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Stirrings of Shadow  by Fiondil 6 Review(s)
Agape4GondorReviewed Chapter: 42 on 6/24/2008
I am sooooo far behind in reviews. Please forgive me!

This was a truly sad chapter. My heart bled when I read of Thengel and Morwen's entrance... for one could feel the aweful truth, even though not yet spoken.

I was a little surprised with the humorous repartee here between Aragorn and Celegryn... Perhaps I'm an old stick-in-the-mud, but when you are telling a tale as horrific as this... I cannot see where humor can come into it. I thought their actions were incredibly boorish... for such a sad time for Thengel and his people....

I was suprised and delighted with the plot twist - of how they died. Ingenious.

Good chapter.... very well thought out!

Author Reply: I think the humor... more lkie whistling in the dark past a graveyard as another review put it... is a typical reaction we have in order to soften the horror of a situation that is beyond comprehension. And, of course, Aragorn is just young enough to be slightly insensitive to the feelings of those around him. The hunters, after all, are not his own people, and so he doesn't have the emotional connection to them nor the level of maturity to emphasize.

As for the plot twist... I'm glad you approve. *grin* I did agonize over it and had to talk it out with others to be sure it would be a realistic conclusion as to what happened to them. Of course, we STILL don't know what caused them to run to the caves the way they did... but then, some mysteries are never meant to be solved.

Linda HoylandReviewed Chapter: 42 on 5/28/2008
Great detective work as the mystery is solved.Although a sad ending,at least the men weren't abducted by Orcs or something worst.
Wise advice for Aragorn about admitting to pain.

Author Reply: As you say, at least the mystery is solved and while not all questions have been answered the most important one has been and now people can move on. And Aragorn is just young enough still that admitting to any kind of weakness is anathema, but he'll learn. Thanks for reviewing.

obsidianjReviewed Chapter: 42 on 5/21/2008
So, the missing men are dead. If they died from i.e. CO poisoning, it wouldn't have killed them instantaneously, they would just die in their sleep.

Thengel is very accommodating to allow Aragorn and Widfara to disturb the report with their banter.

Author Reply: Most likely they did die in their sleep, although if there were methane involved, it would have been a bit faster I believe. I think Thengel permitted it because he knew they needed it. They all did after Underharrow. The news that the missing hunters were indeed dead would be almost anticlimatic for them.

Beruthiels CatReviewed Chapter: 42 on 5/18/2008
I like the solution to the mystery of the missing hunters, especially since their fates could have been much worse. After the horrific events of previous chapters, it had to have been a relief to those left behind to know that these at least had a peaceful passing from life. Humor is well-placed here, sort of like whistling past the graveyard. Aragorn's actions provide (to me, at least) a needed alternative focus from the desperate situation they're still facing as well as a reminder to everyone not to take anything at face value...or for granted.
Excellent!


Cat

Author Reply: Hi Cat. I'm glad you liked the solution to the mystery even if not everything about it has been answered and probably never will be. The banter between Aragorn and the elves is indeed a kind of "whistling past a cemetery" reaction to all that has happened to them of late, though, of course, elves do not fear the dead, but these elves at least are willing to 'play' along. Thanks for reviewing. I really appreciate it.

Shoshana_RoseReviewed Chapter: 42 on 5/18/2008
I had to give it a quick read through now. It's 6:30 AM and I've got a paper due tomorrow that still needs much work. Gotta toddle off to bed so I can catch a few winks before hitting the grind stone again.

But I really liked this chapter, from what I've read. Finally a question answered! Where *is* that darned canary in the coal mine when you need it? I'm a little surprised that Aragorn, the elves, and Thengel, let the story get so side-tracked in the beginning, when everyone already knew that this was the story of how those men died. I kinda wanted to slap Aragorn for focusing on his own ineptitude at such a time. But then, since he's in his mid 20's perhaps it's the perfect time for him to have Dunedain teen-angst. ;)

I'll read it more slowly tomorrow (later today). Great job of keeping the interest up!

--Shoshi

Author Reply: Hi Shoshi. My beta commented on the seeming irrelevant and irreverent banter between Aragorn and the elves and decided that this was a coping mechanism. They already know there is bad news because the missing hunters are not there even though the elves are claiming they were found. And Aragorn is indeed young and thinks that if he had been thinking more clearly things would have turned out differently, but of course, by the time anyone was looking for the missing hunters they were already dead and their cave buried under stone.

Good luck on your paper. Thanks for taking the time to send a review. I really appreciate it.

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 42 on 5/17/2008
So, that's the way of it; and no birds to warn of poisonous gases. At least their deaths were peaceful, as has been noted, and they have been found and the worries for them are at last calmed, if not fully appeased.

Author Reply: Even in real life not all questions are ever answered. Sometimes we only have partial answers, as is the case here. They will probably never know what really happened, but at least they know enough for closure and that's the important thing.

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