Queen Galadriel
· 27 February 2006
· Chapter 13: A Rainy Day
LOL! LOL! That's hilarious!!! LOL! The classic "let's dress the kitty up!" game! Love it! And I'm glad I could read this-my internet connection has been terrible lately. I'm going to see if I can make my computer cooperate long enough to read some of Birthday Surprises now.
God bless,
Galadriel
Author's reply
You just know the Gamgee children did things like this. I couldn't resist.
Sorry your computer has been playing up - hope you've managed to start on 'Birthday Surprises' by now!
Kitty
· 23 February 2006
· Chapter 12: When All Other Lights Go Out
On the one hand, that was unusually dark for you, I’d say, but on the other hand you’ve filled a gap Tolkien left in the books.
Poor Frodo! What for a terrible experience to be threatened and molested in this way, and it is even worser that it was through Orcs. No wonder he considered suicide.
The end was comforting, not only for Frodo, but for me as well. And Sam is so very right – Smeagol killed Deagol within minutes. while Frodo lived with Bilbo at Bag End for so many years without doing anything like that. I don’t think it mattered if he saw the ring or not – his influence was there.
Author's reply
You're so right about that - neither Bilbo nor Frodo killed anyone, despite that Ring being in Bag End with them for years.
I've always thought this must have been the most terrifying experience - to wake surrounded by Orcs, confused, weak, frightened ......... Sam arrived at just the right time - good old Sam, always reliable.
Antane
· 22 February 2006
· Chapter 12: When All Other Lights Go Out
Their loving reunion is my favorite scene in the whole story - thank you for this!
Namarie, God bless, Antane :)
Author's reply
Thank you. I've always loved that moment - dear, wonderful Sam. He's such a reliable hobbit.
I don't like putting Frodo through too much trauma but I wrote this some time ago and thought it was time to post it.
Andrea
· 22 February 2006
· Chapter 12: When All Other Lights Go Out
Well, everyone who read your first story here knows, that you are not only good at writing fluff.
This one was great, very dark and so vivid. I liked the different dialects in the Orc voices and the reference to that particular movie scene. When I first saw it, I was shocked, but somehow it was perfectly fitting.
"Galadriel was wrong about one thing, Sam. You are my light in dark places. Only you .......... always." Very true!
Author's reply
Thank you! I sometimes worry that people get tired of the fluff!
The Orc's shouted words to Frodo about what he would do after hearing the singing is taken from the book and always gives me a creepy shudder when I read it. Poor Frodo, those lost hours must have been full of terror and doubt.
You will be pleased to know I've just updated 'Birthday Surprises' if you need an angst antidote! :-))
demeter d
· 22 February 2006
· Chapter 2: For Eyes To See..........
This is delightful! Wonderful discussion of auras. I very much enjoyed this little look at the whole Quest through the eyes of the resident Bag End cat.
Your alternate universe view of a Frodo who was able to stay and still find healing is just the happily ever after that many of us wish Tolkien might have written. Of course, life is full of sadness and partings, so that is what he wrote, but isn't it fun to travel the paths of possibilities in Middle Earth!
I am sending this piece to my sister. She writes, too, and the last I knew she had 8 cats, (or is it 9? ) She will love this too! Best Wishes.
Author's reply
Yes, my head knows that the Professor wrote the right ending but my heart wishes it could have been otherwise. I like given Frodo the happily ever after that he did not receive in the book.
I hope your sister enjoys the story. I have always loved cats - all animals really - and used to be a veterinary nurse and I also did a lot of cat rescue, so I've always had lots of felines. Rufus is based on Dingle, a cat who died last September. I like to think he lives on in these tales.
demeter d
· 22 February 2006
· Chapter 12: When All Other Lights Go Out
Greetings. I found you and your stories from your review of Shirebound's in-process tale about the Tower of Cirith Ungol. this one is a nice exploration. You really put us into Frodo's head. i find it interesting picking out your mixture of book and movie references. And that line, 'Sam, you are my light in dark places'.That is just lovelt. It really hits the heart of their relationship! Now I will have to go back and read more of your work.
Author's reply
Greetings to you, and I'm glad you found me! I wrote this before ROTK came out, so there's only a little movie-verse, mainly in mention of previous events. This chapter has always given me the creeps and I felt I wanted to explore a little of what may have happened during those 'lost hours.'
harrowcat
· 22 February 2006
· Chapter 12: When All Other Lights Go Out
Woah! That was a bit of a dark read before breakfast BB. But, all the same, a great expansion on the scene.
Author's reply
Sorry about that, but I wanted to explore what may have happened while Sam was searching for Frodo. The Professor never tells us what happened to our poor hobbit during his captivity. It must have been very traumatic.
Pearl Took
· 15 February 2006
· Chapter 11: King Eomer's Gift
Found my way here via shirebound's LJ.
This is a warm and wonderful story! Limelight is a perfect name and I love how Merry and Pippin presented him.
"Merry? Is that you?"
"No, it's the ghost of Belladonna Baggins!" said the voice. "I've come back to tell Sam Gamgee to stop filling up my garden with root vegetables!"
Great fun!!
Author's reply
I'm so pleased you found the story - plenty more here, of course!
Limlight just appeared, as the best characters do, and insisted I put him in the tales. As for Merry and Pippin, they are enormous fun to write because they have such a wonderful relationship. Their light-hearted banter masks much deeper feelings - as Merry tells Aragorn in the Houses of Healing - and they're irrepressible.
Glad it made you smile.
Gershwhen
· 14 February 2006
· Chapter 11: King Eomer's Gift
Oh, that was lovely!! I do like to see Frodo happy AND appreciated by all of the Men that he saved. Thank you for posting.
Author's reply
Thank you. I really love giving Frodo the healing and appreciation he deserves.
It is wonderful to see him happy and having fun.
Dreamflower
· 13 February 2006
· Chapter 11: King Eomer's Gift
Ah, I had been saving this one to savor! It was just as wonderful as I hoped it would be--and I very much like Limlight the Meara pony, and hope that we shall see more of him!
This is so lovely, and filled with all the delightful Shire details of your "Reunion-verse". I really do think you have outdone yourself with this one!
Author's reply
Ah, I was wondering where Dreamflower had got to! You were just saving it, were you? Limlight certainly seems to be a real personality and I'm sure we shall see a lot more of him.
I enjoyed writing this - as I do with all my stories really - as I could see everything very clearly.
Glad it meets with your approval!
mews1945
· 13 February 2006
· Chapter 11: King Eomer's Gift
What a perfectly lovely story. I'm a great fan of Frodo and Eomer, and I did love the ride at the beginning, and the idea of the kings sending Yule gifts to their hobbit friends was wonderful. And Limlight is a marvelous character. Beautifully done.
Author's reply
Limlight does seem to have a very strong personality. He arrived one day and demanded that I write a story!
Frodo and Eomer don't seem to have much interaction in stories so that was fun to write, and it say in the book that the kings send gifts to the Shire.
Thank you for taking the time to review, and I hope you continue to enjoy this universe.
lovethosehobbits
· 13 February 2006
· Chapter 9: The Musings of a Dwarf
Incredibly sweet and tender to hear a dwarf, gruff as they apparently are, to feel so about our beloved hobbits. His recounting of things that we have known from the get-go, was lovely.
Author's reply
I've always thought, from some of Gimli's remarks in the book, that he was deeply fond of the hobbits. Under that gruff exterior there's a sentimental dwarf!
Kitty
· 13 February 2006
· Chapter 11: King Eomer's Gift
Ah, what a wonderful image, Frodo riding with Éomer on his horse, flying over the plains of Rohan! I could get a bit envious! How good to see Frodo enjoying himself so much!
So that was why Éomer gifted him this pony? Very nice idea!
They carried enough sandwiches and other items to see them all the way back to Rohan, never mind Bree. Of course. The hobbits wouldn't take the risk that the men could starve at the way back to the South! *grin*
You know, I love the idea that the animals are able to see the light in Frodo and that Limlight felt drawn to Frodo at once! That was another great story!
Author's reply
I could see that so clearly, Frodo and Eomer flying over the plains - I simply had to write it. Yes, it is good to see Frodo enjoying himself. I think the pony had already been captured (even Eomer couldn't train a wild pony in a couple of months) but when he saw how much Frodo enjoyed riding he resolved to give it to him.
*snigger* No way would the hobbits allow the Men to go back to Bree without plentiful supplies of food!
Animals are very sensitive to a person's character and I think they see something of the soul, so animals would be aware of Frodo's Light of Being.
Thank you for reviewing.
harrowcat
· 13 February 2006
· Chapter 11: King Eomer's Gift
I don't know how you do it it BB, every one of your tales is a gem. You had me both giggling,
"Of course not. This is Lord Frodo the Fearless. And this is Lord Samwise the Brave, and over there is Sir Meriadoc the Magnificent."
"And that nonsense was prattled off by Sir Peregrin the Impudent!" Frodo chuckled, then ducked as Pip threw a spoon at him.
"Not to mention Sir Peregrin the Addle-Pated!" added Merry.
and totally satisfied in this one. Your Eomer/Frodo relationship came out just right for me!
Author's reply
Glad you enjoyed it. Of course the banter between Merry and Pip is always fun to write. It comes naturally to the hobbits to tease each other.
Thank you for your words about the Frodo/Eomer relationship. There are few stories which have any meetings between them, and nothing in the book, so I'm glad you think I managed to get it right.
harrowcat
· 13 February 2006
· Chapter 10: A Shire Yule
Aw this is a delightful interlude. Poor Rufus! What neglectful Smial-sharers to let the fire go out! *g* And I loved the image of Frodo and Sam sharing a scarf!but I think my favourite line was...
It was strange to see the Shire under moonlight like this, everywhere white and quiet. It looked magical and almost alien, but in a comfortable way, transformed by no more than frozen water.
Author's reply
Yes, Rufus is right to complain - what a disgrace! Letting the fire go out, indeed!
I could just see Frodo and Sam sharing the new scarf - I think Lily got a bit carried away, or forgot how to cast off! :-))
It is always astonighing, to see how the most mundane location can be transformed by some snow.
Queen Galadriel
· 12 February 2006
· Chapter 11: King Eomer's Gift
What a thoughtful gift for Eomer to give! I like to imagine that Frodo would enjoy riding, and you portray that beautifully. My, to have one of Shadowfaxes grandsons to ride! :)
I'm sorry to hear about your dog. Animals are so amazing-it takes only a little time for them to make a nest in your heart, and yet long after they're gone, you never forget them.
God bless,
Galadriel
Author's reply
Frodo doesn't recoil in the book when Merry supplies ponies for them to ride to Bree, so he must have had some experience, and being born into the gentry, and growing up at Brandy Hall, I suspect he learned to ride while living there.
Yes, a grandson of Shadowfax must be something special. He does appear in 'Birthday Surprises' too.
Thank you for your kind words - Toffee was a very big personality and he has left a very big hole in our lives. The house seems to big and too tidy at the moment.
Queen Galadriel
· 12 February 2006
· Chapter 10: A Shire Yule
Awwww! What a sweet story! I don't think there could be a more perfect Yule, though my favourite is still the one described in "Reunion in Minas Tirith." :) Very lovely! Off to read the next one!
God bless,
Galadriel
Author's reply
Thank you for that! i think Yule in the Shire would have been great fun! Wish I could go and see for myself, but I suppose this is the next best thing.
Ami
· 12 February 2006
· Chapter 11: King Eomer's Gift
Absolutely adorable and so very precious. I loved how all the animals see Frodo's special light. There is no living thing that Frodo can hide his great worth from. I've missed your stories, and it was so nice to see three new ones today.
Happy writing to you!
Author's reply
Thank you for that! I think animals are sensitive to auras and I'm sure Limlight soon realised that this hobbit was exceptional.
Glad you liked the stories. I had great fun writing these.
Lily Baggins
· 12 February 2006
· Chapter 8: A Yule Gift for the King
*giggle* Aragorn 'wearing' kittens! What a perfect description! I've worn kittens many times, and I think our favourite Ranger King would like cats.
Glad you enjoyed the image.
Lily Baggins
· 12 February 2006
· Chapter 11: King Eomer's Gift
Oh my gosh, I absolutely am in love with this gorgeous little chapter... in fact, I need to go back and get caught up with ALL your chapters. The picture you paint of Frodo, sparkling and merry and happy after the quest... it's so dear to me.
Author's reply
Thank you! I love writing happy Frodo, and to see him sparkling and teasing is very dear to me too. I enjoy communicating that to others.
shirebound
· 12 February 2006
· Chapter 11: King Eomer's Gift
Eeeee! First of all, Frodo-Eomer scenes or stories are SO rare; I treasure each one. And this is so lovely.
Ponies are herd animals and Limlight had missed his companions from the plains of Rohan; he sniffed the others and soon there was a great deal or conversation going on. Frodo forked straw onto the floor of the empty stable until it was half way up his own legs, put hay into the rack, removed the halter and groomed his present, talking softly in a mixture of Westron and Sindarin. Limlight nuzzled the pointed ear and huffed happily.
BB, you can bring as many animals into Frodo's life as you can possibly think up -- turtles, cats, ponies -- whatever makes him happy, and shows him how much the Big and Little Folk reverence him... well, there's just nothing better.
:D
Author's reply
*grin* Yes, Frodo does seem to be building up quite a menagerie, doesn't he?
I think he would appreciate all living things, and Limlight is quite a character.
As Frodo doesn't seem horrified in the book when he is required to ride a pony I thought he might have learned while at Brandy Hall. After all, the aristocracy do go in for riding. :-))
Thank you for your kind words, as always.
Andrea
· 12 February 2006
· Chapter 10: A Shire Yule
Blossom was peeping in at the door, watching Frodo cradling the baby. "I can't believe that! He's so............. sweet!
I totally agree with Blossom, your Frodo is really sweet! And he is happy again with a huge "family" and lots of children to care for. I've not given up hope yet that there might be room for a Mrs. Baggins in this universe.
Author's reply
Yes, Frodo has a vast family now, and I think he is quite happy with that. I don't think there is any hobbit lass quite good enough for 'our' Frodo. :-))
Kitty
· 12 February 2006
· Chapter 10: A Shire Yule
Another sweet piece. I love your ‚Reunion’-universe so much because it is so lovely to see Frodo happy and surrounded by a large, loving family, and I am glad to know it extends to Rosie’s family as well.
Rose hauled her sister-in-law back to the kitchen for a liberal helping of mulled cider and a lot of practical advice. And most especially the practical advice. I can see it *giggle*
"A bit o' washing-up won't kill you, lad," said Sam, steering him inexorably towards the kitchen. My brother would disagree with Sam and sympathize with Nibs, you know!
I don’t know how it is in Great Britain, but here in Germany pigs are seen for luck, and so the episode with the piglets was very fitting for a Yule night.
Author's reply
Yes, I can imagine Rose being full of practical advice! And you'll have to brandish a tea-towel in order to change your brother's opinion of washing-up.
I think the Cottons must have become quite fond of Frodo when he stayed with them while Bag End was refurbished, so I thought there might be a bond between them.
I didn't know that about pigs in Germany but it seems a very happy accident to have the baby piggies born at Yule.
Kitty
· 12 February 2006
· Chapter 9: The Musings of a Dwarf
Nice surprise to have two updates today! Thank you!
Pestilential hobbits, they creep into your heart and turn the dourest dwarf into a silly sentimental fool, and the most elegant Elf into a mischievous imp playing practical jokes on those around him. That’s somehow touching to see Gimli (and Legolas) so fond of the hobbits they do all this and enjoy it. It speaks of a very deep affection for their small friends. And of course Gimli can’t admit he’s sentimental and blames the smoke for his tears. But I think they would’ve been disappointed if they were *not* invited to the wedding of Faramir and Goldilocks.
When they go to Gondor with all the children, the High King of Gondor and Arnor plays 'I-hide-and-you-seek-me' all over the Citadel and is late for important meetings because he is telling hobbit younglings bedtime stories. *grin* And what think the important people when the King is late for their meeting, because he is playing and telling stories? I’d love a story about that!
Author's reply
Now there's a plot bunny! I'll have to think about that and see what develops.
I think the important people probably realised there were other, far more important people around, and if they had any sense they would count themselve lucky. Perhaps they were all dragged in to the games? :-))
I have always thought there was deep affection between Legolas and Gimli and the hobbits. They're so pleased to meet again at Isengard, and the love between them is very vivid.
finafyr
· 12 February 2006
· Chapter 10: A Shire Yule
I have said it before and I think it bears repeatiing, I love your stories, all of them even the small little ones. I loved your musings of Gimli. I love best all the stories where Frodo is healed and living happily in the Shire. You make is so believable. I hope that the stories continue and I have the pleasure of reading more and more of them. There is something special about the way that you write. It is as if you were able to look through a special dimensional doorway and got the chance to find the one world where Frodo was healed and are able to share the wonderful stories you find there. There is a scientific theory that says that if you think a thing, and that includes stories, then somewhere that story is a reality in some dimensional space. SO there is a special place where your stories are alive and well. So please keep writing and sharing with us all
Thank you for you writing
fin
Author's reply
My goodness! Thank you so much for those kind words, and what a lovely thought, that somewhere Frodo is happy and well. I can always see the Shire and these beloved characters so clearly, and I love spending time in this universe.
I will certainly keep writing - I enjoy it too much to stop.