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Lesser Ring by Larner	8 Review(s)
shirebound	Reviewed Chapter: 29 on 9/16/2005
What a delight! I enjoyed every bit of this chapter. What a fortunate food taster to have to 'endure' sampling -- and loving -- all the delicious hobbity fare. Author Reply: Oh, I knew you'd like it! Even when not at home or in the Shire Hobbits just have a way of getting folk smiling and knowing comfort. Thanks for reading it.

grumpy	Reviewed Chapter: 29 on 8/31/2005
So Aragorn is a collector of bows and well as names. Even the little princess has a bow. As for Hardorn, I have to wonder if he has ever had to use his own ring. Love it that not only did the hobbits bring their own mushromms, in case they needed a snack. But they also cooked a mushroom or two, for their hosts. Author Reply: I suspect that in close to a hundred years Aragorn has come to collect a good number of things. And, like you, I suspect Hardorn has never used his own ring for his demonstrations, either, and that the argument has become simply a standard feature of the thing--although I suspect that this time Aragorn may actually be serious about them using a different ring from now on! And the idea of the Hobbits somehow getting in there and taking over the kitchens, introducing the Haradrim to the pleasures of mushrooms, was simply too, too tempting to let slip. Glad you enjoyed it!

Baggins Babe	Reviewed Chapter: 29 on 8/28/2005
What a lovely chapter! You can't beat hobbits in the kitchen! I love how they just took over, and giggled at Bard's assumption that a food taster was there to see nothing was over-cooked!!! Poor Bard, he must have been very shocked to think people would poison someone, and fancy using food as a means to murder! I suppose the Tooks will set up a very profitable business exporting dried mushrooms to Harad? Loved the archery scenes too. My dear friend Mirkwoodmaiden, who posts here, loved archery and taught me quite a lot about it. Nice to see Bard coming out of Pip's shadow and proving a good teacher, and how satisfying that the Haradri realised that the hobbit bows were not mere children's toys but real weapons. Will Arwen scold her husband for misuse of the Ring of Barahir? Author Reply: Yes, the export of mushrooms to Harad could indeed prove profitable--if the Hobbits would agree to actually give some of them up, of course! This part was a fun part to write. And I truly felt that the Haradri needed to realize that the Hobbits were capable of defending themselves or just odd folks the King kept around him for amusement only, and that Bard isn't just Pippin's companion, but someone of some substance in himself. As for the Ring of Barahir--well, I think Aragorn himself is realizing it is time to retire it from use as an archery target without further scolding. Nor do I think that in most cases Arwen would sink to scolding to manage her husband, do you? Thanks for the feedback.

Radbooks	Reviewed Chapter: 29 on 8/28/2005
I swear the Ring of Barahir is going to get lost or ruined someday with Hardorn and now Legolas showing off like that! :) I did enjoy Aragorn telling Hardorn that he would have to go and hunt for the ring if he missed - as if he would. But it is a neat trick to be able to do and Hardorn was quite insistent about it. :) You certainly can't see the Farozi doing something like that! Not just because of the ring, but just because of the threat of someone shooting him by being in front of the men with bows and arrows. It was a treat also to see Isumbard doing something better than his cousin and to have him helping Pippin. That was nice. The hobbits in the kitchen was great too. I could just see the two of them taking over and giving directions to the staff about what needed to be done and everyone just staring at them wide-eyed with amazement at these two short little people in their kitchen. And they would be almost unaware of it all and just do what needed to be done - cooking for 50 people is a lot of work, though since they came from the Great Smial and they are hobbits I suppose it wouldn't have been too bad for them. :) Having a food taster would be something unimaginable for them... which is a good thing. I think Gondor has now found a valuable item to trade with Harad - mushrooms! Oh, from my last review - I didn't want to tell you my guess about the trip to the Valley of the Sun because I didn't want you to answer it and ruin it! :) But my guess was that Aragorn might get his star brooch back... Anyway, a wonderful chapter and it's been nice to have these chapters after such intense ones. Author Reply: I do believe Aragorn has decided to permanantly retire the Ring of Barahir as an archery target unless an object lesson such as what happened with Landrion needs to be given sometime in the future. And I do think Gondor would be a more logical exporter of mushrooms to Harad than the Shire--I doubt the Hobbits of the Shire would allow that many to escape the borders of their land! And I did have a lot of fun writing this chapter! As for the Valley of the Sun--won't tell anyone yet what is going to happen there.

Kitty	Reviewed Chapter: 29 on 8/28/2005
It was good to have this light chapter after all the suspension before. The bow practice was nice, especially Ankhrabi trying all the bows and realising even the hobbit bows are no children plaything, and of course, Amon'osiri and Melian. About the second half I was very amused! Somehow it was to expected Pippin and Bard were going to want a "decent hobbit meal", but the way they took over the kitchen of the house giggle And the end of the chapter was simply hilarious wipes her eyes! Thank you! And thank you, too, for the long response for the last review. I find it always very interesting to know more about how you think about certain aspects of the story! Author Reply: I can't write much now, for I have to get ready to head south for much of the day. Am glad that you appreciate some of my thoughts on the story--it's nice to be able on this site to share such information so easily. I wanted for the Haradrim to realize more fully that the Northerners--ALL of them--truly take self-defense seriously, and that the Hobbits may be short, odd looking, overwhelmingly light hearted at times, and all; but are yet also a true people who are the equal of any other race when push comes to shove. As for the end of the story and the upset in the kitchens, that was just pure Hobbit mischief taking over.

lindahoyland	Reviewed Chapter: 29 on 8/27/2005
A nice amusing chapter.I believe the Medieaval monarchs here had food tasters.I'm sure Pippin had a wonderful time ! I can hardly wait now to see what happens to Aragorn at the temple ! Author Reply: Many cultures have used tasters at one time or another; and it seemed logical that such would be used extensively in Harad during and immediately in the wake of Sauron's rule--he lied to everyone, after all. And am so glad you enjoyed the light moments--these are fun to write.

Tigger	Reviewed Chapter: 29 on 8/27/2005
And the mighty mushrooms strike again!! :oD This was priceless. I can so easily imagine how much chaos two Hobbits could cause in a kitchen not used to visitors helping in the making of a meal. And the cook wants the mushroom recipe. Yay for Pippin and the mushroom sauce!! Loved the archery range scene. As one who was taught to use a bow and arrow, I can say you've got Bard's instruction of the young Haradi Prince dead on. I once tried to pull my Dad's when he still hunted w/a bow and I imagine it would be much the same tension as Legolas and Hardorn's bows would be. Very, very tough for someone to use unless they used/trained w/a bow on a regular basis. All of that scene brought back some lovely memories of my Dad teaching me the basics of archery. Thank you for that!! As always, looking forward to the next chapter!! Author Reply: Yes, we had a mushroom attack--had to let them into the story somehow; and I suspect the bag of mushrooms carried among Pippin's and Bard's effects were brought to the kitchen as an afterthought as a result of the conversation with Ankhrabi on the archery range. Am so glad you enjoyed the thought of two Hobbits deficient in Haradri taking over the Farozi's kitchen! As for the archery lesson, I am so glad you find it believable and properly described! I have tried to purge my memory of the awful lessons we got in PE 39 years ago, and yet they resurfaced when I was looking over some of the descriptions of how they trained Mortenssen and Bloom how to use the bow. Found myself comparing my own teacher's technique (which was awful) to that taught to those taking part in the movies, and found all those memories resurfacing. Somewhere my brother obtained for a short time a hunting bow, and I remember trying to draw it. Couldn't do it.

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 29 on 8/27/2005
This is so wonderful and fun! I love the archery lessons, and read them with envy. If I'd had a teacher as skilled and patient as Isumbard or Legolas, I might not have been such a flop with a bow myself. And it was a nice way to once more point up the hobbits' abilities. And the visit to the kitchen, with Pip and Isumbard cooking the dinner was inspired! I love Pippin's impulsiveness here, obviously still one of his qualities, as he had planned to do this without asking first! And Isumbard's reaction to the taster was so perfect and multilayered: horror, not only that someone would be so wicked, but that they would do that to food! And the reactions to Pip's mushroom sauce was perfect! Now I want to see how the Farozi and the others react when they are served this marvelous meal!! Author Reply: Oh, dear, wrote a long response to this, and lost it when the server went fritzy on me. I remember trying to learn archery as a teen, and how I was constantly losing the arrow because I didn't realize you really need to tilt the bow some, and I'd not draw the string back properly. I was a total disaster. I learned more about how to actually draw a bow from the descriptions of how they taught those using bows in the movies than I did from my PE teacher! And, yes, I think even when he was definitely an adult from time to time the impulsiveness of Pippin's nature would come to the fore. And, of COURSE we have to visit the world of mushrooms when we write of Hobbits from the Shire! Pippin and Isumbard, I found, were just dying to get into the kitchen. And we needed some more reason for the Haradrim to realize these odd small folk are to be taken seriously and not just dismissed summarily.

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