Stories of Arda - Lord of the Rings Fan-Fiction Archive


	About Us News Resources Login Become a member Help Search

Dreamflower's Mathoms I by Dreamflower	10 Review(s)
Celeste Lucretia Black	Reviewed Chapter: 78 on 5/15/2021
I wonder what Pippin yelled

Queen Galadriel	Reviewed Chapter: 78 on 4/25/2006
Wow. I never thought about that before. Pippin's right, though. I'm glad Merry stayed behind; it would be dreadful to have all four of them in immediate danger of death at once. God bless, Galadriel Author Reply: Yes, it would have been. And really, I can't see how all of them would have survived if all of them had been there--the odds would have been very much against it!

Gryffinjack	Reviewed Chapter: 78 on 12/10/2005
This is a very poignant story, Dreamflower. It was very kind and sweet of Eomer King to carry his little knight back to the tent and to explain why he was asleep. His words show how much care and esteem he has for Merry as well as the other hobbits. However, Eomer's quick reassurance to Pippin that Merry was not drunk and had only had one ale makes me wonder if Eomer was aware of the pact between Merry and Pippin. It would not be surprising, considering that in your stories, Faramir and Beregond are aware of it as well as the members of the Fellowship. "Pippin bit his lip. As tired as he was, he didn’t think he could rest without being sure Merry was all right. And Frodo had begun to look alarmed. Frodo didn’t need any more to worry about. He sighed. “Merry wouldn’t get drunk without me--not on purpose anyway, but you know how Men can be. I’d better go check on him.” He sighed. All he really had wanted to do was go to bed." Such is the bond and concern between Merry and Pippin that neither of them can rest when worried about harm to the other. I like how Pippin has utmost faith and trust that Merry would not purposefully break their pact, as I'm sure Merry also has in Pippin. I also like how Pippin is worried about Frodo's reaction and wants to minimise his worry if at all possible. To go out to make sure Merry is all right when he is so weary and just wants to go to bed... Peregrin Took most certainly has come of age in all but years spent upon this Middle Earth. "Pippin’s jaw dropped, and he started to say something angrily..." I cannot imagine how angry, hurt, and crushed Pippin would have been if Merry had indeed broken their pact and voluntarily got drunk! To Pippin, that would be unfathomable and would have wounded him more than the troll falling on him did. Of course, the same goes the other way around, if it had been Pippin that had broken his pact with Merry, Merry would have been just as crushed. It has nothing to do with alcohol even, but with their voluntary pact to be two halves of a whole when it came to times of celebration and times of sorrow. It was a pact of faith and trust in each other to save each other's live no matter what the sacrifice. It was the one thing they could always count on - each other. "“I’m thankful.” said Pippin firmly. “Thankful he was worried.” ... “Sam, hurt as we all were, there would be only one reason he wouldn’t have worried--that’s if he’d been there at the Black Gate with me, and badly hurt--or killed--himself.”" Now that is a chilling thought. Had Merry gone to the Black Gate with Pippin, there is not much hope that both of them would have survived. And if one of them did not survive, then neither of them would have. Leave it to Pippin to make such profound realisations. His only concern is for his Merry here, not for anyone else. Pippin concentrates on what is really important, that Merry was not badly hurt or killed. And, of course, Frodo understands immediately once Pippin asks what the only reason would be for Merry not being worried. This story really brings home the character of the three cousins. Author Reply: At this point, Beregond knows, Faramir, not yet. As to whether Eomer knows, I would imagine that Merry may have said something to him, knowing how the Rohirrim love to celebrate--he wouldn't want to appear rude before his liege. And of course, Eomer would understand the importance of the pledge. Pippin's not going to just go to sleep without checking on Merry. Right now the hobbits are just glad to have one another together again. No matter how tired he is, he'd want to know. I was thinking here that Pip might have been more angry at Eomer (remember his remark about "not on purpose" and "how Men are"?) and that Merry might have been induced or tricked to drink more than he meant to. But fortunately Eomer was able to reassure him that things were all right, as far as that goes. Yes. That is one of my main peeves with PJ, though I do understand why he sent Merry to the Black Gate. But the truth is, if both of them had been there, the odds on them both surviving would have been very slim indeed. And Pippin knows Merry, and knows the only reason he wouldn't worry...

Baggins Babe	Reviewed Chapter: 78 on 11/15/2005
A lovely look at our favourite hobbits, and how nice that on this occasion it is Merry who is asleep rather than Frodo. What a sweetie Eomer is, to carry his esquire back. sigh Glad you did not have Merry at the Black Gate - I know why it was done in the film but I like to stick to canon there. Yes, definitely reasons to be grateful. Author Reply: Merry had his chance to be grateful, that all three of his loved ones survived, already. Now it is their turn to be grateful that he survived. And really, for the longest time, I've had an image of Eomer carrying a sleeping Merry; I just needed a story to put it in. No, no Merry at the Black Gate. I do not write movie-verse. I use the movie as "flavoring" for canon stories. It helps me with visuals and with characterizations and with props, but it is never allowed to dominate the story. If Merry had been at the Black Gate, what are the odds that both he and Pip would have survived? shudder

Andrea	Reviewed Chapter: 78 on 11/15/2005
A lovely story, indeed! That's exaxtly what first came into my mind: only death would (or could) have stopped Merry from worrying. I also loved this statement from Pippin: "Merry wouldn’t get drunk without me--not on purpose anyway." That's just great :) Author Reply: Yes, indeed, only death or injury as severe as that which had all the others unconscious. That last statement goes back to another story of mine, "The Dare" in which as tweens, Merry and Pippin promise one another to only get drunk together. I've referenced it in some of my other stories as well, "Pippin's Promise" and "The Pact".

harrowcat	Reviewed Chapter: 78 on 11/15/2005
Oh wow Dreamflower this is great. I actually thought that you had Sam being a bit too thick and that there was no need for Pippin to explain but then I read his reason. You can call ME the ninnyhammer. The reason I had thought of was if the three of them had been killed Merry would have been mad with grief but not 'worried'. I suspect that I have been over-influenced by the movie version. Author Reply: Thank you. You are not the only reader of the story to whom that occurred. Actually, Merry himself thought of that in another story. But Pippin here is more focussed on Merry himself, and his worry is for what could have happeened to Merry. It's easy to allow some of the movie-verse ideas to be an influence. But the idea of Merry at the Black Gate is not one that ever appealed to me, though I understood PJ's reasons for doing so. I think that if Merry had gone, the likelihood ob both of them surviving the battle is quite small.

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 78 on 11/15/2005
A good reason to be grateful together. Author Reply: Yes, I do think that it is.

PIppinfan1988	Reviewed Chapter: 78 on 11/14/2005
A very lovely, sweet moment between our four lads...even though one of them is out for the count. ;-) I thought this was wonderful! Thank you for sharing! Pippinfan Author Reply: Thanks. You know how I feel about the four of them. grin Glad you liked it.

Lindelea	Reviewed Chapter: 78 on 11/14/2005
“He has had many days of weary waiting, and much lost sleep to make up for.” (yes, I'm sure he has.) You know, I can think of another dark reason he wouldn't be worried about them, and that would be if all three of the others had perished. He'd be grieving, certainly, and likely to the death, but the one thing he wouldn't be (about them, anyhow) would be worried. A sombre thought. Author Reply: A very sombre thought, and one that did occur to Merry himself, in another story--but fortunately it has not yet occured to his dear ones, though I imagine that sooner or later it will. But Pippin, of course, is focused more on Merry.

Pearl Took	Reviewed Chapter: 78 on 11/14/2005
A lovely, lovely tale, told from thankful hobbit hearts. I'll add here, I'm thankful for your stories. Thank you for writing them and sharing them with us. Author Reply: Oh, Pearl! What a nice thing to say! And I find myself thankful for readers like you, who enjoy the stories and let me know, and for your own stories as well!

Return to Chapter List