Mirkwoodmaiden
· 19 May 2025
· Chapter 28: Father and Son
Lin!
Poor Pippin! He really is struggling!
" 'If my brother has done my nephew some mischief, they will indeed have to find someone to be Thain after him because I will wring his neck myself!'"
Go Esmeralda, Give Paladin what for!!!
(((hugs)))
MM
Author's reply
Esmeralda may seem like a mild-mannered gentlelady, but she has a Tookish heart and temper...
(((hugs)))
Hope your day goes well. I'm struggling a bit today with energy levels, so I may not get another chapter of Heir Apparent in until tomorrow. It's something to look forward to!
Mirkwoodmaiden
· 19 May 2025
· Chapter 27: The Old Gaffer's Friend
Lin!
Ahh! Poppy syrup! It is a fine thing!
And finally the Took has arrived.
(((hugs)))
MM
Author's reply
On the cutting edge of medical science and research, I should think! At least as far as the Shire goes.
Thanks so much for reading and pausing to share your thoughts and hugs!
(((hugs)))
Mirkwoodmaiden
· 16 May 2025
· Chapter 26: Fear Unspoken
Lindelea!
Hello!
"'Fear unspoken grows.'
--old Shire proverb" Is this Tolkien or you. If it is you it really sounds it could be Tolkien!
Pippin ill, the Old Took called for! Eeek!!
And Yes I have posted a new chapter in the Heir Apparent. I'm working on Chapter 26 of "Destiny's Child" but it is hard going. *sigh*
(((hugs)))
MM
Author's reply
MM!
Most of the Shire proverbs I include in my stories either came out of my head (especially the ones that use food as a metaphor) or are adapted from sayings I heard from older generations. While I might claim that such ideas as "Fear unspoken grows" and "Troubles shared are divided" and "Joys shared are multiplied" are my own inventions, it's all too possible that someone said the same thing before I did, for (as they say) "great minds think alike". (Disclaimer: I am by no means describing my mind as great, LOL. Sometimes it seems to work quite well, but all too often, it doesn't. Such is life.)
I SAW THE NEW CHAPTER when I fired up the laptop today!!! I don't remember if I've read any of that story in the past or not... I see you originally began publishing it here around the time JoDancingTree first introduced me to the wonderful world of online fanfic, and I was pretty early on taken captive by hobbits and carried away to the Shire (with a few detours involving Beregond and Bergil), so I might not have seen it. I will start reading from the beginning and work my way through, enjoying the promise of a new chapter (since I think the whole story is new to me) every day for the next few weeks as I work my way to the newest chapter.
Anyhow, it's the first thing on my to-do list for today once I finish editing and posting the chapters I had scheduled for today. I look forward to the reading!
(((hugs)))
Lin
(p.s. I hope this reply makes sense as written. My brain is on the mushy side today.)
Author Reply: (p.p.s. I came up with my "Laugh, Live, Love" wedding toast about six months or so before "Live Laugh Love" started appearing in stores, or at least that's how I remember the timing... Someone asked me if I'd copied it from the kitsch that was popping up all over, but really, I didn't.)
Author Reply: (p.p.p.s. I started by glancing at the reviews for Heir Apparent and see I did read the first few chapters. I probably got slammed by work then, and the story moved off the home page as other authors updated their stories, and I lost track. At least, that's the explanation that makes the most sense to me. So I'll be starting over once again and hoping to get all the way to the latest chapter this time!)
(((hugs)))
Lin
Mirkwoodmaiden
· 12 May 2025
· Chapter 25: One Year Later
Lindelea!
Oh no! This is where some of Pippin's health problems begin. Well sometimes we are forced to re-evaluate our life choices. Dear Pippin.
(((hugs)))
MM
Author's reply
MM!
You are exactly right. A long time ago, when I was still fairly new at fanfic-writing, this was known as "the infamous chapter 25". Arising almost by accident out of a discussion with someone who advised me on medical issues in my stories, it ended up shaping Pippin's character arc on my timeline of the Fourth Age Shire, all the way up to the year Sam travelled to Gondor and back, when the Mayor brought back a miraculous cure from Treebeard. (Whew. That was a long run-on sentence. I hope it's intelligible.)
Thus, for a long stretch of years, Pippin has a built-in reminder of the consequences of leaping before he looks. He probably needs it though, for he's impulsive enough even when hampered by ill health that it takes him from this point until a few years after he becomes Thain for the lesson to sink in.
All that said, he really is an engaging character...
Again, thanks so much for reading and generously sharing your impressions. I appreciate your thoughtfulness!
(((hugs)))
Lin
Mirkwoodmaiden
· 12 May 2025
· Chapter 25: One Year Later
Lindelea!
Eeeeek Pippin!
"Boromir's voice sounded close by. This cold will be the death of the halflings. He sounded worried. Cold? What cold? Pippin was feeling warmer by the moment."
So not good!!
"'It's naught but a cold,' Pippin said, fending off her questing hand. 'I'm fine! All I need is a bit of brandy!' He poured himself another half a glass and told another story. Not long after, he confessed, 'Come to think of it, I am feeling a little tired. I think I'll turn in.'"
Pippin volunteering to go to bed! He is either actually sick...or planning something. LOL!
"Pippin kept them laughing with his stories of Yule at Great Smials, and no one noticed that he was too busy talking to eat much."
Pippin...not hungry!?
Must dash to work! Will finish at break!"
(((hugs)))
MM
P.S. The book came in! Have read a bit. I think it will be a wonderful reference book!
Author's reply
MM!
Oh! I'm glad you're enjoying the book! I know I have been enjoying it. I've found it hard to read in a straight line – I keep dipping into it here and there as the impulse strikes (or a question, or a thought, or...)
You are an astute reader, and your suspicions are well-founded.
Thanks so much for reading and pausing to share your thoughts! I'm always glad to hear from you.
(((hugs)))
Lin
PSW
· 11 May 2025
· Chapter 49: The Mayor Arrives
Dear Sam can always be counted on! He’s an expert at conspiracies, dontcha know. ;-) It’s always fun to see the Gamgees, in any case. Hopefully their urging will just nudge Pippin even more toward Gondor…
Author's reply
What is it with hobbits and conspiracies? One can hardly turn around without coming up against some kind of plot or other, whether it's a happy surprise or a more serious matter. I must admit, it was fun when I was writing this story so long ago to imagine the Master and Mistress of Brandy Hall sort of adopting the Gamgees as part of their extended family. They're wonderfully hospitable, warm and loving, at least the way I've imagined them.
Poor Pippin doesn't stand a chance, I think...
Mirkwoodmaiden
· 8 May 2025
· Chapter 24: Another Nephew's Visit
Lindelea!
I love how Merry is astounded that the painting is by Estella Boulger. And I love that he usually knows how to mind his mouth around Mum, but then is so astonished by Estella Boulger's talent to forget it.
"'Ah, Uncle!' Pippin exclaimed. 'Can you spare a glass or two of the Hall's finest? I'm that dry, I can hardly get a word out, my tongue cleaves to the roof of my mouth.' "
Ah that Pippin! Always cheerful and rapscallion at the same time.
Poor Merry! Having to fight every March. Esmeralda's observation on Pippin's effect on Merry is so true; Pippin is such a light bringer! and...
"At Merry's skeptical expression, he protested. 'It's true! Honest!' He shook his head, muttering, 'Why don't people ever believe me when I'm being serious?'
'Perhaps because you never are,' Merry answered. 'Come on, help me up. I'm hungry.'"
This is also so very Pippin!
(((hugs)))
MM
Author's reply
Some of my hobbits' abilities are wish-fulfillment on my part. (I think that's the right term. It might not be.) A few of my Tooks have a rare and special "talent" or inheritance that reflects my wish that I could clearly remember everything I hear and discern when people are lying. (That would have been so handy as a mom, for sure.) My description of Estella's art talent reflects my wish that I could draw and paint the pictures I see in my head. The best I can do in that direction, it seems, is draw pictures with words.
My mom had a photographic memory and perfect recall. I have a little of that "gift"; when I was younger, I could close my eyes and see the page of a book I'd read, though it's harder to do so these days. I can replay scenes from films in my head, as well as some RL events that have happened. My ability is nothing like she described, though. She also talked, hauntingly, about the times it was more of a liability than an asset when she'd seen something she wished she could forget but was physically unable to block out. (I cannot watch horror movies or visual media with graphic violence for the same reason, and I've learned to be careful in my reading since I form a mental movie as I read.)
You've got to love a cheerful rapscallion who actually means no harm to anyone. I love how he and Merry complement each other so well, and I continue to be amazed at how JRRT sketched these relationships in the middle of narrating an epic tale, such that we could so easily imagine beyond the words he put on the page.
Again, thanks so much for reading and leaving reviews. I'm always glad to hear your thoughts.
(((hugs)))
Lin
Mirkwoodmaiden
· 8 May 2025
· Chapter 23: The Old and the New
Lindelea!
I love the Remembrance ceremony. I can just see the little boats joining others from upriver. Grief and memory mingling, sharing and bringing hopeful healing.
I love creating ceremonies and rituals for various peoples in Middle Earth. It is a favorite thing of mine and they are sprinkled throughout my stories.
"'We have something else to remember this day,' he called out. 'Three years ago, on this date, the hobbits of the Shire arose against their oppressors, and cast them out. Freedom is not something we can ever afford to take lightly. We must stand ever ready to defend the Shire, that our hobbit lads and lasses may grow up to live in peace.'"
So very true.
"Merry stepped forward, raised his silver horn, and sounded a sweet note that echoed through the River valley. The hobbits stood a moment longer, then lifting up a new song, returned to their homes, to feast and share stories and remembrances."
This passage makes me feel hopeful and happy.
"Song followed song. At the last, Merry raised his voice to sing a sweet lullaby of hope for the morning. When he finished, he put one arm about Diamond and the other about his cousin. 'Thank you,' he said, looking from one to the other.
'Any time,' Pippin answered, but his eyes glistened with tears that belied his light tone.
Merry gave him a great hug. 'I'll be all right, cousin. I wasn't so sure, for awhile, but I am now.'"
Life. Sometimes we hurt too much and then healing comes on. Sometimes slowly; Sometimes in a rush. But it will come. Lovely.
"Pippin shuddered theatrically. 'Oh, aye,' he breathed. 'Guess I'll just have to keep bouncing from Smials to Hall and back again, then!'"
LOL!! I can just see Pippin doing his best Maynard G. Krebs, "WORK!"
Lovely chapter!
(((hugs)))
MM
Author's reply
MM!
Oh my! I haven't thought about Maynard G. Krebs in a while! You made me laugh.
I do love the rituals you've sprinkled through your stories. They add depth that makes the people and the setting feel more real. That makes the reading more enjoyable somehow, maybe because it helps me immerse myself deeper in the happenings being recounted.
(I miscalculated when I originally wrote this story, setting Remembering Day as November 2 and thinking the Battle of Bywater took place that day, when the Battle was actually fought on the 3rd. I suppose it works, sort of, since the Travellers arrived in Bywater on the 2nd and set things in motion.)
Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to share your thoughts!
(((hugs)))
Lin
Mirkwoodmaiden
· 6 May 2025
· Chapter 22: Sorrow Shared
Lindelea!
"Ribbons still hung from the lank manes and trailed from the tails spread out in the gently lapping water."
Tragically sad image. ouch. It had been so happy.
"'Ah, Snip,' the farmer said softly. 'Ye did your best, my lass. You always did your best.' Suddenly he covered his face and began to sob. 'My lass,' he said brokenly, 'My poor, poor lass.'"
Sometimes we need to talk around our pain because it is too great.
"His son's arms encompassed him, and Merry whispered, 'I'm harder to lose than you think...'
Together they wept."
* Sob *
(((hugs)))
MM
Author's reply
MM!
This chapter made me very sad, but I wrote it anyhow because I'd grown so fond of the characters, I wanted to do them justice, somehow.
Your insight regarding talking around our pain brought to mind Merry, talking to Pippin in the Houses of Healing, and Aragorn's (probably carefully considered) interaction with him after his healing. I hadn't quite seen that scene in just that way before, so thank you for the added food for thought!
Though there's some angst and stress in upcoming chapters, this present sorrow will become tempered by the passing of time. Also, happier times will come along, reflecting the rollercoaster of life, so to speak...
I'm starting to ramble, so I think I'd better leave the laptop in peace and go seek out some protein. Thanks again for your thoughtful reviews! I appreciate hearing your thoughts.
(((hugs)))
Lin
Mirkwoodmaiden
· 6 May 2025
· Chapter 21: Message from an Absent Cousin
Lindelea!
That is a very real depiction of grief. Especially an unexpected grief. Nothing matters. Going through the motions, barely. So sad.
Frodo was prescient knowing what might happen. Poor Merry. And poor Pippin. They have all been through so much and to have this happen. *weep*
Onto to next chapter!
(((hugs)))
MM
Author's reply
Tolkien's characters feel very real to me. (I think I read that at least some of them were based on real people he knew?)
I never quite knew if Frodo foresaw this happening, or if he was simply motivated by wisdom born of his own pain and common sense, knowing the ups and downs of even the "boring" life typically found in the Shire.
(((hugs))) and kudos for your courage and insightfulness. Thanks so much for your reviews. I find them so encouraging.
Lin
Mirkwoodmaiden
· 6 May 2025
· Chapter 20: Mid-year's Eve, Afternoon into Evening
Lindelea!
"The kitchen was silent save the crackling of the fire on the hearth, the sound of several voices softly sobbing, the occasional murmur from the healer. It did not seem possible that it could be the same place which had seen such merriment--dancing, song, laughter--scant hours earlier."
Ouch! But sometimes life is like that. It changes in the blink of an eye!
Must dash to work!
(((hugs)))
MM
Author's reply
MM!
You are so right! Life changes, and with shocking suddenness sometimes, and at other times so slowly, the change is hardly perceptible to those who are in the middle of it all.
(((hugs))) Thanks. I appreciate hearing your thoughts.
Lin
Lindelea!
"'Girls!' their mother corrected, while Diamond ducked her head and--Pearl's gaze sharpened--Peregrin actually blushed." Pippin blushing...now we know something is up!
and "Eeeeek!" *sigh*
(((hugs)))
MM
Author's reply
Pippin blushing... a sign of good things to come.
Oh, I know. Eeeeek, indeed. Sums it up pretty effectively.
Thank you for bravely working your way through the saddest chapters of this story. I do appreciate it.
(((hugs)))
Lin
Lindelea!
"Most of their time together seemed to be washing and drying dishes. They would lift their voices in song, and often hobbits passing near the house on wedding business would stop to listen for a moment or two. The happy couple were glad that so much food needed to be cooked and served--and washed up after--in those busy days."
So happy....
BTW I have ordered the Michael Parry book. It arrives next Tuesday!
***back to our normally scheduled review*** Hee-hee!
At your advisement...waiting for the other shoe to drop...
(((hugs)))
MM
Author's reply
MM!
Oh! I hope you enjoy the book as much as I am enjoying it! I know some online reviewers thought the author put too much personal opinion into his writing, but I've found good food for thought, perfect for pondering further, in some of the connections he's made. I admit, I haven't read all the way through the book yet.
They are such a happy couple, it nearly killed me to write the next few chapters. If I hadn't outlined the story all the way to the end, I don't think I could have finished it.
Thanks so much for reading and for taking the time to leave a review!
(((hugs)))
Lin
Mirkwoodmaiden
· 4 May 2025
· Chapter 17: Tears of Joy
Lindelea!
Even in victory our veterans, such as Merry, pay a price. I love that Saradoc visits Crickhollow to check on and then tend to his son.
Yay! Merry has asked Ruby! Although I know he marries Estella Bolger. I sense the approaching reason for the prewarned Angst with a capital "A"!
(((hugs)))
MM
Author's reply
MM!
(((hugs back)))
Honestly, I think Esmeralda would have been there for Merry, but her loved ones are very protective of her because of her past struggles with health. They don't understand how strong she can be when she has to be. (But Estella will come to see her mother-in-love's strength after eavesdropping on a future conversation Esmeralda has with Diamond about Merry's and Pippin's memories of Orcs, and if Merry's mother doesn't already know about the anniversary by then, Estella will fill her in on the details soon after that, just in case you wanted a little background.)
Thanks so much for reading and pausing to share your thoughts. I really appreciate it.
Mirkwoodmaiden
· 2 May 2025
· Chapter 16: Invitation from Long Cleeve
Lindelea!
Exactly! Sometimes People just need to talk. My stories get a bit "talky" as well. Oh well. To quote Hamlet perhaps,"[They] pleased not the million." LOL.
With Jane Austen in mind. this passage definitely has her quality.
"Esmeralda's sharp eyes catalogued the family. Well dressed, but not ostentatious. Waggon not new, but in excellent repair. Ponies healthy and well cared for, with a few extra touches--someone had braided bright ribbons into the flowing manes and tails. The four youngest piled out of the wagon like puppies, but lined up in fair order at a bark from their father, who then turned to help down his wife, and each of his two eldest daughters in turn. The girls were graceful in descending, and after a wide-eyed look at the sprawling Hall each kept her eyes demurely cast down. They were countrified little things, overawed at the grand, sprawling Hall, but they carried themselves well for all their natural shyness."
I loved the chapter. It had a wonderful homey-ness to it. Definitely Jane Austen-ish.
I take under advisement your warning of Angst to come and will steel myself accordingly. I also am entering into Angst in "Destiny's Child" Aragorn breaking Eowyn's heart, She leaves Dunharrow; Pelennor Fields; Theoden dying. *slaps forehead* but Faramir awaits!!!
Must dash! Off to work!
(((hugs)))
MM
Author's reply
MM!
Thank you so much for your kind words!
Come to think of it, JRRT's writing is rather old-fashioned, even stilted-sounding (to modern ears, at least) in places, very much reminding me of the language use in many of the older books we read aloud together during our children's younger years. (Howard Pyle comes to mind, along with Jane Austen, Walter Scott, Frederick Maryatt, Meindert DeJong and Charlotte Mary Yonge, among many more.)
I'll have to file away that Hamlet quote for future reference with my other semi-remembered Hamlet quotes (Notably, 'To be or not to be...' and 'Alas poor Yorrick, I knew him well' – typed off the top of my head, and so accuracy is not guaranteed.) And speaking of Shakespeare reminds me of the book I was reading last night, Untangling Tolkien by Michael W. Perry, where he refers to JRRT's description of Saruman's attack on Helm's Deep and Sauron's attack on Minas Tirith as "plots consciously borrowed from Shakespeare" (in particular, Macbeth). Fascinating book overall, organizing events chronologically (and providing explanations and suggestions for handling calendar-based conflicts), and I'm finding it thoughtfully written.
As I read further in "Destiny's Child" (as you post further, that is), I will definitely be keeping Faramir! firmly in mind.
(((hugs)))
Lin
Mirkwoodmaiden
· 1 May 2025
· Chapter 15: Invitation to Long Cleeve
Lindelea!
"When Esmeralda came out of the kitchen next morning, a mug of wildflowers stood by her place at the breakfast table. She blinked back sudden tears and looked up to meet Pippin's smile."
Awwww! Pippin even when sad finds a way to bring sunshine.
LOL about how hedgy/ coy Pippin is about Diamond...
"Pippin gazed straight before him. 'I watched two guardsmen, friends of mine, just... slip away into silence, cold, finally... death. Then Merry...' He swallowed. 'The hands of the King are the hands of a Healer,' he said, as if he mused."
Ahhhh! Poor Pippin! To have seen such things!
Both hobbits, so much quiet strength. Wonderfully done!!
(((hugs)))
MM
Author's reply
MM!
I see you've got past the Grey Havens. I feel the need to warn you (or remind you? I don't remember if I said anything earlier) that chapters 19 and 20 are very angsty and sad. After that point, the story slowly gets better and has its ups and downs, but those chapters are hard to get through. (If I were posting them new, I'd put a "character death" warning in the story description.) So maybe read them when you have time to go on and read chapter 21 immediately after? (For a little comfort and a glimpse of hope by the time you reach the end of that chapter, at least, though it starts out sad.)
It always seemed to me (and I wrote him that way in the Tenth Walker story) that Pippin was the "officer in charge of morale" (or comic relief) on the Quest, so it makes sense to me that he'd be lifting spirits as a sort of habitual practice. One of the lovable things about hobbits is how much of their love shines through in the original text.
Thanks so much for reading and stopping to leave some good words. I really appreciate it.
(((hugs)))
Lin
Mirkwoodmaiden
· 1 May 2025
· Chapter 12: A Visit from a Favourite Nephew
Lindelea!
This is what happens when I don't mark where I left off! I have read further on in this wonderful story so some of the below review may not make sense! Alas!
(((hugs)))
MM
Author's reply
MM!
There's at least one fairly recent story (I don't remember which one, but it's on either the first or second page of stories listed on SoA) where I posted two reviews of the same chapter, and pretty close together, timewise, and from the second-posted review, it appears that I didn't remember reading the chapter previously. To make a long story short, I can certainly empathize!
(((hugs)))
Lin
Mirkwoodmaiden
· 1 May 2025
· Chapter 12: A Visit from a Favourite Nephew
Lindelea! Review part 2!
"Esmeralda watched this special nephew as he plied his spoon, talking and laughing with his uncle and cousins. She remembered other bouquets, half-wilted, clutched in a grubby hand, brought to her on the couch where she lay for so many months as she directed the domestic doings of Hall and kitchen."
Ahhh! Sweet!
"The first time she noticed the missing finger she grieved for the marring of the fine hand, but truly, the slim fingers were so often busy about something that soon she ceased to think of it. When Frodo was not out riding or walking with his cousins, he was sitting, but not idle. His hands carved wooden whistles for wee hobbits, fashioned sails for little boats, sketched pictures, gestured descriptively while telling a story, splashed skillfully in water battles in the shallows of the River... in other words, they were almost never at rest."
Frodo seems wonderfully happy! Yeah! And Yes, I am assuming that Frodo is visiting after he has made the decision to leave. Oftentimes the decision made does bring peace.
"'Not at all!' Pippin said with a sly nudge for Merry. 'After all, we aren't going all the way to Bag End! Only part-way, and right at that spot there's a side-branching road leading to the North Farthing...'"
They are going the Grey Havens aren't they? *sigh* *wibble*
Long Cleeve you say...and a certain Diamond...and of course a fine table set.
Lovely! You write Hobbits so well!!
Thanks for the chapter!
(((hugs)))
MM
Author's reply
MM!
I see from you next review that you have now read further, and so you got through the next chapter and the Grey Havens part. But this idea is both fascinating and insightful (even though it wasn't the case in this story, it sounds like a very likely scenario): I am assuming that Frodo is visiting after he has made the decision to leave. Oftentimes the decision made does bring peace.
Thank you so much for reading and for taking the time to share your thoughts and encouragement. I am a bit behind in editing chapters to post for Friday, but reading reviews has got me motivated to see if I can update another story or three for this update rather than giving in to distractions (or laziness?) and leaving them for my planned Monday update. I had to completely rework the next chapter of Thain after getting rather confused by the differences in the different sources I consulted, including JRRT, who seemed to offer two contradictory descriptions of troop movements. I think I've got it figured out now, but it took several rewrites. Hopefully it'll make sense when compared to the LOTR map.
I am up past midnight, but I wanted to reply to your reviews before heading for bed. And enthuse all over again about your Éowyn stories...
(((hugs)))
Lin
Mirkwoodmaiden
· 30 April 2025
· Chapter 12: A Visit from a Favourite Nephew
Lindelea!!
Hello! I haven't been reading for a while because at your behest I have been working Chapter 25 of Destiny's Child! Should be ready for posting hopefully sometime today, latest tomorrow. Hubby is my beta now! wee-hee!
In the reply to my review last chapter you were talking about your family who were WWII vets. I have many uncles who served, but they all lived out of town so war memories were not plentiful but a friend of mine who is English, her father was in bomb disposal and he only ever talked about the funny stories of the war but NEVER anything else. War is scarring. In "Leaving Home; Coming Home." I have Eowyn talking to Telion, a young jeweler's apprentice and they bond over their experiences in the Ring War.
But Onwards.
"Esmeralda nodded, somehow unsatisfied. It seemed as if the Shire owed more to him after what he'd done."
So very true. Frodo never gets the credit that he deserves though he doesn't think he deserves any because he finally submitted to the Ring. He feels as if he failed when he so didn't!! Nobody else kept it as long except Bilbo, but it wasn't at full power over those years!
"He's Cousin Bilbo's heir, and now that all the mess has been straightened out he ought to be settling down."
Ahhh. Glorious hobbit understatement. The Ring War referred to as "all that mess". Wonderful!!
"Saradoc and Esmeralda had always had a special fondness for the orphaned lad who had gone off to live amongst those odd folk in Hobbiton. They were glad to see that he had not been too badly warped by it, probably because of his solid Buckland upbringing before he was adopted by Bilbo.
LOL!! Love the Buckland viewpoint!
Must dash to work! Review part two later today!
(((hugs)))
MM
Author's reply
MM!
So glad to hear from you!
Oh my. From the little bit I know about bomb disposal (and most of that from watching British television shows, but also from reading show notes, like for Foyle's War, detailing the historical facts built into particular episodes), I'm not at all surprised about your friend's father.
Now I'm going to need to re-read "Leaving Home; Coming Home" again! I remember Éowyn and Talion talking, but I don't remember the details.
That's a good point about Bilbo vs Frodo; the Ring was asleep, more or less, when Bilbo had it. But when Gollum was taken prisoner in Mordor, the Ring's maker and owner "woke it up" in a manner of speaking and exerted his power to draw the Ring to himself again. Poor Frodo. He really was the best hobbit in the Shire, as Gandalf and Bilbo thought.
Gotta love those hobbits and their light talk! I'm also intrigued by the thought of the Oldbucks (the original Thains) moving to Buckland, after which the Thains came from the Took clan. There's got to be a backstory there (of some sort or another)...
I hope you had a good day at work, and I'm looking forward to part two! And your chapter 25!!! What a wonderful treat to look forward to!
((((hugs))))
Lin
PSW
· 28 April 2025
· Chapter 48: Going to Gondor
😂🤣 See how neatly that went ….
Author's reply
It's fun to see a fast-talker outmaneuvered by fast talking, for sure!
Anonymous
· 20 April 2025
· Chapter 46: A Walk in the Woods
I do love the interactions Merry and Pippin have in this chapter, especially paralleled with the two lost brothers. It's like a little way of showing that even if they are past their mischievous young years and involving themselves in solving problems throughout the Shire, they are just as close as they ever have been!
Author's reply
Thank you for reading and taking time to share your thoughts! I agree; I see Merry and Pippin remaining just as close as ever, even when divided by the distance and difficulties of being Master and Thain.
(And I imagine that if Merry had gone into the Old Forest on a dare as a teen, Pippin would have been right there at his side or, if necessary, following close behind him, just like the brothers in this story.)
PSW
· 20 April 2025
· Chapter 46: A Walk in the Woods
I checked out Seeing Red - it was a good little add-on to this chapter! Glad to see they’re growing a little more responsible but still getting in a bit of trouble … ;-)
Author's reply
Now *that* was a fun chapter to write... Tweenish mischief at its best!
Thanks for letting me know. :)
periantari
· 19 April 2025
· Chapter 34: Beanpoles and Bedtime Snacks
A sense of wonder seized him and he breathed more deeply, dizzy, as he realized he'd been holding his breath. You're the great donkey, never to have seen it before, he told himself. He looked at her in the shadowy light of the stables, seeing together in one somehow, the Midge, and Twig the "boy", and Tilly the nurse, and Estella herself, a force to be reckoned with, unafraid, even, of the Thain and his influence -- giving Pip his freedom to marry Diamond, whom he loved, with no hope for her own happiness... Merry had never seen her, really seen her, paid her any mind, and yet she remained true in the face of his blindness.
I love how you wrote this- the best realization that coudl've been written. It is obvious that Estella liked him for a while since he remembered all those moments in the past adventures. I find it quite sweet.
And good detail about Estella nursing her brother back from being in the Lockholes- it is something she would've helped in, right? It makes sense.
This was one of my fave chapters because i liked how Merry realized that Estella was there all along. :*)
Suddenly, events of the past came clear to him, as sun breaking through clouds brings a meadow to sparkling brightness, and he drew a shallow breath, hearing a snort from one of the ponies, the knock of a hoof against a wall, the voices of Pansy and Merimas, a murmur followed by shared laughter.
Lovely writing.
Author's reply
Oh, thank you so much for your encouragement! I'm so glad the word-pictures and the development of their relationship over the years works. When they were children, Estella was definitely a tag-along, pesky little sister, but a lot of it had to do with her fascination for Merry rather than wanting to do everything Freddy was doing. It was so satisfying to write about Merry finally noticing her at last, after taking her for granted for so many years...!
(The nice thing about revising this very early story was the possibility of incorporating elements from other stories that shed more light on Estella's journey. It was a good feeling to finally give Estella her heart's desire at last. I'm a hopeless romantic, I think. I always want the best for people.)
Thanks again for reading and taking time to share your thoughts!
periantari
· 19 April 2025
· Chapter 33: Dissolution of an Agreement
Estella is so smart to pick up on the tension caused by the handfasting and the Thain's desire rather Pippin's desire to get married. She is quite sprightly and so fun to read about. Great characterization on a not too familiar character that Tolkien mentioned.
Author's reply
Estella has a good brain, and she knows how to use it! I'm so glad you like her. She can be a bit much sometimes, but her heart is always in the right place.
Thanks so much for reading and pausing to share your thoughts!
periantari
· 19 April 2025
· Chapter 32: A Curious Courtship
It is an interesting twist that you have written in here because as we know from canon that Merry is with Estella and Pippin weds Diamond and i liked how you wrote at the end that Estella didn't want to be with Pippin. That makes things so interesting.
Very nice story-telling and i really like your Estella. I anticipated Estella to come into the story ever since Ruby died and Merry didn't get to marry her.
Author's reply
It has been rather fun to play with the Merry-Estella relationship in my stories. Challenging, too, in that she is always very aware of him (you might even call it a childhood crush that continues into adulthood), and he is oblivious for such a long time. This was one of my first fanfic stories; thus, I was writing it while learning about writing, so tangling the threads and then straightening them out was difficult, but I learned a lot in the process.
p.s. I'm glad to hear you like Estella as I write her. Some readers have found her quite annoying, but I think her heart is in the right place. (I find complex characters are more interesting to write, so there is that, too.)
Thanks so much for reading and pausing to share your thoughts! I really appreciate it.