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Dreamflower's Mathoms I by Dreamflower	7 Review(s)
Queen Galadriel	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 4/23/2006
Lovely to see this through Pippin's eyes. How about Merry's or Sam's? :) For some inexplicable reason this line stands out as almost cosy in the midst of it all: “Pip, we’ll wake Sam. Shush.” I have no idea why; maybe because those words could have been said on any other night. And this is my favourite: Pippin reached across the table and patted his hand. “At least we’re all together. As long as that is so, nothing can really be that bad." How like our Pip. God bless, Galadriel Author Reply: I thought that Pippin's POV would be different--Merry's been affected by the Black Breath for the first time, and I am not sure how I would have described his night. And Sam tends to be a sound sleeper. But Pippin had to be badly shaken when he sees his older cousins frightened. It does sound hobbity--I think perhaps this is the beginning of the "hobbitpile"--they are entering unknown territory, and so they begin to huddle together at night for comfort and protection. For "my" hobbits, it is reverting to natural hobbit instinct. It is like Pip to be optimistic in spite of it all--that's just the way he is.

good_one_pip	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 3/13/2006
Ah, good old Pip and his unquenchable cheerfullness. Although I sometimes take up the nickname Pip, I really don't have his kind of optimism. I wish I did. But anyway, you did a good job of capturing his personality. It kind of makes my heart shatter, though, when they talk about things not being so bad because they were all together. If only they knew that in a book and a half they would all be split up...no, it was better they didn't know. Author Reply: Pippin really is a very optimistic personality, but not because he thinks everything will always be all right, but because he does everything in his own power to make things as all right as he can. It's hard. You want to warn them. But we have to remember what we know and what they know are two different things. It makes things very ironic and bittersweet at times.

Gryffinjack	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 11/10/2005
The great thing about alternate POV stories is the incite they give into the thoughts and emotions of another character during an event. Sometimes, those thoughts and feelings can be equally or even more important than the ones expressed by the character whose eyes we originally see an event through. That is the case here. The first one to be well and truly touched by the Black Breath is not Frodo, but Merry. I did not pick up on that the first time I read the books. This is one of those instances where reading your stories helped in my understanding of the books. For it was only after I read in one of your stories that Merry had been touched by the Black Breath twice that I understood that fact. Before then, I only recalled him being touched by the Black Breath when he helped slay the witch king. This is because Merry's being touched by the Black Breath is glossed over pretty quickly in FotR. And why not? Nobody understood what it was at that point other than Aragorn, and Merry certainly wasn't going to go into detail with this stranger, Strider, about how it made him feel. It is not until later Weathertop when Frodo is pierced by that blade that we really understand the severity and importance of the Black Breath. And by then, all concern is rightly on Frodo, the Ringbearer, rather than on one of his tag-along cousins. It's fairly obvious that this first brush with the Black Breath hurt Merry as much as the later one did. We do not learn of any ill-effects such as his arm going cold or him blacking out as he does in Minas Tirith. But it still had a lasting impact upon him. Right then and there in Bree, he learnt, if he hadn't before, just how grave the danger was, not only to Frodo, but to all of them. And if this is what happened to him, who was not the Ringbearer, than the danger could only be greater and unfathomable for his dear older cousin. At the time this happened in Bree, Frodo was too absorbed in the danger of the mission, the Black Riders, and Gandalf not showing up to really focus on what had happened to Merry. And really, who could blame him? But Pippin was not. Even when Merry denies it, Pippin can tell that he is not all right. Pippin, like Frodo, is excellent at reading people, but especially his Merry. Sensing the tension in Merry's back and feeling him trembling - that had to have been most disconcerting to Pippin. He'd always relied upon Merry, and Frodo. To be frightened himself and have both Merry and Frodo also shaken so badly - shudder. Thus we see one of the first real instances of Pippin really growing up and taking responsibility. When Merry and Frodo are unable to speak, Pippin steps forth and answers Strider that they will carry as much as they must. This is also one of those instances when we get to see the worth of Pippin, in that he is the only one to whom Merry confides how he really is feeling and what it felt like. It must have been some relief for Merry to try to express this. "“At least we’re all together. As long as that is so, nothing can really be that bad.”" And of course, there is Pippin with his eternal optimism helping to cheer up one of his dearest cousins. This story is relatively short, but extremely poignant. Author Reply: It's quite true for me, that the first time I read the books I did not realize what Merry experienced in Bree. It wasn't until his encounter with the Nazgul on the Pelennor, that I realized Bree was a precursor. And there are some who feel that he also encountered it at Weathertop, and recently, even when the Nazgul flew over while they were on the Anduin. I think, though, that's a bit of overkill, and depends on your opinion of the question "Could the Ringwraiths control the terror they emanated or was it simply intrinsic to them. My opinion is that they could control its intensity at least. Otherwise, both the Gaffer and Farmer Maggot would have come down with the Black Breath. As it was, they experienced a bit of unpleasant and inexplicable fear, but nothing like Merry experienced, or Faramir, or Eowyn, or others at the siege who were exposed. Merry, of course, is trying to make light of this. In Bree, they are still all too close to the Shire. He can't risk the possiblity that Frodo will still try to send them back. And he doesn't--really--quite realize himself how serious it is. But as you say, Pippin does--maybe not the extent of it yet; they are all still rather innocent of just how serious the danger is until Weathertop, in spite of their encounters with Old Man Willow and the Barrow-wights. Those dangers were something overt and obvious. In comparison, the Black Breath, though actually worse, was seemingly trivial. And yes, Pippin is ready to prove he'll not be a hindrance, but a help, both in being willing to shoulder his share of the burden, and in taking on the job of keeping spirits up. And yes, poignant, thank you, is what I was aiming for. I am glad you liked it.

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 4/6/2005
The foreshadowing of Merry's second brush with the Black Breath, the innocence being lost by Pippin. Author Reply: This was really where the hazards of the Quest began to catch up to them; the Old Forest and the Barrow Downs were a preliminary to the Black Riders catching up to them. I always felt that Merry's brush with the Shadow in Bree had been downplayed a bit, and Pippin had to know Merry was affected more than he was letting on.

esamen	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 12/23/2004
Merry, what’s wrong?” Merry gave him a sardonic look. “Aside from nearly being murdered in our beds, having my ponies stolen, and having to go off into the Wild with a stranger because Gandalf is nowhere to be found?” “Yes,” said Pippin simply. Darling, absolutely darling. You nail them both. Great character writing. I love it! Awesome! Author Reply: Thank you so much! It is always good to think I have gotten the characters right, I want so much to do them justice.

GamgeeFest	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 12/5/2004
"It's just that I still feel unsettled by it, as though I had just woken from a horrid nightmare, in which all was dark and despair was something you could touch." You really gave life to that long, dreadful night the hobbits spent in Bree and really set the tone of what they will continue to encounter as they travel to Rivendell and beyond. Well done! Author Reply: Well, in the book, Merry's first encounter with the Black Breath was rather glossed over; while I do imagine that it was not as bad as his later encounter, it had to have haunted him that night. And of course Pippin would pick up on that. It was a pretty dreadful night for all of them, I think, but we don't really get a chance to get into any of their heads at this point.

SlightlyTookish	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 12/5/2004
Oh, I really liked this one! I love how you show how Merry and Frodo's fears affect Pippin, and how he tries to put on a brave face and be responsible. Just lovely! Author Reply: Thank you! I thought it would be nice to see the events from a different POV. Poor Pippin is so used to depending on Frodo and Merry, but in a pinch, they can depend on him, and he wants to show them that. I'm glad you liked it!

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