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As the Gentle Rain  by Lindelea 8 Review(s)
Hai TookReviewed Chapter: 48 on 6/12/2004
Scary, scary stuff! I do hope Frodovar is alright! I thought for srue Ferdi was a gonner! Brave Nell! I hope she is alright after this fall! Pippin and Diamond's children have all come pretty close to the Pilgrim! Anxiously awainting more! Thank you!

Lyta PadfootReviewed Chapter: 48 on 6/10/2004
I hope Nell, Frodovar, and everyone will be all right. You just love your cliff hangers, don't you.

Author Reply: Cliffhanger? CLIFFhanger? Moi?

Thanks for commenting.

Bluegrass ElfReviewed Chapter: 48 on 6/10/2004
I'm confused. Are the pilgrim and Brant the same person?

Author Reply: Yes, that's right.

Thanks for the comment!

Meldewen IlceReviewed Chapter: 48 on 6/10/2004
I hope someone will take note of Ulrich's actions - I mean come on there needs to be room in Gondor's law for some kind of mercy...

Oh please don't let Forget-me-not's Frodovar die as that's be cruel to her and to his parents!

And I had hopes Elfwine was helping to bring about the Pilgrim's capture when he gave him his horse. Pilgrim was stupid to take the horse as anyone knows the horses of Rohan are the most well-trained horses in Middle-earth and does he think that horse is going to cooperate with anyone but his master?

And Nell offering to take her neice's place - wow - I just hope she'll be all right as it would kill Ferdi to lose her!

Oh please do not be long in updating this story again!

Author Reply: Will do my best. My editor nagged me to add a chapter to "StarFire"--she's hankering for Ferdi h/c, and who am I to argue? But I'll get back to writing in "Rain" on the morrow, if I can get near the computer. (Maybe tonight, if I can persuade dh to work on a different computer...)

Sorry as it sounds you will be frustrated for the next few chapters with the rigidity of M-e justice... but of course, I'm basing it on the justice I've read about in history books, which was actually much worse than the simple hanging we're talking about here...

Law is necessary for an orderly society, I'm told. Tampering with the law can lead to the "slippery slope" syndrome. Our laws were put in place to protect the innocent (how did things get so twisted so that now the laws seem to protect the guilty more than anyone else?), and Ulrich himself admits he is not innocent of the charges against him. The King could choose to be merciful if he hadn't excused himself from the case; he has that kind of power (though being Aragorn, he's extremely cautious in exercising the power he has). The jurors don't feel as if they have that sort of leeway. Once a man is sentenced, unless new evidence turns up proving someone else guilty, the sentence must stand.

Otherwise there'd be no plot...

Still, there might be something in those dusty old Records, you never know.

Thanks for reviewing!

FantasyFanReviewed Chapter: 48 on 6/10/2004
A chance for Elfwine to shine, and do more than look rustic. If any horse would be well trained and loyal to his master, it would be a horse of Rohan. It's probably too much to hope the Pilgrim is incapacitated and Nell unhurt, but it was worth a try to get all the other hobbits out of harm's way.

I hope Frodovar does not die, for Ruby's sake if nobody else's. Although he said in the last chapter he could not be happier even should it be his last day, let's not test it, OK? I am sincerely hoping they have a chance for even more happiness someday. Who in the party is trained in field surgery? (besides Aragorn, who will be leading the rescue, I suppose.) He needs an occlusive dressing for the sucking chest wound so his lung doesn't collapse, but if major vessels are not cut it is survivable.

This is an action-packed story. I can't wait to see what you come up with next.

Author Reply: Thanks so much for reviewing.

I think I confused you with a typo. It was not Frodovar, but Fredegar who said in the last chapter that he could not be happier even should it be his last day, and yes, *that* was foreshadowing... for Freddy... but cannot say more or it would be a spoiler.

If you're worried about Freddy, BTW, go read the last chapter of "Small and Passing Thing". It ought to be soothing, I think.

BeruthielReviewed Chapter: 48 on 6/10/2004
Quite the muse you have here. One nasty cliffie after another. I once read a story about an evil muse who popped out of the closet one day and demanded half the author's royalties, then completely took over the unfortunate author's life. Interestingly, this evil muse claimed to have thought up Lord of the Rings while Tolkien took all the credit for it. I always thought that was just a story, but now not so sure. Your muse doesn't live in your closet, does she?

Author Reply: Ummm, no, she resides in the corner, sitting by the hearth in a comfy rocking chair. Unless, of course, she's taken herself off to Hawaii for a break (without me, I might add).

I do not take credit for these stories, I'm always blaming... er... giving the Muse full credit for her whispers.

It's probably a mercy that there's no financial reward for writing this stuff... she'd hog the lion's share, I'm sure. (and well deserved!) Whew, that was close, didn't realise she was paying attention.

Closets, in our house, are dark, full, stuffy places that need clearing out.

Thanks for reviewing!

ConnieReviewed Chapter: 48 on 6/10/2004
As i was reviewing the last chapter, you were posting this one.

Well not quite what I thought would happen. This certainly is a huge hurt/comfort story I will say. I like it!

Looks like everything is coming to a head. Thanks to that well trained horse of Rohan I think they finally have their madman. I hope.

Now, all they have to do is get Ulrich off the hook, or should I say rope. I would think his willingness to take a deathblow aimed at a hobbit should go a long way toward a pardon. If there is any justice in Gondor, and I know there is, they'll at least commute his sentence.

Thanks. Can't wait for more.

Connie.

Author Reply: Nice bit of timing, that!

Yes, am "into" hurt/comfort these days, in part to comfort my editor, who is snowed under at work.

Another chapter is in the works. Hoping to post it over the weekend. We'll see.

This story is not far from being finished, can you believe it? After the "day after tomorrow" there is not much left to write.

As to justice in Gondor, well, I talked a bit about that in answering another review, if you're interested.

Thanks for reviewing!

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 48 on 6/10/2004
Aarrgghh! What a chapter! Brave Ulrich - saving Ferdi and (hopefully) Frodovar. Brave, brave Nell - offering herself up for Forget-me-not. Poor Brant/Pilgrim - even though he is a total menace, he is not responsible for his actions. I hope Elfwine and the horse succeed in saving the day.

Keep the pace up - I can't wait too long to know what happens.

Author Reply: Whew, it is hard to keep the pace up. Jet lagged. Instead of getting up at 5 in the morning to write I'm sleeping in until I *have* to get up. But I ought to get back to normal in a few days, I hope. (How long does it take to get over jet lag?)

Ulrich is brave; I've grown quite fond of him over the course of the story. He'll continue to be brave all the way to the end of the story... which may not end as some folk think it will... we'll see. I hate to be predictable.

Nell, too, has found her courage, making her even more of a match for Ferdi.

We'll try to find a way to save Brant, yet, though once again it might surprise the reader. Can only hope.

Thanks for the encouragement!

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