Antane
· 19 August 2010
· Chapter 31: An Invitation
I think Frodo and Celebrian would indeed be kindred spirits in the unfortunate damage done to both and able to share and understand such pain that others could not. And how nice that Frodo is beginning to smile more! :)
Namarie, God bless, Antane :)
Author's reply
I think they most certainly would have been, and if you have read my story "The Token", then you know they also had Arwen's jewel in common as well.
Frodo's been learning to smile again since he arrived on the Blessed Isle, And now he will begin to find many more things to smile about!
Virtuella
· 18 August 2010
· Chapter 31: An Invitation
Interesting domestic arrangements! And now Elrond is going to hear something to astonish him, eh?
Author's reply
It just seems like a logical arrangement to me-- after all, Bilbo had long been a member of Elrond's household!
Andrea
· 18 August 2010
· Chapter 31: An Invitation
He smiled with his eyes as well as his lips, and for more than a brief instant.
That's a very good sign! The healing makes progress.
I like the idea that they all live together again in Elrond's household. That way their fellowship continues, it least a part of it.
And now I wonder who else Elrond has invited for luncheon!
Author's reply
Well, Bilbo had been a member of Elrond's household for twenty years, so it seem a logical idea that he would continue so. Gandalf/Mithrandir/Olorin comes and goes as he pleases, but there's a place for him there. And it also seemed logical to me that Galadriel would wish to stay near her daughter for at least a while!
I think you can give a good guess!
Kitty
· 16 August 2010
· Chapter 30: Mark’d I Where the Bolt of Cupid Fell
Now that seems to be love at first sight on Tuk’s side! He doesn’t know any more than her name and still, that was enough to take her home.
Author's reply
Love at first sight is very Tolkien. It happens all the time. Happened to Beren when he saw Luthien, happened to Melian and Thingol, happened to Aragorn when he saw Arwen, happened to Faramir when he saw Eowyn...
It seems to be par for the course in Arda!
Oh, of course Mirimë needs to get to know the Hobbits better. What better excuse to get to know a certain Hobbit better most of all *grin*
Taking a corporeal form gave her certainly an unexpected and unique impression of her surroundings. That alone could well be reason for her to keep that form. Then add a certain Tuk ...
Author's reply
Indeed she does! ;-)
Not just a corporeal form, but a mortal form, more subject to time than that of an Elf. And then add to that the sharp senses of a hobbit AND that certain Tuk...*grin*
Soledad
· 15 August 2010
· Chapter 27: An Eye-opener and No Mistake
Hehe, poor Elrond! And he thought he'd be something unique!
Author's reply
Well, of course, he still is the only living son of a star. And he is still the only descendant of Maia+Elf.
But he's now finding that there are quite a few Maia+Hobbit descendants running around. It has to be a bit disconcerting! ;-)
Author Reply: I didn't mean *only* descendants-- HIS descendants and Elros' are still around, but the principal's the same.
Soledad
· 15 August 2010
· Chapter 26: On the Sea-strand (part two)
Of course she likes to be a hobbit! Who in their right mind wouldn't?
Author's reply
*grin*
Soledad
· 15 August 2010
· Chapter 24: The Truth Shall Set You Free
An interesting distincion, between destiny and fate. You have to accept destiny, to work actively towards it. You cannot escape fate.
Clearly, I've been too much into the Merlin fandom lately- ;))
Author's reply
To me, "fate" has always had more negative connotations, like "doom", whereas "destiny" to me implies something positive: a destination sought.
I've not watched Merlin yet. I'm afraid I would not be able to get around the idea of Merlin and Arthur as being about the same age. *shakes head*
Soledad
· 15 August 2010
· Chapter 20: Gandalf Considers
Nobody can give a Brandybuck a slip. *nodnod*
Perhaps I'm strange in my ways, but while Bilbo will always be my favourite Hobbit, from LOTR, Merry has been my favourite.
Author's reply
I wouldn't say Merry was my "favorite" exactly-- I do love all five hobbits so very dearly, I don't think I have a favourite among them-- but in some ways I feel I "know" Merry best, we seem to learn so much more about him in canon than we do the others.
And of course, Frodo was half Brandybuck. Some folk forget that.
Larner
· 14 August 2010
· Chapter 30: Mark’d I Where the Bolt of Cupid Fell
Nowhere as silly as standing still, staring at one another with no awareness of anything else for who knows precisely how long, but silly enough on her part. And he IS a bold one, isn't he? Heh! How wonderful!
Author's reply
Well, in her defense, she still was not quite used to all these feelings she was feeling. That had to leave her a bit discombobulated, LOL! But yeah, I think Melian and Thingol just staring at each other for an Age or so was kind of odd, to say the least. But there's the difference between Elves and Hobbits. Hobbits don't have that kind of time!
Andrea
· 14 August 2010
· Chapter 30: Mark’d I Where the Bolt of Cupid Fell
Wow! Mirime was rendered speechless by the emotions she felt, which were all brand new to her! In fact, what actually happened to her can be said in very few words: She fell in love ;-)
Tuk is a nice fellow and I think we can forgive him his boldness. After all he is the founder of Clan!
I'm looking forward to reading more.
Author's reply
Well, of course I suppose you did note the title of the chapter, LOL!
"Love at first sight" seems to be important in JRRT's world. It seems to strike all the important couples that way, so I felt I was justified in following his lead, LOL!
Virtuella
· 14 August 2010
· Chapter 30: Mark’d I Where the Bolt of Cupid Fell
Oh, what a first meeting! And a nice way to lay the foundations for the hobbit naming conventions of gem names.
Author's reply
*grin* Adamanta will remain a very old and traditional feminine hobbit name throughout their history!
Wonderful description of her first experience of bodily existence!
Author's reply
Thank you! I thought the sensory input might be very close to overwhelming!
Virtuella
· 11 August 2010
· Chapter 28: In the Beginning
I like how you brush our common perceptions against the grain here and remind us that what woulda ttract a spirit would be a spirit - whether clad in the body of elf or hobbit makes no difference.
Author's reply
Yes-- not to say that Tuk was not an attractive physical specimen, but it would have been his spirit and personality that would appeal first to one like Mirime, to whom up to that point, physical appearance meant little.
Virtuella
· 11 August 2010
· Chapter 27: An Eye-opener and No Mistake
Yes, bingo! Elrond would be flabbergasted!
Author's reply
I know. I figured the news would be a bit astounding to one who carried the blood of Melian, and had thought such a union was unique.
Virtuella
· 11 August 2010
· Chapter 26: On the Sea-strand (part two)
And this one is even better. :) Her kinship with Gandalf, and her enjoyment of "hobbitdom" - yes, very fit.
Author's reply
We know that Gandalf completely took on the mortal form. True, he did not perceptibly age beyond the elderly appearance he had to begin with, but he was subject to all the feelings and frailties of that body-- and he was also subject to all the good things too! Witness how much he enjoys his pipeweed, for example, and how he delights in the company of hobbits.
And like Gandalf, Mirime has experienced mortal life. She did age, along with her husband, though it was at her own volition. She experienced love and child-bearing and eating and drinking, all things which we are told serve to bind a Maia's fea closer to the hroa they are wearing.
Virtuella
· 11 August 2010
· Chapter 25: On the Sea-strand, (part one)
I didn't realise I had missed so many chapters while I was on holiday. Glad to be catching up now. This is a delightful scene, and I love the idea that a hobbit's body is more tuned to sensory perception than that of any other creature. It explains their love of life and all good things.
Author's reply
Yes, it's always been my own personal belief that hobbits have much sharper senses of hearing, taste and smell than other Races.
It explains their love of life and all good things.
*nods*
A far more Hobbity meeting than that between Elu and Melian! And I'm so glad she finds being clothed in such a body affects her so!
Author's reply
It seemed to me that a mortal body would be so much more intense an experience than an Elven one; not to mention that it was a *hobbit* body, and so far more attune to nature and the world than even that of Men. (At least to my mind, hobbits have much sharper senses of hearing, taste and smell than do Men.)
Andrea
· 9 August 2010
· Chapter 29: Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained
It had seemed a harmless enough idea.
Well, well ... This could also be how Pippin starts to explain about his latest prank ;-)
She sat upon a rock and simply enjoyed *being*!
Beautifully written! All her senses were activated by the living world around her.
And now to the very first meeting of Adamanta and Tuk!
Kitty
· 5 August 2010
· Chapter 28: In the Beginning
Frodo and Mirimë are good for each other, it seems. Glad to know they can now both remember the good times as well as the bad.
Author's reply
That is one sign of healing from grief: when one can recall the good times with joy, and not only the sad ones of loss!
Author Reply: That is one sign of healing from grief: when one can recall the good times with joy, and not only the sad ones of loss!
Kitty
· 5 August 2010
· Chapter 27: An Eye-opener and No Mistake
*grin* Oh yes, that has to be quite a shock for Elrond. Now the peredhil aren't that unique any longer - that will take some getting used to!
Author's reply
LOL! Not even *remotely* unique when it comes to a heritage from the Maiar! (Though still in regards to the Elven part of his heritage!)
I had huge fun with this scene!
Kitty
· 5 August 2010
· Chapter 26: On the Sea-strand (part two)
So they have made up. Good. And I think Frodo will be delighted to know Mirimë still loves his race so much.
Author's reply
There was no question that they would-- Frodo is nothing if not fair, and once he'd thought it through, he knew his questioning was not really her fault. And of course she loves all those descendants! *grin*
Kitty
· 5 August 2010
· Chapter 25: On the Sea-strand, (part one)
Seems it took Frodo and Bilbo getting there for Mirimë to take her old form again. Good to know she still enjoys it.
Of course there's more to the whole matter than meets the eye, but when one sees it from the POV of us mortals and doesn't know about the deeper meanings and the background, it's much more difficult to understand, isn't it?
Author's reply
It did. Their arrival was the catalyst for her to find freedom from her grief!
It's difficult even for those of us in the so-called "real world"; how much more so in such a world as Arda, where faith is fact.
Kitty
· 5 August 2010
· Chapter 24: The Truth Shall Set You Free
Sounds sensible to suppose that the hobbits simply woke up when it was their time. It's fun to explore what could have been.
Frodo certainly has a point about Pippin. And while the ring could have been the reason for not being married and having children in Frodo's case, you're right that has not necessarily to be true for Bilbo. He was already past the usual time to marry for a hobbit when he went on his adventure, I'd say. So, who knows? It's just sad Frodo never had children, they would have had such a wonderful father.
Author's reply
It is certainly one theory that explains them, though not the only one. I like exploring other takes on it as well.
It's just sad Frodo never had children, they would have had such a wonderful father.
It is. And he would. But I am not so sure how he would have been as a husband; Ring aside, he clearly had the Tookish wanderlust, as shown by his various rambles over the years-- with and without Bilbo! It would have taken an exceptional wife to put up with that!