Reviews for "The Circles: Book Two: Journey of Sorrow"

Mon Oct 16, 2006 6:23 pm

Aganuzir,

There are some species of birds (killdeer, quail, woodcock, grouse) where the female will pretend to have a broken wing or be injured. She will drag herself slowly across the ground in the opposite direction of her nest to lure predators away from her chicks. This is what Goldwyn was attempting to do. Whether she was successful or not remains to be seen.

Remember, this is The Circles, and there are not always happy endings in the tale.

Angmar

Wed Oct 18, 2006 10:58 pm

This is interesting. I love the description of the tomb.

Fri Oct 20, 2006 11:22 am

I concur. The tomb is fascinating. I would really like to see more of it.
Great chapter, Angmar and Elfhild!

Sat Oct 21, 2006 4:14 pm

Thanks, HeatherRae and Aganuzir, for your comments! Perhaps it would have been far more wise for Goldwyn to have been afraid rather than putting on a show of courage...

But you'll have to wait until next week to find out. Smile smiley face

The hill and the tomb exist in my imagination, but the prototype could probably be found in Greco-Roman architecture. Here are some pictures that might prove helpful in visualizing the exterior:

http://exhibits.slpl.org/scanned/pixel/ste01308.jpg

http://www.ne.jp/asahi/daikannw/network/webacropol/nikh_temple_reconstruction.jpg

Angmar and Elfhild

Sat Oct 28, 2006 11:53 am

Awesome chapter!

Was it a houseless spirit that was looking for a new body? Or something like a barrow-wight?

Thank you for the temple pictures! I loved this one:
http://exhibits.slpl.org/scanned/pixel/ste01308.jpg

Keep writing!
Agan

Sat Oct 28, 2006 5:06 pm

"Was it a houseless spirit that was looking for a new body? Or something like a barrow-wight?" - Aganuzir

Agan, the fell spirit in the crypt is one of the "hungry houseless." There is no better description of this type of malignant entity than the one Tolkien gives in the quote below.

"Some say that the Houseless desire bodies, though they are not willing to seek them lawfully by submission to the judgment of Mandos. The wicked among them will take bodies, if they can, unlawfully. The peril of communing with them is, therefore, not only the peril of being deluded by fantasies or lies: there is peril also of destruction. For one of the hungry Houseless, if it is admitted to the friendship of the Living, may seek to eject the fëa from its body; and in the contest for mastery the body may be gravely injured, even if be not wrested from its rightful habitant. Or the houseless may plead for shelter, and if it is admitted, then it will seek to enslave its host and use both his will and his body for its own purposes. It is said that Sauron did these things, and taught his followers how to achieve them." --Of-Rebirth and Other Dooms of Those That Go to Mandos," "Laws and Customs Among the Eldar," Morgoth's Ring, p. 223-224.

The eyes which Goldwyn sensed were watching her belonged to the spirit, not the cat. The spirit is a wandering one and is not confined to the crypt at Osgiliath. Perhaps he lured her into the crypt, a place she could not find her way out of easily. He would have more time to work his evil sorcery upon her there. I see him as a very ancient spirit snared by either Sauron or Melkor thousands of years before, who, upon death, declined the invitation of Mandos.

"She quickly turned her eyes away from his [Esarhaddon's], forcing them to stare into the deep shadows gathering under toppled statues and slanting columns. A most peculiar thought slowly began to worm its way into her consciousness. She was sure that she saw a set of pale white eyes peering out from the gloomy darkness beneath a collapsed roof. They seemed to be following her movements intently, watching her with a feral, hungry gleam, like some wild beast that was starving. In spite of the warm afternoon sun, Goldwyn felt chilled to the marrow. She dared looked into the murk again, but she saw nothing. Shivering, she tried to brush the strange, unreasonable dread from her mind." -- A Stroll Among the Ruins

Or... owing to her stress, grief and terror, did Goldwyn imagine the whole thing? Perhaps there was no spirit at all and she simply had an emotional collapse brought on by the sundering with her sons. We are not saying.

In case no one got this one, the "massive catlike beast with gleaming silver fur" is really a lion. In "The Circles," a silver lion on a field of blue is the sigil of Khand, Tushratta's country of birth.

The tomb in the link was very much like the one in Osgiliath.

Angmar and Elfhild

Tue Dec 05, 2006 6:08 pm

Very interesting new chapters, Angmar. I like how you portray the boys, especially the eldest. Not some usual darling sweet-sweet children of most fanfics, but real boys of flesh and blood. It is quite natural that the eldest had doubts and even considered abandoning the others. But his good nature prevailed.
I doubt they will make it to Rohan, though. But we shall see.
Keep updating and sorry for the late review.
Agan

Tue Dec 12, 2006 12:24 pm

Another great chapter, Elfhild. I never suspected the twins were so very different. Ellfled suffers from Stockholm Syndrome it seems. Or is it just her strong sense of family ties?

Why don't they just follow the Anduin North? Why do they need the West Road? They are not going to Edoras, they need Eastfold. If they follow the river, they will come to Rauros eventually. Sure there is the Entwash and other tributaries, but I think they could be crossed somehow. Didn't the nazgul make this trip on foot "unclad and unmounted" a year ago, in 3018 - according to UT?

Fri Dec 15, 2006 9:22 pm

Agan,

Real people are not syrupy, sugary sweet unless they are out and out frauds and phonies. The boys are based on real humans with real human emotions. I relied heavily upon my own childhood experiences to depict them as accurately as possible. The boys will be back soon with more adventures, and maybe a few surprises. Thank you for reading.

Angmar

***

Regarding the twins – their differences will become more prominent with time. As for Elffled, she is very frightened and uncertain, and is seeking what little stability that she can find. Her relatives provided stability at her home, and she found comfort and solace in their presence on the trail. In a sense, the military-like environment of guards and constant marching added a form of stability, too. As for Stockholm Syndrome – perhaps...

The twins' village lay about 12 miles from the border of Rohan and Gondor, right near the Firien Wood. Following the Anduin to Rauros would take them too far north and into totally unfamiliar territory. Such a journey would be best if they lived in the East Emnet, but they lived close to the White Mountains.

Elfhild

Sat Dec 16, 2006 9:14 am

I'm sorry I haven't been the best reviewer to keep up with each chapter, but I have been reading along! Smile smiley face

... just a note to let you know that I'm truly enjoying this fascinating tale.

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Reviews for "The Circles: Book Two: Journey of Sorrow"