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LifeWatch by Lindelea	10 Review(s)
PIppinfan1988	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 6/7/2006
Breathing a sigh of relief!...the injured hobbits are all faring nicely. :-) Except Merry. Merry's internal battle with Men's Laws, and the discourse between him and King Eomer kept me riveted. Loved it. :-) Pippinfan

AspenJules	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 6/2/2006
OH - I LOVE your Eomer! Very wise, for such a young king. And that's what I'd imagined him doing during that time in the story. "'It's hardly sporting: The creatures are weary from running and have no clear direction.' 'Good riddance,' the Wood Elf said, with a sip of his wine." Nice showing he had some feeling about proper treatment even for orcs, though he did what was necessary. The elves, however... I can't imagine them being able to connect in any way at all with such twisted, evil creatures. I guess orcs truly are the antithesis of elves. Interesting, considering where the orcs came from. Nice foreshadowing of the Shire problems in Eomer's comments.

FantasyFan	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 5/11/2006
I have deliberately not gone back and re-read this story while you are posting it here, and this chapter is one of the ones I didn't remember very clearly at all. The first thing that struck me was how Merry was surprised to see Sam thin. I think Merry's spent so much time since even before the quest started worrying about Frodo, and lately so much energy worrying about his other cousin, that he naturally hasn't had much of his mind focused on Sam. Plus Sam has always been the steady sort, always there unobtrusively in the background taking care of things, and not often doing the unexpected, and not requiring Merry to think about him much. So now Merry's seeing Frodo for the first time, and he's grieved by his injuries but not really surprised, I imagine. For Sam to be thin, however, means something else. Even as often as the hobbits had to make do on short rations while travelling, I doubt that Merry can begin to imagine what it would be like to actually starve, to have no food at all but to have to keep pushing on, to spend the last resources recklessly on getting to the mountain and to be forced to accept that there will be nothing for a return journey. I'm sure Merry has always been respectful of Sam before, because Merry is just like that, but here's the start of the admiration that will be so obvious between the three of them in later years. The next thing I think of is storytelling. Merry has heard Bilbo tell the story so many times that he can re-tell it so convincingly that Legolas thinks Merry must know of the wine of his countrymen. I think of Pippin's gift of storytelling, and how he passes it on to his son, and how Farry becomes as good at telling the stories of the Elf and the Dwarf, as Merry is here telling Bilbo's tales. And then I think of how the story of the Lord of the Rings is part of the stories that we tell. It's so familiar in my family that everyone can recognize the random quotes that get inserted into everyday conversation, not only of Tolkien's original words but of some of the cherished fanfiction stories as well. We are truly part of the ongoing tale, which makes me smile. Finally, there is this: Merry sat a long while in front of his unfinished dinner, pondering the words of the king. Merry's original loyalty was to Theoden, whom he loved like a father, but I think that he has great respect for Eomer also at this point. Merry has been to busy surviving to really spend a lot of time thinking about all the evil he has seen so far. Now, he's starting to turn it all over in that agile mind of his. Later on, we're going to see the results of this introspection. Eomer has a rather casual attitute toward the 'mopping up' campaign. Merry knows 'war is different,' but he still has to be uncomfortable with the routine was Eomer, Legolas and Gimli are going to go out and slaughter. And although Eomer is serious about his remarks about posting a guard on the Shire, that Merry has to explain several ways that hobbits take life seriously and don't murder, before Eomer grasps it, points up even further the differences of his people from men. He's going to spend more time thinking about it, and still ahead is the experience he will have watching hobbits lose some of their innocence as they have to fight to free the Shire. Eventually, he is going to take the concept that Eomer almost casually introduces here even further, and really push for keeping the hobbits as innocent of the evil of men as possible, to the point of arguing with Frodo about how much to include in the Red Book. Yet, here is the beginning of it. Another beginning. It's great to read this knowing what will happen so many stories later, and see the little seeds. Author Reply: Ah, just like old times. Thanks so much for taking the time and effort to share your thoughts. I loved the "Sam would undoubtedly jump down a dragon's throat for you, Frodo" in the conspiracy chapter early on, and I'm sure that both Pippin and Merry admired Sam, and likely much more than the latter's modesty was comfortable with, after Cormallen! Y'know, of them all, the ones who evidently became storytellers (at least in written form) after Frodo passed on the pen were Sam and Merry. Someone had to finish the Red Book, and the logical candidate was Sam, but I believe that the Tale of Years was attributed to Merry, along with his herbal writings. Pippin kept a library, but he didn't write. Still, he might have been (as I imagined him) gifted at oral storytelling, much like an older relative of mine who was never a writer (could barely spell his name) but could hold you spellbound with his storytelling. "We are part of the ongoing Tale." I hadn't really thought of it in those words, though all of my writing has been done in the effort to honour the original author. I hope that my imaginings might make him smile, and not regret what he first set down. Probably vanity on my part, but still I try. Excellent analysis of "seeds". This was a very early-written story, and set the tone for much that followed in the Fourth Age Shire as I've imagined it. Thanks!

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 5/11/2006
I rather love the thought of Legolas carrying Merry, Pippin and Sam to visit Mirkwood and take part in Wood-elf celebrations... The healing hands and voice of a hobbit - it's as if Aragorn called Frodo and Sam back from the gates of death, but it is Merry who is drawing them back to life. Oh dear - the idea of banning Men from the Shire came from Eomer, did it? Actually, it sounds rather like a simple Rohirric cause and effect solution. Does Rohan have weregild, though? Where - under the right circumstances - life can be paid for other than with life? Merry is still under a lot of stress ... some ups, but some downs, too. Author Reply: Excellent thought, indeed. I wonder if there's any fanfic out there that explores the topic. Hobbits and Dorwinian wine. Hmmm. I like your imagery, contrasting the healing of the King with hobbit-healing. Y'know, I hadn't really thought much about Rohirric justice. That would be a fascinating concept, though I've spent more time thinking and researching in an effort to imagine Gondorian justice, from the hints JRRT gave us (namely Beregond's situation), and extrapolating Shire justice from the description and character of the hobbits he wrote. I know that there are hints of Rohirric justice as well, when I think on Eomer's banishment... but the Rohirrim have not captured my imagination so much as the hobbits have, and by extension (Beregond's friendship with Pippin) the Men of Gondor.

Andrea	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 5/10/2006
'That's all for the moment,' he whispered to Frodo and Sam. 'Don't go anywhere; I'll be back to tell you more, later.' Aw! "Don't go anywhere". As if they could! It's fascinating to see Merry's carefree way of speaking to Frodo and Sam on the one hand, and to know on the other hand that he has a lot to worry about. What a hobbit! (Maybe, I repeat myself ;-)) 'But now I see that we must guard you as well against the contagion of the violence that is a part of our kind, not just that which might be used against you.' If Eomer had known how true his suspicions were! Lotho and his helpers are the best examples of hobbits "infected" by men! Author Reply: Such a grown-up thing to do, to speak cheerfully even as your heart is wrung within. ...you're right! Excellent examples! I hadn't even thought of that!

Mysterious Jedi	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 5/10/2006
Excellent, as always Author Reply: Thanks! We aim to please.

harrowcat	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 5/10/2006
I am quite surprised that Merry only writes a herbal later - perhaps he should re-write all these stories for the healers of Gondor! This writ of exclusion is truly double-edged as Eomer observes but I am not yet sure that it was such a brilliant idea. Born out of care and love for the hobbits yes but is it also a little patronising and dangerous? You don't help children to grow up properly and healthy by keeping them wrapped in cotton wool and away from all risk. The hobbits are not children and have already proved to be more resilient than men thought. I know that you are working with what the Prof gave us but sometimes I wonder whether this was for the best. Author Reply: Bet the healers would like that. Or perhaps they'd prefer a hobbit-storyteller as a permanent staff member. I often wonder the same. I also wonder what went wrong. After all, JRRT himself talks about the diminishing of Shire-folk to a small, seldom-seen people in hiding. I wonder what JRRT was thinking of when he wrote the Edict into the Tale of Years? I don't think it's mentioned anywhere else.

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 5/9/2006
How wonderful that Eomer himself feels that the Shire should be protected from learning violence and hatred and internal warfare. Fascinating! Author Reply: Somehow it made sense to me that the Edict came from a melding of several opinions. I wonder if Gandalf was for it or against it?

Pearl Took	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 5/9/2006
'There should be a guard set about the borders of the Shire,' he said. 'We ought to protect your people from the evil influence of Man. Would that you were not contaminated by our madness.' Our madness indeed, and as much a part of human kind as our good qualities. Woe to those who forget we have both within us. Like Merry - I sit in deep thought at your words . . . Author Reply: Great praise indeed... Still, it seems that the Edict didn't work as Elessar intended, or the Shire would still exist as it was. (And if it did, the Edict would prevent me from visiting... unless perhaps I tried to pass myself off as a rather tall hobbit?)

shirebound	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 5/9/2006
When he entered, he saw his cousin's face for the first time since their parting at Parth Galen What a fascinating concept. And although by the time Frodo and Sam wake, Merry will be used to how they look, Frodo and Sam will be astonished at the changes in Merry and Pippin! And Eomer whispered in the King's ear about the guard on the Shire! :D Author Reply: I guess I had thought of their faces as covered with bandages, or at the least some sort of healing, moisturizing cream, the first time Merry saw them. I wrote this story after reading a fanfic that talked about the blistering heat they faced--and thinking on it, not only in the crater but on that little island of rock, surrounded by flowing lava, it made sense to me that their skin might be seared and blistered, as well as their lungs. And yes, I spent a lot of time thinking about how the Edict came to be. (That inconvenient writ, that...)

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