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All for Her by SoundofHorns	10 Review(s)
MysteriousWays	Reviewed Chapter: 54 on 8/31/2004
I know how too much of all of this feels.

Crimson	Reviewed Chapter: 54 on 7/10/2004
First let me start off by apologizing for being AWOL for so long. Terribly sorry, but I had a project that I had to finish on a very tight schedule (with sweaty overwrought people hovering over my shoulder making sure I got done on time). I finally put it to rest late last week and spent my 6-hour flight home catching up on your story (started at chapter 46 and worked my way down). So there I was last weekend stuck in a plane on the runway at LAX for 40 minutes waiting for a terminal to open because all the flights were behind schedule and coming in at the same time. While everyone around me was getting as antsy as a kid at 3:00 AM on Christmas morning, I was reading your story and having a great time and didn't want to get to the terminal because then I would have to stop reading, wait for the shuttle, go home, yadda-yadda and it would be hours before I could continue reading your story. Your story actually made me want to be stuck on an airplane. And that, my friend, is the greatest compliment I could ever possibly give you! Now that I am caught up, please allow me to write this very, very long review. It might be the longest in the history of this website. (Hey, what do you expect? I have nine chapters to cover!). I might have to divide it up over a couple of sections. I hope I don't crash this site. First, I should explain to you my philosophy about reviewing another writer's work. I have what I refer to as my Three Commandments of Writing: I. Thou shalt write -- even when thou thinketh everything thou writeth is utter crapeth. II. Thou shalt not listen to all criticism and story suggestions lest thou try to please all people all the time and end up with a story-by-committee that bears no resemblance to thine original conception and is generally disliked by all. III. Thou shalt not tempt a fellow writer to break commandment I or II. With the commandments in mind, let me next explain the difference between "unhelpful" and "helpful" criticisms and/or suggestions. First, unhelpful suggestions...I don't think the other reviewers have given you any, so you're very lucky. Unhelpful suggestions usually involve changing your story on a fundamental level (setting, time period, plot, etc.) Fellow writers tend to do this to each other unwittingly. It's the "here's how I would have done it better" syndrome. It even happened to Tolkien. His friends in the Inklings would give him tons of advice, which he mostly ignored. In fact, one of the characters C.S. Lewis took aim at was Faramir. He warned Tolkien against introducing another main character so late into his seemingly never-ending epic. "If you keep adding characters, you'll never get the bloody thing finished!" he said. One night when Tolkien was reading his rough draft of LOTR out loud to the Inklings, Hugo Dyson actually say, "Oh f*k, not another elf!" Tolkien, thank God, ignored them all. I get the impression that you're strong willed enough as a writer to ignore such advice as well. Helpful suggestions tend to sound like this, "Is such-and-such the reason why your main character feels this way? If not, have you considered trying such-and-so?" Or "Here's my theory on the motivations of your character, was this your intention?" Or "Back in scene three you mentioned your character doing such-and-such, but you didn't seem to pursue it any further. Are you planning on doing something with it or will you cut this from your next draft?" So, now that you know where I'm coming from, let me assure you that I will obey the third commandment and avoid giving you unhelpful suggestions that might steer you off course and deter you from finishing your story. I'll save those safely for the end. And if I think I might be breaking the third commandment, I'll warn you. First I'll give you a list of compliments about everything I loved in the last nine chapters. Then I'll give you my thoughts/questions/helpful suggestions. Things I loved (in no particular order): Eowyn telling Faramir in re: the bearskin: "It's dead, it's called a rug now." That made me laughed so loud I woke up the poor guy sleeping in the seat next to me on the plane! This sentence: With a sigh, she raised her arms and spun in a slow circle, her voice droll, "I'm in one piece...it's a marvel, brother, a true wonder of our age." Great description of her movements. And very funny too. Your quasi stream-of-consciousness style of writing Faramir and Eowyn's thoughts. You do it well. I'm very impressed with how you pulled off this whole Faramir as Miss Cleo the mind-reader thing. It works. It's not silly. I couldn't resist the Miss Cleo joke, but seriously you've portrayed his gift without making it seem cliché or ludicrous. However, if he starts screaming, "The Corps is Mother! The Corps is Father!" you've gone too far. (Forgive me. That was a geek homage to Babylon 5's Psi-Corps. Couldn't resist.) Your use of Rohirric. You've really made it a part of your story. Initially, I thought it would turn out to be an annoyance to the reader and totally unnecessary to the plot. Boy was I wrong. You make excellent use of it -- especially in the scene where Faramir puts Eowyn's hand in his lap. They converse with each other exclusively in Rohirric, which underscores the fact that he's trying to be gentle with her and communicate in the way in which she is most comfortable. It also works well in your dream sequence when Eowyn asks Faramir rather cryptically, "Do you know why the Horseman stands alone in the sky?" When he admits doesn't, she speaks to him in Rohirric, which he can't understand. The language becomes the first means by which he seeks to understand her. Very nice. That dream sequence I mentioned above where Eowyn asks Faramir about the Horseman in the sky. I loved that. You had better have a pay off for it! I hope it means something very significant. It's wonderfully cryptic. The chapter where Faramir learns that Aragorn saw Eowyn naked. I loved it when Faramir demanded, "Take that off right now." That was hilarious. So was the whole sequence of Eowyn trying to shoo Aragorn out of her room before Faramir wakes up. Aragorn saying, "Do you know how long I waited to bed--" and Eowyn interrupting him with, "Oh be quiet! I don't care!" was classic. You have a wonderful sense of comedic timing. Eomer at breakfast the morning they leave Minas Tirith when he thinks, "I win Faramir. She still loves me best." It was so ridiculously childish it was funny. You portray the whole dynamic between Eomer and Faramir with a great blend of humor and genuine regret and sadness. I love the fact that you've avoided wrapping up their dislike of each other neatly by making them fast friends. I've noticed that you consistently resist the urge to resolve plot conflicts too easily. You force situations to play themselves out. That takes real discipline as a writer. I'm impressed. And by their comments, I can tell your other readers are as well. It makes your story compelling and suspenseful because we're all dying to see the resolution. It's like listening to Wagner's "Tristan and Isolde" -- we're just hanging there waiting for that damn musical motif to resolve itself in the Third Act (not for nothing has this opera been called "an orgasm set to music"). Eowyn's traditional Rohirric farewell to Faramir in Minas Tirith. Charming. Your use of your equestrian knowledge. It's very clear that you know what you're talking about when it comes to horses. It adds so much to the story. Faramir shopping for Eowyn -- especially when Merry suggests the dagger and Faramir says, "Yes, I think we are fairly safe in getting that." Too funny. And what you did later with Eowyn's reaction to the dagger was brilliant. The reader (or at least this reader), like Faramir, thought she would love it. I was just as surprised as Faramir that she didn't like it and felt just as foolish for not realizing that, of course, she wouldn't like it! And I was also pleasantly surprised that she liked the jewelry. Again, I thought to myself, of course she likes it. We gals are suckers for nice shiny expensive stuff. I don't care how much of a cow-girl tough-chick you are, you see a diamond or an emerald or a sapphire and you say, "Niiiice." And we all know what's going through Faramir's mind, "Hmmm...the bigger the jewel, the more she lets me touch her..." At this rate he's going to present her with the Hope Diamond on their wedding night. Your whole progressive seduction between Faramir and Eowyn. Without being x-rated, you've wound up both your male and female readers to the point where we all need to take a dip in the Snowbourn. To do this tastefully (no pun intended -- hey, get your mind out of the gutter!) is quite a feat. Bravo! And for the love of peace, bring on the wedding night. I'm also glad you didn't go overboard by having Eowyn turn into some kind of Dominatrix ordering Faramir to keep his eyes closed or else. I didn't want to read about how she discovered new uses for her riding crop and harness. Let's not go there. She's the White Lady of Rohan, not Amsterdam. However, I think I speak for all of your female readers when I say that I'm extremely disappointed that we didn't get a more detailed description of Eowyn's first glimpse of Faramir naked. We got paragraphs on his observations of her naked form, but next to nothing on her observation of his. What's the matter, didn't she get a good enough look?! Eowyn's reaction to sleeping in the same bed as Faramir for the first time. I was happy to see that by Chapter 54 she had somehow learned how to sleep with a "great, cumbersome man" in her bed. It's just like having a life-sized teddy bear (who also snores, scratches himself, and occasionally cops a feel). The scene with Eowyn and Glorfindel and his reference to the Witch-king prophecy. What a great idea to show the prophet meeting his prophecy. The good Professor would have approved. I can see him Upstairs now saying, "Why didn't I think of that?" Your portrayal of Faramir's nightmare and Eowyn's discovery of his "inner child." It was poignant without being schmaltzy. Now let me move on to my--hopefully helpful--thoughts, suggestions and comments: I really love the fact that you portray Faramir as messy and Eowyn as neat. It's my belief that for some reason the Almighty has predestined that the Messy of the earth shall meet and marry the Neat. At least that's how it's worked for me, my friends, my family, my colleagues, my acquaintances, my distant cousins, and people I've met in line at the grocery store. If you are neat, you are destined to marry someone who defines closet as "wherever my clothes land." If you are messy, you are destined to marry someone who turns red at the sight of your harmless (though admittedly growing) pile of clutter. It's written in the stars. But perhaps I overstate… There are wonderful possibilities here for Eowyn and Faramir's character development. Eowyn, as you've portrayed her, is afraid of the drudgery of domesticity. But I've noticed that neat people are inevitably and unwittingly compelled to do domestic chores because they like living in a clean and organized environment, which means they have to pick up after their partners, cajole them to clean up after themselves, and show them how it's done. Messy people tend to be a little "scattered" shall we say. They need neat people to help them organize. Eowyn will find herself being domestic without even knowing it. Besides all that, I think strong-willed women like her make great mothers. They're naturals at organizing people and running a big group. Look at Eowyn with the hobbits. She's the only one who can get them to behave. Look at Eowyn running Edoras in her brother's absence. She's better at it than he is. What she's really afraid of is the unknown because if she knew what she was in for, I think she would welcome the challenge. She and Faramir are going to build a whole province from the ground up. She's basically going to be doing in Ithilien the job she would have done in Rohan if she had never married Faramir. She won't be bored. She's extremely concerned, as she should be, about what Faramir will expect of her as his wife. She even asks him this, and he responds simply, "Whatever you are willing to give." What a beautiful and honest answer -- honest because he probably has no expectations of what domestic life should be. His mother died when he was a little boy. His father didn't really raise him. He had no domestic family life really. He and his brother were for all intents and purposes orphaned. (Very much life Tolkien and his brother who were truly orphaned. Have you noticed that almost all of Tolkien's characters are orphans of some kind? Aragorn, Eowyn, Eomer, Frodo, Faramir, and I'm sure the list goes on.) The point is Faramir has no preconceived notions of how his wife should act or what kind of mother she should be or how they should run their household. How would he know? And in truth, how would she know. She's never really lived in the company of an adult couple. Her parents died when she was very young and her uncle was a widower. In fact, Faramir has about as much knowledge of woman as Eowyn has of men. I'm speaking of emotional knowledge, not physical. Eowyn is frightened and sickened by the court ladies of Minas Tirith. She doesn't seem to realize that she and Faramir will have the privilege of setting their own standards in Ithilien. As Shakespeare's Henry V tells his betrothed, "We are the makers of manners, Kate; and the liberty that follows our places stops the mouth of all find-faults." So, if she misses the horse races in Rohan (as she fears she will in one of your earlier chapters), then she can launch the first Ithilien Derby! And if the women of Ithilien prefer to work in trousers, so be it. I'm very impressed with your depiction of Faramir and Eowyn's emotional needs and the emotional baggage they're carrying around from their past. Many chapters back, one reviewer commented that Faramir didn't seem mad enough at Eowyn when she tried to deny her love for him. I think you portrayed it just right. I think the idea of losing her -- of being abandoned by her -- was terrifying to him. But I think his anger was deflated when he found out the reason why she wanted him to believe that she didn't love him. We know from the chapter before that one that Faramir's inner demon is his fear that he is a worthless failure and is unlovable and not good enough for her. This was what his father taught him. Eowyn lied to him essentially because she loved him so much that she didn't want him to be saddled with someone who wasn't good ENOUGH for him. That kind of takes the sting out of his anger. But I think there would still be some anger at the fact that she didn't tell him her worries earlier. She was uncommunicative. And now in Chapter 54, you have Eowyn realize that it's her uncommunicativeness that hurts him. I don't know if you were conscious of all this when you were writing it, but I was, and I think it's wonderful stuff. Bravo! On another note, I think Faramir needs to read "Co-dependant No More." Just kidding. I think he needs Gandalf or Elrond or Aragorn or Glorfindel or somebody to explain to him how to control his gift better. I'm assuming that the reason why he's suddenly so overwhelmed by everyone's emotions is that his gift has only recently been "returned" to him by Eowyn. It's as if he has been given a third leg and must now learn how to walk all over again. But he needs some training otherwise he's going to drive poor Eowyn batty. I half expected her to slap him a la Brando in The Godfather, "You could act like a man! What's the matter with you?" (Alas, poor Brando! RIP.) In Chapter 46 or 47, Eowyn reminds Faramir of a childhood memory that he has apparently forgotten. She describes him hiding in a library away from everyone because he was overwhelmed by all the thoughts and emotions he could feel. She says that Denethor made Faramir "forget." It sounds as if Denethor somehow amputated Faramir's gift, which again explains why Faramir is suddenly so overwhelmed by it when it's unleashed again. I liked how Eowyn described Denethor's actions as "a kindness." She obviously doesn't think it was. But was it? Did Denethor have the ability to teach Faramir how to control his gift? Did he choose not to in order to control Faramir because Faramir's abilities were potentially greater than Denethor's own? Or maybe the strength of Faramir's gift meant that Denethor really didn't know how to teach him to control it, in which case perhaps he really did think he was doing his son "a kindness." Don't you just love the complexities of dysfunctional family dynamics?! There's never an easy answer. I think fanfiction writers are often guilty of settling for a two-dimensional Denethor. Who do you think Tolkien used as an inspiration for the character Denethor? I have a theory. I'll give you a few clues. Denethor bears a striking resemblance to a famous king who also killed himself when he was surrounded by an invading army. That same king became obsessed with "divinations" (like Denethor with his palantir). When the king suffered from fits of melancholia, he ordered a young boy to sing for him (just as Denethor orders Pippin). The king was paranoid about being usurped by a younger and more valiant warrior (just as Denethor is paranoid about Aragorn). The king's son becomes friends with the young warrior upstart (just as Boromir befriends Aragorn). The young warrior even sings a famous lament when his friend, the king's son, dies in battle (just as Aragorn sings for Boromir). Eventually the old king is usurped by the young warrior (just as Denethor is by Aragorn). So, can you guess who the king is? Drum roll, please... It's King Saul. From the bible. You know, David and Goliath -- that King Saul. David was the young upstart. Saul ordered David to sing for him (and then proceeded to chuck a spear at him, but not because of his singing). Saul also got hooked on consulting mediums. Saul's son Jonathan was David's friend, and David sings a famous lament when Jonathan dies: "O how the mighty have fallen! The weapons of war have perished!" Now, the interesting thing about Saul, at least as far as our discussion is concerned, is that he wasn't always a jerk (actually I never thought he was to begin with, but that's another discussion). Denethor wasn't always a jerk either. He's just as three dimensional as everyone else. It's a shame that in the film they bowdlerized him into a parody of Richard Nixon. I kept waiting for him to stretch out his arms, wave the peace sign and mutter, "People of Gondor have got to know whether or not their Steward is a crook. Well, I'm not a crook!" Okay, sorry for that diversion. Those were just my thoughts on Denethor. Please ignore them if you think they'll steer you off course. As to whether Faramir is obsessed with Eowyn, I think the whole thing depends on how the reader defines obsession. I thought he was just being overly dramatic because obviously he doesn't think about her ALL the time. That would be absurd. How many times have you said, "I think about X all the time." X might be a person or a thing or a situation. But do you really think about it ALL time? I think it's just a figure of speech. So sure he thinks about her all the time. His whole future involves her. When he's shopping for her, he thinks about her. When he's making plans for his future, he thinks about her. When he sees anything remotely erotic, he thinks about her. He's not necessarily being obsessive; he's just being generous, practical, and horny. But that's just my take on it. I think there's a moment in every relationship when a couple challenges each other to decide if they are both committed. Faramir was challenging Eowyn, and she eventually gave him the answer he wanted. At any rate, I don't think he looks like a creepy stalker type. If she were to tell him to go away (and really mean it), he'd go away and never bother her again even if it kill him. A stalker, on the other hand, never stops stalking. Whatever happened to Faramir's work at the Council of Gondor and Eowyn's work at the Houses of Healing? I thought you were setting us up for some character development there. Both of them discovered a profession at which they excel. Don't mess with it if it takes you too off course, but I was just wondering if you intended to do more with this aspect of their characters. Whatever happened to Lothiriel? I knew that she was the girl Eowyn met at the Houses of Healing. I actually thought you would have her treat Eomer when he went to the Houses after his fight with Faramir and Aragorn. Eomer really needs a distraction. Get her to him before he drives his poor sister and brother-in-law nuts. What happened to the rest of the gang from Dol Amroth? The OOC Elphir and Imrahil? I think they were your weakest part, so I wouldn't be sorry to see them fall by the wayside. But I hope that in your second draft, you cut or revise this part. Use it or lose it, as they say. Aragorn. Ah, Aragorn. Your Aragorn is rather unique. I like him. He bears almost no resemblance to Tolkien's Aragorn, but I don't mind. This is a compliment because I should mind. I don't because your Aragorn is charming. I was wondering if I might make a suggestion that might link your Aragorn with Tolkien's in a small way. What do you think about having Aragorn come to Faramir's defense by telling Eomer that Faramir is an honorable man who is worthy of Eowyn? Who better than Aragorn would know how agonizing it is to love a woman whose family does not approve of you? I don't think you've made mention of how Arwen's family feels about Aragorn making her a mortal, but you have already developed Aragorn's friendship with Eomer. So what do you say to Aragorn coming to the defense of his Steward? Just a thought. Ignore it if it takes you too off track. Be very careful how you reveal Faramir's past peccadilloes with other woman (that is, if you find it necessary for him to reveal his past or even have past at all). Let me tell you why this gives me pause. Some years ago, I saw Stephen Sondheim's "Into the Woods" Off Broadway. I will never forget the scene where Cinderella's Prince Charming seduces the Baker's Wife and then dumps her rather callously. The women in the audience started hissing. Clearly no one liked seeing Prince Charming cheating on his Princess. No one wanted to even think of Prince Charming as having a past because no one wanted to imagine Prince Charming using and abusing his power and then casting aside the woman he used. Even if that woman initially enjoyed it, you still feel like she was used and cast aside, which in fact she was. This leads me to ask, do we really want to know that Faramir shagged some girl and then took her to the curb? Ah, you say, but what if she dumped him? Not likely. Not in that day and age (or perceived day and age by JRRT). It would be absurd and solipsistic to assume that it was possible to have casual relationships back then. In the past there were consequences to such behavior that we simply don't have today. I don't just mean moral considerations that modernity has deemed antiquated. I mean considerations like birth control. I'll spare you my dissertation on the Roman concept of "second class" marriages, or concubinage, in late antiquity; but trust me when I say that even those relationships involved a commitment which made them virtually indistinguishable from legal marriages. Ah, but you say, maybe he just used courtesans. But does that make it any nicer? Faramir, noble Faramir, the high-minded man of the West who tells the hobbits about Numenor and laments that the men of Gondor are no longer as virtuous as the men of Westernesse who came from the sea and built the great cities of Middle-earth, Faramir the wizard's pupil, Faramir who faces west for a moment of silence before each meal in honor of "Numenor that was, and beyond to Elvenhome that is, and to that which is beyond Elvenhome and will ever be" (an act which JRRT purposely gave Faramir to distinguished him as the only character in LOTR who does something that is conceivably religious) -- you want us to believe that this Faramir...went to a brothel? He had his way with some poor down-on-her-luck streetwalker and then zipped up and left some change on the mantel? Really, this is not what JRRT had in mind. I find it more than a little disturbing how casual some people are about incorporating practitioners of the oldest profession into Tolkien's story. In any country and in any age, prostitution is a sad thing. A stroll down Hollywood Boulevard at night will show you that. Or a visit to a runaway shelter. Or a careful reading of a Thomas Hardy novel. Trust me, these girls don't look like Julia Roberts. If you're going to give him a past, and going to mention it, keep all this mind. And also keep in mind that promiscuous Prince Charmings tend to be obsessed with unattainable women. They enjoy the challenge of the conquest, but once the conquest is complete, they grow bored and look for their next unsuspecting maiden. How is Eowyn to know that Faramir's obsession will not burn itself out after the conquest and then he'll grow tired of her and leave her like he did the others? Just some thoughts. Hope I didn't break my third commandment here. Please ignore this if you disagree. My very last comment: You are a gifted writer. I know from your replies to reviewers that you're a college student. I have no idea what your concentration or major is, but -- and forgive me for being so presumptuous -- you should be studying literature and creative writing. You are a writer. You could do this professionally. You're that good. I know of what I speak. I hope this doesn't sound pretentious, but I write for a living, and in the past I've worked as an editor for a big publishing house. And so I say again with a few credentials to back me up, you're a gifted writer. Use it. A writing sample of this quality -- an original work that is, not fanfiction -- could get you into a good creative writing program. Think about it. I felt compelled to write this long review partly because I enjoyed your story so much, but mostly because I think you're talented and someone once took the time to read my work and encouraged me, and it made all the difference. You do have talent. I hope you nurture it. And so finally I'm finished with my lengthy review. Please don't make me wait too long for your next installment. Now that I'm caught up, I can't wait to read the rest! I would be especially delighted if you posted another chapter tomorrow night because I have another 6-hour flight on Monday morning. PS: You've never seen "The Quiet Man"?! What's the world coming to? Go rent it. It's one of John Ford's best! Author Reply: Wow, gee ,this review could be one of my chapters! ;) And yet I'm glad to see it, I was beginning to wonder if you'd fallen down a hole!! :D Okay, let's begin, first off--Thanks for mentioning all the little moments you liked, most I loved as well--The bear? Hilarious. :D Anyway, yes, the Horseman in the Sky comes back later, I just...you know how it is, everything gets in the way. Ahh!! I'm grinning here because of all these things I've remembered! Thanks for enjoying the Aragorn/nakedness. Some didn't, though I thought it was funny. Actually a bit of that returns with Arwen, lol. I love the Rohirric, I'm obsessed. I've added elvish for Faramir and it just doesn't have the same punch. Rohirric has a feel, if you will. It just flows with Eomer and Eowyn and really well with Eowyn/Faramir. Faramir's telepathy is great--it allows me to express him in different ways. I'm to the point with them where when I write excusively Faramir/Eowyn scenes--the riverbank for example (chicka chicka boom) lol--I almost have to begin to write 3rd person omnisicent because they're getting so together,etc. Then I change when they drop the link or when others are around. It's very neat from my POV, too. I didn't want Eomer to become friends with Faramir right away--that's easy, simple. Too easy, it's a challenge to do low-key anger that very slowly bleeds to acceptance, I mean, it hasn't even gotten that far yet. He's going to have more and more of those little moments--like when he was in Gondor and he talked to Faramir when the ladies finally let him go. He was friendly and he could be--Eowyn was hundreds of miles away. There was no catalyst for tension or anger. I have a thing going in my head where Eomer evokes the tiny bit of angry, last of ROTK Denethor in Faramir--that arrogant, "How dare you question me?" mood. He just does, there's no escaping it and Faramir is unaware of what flies out of his mouth until he's saying it, i.e, the remark right before their fight. LOL! Yes, I noticed that too! The prettier,etc. the jewelry, the farther it ended up going... Hehe, I only noticed it after I'd written it and then I laughed so damn hard, thinking Faramir, get her something huge, you might get lucky! It was funny though, initially Eowyn liked the dagger but it was as though her character just kind of stopped in my head and said, "NO. I don't want it, I don't like it, don't have him give that thing." Very specific--"That THING." No, she didn't like it. Grima's very much alive in her--which, spoiler, I can't wait for him to die. You think Merry wouldn't tell her? Wouldn't send a letter? :D God, I can't wait. Okay, about the Faramir naked-- 1. When he was dressing, he was actually (hehe, what a man) standing there hoping she might look over and she wasn't--she was, lol, trying to cool down too by looking for the rest of the flowers. So, nothing there. 2. The next time he was a little boy, so, well, no kiddie porn here. Sorry, but the readers and Eowyn will have to wait a bit longer. 3. the third time when he woke up there were blankets and he never got out from under them, soooo. Nope. Hehe, I just realized how I've been teasing with Nude!Faramir. HA! Yeah, uh, steamyness is happenin'. They're not going too far, yet they have to go somewhere--Faramir's long-term goal is a totally fearless Eowyn when the time comes. Will he get that? Only time and practice will tell. heh. The Wedding Night--Um, you might want that dip in the Snowbourn, lol. No time soon. Hehe, I'm bad aren't I? There are two very important words for Faramir--Blue. Balls. :D Oh, Glorfindel threw himself into the chapter, that was unplanned but I guess elven lords are wiser than I... ;) He actually returns for another brief spot. I loved him so much he's coming back and to tease the hell out of Elrohir and Elladan. All right, onto your suggestions--Exactly, you're very very right about Eowyn not being bored in Ithilien...but once she realizes the challenge. She likes challenges, she likes action. She likes being useful! Buuuuut, unfortunately Faramir's place is still a grassy field. (which the knowledge of shall infuriate our dear Eomer once again) So, horrible Gondor for Eowyn. Now she's one of the ladies and they will just make her sick and doubt everything. Not good. :( She will do healing there and some in Rohan...I didn't drop the idea, I just had to move on and let it wait a while. Lothiriel comes in later, I mean, how long do you think it will be before Eomer is on his way to Gondor to visit his sister? LOL, a week? Hell, the Riders are faster, he'll meet them there!! Oh, and he has to deliver her dowry, doesnt' he? Well, he doesn't, but he will. It's a good excuse. Yeah, in the eventual editing Imrahil and Co. is gone. Bye bye, sorry I abused them. He (Imrahil) actually makes a one-liner later that helps Faramir a lot, so he's useful in that and I don't think it would be OOC. Which is good. :) I like my Aragorn too. He's funny and relaxed and he should be--he's got Arwen, he's a king and he's not battling evil. These are the golden years. And the defending Faramir will come, but not before Eomer has time. It's not time yet, Eomer's not ready to listen. Okay, yeah, Faramir's past--Eowyn will ask, she's that way, she's been asking ME for a while (the characters talk in my head, deal with it, I have. lol) and she wants an answer. I have to do this VERY delicately--he's experienced because I simply don't think a 35 year old man can't not have SOME experience. Especially a prince and although he was obviously not the favored son Denethor would certainly leave him SOMETHING. So, money, good looks, well educated, courteous, handsome brother to score off of ...unless the ladies thought he was gay (LOL) he had something. Just what? I don't know. The prostitution thing seems a stretch to me too. It's not Faramir's style. Eomer admitted to sleeping with (not prostitutes I don't think) but basically willing women and I think that is all right for his character, he's not so proper if you will. Aragorn was disgusted at the thought and I think he was a virgin till Arwen, which makes me laugh and makes me proud of him. Unless of course, he screwed around when he was 18 and unaware of his lineage which is entirely possible for him to have done so, if only once. I'm not sure and neither is Arwen... ;) But, back to Faramir--he's not a virgin and yet....? The question hangs. It might have to hang forever, if Eowyn will allow it. :S I don't know yet. Thank you for enjoying my writing so much!!! I love doing it! I would like to be a writer eventually. I'm undecided as of yet, but I'm taking extra writing classes next semester. Oddly enough I make okay to poor grades in English--the teachers don't like the way I write, it's not grammar because I've asked. Sorry, the next chapter is coming slow. :( I know how I want it, but getting there...ah, it can take forever before all the sudden I'm gold. It's the feast and as far afterwards as I can get without simply posting a BOOK and there are a lot of interwoven Faramir/Eowyn/Eomer parts along with Aragorn/Arwen which is slowly getting sucked into the mess. Thanks for the review, I was truly getting worried. :D

Lady of the Wood	Reviewed Chapter: 54 on 7/9/2004
Wow the reviews are almost as interesting as the story! I find the comments about Faramir and "obsession" quite fascinating. I confess that when I read that Faramir was surprised that Eowyn didn't think about him all the time, I thought "neither would I honey! I don't care how gorgeous you are." I also have to say that this reaction from Faramir came as a surprise. He's appears to be far and away the more adult and rational of the two. I've always felt that Eowyn's love for Faramir was the adult love where as her feelings for Aragorn were of the immature girlish crush variety. As Aragorn says to her "it is but a shadow that you love". Faramir is, after all, the guy who became caught up in work after he was released from the HOH and didn't see Eowyn for a few weeks until the HOH warden told him that Eowyn was ailing. That didn't sound like an obsessed man to me. He's a man in love yes, and a man who IMHO needs love and re-assurance of love after what he's been through, but I also believe that he knows that life goes on inspite of everything else. Speaking of which, I think I'm obsessed with your story! :) I was surprised by Eowyn not liking the dagger. Infact I expected the reason to be that she wanted to become a healer and give up the ways of the sheild maiden. That she had enough of death. However, the story about Grima also worked very well and made a lot of sense. As for her liking the jewelry. I think she's discovering how nice it is to be spoiled once in awhile and perhaps indulge the feminine side of herself. I was thinking 'good for you girlie!'. In regards to your comments about what Eowyn says to Aragorn after the engagement was announced, I didn't find the comment bitter although I know it's been a point of contention between those who like F/E and those who don't think she really loved Faramir. Personally I always saw the scene as a happy one, that she was letting Aragorn know that she was happy and over him and that he had nothing to feel guilty about where she was concerned. I'll be interested to see what you do with it in the next chapter. As always I'm looking forward to more.~Lady of the Wood Author Reply: LOL! Yes, that's how I wanted it to be read--why would she think about him all the time? She's got a life, too. And the reaction from Faramir was out of character-he's getting swept away. I think he's rather too intense at the moment. Eowyn is too, but she's got other things to think of--Eomer, Theoden's funeral, what she's going to do in Gondor and Ithilien...basically she's got a lot going on and NONE of it very pleasant. THis probably sounds strange, but Eowyn emphatically did not like the dagger and I'm talking about in my mind--she very strongly said no, I'm not keeping that, I don't want it, that's part of my old life. She will be a healer, I swear, when I can get her there. She's still got a lot of the shieldmaiden to exorcise. Heee, yes, she likes the jewelry. It's new, it is her being spoiled, I'm sure Faramir gained both his father's and Boromir's assests, so he can easily afford these things. The problem is they will attract attention and she dislikes that. Especially that honkin' ring, lol. Huh, I found the comment bitter and that's the way it will play out, I think. Brief bitterness; remember essentially she's standing between Faramir and Eomer and looking at Aragorn 'right in his eyes' asking him to wish her joy....at least that's how I read it. Personally, I think she did love Faramir because, well, the alternative would be far too depressing to consider. Eowyn/Aragorn scenes will continue. He's a pressure-free friend at the moment and she desperately needs someone who will not put pressure on her (I feel Eowyn identifies better with males, that's why Arwen's not with her yet). Damn chapters, I swear, they changed so much from what I had in mind! Hopefully I will get Eowyn/Arwen together. I think they have a lot in common at the moment--remember that before Aragorn departs Elrond takes Arwen into the hills and basically tries to talk her out of it again--that's got to be horrible. While that doesn't quite compare to Eomer/Eowyn/Faramir's tug of war, it can still be a stepping stone to these women developing a very good friendship. At least, that's what I want, who knows when we'll get to it... :P I hate it when the storyline changes on me! More Eomer/Faramir later on and I'm not sure if it will be good, the situation's a bit volatile at the moment. Really, Eomer should have picked a better time to announce the engagement, but, since he didn't...

Raksha The Demon	Reviewed Chapter: 54 on 7/9/2004
On the issue of Faramir's "obsession" with Eowyn. I really don't like the idea of his obsessing over her because it's a family trait, i.e. Denethor and the palantir, Boromir and the Ring. The Ring was a magical artifact that in itself provoked obsession and protection and possession; and was a malignant force that served a Dark Lord. Eowyn is a young woman, quite a different sort of situation. If Faramir is in fact obsessed with her in the same way that his father obsessed over the palantir; then I would say that the relationship will not be good for either of our youngish lovers, and should be broken off now before someone gets seriously hurt; and that Faramir is far more messed up than he appeared to be in the books. But, if you look at it as an obsession on the order of first love, it is very believable and will be a healthy relationship if Faramir and Eowyn can move beyond the first stage and get to care about each other as people, not just bodies exerting a powerful physical attraction. It seems to me that Faramir is acting the way a teenager or a young man acts the first time he is experiencing the beginning of what we call "love". While it's a bit hard to believe that a 35-year-old prince never had a first love in his youth, it can be surmised in the post-ROTK world; since Faramir just might not have had the time when younger to fall for a young woman - there were those pesky Haradrim nipping at Ithilien's borders, and oh yes, a certain Dark Lord chomping at Minas Tirith from across the Anduin... It's obvious that Faramir has had sexual experience; and from the way you've written him, the experience was good; he must have had a partner or partners that he liked, but that isn't the same as romantic love. The single-minded way that Faramir has focussed on Eowyn, with her becoming the most important thing in the world to him, thinking about her morning noon and night, having a nightmare because he fears she doesn't love him, it's very much a first-love kind of thing, not what one might expect of the new Steward of Gondor and Prince of Ithilien. So, 'se lytle bregu' means 'the little prince' - I'd like to see the guys who gave Faramir that nickname try to heft and draw Faramir's lytle longbow (and actually shoot down a running target with it)... RAKSHA, hoping you'll update soon... Author Reply: Ah, this is hard to explain. It is an obsession dealing with love--Faramir's not violent in any way. I just wanted to use Denethor and Boromir as comparisons; Faramir is supposed to be somewhat like to Denethor and while that I think mainly pertained to the Gift, there have to be other ways I'm sure . About Eowyn--The way I read him in the book was that basically it took one look and he was hooked to her. I mean, they had what? A 5-10 min. conversation and that led to him seeking her and then Merry for information about her. That's an instant deep interest. Anyway, I don't know about Faramir's past loves and I'm not sure when it will come up, it's bound to, that's a question that gets asked. LOL, 'the little prince'. Yes, he's a very good archer and he'll get to do that and in front of Eomer, too. I know the nickname's very condescending but he will impress them rather quickly. We've got 2 days until he's a Rohirrim and well,the first day gets hard fast--they're not a patient people.

EomerofEastfold	Reviewed Chapter: 54 on 7/9/2004
That was an excellent chapter, melencholy and bittersweet. I'm sorry I can't say more than that, but there's nothing specific I wish to elaborate on. It was all good. :) Author Reply: It was too long, wasn't it? Lol, no thoughts? Damn, I like the lengthy reviews. I guess I'm getting greedy. :D

Fionnabhair Nic Aillil	Reviewed Chapter: 54 on 7/9/2004
Well, thinking about Faramir being obsessive about Éowyn (which he is, I don't deny) I think the reason it hasn't really struck me as odd or disturbing is because in my experience that's how men tend to be. I recently had to watch two of my close male friends suffer through infatuation, love and rejection (well actually I think my suffering was greater than theirs' but anyway) and especially in the early stages of their infatuations, they were both just like Faramir. Almost the only thing they could think or talk about (God help us) was their beloveds. Not only did this make them very boring conversationalists (I won't punish you with the details) it actually seemed to leave them incapable of doing anything else. Now perhaps my friends are deeply unstable men (not on the face of it an unlikely premise) but it's just that in my experience men do tend to be very, very intense about that kind of thing. Women in fact tend to be more practical (up to a point of course.) While it can't be very disconcerting to be the focus of that kind of intense, possessive love (especially if like Éowyn you're not used to men) it doesn't strike me as unusual. If Faramir was still acting like that a year from now - then I would be very, very worried indeed. Right now, it just seems like a typical (if slightly intense) reaction to a young love. Author Reply: Hmm, I guess that makes sense. (maybe the guys I hang around are just jerks, who knows, lol)

Fionnabhair Nic Aillil	Reviewed Chapter: 54 on 7/9/2004
Wow. I had to read that twice before I felt ready to make a review. Éomer and Faramir are not getting any closer to building a friendship are they? Poor things. You captured Éowyn's anguish beautifully at the end - torn between the two she loves most. And that was a lovely Aragorn-Éowyn moment (though the question is - is it enough for me to forgive him for the naked references?) I can actually see him becoming rather a large support to her now - she cares about him and he cares about her, but he isn't going to tear her heart in two like Éomer and Faramir (Well - not now he isn't). Anyway, you're managing the various textures of the story very well (though I am becoming very curious as to why Aragorn and Arwen are fighting - I mean I have my suspicions, but I want to know!) The only thing is that - while I understand that Éowyn broke down the barriers in Faramir's mind, and he is more open than usual as a result; he has had that power all his life, and rightly or wrongly, I would expect him to have developed a little more insight into the people around him (even those he can't read.) I've only noticed this in the Éomer-Faramir interactions to me, it's starting to feel like Faramir should understand him a little better. (I'm sorry I'm not phrasing this very well - it's complicated.) Anyway - great chapter! Author Reply: I think Eomer/Faramir are a little closer--they're actually talking and expressing, albeit taking baby steps, things they're thinking. The apology on Faramir's part may not have been exactly healthy of him mentally, since he's too ready to take blame, but it helped Eomer. Thanks about Eowyn, this is hard for her. Faramir's guilt weighs on her as well as his demands that she match his love (not just a little of the physical, she's well on her way at that level,lol, but the emotional, which is hard, too). He's actually very obsessed with her right now; Denethor was obsessed with the palantir, Boromir the ring--I wanted to make that the family trait and while Faramir's obsession is certainly better in a sense, personally, I didn't like the fact he asked that she think about him all the time. Eowyn's not the same type of person, who knows if she can do that--it was rather odd of him to demand she love him the exact same way he loved her. I'm surprised no one's mentioned it yet. I've tried to keep it up--having him loiter around for over an hour, think that his mind might collapse without her specific support, etc. He's obsessive and when she's upset he's very nervous of anything that might drive her away. There will be more Aragorn/Eowyn--I wanted a reason for her to ask him to wish her happiness in LotR. It happens right after her engagement is announced, she sounded almost bitter to me in the book, so I wanted to explain that--it really stuck with me. LOL, naked references make a quick comeback and a hopefully humorous little explanation when I can finally get Arwen and Eowyn together (which will answer the fighting question). Hehe! Those two hit it off. BTW, what are you're suspicions about A/A's fight? Do share. It is very complicated with Eomer/Faramir and maybe the reason you've only noticed it between them is that its only Eomer he can't define. Eomer's struggling against his own instincts--keep his sister close or within sight to protect her and that has to make his outgoing emotional and physical signals distorted. They're very different men, as I'm sure you've noticed and yet they're alike, too. If they could ever see that their goal--a happy, safe Eowyn--matched they could be friends, but Eomer's idea of safe means she's close by, under his watchful eye. Rememeber, he's basically fretted over her antics since he was 10 when their mother died. That's almost 20 years--hard habit to break and somehow I feel Eowyn B.G. was a handful, lol. Anyway, tell me if that doesn't help. I'll try to get back to you with more. Awesome, thought-provoking review. My favs. :) Also, I'm surprised no one's mentioned the dagger incident. Eowyn really hated it and loved all the jewelry--not common conceptions of her, but fitting, I think. I doubt Grima gave her any baubles- those pertain to Faramir and she likes his attention (lol, I think the dresser make-out was partially inspired by the ring).

Jen	Reviewed Chapter: 54 on 7/9/2004
What a lovely long chapter! Was so stressed out when I checked Monday and there was no update. Ended up checking every hour of every day since then. I really enjoyed the description of how the Rohirrim differed in their training of horses. [By the way thank you so much for answering my question in the last chapter.] You also portrayed really well how difficult it is for Eowyn to completely let go of her doubts and fears despite the fact that she loves Faramir. After all, one cannot immediately let go of defenses developed over time. Eomer is really growing on me. It was very noble of him to look after the guy his sister appears to be on the road of marrying. He could have easily thrown him into the wolves and tried to convince his sister that way that the relationship was not such a very good idea. The final part to the chapter shows how very difficult it is to respond to someone's grief. One never knows if you should listen to what the grieving person says or stand your ground since you know they need you. Author Reply: You're welcome about the question. Yep, Eowyn's come a huge distance though, when you think that she's only been with Faramir what, a month? Month and a half? I love Eomer and the farther this goes the more I dread the chapter in which Eowyn actually leaves--I'm dead serious, I'm going to be weeping writing it will be so sad. I mean, I'm hardly sure I can do it, lol. And about Eomer, he really (some part of him) sees that Faramir makes Eowyn happy and he's always wanted her to be happy. He loves his little sister more than anything and while it will kill a part of him, he'll let her go. I know, Faramir didn't want to have to leave either, but he didn't know what to do. Eowyn had to bottle herself up to help him cope and it all exploded.

Lady of the Wood	Reviewed Chapter: 54 on 7/9/2004
Oooh my that was lovey! Worth the wait. I also liked the scene with Faramir's dream/memory of what happened with his father. Perhaps Faramir knowing what it's like to lose family will help him bond with Eomer? I also liked the talk Faramir and Eowyn had the next morning. It's nice to see her looking him. I confess that when Eowyn starts to wake up I thought that she was having one of those prophetic dreams that Faramir has and that it was a dream of their married life and then of course I realised that she had some how gotten to his room. I thought you did Eowyn's mode swings after the funeral service well. Grief is a really tricky beast and it can make people behave just the way she did. The scene by the river...lets just say I wish I had a river to jump in too! Author Reply: Thanks about the dream and Eowyn's moods. Both were hard. The entire chapter just kept taking darker and darker turns. :( I'm afraid it won't get any better. Hehe, the scene by the river was hot, huh? I swear Frodo could have saved his little self a journey by just giving the ring to Faramir--Wenham makes him hotter than the fires of Mount Doom! :O Hehe, if you haven't seen the movie Better than Sex, rent it tonight. David Wenham is sexy and half-nude just about the entire film. Really uh, helped, me picture Faramir.

Raksha The Demon	Reviewed Chapter: 54 on 7/9/2004
Faramir's nightmare was very well written. Obviously his subconscious mind remembers the horror of the pyre. What happens when/if the memory comes to his waking mind - let's hope it never does. Denethor has a lot to answer for... Faramir and Eowyn have been very lucky - if Eomer happened to see them when they were exploring each other, he'd probably have taken his sword and done something very unpleasant to Faramir. What does 'se lytle bregu' mean? Author Reply: Thanks about Faramir's dream--I actually woke up one morning at 5:30 AM with the entire thing already written and whole just sitting in my mind. It was weird. LOL, yes, oh, yes Eowyn and Faramir have been lucky so far... ;) I'm ot sure how much longer that luck will last. Oh, man, sorry about that, I swear I have all the translations all laid out when I write the chapter at home and then I get it on a disk to take to the library and I FORGET EVERY TIME to get the translations!! Drives me insane, I have to go back through the whole chapter. Anyway, se lytle bregu means the little Prince. It's actually not that much of an insult, but they don't know him well enough yet to come up with good ones do they? ;)

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