Henneth Annûn Story Archive

You've ratcheted up the sense of mystery and foreboding yet again in this chapter, starting with Aragorn's fever dream (appropriately discordant) to the debate over Daeron's potential fate (and Aragorn's ruminations on these) to the trial.  The latter is a particularly a well-drawn scene with attention to environmental detail, protocol and dialogue that together convey a "you-are-there" feeling.

Daeron continues to emerge as a sympathetic character; the trial and the last scene of this chapter bring this forward in a big way .  Hat's off to creating these complex characters!

I also appreciate your infusion of the rational, e.g., that Daeron's memory loss may be due to "sickness of the mind" (psychiatric illness) and that Aragorn's dreams are influenced by fever.   This is not to say that an exogenous maleficent presence cannot be at work, but the "rational explanations" add ambiguity which works well here. Likewise, it's gratifying to see that Elven healing is a not facile undertaking and that there's a price to pay for applying it.

As threatening as Daeron is, or was, to Aragorn, I do feel sorry for him.

I do hope everything works out.

A most troubling situation, with apparently someone seeking to influence these two to violence beyond their natures.  That Aragorn sought to aid Daeron afterward is to the good. though.