12 Comments

Thank you so much, Sam! I first saw the The Fellowship Of The Ring when I was 11 and I remember the feeling of being a teenage girl with an uncontrollable crush on Legolas (as I got older, Aragorn became more appealing) and wanted to recreate that through Jess. I also really wanted to look into what it must be like to be a hero as well as a parent. Thank you for reading. I have been writing a lot of Sci fi at the moment so the fantasy prompt was a nice change. I'll definitely write more because it was fun.

Expand full comment

The start of this piece felt like being in the shoes of a companion following the Dragonborn through a Draugr crypt. The end felt like Gandalf and Legolas and Aragorn standing before the black gates of Mordor.

Glad you chose to go with the fantasy prompt (that was secretly my favorite of the two). You made struggle between "the call to adventure and parental duties" the centerpiece of the story. I particularly liked the way Jess reacted when they met with the elves. "I am a mere cave troll." made me smile.

Expand full comment

I agree with the 'I am a mere cave troll' thing - this is so teenage. Great line.

Expand full comment

Never cage a good idea inside your head - let it breathe! I still feel nervous when I release a piece into the world, even after a 100 times. Sometimes I squeeze my eyes shut and let my muse click the button. 😋

Expand full comment

Johnathan, this is excellent advice. I need to pin it somewhere.

Expand full comment

Enjoyed this! Indiana Jones meets LOTR on a 'bring your kid to work' day is a fabulous mix.

Expand full comment

Thank you. I felt a bit sick sharing it with more than just myself and a handful of subscribers as I've never done that before. I'm glad it wasn't just an idea in my head 😃.

Expand full comment

You should share more often...

Expand full comment

This was delightful, and it had such a good heartfelt ending. I definitely got Legolas vibes from Einar, which was fabulous.

Expand full comment

Thank you, Bridget. Legolas was a flash in the pan for me but he was a big crush and he was beautiful. I'm so glad that you enjoyed it.

Expand full comment

Oof! What an ending? Like I want to know what happens next but it seems kind of certain and yet I hope. Loved the Indiana Jones feel of this and the Jessalyn’s instant crush on Einar.

Expand full comment

Oh this is fantasy, it can go any which way! 🤣 Thank you for reading, Leanne.

Expand full comment