Comments on In Service, Love

The Silmarillion Writers' Guild is more than just an archive--we are a community! If you enjoy a fanwork or enjoy a creator's work, please consider letting them know in a comment.

You know, I have been thinking about Ohtar a lot. He was the first OC I have written about, but I’m not sure if I have ever read anyone else’s fic about him. So this was a fascinating read already for this reason.

I really enjoyed the language and the general flow how the story was written. You have pictured so well that special relationship between Isildur and Ohtar. I like the idea that he was already serving Isildur in Númenor. And I’m sure that Ohtar was one of the first ones who noticed the change that the One Ring caused in Isildur. He must’ve been a trusted man for Isildur.

The ending of this fic really makes me think that a new life is waiting for the person who was Ohtar as he’s called by his name he had forgotten. Great ending.

Thank you! I wanted that new life to peek through at the end, so I'm very happy that you read it that way. I've taken some liberties with ages (Ohtar is probably more than a little too old to still be Isildur's esquire at the end if he was with him in Numenor) but I like the continuity of their long time together. And as a fellow Ohtar fan, I'm particularly glad you liked this. :)

I love this look at Ohtar and his devotion and fealty. I was surprised that his story started as early as Isildur's theft of the fruit of Nimloth, but it made perfect sense, and it was heartbreaking to follow his service to Isildur from idealistic young man to hard-hearted and Ring-poisoned king. All the more beautiful to have a happy ending for him, finding a kind new lord in Valandil. There are so many wonderful details here - the replaced name, the measure of trust and love between Ohtar and Isildur, the pain as silence falls between them. As others have already said, your use of language and imagery is really effective. You've managed to put a lot into a short piece!

I like the role you have envisaged for him, before his final service to Isildur.

It is good that he finds some of what he had with Isildur, and lost to the Ring, again with Valandil, in the end!

Poor Ohtar, it's almost worse to think he was along for the whole arc from Numenor to the Gladden Fields than if he just happened to be the one there in the end. At least he recognized it was the Ring causing that change!