Day 30: Great and Terrible

[tanaquiljall]

phyloxena wondered How about Faramir with the Ring? And with good short-term results, to add to the confusion? Or, Aragorn, for that matter?

I couldn't quite see how to do Faramir yet, but I did imagine how Aragorn might have fared with the Ring.

Day 30



Great and Terrible

The debate raged back and forth: to hide or destroy or wield. At last Aragorn stood and drew Narsil. "The Sword shall be reforged. I will take the Ring and lead us to Victory."

The Free Peoples united under the banner of the King who put heart into his allies and fear into his foes. All bowed before the Ringbearer, even proud Denethor.

Long years they fought. Aragorn grew deaf to the weeping of widows, the cries of children starving while land went untilled, the pleas of mothers with sons pressed to service.

Surely the sacrifice was worth the Victory?

Comments

[paranoidangel]

That drabble's well titled, for it is both great and terrible.

Thanks

[tanaquiljall]

Er... I think you meant that as a compliment. *g*

I should probably have included a footnote (wow, I'm slacking on my research geekery!) that explained the title was lifted from Legolas's comment

'In that hour I looked on Aragorn and thought how great and terrible a Lord he might have become in the strength of his will, had he taken the Ring to himself. Not for naught does Mordor fear him. But nobler is his spirit than the understanding of Sauron; for is he not of the children of Lúthien?'

The Return of the King, LoTR Book 5, Ch 9, The Last Debate

Re: Thanks

[paranoidangel]

Er... I think you meant that as a compliment. *g*

I did, sorry! I meant that the drabble's great because the content is so terrible. Or something like that.

[scribblesinink]

Chilling...

[tanaquiljall]

Thanks - chilling was exactly the reaction I was looking for....

[gwynnyd.livejournal.com]

whimper... for Aragorn and Middle-earth. Tanaqui is certainly doing her best to make poor Gwynnyd pull the covers over her head and hide.

The quest certainly stood on a knife edge, and power is so seductive. The best of intentions are so hard to put aside for a 'greater good'.

[phyloxena.livejournal.com]

By the way, I just rediscovered your stories on SoA and planning on flooding you with exited comments.

[gwynnyd.livejournal.com]

Blush... I tried to reply to your review but it bounced as 'no such user'.

Thank you!


And Liz - sorry for hijacking your thread here...

Gwynnyd

[tanaquiljall]

sorry for hijacking your thread here...

I'll forgive you - especially as it's in the case of phyloxena rediscovering your stories!

awwwww....

[tanaquiljall]

whimper... for Aragorn and Middle-earth. Tanaqui is certainly doing her best to make poor Gwynnyd pull the covers over her head and hide.

Sorry! Will stop writing Aragorn AUs for a while. *g*

The quest certainly stood on a knife edge, and power is so seductive. The best of intentions are so hard to put aside for a 'greater good'.

Exactly. Just give me the Ring and I'll put everything to rights.... But as Legolas said:

'In that hour I looked on Aragorn and thought how great and terrible a Lord he might have become in the strength of his will, had he taken the Ring to himself. Not for naught does Mordor fear him. But nobler is his spirit than the understanding of Sauron; for is he not of the children of Lúthien?'

*g*


The Return of the King, LoTR Book 5, Ch 9, The Last Debate

[phyloxena.livejournal.com]

Wow. Not exactly good results... Thank you! The point is "grew deaf", of course.

[tanaquiljall]

You're welcome - it was a great prompt that really made me think about the effect the Ring would have on Aragorn.

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

I love the way the final lines show how good intentions come to nothing where the Ring is concerned !

[tanaquiljall]

Thanks! That was what I was aiming for - that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. :-(

[(Anonymous)]

Oh, my. Great job showing how even the strongest and worthiest souls are eventually twisted by the Ring, all in one drabble. Very well-chosen images!

Denise

[tanaquiljall]

Thanks, Denise. It struck me that Aragorn's strength of character which carried him forward through so many dark periods could, under the influence of the Ring, turn into arrogance and callousness: "I know I'm right!"