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A Different Kind of Quest by Dreamflower	5 Review(s)
Gryffinjack	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 12/16/2005
This story is progressing nicely! I expect all four hobbits, as well as Legolas and Gimli, get tired of the people of Minas Tirith gawking at them and treating them special. I am a bit surprised that Girion referred to the hobbits as "pheriannath" rather than as "hobbits." Being a Man of Dale, he would have grown up with stories about Bilbo and the defeat of Smaug, plus there is some interaction between hobbits and dwarves anyway. And I do not think he knows Merry and Pippin well enough to joke about the way the Men of Minas Tirith refer to them. Not a big issue, really, just surprising. The presents you came up with are wondeful! I especially liked the oliphaunt. However, I suggest that Pippin keep it tucked safely away from Sam, lest he want to keep it for his own! lol! I should very much like to see the Tookish monagram. Have you designed one? "In the end, he negotiated a price of twelve silver pennies for Merry’s spyglass, and thirty for Pippin’s choices, for both the toy and the pocketwatch." I'm sorry about this next part, but it just does not make sense to me. If Merry got a pocketwatch for his father when Merry came of age because a spyglass' cost would have been too much, and Master Girion's spyglass is only twelve silverpennies now, and Pippin is getting a smaller version of the toy oliphaunt, then I can't see that a smaller toy oliphaunt and a pocketwatch would cost thirty silverpennies. Even if Pippin's pocketwatch were just as expensive as Merry's spyglass (which is shouldn't be since Merry got a better spyglass than the one Saradoc previously had and Merry already established that pocketwatches were cheaper), that would still mean that the smaller toy oliphaunt for Pippin's niece cost eighteen silverpennies, which is one and one half times as much as the spyglass which cost so much. It just doesn't make any sense. I suggest that Master Gimli needs to go back to his fellow dwarves for some negotiation lessons. I truly like how your Legolas is not only a deadly marksman with his bow, but also so gifted in the arts. The way he sings and composes songs, and now draws and designs jewelry. It really adds another dimension to him, and as old as he is, he certainly has had the time to learn such arts. Esmeralda's necklace must be beautiful and Eglantine will really enjoy the charm bracelet with a charm for each of her children. Even though Tolkien has said that Peregrin's name is not derived from a falcon, but rather means a traveller in distant lands, the falcon will certainly make her think of the name "Peregrin" and is a good symbol to use to represent her son. I love the way you have Merry describe his mother as looking very much like Pippin, only prettier! After all, Merry favours the Brandybuck side while his mother is Pippin's aunt and a Took. That happens sometimes in families, where there is a close resemblance between a child and his or her aunt or uncle. But now you have me curious, does Pippin look like his own mother and/or father? What about his sisters? "Gimli was grumbling as they left the shop. “This is absurd. Having to force people to take pay for their goods. No Dwarf should have to be so humiliated by haggling backwards like that!”" It must be a Dwarf's worst nightmare come true! Poor Gimli! Now we know just how dear the hobbits are to him, if he is willing to go through this sort of humiliation. I haven't had this much fun on a shopping trip in I don't know how long! Author Reply: I am quite sure they did as well. The price of fame, of course, and no more pleasant then, though less complicated. At least, since there were no cameras, they didn't have papparazzi chasing after them, LOL! Girion has lived in Minas Tirith for a very long time, probably since not long after finishing his apprenticeship. (As with some of my minor OCs he has a backstory, but I was very firm with him that it was not going to interfere with the rest of the story.) He simply would have picked up the local speech. And of course, "pheriannath" is how everyone else is referring to them. Since I envision the Westron letters as being derived from the Elven (for JRRT says that's where all writing originated in M-e) I kind of see a simplified Tengwar "T" and "K" joined together. The pocketwatch Pippin bought is far more expensive than the one Merry was able to find in the Shire (probably at Brownlock's, since he had to settle at the last minute). The one Pippin bought was gold with silver inlay, and of course there was the engraving as well. The oliphaunt was probably a good bit less. But the cost Gimli was able to get Master Girion to agree to was really in no way reflective of their true value. For one thing, as I have indicated, luxury goods were not moving, and for another, Girion is still trying to cut Merry and Pippin a break. I am sure that Gimli was well aware of both factors when it came to the bargaining, and that the subtext of their haggling must have been very interesting and frustrating to both sides, LOL! (By the way, I've recently seen in RL some of an affirmation of the way things worked economically in Minas Tirith after the War. Here, after the storm, and even with strict rules about price gouging, certain necessities, such as gas, groceries, building materials, etc. went up in cost, while stores that sold things like jewelry and fancy clothing and expensive electronics had to drastically reduce their prices, because people weren't in any mood to buy them.) I figure with the amount of time Elves have on their hands, they probably have a good many hobbies. And we know that they are really meant to represent creativity. I knew that the meaning "traveller" was behind Pippin's name, but the falcon derives its name from the same word--so I felt that it would also be a secondary meaning for his name. (Just as "pippin" not only means an apple, but something that is very precious. The derivations are entwined. Think of the phrase "apple of his eye"--and that means the pupil of the eye, by the way!) Pippin very much favors the Took side of the family. In fact, I see his appearance as well as his temperament, being the quintessential Took. As Frodo and Merry have told one another, "They don't come any more Tookish than Pippin". Of his sisters, I think Pervinca favors her father, Pimpernel her mother, and Pearl is somewhat of a combination of them both. Poor Gimli, yes! As I said, the subtext of the haggling must have been interesting! It's very great fun to shop with hobbits--beats braving the crowds at a mall any day, LOL!

GamgeeFest	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 9/8/2004
LOL, haggling backwards. Poor Gimli, he better get used to it. They'll probably run into that problem everywhere they go. I've forgotten all the different gifts they got for everyone. It's fun reading about them again and how they acquired them. Interesting description of Merry's mother - like Pippin only prettier, lol. I'm sure Pippin appreciated that. Author Reply: Yes, Gimli wasn't too fond of that, was he? LOL! I'm glad you still like the gifts; I thought they deserved their own story. Well, Esmeralda is Pippin's aunt. I would think that is not the first time Pip's heard Merry describe his Mum that way! 8-D

pipinheart	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 9/8/2004
Really good! Love the gift selections,expecially the jelery shop,how pip will even put his name on the jelery for his mother. Kind of funny they bargin to pay for the items.... Love it! Author Reply: Thanks! Yes, poor Gimli, having to force the merchants to take Merry and Pippin's money, LOL!

RogerGamgee	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 9/7/2004
Once again, you've come up with a fantastic storyline. I own a telescope myself, so I can understand Merry's fascination with that sort of thing. I like how Merry and Pippin are trying hard not to take advantage of their status in the city. It would be remarkably easy for them to get virtually anything they wanted for practically nothing. But the innate hobbit sense of honor forbids it. I'm looking forward to seeing how this story progresses. Good work! Author Reply: I came up with the little vignette of his father's spyglass, way back when I wrote my second story, but it was too slender to stand alone, so I thought it might make a nice little something to build into another story. I'm glad you like it. Well, Aragorn wants the people of Gondor to be able to show their appreciation. As Merry and Pippin thought, though, it's one thing to allow someone to stand them a few ales, or treat them to something to eat, or to give them some little token of gratitude, and it's another thing altogether to be suddenly given something obviously rare and expensive. They've got their own pride as well, and they have no intention of taking advantage--it wouldn't be knightly, anyway! Of course, the craftsmen are not 100% motivated by gratitude, though to their credit, that is the main motivation. Middle-earth may not have come up with the idea of a celebrity spokesperson, but they certainly understand the concept of word of mouth and good publicity. It's progressing quickly. I'm posting Ch.3 in just a minute. Thank you.

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 9/7/2004
'Gimli was grumbling as they left the shop. “This is absurd. Having to force people to take pay for their goods. No Dwarf should have to be so humiliated by haggling backwards like that!” ' I just love this line to bits. Author Reply: Me too! 8-D Gimli knew, of course, what was really motivating the merchants besides simple gratitude to a couple of heroes, but even more, he understood Merry and Pippin, who want the gifts to be from them, not from some merchant! But it's a good thing he was along, wasn't it? And of course, it's given Legolas something else to tease him about.

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