Shire: Beginnings by Lindelea
PSW · 8 February 2025 · Chapter 31: Epilogue
What a wonderful story - so glad I found it. Thanks so much for sharing it!
Author's reply
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for your generosity in taking the time to share your thoughts. I greatly enjoyed reading your impressions.
PSW · 8 February 2025 · Chapter 30: Warm Welcome
Lovely homecoming! I’m so happy hat they can rest and feel safe now. ❤️
Author's reply
I love it when I can bring a story in for a safe landing. They'll have a 300-year respite to grow and thrive before having to move on again, this time to Bree. Author Reply: Oops! I misremembered. They have 150 years in this new homeland before they migrate to the Bree-land.
PSW · 8 February 2025 · Chapter 29: The Last Leg
It’s good that Gandalf and the Elves are keeping an eye on things - I don’t trust the Men if Rhuduar. Home is a wonderful thing! And I’m so glad the Harfoots (Harfeet? ;-) are anxious to welcome them!
Author's reply
"Home" is such a lovely word... I seem to remember that this is where the idea began of keeping a watch on the Shire and the Bree-land. Before Cardolan and Arthedain fell, probably Gandalf mostly took care of things (and maybe Rivendell Elves?). And then later, the Dúnedain took on the role of the Watchers, perhaps not knowing the deeper reason why but faithful anyhow.
PSW · 8 February 2025 · Chapter 28: Before the Face of the King
Wow - what a confrontation! After such a monstrous lead-up, to see Glorfindel drive back the Shadow for even a moment … He really is full of life and light that nothing can dim. Now, to see if this agreement is kept…
Author's reply
I've always been struck by that glimpse we have of Glorfindel "as he is on the other side" when Frodo crosses the river on the elf-horse. This scene was heavily based on that brief observation of Gandalf's.
PSW · 8 February 2025 · Chapter 27: Ride to Rhudaur
*think
Author's reply
(Got it!)
PSW · 8 February 2025 · Chapter 27: Ride to Rhudaur
Yikes. I hunk they made the Elves mad … or Glorfindel at least, and well he should be. This is all really horrible. Why would they just be so into killing the Hobbits??
Author's reply
They were under evil influence. JRRT said that the Men in the land fell under the shadow of Angmar, and were destroyed in the war that brought an end to the North Kingdom. Also, the Enemy may have targeted Hobbits, having some inkling that they would play a part in his eventual downfall. One of the things this story tries to explain is why Watchers were appointed to guard the Shire and the Bree-lands.
PSW · 8 February 2025 · Chapter 26: Of Life and Death
I’m sure the Elves absolutely loved all the babies coming! What a time of rejoicing. :-) I’m sure Thorn will be back, but I don’t like all this talk of ‘if you don’t come back’… Hope he’s back quickly!
Author's reply
Considering that Elves celebrate "Quickening" as their New Year (if I'm remembering right), I think they'd find babies wonderful and full of wonder. I don't think the Fallohides take life for granted at this point in time, after all the losses they've suffered over recent years.
PSW · 8 February 2025 · Chapter 25: First Foot
Perfect who the scarf went to! And wonderful that they were able to honor their traditions in this new place and with their new friends.
Author's reply
When I re-read the description of Gandalf with his silver scarf (as I was re-reading The Hobbit and LOTR with special attention to Gandalf), this idea suddenly popped up and wouldn't go away until I wrote it into this story. I remember one year when I couldn't seem to read enough about how other cultures observed winter holidays. It was fascinating!
PSW · 8 February 2025 · Chapter 24: The Ravelled Sleeve
I love the idea of the ladies bonding and healing over yarn and knitting and quiet chats by the fire. What a perfect place for them to bring and children and spend their time.
Author's reply
I think a lot of the details of the setting and opportunities quietly left open to (rather than forced upon) the hobbits reflect Elrond's gift of observation and his healer's instincts. I think it was Bilbo who described the Last Homely House as the perfect place, no matter what you wanted to do. (I just looked it up, and yes, he did.) And JRRT goes on to say, "Merely to be there was a cure for weariness, fear, and sadness."
PSW · 8 February 2025 · Chapter 23: In the Last Homely House
And so ‘Gandalf’ is born. :-) What a lovely thing, that everyone stopped to sew new clothes for them and to see that they were cared for. I’m sure it was a merry time indeed for the Elves - who, as you say, have all the time in the world.
Author's reply
I think this was a lovely respite for the Fallohides and a time of wonder and renewal for the Elves. As Gandalf observed, just when you think you know everything there is about Hobbits, they surprise you. (Or something like that.)
PSW · 8 February 2025 · Chapter 22: The Rescue
Yay, they’re saved! I love how the Elves are both fierce and utterly merry - I thinks it’s very much how Tolkien pictured them. At least, the Elves of Middle Earth. Not sure how merry the Noldor actually are…
Author's reply
Yes, the description of the Elves here is definitely taken from JRRT's descriptions of Elves from Sam's viewpoint in Rivendell.
PSW · 8 February 2025 · Chapter 21: Snatched from the Jaws
They were just going to kill the Hobbits? That’s terrible! 😣 Must be toward the end when they were in league w Angmar - surely otherwise they wouldn’t dare. Glad Elladan was there to hold things off! Sounds like they’ve got some more help too…
Author's reply
JRRT talked about the Men in this area becoming so wicked that even the names of their Kings were no longer remembered by Frodo's time. Angmar may very well have been influencing them at this point. It's also revealed in a later chapter that the local King is relatively young, which may have led to his choosing the wrong mentors and counsellors and listening to the wrong advice. And from this point on comes a series of chapters that were wonderful to write and that I still enjoy re-reading when I'm looking for a lift.
PSW · 8 February 2025 · Chapter 20: A Stitch in Time
And indeed, Ell Adan - it is about time!
Author's reply
Yes, Ell Adan. You're late!
PSW · 8 February 2025 · Chapter 20: A Stitch in Time
Ohhh… I’m so sad for their state. And so glad they will be taken care of soon! What a terrible life right now - but it will be better!
Author's reply
It was terrible, but I guess it could also be called a refining fire of sorts. I'm also glad that the story turns around at about this point and becomes much more positive (for the hobbits, anyhow) all the way to the end.
PSW · 8 February 2025 · Chapter 19: A Parting and A Meeting
Good news for Pick, but a sad state the rest of the little ones are in. I’m glad Elladan came across Thorn (😢), hopefully they will get some rest and good food now.
Author's reply
Poor Elladan. He was a bit distracted, what with Glorfindel's wounding and illness, and the warning he received was relatively vague and required keen attention. (I will blame JRRT for the losses described in this story, reflecting his observance that Hobbits' oral histories "hardly looked back further than their Wandering Days", which is most easily explained by the catastrophic loss of most or all of their memory-keepers at a dark time in history.)
PSW · 8 February 2025 · Chapter 18: On Eagle's Wings
Whew! He ended up in the right place, at least! Maybe Grand-alf will take him to Rivendell and he will meet the rest of his people there…
Author's reply
Grand-alf is one of the Wise, after all...
PSW · 8 February 2025 · Chapter 17: The Song
Sigh … ♥️♥️♥️ What a lovely gift Thorn was given. Now, as we know Pick isn’t going to be eaten he’d better start getting that bird’s attention!
Author's reply
It was satisfying to give Thorn that vision of the future and the promise that his descendants would thrive, partly as a result of his faithfulness and careful listening and obedience to the Voices that guided him.
PSW · 7 February 2025 · Chapter 16: The Hunted
Oh no!! I hope Pick can either sneak out or convince the Eagles he’s not food… This was an utterly lovely chapter - poignant and sad and yet full of hope for the travelers. I’ll miss Thorn. What forest was that they crossed, BTW? Or, was it just random trees? I couldn’t quite place on a map where they were - though I also was not looking in the right timeframe either. And why in the world are those orcs so persistent? Sigh … I have to go to bed now … Enjoying this!
Author's reply
The pine forest? Probably a random stand of trees. I don't remember if they were fir trees, reflecting Gandalf and the Dwarves and the Burglar taking refuge from goblins and wolves, or if the trees were just "there" and didn't constitute a large enough forest to have a name and marking on a map. It may be possible that the Enemy has some inkling of Hobbits' part in the song and is driving His servants to stamp them out. That possibility becomes more apparent when they reach one of the realms of Men on the other side of the mountains. (Another possibility is just too disturbing to contemplate.) I'm glad you enjoyed this story! Author Reply: p.s. I was also sad to say good-bye to Thorn.
PSW · 7 February 2025 · Chapter 15: Pursuit
Boy, their luck is just not good these past days. And what’s with the so-persistent gobble-uns? They must really want to find these hobbits!
Author's reply
They knew the crossing would be dangerous. One or both of the sons of Elrond might have helped them at this point, but the warnings were too vague, unfortunately.
PSW · 7 February 2025 · Chapter 14: Ascent
Oh no!! I hope Pick is okay!
Author's reply
Well, things are pretty touch-and-go at this point, but Someone is watching over Pick, so I'm sure that helps.
PSW · 7 February 2025 · Chapter 13: River Crossing
How odd to think that the Men don’t even know there’s this whole little community hiding out right there. The Men always were the loudest and clumsiest, I guess!
Author's reply
You're probably right, excluding the darker creatures such as Orcs and Trolls and such. And I suppose Orcs can move stealthily when they're laying a trap, though I haven't thought about that much.
PSW · 7 February 2025 · Chapter 10: A-journey Again
First of all … I know I wrote Melian, not Melina. Stupid autocorrect… Second, I guess Melian was never his far east (at least that we know of). Back to Yavanna then!
Author's reply
Oh, I didn't see this review before I answered the previous one! Autocorrect certainly has trouble with some of JRRT's names and concepts...
PSW · 7 February 2025 · Chapter 11: Hobbit Help
It’s funny to see the Elves as the louder, less dexterous ones … :-P
Author's reply
LOL! But then, the hobbits have had to keep a low profile for quite a long time, now, so it's almost second nature to them. The Fallohides are based on JRRT's description of hobbits from the chapter "Concerning Hobbits": They are quick of hearing and sharp-eyed, and though they are inclined to be fat and do not hurry unnecessarily, they are nonetheless nimble and deft in their movements. They possessed from the first the art of disappearing swiftly and silently, when large folk whom they do not wish to meet come blundering by; and this art they have developed until to Men it may seem magical. But Hobbits have never, in fact, studied magic of any kind, and their elusiveness is due solely to a professional skill that heredity and practice, and a close friendship with the earth, have rendered inimitable by bigger and clumsier races.
PSW · 7 February 2025 · Chapter 10: A-journey Again
Or maybe ‘the Lady’ is Melina…. Love how they keep running into Glorfindel and company. Perhaps they’ll join up for a while.
Author's reply
I'm not familiar with Melina...? "Melian", a Maiar of Yavanna, might have been a possibility except I had the distinct impression that the Lady was on the same level as Namo (Mandos), which would make her one of the Valar. It's an interesting point to speculate on.
PSW · 7 February 2025 · Chapter 9: A New Start
The kids are getting so big … ❤️ But it’s sad to see that their neighbors have no interest in good relations. Is Yavanna ‘the Lady’?
Author's reply
Someone (FantasyFan?) speculated that the Lady might be Yavanna. I think she might be either Yavanna or her sister Vána, but I don't know for certain.