I am absolutely speechless! This is definitely one of my all time favorite fanfics... I wish you could publish it. You have captured the essence of all the creatures in Tolkein's Middle Earth in brilliant and intimate detail, and I have long been into orcish things, so to find this story was incredible. Thank you, thank you, thank you 3

This is great!

Wonderful story, thank you for this :)

I truly love this story. There were time I was brought to tears by the tale of the Queen's Orc and his Elfling. You did a wonderful job of weaving the passing of Aragorn and Arwen into the story and expanding on them. Your 'voices' were true and I could see the canon characters as well as seeing them more as living breathing people, a little less lofty than Tolkien but more 'alive'. I'm thinking especially of Celeborn and the Twins.

I've enjoyed everything about Canohando and Frodo and Radagast but I think this tale is my favorite because it's so bittersweet but hopeful. They all make hard decisions but they're 'accessible' decisions, if that makes sense? As lofty as going to Valinor or staying may be as a choice, you've made it seem real and that takes it out of the realm of fable and brings it into the everyday. That's what you've done to the characters as well; you've made Middle Earth a 'real' place in your tale and so everything doesn't work out just so because life doesn't work out 'just so' but it works.

Oh, I'm stumbling about, but thank you very much for the story.

So much to love at the end of this story. Canohando will always have some part of his birth and upbringing and old Orkish nature, but he has a loving family now, and a home and purpose, and he will always carry Arwen's blessing and the memories of Frodo. I loved the presence of Frodo accompanying him to Bag End.

Canohando was moved to leave Mordor by his restlessness. Consciously he sought the Lady whose jewel he carried. Less consciously he was stirred by his loneliness, his lack of family, and in his journeying he finally finds this with Malawen. But I think it was also about wanting to see Frodo again. Even after he learns of Frodo's death from Arwen, it's hard to really come to terms with that from a distance. He had to go to Frodo's land, hear his book read, see his image, speak with one of the last living mortals ever to have known Frodo, and finally weep on Frodo's grave before he could accept it and be at peace.

"Another Way of Leaving" supplanted the ending that Tolkien wrote. There Frodo leaves for the West, while Sam returns to Rosie and their little daughter with the words, "Well I'm back." It's interesting, in an AU story that interposes so many years and so many wonderful characters, we come to an ending that is very similar as Canohando takes leave of his beloved friend and returns to Malawen and Osta at Bag End...um, though there is still a departure from that basic set-up, since Malawen runs out to meet him. Inconsiderate Elf, messing up the framework I saw so clearly in my head.

How I love her. Her and Canohando both.

LOVED Canohando telling Radgast to back off at the start of this chapter. "You are my friend, old man, and one of the Powers. But do not step between us." There's so much power in that declaration. And as formidable as Canohando is, he probably couldn't do any more to hurt Radagast than little Samwise Gamgee, railing at him for burdening Frodo with new labors...but how I love it when little people stand up to Wizards!

Canohando and Malawen's uncouth deportment among the hobbits is very much in character: Canohando's great interest in the Shire and the esteem these hobbits already hold for them aren't going to eliminate all the rough spots overnight. But I like that the hobbits are open-minded and curious and understanding. It seems they've opened up some in the generations since Bilbo and Frodo, back when you kept within the confines of the Shire and minded your own business, steering clear of adventure and the folk beyond your borders. I think this must be, in part, Bilbo's and Frodo's (and Merry's and Pippin's) gift to their homeland through their written legacy: a greater knowledge of and interest in the world beyond the comfortable quarters of home, and respect for a hobbit's place in that world.

And how delightful that Frodo should have written a memoir of his travels with Radagast. Of course he did!

...I've been reading the past seven chapters without comment. Arwen's death was sad but beautifully conjured, as was that of Canohando and those around him (in Malawen's case, for Canohando and his pain more even than for the Lady herself.) And then it has been watching the developing feelings between Malawen and Canohando as they begin to recognize their love for one another. Canohando's fear and disgust with himself is well rendered: it isn't "emo" or wallowing, it is self-recognition, born of personal experience and old instincts for violence and even, potentially, viciousness, knit within his being.

Itaril is a trial for him - Itaril says all of the things that Canohando feels within himself - but Itaril is himself so patently flawed that Canohando has to question the message even as he questions the messenger. A Frodo, an Arwen, a Radagast can tell you over and over of your qualities and essential goodness, but sometimes it takes an Itaril.

It might be considered strange or hypocrisy in Itaril that he should so despise Malawen, particularly after what his own sister suffered, but aside from an abhorrence of imperfection, I think it also goes back to society's (and not only Elven society's) essential discomfort with victims who do not die or try hide themselves or what happened to them. (What I think of as the "Good girls die" syndrome, because "If she was a good girl, she would have died afterward.") Unpleasant as Itaril is in other respects, he is sadly not unusual in this one.

Malawen is very brave, as is Canohando, daring to love and, much harder, to be loved.

Well. I had forgotten the fine fellows who tried to kill Canohando, and I had forgotten the troll that nearly succeeded. But I didn't forget Malawen. Who could! She is one of your most vivid characters. I feel bad for her in her loneliness: though so far I'm just at the end of chapter 12, I recall that she has been mistreated and spurned by her fellow Elves. Not the most tolerant of folk, Elves, though if I'm honest all of Tolkien's races had that problem. Elves, Men, Hobbits, Dwarves...Orcs...they all have their share of insularity and xenophobia.

I like Canohando's understanding of Malawen and his compassion for her. She will give him her story with time but he already knows it in its essentials, if not its details. He's been at both ends of this kind of treatment.

The deaths of Aragorn and Arwen are depicted with sad beauty in the Appendices. I'm all for sad beauty, but your story shows the hard and practical considerations and arrangements that must be made as Aragorn's time draws to a close. The widowed queen can't just wander away from the city: an escort must be prepared for her, men vetted for their loyalty. Eldarion can't begin his reign having to worry about his mother being held hostage somewhere.

I like the detail of Arwen going out in the night to seek the stars. She and Aragorn have had a good marriage, but we we can see how the chief sacrifice has been on her part. I don't just mean the obvious - giving up her mortality or being sundered from her kin - but her trammeling in a city of stone, far from the trees of Lorien or Rivendell. You don't have to be an Elf to be grieved by that - the death of Finduilas, Denethor's wife, is still fresh in my mind from the Appendices: withering in the "guarded city," far from the sea she loved. Arwen has done somewhat better than poor Finduilas, at any rate.

I was pleased by Legolas and Gimli's quick friendship with Canohando, and I have to say I was impressed with their open-mindedness. I had expected them to have some report of Canohando and who he was, but whether or not they know he is Arwen's Shadow, it's clear that neither of them really know who he is or about his background story when they meet him. But how different their response is from that of the Twins! Humorous banter and the willingness to go and eat with him and find out who this mysterious Orc is.

I also like how Gimli called up the scene between himself and Frodo in "Following the Other Wizard," and Frodo's fierce protectiveness of Arwen's jewel. It impresses us again with how much Canohando obviously meant to Frodo, that Frodo gave the jewel to him.

We are thick into matter that I did not remember in its fullness. I remembered there was violence in the throne room, but I did not remember Canohando killing a man. His mistreatment in the dungeon aligns with my own view: that however prettily Tolkien paints the city of Minas Tirith during Elessar's reign, there is no city, nation or world without its dark side. But Elessar is a just man. He gives justice its due and rights those wrongs he knows of.

I love your Arwen: as gracious as she is beautiful, and it is easy to see why others love her, and to understand how swiftly Canohando could become enraptured of her. But Aragorn is wise - he does not let Arwen run to Canohando in the throne room, and he remains concerned that the Orc be secured from harming others, even as he begins to be persuaded of Canohando's essential goodness.

The detail of binding Canohando with Arwen's forgotten scarf was a sweet and funny touch.

It is good that his pay should be given to the family of the man he killed. Of course, on the other hand, I know that Canohando isn't going to be doing this job for that much longer. Presumably the family is provided for beyond the departures of Elessar, Arwen, and Canohando. (Frodo arriving just after Rosie's death and not so long before Sam's, Canohando meeting Arwen and Aragorn just as Aragorn feels his death approaching...it is a sad fact that the characters in your stories have some of the best and the worst timing I have ever seen in fiction: both at once!)

I had forgotten your first chapter began with Frodo's perspective. It was unexpected but appreciated to read a scene with him and Sam talking together - sort of helped to ameliorate the after-effects of "Following the Other Wizard."

It's sad to think that Canohando never *does* go back to Mordor (at least I don't remember him doing so), even though, as he tells Lash, he doesn't expect to int he first place. I wonder what became of Lash and his children. Hypothetically, it would have been a kindly fate if some of Lash's descendants should ever have encountered Canohando's.

Now, in Chapter 2, Canohando still has some measure of an Orc's ruthlessness: killing the dogs (however practical), stealing the boat, being ready to kill those men (though he abstained from it). Radagast's words to Aragorn, that Canohando would not be a danger of his own will, have proven wise. Even though he is a good Orc, he is already causing collateral damage.

0oh great seguel. Great story.

Would there be a seguel? :) Well you don't have to. Just a thought.

Absolutely lovely story!

You are genious.

Your characters are believable, live and bright.

-

And I bring you my HUGE THANX for not turning Canohando into Elf! Such a plot would have been a very boring cliche. Elves are kind and intelligent, yeah, this is well known fact and can't be as wonderful as kind and intelligent Orc, who was Frodo's friend.

Don't curse me for my English, I'm Russian.

This story is a masterpiece - a more than worthy follow-up to "Following the Other Wizard." Beautifully realized and written characters.

this is awesome. sorry it's the best i can come up with. I have spent the better part of my days reading this fanfic and to tell you the truth i haven't done that in a long while... its hard to find fanficiton worth readiong these days. *sigh*

anywho, this writing is original, realisticish and a most enjoyable read. please post more