect, but gravity's not really working with them, especially if he's on his stomach What they needed was a horse. If he had a horse, one of those sturdy mounts of the Dúnedain, perhaps, who were bred for the North’s chill winters and were surefooted enough to traverse mountains, he could bundle Aragorn on his back and they’d be down the mountain and in Beorn’s warm hall in no time. But horses were in short supply here on the peaks, not being prone to wander up so high on their own. "Which shows they have far more common sense then wizards and Rangers," Gandalf said aloud. "No offense meant, if you can hear me, Aragorn." loll <33 I love him talking to Aragorn still in a sort of just-in-case-you're-listening He sighed as he looked idly at the sky beyond the cave entrance, watching dawn turn the horizon a rosy pink. A bird circled there, small with distance. He watched it drift, its wings nearly motionless as it rose and fell gently with the air currents, looking below for prey, no doubt. He studied its shape and realized that it was an Eagle. "It must be farther away than I thought, to look so small," he said. He glanced at Aragorn, who remained asleep, breathing easily enough, although there was a tiny wrinkle of a frown between his brows. Pain, no doubt, felt even in sleep. Gandalf reached over and gently stroked Aragorn’s cheek with the back of his hand. He still felt too warm, even given that he was on his side, facing the fire. "You need proper shelter and medicines, but how to get you to them." awwwww <33 stroking his cheek, not able to escape the pain even in sleep, He shook his head, frustrated, then pulled out his pipe. Rubbing it helped him think, helped him focus his thoughts. He ran a thumb over a bowl polished to a sheen from many such worried caresses. This is so Gandalf, to keep pulling out his pipe to rub anxiously, and I love that detail <3 "If only I’d been given a mortal frame as mighty as yours," he said, "then I’d simply sling you across my shoulders and off we’d go. But I was given a shape for blending in, for appearing harmless, for instilling confidence and love, not for leading Men and Elves in majestic power. You are built for war, for battle, for leading vast armies." He smiled wistfully. "And for standing before your people, tall and noble and beloved, kingly in every way. And yet here we sit, you with all your power nonetheless laid low, and me, hale enough in my own way, yet unable to do much beyond stitching and bandaging and hand-holding." awww slightly regretful at the moment of the limits of his shape, which makes perfect sense. He is a Maia. The eagle was closer now, circling, circling... yessss come come to us "You are built like that Eagle, Aragorn. Meant to soar, and soar you shall, if the Wise can find some way to confound Sauron. You know, I still think it might be that the weakest among us will lead the way in prevailing against him. No slight to you, of course, because you are as key to all of it as anyone. But you will need help, and I feel that help will come from a quarter unlooked for. How and who, I’ve no idea. But the idea will not leave me; it invades my dreams and pesters the edges of every grand plan I try to devise. Maybe it is because the power of the Elves and the purity of Men, save those of the Westernesse, has diminished. Maybe I think of the small because ere too long that is all we will have left to us; that is all we will have become, while the might of Sauron grows and grows, unchecked..." yesssss this is also very Hobbit-Gandalf, trying to form a grand plan, but it's not on the scale of the Hobbit anymore, it's much larger. And yet this is why he was sent here, and just as in the Hobbit, ever he appreciates the strength of the weak more than many less mighty than he His voice trailed away. He had no business speaking his dark thoughts aloud. Asleep the ranger might be, but his ears would hear, and the words would sink into his spirit, and Gandalf would fain chop off his right hand and break his staff than do or say anything that might dampen the hope that Aragorn carried always within him. AWWWWW contrast this with only being jokingly willing to trade (not break) his staff for a cushion :) Master of fire Gandalf might be, but many times he looked into the keen eyes of his friend and felt there burned within Aragorn a fire hotter than any that kindled in his own heart. awwwww <333 well he is named Estel. And it makes his loss of hope last Winter all the more devastating and...big "Forgive me, old friend. I’m letting the cares of a long life turn me into a gloomy old so-and-so. Of course we will defeat Sauron. I’ve a feeling in my heart that it is simply a matter of solving riddles about rings, and toward that end, finding gangling creatures in the gloom. And find Gollum we will, don’t you doubt that for a moment, my dear friend. But first, to find a horse... if you have any ideas on that subject, feel free to awaken and share them with me." lollll feel free Aragorn slept on, and Gandalf laid a fatherly hand on his shoulder. He kept it there, hoping it might give him comfort to feel the presence of another, but if he were honest with himself, and he always tried to be, he drew just as much comfort from the contact himself. awwwwww fatherly Gandalf <333 he drew just as much comfort from the contact himselffff and he always tried to be, good lol <3 But oh, how to get a horse... hmm which will probably not be in this snowy mountain ever The eagle was very close now; he could see the yellow of its beak. He watched it fondly, remembering back to a night of fire and orcs and wolves, when the Eagles, curious as always to what was afoot in their mountain home, had come.... mhmmmm "Fool of a wizard!" he snapped, suddenly sitting straight up. "Lost in thought, wishing for a penny beyond reach when a dragon hoard of mithril is at hand!" yessss very reminiscent of "escaped from goblins to be eaten by wolves", but more positive analogy lol He grabbed his staff and hurried to the cave entrance. LOLLLLLLLL XD it was so entertaining to watch him watching the Eagle but never OCCUR to him that. It's an Eagle. Has wings. Is Friend. but I'm grateful he finally realized

layne67	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/11/2011
I love it when Gandalf refered to the eagle coming as a "dragon hoard of mithril" ( and so it was! ). Author Reply: Thanks! I bet the Eagle might have liked to have heard itself compared to mithril as well!

LisaG	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/10/2011
Ha! I was wondering when Gandalf was going to come out of his musings and think of the eagles for help! ;) You had me giggling a bit at the thought of a cross-eyed Aragorn when Gandalf was thinking about seeing other after effects from head injuries! But oh boy, is that poor man going to be SORE when he really is alert and awake! Ouch! I look forward to reading the next chapter! :) Author Reply: Thanks, LisaG! Glad you like it... and yes, Gandalf had everyone hopping up and down pointing out the Eagle to him, didn't he! LOL Aragorn's going to be very uncomfortable for a while, poor Ranger. Fortunately, cross eyes won't be among his problems (hey, one thing had to go right for the poor man...! g) Thanks for the review!

Estelcontar	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/7/2011
You know I really like the tittles you gave to your chapters. They are much more inventive and descriptive than the chapters IIIs and IVs I was used to. I really love the opportunity of seeing Aragorn through Gandalf's eye. Gandalf does really know the hidden core of strength which sustains our future king. Aragorn was very lucky to have stumbled upon Gandalf, but they both are in a tight corner there, aren't they? I see though that the eagles are about to come to the rescue. Bring them on. "You are built like that Eagle, Aragorn. Meant to soar, and soar you shall..." Indeed Aragorn shall, and soon too. Author Reply: Thank you, Estelcontar! I like having intriguing chapter titles, although to be honest, I, II, III etc is soooo much easier. LOL And I'm with you--I've enjoyed seeing Aragorn through Gandalf's eyes. Seeing Aragorn through any other character's eyes is always a pleasure, since it gives us a chance to look at him from a fresh perspective. Always fun, that! And yes, Aragorn will soar... metaphorically at the very least, but hmm, I have a hunch he might physically, too. g Thanks for the review!

Silivren Tinu	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/7/2011
I hope the eagle will turn out to be friendly, bored, and just in the right mood to carry people around. g Poor Aragorn could really use some good luck for a change. It's so - well, I'm not entirely sure if "funny" or "interesting" would be the best fitting word here - to see Gandalf in the role of healer/nursemaid. It's quite... entertaining, though he really is surprisingly good at it. I love the way you manage to convey both his dry wit and his gentleness. I hope you won't be able to shake off your Gandalf-plotbunny anytime soon, because I really enjoy what he comes up with! :D Author Reply: Thank you, Silivren! Yes, let's definitely hope for Eagles in generous moods and Gandalf muses to stick around. I really do like writing Gandalf--he lets me express my inner curmudgeon. g Halbarad's the same that way... hmm, now there would be a story--Gandalf and Halbarad together on a misadventure.... hmm, maybe I should pause in updating this one to go chase down that bunny... No? Okay, I'll finish this one first. ;) Glad you're enjoying it and thanks for the review!

Linda Hoyland	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/7/2011
Another great chapter, which I enjoyed very much.Poor Aragorn.I loved the way you compared him to an eagle. Author Reply: Thank you, Linda! Aragorn just seems to lend himself to Eagle comparisons, what with all his nobility and grace and strength and... see, there I go again! LOL I'm glad you're enjoying the story. :)

Midnight Promise	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/7/2011
Dangit, Gandalf . . .! If I was in Aragorn's position, I would have grabbed that old wizard's whiskers for that befuddling talk! Though, that's the point because that IS how the old coot is. :_3 So, bravo on characterization! :D HAHA! Ending quote from Gandalf was perfect! Lol, very creative and Gandalf-esque. YAY! ^0^ Sharp-Eyed-Reader Award! Woot woot! . . .Does that mean that updates will forevermore be posted in five minute intervals?!!! :D No? sigh I guess I will just have to content myself with future h/c. :3 Lol. YES! Future plot bunny is at hand! And I almost spelled it "blot ponny", that's how excited I am! Haha. Aw. . .Someone give that ranger a hug. Human or eagle is fine, as long as they are not evil. . .sees movement - does facepalm . . Sauron, you're out - go back to your tower. -_-; Can't wait for the next chapter; especially the eagles! :D And I forgot I haven't been explicit in my appreciation for your story, so here we go: I. Love. It. Oh! And, as always, I am blown away by the details that pull everything together, and your portrayal of the characters always makes me smile. :) Take care! MP Author Reply: Alas, MP, no, the Sharp-Eyed Reader award doesn't include 5-minute updates, much as I'm tempted to. g But thank you for your very kind words! So glad you're enjoying Aragorn's misadventure and Gandalf's grumpy musings and all of the details--I do love putting in detail whenever I can. Oh, and thank you for chasing away Sauron. That sort of cold comfort Aragorn really doesn't need right now!! ;) Thanks for the review!

Lily Baggins	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/7/2011
Oh, how I LOVE Gandalf's private musings! His steadfast refusal to allow Aragorn to see his despair, his wistfulness for a younger and stronger body, his worry for Aragorn's health... Gandalf can be so tough, I think, to characterize and get just the right balance of tender and kind with tough and shrewd. You are doing it superbly---I adore your Gandalf! He's just as I would imagine him to be in such a situation. And Aragorn finally woke up, a bit dazed and confused, and oh my---he's still got a ways to go to recover. salivates And ptosis! How lovely to have given him a little ptosis---I can't help but wonder if Gandalf is right and that "bang on the head" is going to cause Aragorn some suffering. I really enjoyed seeing Aragorn irritable and furious when he woke---and groaning in pain, too. This was an awesome chapter, as they all have been. I meant to tell you that Gandalf's stitching the wound so as not to leave a scar amused me in chapter two. That's so touching... Aragorn probably has so many scars, but Gandalf is considerate enough to be concerned about him suffering one more. Is it Monday yet? Gosh, this is going to be a long, slow weekend in waiting for that next chapter! Author Reply: Thank you, Lily! And I'm giggling because anyone reading my reviews is now lunging for google and typing, "ptosis definition". g But yes, he's got a few minor problems from that bang on the head... concussions will do things like that. Thanks for the comments about my Gandalf characterizatin--you're right in that it's difficult to get that balance between cantankerous and caring with him. I think it helps me that I know a few people in RL who are very much that way, but also Tolkien did a superb job of showing those sides of him, so he left a nice map to follow. As for the tiny stitches--I realized that in my story about Aragorn's wedding night, I didn't really give him any scar in that spot! So this one has to heal up cleanly. So glad you're still enjoying, and it's going to be a slow weekend for me too, because I'm anxious for everyone to see that Eagle! But Monday will be here before you know it. Thanks again for the review!

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/6/2011
Indeed, when faced with one of Manwe's greatest servants, it's time to approach them when aid is needed! Love the analogy here! Excellent! Author Reply: Thank you, Larner! Yes, Gandalf definitely needed to get out there and flag down the Eagle. Glad you liked this chapter. :)

shirebound	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/6/2011
I was wondering how long it would take Gandalf to 'see' that Eagle! He's so worried and lost in his thoughts. What a dear chapter. I love the way Gandalf sees the differences between himself and Aragorn -- "I was given a shape for blending in, for appearing harmless, for instilling confidence and love, not for leading Men and Elves in majestic power." Author Reply: Thank you, shirebound! From what I'm seeing in the reviews, I'm imagining the readers all shouting at Gandalf, "The Eagles, the Eagles!! The Eagles are coming!" g But yes, the poor wizard has too many worries on his mind to catch on as fast as he would have normally. I'm so glad you liked Gandalf's thoughts comparing himself with Aragorn... Tolkien painted too marvelous portraits in those characters, without a doubt. Thanks for the review!

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