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| The Ranger and the Eagles by Cairistiona | 190 Review(s) |
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| 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 Eärendil 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! | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 2/3/2011 |
| Oh, yes--recognizing joy at this late date would be particularly difficult, I think, as he's not known unbridled joy for so very long. It would be a holy thing to accept this day, along with the necessity not to give over to humility to the point of abasing himself before his people. And these final gifts from Durvain and Menelris--how perfect that he should know them now, and know that one of the Great Eagles was named for him, and that another child of his friends was one of those who helped in the rescue of Frodo and Sam! I thrilled with him at the description of that long-delayed ride, and rejoice that he has indeed accepted and will renew the role of the Sacred King! I loved every minute of this story, Cairistiona! Thanks so very much! Author Reply: Thank you, Larner! I'm so glad you enjoyed the story... it was incredibly fun to write and it's always gratifying to hear that readers had as much fun reading it as I did writing it. I agree that after all the sorrows and stress and uncertainties that Aragorn would probably have so many emotions rocketing around inside him that finally figuring out that this strange new feeling is one of joy wouldn't be the easiest thing to do. Joy is a bit hard to define even in the best of times--it's something that goes deeper than mere happiness and, at least to my thinking, doesn't always go hand in hand with happiness but can be found alongside sorrow as well. But I think Aragorn, just like all the good folk of Middle-earth, found it in plenty once Sauron finally fell! Thanks for reviewing all throughout this--each one was greatly appreciated! | |
| Tigger | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 2/2/2011 |
| Sigh...I knew the Eagles had to leave, but like Aragorn, am very sad to see them go. I hope we see them all meet each other again at some point. Love that image of Aragorm w/a puppy tucked into his tunic. Happy sigh... :o) This though... Aragorn started to chuckle and soon he was laughing as hard as Beorn. It was several minutes before either of them regained control. "I thank you, Beorn. I was hoping to see you transform into a bear, although I must say I did not anticipate such a close view." "You didn’t soil yourself, I hope." Had me ROTFLOL!! Still..Considering how close a look Aragorn got at those teeth, it's not that unreasonable a question. :oD Really enjoying this, but I have a feeling we're getting close to the end. BTW..I re read A Star In Midwinter on the weekend and I'm wondering if we're going to see more of Denlad in the future. Would love to know more about him and if he has indeed turned into a Mighty Warrior. I'm just saying... :oD Author Reply: Thank you, Tigger! So glad you liked all the crazy things in this chapter, and that you laughed a time or two. :) The end is getting close, you're right. The epilogue is now up, and there'll be a short gap-filler "appendix" story after that, and then it's on to some new adventure of Aragorn's or Halbarad's, or yes, Denlad! I still fully intend to tell Denlad's full story. :) Thanks for the review! | |
| Matt | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 2/2/2011 |
| What a great story. Nice character development and an excellent aattle in the air. You've got just enough action to make things work and, I suspect, potential for quite the long tale if you choose to go in that direction. Thanks for an excellent effort. Matt Author Reply: Thank you, Matt! I'm so glad you enjoyed this story... I do like writing action scenes, and I try to balance them against more introspective scenes and, of course, humor. Glad you liked the balance. I've written several multi-chapter, near novel-length tales, but the years-long hunt for Gollum I intend to tackle in "episodic", shorter novellas like this one, although I can't rule out a full novel-length story similar to my "At Hope's Edge" story. We'll see where the muse takes me with this particular part of Aragorn's life. Thanks again for the review, and hope you enjoy the rest of the story! | |