Grey Wonderer
· 19 April 2009
· Chapter 5: Fire and Water
I was so busy worrying about Frodo that I completely forgot about Sam and Legolas! I'm glad Gimli is there.
Oh, and this part:
(“Yes,” Elrond whispered. “Find Frodo. I fear for him.” )
I love the way Gandalf came to Elrond and the way the two of them know instantly what must be done.
I love having severl chapters to read at once. hehehe
Author's reply
Glad you're enjoying this! LOL, it's also not easy for *me* to take my attention off Frodo. :)
Looks like the Wraiths have under-estimated Frodo again and they didn't count on Merry either. I love the way you write suspense.
I also love your Elrond. This part:
(Elrond stood very still, the ring on his hand growing heavy and pulsing with purpose.)
I could feel his tension in this and sense the power that he has. Great chapter!
Author's reply
Thank you! Yes, those wraiths simply can't conceive of any power greater than their own, or that of their Master's. Silly things.
cookiefleck
· 17 April 2009
· Chapter 7: Leaf and Stone
Ooh, you posted while I was away! You're doing such a good job reflecting the tension and anxiety of the crisis.. for all parties.
Sam!!
Author's reply
Thank you. It isn't easy keeping all this straight!
Oh, and it's *definitely* time for dear Sam to wake up, don't you think?
Inzilbeth
· 16 April 2009
· Chapter 7: Leaf and Stone
Oh you can't leave it there! No, no, no, next chapter quickly please.
I really enjoyed your gentle interaction between Gimli and Legolas, and Legolas walking in memory to evade the pain. Best though was Pippin's method of dismounting the horse. Oh to have a ranger at our disposal for such things!
Author's reply
I'll get the next chapter written as quickly as I can! We definitely need to get focussed in on Aragorn, Frodo, and (finally) Sam. I'm so glad you're enjoying this. :)
Linda Hoyland
· 15 April 2009
· Chapter 7: Leaf and Stone
At last I have the chance to catch up with this gripping story.I've been busy writing prompts for BTMEM.I love the way they all work together anf Merry is full of bright ideas.I love ARagorn's care and compassion and Gimli's too.You've also given me plenty to think about regarding the Elven Rings.
Author's reply
Thank you, Linda. Aren't those rings fascinating? Tolkien really didn't tell us much about how they work, or all the subtle ways they could be used, so we get to 'play' to our hearts' content. I also enjoyed basing "Mind to Mind" around them.
shadowolf
· 15 April 2009
· Chapter 7: Leaf and Stone
Oh please update! I can't wait to see what happens when Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, and Sam are reunited! I hope Frodo is okay.
Author's reply
I'm working on it! Thank you for reading. :)
Tigger
· 15 April 2009
· Chapter 7: Leaf and Stone
Oh...This is so not good. Smart of Aragorn to take Frodo to the one place in Rivendell where no sunlight comes in. Also the warmest w/the fire in the fireplace always burning. Pity Glorfindel didn't encounter Aragorn on his return, as w/Elrond concetrating on keeping back the Brunien, I think Aragorn's going to need Glorfindel's help as one of the most powerful Elf Lords still around.
It's horrible what happened to them, but the thawing of the relationship between Gimli and Legolas has begun. Good thing Gimli knew what to do in order to tend to his compainions injuries, but Sam not coming around *is* worrying indeed. Hopefully, the rescue won't be long in coming now.
Right? Right?
Great addtion, but I wish it wasn't another cliffhanger. Especially as I won't be around for a week and a bit. Not good for me to be stewing about this.
;o) :oD
Looking forward to the next addition!!
Author's reply
Oh Tigger, how inconsiderate of me to add to your stress! :)
I'm so glad you're enjoying this, cliffies and all. I'll get these rescues underway as soon as possible, I promise.
*type type type*
Galimeril
· 15 April 2009
· Chapter 7: Leaf and Stone
Gwaaaa! Legolas and Gimli are getting along! I think I'm in love with you! The devil's in the details and you've got him by the tail! Way to go! Another lovely chapter to add to your magnificent collection! *yawn* must sleep now, but can't wait for more!
Author's reply
Oh my, thank you! It's fascinating to imagine how this tentative friendship might have begun, and evolved.
I hope you had lovely dreams about hobbits and elves and dwarves and rangers.
Antane
· 15 April 2009
· Chapter 7: Leaf and Stone
I love Aragorn having Pippin got onto his shoulders and letting him down that way and while holding Frodo too. Got to love him for that. Hurry with the next chapter please!
Namarie, God bless, Antane :)
Author's reply
Yay, thanks. That little scene with the horse was a last-minute addition. Aragorn is so wonderful with our hobbits. :)
Larner
· 15 April 2009
· Chapter 7: Leaf and Stone
It is just too bad they must go through this yet again.
Love Gimli's quiet competence. Certainly Legolas has reason to develop trust in him now, having seen how well the Dwarf handles the situation.
Author's reply
Gimli gets to step up and prove himself to the Elves of Rivendell (and Mirkwood) before the Quest, which appeals to me greatly.
lbilover
· 15 April 2009
· Chapter 7: Leaf and Stone
Oh, I'm so anxious to find out what has happened to Sam and if he's all right! Poor Legolas, but Gimli is taking such good care of him, and I'm really enjoying seeing the slow development of respect and friendship between them. And at least we know Frodo is in the best of hands now.
Author's reply
I'm anxious about Sam, too! It's definitely time he woke up. :)
harrowcat
· 15 April 2009
· Chapter 7: Leaf and Stone
So, trust is developing through shared adversity. Well done Gimli for finding that tree root even though it wasn't intentional.
Author's reply
Poor Gimli. He can't imagine how anyone could be comforted by a tree root! :)
Andrea
· 15 April 2009
· Chapter 7: Leaf and Stone
He would have to do his best, and quickly. He only hoped his best would be enough.
Wow! You really know how to create suspense!
I loved the interactions between Gimli and Legolas, opening up to one another like Dreamflower called it.
And I'm delighted to see that Gimli makes now use of his knives! I knew they would be useful somehow.
Last, but not least: The title "Leaf and Stone" was perfect for this chapter :)
Author's reply
It's fascinating to imagine what it would take to get this friendship off the ground, so to speak.
And... thank you! Chapter titles are sooooo hard to come up with.
Cairistiona
· 15 April 2009
· Chapter 7: Leaf and Stone
Very exciting chapter... it was good to see the friendship starting to take root between Legolas and Gimli, and of course, all the comfort Gimli provided was nice and warm fuzzy reading. :) I loved the image of Aragorn letting Pippin crawl down from the horse using his shoulders. It was all very well rendered... definitely felt I could "see" everything happening just as it did.
Author's reply
Thank you, I'm really happy that the 'images' are clear. I'm never really sure about that! And of course I have to make sure that 'warm and fuzzy' is woven into even the most dire circumstances. :)
Dreamflower
· 15 April 2009
· Chapter 7: Leaf and Stone
This so suspenseful! Yet I love the way you show Gimli and Legolas opening up to one another-- and I'm so worried about Sam! I can't imagine what's wrong with him!
And now Aragorn is going to have to help Frodo--Elrond is unavailable--perhaps Arwen is going to help him?
It will be great to see more of this!
Author's reply
Thank you! I agree, Aragorn should get a *bit* of help.
Dear Sam. I haven't written enough h/c for him over the years. :)
grumpy
· 8 April 2009
· Chapter 6: Taking Charge
Very smart thinking on Merry's part. I was wondering how the stone could hurt Frodo, but now I see it is creeping inward. Which is creepy.
Author's reply
That creeping is very creepy indeed. Merry is a very perceptive hobbit. Thank you for reading!
Galimeril
· 6 April 2009
· Chapter 6: Taking Charge
Most excellent. I love the way you wrote Gimli, most make him seem blustery, but the way you mixed the ingredients together, he came across as competent. Not only that, but I adore this line
"Straining to his utmost, he shifted the heavy weight aside. He paused a moment to catch his breath, fighting the urge to just push the Elf away and find out how badly Sam was hurt. Instead, he carefully pulled Legolas to a clear area of ground near the fire."
You really understand just how strong Gimli is, not to mention that even though he may not want to help Legolas, he still does it, great way to work in begrudging compassion! Excellent chapter, I look forward to more!
Cheerio!
Elizabeth
Author's reply
Thank you, Elizabeth! Your perceptions mirror several things that I'm putting into the next chapter. I never wrote pre-Quest Gimli before, and it's fascinating to imagine how he would react to this experience. He was pretty much out of his element wandering around Rivendell, but I suspect that underground, he would naturally show himself as an extremely capable and confident person.
GamgeeFest
· 6 April 2009
· Chapter 6: Taking Charge
Oh, thank goodness help arrived so quickly! But there is still so much to do to save those who are trapped. I love Pippin. :) He's the perfect one to distract Frodo at this time and to give the news to Bilbo gently. I had to laugh at Gimli's urge to just toss Legolas aside. Those two are going to have to work together, whether they want to or not. Should be interesting.
Author's reply
Thanks! Yes, there's nothing like being forced to work together, is there?
I just realized that I hardly ever plan dialogue for Pippin in advance -- luckily for me, he just suddenly comes up with the best banter, and I diligently write it down!
lbilover
· 6 April 2009
· Chapter 6: Taking Charge
Eep! Still so much tension, although thankfully Frodo is now in Aragorn's care. How hard it must have been for him to leave Sam behind not knowing how he was. You can really see the forging of the Fellowship here, with so much caring and concern and competence. *anxiously awaits next chapter*
Author's reply
"The forging of the Fellowship" is definitely something I wanted to bring out. And yes, poor Frodo and Sam being separated... I've wanted to write that scenario for a long time.
Thank you! :)
Heh, talk about a situation that the elf and dwarf *really* don't want to find themselves in. Stuck with each other, not-that-well-off, in a closed-in cave. Heheh. Can't say I envy them.
Ohh, Morgul-magic-rocks, eh? Where can I buy one? Bet I could make quite a bundle off of it on eBay >:)
Oh, and once these folks are done healing one another, I'm going to steal their healing services. I caught my sister's cold ><
Looking forward to the next chapter.
Author's reply
Sorry about your cold. As soon as Aragorn is finished lavishing comfort and healing on Frodo, I'll send him right over.
Glad you're enjoying this! We're having a better time reading about poor Legolas and Gimli's dilemma than they're having experiencing it, that's for sure. :)
Hello Shirebound,
My internet connection decided on non-co-operation this week so I couldn't leave a review. Dratted technology! RL has been so chaotic the last few months that I'm still looking for a switch to slow things down!
I love you inventiveness - that shard of rock sounds very sinister - I hope Aragorn can deal with it. I also love Gimli fighting the urge to shove the elf to one side *chuckle* Pippin is very smart and Merry thinking ahead - great characterisation.
I shall be reading the next chapter from behind the sofa - eeeek!
Author's reply
Oh gosh, I'm sorry to hear about your internet connection problems! I've had to replace one hard drive and two operating systems since the beginning of the year, and wish these electronic darlings of ours would just work all the time, no trouble. I hope your year gets smoother and more peaceful as the months go by.
Thank you so much for reading. Our hobbits are ever so clever, and it's fun trying to imagine how Gimli would react to such an experience.
Like you, I need to know that everything will be all right, and the sooner the better. I wouldn't have it any other way! :)
Oh my gosh, I never guessed that the splinter of rock had a mind of its own, so to speak, like the Morgul blade. Eeeek! That's very clever and really quite frightening, too.
The scene with Aragorn and Frodo was deliciously done---I so enjoyed it! I've been craving that lately. And of course, we all know that Frodo is going to be more worried about everyone else than himself---he's so darling here, as you always write him!
I'm dying to find out what happens next, now---looks like everyone's really in a heap o' trouble. I trust you won't get them out of it *too* soon. ;D
Author's reply
Thanks, Lily. I crave scenes like that, too, and when I finished "Keep Him Secret, Keep Him Safe" I found that my need to write Aragorn - Frodo h/c was as insatiable as ever.
I'm dying to find out what happens next, too! I'm really letting this story unfold 'exactly as it means to'.
Lily Baggins
· 3 April 2009
· Chapter 5: Fire and Water
This is such a wonderfully organized story! And I cannot tell you HOW very happy I am that you brought Aragorn back early (especially with damp, freshly washed hair . . . *sigh*) to go to the rescue.
Okay, I'm off to the next chapter, because I seem to recall you mentioning that you were getting to the hobbit h/c soon, and I know what that surely must mean . . . .
Author's reply
When Aragorn is needed, canon must be gently coaxed to look the other way, yes? :)
Mmmmm, think of all the baths that will be needed by the end of the story...
Oh my---I am cringing in pain for sweet Frodo here!! I have to say, a splinter of rock in his leg is one of the *best* injuries you've inflicted on the poor thing---very, VERY creative!!!
I'm so looking forward to seeing how the rest of this plays out. You wouldn't believe how I'm missing stories that feature most of the Fellowship characters together in turmoil. Few people seem to write that anymore.
Author's reply
LOL, thank you! It's getting to be a challenge to come up with creative injuries! :)
Andrea
· 3 April 2009
· Chapter 6: Taking Charge
Great chapter, Shirebound!
From the way how the hobbits deal with this situation, it should be plain to see that all of them are REQUIRED on the quest!
Frodo (besides the fact that he's the Ringbearer) is the one who can assess a situation quickly and then decide whether it is dangerous or nor. And he's always right!
Merry thinks ahead so that dangerous situations can be avoided.
And Pippin's quick thinking always ends with a practical solution.
(There's no question, of course, that Mr. Frodo will be accompanied by his Sam!)
I also loved Gimli's way to deal with the situation, the dwarven way.
He paused a moment to catch his breath, fighting the urge to just push the Elf away and find out how badly Sam was hurt. Instead, he carefully pulled Legolas to a clear area of ground near the fire.
That's our Gimli. No further comment needed.
And now to the rescue! That piece of rock really makes me worry.
Author's reply
Thank you, Andrea! I agree, each hobbit is a unique jewel; and even more valuable when they're all together. I think Merry and Pippin *would* have followed the Fellowship south unless allowed to go... or tied up in sacks, like Pippin boldly said to Elrond.
I'm glad you're enjoying 'my' Gimli. I see Dwarves as impulsive and hot-tempered, but not fools.
And now to the rescue! :)