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| Rest and Relaxation by Dot | 12 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| lwarren | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 1/2/2005 |
| *thunk!* "Oh...by the way...watch out, Estel!" Such a helpful elf, isn't he? A well. See, I thought it might be one of those underground caves carved out by rivers or streams over time. But I liked the well much better, especially the use it had been put to. Aragorn and Legolas in these past few chapters have definitely tickled my funny bone! :-) Legolas is such a tease, and Aragorn the poor long-suffering human. *sigh* Aside from all the humor, though, this hide-away was really very sad. Used long ago to protect a family from Valar-knows-what, and the use of the carved toys and rattle to show the presence of children was especially sad. I suppose this discovery will bring back some not-so-pleasant memories of the War for these two guys. I'll be very interested to see what Legolas and Aragorn talk about under the stars as they pass the evening. Wonderful chapter, Dot! linda (did Aragorn ever find a bush? :-) ) Author Reply: Legolas had to have some fun, you know! I’m so glad you liked the idea of the well. It’s one of those things that made sense at the time but makes me cringe a bit now! Ah yay – you like the humour! I think the way that people tease one another says a lot about their friendship and how comfortable they are with one another. The hide-out is sad, and it is indeed a reminder that the War reached further than just the battlefield. The conversation between these two is practically done, and is something I’ve been trying to get to for a while. I had intended too to wrap this story up fairly soon but am now very unsure as to whether it needs something more. We’ll see. Hopefully I should be able to post more soon. Again, it’s so encouraging to receive your reviews just when I was having difficulty. I’ll try to make sure Aragorn finds a bush soon…!!! | |
| lwarren | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 1/2/2005 |
| DOTTTTTTT!!!! See? I knew things were too calm! This gives new meaning to the words cliff-hanger! Of course, put an elf and man together and you're always guaranteed to have interesting times...especially these two! :-) I love seeing Legolas up a tree! Almost as much as I love him singing to the trees and them singing to him in return! I think that's one of my favorite things about his character! Poor Aragorn! He should have been on the lookout for a tree-bound elf, especially in light of the arrival of this particular elf the night before! Yes, he's been away from his friend for entirely too long! What self-respecting Wood Elf would be caught inside a house when he could be sitting in a tree welcoming the sunrise of a new day? So, Legolas has planned an outing for Strider, complete with invisible guards, and what does Aragorn do to repay him? He falls into a cave...or a black hole...ooooh, maybe the Nexus....(oops, mixing universes....sorry! :-( sometimes I get carried away!) Great chapter....*sounds the charge and races off to rescue the King!* linda linda Author Reply: WHATTTTT??? Oh right, yeah… ;-) Mmm, up a tree does seem a good place for Legolas. I think he enjoyed tormenting poor Aragorn too. Those darn guards. I would have loved to just have Legolas and Aragorn ride off for a few days but I thought that realistically that probably wouldn’t have happened and this is the only solution I could think of. They’ll still know they’re there but at least they can relax a bit. Maybe. I know, silly Aragorn. After Legolas going to so much trouble… LOL. | |
| lwarren | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/2/2005 |
| All right! An elf...and not just any elf...THE elf!!! I was just getting ready to whine about the absence of golden-haired elven princes! (Gee, I'll bet you can't tell where MY loyalties lie...uh, lay...oh, heck...whatever!!!!) Now, Dot, I have decided this is a nice, calm story with a little tension building about Aragorn's health, but not too much...I'm sure I do not want to know what is planned further down the line (*covers ears* "Not listening! Not listening!) Anyway, I liked Aragorn sleeping in...and couldn't keep from gasping when..........he COMBED his hair!!! He has indeed, put aside the Ranger, and perhaps that is at the root of his problem. I cannot imagine it was easy for him take up a crown and a government and responsibility for all those people after a life spent mostly alone and free to come and go as he pleased. Arwen up a tree? Wonder who taught her that? Celebrian or her daeradar, perhaps? Another really nice picture of the ladies and children coming in all mussed and excited about their day in the woods. I am glad Legolas is there, and the greeting between the two was just what I've come to visualize between these very close friends. Aragorn hadn't seen Legolas in 3 years? That's too long...after reading your poem yesterday, that little fact becomes even more poignant. Great chapter, Dot! linda Author Reply: LOL, you’re so funny! Uncover those ears – I promise nothing too horrible is going to happen! I hadn’t though about the hair combing – I wonder how long it took Arwen to train him to do that?? Of course Arwen can climb a tree ;-) I thought there should be some adventurous side to the Queen of Gondor. I figured Celebrían might have taught her but I love the idea that it might have been Celeborn!! She *did* spend all that time in Lothlorien, after all… Yep, here’s Legolas! I just couldn’t go any further without letting him appear! I’m glad you liked their reunion. I think Aragorn has just realised how much he missed his friend :-( | |
| lwarren | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 1/2/2005 |
| You do conversation between your characters very well, Dot. Totally believable and comfortable. I loved the vision of Arwen and Aragorn resting under the tree while watching Eldarion plague the guards. They are such a loving couple, totally in love and happy with each other! *sigh*I am a sucker for a nice love story! (Of course, the trick with this particular love story is not to look too far ahead in the future *sniff*.) Had to laugh at Arwen when Aragorn pointed out that "HER" son got his exuberance and high spirits from her side of the family! Of course, once Estel had been around the twin terrors for awhile, I'm sure he either picked up some of their favorite tricks, or added some of his own ideas to the list! LOL I am also so glad that the men (namely Faramir and Aragorn) are aware of exactly WHO runs their families!!!!!! :-) Nice chapter, Dot...I'm glad the King will get some well deserved R & R! linda Author Reply: Oh, wow. I’m so flattered by your comments on the dialogue. It’s what I most enjoy writing – sometimes to the detriment of the plot! – and I like the challenge of making sure that the different personalities can be seen. That you find it “believable and comfortable” is a huge compliment. I’m very pleased that you liked the Arwen/Aragorn stuff. I figure that after all they’ve been through, they HAVE to know they’re suited! I thought the teasing was something they might do. I remember in school, whenever I did well my Dad would refer to me as “my daughter” when talking to my Mum, but if I misbehaved I was very quickly “your daughter” – so I used that! Yes indeed, these are very wise men to know who’s really in charge! :-) | |
| lwarren | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/2/2005 |
| Didn't have time for this multi-chaptered piece yesterday, but promised myself to read it today! I love the thought of Aragorn considering what the sight of a King running screaming from the throne room would do to his advisors! HA! :-) I also love stories with Eldarion and Arwen (and Legolas later, I hope :-) *sigh*). I really liked Aragorn making sure that his duties as King did not overshadow the father and husband. He's a good Adar (had a good model after all!). Eldarion's chatter is cute...multiple sentences crammed into one and all said in one breath! Sooooo...the King has been ill, Arwen has been fretting and worrying, and a trip away from the responsibilities of the throne has been planned. Yay, we're goin' to see Far'mir and Eowyn and maybe some elves....It's about time Elessar learned to delegate and just "get away from it all" for awhile. Nice beginning, Dot....on to ch. 2!!!! Yay!! :-) linda (I hope you don't get too tired of this "plethora" of reviews from me...and it's no trouble a'tall, ya know....*vbg*) Author Reply: I’m having such a great time watching you go through all my stuff! I have no doubt at all that Aragorn made an excellent king, but I thought that after the life he led it must have surely been difficult to some degree to sacrifice the freedom he had. I’m glad you liked the idea that he tries to ensure that he spends time as father and husband too. I thought that would be important to him. I find children really difficult to write! I will admit to having very limited experience with them… But I wanted Eldarion to appear slightly more advanced for his age than other kids because of his elvish blood, but still just a little boy. I’m so happy you like him! Anyway, he’s not central to the story, I just thought that by basing it in this point in time, I could add a little to the conflict that Aragorn is feeling and besides, it’s easier to see the softer side of him when around his family rather than just in terms of his duties ;-) | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 7/29/2004 |
| I wonder if the guards who are keeping an unobtrusive eye on the king noticed their disappearance - and whether they are frantic with worry. I liked the bit about Legolas not minding spiders as long as they were smaller than young ponies! Hidey-holes for safety make sense, but I am glad I haven't had to take refuge in one. Author Reply: Yeah, the guards were a bit of a problem for me because I didn't think Aragorn could realistically just wander off any more - even though I'd have liked him to - so I thought they could arrange to have guards around the area just incase. But I suppose if they spotted the two horses and no sign of man or elf they would panic a bit. We'll see! When writing about the underground hide-out I thought that one of the worst things for me would be the creepy-crawlies but I realised that they probably wouldn't bother Legolas in the slightest!! I'm so glad it makes sense to you. I can't tell you how much of a relief that is to me! Thank you so much for the review. :-) | |
| grumpy | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 7/29/2004 |
| what a great story, I am really enjoying it. So nice of all of Aragorn friends to get together, and give him a vacation, and a chance to be Strider again. Funny that he would fall down a hole, my first thought was that is was a outdoor privy. Legolas is a good friend to go down the tunnels with him. looking forward to more Author Reply: An outdoor privy?? LOL! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story. I think Aragorn's friends were really worried about him and they all, especially Legolas, understand his need to escape back to his old life for a while. He's very lucky in his friends and family! Thanks for the review - it's much appreciated :-) | |
| songspinner | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 7/28/2004 |
| I am enjoying the vivid characterization in this...very true to book and film, both, I think. It's good to see Aragorn needing to be Strider again sometimes, and his friends and family indulging that. Author Reply: Thank you so much! That's such a compliment. I think it's only natural that at some point Aragorn would feel stifled and his friends and family are worried about him so if they can give him a break, I imagine they would. I hope you continue to enjoy the story! :-) | |
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 7/28/2004 |
| A well! That was the first thing I thought of when you said the hole was round. But then there's the tunnel. So what's up? It's really a very icky place. I'll bet there are slimy bugs and not just spiders. But the thought of a family having to hide there is really sad. I like the image of these two sitting and talking under the stars. And forgive my coarse mind, but did Aragorn ever get to relieve himself? I wondered about that for some time. Author Reply: Yep, a well. I know. That's what happens when you come back to a story a year later and can't remember what the heck you were writing about. I thought 'icky' summed it up pretty nicely! The next chapter should be mostly them talking under the stars. I've a conversation that I want them to have that keeps being put back a chapter but I'd say there's only one more, possibly two, to go. You know, I did think about Aragorn not getting to relieve himself but I convinced myself that no-one would notice. I should have known! I'll think of something. Or maybe that would explain why the ground beneath him was so damp... Thanks for the reviews. :-) | |
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 7/28/2004 |
| I like the fact that Arwen and Legolas can answer the questions without yes or no. Go not to the elves! It was a nice touch that Aragorn tugs on his collar when he feel confined by his life. And it was interesting that Faramir is happy where he is. Poor Eldarion. I can see why he'd miss his father but he'll enjoy playing with the other children soo. "Vanished into thin air"??? Am I supposed to take that literally? I was already kind of worried about that gloomy place over there. Author Reply: I've actually been forced to play that game and kids are scarily good at it - and believe me it can go on for a LONG time. I think Faramir would be content enough where he is and unlikely to feel any particular desire to go off adventuring. Aragorn is happy too, I think - he just needs a little distance from his life to get some perspective ;-) Eldarion is fine. Just as long as he and his new friends don't acquire some pet mice... '"Vanished into thin air"??? Am I supposed to take that literally?' Um, no... :-) | |