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Freedom From Fear  by Fionnabhair Nic Aillil 3 Review(s)
JenReviewed Chapter: 25 on 7/5/2004
I guess all good things must come to an end -- but there is "In the Forest" to look forward to -- Yeah! Really enjoyed this story. You have developed all the characters so well and the ending, though short, was really sweet. I guess Eowyn, with Morwen's sword, can start a tradition of shieldmaidens in Gondor. (Wondering if the "younger" characters think it really wierd when Aragon pipes in with comments about their ancestors who have been long gone. Gosh, it makes him look reeeally old.)

French PonyReviewed Chapter: 25 on 7/4/2004
What a nice ending. it had that long, rich feel of a good yarn winding up to its conclusion. Everyone is accounted for at long last, and Elfhelm has his happiness just as Éowyn has hers. And her grandmother's sword will be an heirloom that she will treasure for the rest of her life. I liked how you spent some time at the beginning describing some of the differences in the lands of Gondor and Rohan and mentioned the adjustments that Éowyn will have to make -- her story certainly does not end with her marriage to Faramir, and you really give a sense that it will continue on.

I am curious about the pattern dances, though, being a fencer myself. Can you say a little about them? They strike me as an odd way to learn swordplay, but I'm sure they're nicely grounded in your superb research.

Author Reply: Pattern dances are something I've heard mentioned in various histories of the Crusades etc. I know very little about swordplay (beyond long swords for fencing, short swords from horseback that is) but as I understood it, the idea was to do a certain number of movements in a particular order, to build up muscle memory, speed and strength. Sometimes it would be done with targets, in order to improve accuracy - the truth is it sounds slightly silly, but in essence it would have meant going through the motions of a duel, at full strength, just without an opponent.

It struck me that they would be right for someone like Éowyn who, given how big the men of Rohan seem to be, would have started out with a huge disparity of strength with whoever was supposed to teach her (i.e Théodred.)

BKBReviewed Chapter: 25 on 7/4/2004
Many, many thanks for a well written set of stories. I'm delighted that you are planning to revise "In the Forests of the Night". If my memory serves me correctly, I think that there are two or three places where the two stories contradict each other. I'm looking forward to haering from you soon.

Author Reply: You're quite right - they do contradict each other in a few places, which, as they're meant to be companion stories, I want to correct asap. Fortunately, since so much of "In The Forests of the Nigh" is already written, it won't taken nearly as long to get a completed version up - but it'll be a much better version! Thank you so much for all your reviews, by the way, and I'm glad you've enjoyed them.

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