gotta love the captain! faramir?

maybe something good will come of his having mercy on third voice...

he will endure, and bilbo's words will come true

must be hard to keep up hope by now :(
no!

but at least he is out of the mountain and in the 'fresh' air...

what a terrible place!

thinking about bilbo always brings a part of the shire to your mind... good thoughts indeed

I cannot believe this is finished! One of my favorite pieces of fanfiction, and well worth the weight. You have written an epic story indeed, one that explores the world of Middle Earth and the character of Aragorn so perfectly. And this is a lovely ending - one that points to more beginnings as all great stories do!

Nice transition from having company to being alone. The description of the items in Aragorn's pack was just enough to give us an idea of the things a Ranger would need, but doesn't go into the territory of unnecessary description. I'm glad he can sew, as that's very practical. There aren't enough heroes who can fix their own clothes, in my opinion. Ai, mending is tedious, especially with tight garments. Their banter was still very good and I laughed several times. It's nice to see you made good use of Tolkien's detailed descriptions of flora, adding to them nicely.

i love to read your work but am a lazy reviewer, and have not commented much, but I just got to say that this is really great, start to finish, it is top notch.

I did enjoy this chapter, for one main reason. You write Gandalf as being contrary and grumpy, just as Tolkien did, but more importantly, you have him retain complete faith in Saruman's wisdom and leadership right to the end. It's something that many writers forget, but Gandalf the Grey acknowledged Saruman the White as the leader of the Istari and the White Council right to the end. I did find his desire to hide the Ring in Isengard to be very believable. If one has complete and utter faith in Saruman's loyalty, then the impregnable walls of Angrenost is perhaps the best place to hide it. The gates of Isengard opened onto Rohan and led the way to Gondor and eventually Mordor itself. Had Saruman remained faithful, Isengard would have been an excellent spot to regroup and plan. It's very interesting that it's only because of Aragorn's intuition that Elrond and Gandalf did not decide to send the Ring to Orthanc. Disaster was very narrowly averted here. I am curious as to why Aragorn seems to mistrust Saruman so much. Is it just his heart or does the Ranger have a deeper reason to dislike the White Wizard. Is it his dislike for the way Saruman seized Isengard for himself, as was mentioned in Chapter One?

And finally this story reaches its conclusion! I am truly amazed by this piece of work that you have written; it's a masterpiece for sure. It continually astonishes me how accurately you writing depicts Tolkien's Middle Earth, and is able to transport e reader there unlike any other fanfiction I've ever read. I praise thee with great praise, for this story must have been almost as monumental of an effort as Frodo's journey to Orodruin. This story feels as though it could belong in the Appendices to the Return of the King. It provides extensive detail into a journey that is only briefly mentioned in the books, and yet you are able to expand it into a small novel. I thank you for writing this masterpiece, for it has been a joy that I stumbled upon unexpectedly, just as Aragorn had stumbled upon Gollum in the Dead Marshes. Thank you!

This last part of the story has been most wonderful to read. It is a welcome experience to read about Aragorn's replenishing strength and the haven that is Rivendell. Yet, what I enjoyed most was the characterization of Elrond, Bilbo, and Arwen. I think you did a magnificent job of accurately portraying these characters, and it truly makes the story even more enjoyable. I especially liked Elrond's grave and caring demeanor and Arwen's stately, yet warm manner.

'She tasted of cinnamon and moonlight, and she loved him.' Beautiful line. Arwen is so strong in this chapter - a rock and foundation for him as he goes out to fulfill his next tasks.

I loved Elrond's blessing as well. :-)

Congratulations on finishing this story, and on a job well, well done. This was so wonderful on so many levels. I am going to wait a couple of weeks, then read it all through at once. I really look forward to your next endeavor!

I am in dread of the time when this story comes to an end.

I'm hopeful for some insight to Aragorn's thoughts through "Lord of the Rings."

And perhaps the times after.

Good luck with your writers muse!