Reviews (456)

Author's reply

My brother and sister-in-law are lucky in that their newborn is a quiet one. My nephew is clearly making up for my niece, who could have given Tom a run for his money! Every time we managed to put her to bed and she didn't wake up was a huge sigh of relief. Too bad we can't all commission Gondorian soldiers to watch our kids at night! Seeing Frodo healed was the best gift Arwen could have given Sam. You know he worries about his master even now and knowing that he is healed as he was promised is a load off Sam's mind. Sam now has an image of Frodo he can carry with him until he too sails over the Seas.

Author's reply

This bunny was persistant, and I knew if I didn't write it right away it would be nipping at my ankles all week until I did. This was so much fun to write and to see how Men would react to such a tiny little thing that hobbit babies would be. Ah, the fluffiness. :D Tom in Boots is one of those games that men can't get enough of, but mothers tire of very quickly. I can just imagine one of the guards looking at the baby, looking at his boots, looking back at the baby, and then lightbulb! (or, candle!) Athelas was the magic key the whole time! Tom just needed another baby around who could understand him. ;) Eomer's reaction to nurse soldiers was fun and shows his own hobbit-like humor, as well as his sensibility. Nothing can teach you patience like a baby that won't stop crying. :D Arwen gifting Sam with a brief glimpse of Frodo was truly the only gift Sam would require and need. Even knowing that Frodo is in Valinor and has been promised healing by the Elves, Sam would still worry about Frodo and wonder if his friend was indeed getting the treatment he was promised. Knowing that Frodo is well will relieve much of his worry. Babies do take up quite a lot of room. :D Thanks for reading! I'm glad you enjoyed it. *hugs*

Author's reply

:D Thank you Dreamflower! I'm so happy that you enjoyed it so much and that you got some laughs out of it! It was a lot of fun to write and it wasn't hard at all incorporating the things we talked about. I bet Rose was wishing they hadn't packed away the rocking chair - that would have saved them all many sleepless nights if it had been easily accessible. Tom rather took after my niece here. She was colicky also and boy was she a handful to try to get to sleep! Well, maybe not get to sleep, but to lay her down and have her *stay* asleep! I wish we'd have those soldiers around to help us baby sit! Tom and Athelas do seem to have hit it off rather quickly. I think the muses are leaning in that direction. :D The idea of the birthday party came in halfway through writing the story. I thought it'd be fun to hear what Sam's shorter bedtime stories sounded like. ;)

Author's reply

And he has lost quite a lot. That coupled with the shell shock, it's no wonder he can hardly recognize himself at times and that the world around him appears to be dimmed somehow. He has a long road to recovery and he won't truly begin to heal until he sails West.

Author's reply

One of these days, I think I'll have to write a happy!Frodo story. I really do owe it to the little guy. :)

Author's reply

That Frodo was able to remain in Middle Earth for so long after the Quest is in itself a miracle. The Ring took nearly everything from him and on his 'bad' days he would feel that emptiness more keenly than on his 'good' days. Thank you so much for commenting on the rooms! They are very much a part of the story, so as each room becomes more furnished and full, Frodo becomes more exposed and hollow. I'm so glad you enjoyed this and that you felt like you were there with Frodo! I love to hear that! :)

Author's reply

The Ring took everything from Frodo over the course of the Quest and the closer they got to Mt. Doom. While he might have originally felt elated at waking up in Cormallen, it could not have been long before the feelings of emptiness and disorientation started to naw at him again. I'm glad you agree with this assessment of Frodo's state of mind at this point in his life.

Author's reply

Thank you Dreamflower! I'm glad you were able to pick up on the relation of Frodo's surroundings to himself. I thought that might be too vague. As Frodo's surrounding become more furnished and realized, Frodo loses more and more of himself. I do think that Frodo would have some sort of detachment syndrome along with his PTSD, and would not be able to recongnize himself or know who he is anymore.

Author's reply

What can I say, I've been feeling angsty lately and this story just sort of called to me. I was glad to have the chance to expand on it a little and get more into Frodo's head during this time in his life. Thank you for the lovely review!!

Author's reply

*huggles* My poems are showing improvement. I'm glad you enjoy them!!

Author's reply

Thank you FB! I can very well imagine Frodo finding this very early on and being greatly reassured that Bilbo always has and always will care for him. I can even imagine him keeping it in his pocket and pulling it out to read over the first couple of months, which would have been the hardest for him. Even though Bilbo had to leave, he would have wanted to make sure Frodo knew exactly how much he meant to him. Thank you for your lovely review!

Author's reply

This was much easier for me to write than I thought it would be. I'm starting to feel more confident with my poetry, and to get such a lovely review as yours helps so much! I do think that Bilbo would have left something for Frodo, either a letter, story or, in this case, a poem, to reassure Frodo that he will always be loved and missed. Frodo was in low spirits after Bilbo left and this poem was undoubtedly of great reassurance to him. Thank you for reading!

Author's reply

This was quite an interesting story to write. No hobbits, no Shire. But Faramir's sensibility and Boromir's care for his brother made up for it. :) I've always be taken with Tolkien's description of the brothers' relationship in the Appendix and this gave me a nice opportunity to explore that. I figure that the death of their mother at such a young age is what solidified their relationship so strongly. Thanks for reading!

Author's reply

Masterpiece! *blush* Thank you so much!! I have to admit, that it my favorite one of the four and describes Sam so perfectly. I was so happy when the words came to me so easily for this one. :)

Author's reply

This was a fun one to write! Infuriating too in a way, because I had hoped to make it at least 4 stanzas. The most my brain could figure out was three, but they got the story done! I'm so glad this was able to make you laugh!

Author's reply

I've often wondered how that would work, with Sam naming his first son after Frodo. Of course, he would want to honor his master, but the name holds so many memories, both good and bad. Now that Sam is willing to take this step, perhaps he'll start remembering more of the good memories attached to that name and not just the last few years. And now that Frodo-lad understands, he'll be more patient and encouraging of his father. I'm so glad you enjoyed this!!

Author's reply

I thought it would be interesting if Faramir had a history of having prophetic dreams. He was the one who first dreamt of the prophecy that sent his brother to Rivendell, and dreamt of it most often, and he did dream about the wave. As the years pass, Boromir will be less likely to disregard his brother's dreams as he does here, but he would still attempt to make him feel better about them. Faramir takes most things in good stride. I'm sure that even at this young age he's already heard far harsher things from his father. Boromir should really take his cues from Faramir and not the bullies. ;) But then, Boromir would never stand by and let someone terrorize his brother. Perhaps that's another reason Faramir didn't get very perturbed by the teasing; he knew his brother would protect him. I'm glad the lack of hobbits didn't compromise the story. *hugs hobbits* :)

Author's reply

Frodo no doubt had this poem memorized by the end of that first day after Bilbo's departure. He probably even kept it in one of his pockets to pull it out at need. If he felt like he was being left behind or abandoned, this final reassurance that Bilbo will always be thinking of him would have eased a lot of his worries.

Author's reply

Boromir's pride was definitely his downfall, not some deeply buried evil streak. I love Tolkien's description of the brothers relationship in the Appendix. That they were never jealous of the other, despite Denethor favoring Boromir over Faramir, speak volumes of how close they were. That relationship had to have been there very early on, if not from the start.

Author's reply

As much as Bilbo was longing for the road, leaving Frodo behind could not have been easy for him, especially knowing how often Frodo had been left already in his life. He knew Frodo would feel like he was being abandoned yet again, and he would have written this for him, putting it somewhere he was likely to find it soon, to reassure Frodo one last time that he will always being thinking of him, and missing him just as much.

Author's reply

Thank you so much! I love the way Tolkien describes their relationship. They're both very different and there is plenty of room for sibling rivalry, yet they never bicker with each other and Boromir always looks after his younger brother. I'm sure if Faramir could have found a way, he would have helped Boromir to polish those swords! ;)

Author's reply

Yep, the truth is revealed at last! lol It wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but I just couldn't contemplate what would have happened had Boromir accidentally thrown the mud in his father's face! Polishing the swords would have been just the beginning of his punishment. ;) Boromir is a good big brother and always protects Faramir no matter what. I doubt this is the first, or last, such lecture Boromir will be getting from his father for starting fights. Although Boromir would do much better to learn from his brother. You're right, Boromir is too hot-headed for his own good. Faramir would have had to take the reins on most of the diplomatic duties while Boromir continued command of the troops.

Author's reply

No Tolkien quotes this time, just author's license. Showers back then would not have been pressurized like they are today, but I certainly think they were advanced enough to hook up a tube to a water tank and rig a pump or release valve to it. ;) It would also be more convenient than a bath house (which I'm sure they also had in other areas of the city) for a quick clean up after a training session. Everyone should build a sand citadel at least once in their life. ;)

Author's reply

Denethor always did put too much pressure on his children. Being held in his favor didn't really give Boromir any breaks. If anything, it only made him feel as if he had to be that much more perfect. I never could see Boromir as the villanous sort. If he were, he would not have redeemed himself by protecting Merry and Pippin and he certainly wouldn't have felt guilty for attacking Frodo. He made no excuses for his behavior and owned up to it, right to the end. Only a true hero would do that.

Author's reply

Boromir does tend to get wrapped up in honor and glory - very unhobbitlike. But he does defend his little brother, which Merry and Pippin in particular can relate to.