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| A Matter of Honor by meckinock | 20 Review(s) |
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| Suzelle | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 11/8/2019 |
| This is a review of both this chapter and the last, which!!! oh my god!!! You write Elrond so WELL, and that conversation between him and Aragorn was just perfect. I didn't realize how much I wanted a story where Elrond truly comes to terms with Arwen's choice until I have read it here, and it's so bittersweet and lovely. Then this chapter, which had me CACKLING. MORE ELLADAN DRINKING SONGS PLS. | |
| Klose | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 2/16/2007 |
| Ah, there are so many tantalising possibilities you've hinted at in this chapter... Saerbellas being rather of Halbarad's great-great-great-grandfather, now there's something that I'd love to know more about! (And, also, what Elladan and Elrohir might wanted to have discussed about Halbarad's mother! *grapples*) Halbarad's discomfort at this reminder of the antiquity of the Elves of Imladris was certainly understandable, and it does make me wonder about how they see it - the distant descendants of the first Dunedain they must have befriended, how they must be so different and so similar from their ancestors... and each passing on quicker than they might like. I'm thinking you're primarily a Man-writer (as odd as that sounds), but you have such a gift for bringing all characters to life - from Halbarad to Aragorn to Gandalf to the Elves to Dudo. I'm not terribly interested in Hobbits, I'll admit, but Dudo's rather stolen my heart, I think. And, also, I don't think we'll see too much more of the Elves for the rest of the story (if I'm remembering correctly), I'd just like to say again that I adore your depiction of them. As seen in Elrohir's exchange with Halbarad re: Dudo, they're as wise and melancholy as Tolkien portrayed them, and kind, too. (This particular struck me in this line: Glorfindel appeared behind Dudo’s chair and pulled it back from the table. “Save your questions for the Hall of Fire, Master Dudo,” he said, extending a hand as the hobbit twisted around to peer up at him. “It is time for singing. Do you like to sing?” It's rather innocent as far as it's role in the entire scene goes, but it's just so *perfect* in its simplicity. Also perfect is drunk!Elladan, whose antics inspire me to write fanfiction of my own, LOL. Elrond's resignation and Glorfindel's disapproval are just the icing on the cake... for Elladan's drunken poetry ain't too bad, I'm thinking! "Halbarad, morose and dour" - ahahaha! :D! Halbarad's familiarity with Elladan's inebriated singing gives me an image of Elrond's sons and some Rangers around a campfire, all a bit heady from too much ale... as I said, you offer up some very tantalising possibilities in this chapter... Once again, you very deftly bring the story back to serious matters. Halbarad's conversation with Dudo about the dangers of being too infatuated with Rivendell - just, wow. It was nothing short of exquisite. And a poignant way of showing the "other side", a nice contrast to Elrond's perspective in the previous chapter. Such is Rivendell, Dudo – an image of what awaits us, maybe, after our toil here is done; and a refuge, from time to time, from the trials of mortal life. *sighs* Gorgeous. Apologies for all this incoherence, but this is just such a wonderful story, and despite repeated readings, I cannot get over how well-written it is. Action, drama, relationships, humour, flawed, loveable characters - it's what I look for in any good story, and I'm just so glad I found this story, which most definitely has all of the above, and more. Good stuff, Meckinock! Now to slowly tackle the remainder of this story... :D Author Reply: Thank you for the gift of knowing that I've been able to brighten your day and that you're glad you found the story. I can't tell you how elated it makes me. I am primarily a Man-writer, yes (that does sound somewhat odd, doesn't it?), and I'm not sure I could sustain an entire story about just Elves, for example. I'm pretty rooted in the grubby, smelly, mortal types. But I enjoyed the challenge of writing all the various races that ended up populating this portion of the story and seeing how they would interact. I'm glad you pointed out that brief interaction between Glorfindel and Dudo. I just see the Elves as being endlessly kind and indulgent of a hobbit - and of course there's evidence of this in the way Elrond welcomed Bilbo. Also perfect is drunk!Elladan, whose antics inspire me to write fanfiction of my own, LOL. No way. I thought I'd be tarred and feathered for drunk!Elladan, frankly :-) I did somewhat imagine that Elrond's sons let their hair down occasionally when they're out in the Wild with the Rangers. Yes, that's an appealing image... I'm glad you liked Halbarad's talk with Dudo; it was sort of at the heart of my exploration of the anomaly that Rivendell and its inhabitants would have presented to the mortal residents of Eriador. Thank you again so much. I'm fairly incoherent in my ability to convey the extent to which I'm grateful for your review; just please believe I am!. | |
| Raksha The Demon | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 8/16/2006 |
| Wonderful speech by Halbarad about what life will be like when the King returns - a wistful yet visionary quality to it; one has the sense that Hal really is living, and will die, for it. Author Reply: A closet poet, our Halbarad! I think of him as such a practical sort, the kind who just gets the job done; but driving him is a deep sense of purpose. He's doing the job for a reason. Thanks, Raksha. | |
| perelleth | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 7/9/2006 |
| Oh, I have to leave it here, but this single chapter is a jewel! From dinner to singing to parting, the conversations flow smoothly, with not one unnecesary word, with fluent transitions and visual vividness. I'm awed!. And then I had to wipe out tears to be able to get to the end of Elladan's improvisation! My! That was great! I couldn't have come up with that in a million years! Hilarious, punctuated by Elrond's suffering tolerance and Glorfindel's outrage.. LOLOL, I'm still chuckling. Also like how you manage to convey the deep difference between Elves and Men. Too often the twins are shown like mindless thoughtless dim witted youngsters, and with a flicker of an eye here we see what lies underneath that levity and lightness of heart that many authors mistake for youthful recklessnes. And of course, Halbarad's economic line of thought eexpressed it better than many words:"the fact that Elrohir had sat in this very Hall and shared a glass with Valandil himself," And then the subtle difference between Elrond and Elrohir rounds the effect nicely. And allt through the discerning eye of our grumpy ranger. Wondrous till the end, when he manages to show Dudo the reality of the world outside Rivendell. Although this is the line that really made me smile:“Those who are destined to straddle two worlds might as well partake of the best of both. Of course. Where would be the fun if we didn't? Congratulations, Ranger. These stories are simply perfect. I just wished I could catch at least half of Ray dog's jokes too! :-) Author Reply: Don't feel bad, Perelleth - even we who cut our teeth on The Brady Bunch have trouble following Ray's Dog sometimes. I'm glad you didn't have trouble following the chapter, though. Elladan's song was quite the challenge for me since I write neither songs nor poetry, and know nothing about either. My solution was to make give Elladan a LOT to drink before putting a harp in his hand. This was a fun chapter to write - I really enjoyed exploring Halbarad's worldview. I'm really glad you liked it. | |
| washow | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 12/28/2005 |
| I am pathatically late with my review but I really enjoyed this chapter. I loved how Elrond was interacting with Aragorn, it gave me a warm fuzzy feeling. Author Reply: Hi, Washow, It's great to hear from you. I'm glad the chapter gave you a fuzzy. We need one of those every once in a while; at least I do! Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed the chapter. There's no such thing as a late review - they're always a gift and I appreciate you taking the time. | |
| viggomaniac | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 12/27/2005 |
| Nice touches in this chapter, what with Halbarad's seams popping, a drunken Elladan as troubador, and a voracious Dudo. And there was that nice little bit with a sleepy Aragorn. Aw, poor Dudo -- after all, who WOULDN'T get attached to a place like Rivendell? It sounds so wonderful. Just got your new chapter downloaded and hope to read soon. I enjoy your writing tremendously and it always brightens my day to get a story alert from you. Author Reply: Hey, Viggomaniac. Poor Dudo, indeed - but falling in love with something he can't have would only bring him bitterness in the end. Halbarad did him a favor. Thanks for the review and all the continued support on the other sites. meckinock | |
| Estelcontar | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 12/11/2005 |
| Your wise, down to earth Halbarad is such a wonderful character that he made me do something I never thought I would: I did not miss Aragorn as much as I should in this chapter. Elladan's song was delightful, and I enjoyed seeing Elrond and Aragorn's loving relationship, but Halbarad's explanation to Dudo of why Rivendel is not mortals is worth is absolutely brilliant, and encapsulates in simple words what Tolkien hints about Elves and Men through his entire legendarium. Congratulations! But I still hope to see a bit more of Aragorn in the next chapter. I cán't live without him. Author Reply: Hi, Estelcontar, I'm tickled that you managed to hang on to the end even with Aragorn in the background - I hoped that if belching, seam-popping Halbarad wasn't enough distraction, drunk!Elladan would be. Once I Aragorn and Elrond on cosy terms I think I temporarily ran out of things for them to talk about - but don't worry, the next chapter will see much more of Aragorn. If you liked the discussion about Rivendell and mortals (and thank you very much for saying so!), you might want to check out Bodkin's latest chapter of "Arwen's Heart" that she just posted this evening, in which Gilraen expresses some intriguing insights about her life in Imladris. (Also there is a very nice little Aragorn h/c scene.) Good to hear from you! | |
| grumpy | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 12/11/2005 |
| Poor Halbarad being stuffed by the elves, and outfitted in a new tunic that was perhaps made a bit to small, plus now said elves are trying to get him drunk. At least Estel is under the kind eye of his Ada, and is relaxed. I love the song that Elladan sang. "I will not say my brother is simple", very good Elladan, very good indeed. One of the things, I like best about this chapter is Halbarad's vision of what the north will be like, once Aragorn is king. "...peaple will get to live in warm dry houses, with little grey cats on the porchs.." So lovely. Author Reply: Hey, Grumpy, I don't know what's wrong with Halbarad - most guys would love to be stuffed with food and drink until they explode like overpacked sausages. I'm glad you like the song, but I think I've been way upstaged by the Karenator: Hardly clean was he, A victim for a fee, Bested by a boy, And one lame-ass ploy Halbarad (as I interpret him, anyhow) is sort of the Dunedain version of Sam, I guess - not dreaming of power or glory, but of a simple life, and peace and safety and happiness for the people he loves. | |
| Linda Hoyland | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 12/10/2005 |
| I'm as sad as Dudo that Halabarad is leaving as I love the way you write him !I loyed the "Lay".Halbarad's vision of when Aragorn is King reminded me of that part in the Bible about the lion and the lamb.An excellent bittersweet chapter. Author Reply: Don't worry; we haven't seen the last of Halbarad. I don't think I could part with him just yet! The lion and the lamb verse is sort of what he dreams of, now that you mention it - speaking of Bible verses, it's funny but I was thinking of one, too. When I was editing the scene where Halbarad takes Dudo to the mountain I kept thinking of God taking Moses to the mountain and showing him the promised land. Except I guess in this case Dudo already thought he was IN the promised land... Glad you enjoyed it, Linda | |
| The Karenator | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 12/9/2005 |
| The PI, Johnny Halbarad, looked out over the buffet table in the Imladris Waffle House and suppressed a burp that had been building like Mount St. Helens. If he ate anymore, he’d erupt like a cheap piñata in the hands of sugar-high polka dancers celebrating Buya Corona Day. Having been around these parts before, he knew the elves could pack the chow away, but the diminutive desert devourer surprised him with a talent to scarf up more crumbs than an idling 747 sucking dirt off a runway. The ravenous ragamuffin was a danger to food stores everywhere, like a rotund rat snacking his way through the last package of Twinkies. The PI was about to spew just watching the piggish punk, when the Last Homely Dad stood to call an end to the feed-fest. Halbarad figured the old guy was getting worried with a vagabond vacuum cleaning him out faster than Sauron could blink. The Dad made nice while he clamped down on the shoulder of his wandering ward. The PI figured the Dad wanted to remind the cheeky chieftain that he was still the long arm of the law, a law that regulated the whole coop. When the Dad announced to the rambunctious crowd that the cubic zirconium of Coopville was cutting her way back to the nest, a loud huzzah rocked the Waffle House. The cook and the waitresses started gathering up the dishes faster than the Skipper could run a boat and seven castaways ashore before the place took off into a frenzy of frivolity sure to cost the diner a year’s worth of wages. While the crowd was still reeling with the leviathan lowdown, one of the bookend brothers herded the PI and the gorged galley gnome down the dark alley to the Hall of Firewater and Fetid Fete. It was karaoke night. One thing Halbarad had learned in all his years of dogging the cheerless chieftain’s steps was that there was nothing that got an elf’s blood pumping like a good sing along. If cutting out had not been considered a terrible breech of the First Born’s melancholy manners, the PI would have hightailed it back to his balmy bed for a night of sweet shut eye. Instead he settled for a dank corner with a neon Barleybur’s Best Brew light buzzing over his head like a chorus of angry wasps. He let his head fall back on the wall and thought to catch forty winks before anyone noticed he had zoned out, but one of the brothers beautiful dropped into the chair next to him. “Your grandpa had funny hair and smelled roses,” the bookend said. “And you look like you’ve been pushing up pansies longer than he has, not to mention that you smell like him too.” “Nah,” Halbarad said, forcing open his eyes to peer through the smoky den of dime store ditties. “I’m just plowed cleaner than the Midwest after a big white blow.” “You think you’re skunked,” the brother said. “Take a gander at my womb mate. He’s nabbed Harry Potter’s wand and is about to belt out holiday tunes.” Sure enough, the tottering twin had snagged the mic and wobbled onto the craggy crate of a stage. Buffy, the balrog slayer, scuffled with the tanked twin for a moment, but lost the battle when the wannabe Waylon grabbed a Fender Stratocaster and started to wail. (Think Jingle Bells…requires a loose interpretation and a lot of imagination) Slogging through the mud, A ranger and his bud, Fear nothing but a bath, Standing in their path. Their job is naught short, Guarding hobbit sorts, Wielding blade and sword, They've never been so bored. OH…A ranger’s gone, A ranger’s gone, A PI’s on his trail Wolves and wizards, they’ve saved his gizzard, He’s back in Rivendell But best of all lost, The guy that they call boss, Aragorn's impaired, When finding home's lair. His rangers they don’t fear, He'll soon be swilling beer, A soon king of men, A pint is his friend. OH…A ranger’s gone, A ranger’s gone, A PI’s on his trail Wolves and wizards, they’ve saved his gizzard, He’s back in Rivendell A small seedy town, Nearly took him down, Snatched fast from his pint, A kid caused him fright. Hardly clean was he, A victim for a fee, Bested by a boy, And one lame-ass ploy. OH…A ranger’s gone, A ranger’s gone, A PI’s on his trail Wolves and wizards, they’ve saved his gizzard, He’s back in Rivendell Fear not, o' big boss, On a borrowed hoss, One can take a lots, But not one that trots. In the seedy town, Rescuers were found, A wizened science guy, And a dour P.I. OH…A ranger’s gone, A ranger’s gone, A PI’s on his trail Wolves and wizards, they’ve saved his gizzard, He’s back in Rivendell To their party of two, Right out of the blue, A pie muncher came, Dudo was his name. A mite short was he, A ranger wannabe, A bad wolf he did slay, And turned it into fillet. OH…A ranger’s gone, A ranger’s gone, A PI’s on his trail Wolves and wizards, they’ve saved his gizzard, He’s back in Rivendell We sing of their valor, Despite their sad calor, After a scrubbing, They all went out pubbing. Deeds to be recalled, A ranger and his gall, Pursued by his pal, He won't steal horses now. OH…A ranger’s gone, A ranger’s gone, A PI’s on his trail Wolves and wizards, they’ve saved his gizzard, He’s back in Rivendell “I didn’t know your brazen brother could bust a beat on a six string,” the PI said. “He can’t,” the sonorous sibling yelled above the ruckus. “You’re just ploughed.” “Like the lower forty,” Halbarad said, closing his eyes to go back to Sand Land. Ray’s Dog The dog and I want you to know that this was one fine chapter. Poor Halbarad just wasn’t made in the image of elves, not to mention having eaten well during his stay. I see him as broader across the chest and shoulders anyway. The ripping tunic made me laugh…nearly as much as Elladan’s song. If the son of Elrond didn’t have a headache the morning after, Glorfindel will give him one. So much for dignity. Still, he was delightful belting out his lay. My favorite scene was at the end when Halbarad explained to Dudo why Rivendell wasn’t for people like them. Its ageless and unchanging beauty isn’t the world of mortals. You rendered his view so beautifully, I felt sort of sorry for the elves. I felt like they were missing something they rarely, if ever, got to experience. Halbarad wasn’t blinded by the perfection of Imladris, but was able to see a beauty in mortality and in the world of men. He’s a man comfortable with who he is. I really liked that. I particularly like the part where Dudo gave the knife back to Halbarad. I thought that said a lot about the little hobbit too. Wonderful chapter, worth reading over and over. Karen Author Reply: Every time you do this, I hold out hope that I'll come up with something a tenth as clever as a reply, instead of just saying something lame-ass. As always, lame-ass wins out. It's not just your infinite capacity for alliteration and your encyclopedic data bank of obscure facts, or the ability to string them all together that amazes me, it's the fact that you actually take the time to do it. Especially when I know you don't have time to breathe at the moment. I hope you know how much I look forward to and treasure these Ray's Dog chapters. This one is like an early Christmas present. I'll be singing this all day... Fear not, o' big boss, On a borrowed hoss, | |