Wow. The last few sentences are truly made to give you gooseflesh!
It‘s a dark story! But also there is hope thanks to the letter of the farmers son. And of cause because of the Rangers recovery.
It‘s very sad how few the people know about their great king but I suppose that’s just the way things go.
Even in these days. Who claims to really know our politics or the great celebrities among them the royal families and others.
See the humans not the name, aime or heritage.

I like the stories where Aragorn is just a common unknown Ranger even when he is so much more. But every time when finished one of those I’d wish there might be a friendlier person on his way. Maybe not knowing what goes on but just a bit of hobbit-kindness in a human who crosses his path.
You know just as when you have a really bad day a car stops only to let you cross the road savely even if You haven‘t weaved. And then it‘s as if your day wasn‘t all that bad.

Thanks for your work done here!

Hope you are not tired by now if you ever will read my bubbling. ;)

Greetings

Oh man, this is good.

"He would never have been permitted to risk himself by travelling entirely alone without at least a few discreet guards"

The irony, it burns!

Having spent considerable time myself poring over old letters and documents I appreciate this story all the more. Kudos!

This was so beautiful! It was a great read, and the overlying sense of melancholy was expertly done. The emotions of Mr. Appledore were very true to life (I definitely teared up towards the end), and even semiconscious, Aragorn seemed very true to character. Thanks for sharing.

What a great story! I am so glad this has been recommended to me. Your writing is brilliant and the story is great. I like how you slowly unveil what happened. Your OC is very interesting, not a real hero, but he turned out to be a good person and one I felt with deeply. The story was dark the whole time, but I cried when I read what his son has written. Oh, and he opened the text so late. I could start to cry again, there are still tears in my eyes. Great work! (Though I was originally looking for a happier story before I go to bed. I think I will need to read something fluffy to not go to bed too sad. But I am still glad that I read this, your story is a true gem.)

Oh this is so great, I felt a deep sense of melancholy reading this, tinged with hope for the farmer and his son. Its so ironic that the historians, who know so much, are so very wrong. King Elessar has become a figure of legend, like a hero made of stone so they cannot see him as a human being, fallible and so very affected by fear, lonliness, and love. I really enjoyed this glimpse into Aragorn and the farmer's minds, and a peek into how the common people might remember the King, with legends and stories but never really quite getting at the human part of him.

What a lovely story and inventive way of writing it!
I felt sure the letter would be accepted as genuine, but at least the archivist was going to preserve it in honour of the 'unknown'author.
I do hope Odo was reunited with his fatger!
Thank you, I really enjoyed this!

This was lovely. I love how history gets mixed up and embellished by the supposed historians!

This is thoroughly lovely.

Amazing! You've wonderfully captured how facts are muddled and legends grow with the passage of time... Excellent stuff

That was one of the most original and touching things I have ever read on this site. I was very lucky to stumble upon this little treasure. Thank you.

This is an excellent story told from a unique perspective. Just like the archivist, we don't know for sure but we want to believe. Thank you for sharing your story.

How terribly sad. But nicely written and well characterised. We know it all ends happily, but you point out terribly well how quickly things are forgotten or misremembered among men.

Thank you for sharing it with ut.

Excellent.

very well written! i enjoyed it.