Reviews (840)

Author's reply

I think Elrond chose the Walkers with great care. I don't know if he foresaw Boromir's trouble, or not, but Boromir's actions at the breaking of the Fellowship probably, in an uncanny way, saved the Quest by forcing Frodo to the decision he made. That said, I think all in the Fellowship would have been committed to making things work, and beyond that, Boromir has genuine regard for the pony (for reasons that will come out later, I hope, and if not in this story, perhaps in another), and I love the turnabout of Frodo watching out for Sam. Thanks!

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It is good to see this side of Boromir. Didn't JRRT call him a noble man? I can't remember, but this early in the journey, he was still completely self-possessed. I think that once Sam saw Boromir's care, and Bill's response, he was able to relax and, yes, accept Boromir as an ally in Bill's care. (Strider is very... um, sneaky, here... but for that matter, Merry really was shivering cold. So it worked out for the best, for both Merry and Frodo, as it turned out.) Thanks!

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I get them confused, too, to tell the truth. But I think this is Supper-breakfast simply because they've been walking all night, and this is the end of their day (thus "supper"), but they're eating at breakfast-time. Perhaps there is actually some meal reflecting that concept in hobbit society already, sensibly named "supper-at-breakfast" and partaken of by those who must work through the night, like nurses or midwives or a farmer watching over a prized cow giving birth. One thing that hobbits are astonishingly precise about (besides genealogies, that is), and that would be mealtimes. Thanks!

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Thank you! It seemed likely that Bill would have to carry grain as well as rations for the two-legged Walkers, at least while they were walking through the winter landscape. After all, he has to keep up his strength!

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I wonder how he'll name the hobbit when Merry finally is! Thanks!

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He never gives up trying to understand. Sometimes language is like a jig-saw puzzle for him... you know the kind of puzzle made so you can fit the wrong piece in and fit wise it goes quite well, only you find later that it doesn't go there at all, but quite some other place entirely. Thanks!

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I'm afraid Bill is very literal-minded. Most four-legged beasts are, I find, although the Puppy certainly demonstrates imagination...! We have decided that Giants are quite the most intelligent breed we've ever known. Zoe showed the same keen wit (she could even count quite high for a dog), but we thought she was unique. I had intended to post a chapter a day to the end (each chapter representing a day), starting on the 25th, when they started, but that plan sort of flew out the window. Still, working at the next chapter in fits and starts. Maybe I'll get it posted this week. Thanks! Author Reply: p.s. say a prayer for the pup, if you think of her. She's lame again for the second time in less than a month, and I'm dearly hoping it's not her hip. The kennel guaranteed her hips if we fed her a fiendishly expensive raw diet... but I'm not sure we could give her up to claim a replacement, if her hips turn out to be bad... I'm hoping it's just having come down wrong from a jumping up trick.

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I'm glad you noticed about the names. Sam is special to Bill, even more special than "my old man" was. Alas, poor Merry. Although Frodo is skating on thin ice, as it were... Thanks!

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Yes, doing their best can make misery more bearable, somehow. Knowing how one grumble can multiply to a multitude, I think hobbits are wise in their choosing to "talk light" in the face of heavy matters. Thanks!

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Poor Merry, indeed! He was probably worried about Pippin slowing them down, and determined to do his best to help his younger cousin along, and then he has to be the one to turn an ankle! Sheesh. Sometimes you just can't catch the breaks. Um, maybe I should rephrase that... Thanks! Looking forward to seeing you.

Author's reply

Of course! It's funny (to me at least) that I was wrestling with what to call the meal, and took another peek at the section of "The Ring Goes South" that I'm drawing from, just to glean ideas, and there it was, staring me in the face. Supper-breakfast! I'm so glad JRRT supplied that little detail. Poor Merry! I'd supply him with comfrey leaves, as I did Ferdi and Estella in the latest chapters of The Rescue, but I don't think Strider would be able to find any this time of year, in this terrain. I'm sure Strider will come up with something, though. Thanks!

Author's reply

Here you are, and glad I am to see you! You know, "that other time" is an actual story, sitting in rough draft on my hard drive. One of these days I will have to drag it out of hiding and polish it up. I do love to look at a scene from different perspectives. I have been accused of writing the same story over and over, as a matter of fact. Such is life. Thanks!

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Thanks for hitting a highlight. I love JRRT's stating of the original premise, that hobbits talk lightly of troubles -- where does that come out? In the Houses of Healing, is it, with Merry's awakening? It has been too long since I've re-read LOTR. I used to have annual bouts of pneumonia or bad bronchitis, where I had to keep to my bed for a few days at a time, several times each winter, and LOTR made for wonderful comfort reading. It is a mixed blessing to be healthier these days, and as a result, busier. (!)

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Yes! Merry, I'm sure, would have tried to conceal his injury much longer, even telling himself (while knowing within that he was being a fool) that it would heal on its own, with no trouble to the Company. I'm glad his cousins are so observant, and know him so well. Thanks!

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Done. Did you get it?

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Oh, you ought to see some of the typos I make, especially when I'm on my phone, which so helpfully supplies auto-corrected words that I don't want to use at all. "Point" for "pony" sounds like par for the course... (And thanks!)

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I'm afraid Merry's being a bit of an idiot at the moment, actually. He ought to know that an injured ankle, walked on, only becomes more injured... And yes, Bill's as happy as can be, considering. Thanks!

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Definitely nail-biting time for an author who's a bit compulsive about sticking within canon so much as possible... I do appreciate your letting me bounce ideas off to see if they'd fit. It was a great help!

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Thank you! I know, I've been rather hit or miss on reading and reviewing myself. I was going to carve out a regular writing time in my schedule, once we were all moved in, and I did, but I'm afraid the regular writing time has involved music and not words over the past couple of months. Pity, too, as I had a novel all ready to start for NaNoWriMo -- which, come to think of it, would have crowded out fanfic anyhow. As my mum used to like to say, "Can't win for losing!" But I am defiantly working at a couple of fun stories this morning... we'll see if I get anything finished enough to post today, before the demands of the day kick in. Got to get to the store today some time to pick up goodies for St. Nicholas morning, for the wee hobbits will be disappointed if they put out their shoes tonight and find them empty in the morning... Author Reply: (It occurs to me that the wee hobbits must be Bucklanders, or at least influenced by Bucklanders, having shoes to put out, as it were.)

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Oh, I know! Caradhras is looming ahead. And you're in good company. I think Tall Hat is worrying about it, too. I still cannot believe that it's only about three weeks before Bill is separated from the Company. At least, that's what my brain is telling me tonight. Too tired to look it up. Thanks!

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Not the pleasantest start, no, but neither Merry nor Pippin has the slightest intention of slowing the party down... tough cores, as Gandalf likely understands. He was the one who argued for them being allowed to go, wasn't he? It's past my bedtime, so I'm rambling and unfocused, just a bit. They're calling for ice and snow later this week here, can you believe it? I can't recall snow before Thanksgiving ever before! (Though my memory is fuzzy tonight.)

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Poor Bill, it's a good thing he can't look forward into the future... At least we have the Professor's own word that he comes safely back to Bree, though it's likely through many adventures. Thanks!

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Gandalf and Aragorn understand and appreciate hobbits! I'm sure the other travellers will, as well, in time. Thank you for the blessings! For some reason the furnace has stopped working (we are still trying to figure out if there might be a reset button somewhere, before calling for a pro), so I appreciate even more the chilly journey the Walkers endured in that first fortnight.

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Yes, I think he'd rather be with his hobbits than anywhere else in the world, even Rivendell.

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Equine memory is an odd thing. They seem to live in the moment, just going along, and then something triggers a strong memory and you have your hands full. One of the horses I used to ride on a regular basis was suspicious of puddles. Would walk around them if he could get away with it, seeming very casual and unintentional about the whole business. The one time I forced him through a puddle (and there was no room to step around), he took it on himself to jump over the thing, with a great deal more clearance than you would think necessary, as if he expected the puddle to reach up and grab him as he went over. My own horse was deeply skeptical of puddles, but could be persuaded to walk through them, though she never enjoyed the experience and always made her disdain clear, lifting her hoofs higher than her usual as if trying to keep them out of the water. I think she would have levitated, to keep her feet dry, if such a thing were possible. Thanks!