Stories of Arda Home Page
About Us News Resources Login Become a member Help Search

Aspects of Aragorn  by Inzilbeth 10 Review(s)
Silivren TinuReviewed Chapter: 3 on 11/5/2009
That must have been such a wonderful day for Gilraen! I enjoyed your version of how Estel might have reacted to being told about his true name and heritage. I like the idea that he didn't feel any loss or betrayal, but was simply able to accept and even embrace the news about his father and his heritage. It must be so great for Gilraen to finally be able to tell her son all about his father! :)

Author Reply: I'm so glad you enjoyed this version of Estel finding out about his heritage. Like all this story, I based this interpretation firmly in canon. We know that the day after he learned who he was, Estel was singing, with 'his heart high within him' and we are told that he had 'rejoiced' in his new title. With this in mind, I can't see any grounds to view him as having been upset or angry. Yes, poor Gilraen; having to hide Arathorn from her son for so long must have been very hard for her.

Thank you so much for your review and for reading.

MirachReviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/3/2009
The dialogue flows very naturally here. I imagine that it’s not as easy to achieve as it is easy to read…

Author Reply: Thank you so much, I'm very glad know that since this chapter was probably the hardest to contruct of all of them.

Minerva OrganaReviewed Chapter: 3 on 4/28/2009
I always wondered how exactly Elrond came about deciding when Aragorn was ready...this was very well done. I like Estel's reaction--very pensive, but still hopeful and proud. And that last scene with Gilraen was great!

Author Reply: Thank you so much, Minerva, for your review. This was a surprisingly complicated chapter to write as there were so many emotions to deal with but I'm so glad you enjoyed it.

meckinockReviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/25/2008
This was a heartwarming and yet fresh depiction of Elrond's revelation. Elrond's love pride, hope are obvious and yet because of his love, it's clear he regrets in some way having to place such a heavy burden on Aragorn's shoulders. The moment Aragorn holds the Ring of Barahir in his hands for the first time was such a powerful one. My favorite scene was at the end, though, when he goes to see Gilraen. Her happiness at finally being able to talk to her son about Arathorn made me smile.

Author Reply: I'm so glad you enjoyed this. So many emotions must have been passing through Elrond's mind; yes, love, pride, hope as well as regret, fear for the future and possibly sadness that he was losing his son to his true father. And I'm sure the day Aragorn finally learnt who he was must have one of great joy for Gilraen.
Thanks again for your review.

VirtuellaReviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/19/2008
"He was, however, filthy."

That made me giggle. ;-)

"With a twinge of guilt, Elrond realised they had all deceived him, no matter how well intentioned they had been." Oh, very good point!

Another very good gapfiller. I like the way you close with Gilraen's perspective

Author Reply: Well I did think that after 6 months in the wild, he would be in urgent need of some hot water!

It didn't feel right to me to play up Elrond's guilt beyond a 'twinge' or to make Estel angry over the deception. Elrond did what he had to and Estel would have trusted his judgement totally.

Many thanks for your review; I'm glad you enjoyed it.


Ainu LaireReviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/18/2008
Wonderful, absolutely wonderful. I cannot wait to read more, you have captured all of their personalities perfectly.

Author Reply: Oh Laire, I'm thrilled that you are enjoying this; thank you so much.

CairistionaReviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/17/2008
As often as I've read this, it still gives me an ache in the throat when Elrond tells Estel he is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You write it so evocatively, it becomes easy to feel every emotion that Estel ... Aragorn ... is dealing with. And something that had escaped my notice before but made me smile this time: that the twins left Aragorn only the dregs of the wine. Typical big brother behavior!

Author Reply: Thank you so much, as always. This was a really big day in Aragorn's life and it must have been quite a roller-coaster emotionally for him too. And yes, that's big brothers for you! In fact, I'm only just noticed, reading through the later chapters again, how often I have the elves of Rivendell, as well as Aragorn, drinking wine. I'm not sure they're actually meant to be permanently tipsy!

Lady_RoisinReviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/16/2008
I thouroughly enjoyed the latest chapters. What a great story.

Author Reply: I'm so pleased you are enjoying this story and thank you very much for letting me know.

EstelcontarReviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/16/2008
A most perceptive vignette, and very, very faithful to book cannon as always.

The conflict Aragorn must have felt between the exhilaration of finally being a man and a full fledged warrior, and the tragedy of death is perfectly illustrated here. Aragorn did not turn into the warrior he was because he gloried in violence and mayhem, but because the role was forced on him. So, I do believe he never really loved war. He fought because he had to. So, he must indeed have felt very conflicted when he first faced the reality of war and death.

The way his mood swings from doubt to elation on being told about his inheritance sounds very truthful too.



Author Reply: By experiencing so much in 'Great Deeds', I did give him rather a lot to cope with here, didn't I? As you so rightly say, being a warrior was something he had to do and so his first encounter with death would have troubled him greatly.

I'm sure hearing of his inheritance was a shock at first, but we know that by the following evening he was singing happily under the silver birches so it didn't take him very long to come to terms with the news.

I'm so glad you enjoyed it and thank you for the review.

daw the minstrelReviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/16/2008
I was really struck here by how different all this looks from a human rather than an elven perspective. Elrond was there when Isildur cut the ring from Sauron's hand. He's known every single heir. My canonical knowledge isn't good enough to say, but for all I know, it's possible he knew Barahir (thought probably not). But to Aragorn, this is ancient history.

And yet there's a part of the history that matters greatly to Aragorn. On a personal level, knowing who his father was must be comforting, particularly given his misapprenhensions. But on a larger level, his identity gives him his role in life. And good for him for immediately thinking about his duty to the Dunedain. Elrond was right in judging him ready to know who he was.

Author Reply: You are so right, daw. Aragorn would have learnt all about the history of his ancestors without realizing his own connection to it all. That discovery of his place in such a long line of legendary heroes must have been quite a shock in itself. No, Elrond wouldn't have known Barahir, but he did know Elendil who was himself a master of lore and, no doubt, when he arrived in M-e, he brought with him all the records and accounts of his own line of ancestors which linked him to Elros and so completed the picture.

And I'm sure having a name for his own father must have been both thrilling and daunting for Estel, and ,as, you say, it gave him a role and a purpose in life.

Many thanks indeed for your review.

Return to Chapter List