Dreamflower
· 2 July 2015
· Chapter 8: Just before Teatime
I have a feeling that somehow Pippin's absence will no longer go unnoticed, for he's never failed to show up for duty. I do hope rescue comes soon!
And the Harad sub-plot is intriguing. Somehow it will be foiled, but I can't quite think how yet. I love your details of their societies and how those differences affect how they view their "conquerors". Clearly these particular Haradrim have been completely taken in by the propaganda demonizing the Gondorians and their new King.
I miss "The Errand Lad". I do hope that RSF picks it up again someday.
Author's reply
I do miss "The Errand Lad" -- I kept hoping she'd write all the way through Beregond's trial, and a bit afterward. That is the part of LOTR that got me going in fanfic, after all. Such a gapfiller! I would love to see another's take on Bergil, during that time, and Beregond and his boys afterward, in between the time he before was pardoned and elevated to Captain of Faramir's guard, to the time the hobbits departed.
(I love Bergil and Beregond, in case you didn't know...)
Linda Hoyland
· 1 July 2015
· Chapter 8: Just before Teatime
The naughty pup!And I thought my kitten a handful!
What a predicament Pippin and Bergil are in. I do hope they are found soon.
And I fear for them all with the Harad plot! Eagerly awaiting more of this gripping story.
Author's reply
Very naughty! We have a mischievous pup, ourselves, though not as naughty as she might be, thankfully.
They must be found soon... if only because of the puppy's cries. And Harad... yes, there's a bit more to that story, for sure.
So glad to hear from you!
shirebound
· 1 July 2015
· Chapter 8: Just before Teatime
the seamstress’ humble yet comfortable dwelling had become a home away from home, of sorts, where they didn’t have to measure their words quite so much as out in broader Gondorian society, where their every utterance was noted and talked over and sifted for meaning.
That's a wonderful detail.
Oh dear, I'll be so relieved when rescue comes!
Author's reply
It's nice to have a refuge, wherever you may find yourself for the present time.
(I'll be so relieved when rescue comes!) So will I...!
Thanks!
Andrea
· 31 July 2014
· Chapter 7: Alas! for the Gulls. No Peace Shall I Have…
So, Turambor and Calendil were there when the troll attacked Beregond? Then they must have fought side by side with Pippin. If they only knew...
"No peace shall I have" is said in the title. I'm quite sure that one of the men or both will go in search of the sound - hopefully rather sooner than later.
Author's reply
If they only knew... You're right. They're good, stout men, not afraid of danger for themselves, though suitably cautious (after all, there's a difference between courage and recklessness).
Turambor won't find his peace, really, until he removes to the North with his family, to help to get the newly built Annuminas going. But that's another story... He has a measure of peace now, at least, knowing that there is a King again, and that his family is safer than they've ever been before.
Thanks!
Larner
· 26 July 2014
· Chapter 7: Alas! for the Gulls. No Peace Shall I Have…
No peace until they find the sound, which we know, of course, is no gull. Find them soon, Turambor!
Author's reply
Definitely no peace... I just want to skip ahead to their being found, but there's a little more story to get through before that happens. Next chapter, maybe? Or it might be the chapter following. Soon, anyhow.
Dreamflower
· 26 July 2014
· Chapter 7: Alas! for the Gulls. No Peace Shall I Have…
Oh dear! Pip, Bergil and the pup still trapped, and those who could help not understanding what's happened!
I loved the look at Turambor and his family, and the details of their lives. I always enjoy your OCs and your world-building!
Author's reply
OCs can be a lot of fun! I haven't contemplated Gondor much, lately, but this glimpse of life in the White City not long after the Coronation has been interesting and diverting.
Thanks!
(We are crate training the pup, and her wails when incarcerated have certainly given me inspiration for how Mittens might have sounded, crying for help.)
Everlight
· 26 July 2014
· Chapter 7: Alas! for the Gulls. No Peace Shall I Have…
What a lovely family. It is good to see the people beginning to recover from the war. The description of the market produce made me hungry again. :)
I hope somebody realizes what's wrong soon and rescues the lads and pup. They have been trapped all morning! (Wrings hands worriedly)
Hope you are enjoying your new pup and the summer weather. Won't have access to a computer for a couple weeks so I guess I'll have to continue sitting on pins and needles in anticipation.
Author's reply
Definitely enjoying the new pup, who is growing incredibly fast. I will be relieved (or our budget will be) when she reaches full growth and we only have to feed her a pound of meat a day. Yes, she's eating more than that at present.
We had a lovely several days of cool rain last week, and are back into the heat wave once more. Hope you're having a good summer break, yourself. So appreciate your dropping by, especially with your limited computer access at present.
Garnet Took
· 26 July 2014
· Chapter 7: Alas! for the Gulls. No Peace Shall I Have…
Oh dear. Mittens is yelping for help but no one's paying attention. Please don't let them stay trapped for too much longer. I'm worried about them.
On another note; this was a nice look into the recovery of the common people in a war ravaged city.
Please, update soon!
Author's reply
Will do my best to update soon. There's been quite a bit of competition for the computer, what with school being out for the summer...
Not to mention, there is a very large (50-something lbs at 5 months, imagine it!) puppy in the household who takes up a lot of my attention lately. But she is definitely providing lots of food for thought and writing, and very good at bringing Mittens to life in my mind.
Thanks!
shirebound
· 26 July 2014
· Chapter 7: Alas! for the Gulls. No Peace Shall I Have…
I love Turambor and his wife; what good and generous people.
Author's reply
Thank you! I have enjoyed getting to know them a little: Eliniel, who sent her children away with the wains but insisted on staying with her husband, then carried water to the soldiers after the battle before the city Gate; and Turambor, who marched with Eliniel's brothers and a group of picked Men of the City, led by Beregond, to the Black Gate...
They are good, brave, and generous people, and it's little wonder that they were among the first to travel to the North, to help re-establish the King's capital city there. But at this point, they're still raw and in need of healing, and doing their best to help others heal as well.
(Have had too much coffee and am too wordy this morning. Thanks for letting me think out loud.)
Andrea
· 21 May 2014
· Chapter 6: Ashes, Ashes, All Fall Down
Oh dear! How long will it take them to realise that something is wrong? Do Pippin and Bergil really have to wait until the banquet starts? And are they even conscious? Lots of questions that have to wait until the next chapter, I fear ;-)
Author's reply
Lots of questions, but there will be some answers at least in the next chapter. Hang in there!
Thanks!
shirebound
· 20 May 2014
· Chapter 6: Ashes, Ashes, All Fall Down
New chapters are back, yay! What a relief.
But oh dear, no one is even missing our buried friends yet? And whatever is the pup trying to dig up? This is a great story. I, too, have been dragged by a dog much stronger than me, and I was lucky enough to come away with only scrapes and bruises and nothing worse.
Author's reply
Such a relief! Whew.
You, too? I remember my sister being dragged across a lawn by a dog of half her weight. Dogs can have a lot of power, and with four legs to our two they can really pull you along, even if you're dragging your feet and leaving furrows in the grass. I learned about not wrapping the leash around my wrist, from her experience, and saw it again in the more recent incident remembered at the top of the chapter.
Thanks!
Larner
· 20 May 2014
· Chapter 6: Ashes, Ashes, All Fall Down
Alas! How long until they realize that there is more to it tham Pippin encouraging Bergil to shirk his tasks? Poor Pippin and Bergil! A second time under a weight for the former, and a sore everything, it appears, for Bergil!
Author's reply
A sore everything! You're right -- to fall and be dragged would probably lead to "sore everything"!
It may take some time for someone to realise what's happened... unfortunately, it's as likely in real life as in a story.
But you know me, always trying to write "real" while working towards a satisfactory conclusion. (Sure wish satisfactory conclusions were a guarantee in life as well. *sigh*)
Thanks!
Everlight
· 20 May 2014
· Chapter 6: Ashes, Ashes, All Fall Down
Problem fixed! Happen to be sitting up with newborn pups for the night. (Dad says it pays to be careful which means 3 or 4 mostly sleepless nights for us 'older ones'. Tonight is my shift.)
I love the old adages...quite true. Ought to use these sometime.
Rambling again...had better send this off. Goodnight.
Author's reply
Hope the shift went well. What kind of pups are they? I bet they're awfully cute.
Thanks!
Dreamflower
· 19 May 2014
· Chapter 5: Best Laid Plans
YAY!! All fixed now!! *Wheeeeee!!!!!*
Author's reply
I know, I'm practically giddy. Blessing Rorrah and her skill and care...
Thanks!
Lossenchristal2
· 17 May 2014
· Chapter 0: Prologue and explanation
Hi Lindelea, I just wanted to let you know that it is not just you that is having trouble with posting new chapters recently! I have been following a lot of your stories and I LOVE your style and the way you write Pippin! :) I first noticed this week when I would check on SOA for new chapters that I would get that "Internal Server Error" page on ALL recent additions, not just yours! I was frustrated, but thought it was a temporary site bug and hoped they would fix it soon. Then yesterday I discovered that while clicking on the chapter link for your 6th chapter of "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie" would give me the error page, if I clicked on "View All Chapters" it would show me the story fine, INCLUDING the new chapter! I had the same experience with several other stories who had just added chapters. I can also do this with your attempt to add the new chapter separately - the chapter link gives an error, but the "view all chapters" button shows me the chapter perfectly.
So just to let you know that it was not your fault - it must be a bug that SOA hasn't fixed yet. Hopefully it will be cleared up soon! :)
Please keep writing & updating! I really enjoy your stories!
Thank you!
~Charity Sauve (Lossenchristal)
Author's reply
Thank you for your encouragement!
I have kept writing during the time the site was not working right, but I was afraid I might damage existing stories if I added chapters to them that apparently corrupted what was already there. Thankfully the problem did not do that kind of damage and things are working once more. Thus, I have material to post and will hope to resume posting at a steady rate again. After all, I do have a New Year's resolution I'm trying to keep...
Grey_wonderer
· 2 May 2014
· Chapter 0: Prologue and explanation
That was a lovely tribute to a dear pet and family member. I could just see the dog sitting on the sofa from your description. Zoe must have been a lovely animal and a true friend. I am sorry for your lost but very glad that you can take joy in her memory. That isn't always easy to do.
Author's reply
Thank you. She was the most amazing dog I've ever known, and we miss her dearly. We look forward to getting a puppy from the same bloodlines next month. While we know the puppy can never replace her, at least we can hope for a new life-long friendship to bloom.
Larner
· 23 April 2014
· Chapter 5: Best Laid Plans
Oh, dear--what is going wrong, and at such a moment? Cliffhanger!
Author's reply
Evil cliffhanger. What is going wrong, is something I took from a real-life incident, in which things might have gone badly wrong but disaster was averted at the last moment. I, however, can be more ruthless (as well as less, for that matter) than real life...
Thanks!
Everlight
· 22 April 2014
· Chapter 5: Best Laid Plans
Oh no! Just when I thought I could relax...Poor Pippin and no one but Bergil knows where he is.
I love how you built the suspense and then caught me just when I let my guard down.
'Everything seemed so right in that moment. Unfortunately, that was also the moment when everything went quite wrong.'
Author's reply
I love it when things work the way I intend them to work... Doesn't always happen! ...which makes it all the nicer when it does.
Thanks!
Andrea
· 22 April 2014
· Chapter 5: Best Laid Plans
Best laid plans indeed! And a first-class cliffhanger!
Whatever happens: Pippin is not alone! Bergil and the pup are there to help him. I count on them!
Author's reply
Yes! It's best to enter adventure (or misadventure for that matter) in good company!
Thanks!
Dreamflower
· 22 April 2014
· Chapter 5: Best Laid Plans
Uh-oh! Cliffie! Dear me, Pippin should have listened to Bergil...
Author's reply
He really ought to have listened to Bergil. OTOH, neither of them could probably foresee what is about to happen.
Thanks!
shirebound
· 22 April 2014
· Chapter 5: Best Laid Plans
Oh my goodness! *frets*
I wish I could rub "the soft head or furry ears" of this pup myself.
Author's reply
I miss my pup's soft head and furry ears. I held her ear curled in the palm of my hand as she slipped away, and I didn't want to let go. I can still remember the feel of it.
Our new puppy can't come soon enough, even though I know there will be a lot of bother and hassle as well. (Chewing, housebreaking, the necessity of long walks, getting *somebody* to pick up the dog waste in the yard on a regular basis, and the cost of fresh food for the creature in order to have the breeder's health guarantee...)
Garnet Took
· 22 April 2014
· Chapter 5: Best Laid Plans
Cliffhangers seem to be the order of the week.
Now I'm going to worry that that building is about to come down on Pippin. That would be so bad. He couldn't take another large thing falling on him.
Author's reply
Sorry about the cliffhanger. Sometimes it just works out that way (time constraints, or high word count, or both). I will keep trying to update this story on a weekly basis, anyhow, to quickly get through the crisis to the (requisite, for my satisfaction anyhow) happy ending!
Thanks!
Larner
· 8 April 2014
· Chapter 4: Early Morning Excursion
It seems that I scent a possible new master for a certain dog....
Glad to know that Pippin is a responsible dog owner, too. And his experiences with dogs on the farm obviously are standing in good stead!
Author's reply
Hmmm. "He followed me home, can I keep him?" Or "Pippin gave him to me, and you have to keep a gift where he comes from, you know!"
Do you suppose it might work?
Thanks!
shirebound
· 8 April 2014
· Chapter 4: Early Morning Excursion
It's wonderful that Pippin has such a good friend in Bergil. And I'm extra-glad that my own dog doesn't have "dog breath"! A delightful story.
Author's reply
LOL, dog breath can be pretty awful!
Thanks!
Dreamflower
· 8 April 2014
· Chapter 4: Early Morning Excursion
Ah, Bergil! You are *such* a clever lad!
I can see Pip's already a responsible dog owner--clearly this little giant isn't the first he's had to take care of. And a widow gave Mittens to him. Perhaps because she could not afford to feed the pup and did not have the strength to control him?
Pippin's making plans for the dog's care--I certainly *hope* they pan out, but somehow I wouldn't count on it!
(BTW, I didn't see your latest message until bedtime, and I'm off to work in just a few minutes, but I'll take a look when I get home this afternoon!)
Author's reply
I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts! It was a tough chapter to write.
Y'know, you're probably guessing right about the widow. We're supposed to feed the new pup on raw meat and knucklebones and I'm still trying to find a source that won't break the bank.
LOL! Best laid plans... Of course, there are all sorts of things that might go wrong...
(Imagine a happy puppy rollicking into the banquet in search of Pippin. No, not gonna happen, but it was a thought...)
Thanks!