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A Mid-Year's Walking Trip  by GamgeeFest 8 Review(s)
PeriantariReviewed Chapter: 11 on 12/28/2005
They did have something in common, and that was their love for Frodo, and their desire to see that he was always safe and content.
oh i just so loved this line.
And this chapter was awesome~ It sounds so plausible and real that Merry would be jealous of Sam... and reading the prank with the fire would make me dislike Merry too if i were Sam--but Sam is understanding and doesn't hold grudges if he doesn't have to.
I love your Frodo and Pippin moment in the beginning--your Pippin is loveable as well. :)
::catching up on this fic:: ;)

Author Reply: It's hard to think that Merry *wouldn't* be jealous of Sam, getting to spend all that time with *his* Frodo. Add to that his competitiveness and you get one reckless Merry. That one hasty choice cost Merry years of friendship with Sam, but he'll be making that up now. Sam would have forgiven Merry much sooner, but Merry needed to swallow his pride first. Thanks to Frodo, he was able to do just that. Pippin is just... Pippin, lol. Even when he's fighting with Merry or being haunted by ghosts, he's still Pippin, and therefore adorable and loveable.

You're catching up fast! *hugs*

Anso the HobbitReviewed Chapter: 11 on 2/19/2005
I must say, i`ve been reading this whole story so far in one go and that latest chapter was just brilliant! I also loved that the trip went well (well at least as what can be expected with adventorous hobbits joining) and that Frodo didn`t regret having Merry and Pippin along. I really like how Sam`s and Merry`s friendship is developing and it is very enjoyable to see a story exploring that in detail!

Author Reply: Frodo surprised himself by enjoying having his cousins and Sam along. Of course, the others found camping to be much different than they expected, especially Merry and Pippin. They're not used to roughing it. And angry horde of wasps aside, the trip did go quite smoothly.;)

It must have been hard for Merry when his Frodo left, especially at that young an age. Knowing that Sam is so close in age, Merry would have been jealous of him taking up that much of Frodo's time. It's good he was finally able to realize that and own up to those feelings. With that cleared up and out of the way, he and Sam can truly start to rebuild their friendship.

I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Thanks for reading!

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 11 on 2/18/2005
How can Sam dispute it? They both have Frodo's health, happiness and general welfare as top priorities - ergo, they have a communal interest that the Gaffer cannot argue about. And Merry being jealous over Sam's closeness to Frodo is a reason he will understand better than any other he could have come up with.

It seems as if Sam is coping well with the idea of having to be friends with Merry again. And if Merry continues to be tactful, that will help the budding relationship.

And, although Frodo has cottoned onto Sam's Pippin-training technique, he is still soft-hearted enough to humour him. (I wish Merry had asked. I want to know.)

Author Reply: He can't dispute it and he wouldn't try to now. Whenever Frodo's involved, Sam quickly puts aside his own reservations, and yes, having a valid excuse to give his Gaffer always helps. Gaffer can't argue with Sam wanting to look after Frodo. Merry's confession really helped Sam to understand that what Merry did actually had very little to do with Sam himself, and that will indeed help him to start trusting Merry again. Merry will be training himself to be more patient and considerate after this, and that will start showing in his other relationships. His parents might not recognize him when he gets home, lol!

Merry's got a scheme up his sleeve to get Pippin to spill the beans. Pippin will do his best to hold out, but curiosity will eventually get the better of him.

Thanks for reading!

Hai TookReviewed Chapter: 11 on 2/18/2005
That was wonderful! You wrote Merry's anxiety about speaking to Sam very well! Sam is such a good fellow I'm glad he began to except Merry, even if it will take some time to actually trust him once again. In a was I guess this is the beginning of the Conspiracy, concern for Frodo and friendship with one another.

I must say I'm just as curious about why Sam can keep Pippin in control better than anyone else. Also Pippin being shocked that he thought Sam would have told and that Frodo would betray him.

Looking forward to more!


Author Reply: This is a little bit like the beginning of the Conspiracy. It will certainly make developing the Conspiracy much easier for Merry when the time comes, since Sam would have learned to trust Merry again by then.

LOL, the great food mystery sure has everyone scratching their heads. Pippin was shocked, becuase he knew Sam would never tell and that Frodo wouldn't hesitate to rat him out! But Frodo gave in to Pippin anyway - the very reason Sam's trick wouldn't work for Frodo or Merry. ;)

Thanks for reading!

Elf FriendReviewed Chapter: 11 on 2/18/2005
YAY! Good for Merry! I'm so happy that he and Sam are on the road to friendship again! *bounces* And it looks like Merry will be patient enough--it was nice of him to hold back his question about Pippin at the end. It's nice to know that he really does understand how patient he needs to be for this to work. And I'm so glad that Sam understands the common bond he shares with Merry: their love for Frodo. ^^ And hopefully the food story will come out soon enough. I've been trying to guess, so hopefully it's not something so obvious that I'll feel stupid when it's finally revealed. lol.

Thanks for another wonderful chapter!

Author Reply: Well, Merry will certainly try to be patient. He'll forget every now and then, but he'll eventually get the hang of it. He's tried too hard to get Sam to accept him as a friend to mess it up by being thoughtless again.

Sam and Merry have much in common actually, beyond just their love for Frodo. They're both fiercley protective, quick thinkers and strategic planners. As time goes by, they'll learn to see those things about each other and Merry will begin to mature into the hobbit we see in FOTR.

The food mystery probably will be obvious once you know what it is. Sam's solutions are always the simplest ones and are therefore easily overlooked by practically everyone else.

Thanks for reading!

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 11 on 2/18/2005
How lovely to find a chapter of this just before I have to leave for work this morning! Such a nice way to begin the day!

I enjoyed the bit of byplay with Frodo and Pippin. *chuckle* Poor Pip, he really *is* just a growing lad--he needs his six square meals a day.

And the conversation between Merry and Sam was very much as I thought it would be. I've always known how very difficult it had been for Merry's beloved Frodo to go so far away from him--a little bit of jealousy was bound to tinge that. And as it probably was obvious to all of us readers, their common love for Frodo is the thing that really binds them together. But actually, they do have more in common than that, once they begin to put that time of distance behind them: they are the closest in age of the four, they both are intelligent, long-thinkers, and fiercely protective of those they love.

Now, if you will just clear up the mystery of Sam's hold over Pippin's appetite...8-D




Author Reply: Thank you! I'm glad this put a good start to your morning. ^_^

Poor Pippin indeed. He's so hungry! It's amazing he has any strength left. ;) But it *will* be worth his while so don't feel too bad for him.

Merry was caught in that situation that so many of us find our selves in from time to time: knowing intellectually that Frodo needed to leave Buckland for his own good, but not being able to accept it in his heart. Plus, he was so young when Frodo left, and kids that age tend to blame themselves when things like this happen. He was very much aware of how close in age he and Sam were as well, which made the threat that he was being replaced all the more real. Had Sam been closer to Frodo's age, then Merry might have been able to accept that a little easier.

Now that they're back on the road to friendship, they will be finding that they do have quite a lot in common, but Frodo is what will hold them together through the years leading up to the Quest. After the Quest, they will have grown closer than brothers, which is of course a very good thing.

You have a couple more chapters before the food mystery is cleared up. Merry hasn't forgotten his vow to find out what it is, and he has been devising a plan in between everything else that has been happening to get Pippin to spill the beans.

ElenarReviewed Chapter: 11 on 2/18/2005
This is a very nice story! I really like how you write the relationships between the characters! I'm happy to see that Merry and Sam are friends again.
And I loved Pippin muttering that he should have pouted :)
I would love to read what happened to break Merry's and Sam's friendship. Have you already written that story?

Author Reply: Hello Elenar! Yes, I have written that story, it's called "Under the Harvest Moon" and can be found on my author's page.

Hindsight is always 20/20. Pippin was excited about the prospect of camping out, until he realized what all it entails. Now he's regretting the decision somewhat, though as soon as he's fed, he'll be more optimistic.

Thanks for reading and for the review!

Grey WondererReviewed Chapter: 11 on 2/17/2005
That conversatin was well worth the wait! I liked Merry's honesty and Sam's humor. It all fits so well with what must have been a very hard thing for Merry, having Frodo leave Buckland. I also like the fact that Sam thinks of Frodo as the thing that he and Merry have in common. I have always thought that the two of them were very much alike in their need to look after others and their quick thinking, even if some of Merry's quick thinking results in pranks instead of solutions. LOL Looking forward to more just like always!

Author Reply: Thank you! Glad it was worth it. Merry didn't hold anything back and it helped not only Sam to understand where he was coming from, but to heal some of those old hurts that never really went away for himself. And Sam knows that the easiest way to get him to relax is to make light of it all. Now they can end the trip without any more tension between them.

Of course, they have more than just Frodo in common, and they'll learn that as time goes by and the Conspiracy and the Quest approaches. And maybe under Sam's influence Merry will learn to find the solutions more than the pranks. :)

Thanks for the review!

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