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Dreamflower's Mathoms II by Dreamflower	9 Review(s)
Queen Galadriel	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 4/5/2006
Oh, Dreamflower, I love this! It's so...alive! I have read many stories of the time surrounding Pippin's birth, but this is one of the best. God bless, Galadriel Author Reply: Why, thank you very much! There are many such delightful stories of that out there, so I find that quite a compliment!

Kitty	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 4/4/2006
Well, our dear future Thain made sure his arrival caused quite a stir, didn't he? His poor family, I can imagine their fear he would die! That was very early. The conversation between Merry and Frodo was so cute! Little Merry did understand it quite well for so young a lad, and his decision to make everything right and fair when he is in charge was sweet (moving Bag End nearer to Buckland :)). He has already a strong feeling for such things. And Merry did hold his promise to be a good cousin to Pippin, didn't he? Author Reply: Well, you know how impatient Tooks are. I've seen a few fics where Pip is as much as two months early. I thought a month and a half would be enough to be scary for the family, and yet not be so early that he would have needed modern technology, such as an incubator, to keep him alive. Merry is a very intelligent and precocious child, and of course, since it was his beloved Frodo explaining, he listened very carefully. I think Merry had a highly ingrained sense of justice and fairness--we see it on the Pelennor, when he cannot bear to let Eowyn face the W-k alone--though of course as a child, his ideas are a bit more self-centered, as young children usually are. And I think his ambition was to try to be as good a cousin as Frodo; with such an example before him, how could he not?

Andrea	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 4/2/2006
“I don’t know, Merry-love. Sometimes—“ he bit his lip, and drew a deep breath, “sometimes things aren’t all right. Sometimes things go wrong, and there is nothing anyone can do. I can’t make you a promise that things will be all right. But I do promise you that whether they go right or wrong, I will be here by your side.” Awww! What a beautiful thing to say. Once again it is shown that Frodo lives up to his name, Wise One. He loves his sprout dearly, and vice versa. Of course it was right to let Merry see his little baby cousin and I think at that very moment he swore to always protect his little Pippin. “Do you think I will ever be as good a cousin as you?” I've no doubt about that :) Author Reply: Even at this age, Frodo already knows better than many adults how life can take an unexpected turn. It's why he was the perfect person for Merry to ask. An adult would have told him "you're too young to worry about such things" and any other older cousin not an adult would not have known how to answer. But Frodo has the painful experience of knowing that things go wrong sometimes. Yes, they do love one another so much. Really, they are probably closer than brothers, for there is no sibling rivalry there for the parents' attention. And yes, I think as soon as he saw Pippin, he knew he was going to be Pippin's special older cousin. As good a cousin as ever was.

Grey Wonderer	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 4/2/2006
Tough questions for Frodo to answer but he did an excellent job of it all. I did like the fact that he prepared Merry for the worst but still left him with some hope. Or maybe Merry just knew to hope? Author Reply: I think it was a bit of both. Frodo does know how easily things can go wrong, and how quickly. But he also knows they might not. And Merry is naturally hopeful, it's part of what makes him Merry, after all.

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 4/2/2006
Frodo is right - Merry needed to see his little cousin. And I like to think his words showed foresight, rather than hopeful thinking. Author Reply: Yes, even at that age, Frodo was usually right. I thought they were foresight. I think he took one look at that tiny little wrinkled red baby, and knew they'd be best friends one day.

harrowcat	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 4/2/2006
Oh this is so sad and sweet. And I agree with Merry! I, too have a little list of things I would change to make things fair! g Author Reply: Children have this innate sense of "fair" and "not fair", that they judge the world by. And Merry's just the sort of child who would want to do something about it. And I don't think he ever really outgrew that. It's why he stabbed the W-k, after all, because he didn't think it was fair for Eowyn to face the enemy alone.

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 4/1/2006
Am so glad they allowed Merry to see Pippin and to already begin bonding with him. And Merry is already seeing that what happened to Frodo could happen again, and is realizing how fragile life can be. A preparation for the day he will lose his own older cousin and protector, I suppose. Lovely look at life in the Shire here. Author Reply: Yes, that bonding began early--I think it had to have, for Pippin to be so close to his much older cousins. Frodo already knows how fragile life is, and he's not going to make any promises that can't be kept--and yes, there's a bit of foreshadowing there, can't help but be, I suppose. But of course, they don't realize that. And thank you!

Pearl Took	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 4/1/2006
Thank you, Dreamflower! I needed a nice, gentle tale. Even with the anxiousness over the babe's early arrival, there is a gentleness to this story. I really enjoyed it :) Author Reply: What a sweet thing to say! 8-) I just can't seem to portray the relationship between Frodo and his little cousin any other way than gentle. To me, Merry was Frodo's comfort in a world where he had already learned that lesson of how easily comfort could be lost. I think he would treat his little cousin as being very special, and never take the child for granted. He would be patient with him, and take his concerns seriously. And because of Frodo's care, and his good example, Merry was able to extend the same care to Pippin.

PIppinfan1988	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 4/1/2006
“Frodo?” “Yes, sprout?” “Do you think I will ever be as good a cousin as you?” Awwwww! As we know, they all get to be good cousins to one another. :-) The idea of Whitwell Farm (as I've come to call it) being half house and half smial is a brilliant one! Also, I think your game of Stones sounds like an ideal way for a child to pass the time--it reminded me of Jacks, in a way. The whole atmosphere in the smial was excellently portrayed; the youngest wanting her mama, the aunties and Esme waiting for and caring for the young ones. I always enjoy your Took family tales! :-) Pippinfan Author Reply: Yes, they do indeed! grin I think probably a number of the older dwellings might be like that--starting off as smials, but then if the hill or area where they were dug were not conducive to more excavation (maybe the hill isn't large enough, or the water table is too high or some such), they might build on house-like additions in order to expand. I also describe Brock Hall, where the Bolgers live, as being like that. What I call "Stones" is a predecessor of Jacks. It went by a number of different names in the Middle-ages, and of course, was played without a ball. All the versions I've seen call for the catching to be done on the back of the hand, but I think that small children would probably start out doing it the easier way. And the other tricks I mention are based entirely on Jacks--a game at which I excelled in fourth grade, by the way. The family rallies around--I just know that's how it had to be for hobbits! And I am so glad you like my Tooks; I'm rather fond of them myself.

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