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In the Bleak, Cold Winter by GamgeeFest	9 Review(s)
Grey Wonderer	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/20/2006
Yikes! Seems it was all going so well and now Sam is in trouble. I wonder how long it will be before Frodo or Merry think to look for him? I liked the way Frodo showed Merry how to approach Sam without actually explaining anything. I do wonder how things might have been different if only the Shire hadn't had different classes and different ways of behaving. I think that is why I find it so hard to write Sam. I have trouble remembering that he was actually a servant in some ways. I love your Sam. You know exactly how to write him! Author Reply: Yes, poor Sam did have to go and get hurt, didn't he? A single misstep can change everything. Merry has yet to figure out the most important thing Frodo was trying to show him, but he will shortly. :) No matter what society or culture, there's some sort of social structure or class system. Coming from a blue collar family, and being by nature quite rustic and practical myself, and having grown up to believe myself to be somehow lesser than those around me, I would say I understand Sam's position quite well. I connect more with him than any other character. And then there's the Gaffer, who reminds me so much of my own father. Then I come from a large family, so all hobbits in general are very familiar to me. The hardest for me to write are the Elves. They're just so... aloof, for lack of a better word.

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/12/2006
Ah, but Merry is learning as much by Frodo's example as by his advice. Wise Hobbit, Merry, and a worthy Master he'll be one day. Now, what damage has poor Sam done to himself in his fall?

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/8/2006
That sounds a very, very cold winter! I hope Frodo and Merry notice quickly that Sam hasn't made it back - because lying injured in that snow is not a good thing! Merry is an impatient person, isn't he? But he's doing his best to take this at Sam's pace - and learning to consider someone else will do him a lot of good. Estella will probably benefit from it later! Author Reply: Maybe it was the record-shattering heat wave I was melting in when I wrote this, but the Shire did get extremely cold very fast - living vicariously through hobbits is always a good thing. :) Merry? Impatient? No! Not Merry! :P But there's a reason he tends to be so impatient, another one of his flaws that he will be realizing before the end of this story. Despite that, he is really trying to give Sam time, but it's easy to see how he could get frustrated too. He's used to being quick friends with everyone and he's used to being in charge. This is the first time he's had to step back and let someone else take the lead, and you're right, it is a good learning experience for him. It will be many years before Estella gets the benefit of any of these lessons, but she'll be thanking Sam when the time comes. ;)

harrowcat	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/7/2006
Oh dear, poor Sam. I am looking forward to more of this GF. It is interesting to see both sides struggling a little in this relationship. Author Reply: Poor Sam is going to be kicking himself over this - once he's able to, at any rate. ;) After so many years of more or less avoiding each other, they're both going to have their insecurities and concerns about the other person. That their personalities are so different doesn't help matters either.

rabidsamfan	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/6/2006
Oh, yikes! And everything was going along so well too. I love your descriptions of the snow and the work that has to be done. I could practically feel the chill -- and it was most welcome in this hot summer, believe me! props chin on hands and waits for more Author Reply: Hello RSF! Thanks so much for stopping by! Well, this is Sam h/c, so there is the inevitable 'h' part. I had to allow him a rare moment of carelessness. Even if Merry and Frodo think Sam incapable of it, he does make mistakes from time to time. It was fun to write about all this snow during our recent heat wave. I don't get snow where I live so it was fun for that reason also. I'm glad this is helping you to cool off! More coming soon! :)

XtremeFrolicker	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/6/2006
Yay!! Your universe is back!! I've missed the sam and merry interaction so much!! But i hope sam is okay!! Please update soon! I like to use lots and lots of exclamation points!! Author Reply: My universe is back? Where did it go? LOL ;) No, I know it's been awhile since I've dealt with the more substantial parts of my verse. There will be lots of Merry-Sam interaction in this one to make up for it! Thanks for reading! And for the feedback!! (I like exclamation points too!!!)

Periantari	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/5/2006
So much to love in here. And wow..a WIP? :-0 thank you! ANd the cliff-hanger made my heart stop (and make me go aww! Sam!!!) ::hurries to help him off the ice:: I love the description in the beginning...I really appreciate also the doubts that Merry has in being really good friends with Sam. It's really awesome that you're building upon "Walking Trip" and "Under the Harvest Moon" which i enjoyed. And the tension you built till your last bit about Sam gettting an accident--awww!!! yep, i knew something was going to happen if you leave Sam alone. :( But yeah..the cliff-hanger leaves me begging for more. ;) Very very very nice start. :D Thank you so much!!!!!! Author Reply: LOL. I told you it grew much longer than I originally intended! It's not extremely long, about 6 chapters, maybe 7. I haven't done a cliffhanger in awhile. I was worried I was a little rusty, but it came out pretty good. :) Merry will soon realize what his biggest obstacle is in regards to Sam and it's the last thing he ever suspected, though it really should have been the first thing he looked at. ;) Thank you for asking for a h/c because it gave me just what I needed to follo up on my previous stories. There was always more to tell on this storyline but I just hadn't been inspired to do so until now. :) I'm glad you're enjoying your b'day fic so far. The next chappie should be up a couple of days. :)

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/5/2006
Oh joy! I love this--I've waited a while to see what came next in Sam's and Merry's attempts to re-build their friendship. I like all the little details here, both inside the Bag End kitchen, and outside in the garden--I really enjoy the little horitcultural details, and it's clear you did a lot of research on them. Not living in an area where there's much in the way of snow, I'd never thought about the need for keeping its weight off plants! Of course, I knew something had to happen to Sam--and that last sentence definitely sounded suitably ominous and cliffie! I hope we don't have to wait long for more! Author Reply: I have been needing to follow this storyline up for quite awhile. I'm glad I finally found the platform I needed to do so. I always try to do research whenever I have Sam doing something in the garden. I am in no way a green thumb and if it's possible to kill dirt, I probably will. Living in a climate where we never get snow and are lucky to even get rain, I really had no clue what anyone would ever have to do in a garden during a "real" winter. A lot of it is based just on what I've seen on TV or in movies, but the actual gardening tips are from some gardening websites I have bookmarked. I was originally just going to thrash Sam. I even wrote the chapter, but in the end I just couldn't do it. I used the excuse that it would be too long and involved, but really it's just because I don't like to hurt Sam. I still feel guilty about Lotho beating him up in "A Tale", and that was two years ago! So he is hurt but it's nowhere near as bad as it could have been. :D

cookiefleck	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/5/2006
Eeek! Can't wait to see what happens next! Major Sam h/c junkie here, glad to see you are writing this story. I enjoyed your other fics that dealt with the Sam/Merry rift, and am glad that you are continuing the saga. I like the complicated nuances that are part and parcel of Merry trying to be Sam's friend. Thanks! Author Reply: I don't like to hurt my Sam. I did it once for my very first story and I've felt guilty ever since - and it wasn't even a "real" story! I was originally going to have Sam get completely thrashed (I even wrote the chapter), but I just couldn't do it in the end. So he does get hurt, but there's much more comfort in this h/c than there is hurt! Harvest Moon and Walking Trip have been needing a follow up for awhile. I'm glad Periantari requested this because it gave me the perfect platform to discover what their next step was. There are so many things that come between Merry and Sam, the major one being, not their social class, but just their personalities. Merry thinks he's learned his lesson, but he hasn't quite gotten it yet. Thanks for reading! I'm glad to have your input! :)

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