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| Old Scores by Baggins Babe | 11 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Kitty | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 8/28/2006 |
| Ah, what an idyllic picture, all of them picking fruits and making jams! And I am so glad Ivy joined in and Violet got to play with the others, too. As much as I despise Ted Sandyman, the family you gave him I came to love. It is good to know there is someone to look after them. Ellie was so sweet with her concern for Meneldor’s burn! I am sure the Great Eagle was very touched by this. . Rose and the children will make sure you obey the doctor's orders, as Ellie and Rosie-lass have been doing. Well, *now* the lasses will be even more bossy than ever *grin* Hm ... maybe it is time Rose gets a Royal Warrant of her own, for supplying the Royal Household and the Great of the Realm with all these delicacies! Love the image of her pickles locked off in the Treasury! *lol* Author Reply: I imagine that jam-making at Bag End would be great fun. I love the Sandyman family and I'm glad they're away from Ted. Ellie is a lovely child and very loving - Meneldor must have been very touched by her concern. Yes, Rose needs her own Royal Warrant - those pickles are extremely valuable if they can persuade the Haradrim to sign a treaty. | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 8/28/2006 |
| Such a good way of making Ivy and her family feel comfortable and at home! And of providing them with some extra treats. Author Reply: Rose is a smart lass, and the love in Bag End is spreading out through the Shire. | |
| Grumpy | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 8/27/2006 |
| Great chapter, loved that the eagles came to deliver the letter. Nice to know the the Sandyman family is being looked after. Author Reply: All the Free peoples are uniting in sorting out the problem - lots of co-operation in the Reunited Kingdom. The Sandyman family are in the best place. | |
| Andrea | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 8/27/2006 |
| Rose watched them go, grinning to herself. Her plan had worked very nicely, Ivy had spent an entire afternoon not thinking of her troubles, the children had all had a lovely time and she had a larder full of jam. Wow! Rose is a marvel :) And now she's also diplomatic assistant? That's great! LOL! I think the best way to deal with Sandyman is indeed to send him to Aragorn. Who knows if he hadn't harmed someone in Bree when he had been banished from the Shire. And of course Frodo would have felt responsible and guilty for that. But what will Aragorn do with Sandyman? I think he needs help as well as punishment, and be assured I will do what is necessary, but no more... That makes me really curious. Author Reply: I really love writing Rose - well, she writes herself really. She's a very strong character. When I began this story I was going to have Sandyman returned to Bree and banned from entering the Shire, but then I realised that if he harmed someone there Frodo would be overwhelmed with guilt. That remark of Aragorn's means, I suspect, that he will try and find some way of punishing Ted but doing so in a way which may teach him some valuable lessons, and also will keep him off the drink. Perhaps being forced to work in the Houses of Healing or something similar will give him a jolt? But then again, perhaps the story will take another turn or two........... | |
| harrowcat | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 8/24/2006 |
| Sounds like a good deal all round and for everyone. I love the white patch of feathers and Elanor's concern and thanks. Great chapter. Author Reply: Glad you're still enjoying it. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Rose is a clever lass who knows what to do and how to do it to cheer a friend and acquire some help with the jam-making at the same time. Yes, I love Meneldor and his distinctive patch of white feathers. Ellie was so sweet, the way she showed her concern for this massive bird. She's her parents' daughter alright! | |
| demeter d | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 8/23/2006 |
| Oh, Baggins Babe! I do very much enjoy visiting in your happily-evr-after alternate Middle Earth. This is exactly the kind of life Frodo deserved to have had, if fate and the good professor had allowed. So many, many delightful images here. "the Captains" getting swatted with Rose's tea towel, and frolicking in the orchard with the younger children. with examples like them, perhaps the Sandyman children can know what a good father would be like. I think, indeed, Pippin would have made a wonderful Da! And Rose as a diplomatic assistant to the Reunited Kingdom! Just too good! So lovely to see a restored Bag End full of love, enough to pour out to all of the Shire. I vote that Merry and Pippin lead a delegation of feisty Tooks with big bows to escort Ted to the Northern Steward, then a large delegation of Aragorn's very tall Dunedain kin takes him to Gondor. That Hobbit needs to learn, as Gandalf once told Bilbo,"you are really a small fellow in a big wide world, after all.' (Or words to that effect, I read "The Hobbit" last too long ago.) Ted needs to learn that there are bigger villians in the world than he. Author Reply: I love giving Frodo the life he deserved, there in the Shire with his friends and family around him. I think Bag End and Frodo's character within it would have provided a loving haven for those who were troubled and in need. It is nice to give the Sandyman children some idea of what normal hobbits are like and how they behave, as well as giving Merry and Pip a bit of practice at fatherhood. Ah yes, Rose as assistant diplomat, luring the envoys from Harad with her delicious pickles. I'm sure Aragorn, sensible Man, welcomes some help in charming those somewhat difficult and possibly prickly people. The strange thing about Rose is that she writes herself. She is such a strong character that I almost feel she is standing at my elbow and telling me what to write. You're right - Ted does need to learn that he is a very small fish in a huge pond, but whether he is capable of learning anything is something we shall discover in the next chapter. | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 8/23/2006 |
| Sweet, wise Rosie, and a devious one as well she's proved. And Aragorn will make certain Ted Sandyman has a good idea of how not to behave in the future. Lovely. Author Reply: Yes, isn't Rose a sneaky, devious, wise lass? A fitting consort indeed for the Lord Samwise. As for Ted, the realisation that he will be sent to Gondor should come as a very nasty shock. | |
| Tigger | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 8/23/2006 |
| That's our Rose!! Not only did she help the Sandyman family relax and enjoy a day away from their troubles, but she got her jam up too. As I know all too well, that is one big job and I will be commanded ;o) by my Mom, our Rose, in a few weeks for picking and peeling peaches and apples for both pies, jams and jellies. BTW, you might want to add a Mint Apple Jelly to Rose's pantry for one of your stories someday. I've discovered it mentioned during Elizabethan Banquets during my reading (Tudor Royal History is one of my passions), so it would fit in Middle Earth. Just a suggestion. I loved, loved, loved Aragorn's mentioning of this... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Arwen and the children send their love to you all. Tell Rose that the last batch of pickles has dwindled too quickly and Faramir and I have had to lock the rest in the Treasury. We made the mistake of serving some at a banquet last month and now everyone knows about Rose's culinary skills. The spiced tomato chutney seems to be exceptionally popular among the representatives from Harad, who signed a new trade treaty on the strength of it! Rose is now officially a diplomatic assistant to the Reunited Kingdom. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Lady Rose Gamgee, wife to Ringbearer Perhail, The Lord Samwise Gamgee, Mother of his children, Elf friend and Culinary Diplomatic Assistant to the Reunited Kingdom...I love it!! Oh and we have friends who had to do the same thing that Aragorn and Faramir did w/Rose's pickles. It was my Mom's Green Tomato Pickle and it went into their safe so they'd at least have one jar left for Christmas supper...LOL!!! :oD This had me melting in fluff. Rather fitting considering who is speaking when you think of it... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Lord Frodo, Lord Samwise. I apologise if I have alarmed the little chicks. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The little chicks...That is just so fluffy and...and...Awwwww!!! And this brought a huge grin to my face... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When all the fruit was picked and in the kitchen, the children played. Violet watched enviously as the Gamgee children and their cousins were carried in turn round the garden on the shoulders of the Captains. Ellie noticed her friend's wistful expression and whispered in her Uncle Pippin's ear. A few moments later he walked to the little lass, crouched down and spoke to her gently. "Would you like a go, Violet? I won't let you fall, I promise, and I won't make you go higher than you're comfortable with." She nodded slowly, a small grin curving her mouth. The Thain's son was the tallest hobbit she had ever seen, but he was kind and quite handsome, with friendly green eyes and sandy auburn curls, and he was always laughing and was sometimes as silly as a tween, although she had seen him in his uniform, guarding the King, and he was not silly then. He lifted the child carefully and paused when she was only three inches off the ground and twinkled at her. "Is this too high?" "No, sir." She smiled. "You don't have to call me sir, little flower. Is this too high?" She was level with his knees. "No.....Mister Pippin." She began to giggle. He lifted her level with his belt. "Now is this too high?" "No........." She was laughing now. "Alright then, shall we go all the way to the top?" "Yes please!" She squealed delightedly as she was lifted onto Pip's shoulders and he began to trot round the garden, keeping a secure hold on her ankles as she bounced. Her small hands rested on his curls and she was laughing more than Ellie had ever seen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ That was just too delightful. Little Violet hasn't had enough of that in her young life and this would be right up Pippin's alley too. Violet's right. Pippin's going to be a very good Da. :o) Oh and a saucer of jam out on the table for the buggie boos. Have to remember that one for a couple of weeks from now. I think that the combination of Aragorn's letter and Ivy's very perceptive statement that being sent to Gondor to face the King might be the only way for Ted to change his ways will help sway Frodo and Sam into doing just that. Even if he isn't able to, even w/Aragorn's help, at least he's away from The Shire/Eriador/Arnor and wouldn't be able to hurt any more hobbits. Which would tear Frodo apart if that did happen. This was such a great, great chapter. Looking forward to the next one. :oD Author Reply: Yes, Mint Apple Jelly was popular at Tudor banquets. I'll have to see what I can do about introducing it into a story. Oh, I think if anyone else was hurt by Ted Frodo would be devastated. He has realised that someone needs to take strong action and it may as well be the King. Perhaps a little awe and terror will do Ted the world of good. I grinned when I found myself typing Meneldor referring to 'the little chicks' but how else would a bird refer to young? *giggle* 'Fluff' is very appropriate! Violet is a very perceptive lass and quite right - Pippin (and Merry)will be wonderful fathers. I think Pip would have enjoyed cheering a child and bringing a smile to her face. A saucer of jam will keep the wasps busy. Good luck with the jam! *goes off to think about Mint Apple Jelly..........* | |
| Dreamflower | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 8/23/2006 |
| Yay!! So, If Diamond's just had Faramir, and Merry and Estella are expecting their first--who will go with the Men to take Ted to Gondor? Or will you send him by himself? That might be an eye-opener of a sort. On the other hand, it might be a good chance for hobbits who haven't traveled yet to go! Author Reply: That's a good thought - who should go? Isumbrand Took may be a possibility. If the Angmarians couldn't scare him he won't be afraid of Ted. We shall have to wait and see............. I wonder how Ted would react to travelling all that way surrounded by the King's northern kin? | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 8/23/2006 |
| He could see why everyone seemed to gravitate towards Bag End, which had an atmosphere of such happiness and warmth that it was impossible to be sad there for long. Later Vi arrived in the kitchen and Ivy scarcely recognised her pale, wary, frightened little girl in the lass before her, glowing with a mixture of happiness, sun and strawberry juice, her hair escaping its ribbons and her eyes sparkling with pleasure. And then... an Eagle! What a treat for *all* of us. "A few scorched feathers were a small price to pay for the honour of carrying your father out of Mordor, small mistress. The Lord King healed the burn and the white feathers are a mark of great honour. We three are the envy of my kin." Oh, how wonderful, BB! And what a day for Ivy and her children, and... precious Shire pickles locked in the treasury! Perfection. Author Reply: Gotta love Shire pickles in the Treasury! I'm sure Rose knows just how good her pickles are and thinks it is a most suitable place. :-)) I think Ivy and her family will long remember the day they met an Eagle. | |