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Thoughts in the Night  by Pearl Took 16 Review(s)
Polly DanderfluffReviewed Chapter: 3 on 12/28/2007
I loved it! I'll keep reading your stories here and at Fan Fiction. Thank you for the great stories!

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/20/2007
Yes, indeed right and proper that Parsow join Bergil at the bedside as Merry and Pippin both rest and recover. Survivor guilt causing a feeling of blood contamination, is it? Very interesting indeed! Very interesting and believable. Each has been terribly hurt in his own way, and each need comfort and time and permission (even orders) to heal.

Author Reply: Thank you so much, Larner :-) Parsow has earned his place by the two pheriannath's bedside indeed. Both hobbits were going through an awful lot at this point - well, actually all four hobbits. They are all showing their own strength and the real worth of the Shirefolk.

Agape4GondorReviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/20/2007
“No. I didn’t sleep at all that night, nor the one before. No one slept that night. No one but . . . but the dead. I was in the Lord Steward’s chamber all that horrible day. He went away. He went and when he came back he had shrunk. He had grown old in an hour’s time. And I stood there as he aged before my eyes and his mind snapped and I could do nothing. People came and he sent them scurrying off. And still I . . . I couldn’t . . . there was nothing I could do. And he wept. He had belittled me, he had frightened me, he had ignored me completely, but I found I couldn’t bear to see him weep. So I spoke. I spoke the wrong words and brought no comfort.”

Again another lovely chapter - I loved Aragorn's concern and the way he took care of poor Pip's feet. Very nicely done! Thank you.

Author Reply: Thank you so much, Agape! I'm so glad you enjoyed the story and felt it was nicely done :-) You're most welcome, and thank you for reading and responding!

GamgeeFestReviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/20/2007
This came out wonderfully, Pearl! I'm greatly impressed with your apprentice. It is clear he will one day make a great master healer. Pippin's ramblings to his sleeping cousin are heart-breaking, as was his concern that Aragorn's would stain himself by treating his feet. Aragorn's concern and care for Pippin is perfectly described here.

I did spot one occurance of 'cousin' where it should have still been 'kinsman' early on in the previous chapter, I believe right after Merry wakens. Other than that, all the changes you made have really made this a wonderful story that flows from beginning to end. Well done!

Author Reply: Thank you, GamgeeFest :-) I'm so pleased that Parsow has been so well accepted. I'm so glad you enjoyed the story in full!

I'll go check for that other misplaced cousin.

Thank you so much :-)

Author Reply: I found it :-) Thank you!

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/20/2007
Athelas is really helpful - it seems to relieve the spirit as well as having actual curative properties. And Pippin needed relieving, poor lad!

Parsow is going to be good at his profession - he has a good eye for what is important, combined with a lot of common sense.

And, of course, it will do Merry a lot of good to see Pippin - and Pippin a lot of good to see Merry awake and looking better.

Author Reply: Thank you for reading and responding, Bodkin :-) I'm glad you liked Parsow. Yes, the best thing for the cousins will be seeing each other doing better.

ClaudiaReviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/19/2007
Oh, this was delightful! I love seeing hobbits through the eyes of Big Folk. This story just has so much heart! ;-)

Author Reply: Thank you so much, Claudia! That's just what I wanted it to have. I'm glad you enjoyed it :-)

PIppinfan1988Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/17/2007
“Yes. If green were to have a smell of its own, it would be this. Green like new grass in the springtime. New leaves, new plants, new . . . new everything. Green like the Shire.” He once again breathed in as deeply as he could. “Green.”

That was too precious. Only a hobbit--scratch that, only *Pippin* would smell green. :-)

I recall thinking after I initially read Crucible if Pippin's trouble with clean feet would have an after-effect during their time in Minas Tirith. You covered it very nicely in this tale. :-) This was a *lovely* "sequel" of sorts for Crucible and First Night and am glad you wrote it. Very well done, my friend!

PF


Author Reply: Thank you once more, PF :-)

I'm glad you like Pippin smelling green :-)

The last line in "Pippin's Crucible" is him saying he doesn't think his feet will ever feel clean again. I really think it would take a while for him to put behind him the guilt, shame and discomfort of running through the soldier's blood.

I'm glad you enjoyed this one!

TiggerReviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/17/2007
Oh, this was wonderful Pearl. I especially liked Pippin, even though it hit a bit too close to home. I've had my own experiences w/bad memories and staying awake all night because if you went to sleep, you knew the nightmares would start. That was perfectly done and written.

I've often wondered after experiencing what he did in the Palantir, Rath Dinen and also finding Gandalf *and* the Witch King together when going for Gandalf's aid for Faramir, why in those early days after the siege of Minas Tirith why Pippin seemed to be just pitch perfect fine in ROTK. Older and wiser obviously w/his experiences during the siege, but I've often wondered being *that* close to the Witch King in what he thought was his hour of triumph and victory, Pippin *had* to have been exposed to The Black Breath in some manner. This is very, very good look at just that very thing.

I like your healer's apprentice here very much. I'm glad someone was looking out for Pippin in among all of the events of those first days after the siege. As busy as everyone was, and w/good reason, Pippin had his own wounds from the siege and the apprentice's instincts told him so. He just needed to wait until he knew sending for Aragorn was the right thing to do. As I'm sure the Warden will be wondering about. You hinted as much in the third chapter and I'm sure that will be quite the interesting explaination. ;o)

Also Pippin trying to cleanse his feet because they were "dirty" and then him not wanting Aragorn to touch them in case he "spread the filth" and "soiled" Aragorn's hands just broke my heart. I've heard of instances of something simliar and I guess we've all heard of rape victims doing the same thing after their attack. Needing to get themselves "clean" again after something so tramatic... Poor Pippin.

I loved your Aragorn in this. So gentle w/Pippin and although it must have broke his heart to even think of ordering Pippin to clean his feet for him, he knew that Pippin needed to remember that Denethor was *not* there to hurt him anymore. Aragorn is a much different Lord and ruler and also his Captain now. He hoped reminding Pippin w/first his livery and then his Oath would all that was needed for Pippin to focus and remember that Denethor was no long his Lord and Captain, but that Aragorn was. That was a very well written scene as well.

I do hope you add more to this. It has a very unfinished feel to it.

How's that for an unsubtle hint? ;o)

Thanks again for the wonderful story!! :o)

Author Reply: Thank you, Tigger! You wrote a letter, thank you :-)

It really touches me when someone says they have gone through something like what I write and that I did it right. Thank you for sharing that with me.

In reading through the chapters of ROTK covering the time from when Pippin looked into the stone through Merry's healing and the Army of the West being gathered, I found that Pippin is often shown to be tired and downhearted. He perks up in Beregond's company, though even then he is sometimes discouraged, and he has a good time with Bergil and his friends, but much of the time he is not the cheerful hobbit we normally think of Pip as being. Indeed, it all had its affect on him.

I'm glad you like Parsow! "As I'm sure the Warden will be wondering about. You hinted as much in the third chapter and I'm sure that will be quite the interesting explaination. ;o)" I did? (Oh dear . . .)

I'm also glad you liked my Aragorn :-) Yes, Pip does know who Strider *really* is and needed to be reminded, if only to help the lad focus and settle down.

As I've said to others who have mentioned getting more story - at this point in time there isn't any more. Sorry :-( We'll have to see if the muse will take being prodded.

Thank you so much, Tigger :-)

Grey WondererReviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/17/2007
Oh, the Scotish Play as they call it. Interesting idea about the blood in the streets and Pippin's feet. I am glad that Aragorn was able to calm Pippin and I like the way you used the scarf in this. Looking forward to more!

Author Reply: Yes, the Scottish Play - and reality. I have a friend who was there when someone was shot. She had to walk bare foot through his blood to get to him to see if he was ok. When I told her my ideas for "Pippin's Crucible" she told me of the incident and that my thoughts were right on. She then told me she had trouble for a while afterward with the whole thing of feeling like she still had blood on her feet and not being able to get it off. With the Scottish Play, an episode of M*A*S*H that had a person go through this "syndrome", and my friend's real life experience, I figured this really does happen.

I'm glad the scarf fit well - the rest is based solely on book version but I do love Pippin's scarf :-)

Oh dear, another person wanting/looking for more! At this point, this is all the muse has given me, we'll have to see if the prodding brings more.

Thank you so much, GW!

DaynawaynaReviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/16/2007
Pearl, this was the quintencential (no I can't spell it!) Pippin h/c! OMG I loved it! Poor Pip! Overwhelmed, overtired, overworked, overstimulated.... the poor tween! And Parsow.. what a wise young man, and sneaky! My kinda kid, that's for sure! LOL I love how he became Guardian over Pippin of his own accord (and curiousity) and how he enlisted Bergil's help. I'm telling you, I could have been this young man, if I were a boy! "I've gotta fix it! I've gotta make sure the young hobbit is taken care of..." a true healer through and through. Although in my case, I refer to myself as being a "band-aid"... ::giggles::

And Aragorn... le sigh. And Pip freaking out over the Athelas... poor baby! He really was under the Black Breath in a different way. And I love how Parsow gently tended to him while Aragorn washed Pip's feet. Wonderful, wonderful story Pearl! :) I am SO favorite-ing this story!

Author Reply: Thank you so much, Daynawayna! And thank you for favorite-ing it as well, I'm honored :-)

I'm glad you liked Parsow, he just came with the story and insisted he was the one to tell it. Pippin had been through a lot and I'm sure he needed some caring attention.

Wow, my Aragorn warrants a "le sigh"! Thank you :-)

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