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The Ties of Family by Larner	3 Review(s)
Kitty	Reviewed Chapter: 38 on 6/27/2005
The incident with the trolls was funny! Even if it leads to memories of the Morannon, these three at least are trolls we can enjoy :-D I see, Sestor is now in the best hands if Ruvemir has taken it upon himself to tell him so much. He probably is soon loyal to Aragorn because he knows this king is worth the faith, much more than the leaders in Angmar. Another nice piece was the finding of the shirt stud. I love these little reminders of Frodo, so I have a bit the feeling he is always there, even if not bodily. And of course, the strawberry bath and the image of Aragorn and Hardorn pressed into helping to make jam ... lol ... not exactly the duty one expects from a King! The cooking competition is a lovely image! Author Reply: Yes, Will and his fellows are a nice reminder of the more humorous yet still dangerous encounter in The Hobbit, as well as a chance for Aragorn and the three Travelers to relive one moment when the darkness was lifted, no matter how briefly, between Amon Sul and Imladris. Aragorn enjoying Merry and Pippin's needless fright, Sam's poem of the troll and the boned he boned from its donor, Frodo briefly able to laugh even then when he was fighting the effects of the Morgul shard--I like to imagine this brief stop assisted Frodo in the fight, in fact. Sestor and his fellows are going to be needed by their own people in the days to come, and they are all going to be surprised, now Sestor least of all, I suspect. And Ruvemir is going to leave memorials that aren't necessarily carved in stone along the way as he learns more and more about those who took part in the quest. Yes, Frodo remains at the heart of the story even now. And I can see both Sam and Frodo commandeering the aid of their friend and his attendant in the making of jam, both to the aid of the Hobbits and to the relief of the formality so recently forced on Aragorn after years of being able to be a somewhat free spirit. Aragorn undoubtedly reveled in the change of pace and the removal of the newly acquired burden of rule for a few hours, and the completely new activity. As for Hardorn--don't know for certain what he would have thought of it all, but at least briefly he didn't have to be the bodyguard any more.

harrowcat	Reviewed Chapter: 38 on 6/27/2005
A lovely and gentle interlude. Will we discover if Aragorn told/tells Sam about the brothers? I'm not sure whether I want him to know or not except that he does know by instinct if not by telling. I do like the way that you select your audiences for certain episodes or stories. I have one burning question - did Gilraen ever meet Bilbo? I might imagine that she would be comforted a little to greet the future guardian of her Son's twin. Author Reply: Ooh--a question I'd not even thought of! Yes, Gilraen was there in Rivendell, she and young Estel--have seen the speculation on Aragorn having met Bilbo, but none on Gilraen. Will have to think on that one. Could be very interesting, and it is so wonderful to think she might have spoken to him, might have appreciated the warmth of this one, and perhaps the realization he might love and eventually foster the lost Gilorhael's new incarnation. You'd best realize you just let loose a very demanding Nuzgul into my house, although I must deal with the one who's taken up residence in the bag of cat sand first.

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 38 on 6/26/2005
What a fun and enlightening chapter! I love the visit to the Stone Trolls, and I adore the stories Pippin tells of Minas Tirith--especially the "strawberry bath", LOL! As one who likes to make jellies and jams I can just imagine the work involved in putting them all up, and I love the image of Aragorn and Hardorn being pressed into service! grin And yet, of course, there are the sad parts too. I found myself particularly affected by Saradoc's and Esmeralda's reaction to the finding of Frodo's shirt stud. Sestor is certainly getting an earful. This must be an extremely informative journey for him... Author Reply: Well, the King had promised to take Brendi there along the way, but they were distracted by an arrow or two.... Had to make certain Brendi and some of the others saw them, and got a bit of a laugh at Merry and Pippin's expense. And the strawberry bath just sort of slid into a dream the night before I wrote this. Am not certain what brought the image to mind, save the description of the Hobbit children leaving pyramids of fruit stones and almost bathing in strawberries and cream in the summer of 1420 had ben running through my mind, along with the memories of how well the orchards of eastern Washington and Oregon did in the wake of the Mount Saint Helens eruption. Just seemed to flow right into the story once the image hit my dream. And Sestor is hearing a lot, and will be at the heart of the resistance in Angmar in the coming times.

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