Reviews (86)

Author's reply

Thank you for letting me know! Hope you enjoy it. :) Stay well. (hug)

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Ah, yes, but if I were to include their entire conversation in one chapter, it would be a pain to read, I'm afraid, endlessly scrolling... Thankfully, Sunday is not too far away. (I wonder if Eowyn knows that Ferdi thinks she's a sensible wife?) I hope you enjoy "At the End of His Rope"! It's long, but I think the chapters are fairly short. At the time I was posting that story, I had a pretty slow dial-up connection, and longer chapters would crash my computer. I'm glad I don't have that problem now! So far, we're managing. But horrors, I didn't include cat treats in our pet food order, and the cats are letting us know that the situation is not to be tolerated. Especially the Empress of All She Surveys. Hope this finds you well. Thanks so much for stopping to leave an encouraging word. It means so much.

Author's reply

To answer your question, Faramir and Eowyn accompany wains full of supplies sent from the Southlands to the Shire during a time of drought and famine in the story At the End of His Rope (http://www.storiesofarda.com/chapterlistview.asp?SID=309). They don't arrive until chapter 69, but they stay through nearly to the end of the story. The chapters that come before that set up Pippin's struggle to be Thain in the face of serious physical challenges, and they also contain his miraculous healing... which, true to real life, doesn't mean that everything is smooth sailing from then on. (Whew!) It is a very early story (first posted in 2003, yikes), and I'm fairly sure it was one of the first of my stories where Ferdi, Faramir, or Eowyn appeared. This means the characterizations are not as fully developed as they would come to be; however, amazingly enough, they are true to how I envision the characters today, so I guess the Muse knew what she was doing all those years ago, before she really started to clue me in. (It also means that it does not picture Ferdi's friendship springing up with Faramir and Eowyn, a fairly recent revelation on the Muse's part, though the possibility has always been there. Perhaps that will become a story of its own.) I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on that story (especially how I have imagined Eowyn and Faramir)! It was sort of the seed from which all the rest of my imaginings of the Shire (especially the Tookland) grew. I have to admit, I am enjoying exploring the relationship between Ferdi and Farry, especially in preparation for eventually tackling the draft of "Farry and Ferdi go to Gondor" and fleshing it out into an actual story. (A few chapters exist, more or less, here on SoA as Dreams of Gold.) Ferdi kind of took almost-4yo Farry under his wing when Pippin got sandbagged with all the responsibilities of becoming Thain, perhaps recognizing a fellow lonely soul. D'y'know, what you've mentioned is one of the things that has drawn me to your writing! I love the little details your write that feel so real, that make me feel that I'm reading about "real" people, the relationships you draw and the reasons behind why people do what they do. I am fascinated with your take on Faramir; it rings true to what we know of him, and I love the growing trust and understanding between him and Eomer, and the deep and joyful love he shares with Eowyn. I also enjoy how you show Eomer's and Eowyn's relationship; very natural, and reminds me of being a little sister. As a matter of fact, I read your latest chapter on my phone, and now I'm heading over there to leave a review now that I have a keyboard at my fingertips. Author Reply: (Hah, I was mistaken. Eomer, Eowyn, and Faramir appears as early as chapter 60 in At the End of His Rope. I had forgotten that.)

Author's reply

Farry's had some good training! Rescue is still some way away, but not totally out of the picture, if that's not too much of a spoiler. Well, they do call dogs "man's best friend": do you suppose that goes for hobbits, too? Thanks so much for pausing to leave a good word!

Author's reply

Oh, thank you! I appreciate your mentioning that relationship. It's definitely a factor in this story, and I'm exploring it in much more depth than I ever did previously (and sometimes that is proving to be a challenge). And you're welcome about the cliffhanger... LOL. This story does have them in places, but not after every single chapter, thankfully. Whew. So far, so good. Hope you and yours are well, too.

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Yes, amazing what the sting of an arrow and shock of a fall will do to bring about an attitude adjustment! Or at least, I'm imagining it does... The pale wolfish dog has an interesting backstory that will at least be hinted at, maybe a bit more than that, in a future chapter. Thanks!

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Yes, the walls and the depth of the pit would protect him from all the other dogs in the pack, but getting out would be a problem, especially (as you noted) in the dark. Thanks!

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LOL! Large, long-furred dogs who weigh significantly more than a grown hobbit certainly make a good cushion! (Speaking from experience) Glad to hear from you, and looking forward to reading your next posting.

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Quite often adventures turn out much different than we imagine them beforehand. (I should imagine Pippin experienced this feeling on the Quest, considering how young he was at the time. Now that's an interesting thought to contemplate.) You have something there: Our experiences do help to shape us. I have shown Faramir as a competent Thain in later stories, and this story is giving glimpses into how he became that way (and into some of the input from his mentors. Mentors have been so important in my life). So far, so good. Thanks for taking the time to leave an encouraging word!

Author's reply

Cliffhangers can be so challenging, but they certainly add energy and motivation that drives towards a solution. I’m happy to say that this story is written far enough ahead not to leave anyone hanging. Eventually, anyhow. Thanks so much for coming along on this journey and stopping to leave a good word.

Author's reply

Escapism is important. I didn't know the Professor's thoughts on the matter, though I do recall reading an essay about fantasy that he wrote, I think. It's too long ago. I should seek it out again. I am so grateful for SoA. I know about muses... for several years, I couldn't write anything at all, and the only way I wanted to imagine Ferdi was sitting contentedly on a blanket on a hillside with his Nell, watching the stars, or sitting comfortably in a parlour before a cheerful fire, sipping brandy or tea and either telling a story to their children, or (after the children were in bed) cuddling together, her head on his shoulder, or his head in her lap, or some such. My near-and-dear doesn't even want me to go grocery shopping, we're that serious about this thing. So yes, all community has moved online for the time being. So glad your muse is talking to you! I look forward to reading more of your postings!

Author's reply

Ah, yes. I wonder if all great leaders tend to be headstrong and impetuous in their youth? What scope for the imagination such a thought allows! This Friday may continue a bit traumatic, but I've just finished finalizing next Friday's installment, and it has been quite a lot of fun, so you have something to look forward to. As the healers were always telling Pippin before his miraculous healing, Steady breaths... in... out... Thanks for the good word.

Author's reply

I used to say pretty much the same thing to Fiondil. Thanks so much for coming along on the roller coaster and pausing to leave a good word! Author Reply: (p.s. you made my day!)

Author's reply

You're right about that - it would be handy to have a hunting party in the area to help pull Ferdi to safety! I'm surprised they didn't think of that. (Well, not surprised, actually, because I didn't think of that.) Workable story flow is based on complications, I fear. Although these days, I'm returning to my Thrush Green books for comfort. Yes, they have their hiccups in the characters' lives, but it's all so gently done, so lovingly written, that it ends up being comfort-reading to go through the ups and downs of everyday life with these relatable characters. I'm not quite in the same class as "Miss Read", though. The Muse has a taste for action/adventure/angst. Sometimes, though, she can be tempted to jot down some drawing-room comedy, for which I'm always grateful. Hope you're doing well. We are hunkered down here. I have convinced my family to join me in hermitage life for the duration to safeguard my lungs from them getting sick and bringing it home to me. Being a hermit is not so bad, really.

Author's reply

We just spent the last couple months revisiting places in a celebration of our time together and our time here (hard to believe it's been so long), so "reliving" has definitely been on my mind. Thankfully, no pitfalls intervened in our case. (And I *love* revisiting Sam's advice about rope!) Thanks! Hope this finds you well.

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I used to get the same feeling, reading Fiondil's regularly scheduled updates. I decided to start scheduling mine because I "went away" for so many years, leaving so many WIPs just hanging, sort of to let people know that an update is already written and uploaded and ready to go, and the writing/editing/beta reading is continuing. It's nice to have something to look forward to. Wouldn't it be nice if one outcome of this awful virus would be more people returning to fanfic and posting chapters to their unfinished stories? I've also heard in recent days, since I started posting again, from some longtime readers who mentioned they had also been away from fanfic for some years, and it felt rather like a joyful reunion of sorts. I am not one to fixate on the "good old days" (What a lively writing community, full of lovely people, both authors and readers, it was! For all I know, it may still be, somewhere, but I have been out of the loop), but I do savor every blessing that comes along in the present moment. All I can say in reassurance is that my beta reader for this section has approved the material. LOL!

Author's reply

So glad to hear from you! I'm glad you're enjoying the journey. It's about to get a bit angsty, but as already mentioned, this story is a bit of a roller coaster it is. Next update coming soon, as promised!

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Excellent guess on the "young master"! It reflects their difference in status. When someone of lower status is not happy with a decision (or disagrees, or thinks it unwise) by someone of significantly higher status, they might express their disagreement by agreeing with extreme politeness. (Have seen this both in real life and in literature.) So yes! It is a reminder that Farry will be the leader someday. Farry is in direct line to be Thain after his father, and Ferdi (though uncle by marriage) is just a "hired hobbit", much lower in the family hierarchy, at least in terms of status in the class-conscious world that JRRT drew from (the way he wrote the relationship between Frodo and Samwise, for example, and the deference Sam's Gaffer expresses towards gentlehobbits like "Mr. Bilbo"). And because this story has something of the nature of a roller coaster, it will have its quiet times (good for reflecting on history, and I hope all the "background" is not hard to get through), interspersed with more "interesting" (nail-biting?) times that are so important in character development.

Author's reply

Thank you! I am fascinated by background, considering the richness and depth that JRRT established in the first place, and I hope I can manage to make it interesting rather than a dry and dusty history lesson. Y'know, it is truly sad that Shirefolk don't give Frodo as much credit for what he did in a faraway land, and yet it seems eminently hobbity to focus on what he did (and didn't) do in the Shire itself. The Shire is the only thing that is "real" to them, even as it seems like "falling asleep again" to Frodo. I love that you pick up Ferdi's disappointment, and that Farry is perceptive enough to understand the nuances. Nice comparison with the Man Faramir, too. I'm so glad you're enjoying the story! Thanks again for taking the time to share your thoughts. Author Reply: (Although Ferdi’s disappointment has been slightly revised due to an upcoming plot point... such is life) Author Reply: (Although Ferdi’s disappointment has been slightly revised due to an upcoming plot point... such is life)

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It's interesting to see their roles reversing. Pippin was always the managing one, but Ferdi's learned a few tricks of his own. And yes to your second observation - anniversaries can be difficult. Thanks!

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Hahaha! You are a clever reader! What, indeed? LOL! Thanks for the encouraging word.

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I know, it makes me chortle wickedly... :D Thanks!

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It made sense to me that they'd use their ponies' weight for an advantage. Of course, it means the ponies have to be courageous and well-trained, and the hobbits have to take care to safeguard their mounts. But then, for them (unlike for hunters in the Middle Ages, from what I read), boar-hunting is a necessity rather than an opportunity to prove something to others. Thanks!

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I did a lot of research on hunting wild swine in the Middle Ages before writing this. Yikes. (I am doing my best to spare Ferdi from additional injury... he's had more than his share over his lifetime, even for a restless Took.) Thanks!

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Oh, yes. What fun! Thanks!