Queen Galadriel
· 24 February 2007
· Chapter 18: The Way of Things
Awww! *dabs at eyes* You're going to make *me* cry. All too familiar--this puts me in mind of a time when I was maybe seven, and my brother and I found a tiny baby bird, knocked from the nest by a storm. It was so tiny; it didn't even have down yet. I wanted so much to love it back to life.
I love these cousin-moments, and this one was especially poignant through Sam's eyes.
Author's reply
Thank you! It was a bit sentimental, wasn't it?
Sam, I think, would have a lot of observations on those three.
Queen Galadriel
· 24 February 2007
· Chapter 17: Blue Eyes
Aw, these are so sweet and characteristic. Sam's especially was cute! :)
Author's reply
Glad you liked!
Queen Galadriel
· 24 February 2007
· Chapter 16: In the Manner of Dreams
Wow. Excellent foreshadowing!
Author's reply
Thanks! I kind of had to cheat a little with this, as I needed all four of them for the story, but Pippin wasn't born yet...
Queen Galadriel
· 24 February 2007
· Chapter 15: The Wall Came Tumbling Down
*laughs along with Sam* This was delightful, absolutely delightful! And the Baggins/Took/Brandybuck stubbornness won out this time! :)
Author's reply
They simply were not going to allow Sam to turn their help down this time. They knew it was just pride that kept him from taking their offer of assistance.
Queen Galadriel
· 24 February 2007
· Chapter 14: Far Away
I forgot I hadn't caught up on these!
*grins* Clever Pippin!
Author's reply
He *is* a clever little thing, isn't he?
Gryffinjack
· 18 August 2006
· Chapter 37: Slinking
Oh, Barbara! *shudders* That was brilliantly creepy!
I *loved* this! I've not seen Gollum in fanfic before, and I truly enjoyed this glimpse inside his pathetic and twisted evil mind. When I read it, I heard inside my head the voice of Andy Serkis as Gollum saying your words. Your words and his voice and characterisation were a perfect fit.
I imagine you are right, that thoughts such as these are indeed what kept running through Gollum's mind as he trailed behind the Fellowship, waiting for the opportunity to pounce upon them and retrieve his "birthday present." Flapping behind for all those many miles, scrutinising his enemy and planning how to destroy them, especially "the Baggins." The way he thought of each of them, from the light of the eyes of the Elf to his recognition of Aragorn and recollection of what Aragorn did to him to his characterisation of Dwarves as being too tough to chew ... this was flawless.
This was wonderfully different and refreshing in an evil sort of way.
harrowcat
· 7 August 2006
· Chapter 37: Slinking
Woah! I was shivering at Gollum's thoughts anyway and then I got to the last line....
Author's reply
Yes, going through Slinker/Stinker's thoughts is a pretty shuddery experience. He was *not* a nice creature. And I am quite certain that he was well aware that there were other evils besides himself in Moria--he was too attuned to the dark not to know.
harrowcat
· 7 August 2006
· Chapter 36: "The Wolf One Hears..."
A good and professional assessment of the company's fighting abilities. Hasn't had a chance to appreciate the hobbit stone throwing capability yet though, has he?
Author's reply
I think that's exactly what a professional fighter would do after his first time fighting alongside new comrades--assess how they did. It's quite probable that Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli were all thinking along similar lines...
Reading through the warg incident prior to this, I did not note any mention of the hobbits themselves taking action. I think the stone-throwing *would* have been mentioned, if they'd had need to do it. Since they didn't, I settled for having them be prepared to use their swords.
AspenJules
· 2 August 2006
· Chapter 12: Looking Back
Aha... so here's the story with the 'watching' vs. the 'helping'! I like how they were allowed to *keep their hands busy* while they were watching, LOL. Good old Gaffer... managing to keeping things proper while still understanding the realities of young boys. *grin*
And I loved the interaction of Sam with the two cousins, showing once again how their own relationship built even without Frodo's immediate presence (though in reality his *presence* permeated all of Bag End, I'm sure.)
And while they were missing old Mr. Bilbo and reminiscing, Frodo was also missing him, and in his own beautifully thoughtful style, did his best (and how good it was!) to fill his shoes. Really beautiful piece, Dream!
Author's reply
Yes, this is one of the places it is mentioned.
It's true. In spite of Sam's efforts to keep things "proper", he was developing a close friendship with these two of Frodo's cousins. Of course, he'd begun to do so with Merry when they were both a little too young to understand the whole "status" thing, and Pippin--well, really, who could resist little Pippin at his most charming? Certainly not Sam, and certainly not when he knew how fond Frodo was of the child.
That's exactly the feeling I was after--that Frodo had begun to hold the role of Master of Bag End, though for hobbits, I'm not sure what metaphor could replace "filling someone's shoes", LOL!!
Pearl Took
· 1 August 2006
· Chapter 37: Slinking
"But we are not the only thing that follows in the dark."
What a marvelous last line!!
This is a wonderful look into Gollum's mind, I loved it!!
Author's reply
I really do think that this, or something very like it, was probably the constant refrain in his mind as he followed the Company in Moria.
I'm glad you liked it!
Baggins Babe
· 1 August 2006
· Chapter 37: Slinking
That is definitely Gollum's voice - chilling and creepy. *shudder* He would think like that. How typical that he should assess each member of the Fellowship - and his plans for Frodo were especially horrible! Brilliantly done.
Author's reply
"He would think like that."
Yes, he would. He was a horrible nasty little villainous murderer, and I don't mean only Deagol, for remember the hints of "empty cradles" in areas he passed? or the "implings" he "squeezed" to supplement his dinner? I think he would have wanted to do something really horrible to Frodo, out of his jealousy for his "Precious".
AspenJules
· 1 August 2006
· Chapter 9: Clear Night
Oh, this was lovely!
However, 2 things in particular struck me. First, Gandalf must have used up his stock of whatever it was that allowed him to "calm the little one [Pippin]by his mere presence" since by the time of the Quest, it seemed to be gone, LOL. Or was that Pippin calmed down from what he *would* have been? YIKES!
Also, I love him at the end going from serious reverent teaching mode to giving them something with which to "make a joyful noise"! LOL
Author's reply
Well, I suppose it's that Pippin got too big for his lap, perhaps, LOL! And yeah--calmed down from what he *would* have been fits as well. Even grown, my Pippin can get pretty hyper, although I hope he doesn't act silly or childish (childlike, I do not mind, but canon Pippin was *not* childish). Still, he's got a lot more energy than is good for him sometimes.
I could not imagine Gandalf maintaining that serious tone with the little hobbits for long--he delighted in making them happy, for one thing!
AspenJules
· 1 August 2006
· Chapter 6: Cousins and Caterpillars
Interesting. I read the other reviews on this one and noticed something nobody else commented on that stood out to me.
It's almost like Frodo is telling a story about himself, being lonely and wishing his parents were around, feeling different and like he didn't quite fit in. I didn't catch the foreshadowing exactly of his future changes but I did think that he was projecting a wish that at some future time, in a different existence he might be able to get to know and spend time with his mother.
Very beautiful thought, wrapped in a sweet fluffy piece of young hobbity cousin (and friend) love. OH... and I did like the herb lesson with Sam and Merry. With the similarities in age and temperament between those two, it's not unreasonable to think that Merry's future interest in herbs stemmed from Sam and his Gaffer. LOL... what would the Gaffer had thought if Merry had started following him around his work? LOL
Author's reply
Well, you know, I did have some of that in mind, both the fact that he might be thinking wistfully of his own mother, as well as a little tad of foreshadowing. And I am not sure he consciously thought of any of that--just what his mind might make up, from seeing the caterpillar hatch--but his own longings and feelings would come through.
*grin* I like to think it was an interest they'd have in common. Probably a year or two later, Merry might have dropped the interest for a while, but then his experiences in the HoH, and so forth would have revived it.
Somewhere in another story, I have Merry thinking about how the Gaffer doesn't mind him "watching" the work, as long as he doesn't try to "help", while Sam, once he takes over, does not mind the watching *or* the helping. (Until he comes of age.)
AspenJules
· 1 August 2006
· Chapter 4: A Sticky Situation
Wish I had some of that soap! Sap is the *worst!* to try to get out! Poor Pippin... I do wonder how he managed that.
And toffees in his foot hair! YOWCH! That brought tears to my eyes just thinking about it.
Just thought I'd spend a few minutes going through some of these since I've never read them. They're delightful!
Author's reply
Sap's pretty bad. I've no idea how it got there, just as Pippin himself does not know--but at that age he was *into* everything!
Yes, toffees in the foot hair does not sound terribly pleasant, LOL!
I'm so glad you are enjoying them. Most of them have little to no plot. I was just having fun getting to know them as youngsters.
Kitty
· 1 August 2006
· Chapter 37: Slinking
Uh. That sounds truly like Gollum - wanting to kill everyone, even these who didn't ever anything against him. Nassty little creeper, yess! Maybe I should feel sorry for him, because he was the slave of the Ring for so long and twisted by it, but I'm not Frodo - I'm still glad he fell into Orodruin and wasn't able to hurt Sam or Frodo even more.
Author's reply
Yes, Gollum was a truly nasty little creeper. He was a murderer--not only of his friend Deagol, but remember the tales of "something dark" that snatched babies from cradles? Not to mention the "implings" he squeezed to supplement his diet beneath the mountains? The Ring was able to twist him so much and so quickly because he was already a rather nasty little person to begin with.
I'm not sorry he fell either, except for Frodo's sake, since it made Frodo feel so guilty.
Lindelea
· 1 August 2006
· Chapter 36: "The Wolf One Hears..."
Alas, poor Boromir!
I love glimpses of him that show no taint from the Ring. He was a noble and honourable man for most of his life, and he redeemed himself of his stumble, in the end.
And now I'm curious as to what brought Aragorn through Moria the first time...
Author's reply
Yes, poor Boromir.
I, too, like to show him before the Ring had him in Its merciless grip. And I don't think it really got a thorough hold on him until Lothlorien. It seems to me that's canon. And he most certainly *did* redeem himself, and then some.
You know, there's a nice little story exploring that event by Jay of Lasgalen: Beyond the Dimrill Gate
http://www.storiesofarda.com/chapterlistview.asp?SID=4668
It's still a WIP.
Lindelea
· 1 August 2006
· Chapter 37: Slinking
Ooo, very chilling, especially his summing up of each of the Fellowship in turn and then all together. You can almost hear the pitter patter of little feet (and not in a good way!).
Nice bits of description. I loved the likening of Aragorn's eyes to those of Elves.
Author's reply
Yes, there he was flapping along behind them in the dark, and I'm quite sure that this is only a small taste of the nastiness he was thinking as he did so.
I think that Aragorn's Numenorean heritage would have given him that sort of similarity--at least as far as bearing his look would go, when it came to evil-doers. And I'm quite sure Gollum came in for enough of his piercing stares as Aragorn "escorted" his captive to Mirkwood.
demeter d
· 1 August 2006
· Chapter 36: "The Wolf One Hears..."
You do a very nice job of getting inside the characters heads and speaking in their voices. this sounds very like what I would expect of him. Well done!
Author's reply
Thank you. I always mentally cross my fingers when doing the POV of non-hobbit characters, so I am glad you think I captured his voice.
demeter d
· 1 August 2006
· Chapter 37: Slinking
Oooohh! Lovely Gollum voice. Well captured. the looks at the various fellowship members through his eyes are spot on. One thing I liked about the P.J. movies is how well Andy Serkis caught that voice, too. And the last line is quite chilling. Gollum was definitely not the worst thing following them in the dark! Nicely done.
Author's reply
Thanks again!
I will have to say, I think that Andy Serkis' portrayal of Gollum was brilliant, evoking some sympathy for his plight without ever trying to make him "cute". His Gollum was thoroughly evil and chilling, if pitiable as well.
And no, Gollum was neither the only or the worst.
Pearl Took
· 1 August 2006
· Chapter 36: "The Wolf One Hears..."
"There had been no need to tell them to stand back to back--they seemed to do that instinctively."
A moment and thoughts well captured! Bravo!
Author's reply
Yes, it seems to me that to close in together would be the instinctive reaction of hobbits in danger. A bit of movie-verse imagery as well, I suppose, as I recall in the Weathertop scene how the four of them react, though they've had no instructions about their weapons at all.
I'm glad you liked it!
PIppinfan1988
· 31 July 2006
· Chapter 36: "The Wolf One Hears..."
Ah, Boromir--if you only knew what this road holds for you and the others.
Indeed, it was a very frightful night for them all--including our wee one, Pippin. Wonderfully done, Dreamflower!
Pippinfan
Author's reply
Yes, if only...
It was dreadful for them, yet it was also their first time to work together in fighting an enemy--something that would become increasingly important, day by day...
Nancy Brooke
· 14 July 2006
· Chapter 11: Sums, Showers and Scones
This was a pretty little vignette, but a little disapointing as I saw it as only portraying the most characteristic aspects of the characters.
Author's reply
It was just meant as a little slice of life sort of thing, and not necessarily to have much of a plot. One of the things I wanted to do was explore the little avenue of education in the Shire--something I had begun to be interested in, and was trying to incorporate into other things. So I just sort of dipped my toe here. The other thing was to deal with the topic of "food" which was the assigned theme--hence the excuse to write a recipe fic, which I adore to both write and read. I don't think there are nearly enough of them around, and I like to encourage them!
Queen Galadriel
· 9 May 2006
· Chapter 13: Bullroarer
Oh, Bilbo is such an amazing story teller! The voice is just perfect here, Dreamflower! And that story is sooo funny! Poor Bandy and Ferry! I guess they deserved what they got, but...:) It's a good thing it wasn't worse. And wee! Pippin is so sweet I could just eat him up! :)
God bless,
Galadriel
Author's reply
I'm glad you like my "Bilbo voice". He is one of my favorite characters to write.
You are right, it could have been far worse for those two! But Ferry was destined to become a Thain, and Bandy was fated to fight goblins--so they were spared!
I do adore wee!Pippin. I think he must have been absolutely *lethal* as a faunt--I can't imagine anyone resisting those big green eyes.
Queen Galadriel
· 9 May 2006
· Chapter 12: Looking Back
Awww...Pippin is so sweet. That's so funny, about watching and helping. :) And are the events of the year the Dwarves came in "Ho, ho, my lads"? I must read that one! :) Hobbits with their foothair all up in curl papers! LOL! Now that would be a sight!
God bless,
Galadriel
Author's reply
Yes, that took place during that visit, although the part with Bilbo's little fibs...er, jokes, is not mentioned there. But the other part, with the Dwarves chasing Merry and Pippin is recounted. That was a fun story to write--Marigold and I had a blast with it!
Queen Galadriel
· 9 May 2006
· Chapter 11: Sums, Showers and Scones
I so love these quiet, peaceful stories. Frodo helping Pippin with math, Sam getting to join them for a while, all the lads making tea for Bilbo--wonderful! :)
God bless,
Galadriel
Author's reply
The quiet, peaceful ones are among my own favorites. I like the little slice-of-life tales showing just their everyday interactions.