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| In the Hands of the Enemy by meckinock | 9 Review(s) |
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| lindahoyland | Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 9/7/2005 |
| What a dreadful dilemma for poor Aragorn, I hope Gandalf and Halbarad hurry to the rescue,wizards are handy when wolves are around ! Brilliant writing,how I wish i had your skill ! Author Reply: We'll see how handy Gandalf is with the wolves! | |
| Thorongirl | Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 5/24/2005 |
| Hi, this is "viggomaniac" from the FF site. I just hate to use the same "name" on too many different archives. This is a fantastic story, with a nice mix of drama, tension, and humor. The droll amusement that Gandalf shows at the young hobbit brought a smile to my face and after the last few chapters I rather think of Halbarad as the Middle-Earth version of the old TV show, "Colombo". (Don't know if you've ever seen it, but if you have, you'll recognize the similarity immediately). Teburic. What a wonderfully evil villain. [I hope it doesn't bother you that *some* of your readers like to see an evil villain torturing their favorite hero -- not, I hasten to add, that "I" am one of the readers. Why, the very idea]! Actually, I really like Rolly, but my intuition tells me that there's more going on as far as he goes. I'm not so sure that Aragorn can completely trust him. I guess the only way to find out is to sit down and read the next chapter. Sufferin' Succotash, this is SUCH a good story! Author Reply: Hi, Thorongirl! You get the prize for most clever screen name. You also seem to have as many names as Aragorn! Thanks for hopping over here where I can answer you back. I got the other reply you sent and I have to tell you you are a Bad Influence. Three hundred recommendations to read will NOT help get my sequel done quickly! But they will be a very nice reward if I can manage to delay gratification until I'm finished, I admit. Halbarad as Columbo, LOL. That is too funny. Yes, I can see him with a trenchcoat and a cigar, sort of. I actually was feeling a little sorry for Teburic by the end. He was brutal, but only because he thought he needed to be to get the job done, really. Even though he had no love for Dunedain, but he really would have rather been chugging beers back in Bree than roughing it out in the woods trying to get information out of one. Aragorn liked Rolly, too. Thanks for the review! | |
| fliewatuet | Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 11/12/2003 |
| Ouch, ouch, ouch! Things are getting from bad to worse. First of all, Halbarad and co. are attacked by wolves, their horses go missing and Halbarad himself is even bitten by one (not that the poor guy has enough to worry about as it is). And Aragorn really could use a Ranger and a Wizard (and a Hobbit) coming to the rescue. I dare not imagine what being forced to watch Rolly die under Teburic's torture would do to Aragorn's already burdened conscience. And Aragorn's attempt to destroy Teburic's hope to get an answer out of him once and for all was marvellous (though not all that successful). For you tackled one of my pet peeves with Aragorn-torture stories: You gave him a believable reason for acting up against his torturer, other than a strange sense of pride that results in him not wanting to give away that he is suffering as can be found in a lot of stories. And as far as Rolly is concerned, he is quite curious and poses a lot of questions that Aragorn would better not answer (not that he did, at least not so far). I am still not quite convinced that Teburic and Rolly are not playing a very sick version of the good cop/bad cop game, but if they do, then Rolly either has a lot of talent as an actor (and stuntman) or a lot to win/lose. And if Teburic found out about the prevailing theme of Aragorn's dreams ... Halbarad would better hurry! fliewatuet Author Reply: I hated to do that to poor Halbarad but I really needed to slow him down (so did somebody else). Aragorn isn't going to count on getting any help - he's used to dealing with problems on his own, as you well know! I agree that I don't see Aragorn as being focused as much on protecting his image as on getting the job done. Especially when the chips are down. Although he would die before letting Halbarad see him show weakness... Rolly is supposed to be an enigma so I'm glad that you are still guessing. So is Aragorn. He can't take the chance, though, that Rolly really is an innocent victim, can he? | |
| striders girl | Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 11/12/2003 |
| Oh fantastic post! Brilient! I'm absolutely loving this story. I couldn't wait to get home to read this so I'm reviewing it from school. My friend Anna says I'm mad to do this, but oh well! Keep up the great work! Author Reply: Tell your friend that eventually she will realize that reality is overrated- you are just ahead of your time! Thanks for the lovely feedback - it means a lot to me! | |
| Eledhwen | Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 11/12/2003 |
| Heck, what a dilemma. Please don't hurt Aragorn or Rolly too much! Another excellent chapter. Author Reply: I agree that Aragorn's had enough. As for Rolly, well, that's up to him... | |
| grumpy | Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 11/11/2003 |
| hi there, first off I am still laughing after reading "the Karenator" review, Anyways loved this chapter, never thought of Halbarad as having grandkids, and i do believe he is starting to panic after finding the pack. He should be! if they don't hurry along a little faster, Strider is going to have nothing left to be mashed up. It is a hard choice. save the boy, or give up the Shire's secret. A no win situation. Frankly I stil don't trust the boy, His questions only have a way of making Strider feel worse. Looking forward to more Author Reply: Hi, Grumpy! I am still laughing at Karen's also - I will be laughing at it for days since I am too dense to get it all in one sitting! Thanks for reviewing again. Yeah, I figure Halbarad's got those good Dunedain genes so he's had to have been doing something for the last 70 years. They can't all be angsty and elf-stricken like Aragorn. Finding that pack really shook him up - up until then I think he was telling himself that Aragorn could handle anything. As for the boy's questions, he might actually be trying to resolve something in his own mind... | |
| The Karenator | Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 11/11/2003 |
| Johnny Halbarad, PI, could track with one eye on the road and the other glued to 'War and Peace'. It couldn't have been any easier than if Strider had left bread crumbs and Gretel's bloomers by the road on the way to the wicked witch's house. However, following the trail was nothing compared to riding shotgun with a miniature mouth piece that rapid fired questions faster than a Gatling could send pantywaists home to mama. Loose Lips was getting so personal that Halbarad expected him to ask his underwear size soon. And that doddering old doorknob, Gandalf, was about as much help in steering the gabfest into safer waters as Jaws would be as a bikini clad swimming instructor. Karma was a ray of dusty sunlight for the chafing PI when the little Dudo dude turned his sights on the old man and started picking at his issue. The gumshoe waited as patiently as grandma at the bus stop for the old goat to get out of this one. For years, there had been a pool down in the Triangle about which way his gate hinged. Just as Halbarad suspected, Oily Olorin sidestepped like the leading man in a tango and danced on off to try and slip the spotlight back on him. Before the batlight could wing out over the gumshoe's bleary eyes like a pair of sunglasses on markdown, he spotted paydirt as rich as Donald Trump after taxes. It didn't take Mulder or Scully to see that Strider had coped a squat under a thicket of trees that looked like they were left over set decoration from The Twilight Zone. Even the wizard was wanked out to find a note forged in his own handwriting that would make any parent-signature-falsifying junior high kid proud. From the looks of the sacked site, Strider was in more trouble than when Elrond had caught his boney butt dangling off Arwen's balcony, an empty bottle of wine in his back pocket and the Undomiel's undies around his neck. Gandalf's idea of helping find his friend was to click his heels three times and to believe. No operation ever went down easy and when the mangy flea bitten hounds of hell showed up, Halbarad figured he might just put in for a transfer to the islands. Unfortunately, the wizard got his pointy head into the spirit of the Baskervilles and turned the whole field into Dante's Inferno, but not before one of the cankerous canines snacked down on his calf like it was a chicken bone thrown out behind the Colonel's coop. The horses high tailed it off to look for Flicka; Tillfield The Terrible was up a tree and Gandalf of OZ was fresh out of ruby red slippers. Things hadn't looked this bad since Mordor went Gothic. If Halbarad was stuck with two squirrely primates on his back, Strider was chained to the floor of the cage. Not only was the post still stuck tighter than a dwarf's purse-string, but the Rolly kid was slapping his sanity upside the head with enough questions to make the Pope suspicious. The kid had a cherub look plastered on his face like one of Michaelangelo's chubby little critters had just dropped off the Chapel's ceiling. Strider could appreciate innocence, but if this kid was pure as driven snow, then he was Queen for a Day. When Tubby T stopped back by for a curtain call, he was belting the same tune, second verse. When his worn out beat did pop the top ten, Tubby added the kid to the band. He put on a show that would be center stage at the Apollo, but Strider didn't just ride in on the hay wagon. He was expecting this duo when they broke into their rendition of 'My Way'. What they didn't figure on was that Strider knew all the words to 'That's Life'. Gee..this one got a little long winded. Now for the real thing...I loved the question and answer period between Halbarad and Dudo. He has grandchildren! He's looking mighty fine for a grandpa. There was a lot of good action. The wolves were a nice touch. However, now our heros are horse-less. I keep waiting for Rolly to slip up. He's pretty darn good at asking those sly little questions. Fortunately, Strider is well trained. I hope Strider calls Teburic's bluff.....I want to see what happens. An excellent chapter. I'm looking forward to more. :>) Karen Author Reply: Gosh, woman! Again, not only am I in awe of what you can do with a little bit of feed material, but of how FAST you can do it!! Can we put you to work on the National Debt, or something? It's gonna take me at least a day to digest this one - as always, I'm going to print it out and take it to work with me tomorrow so I can crack myself up at random intervals all day, thereby scaring the pants off my co-workers! Had to give Halbarad grandchildren. I couldn't imagine all these Dunedain with good genes were just sitting back knitting for 70-odd years! Love you, Karen! Author Reply: "Things weren't this bad since Mordor went Gothic" - you are my hero! | |
| Nilmandra | Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 11/11/2003 |
| I am sitting here trying to figure out how to get to ME with a gun to stop this, and wishing that Rolly would scream, drawing Halbarad and Gandalf closer. Oh, I don't think I could stand to watch someone die, and yet there is more at stake than one life! Arggghhhhhh Going to somehow send help. Don't know how, but somehow must send help.... Author Reply: So what I'm hearing is I got the suspense thing down OK? | |
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 11/11/2003 |
| Sweet Eru! This is terrible. What can Aragorn do? I don't see how he can give in and yet can he just let Rolly be beaten to death? The Halbarad part was wonderful, as usual. I have been trying to put my finger on what I think is so well done in this story, and I have concluded that it's the way you describe these little scenes and people's reactions to them moment by moment so that it all comes alive. I continue to be so impressed. Author Reply: Hey, where's my Eilian bathing scene? (oh, I'm in my story) Thanks - I think the moment-by-moment effect is a product of my limited attention span. Aragorn is kind of like Captain Kirk - he won't accept a losing proposition... | |