(no subject)

[avon7.livejournal.com]

Title: The Task of my Kindred.
By: Avon
Characters: Aragorn
Rating/Warnings: G
Disclaimer: Characters and universe belong to Tolkien - I'm just borrowing.
This has been previously published elsewhere on the 'net, but not on lj.

The road is long and dark and the wind blows cold. He wraps his ragged cloak around him as he trudges past candle-lit windows and smoke-drifting chimneys. Now and then, a dog barks uneasily at his presence or a horse whickers restlessly. In fitful patches of moonlight, he catches glimpses of a sturdily built henhouse or a neat vegetable garden and remembers another scattering of small cottages, far up in the north - a place of his kin where he is welcomed at gate and door. With grim smile he rests his hand on a broken sword and strides on.

Comments

[mrkinch.livejournal.com]

How have I missed reading you til now? I'm enjoying your drabbles immensely, in true Fileg "I'm under the couch" fashion.

Did you envision Aragorn anywhere in particular when you wrote this?

[avon7.livejournal.com]

I haven't been on lj until quite recently. HASA and SoA are my main 'homes'. I'm very pleased that you are enjoying them. At least my drabbles don't usually require a box of "Minas Tirith Tissues" as my stories do tend to do.

Um... just somewhere outside the Shire. I didn't do any research as to what little villages there might be there.

Cheers,

Avon

[aesc.livejournal.com]

Hi, Avon! It's HF from long ago and far away on HASA *waves*

a place of his kin where he is welcomed at gate and door.

I really like the reference to Aragorn's home up in the Wild, how even a place that wild can be home, with friendly people in it. Next to that, the nice homey-type places he passes by are almost foreign, and certainly unwelcoming.

[avon7.livejournal.com]

Hi, Avon! It's HF from long ago and far away on HASA *waves*

Thanks, I'm slowly putting lj names and HASA people together.

how even a place that wild can be home, with friendly people in it. Next to that, the nice homey-type places he passes by are almost foreign, and certainly unwelcoming.


Mmmm, it isn't places that make home - it's people. Unwelcoming places or even just places you don't belong can seem scary whereas if it is *your* place you can feel safe despite how others see it.

Thanks for the feedback,

Avon

[just-ann-now.livejournal.com]

Not only a lovely Ranger moment, but also a salute to those (even in our Age) who perform dangerous duties as gifts of loving service while other rest peacefully.

[avon7.livejournal.com]

One of my very favourite moments in LOTR is at Elrond's council when Aragorn speaks about what the Rangers do. Your phrase - 'gifts of loving service'- describes it perfectly.

[kortirion.livejournal.com]

Stylishly economical - I can easily envisage the dark night under scudding clouds, and a man aware of who he is though others might see only the shabby exterior.

[seleneheart]

Wonderful echo of Aragorn's speech at Elrond's council about "foes that would freeze" their souls. And simple people must not know that they are protected. Very nice image of him doing his duty, unknown to those under his care.

[undonne.livejournal.com]

I hadn't seen this before, either. It has a wonderful feel to it, and reinforces for me the "Christ-like" nature of Aragorn's persona (hope you don't mind my saying that, but it did have such a feel of the 'prophet without honor' - so admirable in his courage and humility and so sad).

[avon7.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Like most of my work this is very visual. If I can make a picture for someone else I'm happy.

[avon7.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the feedback. I just love that speech and have made use of it in several stories.

[avon7.livejournal.com]

Certainly don't mind you saying it. It must, imo, be a quite different experience to read LOTR if you come from a totally non-Christian background. I find so many resonances. It's done nothing for my ability to keep my mind where it should be during church ;-)

Avon

[undonne.livejournal.com]

It's done nothing for my ability to keep my mind where it should be during church ;-)

lol. I know Tolkien would absolutely hate this, but now I'm mentally 'redoing' all the stained-glass windows in my local Episcopal church. "The Suffering of Frodo," "Aragorn's Coronation" (that's in the 'rose window' position), "The Sacrifice of Boromir".... :slaps self: