Henneth Annûn Story Archive

Chapter 7 of With Hope and Without Hope has just posted!

Read "Hope Fails" to see how Merry and Pippin make do in Isengard. And see what Saruman has in store for Aragorn...

Finally! We have chapter 8 of With Hope and Without Hope! "Dreams" has posted! See how Gimli and Legolas are faring. See if Pippin's plans will amount to anything. And we'll get a glance of Aragorn, too. But I'm not promising anything there...

Dreams

Thanks to all my readers who have stuck around through the imprisonment of the Three Hunters and the hobbits in Orthanc. That's not to imply that they are out of the Tower. But you can read in Chapter 9,"Plans," to see how they're doing!

Plans

Just an alert that chapter 11 of With Hope and Without Hope has posted! Read "Travel" to see how our characters do on the move.

Travel

With Hope and Without Hope has posted a new chapter! In this story, the Three Hunters are captured when they chase after Merry and Pippin in Rohan.

At last, readers! The long-asked-for chapter where you'll finally find out what's been happening to Legolas. :-o Don't say I didn't warn you!

Strange Sights

Thanks to all my readers who have kept up with my AU story, With Hope and Without Hope, where the Three Hunters are captured when they chase after Merry and Pippin in Rohan.

Last chapter readers finally got what they had long asked for, with the appearance of Legolas. Read "Freedom for the Taking" for more surprises!

Freedom for the Taking

With Hope and Without Hope has posted a new chapter!

Read "Brief Freedom" to see how the Company fares upon reaching Edoras.

Thanks to all my readers who continue to read my AU story, With Hope and Without Hope, where the Three Hunters are captured when they chase after Merry and Pippin in Rohan.

Read the latest chapter, "Breaking" to see the exciting confrontation between Gandalf and Saruman!

Breaking

Thank you thelauderdale!

I'm glad you're pleased with the story so far. I'm pleased to hear you feel it keeps with Tolkien's style. I really strove for that.

I appreciate you posting a comment - especially when you've already reviewed! The next chapter won't be long in coming!

docmon

Oh, yes, a pickle is one way to put it! At least, Sam would certainly say so, wouldn't he? ;-) The Three Hunters are not having a good time of it, I'm afraid!

Thanks for leaving a comment, Nath! The next chapter shouldn't be long in coming!

docmon

Still reading, still ehm...enjoying. 

Well, I hope for the sake of our heroes that things don't get worse, but somehow I think they will do so before they get better...

OMG!  Chapter 11, that part with the Nazgul was...awesome!  They're so evil, so terrifying. but singleminded to the point of laughability.  That's not a criticism of your writing, I think you did it beautifully. But it was still pretty amazing.

Nazgul:  You.  Where's Aragorn?

Gimli: Back that way.

Nazgul: [whoosh]

LOL so glad you enjoyed that scene. I like your summary of the situation, although his motivation for the sudden departure was slightly different. Whatever works for ya!

Thanks for continuing to read and for taking the time to comment!

docmon

Hi!

I've already spent two enjoyable evenings with this story, which I found on the MEFA-site. Being a fan of AUs and what-if scenarios I couldn't pass this one up! And since I'm a ranger girl as well, you won't see me complaining about all the drama you're subjecting poor Aragorn to:)

So, just a little note in between chapters, because chapter 14 seems to be messed up. The second half is one of the previous chapters.

Thanks for the heads up, Michelle! It's all fixed now.

Glad you're enjoying my treatment of Aragorn , especially as a ranger girl! I'm especially glad to hear you found the story at the MEFA site!

Thanks for reading!

Docmon,

Just wanted to say I am enjoying your story very much. I really look forward to the updates.

Glad to see the old Aragorn on the way back, and can't wait for him to catch up with Legolas.

Thanks for the story

Casso. 

Thank you, Casso! It seems everyone is rather relieved to have Aragorn back to himself! Was I torturing readers so much? 

Meeting up with Legolas? Hmm, well, I think you'll enjoy that... maybe.

Thanks for writing!

Yes, one chapter left! My aim was always to bring the story back to canon and end it there. I'm glad you feel it was done so well. And that you've enjoyed each chapter so much!

Thank you for your comments, Aiwendiel!

What fascinating tale! I like AUs (I think I've said as much before), because it's a most interesting genre - especially if the authors know his/her way around canon. It's a little intellectual exercise - to change one detail in the larger tale and see what ramifications this will bring.

From the different stories you provided here, I must say I liked Aragorn's and Pippin's the best - and not only because I'm a ranger girl. In my opinion, it's hard to find something that would break Aragorn to such a degree as Saruman managed - and the possibility that he could turn to the dark side of the force has always fascinated me (just imagined it... Aragorn on the side of the baddies *swoons*). But it was Pippin who really surprised me here. He matured a lot during the course of the story, and the changed roles between him and Aragorn felt at some point absolutely natural, and believable. I like seeing Pippin come into his own (evidence towards the end, when he keeps interrupting Gandalf until his opinion is heard).

Well, thank you, Michelle! I'm so glad you enjoyed the story!

That's just how I approached this story: change one or two details from canon - now what have we got? 

It would be hard to come up with something that would break Aragorn. I kind of came at it from the other end. As I played out my scenario, I asked myself what would be each character's reaction. Aragorn reaching his breaking point wasn't necessarily part of the scenario at that point. But when I found the combination of circumstances that would bring that about... well, yeah!

In some ways, this turned out to be very much a hobbit tale, didn't it? Both hobbits underwent great changes and grew as characters perhaps more than any others.  So glad the evolution felt natural for you. 

Thank you for your comments. I love hearing what you enjoyed about the story.