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A New Reckoning  by Dreamflower 5 Review(s)
LarnerReviewed Chapter: 4 on 9/27/2006
And our beloved Ringbearer still does his level best to efface himself, while delighting to see the rest honored. And a delight to see our friends here.

Author Reply: It's his automatic reaction to gratitude. He simply can't make himself believe he deserves it, while he *knows* the others do. But at least honor to them gives him some pleasure, even if only vicariously.

GryffinjackReviewed Chapter: 4 on 1/5/2006
Oh, what fun this will be! You've added so much more interest with the presence of Bergil, Gimli, and Legolas. That will be some reunion when our four hobbits arrive!

Your description of the camp is fantastic. All of those little details really allow us to picture not only the camp, but the men and what they are doing as well. You really make the scene come to life.

About the ponies - did you make up the name of Frodo's pony? It's great! lol! Also, did Merry get to keep Stybba in canon or is that your own little touch? Whichever it is, I think it's perfect.

Leave it to Frodo to worry whether Aragorn had sent him any material rewards. He really did suffer so much to think he had failed. And, of course, he would know that the delegation would also be carrying Aragorn's response to their recommendations.



Author Reply: Yes, the reunion should be quite amusing!

I'm glad you like the details. It always pleases me when readers *do* like them, because I'd always been taught that many details bogged down the reader, yet the details are what I really love writing about. So it's nice to know that my readers, at least, don't go along with the conventional reasoning.

Frodo's pony's name *is* canon, LOL! As to Merry keeping Stybba, I had always thought it canon, yet when I went to search the book I missed it, so it may very well be fanon. Hmm...I wonder.

Frodo is doing fairly well for the time being; but any mention of "reward" or "gratitude" tends to make him very uncomfortable.

LindeleaReviewed Chapter: 4 on 11/18/2005
He saw the figures of several more Men taking their ease about a campfire, some of them seeming to be attending to such chores as mending clothing or sharpening weapons; all were clad in either the black and silver or the green and white he was becoming used to. There was one figure, much smaller than the rest, also clad in the black and silver, attending to the scrubbing of pots. As he grew closer, he realized that this was only a child, and was amazed to see him among all these grown Men.
(I love these sorts of descriptive passages that set the scene clearly.)

Gimli and Legolas!

he had been well aware of the plans to reward his cousins, and was all in favor of it as long as there were no surprises for him in store
(Hah! There ought to be!)

Author Reply: Oh, thank you! I always love when someone likes my descriptions, as I tend to think of them as one of my weak spots.

Yes, Gimli and Legolas.

Well, Frodo's made it clear he wants no surprises, and Aragorn will honor that--but he wishes he didn't have to.

LindeleaReviewed Chapter: 4 on 7/30/2004
Popping back in again for a minute. Wish I had time to read more!

I do like the little details you add, such as the description of the Men's camp, and what Saradoc saw people doing there.

Poor Frodo, anticipating some sort of reward with dread!

I am in awe of your OC names. They sound so natural and real.

Author Reply: Thanks so much!

Frodo never quite comes to terms with the idea that he deserves to be rewarded. Since he thinks he failed because of claiming the Ring, he tends to be embarassed and feel guilty at all the gratitude.

The OC names for the Men were not hard to come by in the case of the Rohirrim, I knew right were to turn, and went to one of the many sites available for Anglo-Saxon names. For the Gondorians, I combed the Appendices, and also People of Middle Earth for names that appeared there. And did you know that JRRT used Carolingian-Merovingian names for many of his upper class male hobbits? When I first started writing fanfic, I thought I would try to avoid OCs (LOL!) but if I have to use them ( and in this story I seem to be drowning in them) I want them to at least sound plausible.

PervincaReviewed Chapter: 4 on 4/25/2004
Oh, Bergil's there! I love Bergil (though I probably would have been happier if Beregond had come as well). And Legolas and Gimli too - or so I assume. I hope the men have some sort of gift for Pippin as well, just so he can feel as embarrassed as poor Merry does!

Author Reply: I thought about Beregond coming, but remember, he's posted in Ithilien with Faramir now. Besides, having Bergil there without his dad gave me something different to play with.

Of course, Legolas and Gimli,who else? 8-)

Don't worry about Pip; as Merry said to him in another story "Can you imagine Aragorn being less generous than Eomer?"

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