Stories of Arda - Lord of the Rings Fan-Fiction Archive


	About Us News Resources Login Become a member Help Search

The Ranger and the Eagles by Cairistiona	16 Review(s)
Lexilooper	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 1/15/2026
I am intrigued to learn the meaning of this chapter title eyes emoji (I have been reading mostly on my computer which means no emojis lol Aragorn hurt in so many ways and in so many places that it was a wonder, really, that he was still alive. His head, his back... and in less excruciating fashion his arms... both elbows... his legs... even his ankles ached. Was there no part of him that was not set on giving him misery, he wondered rather sourly. His right earlobe, perhaps. It offered no complaint. ARAGORN PERSPECTIVE <33 also XD poor guy. His right earlobe indeed. "In less excruciating fashion" as well as his wondering at his life suggests the true magnitude of the pain in his back and legs He grimaced and slowly opened his eyes, carefully controlling his breathing so as not to alarm Gandalf. The wizard was a marvelous caretaker, and Aragorn was overcome with gratitude for all he had done for him. But he was also starting to worry about him, for he had a way, at Aragorn’s least movement or murmur, of instantly appearing at his side to hover in ill-concealed alarm while patting his shoulder in a somewhat hysterical staccato. The venerable wizard seemed so consumed with worry, in fact, that Aragorn feared for his well-being. Keeping absolutely still as much as possible seemed the only way to alleviate the Maia’s panic, Aragorn had decided. LOLLLLL wait so Gandalf is somewhat right that Aragorn thinks him mad for his shoulder-patting XD I assumed he barely even noticed But, though he was loathe to admit it, Gandalf was not the real reason he was staying as still as a mouse. mmm He turned his head just enough to see the Eagle. He groped through his muddied mind for the name... Durvain. Yes, that was it. Durvain. lol better than me at remembering the name and he's only heard it once <3 (well I suppose I've never heard it OUT LOUD but) He was sitting with his feathers fluffed against the chill wind as he dozed in front of the cave entrance. Aragorn had long admired the Eagles – they were, after all, a very important part of the Valar’s watch over Middle-earth, from the ancient days of Thorondor all the way to the present. Witnesses of Manwë in the days of Númenor; messengers still in this age. Admirable, honorable, noble. Wonderful creatures, without doubt. So why, upon seeing one so close, did he feel such continuing unease? It defied every bit of logic and whatever reason he might possess. Of course, reason of late was severely compromised by a raging headache and a world that swirled nauseatingly at the slightest twitch, so perhaps that might be part of the problem. But there was something else, something deeper.... hmmmmmm interesting normally I would say that is his instincts, but...I really don't think so this time. He lay quietly, watching Durvain, trying in vain to quell the feeling that if he moved in the slightest bit, the Eagle would pounce on him and tear his limbs from his body. awww poor guy is so terrified and he knows it's irrational but ...grab him and eat him and spit out his bones.... He blinked, fighting off the shiver that the sudden stray phrase sent crawling down his spine. Where in the world had it come from? Some childhood memory, a song, perhaps, or some childish rhyme? He thought on it but no answer came to him. hmmm it sure sounds like it I'm trying to remember, is this line in like, the Hobbit anywhere? It sounds vaguely familiar Forgetting it, he looked again at the Eagle. Perhaps it was simply that he was just so very big. Durvain could step on him and squash him flat without even trying, and maybe without even realizing. true that would be fair But Aragorn had experienced firsthand Durvain’s gentle touch, when he moved him to this bed some hours ago. <33 aw he does remember and was very aware of that So he knew that death from accidental squashing was hardly a risk, nor was there any chance at all that Durvain would have him for breakfast. Or elevenses. Or tea or whatever mealtime it might be. LOL I LOVE HIM USING THE HOBBIT MEALS <3 He had no idea what time it was. He knew he had slept for some hours, after the ordeal of being moved, but how many was anyone’s guess. The storm howling beyond the cave entrance kept the light in the cave an uninformative shade of dim, brightened only by the fire crackling cheerfully in the center of the floor. It could be midnight or midday and it looked the same to Aragorn. lolllll an uninformative shade of dim Durvain let out a soft snore, real this time and not a demonstration of... how had he put it? Tucking under? The noise startled Aragorn and made his heart jump uncomfortably, which caused his skull to pound in wretched rhythm with each pulse beat. He shut his eyes, hoping to calm himself, but instead had a sudden and disturbing vision of a room, and a painting... a painting of an Eagle, as large as storm clouds and as dark as shadow, and he felt the cold grip of terror on his heart as he beheld it. oooooh is this a memory? also skjasdf his skull pounding in wretched rhythm, yeah that would hurt ... grab him and eat him... And suddenly he remembered all of it. more eyes emojis He had been five years old, he supposed. Mayhap only four, a little boy without any other playmates but already fond of adventuring on his own through the hallways of the Last Homely House. Okay I would love that too. I had plenty of playmates but always enjoyed exploring things alone especially if I got to pretend I was sneaking, and I expect Rivendell would be a great place for such sneaking and exploring That day, he had sneaked out from under the eye of the elleth who was supposed to be watching him while his mother rested. She had wanted him to sit quietly reading books, but it was late afternoon and the shadows were stealing away the light and Estel was fairly jumping out of his skin because another day was slipping away and he hadn’t done anything near what he wanted to. OKAY THAT IS SO ACCURATE TO A YOUNG CHILD WHO IS LIKE SO MANY THINGS TO DO SO MUCH TO PLAY My ten year old brother frequently complained, when I was home for Mettare, that he did not have time to read those books he had to finish reading a different series for the fifth time before the next book in the series came out in a month or so, and there were far too many other things to do with his time as well, schoolwork and writing music and riding the ebike and catching chickens and making cardboard tesla cars... There were still orcs to slay and elf maidens to rescue (although not the kind that made you sit and read books... the dragons could keep those as far as Estel was concerned, and the world would be a better place). So he had waited until her back was turned and then he had slipped out the door. LOLLLL tiny four year old Estel who I think later will love books, but not for now. He is four. also LOL not THAT kind of elf maiden He ran, as quickly and as quietly as any four-year-old boy ever could, which of course was quick enough but not quiet at all, THIS SOUNDS SO MUCH LIKE TOLKIEN <33 so cute until he found himself in a hallway he had never been in before. It was spooky and filled with shadows that reached across the floors and hid the high ceilings. It was like being in a cave, and so he pretended it was a cave, a cave filled with orcs and bats and dragons and maybe even an evil oliphaunt or two, never mind that oliphaunts didn’t live in caves... lol mood and then something went scritch-scritch, way down the hallway behind him, and his heart jumped into his throat because he was certain, absolutely certain, that it was an orc! askdh poor kid <:( sometimes imaginations are a lil TOO active And then he was running wildly, his heart pounding and his lungs burning, and he didn’t know the way and every door he tried was locked and he knew the orc would grab him and eat him and spit out his bones, until finally he found an unlocked door and ducked in and slammed it quick so the orcs couldn’t grab him and eat him and spit out his bones. Then he had turned and in the dying light of day he had seen it: an eagle flying across the sunset sky. It was so big it took up the entire horizon and Estel, in his terror, had dropped to the floor and curled up in a ball and screamed, certain that the Eagle was swooping down on him to grab him and eat him and spit out his bones because he had been naughty. skasdhfjksd the repeating of that line <3 <:((( afraid of being eaten because he had been naughty poor kiddd It wasn’t until after Glorfindel found him and cuddled him and lit lamps all over the room that Estel realized that it had been Glorfindel’s soft step in the corridor behind him, not an orc’s, and that he had stumbled into Glorfindel’s quarters and most important of all, that the Eagle was only a painting. A huge painting that took up the whole of an entire wall, but just one of many paintings, some not scary at all, that decorated the walls of Glorfindel’s apartments. AWWWWWWW GLORFINDEL CUDDLING ARAGORN Makes me love their relationship even more. Like Glorfindel has also watched Aragorn from a very young age and protected and loved and cuddled him and it's so sweet to see how great a respect he holds for him now, in At Hope's Edge, when Glorfindel himself has done so much and lived so much longer and holds such great power. I think a great mark of an adult is their ability when the people they knew as babies grow up to not only remember when they were small and perhaps give them reminders that it's still okay to be small, but to also see them as an adult who has (hopefully) grown in wisdom and stature and knowledge and respect and treat them as such as well. You know? Like I love when people say I'm still young or baby me just a little but seeing everyone younger than you as frozen in childhood is very limiting, I think anyways stumbling into Glorfindel's quarters and Glorfindel responding so kindly and comforting is so sweet <3 Glorfindel had carried him close to it and told him the story of Manwë’s Eagles flying over the Meneltarma, and of the Eagles helping the remnants of Gondolin, including Eärendil himself who had been not much older than little Estel was now, so could he see that Eagles were nothing to be frightened of? Estel could see, but what he really wanted to know then was what a remnant was. But Glorfindel wouldn’t tell him what remnant meant, and he wouldn’t tell him how the Eagles helped. He just said it was a story for when he was older, and Estel hated it when Nana or Ada or Erestor told him that. But Estel had at least learned then that Eagles were Good, not Scary.... wait who's Nana? awww telling him that story fair, I wouldn't like people telling me that either. I love "but what he REALLY wanted to know then what a remnant was" <3 Aragorn sighed quietly. How long ago that had been! But it was still one of his most vivid early childhood memories. Despite Glorfindel’s wise teaching, he had suffered occasional nightmares of Eagles swooping down at him for years after, nightmares that made a mockery of his love for their soaring grace and his knowledge of their noble deeds for Men and Elves through the Ages. <:( that's so frustrating honestly. He's like. I love them. Please stop having nightmares about them. And as careful as Glorfindel was in his teaching, he still couldn't prevent those nightmares Hadn’t he named himself after an Eagle, when he went on his travels far beyond these lands? But childhood terrors are not easily put aside, he supposed, and he had to admit, as much as he admired the Eagles and loved them for their staunch friendship, he was surprised to find he preferred to watch them from a safe distance. hmmm yes. His terror of last chapter makes much sense now, beyond just "whoa big thing that could kill me" And twenty feet away was not what he considered a safe distance. loll fair He couldn’t help shivering as he looked away from the Eagle sitting so close, but he beat back childhood fears as best as anyone can beat back childhood fears, and forced himself to quit shutting away the sight like a frightened four year old and for Valar’s sake, look. <:(( shivering "as best as anyone can beat back childhood fears" <:( Seeing the bird at such close quarters, Aragorn was struck by his sheer beauty, by the lay of the glossy feathers and the colors that seemed to flicker and shimmer across them with an almost iridescent golden glow. From a distance, Eagles looked... well, they looked like a vague sort of brown with perhaps a bit of gold if the sun hit them just so. Beautiful in their own way, but sheer size and flying grace aside, not very eye catching or flashy, certainly nothing like the brilliant blue and purple peacocks Aragorn had seen in his travels to the south and east. But up close, Aragorn saw that he had given the birds’ beauty short shrift, for indeed, there was every shade of brown imaginable, plus black and streaks of cream and even a bit of red, and laid over all that a sort of golden shimmer that defied definition. Stunningly beautiful, this bird. ooooooh loveeeeee I love him getting to look up close at this beautiful creature he has admired but not been able to really see for so long. Even if it causes much mental distress. And stunningly huge. Aragorn felt like a tiny mouse in comparison, and that thought left the door wide open to all those long-buried fears. His breathing quickened, quite without his permission, yess and even though he sternly told himself to stop being such a ninny, he nonetheless pulled the blanket closer to his chin, as if by doing so he could hide himself should the sleeping bird’s sharp eyes open and look his way. Ridiculous, really, because the northern Eagles had long been known for their willingness to lend succor when needed, which Durvain more than exemplified in his gentle handling of him; it had hurt, yes, but that was no fault of the bird’s. But when those giant talons came at him, it had been all he could do not to shrink back in fear that was both contemptible and wholly unjustified. awww his shame at this <:( But so very real nonetheless... yess exactly He gave up and shut his eyes, blocking out the sight as he snuggled deeper in the soft down of his bed. That was a revelation as well, and one far easier on which to quite literally dwell. Never had he felt so... so cosseted. Not even in his own bed in Rivendell had he experienced the sheer warmth and softness of this pile of eagle down. It felt how he imagined sleeping on a cloud on a warm summer day might feel, and it almost made him forget his injuries and how he had come by them. awwww cosseted <3 Almost. lol He couldn’t remember much of the avalanche itself. He remembered stepping out of a cave, frustrated yet again at finding absolutely no sign of Gollum and wondering if he should abandon the heights for the lower reaches. Surely Gollum would not have climbed upward... he was from all indications a creature of the dark places, seeking sanctuary ever deeper and lower, in places like the subterranean lake and island Aragorn had explored earlier in the summer. No, Gollum would not risk the open heights, so close to the sun where he could be found and chased or even eaten by Eagles. ...who would grab him and eat him and spit out his bones.... OPE "Stop it," Aragorn murmured to himself, and sternly marshaled his thoughts back to the calamity that had brought him to this wretched pass. lol out loud poor guy having to ward off traumatic memories with trying to remember different traumatic memories Aragorn had been a bit lost in such thoughts of Gollum, he admitted, and that had been his very literal downfall. He had placed a foot wrong, missing the rocky floor of the ledge on which he was walking and falling hard as his entire right leg sank into a snowdrift which crumbled beneath him and made him slide further still. He had floundered with heart-pounding fear, grabbing for the ledge, but the snow beneath him continued to fall away and before he could quite grasp what had happened, it seemed as though the entire mountainside had broken off in a great falling slab, taking him with it as it rocketed toward the valley far below. There had been roaring and shaking and clouds of blinding, choking snow and he had hit rocks and trees and been battered and pummeled and punctured... and by the time the earth finally grew still he was no longer sure what was up and what was down nor what had happened. He remembered staring at the sky and feeling a vague thankfulness that he had not been buried when the snow finally quit its terrifying rush down the mountain, but then for a long time he did not have any thoughts at all. ooooooooh ouch ouch ouch dizzy disorienting painful whoa ah so he was not so much caught in as the unwitting cause of an avalanche big enough for Gandalf to spy He had drifted. Unconsciousness ruled him for a time, then consciousness returned but was chased quickly away by oblivion the moment he raised his head. skajfh the head wound He was unsure how long he had lain in the snow, slowly freezing to death, before enough of his scattered wits returned to urge him to move. And so he had, painfully, feeling the bite of something in his back but too dazed and injured to know what it was. All he knew was that his head hurt dreadfully, and his back... something seemed to be stabbing him there. He finally decided an orc had shot him, for what else could feel so like an arrow’s stabbing burn? mmm yesss there's his assumption we saw But it had been no arrow. Gandalf had shown him the branch, and told him how he had pulled it from him and cleaned the wound and stitched it partly closed. It had been good work, he was sure, but now Aragorn felt the sickness in him. Infection. He shivered, despite the warm fire and warm bed, and he knew that no matter how careful Gandalf had been, he could not possibly have cleaned the wound completely, under the circumstances. A puncture wound such as that... no, even Elrond himself, with the best equipment at hand, would be hard pressed to clean it enough to evade infection’s evil hand. He frowned as a wave of nausea swept him, followed by his skin prickling as if a thousand spiders crawled along his limbs. mmm yes although Gandalf is still a little uncertain about the source of the fever but it is likely just that, then. Even with a severe concussion, Aragorn is a healer. "infection's evil hand" oooh is that nausea from the head wound? and chills... There was a noise beside him, and a hand touched his brow. "Strider?" <3 He did his best to keep his face composed, to hide his misery. "Gandalf. I have not thanked you... for what you’ve done." awww <:( trying to hide his misery I daresay he's not very successful, thankfully Gandalf favored him with a peeved look, though his eyes twinkled. "Thank me! Good gracious, there is no need for thanks. What would have had me do, leave you to lie out in the snow until spring?" lolllll awww peeved but twinkling great point Aragorn smiled, more a matter of his eyes than anything else, for he was desperately tired. Moving his lips to speak seemed hard enough. Smiling with all the muscles of his face? Impossible. AWW little smile he is exhausted indeed. "impossible". "Your fever does not seem any worse, but it stubbornly refuses to abate," Gandalf said. "Let me check the wound." He leaned across Aragorn, and Aragorn felt the wizard’s grey robes brush his face. Gandalf smelled of wood smoke and Old Toby and something indefinably wizardly that brought to mind ancient lands and infinite kindness. AWWWWWWWW I love that smell I think I need a candle scented with that XD That benign impression vanished in an instant, however, as Gandalf pulled back the blanket and tugged at the bandages. LOL <333 No matter that he was gentle; it still felt as though he’d stabbed Aragorn with a sword still glowing crimson from the forge. He grunted, a rather loud and shamefully ill-tempered explosion of pained outrage that made the Eagle stir in his sleep. skaskjd <33 yesssss Pain dang that is...wow pained outrage yesss well if it's any comfort, Gandalf prefers that to your bewildered contrition "Sorry, sorry... but I must change this bandage. The wound is draining, which I think is good, actually, but it has soaked through the bandage completely." mmm yes the sock bandage <3 Aragorn wished he might have a mirror to see how bad the wound was, but he settled for asking, between more grunts and hisses and one exceedingly piteous moan that he would give his last draw of Old Toby to have held back, "How red is it?" saskkaddshgkj and one exceedingly piteous moan yesssss but his overwhelming embarrassment at itt anyways even he can hear how piteous he sounds and I know he hates it but I like "A bit more than it was yesterday, I’m afraid. But still only around the very edges." "No streaks?" I had to look up streaks because I didn't last time, and also my grandma just told a story about when she was little and the bottom of her foot got infected and had red streaks coming from it...and now I wonder if it was the same kind of thing because eep. Like it was in the bottom of her foot at least, but she didn't go to the doctor for it. "No, nothing like that. Looks a bit inflamed, one might say. Oozing a bit, though I will say no more lest I put us all off our feed." loll <3 Aragorn shut his eyes. That was reassuring, at least. As bad as he felt, the infection did not seem to be spreading into his blood. That would be dire, for once in his blood, it would spread through his entire body and start shutting down vital things like kidneys and liver and eventually his heart. Had he not stumbled upon Gandalf, such might have been his fate and he might even now be sailing the Dark Seas. But found him he had, and he would get better, with time. Lots of time, from the feel of things. He grew weary just thinking about all those weeks of recuperation ahead. mmmmm yeah oh dear, yeah even as he gains strength recovery is exhausting with him as already exhausted as he is How had the eagle put it? Keep his head tucked under? Now that Gandalf was done with his infernal poking about, it sounded like excellent advice to follow... lolll his infernal poking about <3 he's like PLEASE LEAVE ME ALONE ;_; "Strider." oh that sounds like it wants something He opened his eyes, reluctantly, and saw Gandalf had a cup in his hand. "I’m sorry, I know you desire nothing more than to sleep until you are fully healed, but you must drink." ope yep fair. Yessss the reluctance to even open his eyes and see what Gandalf wants Aragorn dutifully sipped until the cup was drained, then he endured another cup, this time of broth. "endured" for such simple and necessary things for life as drinking is very whumpy and I love :) Gandalf then brought forth a packet of leaves. He unfolded them to reveal a thin cake. "Athelas have we none, and I dare not give you miruvor, but I do have this," he said. He broke off a tiny corner. "Lembas, or Elven waybread, made by the women of Lórien. I’m sure you’ve at least heard of it, if not tasted its sustaining sweetness yourself on your journeys hither and yon. I’m going to give you a tiny bit, and if you can keep it down, I think it will lend you strength." He placed it in Aragorn’s mouth, and he chewed slowly. It tasted sweet and wholesome, and he washed it down with a bit more water. "Does it rest easily on your stomach?" ooh tiny bit of lembas It didn’t, unfortunately, but he doubted he would be ill. He was too exhausted to bother with vomiting. yayy good (although of course I kind of hope he does at some point) "Easily enough. Thank you," he whispered, then wished with all his might that Gandalf would leave him be. I loveeee how much the necessary care is exhausting him. He's just. Miserable and wants nothing more than to be left alone to rest in peace but Gandalf can't allow that sometimes But such was not to be the case. Gandalf pressed a hand against Aragorn’s forehead and soon Aragorn felt the cautious approach of Gandalf’s thoughts into his. He frowned, thinking for a moment, quite crossly, of closing his mind and denying him access, but he realized that would be rude. Gandalf was doing his best, after all, to care for Aragorn and doing the job of healer was not something to which the wizard was accustomed. Aragorn resigned himself to Gandalf’s gentle check, and then the wizard took both his thoughts and his hand away from Aragorn’s head. Awwww yes again person really struggling, for pain and exhaustion, to tolerate the necessary care even from someone they love very much, is so good the exhausted crossness at Gandalf reaching into his thoughts because he just wants to sleep yessss and it's this interesting balance of intruding into his soul, a very private thing, and Aragorn doesn't want it and yet could refuse but he will allow it because he knows that would be rude and Gandalf has good reason and is trustworthy, Aragorn forced his eyes all the way open and even managed a smile. "Have I any wits left at all, then?" he quipped. a smile. Impressive indeed. "Oh, a few, scattered here and there. Quite untidily, I might add." "Hmm. I’ll try to get them in order, as soon as my skull quits pounding." GRINNING AT THEIR BANTER <3 "Does it hurt very much?" "As long as I don’t suddenly lunge to my feet, it’s tolerable." A lie, that, as even blinking caused ripples of white-hot pain to shudder through his head, but no matter.... skaskdhjksghs thank you for being in his brain so we can get the real translation of his words. "a lie, that", danggg like even though he is technically tolerating it it's so severe he wouldn't even call it tolerable There was a stirring across the cave and Durvain let out a whistle. "Ooh, that’s cold on my tail feathers!" he cried, then he shifted a bit and fluffed himself up further, then tucked his head back under his wing. His breathing deepened. To Aragorn’s surprise, he found Durvain amusing this time, rather than fearsome. Maybe there was hope yet that he might overcome his silly fears. He chuckled. "I don’t believe he ever actually woke up." LOL AWW <33 yes there is hope yayyyyyy he is Amused "I don’t think he did. The Eagles are blessings from Ilúvatar himself, to be sure. Their assistance has been invaluable to me over the years, and now as much as ever." "I want from here forward to sleep only on eagle down," Aragorn mumbled, snuggling deeper into his bedding. indeed <3333 "Perhaps when you are King, you can arrange to do just that," Gandalf said quietly. Aragorn opened his eyes again, for rare it was that Gandalf ever sounded so wistful. "Are you all right?" SKASKDJH Gandalf is wishing so heartily that he could indeed give that to him <:( "Of course," Gandalf snapped, suddenly cross. "Why ever wouldn’t I be? After all, there’s only the small matter of my traveling companion having been gravely wounded and struck with fever, not to mention a blizzard trapping us in a cave far from proper care. But no matter! I should imagine I will break into song and dance a jig any moment now." skajsdh he is snapping a little too <3 "There’s no need for sarcasm." "There’s every need for sarcasm, and had you lived as long as I have, you would see that immediately instead of chiding me like I was your infant son speaking out of turn." sakdj <3 there is every need for sarcasm is a great sentence XD Aragorn chuckled. "If you were my son, I would send you to bed without any supper for using that tone of voice with me." lollll imagine "There you have it, then; it’s well and good I am not your son. At any rate, I would expect my father to have better sense than to go tumbling down mountains." LOL FAIR <3 "I must be getting better." "I beg your pardon?" "For you to grouse so. I must not be on death’s doorstep." lol yayy <3 I mean you're holding a conversation so that's something Gandalf snorted, then clamped his unlit pipe between his teeth. "No, you are not on death’s doorstep. The footpath leading to it perhaps." oh dear Aragorn fell quiet. He wasn’t really up to chivvying Gandalf out of his dark mood; bantering with him was always great fun, but today it simply worsened the throbbing in his head. He watched the fire instead, indulging himself in staring at the dancing flames, watching them flicker and waver and admiring their beauty as he never could when he was alone on patrol and had to preserve his night vision. Eventually even they seemed to stab him with spiky shards of pain, so he closed his eyes, determined to lose himself in sleep. "I’m sorry," Gandalf sighed. <33 thanks Aragorn opened his eyes again. He regarded Gandalf for a moment. "You have every right to be angry with me. I should have taken more care." <:( <3 "No, no. Do not turn my apology into one of your own, though you are by far the world’s expert at that," Gandalf grumbled. LOL HE REALLY IS <3 "But I will have my turn and you will hear me out: these mountains hold hazards that cannot always be avoided. Had it not been an avalanche, it might have been a wolf, or a bear, or an Orc. I am just very thankful you are still alive, and even more determined to see that you stay that way, for I fear your survival is hardly certain by any means. And that worries me, which makes me cross, which makes me snap at you. And for that, I apologize. One as old as I am should have better control over his temper." awwwwww thanks Gandalf <3 you can be cross but the apology is indeed comforting "I will be well enough, in a day or two, to walk." Gandalf snorted. "Think you so! Well enough to stroll down the mountain? No, that is not the plan, young Strider." LOL yeah Gandalf SAID that he did not MEAN it, and I thought you were well aware. Aragorn felt anything but young, but he let it pass. "What exactly is the plan, then?" he asked, not sure he wanted to know. hmmm lol yeah perhaps not and perhaps you don't feel young but you certainly are to him and I like him calling you such "Durvain will carry you to Beorn’s Hall." Aragorn swallowed. "Flying?" he's like eep "Of course flying. He would hardly walk, now, would he." Aragorn said nothing. mmm the silence is loud he doesn't know how he can respond normally "It is the only way. Don’t worry; I’ve done it before. You’ll be perfectly safe." But what of you, Aragorn wondered, aren’t you coming... oooohh yeah he won't like the plan to carry them one at a time hopefully Menelris returns in time but his head was pounding so hard that he couldn’t be bothered to ask. He clutched the blankets and resisted the urge to curl into a ball as he had on that long-ago day in Glorfindel’s room, and he looked at the Eagle sleeping across the cave, and then at his talons, and then he simply closed his eyes and hoped to wake up in the morning to discover it had all been nothing but a bad dream. SKASDKHSJG dear boy <:((((

layne	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 2/7/2011
Awwww ... Strider. To be so traumatized by that childhood event of his cuddles him I was rather afraid at first, that there was something sinister behind his fear of the gentle eagle. I'm glad that was not so because I really like Durvain, and I love his and his mate's backstory in the chapter before this, that tugged at my heartstrings. Love the part where Gandalf probed into Aragorn's thoughts, and Aragorn being cross at that!! Author Reply: Thank you, Layne! My apologies in taking so long to reply... somehow I didn't get an email notice about this review. Glitches happen, I suppose, but I hate it when they do! I'm glad you're enjoying the story--especially Durvain and Menelris and their story. I wasn't sure how well OC eagles would be accepted by everyone but it seems that those two have found places in readers' hearts. :) And no, nothing sinister behind Aragorn's fear... just a silly phobia set in place by a scary childhood incident, similar to what anyone might suffer. Hope you enjoy the rest of the story, and thanks again for the review!

LisaG	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 1/24/2011
Ha! I just knew it had to be something from Aragorn's past that was causing the intense fear of eagles! Poor little Estel...it's hard to overcome those childhood memories, even when they turn out ok. I was chased by a great dane dog when I was a kid...he thought I was playing, but I was terrified he was going to jump on me and bite me. To this day, I'm still a bit leery of large dogs, so I can relate to Aragorn's fears! Being so ill also isn't helping the poor man...who wants to try to deal with psychological issues when ones body is making you feel just awful. :( I think it's going to be a hard trick to get him calm enough to fly with the eagles! Author Reply: Thanks, LisaG... yep, it was a childhood phobia that he never realized he had rearing its ugly head! And I think if I had been chased by a great Dane I would be leery of big dogs, too! I'm glad he didn't actually bite you. I think you're right in that Gandalf will have his hands full trying to get Aragorn to agree to fly. g Thanks for the review!

Linda Hoyland	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 1/22/2011
Oh poor Aragorn that he has a childhood fear of eagles!You have made me feel very sorry for the poor Ranger and Gandalf trying his best.I'd like to read a story now about eagles bringing down as a coronation gift for Aragorn! Author Reply: Thank you, Linda! I'm so glad I've captured your sympathies for poor Aragorn (and Gandalf!). And I wouldn't be at all surprised if Durvain decided Aragorn needed down as a coronation gift. He seems that sort of bird, doesn't he!

Radbooks	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 1/18/2011
I'm really enjoying this story! I loved the glimpse of Aragorn as a child... very fun. I'm glad that he remembered where his fear of eagles came from, it would have made it tough for him to trust the bird otherwise. :) Thanks so much for sharing! Author Reply: Thanks, Radbooks... glad you're still enjoying it! I love thinking about how Aragorn's childhood might have went, in those small, everyday ways. We know the "big" stuff, but I like thinking about all the little things... not that getting scared out of one's four-year-old mind is little! But it's not something in canon, though I think it could fit canon. At any rate, hopefully the realization will help some, but I imagine it's still going to be hard to accept that he's going to have to fly, flying not being something most residents of Middle-earth ever think they'll do! Thanks for the review!

Silivren Tinu	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 1/18/2011
I have to say the title of this chapter made me quite nervous! I'm quite relieved no one (especially not a certain ranger) was grabbed and eaten during the course of this chapter. g I can't blame Aragorn for not being entirely comfortable with the thought of being carried in the talons of a giant eagle, especially since he seems to have (at least imaginary) reason to be nervous. I loved that little scene with Aragorn and Glorfindel, though Aragorn would probably have been quite happy without it... or at least without the events leading to it. ;-) It's good to see Gandalf in a grouchy mood again - it's almost worrying when he becomes too mother-henny. :D It's a pity he doesn't feel like dancing, though - I'd LOVE to see him dance that jig! ignores glaring wizard Poor Aragorn, though. It doesn't seem as if he's likely to feel any better anytime soon. Flying will be quite hard for him for more than one reason - if it even comes to the flying part and you don't have any more nasty surprises up your sleeve. I almost suspect you have. g Author Reply: What, me? Nasty surprises?? blinks innocently Everyone seems to think I'll have nasty surprises for Aragorn and I can NOT imagine where they're getting such ridiculous ideas. coughs Okay, fine... I do see. g But if I say anything they won't be surprises, if such are in the offering, so I'll simply say thank you for your review! I think like you, Aragorn is also glad no one was eaten in the course of the chapter, least of all him. Bad enough he has those phobias of being eaten; he'll give no thanks to me for having anything gnaw on a leg or arm. And yes, now that Aragorn's showing tiny signs of improvement, Gandalf's relaxed enough to get grumpy instead of merely panicked and hysterical, which is always an improvement, but I don't think you'll get him to dance that jig, sorry. g Thanks again for the review!

Lily Baggins	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 1/18/2011
Oh wow, I keep thinking I can't enjoy the story any more than I am, and then you post a new chapter that I love even more than the ones before! I have to say that you absolutely are a master at the Aragorn POV, and it's so nice to see his feelings here---and know exactly HOW he's feeling and the details of his injury. Gandalf's "hysterical staccato" made me laugh! To someone as cool and collected as Aragorn, I can imagine it does seem like hysteria! But it's lovely to see how much Gandalf cares for Aragorn, hovering over him like a mother hen. Mother hens and eagles! I must say, I can only imagine the night terrors a child in Middle-earth could suffer. It's a dangerous place with a lot of dark and scary things---that unfortunately DO exist as more than a figment of the imagination. So... the wound is infected now. I must say that news should make me feel terrible, but it gives me a feeling of giddiness, because I know Aragorn isn't in for too easy a time of it. Poor thing! I would wipe his brow and soothe him if I could---but thank goodness he has Gandalf and Durvain. I can't even imagine how flying is going to feel in Aragorn's condition, can't even imagine how the poor dear is going to handle it! Oh, I can't wait. This honestly all excites me to no end, reading this---it's quite unlike any Aragorn fic I've read before, and after nine years of reading LOTR fanfic, that's quite an awesome thing! Author Reply: Thanks, Lily! This really isn't like any Aragorn fic that I've seen either--whether that's good or bad I'll leave in the eyes of the readers. LOL I always try to write my take on scenarios as uniquely as possible, even if it's something that's been done a million times before (which this storyline definitely hasn't). I think I've managed to do that here; I've never heard of any stories out there that take Aragorn to the places he has gone and will go in this tale. fingers crossed You make an excellent point about M-e being a scary place for children... I wonder that any of them grew up without screaming cases of the heeby-jeebies but I suppose they were a resilient and courageous lot, for the most part. Good thing! Glad you enjoyed this latest chapter!

Estelcontar	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 1/17/2011
I'm so glad to see that though injured Aragorn has not lost his sense of humour, and happy to hear his right earlobe at least was not giving him misery. LOL This is a great chapter. Your description of the avalanche was so intense I almost felt as if I were poor Aragorn lying in the snow slowly freezing to death. Aragorn's childhood terrors read very real, just like something that would have happened to a child. They do have great a great imagination, don't they, and can conjure these real life nightmares and believe in them most completely. I also reaally, reaally liked the way you used "...who would grab him and eat him and spit out his bones..." as a link between Estel's experience and Aragorn's irrational fear of eagles. It also goes without saying that I enjoyed to bits Aragorn's reaction to Durvain, and his interaction with Gandalf. The humour which you instill in these scenes makes them very lively and entertaining. And the tail feather's bit had me chuckling out loud. Author Reply: Thanks, Estelcontar! You know, I would have loved to have actually seen Durvain mumble that little complaint about the wind blowing across his bum! g Poor bird, but he's doing a good work, blocking the winds and keeping them warm. I'm glad you liked the link between the childhood event and his current fears--that was admittedly a challenge to come up with, because it's hard to make the mighty Aragorn afraid of anything, at least on that illogical, visceral level. Yes, he's frightened of the Nazgul but then anyone in their right mind would be; giving him a true, believable phobia was more of a challenge! Glad you enjoyed it the second time around, and again, thanks for the review!

perennial lurker	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 1/17/2011
Just came across this for the first time. This amazes me because I've wanted someone for years to do a thoughtful Aragorn and Gandalf friendship fic framed by their Gollum hunt. I've read a few one-shots but nothing like this. It's really good so far; your characterizations of both of them are just as good as your other stories. Here's an obligatory "keep up the good work." You really have a knack for writing Aragorn. Author Reply: Thank you, perennial lurker! So glad you found the story and are enjoying it. There really aren't enough Aragorn & Gandalf friendship fics out there, and still fewer, as you say, framed by the hunt for Gollum, which to my mind had to have been their greatest endeavor together short of the events in LOTR. It's definitely worthy of exploration... challenging, though, because it's hard to figure out how to approach an event that took place over so many years. My solution is to take it in bite-sized adventures like this one. Hope you enjoy the rest of the tale, and thank you for the review!

Darkover	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 1/17/2011
This is the best chapter so far! You have a gift for writing dialogue. You have done a particularly good job of writing Gandalf in-character, and I loved his conversation with Strider. As usual, when the wizard is frustrated or worried--and in this situation, he is both--he gets tetchy and sarcastic. The thought of him dancing a jig is quite an image! You are doing a fine job with the h/c. In this chapter you express it mostly in words, and yet you still keep our favorite wizard and our favorite Ranger both in-character. It seems typical of Strider that, even though he appreciates Gandalf's concern, he would ascribe the shoulder-patting to a sort of "hysterical staccato"--good choice of words--and that Strider would do his best to tough things out, not letting on how much his injuries hurt. The title of this chapter certainly got my attention, and I quite sympathize with poor Strider's childhood fears. Childhood fears are intense and don't have to be rational, and they often stick with us even years later. Besides, Eagles, even noble and helpful ones, are still predators, and Strider's primitive hindbrain is probably responding to that with Durvain so close. Again, I am really enjoying this story. Thanks for posting so promptly, and I eagerly await the next chapter. Sincerely, Darkover Author Reply: Thank you, Darkover! Glad you found this chapter even more to your liking than the others... it's one of my own favorites, to be honest. It was fun to explore the idea of Aragorn having a childhood fear that still rose up to bother him as an adult. He's always so brave and noble and capable that the idea of him being reduced to shivering fear is hard to write plausibly in character--the Wraiths apparently give him the "creeps" but I wanted to see if there could be some other, unexpected, thing that might (and yes, Eagles being predators helped in that regard... hard not to feel a bit dicey about those giant talons, simply on an instinctive level). "Cranky Gandalf", on the other hand, is not quite such a stretch, as Tolkien gave us so many wonderfully funny glimpses into the cantankerous nature of the Wizard. Next chapter should be up on Thursday--thanks for reading!

First Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Last Page

Return to Chapter List