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The Ranger and the Eagles by Cairistiona	21 Review(s)
Ellynn	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 2/4/2011
Awww, this is such a wonderful, touching end. melts Thank you for another great story. hugs Author Reply: Thank you, Ellynn! So glad you enjoyed it! :)

Lily Baggins	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 2/4/2011
Well, this was an incredibly beautiful and most satisfying ending to the story--- a story I will be VERY sad to see end. I may weep! Thank goodness you have other tales up your sleeve. That comforts me. I was so intrigued to see that you set the Epilogue years after the original story---I love that it takes place just after the coronation! Aragorn's doubts played a major role during parts of the story and it's lovely to see him joyful and unburdened by worries about his future, and thinking about the past and how far he's come. But it's sad, too, to think about Halbarad---oh gosh, I can't even go there without getting too teary-eyed, after getting to "know" your Halbarad so well. And of course, I LOVE the fact that even as king, Aragorn has not lost his playfulness! Poor Aragorn---living for years imagining that something bad had happened to Durvain. Thank goodness the eagles showed up to truly provide a fitting end to his sorrow over that. And brought down! Now that brings the story full circle---how awesome to think of him having it sewn up and sleeping on it every night, after mentioning it all those years ago. And Thorongil as Menelris and Durvain's son? Sheer brilliance. This chapter just gave me the best, best feeling of warmth and happiness all wrapped up in a cozy, neat little package. And so it ends. I have to say I've adored every single minute of this story---down to every last word---and I'm sure I'll make a habit of re-reading it until I have the darned thing practically memorized---along with the lovely gapfiller, of course. Me, obsessed? Yes, I guess I have to say so. And insatiable. However, I'm feeling very well sated and fulfilled right now, thanks to this story. Thank you so, so much for taking that drabble idea and really running a marathon with it. It's been a real spot of joy in my life these past few weeks. Author Reply: Thank you, Lily! I'm so glad you liked the unexpected turn the ending took! This whole story really was an exercise in taking unexpected turns... who would have thought that your request for an h/c drabble between Aragorn and Gandalf would have turned into such a crazy wild ride! I'm just very, very glad that this was all you expected... I really do wonder who had more fun, me as the writer or you as the reader! Either way, I think we can both safely say it's been a blast. :)

Matt	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 2/3/2011
Well, we got the ride even if the rest of the story is missing....Great job. Thanks for your efforts, i hope that you do more in this universe, though possibly with a touch more moving about in the world and not too much hurt/comfort. I know a lot of people like it but its so close to angst....and we have enough of that in the world as-is. Matt Author Reply: Thanks, Matt! Yep, finally got the ride (and eagle down to sleep on the rest of this days). The rest of the story isn't exactly "missing", per se... Tolkien told a lot of it, after all. ;) The interesting thing about fanfic is the way fanfic and canon work together to tell a complete tale. I'll get back to the hunt for Gollum eventually, though I can't promise no angst (or hurt/comfort, which I think is actually different than angst, though some fans use them interchangeably. To me, angst is a story where the character deals with the emotional conflict or inner turmoil that comes when he faces a seemingly insurmountable obstacle, which could be grief, heartbreak, impending war, etc. An "angst" story might not have any physical injuries at all. An h/c story, on the other hand, is where Aragorn falls down and goes boom and someone kisses it and makes it better. :) I have found I really can't write a straight h/c story... I always seem to need to throw in angst and humor and action, and more importantly, strength and hope, as well). Tolkien pretty much set up his world to be full of hardships and sorrows, and Aragorn walked that very hard road full of trial (both physical--the "hurt"--and mental, emotional, and spiritual--the "angst") that Elrond and Gilraen both foretold he would. I think the "take away value" in his life, though, is knowing that he walked through all those hardships yet emerged strong and whole in the end, never losing his hope or his joy except for brief moments. Those are the themes I try to touch on in my own stories, because I find them inspiring and helpful in my own life. :) Sorry, that was a long and rambling answer to your very concise review! But if you want to try something I've written that's more lighthearted, you might like "An Unexpected Feast", which details an unusual banquet Thorongil finds himself attending, or "Upon a Spring Morn", where he and Halbarad deal with a tricky lambing. "A Star in Midwinter" also has a bit less angst, though it does have some. I appreciate hearing your thoughts, and hope you continue reading! Thanks again.

Estelcontar	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 2/3/2011
I have already told you how much I loved this epilogue, but it bears repeating: I absolutely love it. It's such a glorious, joyful, and wonderful piece of writing. I loved so many parts of it that I don't know where to start. My favourites though are that picture of Aragorn throwing back his head, spinning and raising both hands high in the air in pure and unalloyed joy (It is such a vivid depiction of his most just delight at finally achieving his destiny after such a long and painful struggle against insurmountable odds); Aragorn's vision of Númenor and of Elros leading a silent procession of the Faithful up the Meneltarma and all that it implies; the bit about Durvain finding an entire set of silver spoons (It is such delightful and endearing detail); the fact that Menelris and Durvain named one of their sons Thorongil; and at last, of course, the ending which is just perfect, and absolutely priceless. You couldn't have written a better closure for your story than the powerful image of Aragorn flying over Minas Tirith, beholding its beauty and weeping for sheer joy. This is a most insightful and exquisite ending to a wonderful tale. Author Reply: Thank you, Estelcontar! And let me take this opportunity again to publicly thank you for your assistance with this story... both your and Inzilbeth's encouragement and patient explanations of some of the more tricky areas of canon were invaluable as I wrote those conversations Aragorn had with both Gandalf and Beorn. I'm so glad you enjoyed the way this story ended... I know you have a soft spot for Elessar tales, which is an area of his life I've yet to really explore, so it was a treat, when I saw the direction the story had to go, to write this knowing that you were really going to enjoy it. g Obrigada, meu amiga! (I hope I wrote that right...)

UTfrog	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 2/3/2011
Great story. I certainly should have reviewed before. I love how "human" the eagles are. The last chapter will stay a great favorite. I love stories of Aragorn early in his reign. So many thoughts had to be pushing through his brain. Glad he had a great treat in your universe. Thank you Author Reply: Thank you, UTfrog! So glad you enjoyed the story and the Eagles. I aimed at keeping them in the same vein as Tolkien's canon Eagles but also giving their personalities more depth. And yes, Aragorn had to have been a regular bundle of crazy emotions that day... I think a lesser man may have ended up catatonic in the corner by the end of the day. Good thing Aragorn's not a lesser man. Thanks again for reading!

shirebound	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 2/3/2011
I'm sure I'm only one of many folks who are very VERY sorry to see this wonderful story come to an end. What a soaring, joyous, lovely finale! I enjoyed every bit of this marvelous tale. Author Reply: Thank you, shirebound... so very glad you enjoyed it! :)

curiouswombat	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 2/3/2011
A very fitting ending to an excellent story - I shall miss my regular 'fixes'. Author Reply: Thank you, curiouswombat... so glad you enjoyed the tale. Hopefully I can get another story going before too long so you can get more regular fixes. :)

Mirach	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 2/3/2011
Absolutely wonderful! This chapter was full of strong feelings, so strong that just reading about them was enough to bring tears to my eyes. I tried to imagine what the coronation must have meant to Aragorn after all those long and hard years, and it's something almost undescribable. Yet you managed to descrife his feelings amazingly here. His grief for Halbarad is also present, mixing with all other feelings. I don't wonder he wasn't able to sleep. And I like the mention about renewing the ancient rituals, because the king of Gondor was also its high priest, and it's nice to imagine Aragorn in this role. And since the eagles arrived, every word of the story was just perfect! You added a bit to his worries during the years that peceded this moment by letting him assume that something bad happened to Durvain and Menelris, but I forgive you because you compensated him for it greatly. That they would name their son Thorongil is one of those things that almost made me cry, and then laugh at the references from the previous chapters - that Menelris didn't like the "landbound" name Elessar either, the silver spoons, and that Aragorn corrected Durvain in "talons, not claws". Then I was near tears again when I imagined the joy of the flight, undimmed by worries about uncertain future. That was really worth the waiting, because if the eagles returned sooner and Durvain fulfilled his promise that very spring, it would be just a momentally relief from the worries. But now, it was not just a flight, but something cleansing, leaving the sorrows of the past behind to face the future. Finally, the mention of EÃ¤rendil was the final blow to me, and now I don't know if I should laugh, weep, or go out and run to cope with the beauty of the ending of this story. Author Reply: Aw, thank you, Mirach! Gosh, I don't know where to start! I'm so glad all the elements of this epilogue came together so well for you... yes, even down to Gil-Estel! I've tried several different times, in one-shots, to write a scene describing that first night after the coronation but it never really came together like I wanted--but this one did, thankfully. You make a good point in saying that placing the flight after the coronation, instead of that spring so long ago, makes it almost a cleansing celebration... I wish I could claim I did that deliberately! But alas, placing the flight at the coronation instead of that spring resulted from expediency more than anything else: I had to set up a scenario whereby the Eagles gave him the down as a coronation gift, and as there wasn't room in that last chapter to do the flight, I decided to combine it with the gift-giving. But serendipity is a wonderful thing and I think good things resulted from what was only a "story structure" decision. Thank you so much for sharing what the story has meant to you all along--I so appreciate hearing that from readers! Still one small "one-shot" gapfiller to post as an appendix and then it will be time to move on to new adventures.

Darkover	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 2/3/2011
Dear Cairistiona: This was the cherry on the sundae! Your final chapter was every bit as delightful as the rest of this story. I liked how you portrayed Aragorn's very human satisfaction at having succeeded in his goal at last. I really liked the pleasure he felt at having his own servant to wait on him, not the servant employed by any of the people to whom he owed allegiance over the many long years of diligent waiting and struggle. It is just so wonderfully human. And of course, I loved the arrival of the Eagles! Aragorn not only found out how his old friends had been doing, he got to ride an Eagle at last, and got to fly when he was in the condition to enjoy it. Aahh, it is great being King, isn't it? Of course, Aragorn earned everything he now has, from his own chambers in his own city in his own kingdom, to the friendships and alliances he has forged with others. This story was a great pleasure to read, and will always be one of my favorites. Thanks again for writing and posting it. Sincerely, Darkover Author Reply: Thank you so much, Darkover! I'm so glad you enjoyed this tale in its entirety and very flattered that it's become one of your favorites. I like to explore the "human" side of Aragorn, since Tolkien gives us more of the "epic hero" side of him, and I can't imagine him not having a storm of emotions boiling through him on his coronation day. To have come through so much to finally see one's dreams fulfilled has to stir up overwhelming emotions. And then he gets to fly again, finally! It is great being King, I agree! Thanks so much for this and all the other reviews you've left for this tale--I appreciate every one. There's one last little "gap-filler" chapter to add as a sort of "appendix", but after that, I'll be on to Aragorn or Halbarad's new adventures. I hope you'll enjoy those tales as well.

Fantasia	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 2/3/2011
Cairistiona, this is the perfect ending for a perfect story. You made me laugh and cry, I can feel all his joy and sorrow, and the Eagles! and their gifts, both of them. Boromir and Halbarad, yes, both will be missing and I noticed that you didn't mention the others of the Ranger's gang, hope that they were still alive. Love, love this story and I hope that you have more for us soon. I wish that I can say with more elocuent words how much I liked this story, but I'm not a writer, so I can only said that I loved it and Thank you Author Reply: Thank you, Fantasia! I'm so glad you enjoyed the ending of this long tale. :) No, I didn't mention "my" Rangers because I still am working at telling their tales, so I don't want to spoil anything. So I treated this one more along strictly "canon" lines, keeping the Eagles as the only original characters. But I'll get back to stories including Denlad and the others soon! Thank you so much for all the reviews you left--reviews are a fanfic writer's "salary" and I feel very well paid thanks to you!

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