Reviews (266)

Baggins Babe · 1 February 2006 · Chapter 27: A Conspiracy of Comedy

Oh my! I don't know what made me laugh more - Gimli revealing his feet or the prospect of him doing some darning! *snert* This was a lovely look at the Fellowship and their attempts to take Frodo out of his dark thoughts. I think they would have all been concerned about Frodo and would have tried to make his burdens lighter.

Pearl Took · 1 February 2006 · Chapter 999999: Ithildin's translation notes for "That Song"

"Pass it around, no need to fight - Everybody has a bite!" Marvelous!! Elves singing annoying songs :D :D :D ROFL Cheering up Frodo singing in the rain a chance to get better aquainted the Ring sadly finding a victim I look forward to the rest of these :) :) Again - MEWD!!

Pearl Took · 1 February 2006 · Chapter 20: Sometimes It's Worth It

I'm evil . . . I waited till I had read all twenty before leaving a response. These are wonderful :) frightened lads stuck up a tree rebuilding a damaged wall noticing the Tookish curiosity in a pair of blue eyes eager eyes and a quick hand following after pebbles not caring if it's a reciting of a grocery list - as long as it's the story telling voice Wonderful, Wonderful imagry, Dreamflower!! MEWD!! :)

harrowcat · 1 February 2006 · Chapter 27: A Conspiracy of Comedy

I think that there is an English Fairy story that revolves around various suitors trying to make a Princess laugh in order to win her hand. I like your story much better. Especially Gimli and his smelly feet! *g*

Tigger · 1 February 2006 · Chapter 28: That Song...

And they call that a song!! A very irritating virus is more like it!! ;o) This was priceless!! The Lady Galadriel, one of the most powerful of the Eldar still in Arda...Singing 99 Apple Pies!!! Oh...There's an image that's going to linger...ROTFLOL!! Thank you so much for a very badly needed laugh tonight!! (((HUGS)))

Gryffinjack · 12 January 2006 · Chapter 28: That Song...

Just to keep all of my reviews over here: This is priceless! Oh my, but this was hysterical! When I first realised what song you were having translated into Sindarin, I wondered what you were going to do with it. But *this* -- what Pippin started! And Legolas is just as bad! I love the image of Legolas and Pippin giggling together as they conspire to infect the entire Fellowship with this insipid song. And Frodo's, Merry's, and Sam's reactions are so funny! Especially Sam hurrying to get lunch ready in an attempt to stop the song from going any further. Now we know why Frodo left the rest of the Fellowship behind and decided to continue the Quest with just Sam. I gather Boromir couldn't take any more of the song either and decided it was better to die in battle than have to listen to one more chorus of it. *shakes head* Oh, goodness, but this made me laugh!

Inkling · 9 January 2006 · Chapter 28: That Song...

Yep, I was curious…what a wacky idea! Have you ever read “The Bagenders”? This reminded me of a scene from “A Shortcut to Whitby,” in which the Fellowship goes on a long, maddening car trip…this song would have fit right in! Thanks for the chuckle…

Baggins Babe · 7 January 2006 · Chapter 28: That Song...

This was absolutely hilarious! Just what I needed - I can just see Pippin teaching Legolas this very hobbity song. The fact that even Galadriel found herself singing it was priceless! Wise Celeborn indeed, not to laugh! Thank you so much for this.

Mystwing · 7 January 2006 · Chapter 28: That Song...

That was so funny! As soon as I read the number of pies I couldn't stop laughing. actually, I think the song may be stuck in my head now!

Kitty · 7 January 2006 · Chapter 28: That Song...

*giggles* That was fun! What a lovely image, Legolas and the Lórien elves, even Galadriel, singing hobbit nonsense songs in Sindarin! Frodo and the others may not appreciate it properly, but I do! The situation over there was getting dire. Now, that sounds as if Orcs were coming and not only Legolas and Pippin singing! *lol*

Bodkin · 7 January 2006 · Chapter 28: That Song...

To repeat myself - what a cruel thing to do to Legolas and Galadriel! Every time they hear the rhythm, they will start singing that dreaded ditty. They will be driven insane. As will any elf who hears them and absorbs it into perfect elven memory! Pippin doesn't know what he's started here!

Queen Galadriel · 7 January 2006 · Chapter 28: That Song...

LOL! Oh, Dreamflower, that's priceless! That song in Sindarin...LOL! Poor Frodo and Sam and...the rest of them! Hmmm, what does this scene remind me of? :-) Car trips with very bored children, of course. This was just what I needed this morning. God bless, Galadriel

harrowcat · 7 January 2006 · Chapter 28: That Song...

*big cheesy grin* I think everyone knows that irritating feeling of having the most stupid tune running through their head! But to be able to sing it in two languages must make it ten times worse!

Queen Galadriel · 2 January 2006 · Chapter 25: O! Water Cold

LOL! I love it! I love it! How like Pippin to know just what to sing to make them all laugh! :-) God bless, Galadriel

Gryffinjack · 18 November 2005 · Chapter 22: The Long Dark of Moria

Such powerful imagery! Like your stories, your drabbles are amazing! It must have been very frightening in those mines with that endless darkness all around them.

Gryffinjack · 18 November 2005 · Chapter 25: O! Water Cold

And *that* folks, is the summation of Pippin's unique value on the Quest! Nobody cheers people up as well as our optimistic Pippin, who always knows exactly what to do to get those around him in better spirits when they are down. I'm sure he was plenty cold. He could have been miserable about the rain, but he did not let it get to him. Instead of being cross like the others, he turned to one of his other gifts, music, to brighten everyone's spirits. The light that shines within him is infectious to all around it. And that song! I can hear and visualise Billy Boyd singing it infused with all of Pippin's joyfulness. The little hobbit did indeed love his bath! That much is clear in canon from their bath at Crickhollow. If he had so much fun in the bath as a tweenager on a dangerous quest, can you imagine how much fun he must have had in the bath as a child? Of course, Gandalf knew what Pippin was doing the whole time. He knows that Took so well and must have been smiling inside himself the entire time. The grumpy exchange between Sam, Merry, and Frodo was also very enjoyable. And I can indeed imagine Sam complaining on and on about something once it gets stuck in his craw. But how like hobbits for them to change their emotions one hundred eighty degrees and one minute be all cross and the next be all smiles and laughter! I keep forgetting to mention something about these stories that occur while they are on the Quest. I really like the way you identify *where* they are. It helps set the mood and identify what they were feeling at that particular time to know if it were in Bree, Rivendell or Hollin for example. It also makes it easier to visualise their surroundings to have such a reference. Most enjoyable!

Gryffinjack · 16 November 2005 · Chapter 23: If I Only Had a Fire

Just like a tweenager, to harp on a particular thought and not let it go! Not that I blame Pippin, as cold and miserable as he was. Still, you have to give him credit - he didn't complain about it to the others, although Merry, of course, knew exactly what he was thinking. The unusual thing here is that the always cheery Pippin is the one who needed the cheering. And I quite agree with Pippin - it never seemed fair to me either that everyone else was freezing, exhausted, and miserable except for Legolas, who was running along like the wind without the slightest discomfort. The elf should have been shot. "His cousin was trying to cheer him up. Pippin didn’t want to be cheered up. He wanted to be cross. He wanted a fire." lol! I love the Pippin's persistence. We've all had those times where we just want to stay mad and don't want to be cheered up. Great job capturing Pippin's moody side.

Gryffinjack · 15 November 2005 · Chapter 24: Two Nights Out of Rivendell

I don't remember reading this before! Now how did I miss it? This really was first rate! Those segueways from one member of the Company's POV to another's were marvelous; very clever. I like how you stuck to canon with Pippin being the one stumbling and flagging more than the others. After reading your recent essay, his constantly getting tired faster than the others and getting sleepy sooner actually lends a bit of credence to the idea that he was more sickly, no? Not great evidence of it, but a little bit. Then again, it could just be that he was still a tweenager, although I would think that a tweenager would normally have even more energy than an adult. At any rate, your Pippin is very much in keeping with canon here. It's interesting to read about the status of the various members of the walkers at this early juncture of their trek. It makes sense that it would be most difficult on the little hobbits, particularly since they are not used to walking for such long periods of time. But still, hobbits are very resilient folk. "He remembered poor Pippin’s consternation yesterday, when he had not been able to hold up Boromir’s sword. ...Pippin had not slept well yesterday, either. But Merry did not seem quite so tired. The young Brandybuck was quite tough. It would not do to allow too much time to lapse in the young one’s lessons." Ah, I love how you continue to develop the relationship between Boromir and Merry and Pippin. At this point in time, the Big Folk are still all separate and have not all blended together as a group as of course the hobbits have amongst themselves. Boromir, from the moment we met him, he seemed more of an outsider, having not been asked to come to the Council of Elrond, but having gone there to ask about his dream. Boromir has started making a real connection with the younger hobbits and would allow Pippin to try to hold his sword. He'd feel for poor Pippin when he couldn't do it and nicked the sword. He'd notice how tired Pippin is or how resolute Merry is. That's Boromir for you - a proud warrior, yes, but a passionate soul who cares about those with whom he's connected. It amazes me how quickly you are able to come up with one fantastic chapter or story after another!

Gryffinjack · 15 November 2005 · Chapter 21: Set #2 (featuring the Fellowship) : Who Will Best Serve?

This is spot on. My only question is as to Frodo's being able to act as a shield to shield Sam, Merry, and Pippin from the Ring. Unless you mean that their love for Frodo was their shield, I disagree. However, the depth of the love that all three of them had for Frodo and their desire to protect him from danger, now *that* would act to shield them from the Ring. " Try as it might, it had gained no quick hold on any of them, and was beginning to simply count on persistence to wear one of them down." Yep, in the end, that's what the Ring resorted to, the only thing that could work against Frodo. But even then, it was too late. "This Dwarf however, seemed to be all but deaf to the whispers…" This is but an example of your wonderful use of language, not only in describing the Ring's thoughts, but in the sound of the way you string your words together. It is like poetry, only in prose form. You have fantastic linguistic skills. "Ah, yes, the other Man. He could hear the whispers, loud and clear, and he did not seem to understand what they were. Pride was there, and despair, and anger… Ah, yes. Yes, indeed." *sniff* Poor Boromir. He deserved better. However, he did not let the Ring conquer him in the end. He stumbled and fell, but when he got up, the Ring had no more power over him and he regretted his actions. And then, Boromir did what was right and acted to protect the Company again by fighting and giving his very life to save Merry and Pippin. So in the end, the Ring lost and did not conquer any of them. You certainly do describe how sentient the Ring is as well as the thoughts it would have had. It is a cold, cruel, calculating thing that cares not about the tools it uses to gain its own end.

Gryffinjack · 15 November 2005 · Chapter 26: A Convivial Evening

How delightful but bittersweet this Boromir-centric story was! Bormir's thoughts about the various members of the Company before they get under way are most interesting. "“They are creatures out of legend to me,” I confessed. “We have the occasional nursery tale of the mischievous pheriannath, the little folk who are fond of pranks, but are shy and seldom seen. Most folk in Gondor do not even believe that they exist.”" You have the right of it - Boromir would have been very curious about the hobbits, springing to life out of legend and story. It is not surprising that Boromir relates most to Merry and Pippin since he has been training them to fight. Boromir was a good man and valiant warrior; it is a shame that the Ring found and used his weaknesses, his fear for Gondor and his concern over the declining mental stability of his father. While I knew that Boromir had tried to save Merry and Pippin from the Uruk-Hai, I was very relieved last night to read in the book that Merry and Pippin had at the same time saved Boromir. It was in trying to save them that he really threw off the effects of the Ring and was saved at the end from a fate worse than his death itself. "They seemed concerned that I had not included my uncle and cousins as family at the first, and feared it indicated some family feud or bad blood between us. Their jests as well are often obscure to me, as though there is some secret language between them." "Pippin grinned up at me. “We’ll make a hobbit of you yet, Boromir.” I chuckled. I can think of worse fates." *sigh* I quite agree with Boromir on this one. "“... I am confiding into your care, and that of the others, those whom I hold most dear. I needed to know that they will be with those I can trust.”" Paladin, Eglantine, Saradoc, Esmerelda, Drogo, and Primula would all be proud of Bilbo and very thankful for the way his watching out over their sons. That sums up how concerned hobbits are about family relations as well as the unusually close bond between Merry and Pippin. "I am afraid that I misunderstood his standing in the House of Lord Elrond, and ...had taken him for no more than a comical, and possibly senile, old fool. I was soon set straight by the grave attention paid him at the Council, and ... began to realize that he was a person of sharp intelligence, and had a certain amount of authority due him not only due to his advanced years, but also to his social standing in his homeland. For though he had forsaken the Shire, it was quite clear by the relief his younger kin felt in finding him here, and in their quick submission to his authority as the senior member of their family." Long quote, but I love the way it captures an outsider's view of Bilbo and his relationship to the three cousins. Biblo is very intelligent and brave; for a hobbit, he's quite cosmopolitan. Yet, he retains his hobbitiness in his love of his family, song, and good nature. I'm glad you mentioned about how the three cousins immediately resumed their relationship with Bilbo of treating him with not only with love, but with the respect deserved by a senior member of the family. "The Elf, Legolas, was standing near the back of the room, watching the procedure with curious eyes. I get the feeling that hobbits are almost as much a mystery to him as they are to me." Very perceptive of Boromir. At this point, Legolas really didn't know hobbits well, although he later seems quite interested in them. I wonder if he were at home in Mirkwood during the time Bilbo was held prisoner there. "I am amazed at how cheeky all the hobbits are with the Wizard. I, too, have known Mithrandir from my childhood. He was ever a good friend to my brother, and was always kind to me as well, in spite of the fact that our father was never more than coldly polite to him. Yet even though I have known him at least as long as the younger hobbits, I would never dream of being so familiar with him. Yet he seems to take it in good humor, using a gruff and cranky tone with them, and scolding Pippin frequently, all with that same fond look in his eye." Another long quote, but this one is one of my favourites, for it speaks volumes about Gandalf's relationship not only with the hobbits, but with Boromir, Faramir, and Denethor as well. I particularly like the way you sum up Gandalf's relationship with Pippin, which only gets more special as they spend more time together on the Quest and Pippin is forced to mature early for his age. "“The City is fair, but grim. My father prepares her for war even now. The enemy is pressing us hard. Your strength will be welcome there, and the return of the King would put heart into our people.” “Yet would your father truly welcome me? I think my presence there might trouble him.” This troubled me somewhat as well. My father has always held that the Stewards were all the nobler for never having claimed the kingship, yet I know that he also grips his own authority with a strong hand. Still, he has always trusted my judgment. I think if he were satisfied that Aragorn was who he said he was, he would accept it. I am sure of it. Really, I am. Of course he would." I also enjoyed the interaction between Boromir and Aragorn. It's interesting that Boromir acknowledges that Aragorn is, if they succeed, his future king. It is in direct contrast to what Boromir knows to be his father's view on the matter of Aragorn's succession to the throne.

Gryffinjack · 1 November 2005 · Chapter 17: Blue Eyes

The eyes are indeed the windows to the soul. A very poignant little story of what each of the other three see when they look at Frodo's eyes. Merry - 'I knew those eyes. All I wanted to do was drive away the sadness in them. I felt a fierce joy when I could bring a smile to those eyes.' Those lines sum up Merry's feelings for Frodo perfectly. You weave in memories of your others stories so seamlessly, without ever divulging the specific details. Sam - 'a faraway look in them eyes. He didn’t see me there at first, staring at him. Then he saw me and smiled, though his eyes was still sad.' This reminds me of the scene where it is decided that Sam will accompany Frodo on the Quest. Frodo was quite relieved to have Sam's companionship, but sad to be putting him in such danger and the sorrow to be leaving the Shire. Pippin - 'But there’s something else in those eyes--something Tookish, for all they are blue rather than green. Something I recognize; I see it in the mirror.' I know I'm horribly biased in favour of Pippin, but that Took sure does have the best understanding of Frodo. As we've said before, Pippin and Frodo are so similar that it would not be difficult for Pippin to understand how and why Frodo feels and acts the way that he does. Perhaps it is that Tookish twinkle in their souls that gives them a deeper sensitivity and comprehension of people and especially each other. Pippin is right, for all that he and Merry are both half Took technically, Pippin is all Took and Merry is all Brandybuck. Merry's strength is in assessing situations, while Pippin's and Frodo's strength is in assessing individuals. 'Frodo’s eyes have that curiosity that makes Tooks want to know what lies around the corner: a new road or secret gate.' This is that adventurous spirit that is so quintessentially Tookish, that desire to discover all of life's little secrets and hold a firm understanding and appreciation in your hand. It is as essential as food to a Took's soul. 'Merry fears Frodo leaving the Shire one day. I look forward to joining him.' I know you said that this story was not set in any specific time period other than pre-Quest, but it feels like it took place after Bilbo left the Shire but before Frodo knew he had no choice but to leave the Shire. This gives an even greater depth to the unspoken understanding between the three cousins. I love these stories of yours when you look at a particular thing through different points of view and see what truths and wisdoms are revealed.

Gryffinjack · 1 November 2005 · Chapter 20: Sometimes It's Worth It

How I've missed your stories! Pippin had jam, half an apple pie, and some honey-sweetened tea for a midnight snack? No wonder he's bouncing off the walls! 'He had spent the intervening four hours prowling about Bag End, snooping, as he was too wound up to go back to sleep.' Snooping for what? It's his birthday, so he was the one giving out presents, unless Frodo were going to give Pippin one the day before his birthday. 'He heard a thump, a thud, and a yell from Merry’s room, followed by a slamming door and the sound of footsteps running. Merry must have gone back to sleep, and Pippin had probably taken the expedient of rolling him onto the floor to waken him.' The cousins are so gentle about the way they wake each other up in the morning! lol! I can hear Pippin's laughter. It was very thoughtful of Sam and his sister to prepare a lavish dinner for the three cousins, even if it was his way of thanking them for building the wall so he could accompany them to Tookland. How lovely that they were all able to enjoy a beautiful sunrise together. Thank goodness Pippin made sure he woke the others up. It was probably one of the best birthday presents Pippin could have given them.

Gryffinjack · 24 October 2005 · Chapter 15: The Wall Came Tumbling Down

I'd like to thank Marigold for giving you the plot bunny that inspired such a delightful story. Our four hobbits caught in that awkward time between when they were childhood friends and when the Quest erased the differences between them to allow them to be true friends and hang propriety. Not that Frodo, Merry, or Pippin find anything wrong with being friends with Sam. It's just Sam's blasted sense of what would and would not be "proper" at work again. It's a good thing that Merry knows a practical way to get around Sam's insistence on things being "proper." That Brandybuck does know how to get something if he is determined to. "The three cousins watched the exhausted gardener leave, feeling more than a little guilty that nothing more than an accident of birth kept them sitting idle when a friend needed help. “This is ridiculous,” said Frodo. “There is no real reason we could not help him with this.” Merry looked thoughtful. “No, there isn’t.” He turned to Frodo with a speculative eye. “How many lanterns do you have around this hole, anyway?” Pippin grinned. Frodo raised one brow, and looked at Merry questioningly. Merry nodded. The night was clear and the Moon was bright as the three hobbits made their way down, each of them carrying two lanterns." Brilliant. One again, you've created a scene that I could visualise in my mind as easily as if it were happening right in front of me. All it took for the cousins to build that wall over Sam's sense of propriety was some Took stubbornness, a lot of Brandybuck practicality and determination, and some Baggins wisdom. Sam never stood a chance.

Gryffinjack · 18 October 2005 · Chapter 19: "He Sat and Sang a Melody..."

*sigh* How beautiful! I am so glad you gave that lad a clear, beautiful singing voice with which to express what is really inside him. Merry does have the full measure of it - Pippin does pour his whole heart into the music. I think that's why he is fidgeting all the rest of the time, trying to get out all of his joy and emotion for life, which he can only really get out by singing, laughing, or crying. And again we see how perceptive he is, relating this song to elves, even though he didn't know that it really did come from them. Once again, we see that only Frodo really understands. He is the only one who is truly swept away by the music and feels like he, too, is on that journey. Sam and Merry both think of the more practical things, like how Pippin can remember words to such a long song but not where he put his jacket or how the Gaffer called it a bunch of foolishness. They both really enjoy Pippin's singing, yes, but they are not quite able to really understand this elven tune sung in a voice that falls just short of being elvish in quality. Only Pippin and Frodo can truly appreciate the song and its turn of phrase.

Gryffinjack · 18 October 2005 · Chapter 18: The Way of Things

How do you do it? How do you say so much in your stories in so few words? Thank you for pointing out what I've always thought, that Frodo and Pippin are very similar - both are very sensitive, thoughtful, and to use Sam's phrase, gentle-hearted. They both are more likely to ponder the deeper meaning of something and feel the full import of it and both find the good in most people. While Pippin is usually optimistic, I think that Frodo would have been had it not been for that sweet optimism and sunny outlook on life having been overshadowed by the death of his parents at such an early age, and then later by having the darkness of the ring with him all of the time. It took that extra spark, impulsiveness, and joy out of Frodo that Pippin still has. In many ways, Pippin is what Frodo would have been had he not sufferred such tragedy in his life at such an early age. This story also shows how alike Sam and Merry are - while still gentle and thoughtful, both are much more pragmatic, looking at things practically rather than the way things *should* be. This is why the pairings work the way that they do, Sam and Frodo as a team, Merry and Pippin as a team, and Merry and Frodo, each member completing the other. Yet, when it comes to really having a common understanding, to really knowing what that person is feeling, that's when Pippin turns to Frodo or when Sam and Merry are better for each other - two peas in a pod, as it were. Look, here I've used more words to review your story again than you used in the story itself! What a thought-provoking little story!