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Thain by Lindelea	6 Review(s)
Eirinn Leigh	Reviewed Chapter: 24 on 11/22/2015
They're going to have hell to pay from our Pip once he wraps his brain around what's just happened. Taking him from where he's dead useful and under a good rein - so to speak - and thrusting him into a place where he's superfluous and under a master who's no patience for training nor apparently any ability to read hearts and win them. Watch out Smials! You asked for it!

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 24 on 5/24/2005
And what say does Haral get in this? None, it would appear. Ferumbras isn't, by any chance, a bit overbearing, is he? I wouldn't think that Pippin is going to be too delighted about these changes in his life - especially as the Thain seems determined on some clean breaks. H'mm. What next, I wonder? Author Reply: Overbearing? Ferumbras? ...must get it from his mother, I suppose. And next? Well, lessons, and larking about, but first... the arrival of Gondor at the Grey Havens, and the story moves forward, slow as a snail but just as persistant somehow.

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 24 on 5/23/2005
It must indeed seem quite abrupt--which, of course, it is. Here, twice so closely together Pippin has been uprooted and the course of his life reset. Only this time the love inherent in the decision is going to be far harder to discern. Well written and thoughtful; and glad the Thain had taken thought to the needs of the Brockbanks. Author Reply: Thanks! Yes, there is love inherent in the decision. Very perceptive of you. It would be hard for Pippin to leave the free life of a shepherd after seven years, not to mention how very eccentric he might grow after years of wandering, which might make things rather more difficult when the Thainship descended upon him as was inevitable. OTOH, he's rather eccentric anyhow. Such is life.

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 24 on 5/23/2005
Poor Pip, Poor Merry and Poor Paladin! At least the Brockbanks will benefit, though I doubt it will at first make up for losing one they are fond of. I am curious to see what comes of all this. We know that Paladin gains the Thainship himself a good few years before Pip comes of age. And that Pip takes off with Merry and Frodo without giving a lot of thought to his future duties. I am wondering how his next experiences feed into that. You know, it doesn't seem to matter whose universe Ferumbras is in, he never seems to fare well. He's either hard and pushy (as you and I show) or he's sickly and completely under his mother's thumb, so that Paladin is actually already running things, or he's good natured but bumbling and ineffective. I've yet to read of a strong Ferumbras who was also good natured or a good natured Ferumbras who was also strong... Curious. I wonder what it is about him? Author Reply: Y'know, your comment about Pip taking off with Merry and Frodo without giving a lot of thought to his future duties... a lot of the plot development comes out of this idea. If he were heir to the Thain, being brought up to the responsibilities in a serious way, he ought to have reservations. But no, he goes off, apparently without much thought, more loyal to Frodo than to Tookland. Why, I ask myself? Hopefully the way I've worked it out will seem like a logical progression. As to Ferumbras, I'm afraid JRRT didn't give us much to work with. A figurehead, whose mother ran things. A tragic figure, who never married, again likely because of his overbearing mother. I don't think a good-natured, strong Ferumbras would have been Thain in name only while his mother lived. I've written him as good-natured and trying to minimize his mother's damage, while she was alive, and then after she died, finding he really didn't enjoy running things all that much. He'd really rather be fishing, you see.

Connie B.	Reviewed Chapter: 24 on 5/23/2005
I am so glad to see this update. The chapter, however, made me quite sad. Poor Pippin never did seem to get what he wanted. He always seemed to live his life at the whims of others. It's been so long since I read any of this part of the story, I may have to go back to the last Thain chapter and reread it. Thanks again for the update. Connie B. Author Reply: Well, Pippin is going to gratify a few whims of his own in upcoming chapter(s). And then he's going to go off with Frodo, which, once again, was by his choice and not because someone else made him do it. When you think of it, returning to Tookland to become Thain was his choice; he could have turned it down. But he didn't, for he'd been trained in duty and honour. He wasn't going because anyone had told him to go, and once he got there he buckled down and took charge. So I hope you can take some comfort from that.

Grey Wonderer	Reviewed Chapter: 24 on 5/23/2005
Poor Pippin. I did hope that he might get a few minutes alone with Merry when the Thain started back to the Brockbanks. This is so sad, but I did like the way Pippin stood up for the Brockbanks even if he was unable to do anything to help himself. It shows that the Thain hasn't managed to break his will yet. Author Reply: True, he did stand up for the Brockbanks. It is part of his personality, to be looking out for others, or why would he have insisted on going with Frodo and Merry, or stabbed the troll that had Beregond in its claws? This is the attitude that makes him such a fine Thain, later on. I honestly don't think Ferumbras is out to break Pippin's will, he just wants to make sure his successor(s) are better prepared than they would be otherwise. He's not getting any younger, after all. But he's been used to having his way all these years, and I don't think he really gives much thought to how others are affected. His providing a substitute for the Brockbanks' sake was probably good business and not just motivated by thoughtfulness. Shepherd Brockbank can scarcely contest the breaking of his contract with Paladin, after all, if he comes away with a competent, hard-working assistant... sigh (Hated to do it.) But perhaps the social whirl of the Great Smials isn't exactly the best classroom... Thanks!

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