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Dreamflower's Mathoms II by Dreamflower	9 Review(s)
Queen Galadriel	Reviewed Chapter: 34 on 4/4/2013
Aww! Now I'm incredibly nostalgic and need to reread The Hobbit too! Author Reply: I hope you enjoy your re-read! I'm overdue for another myself!

Queen Galadriel	Reviewed Chapter: 34 on 6/16/2007
Aww, poor Bilbo! I love your "Hobbit" stories; you always have the tone just right. This was lovely, to see Bilbo so honored...and the humble fellow not even realizing why! There's a Hobbit for you. Interesting what Harrowcat said in her review about guilt being a Baggins trait. I never thought about that before, but it makes sense. Actually Bilbo's habit of talking to himself in the third person always reminded me a bit of Sam. :) Also an interesting comment you made about why Tolkien might have chosen to gloss over the details of the aftermath of the war in LOTR. I've wondered about that myself, especially reading his letters. He did leave a lot of blank space for us, but it is understandable. Thanks for a delightfully cozy (and thought-provoking) read. :) God bless, Galadriel Author Reply: Thank you, dear! I really do love to write gap-fillers for "The Hobbit", but there are not quite as many gaps there as one would suppose! And I am pleased you think I get the tone right--I strive for that! Bilbo is very much a hobbit, and not one to put himself forward. Hobbits are modest creatures, after all. You know, it's quite possible that guilt is a Baggins trait--I think it is simply what a person who is sensitive to the feelings of others, and who took responsibility for his actions would tend to feel in the face of disaster. I'd wondered about it for a while, when that answer occurred to me. It feels right to me. And it's very nice to see "cozy" and "thought-provoking" in the same sentence!

Elemmírë	Reviewed Chapter: 34 on 6/7/2007
YEAH!!!! A Bilbo story!!!! And H/C as well!!!! You and I have remarked to each other many times in past reviews that there are never enough Bilbo fics. :D You intertwined this tale so very well with the Hobbit, Dreamflower. It was a pleasure to read and I'm glad Bilbo was able to laugh again after enduring such horrific events for a hobbit. It was also nice to get glimpses of the deeply forming friendship between Bilbo and Gandalf that will last for a lifetime. And these things just made me squeal in delight: Bilbo being cradled gently by one of the Big Folk; the too-big soup bowl and utensils (I've often wondered myself how Frodo and Sam coped in Minas Tirith. I suppose children's utensils were found for them, or fashioned.); Bilbo's hobbity humbleness when it came to his own role in the Battle; how the dwarves cared for him and everyone him company, even Beorn; and of course certain ... erm ... similarities between our 2 favorite Bagginses when waking from unconsciousness. You also wrote you concussion symptoms/treatment exceptionally well. I must admit I gave a little sigh of relief when I realized the concussion was to Bilbo and not Frodo--for in my personal plot bunny list is an idea regarding movie-verse Frodo suffering from the same ailment. :) It's on the back-burner for now, as I'm currently working on feeding/writing other bunnies. Take care, Dreamflower! ~Elemmírë~ Author Reply: You are quite right! Bilbo deserves his due. I do try and make gapfillers fit in with the story, so that's quite a compliment. And I think that Gandalf and Bilbo formed a very firm friendship during that little "Adventure". grin So glad to know what parts you like best. Of course, the similarities were very deliberate! I always research a bit when I write h/c. It pays off in having a believable story. And when I find a useful website, I try to share it, so others will be able to use it too, which is why I had the Author's Note. Good luck on your Frodo-fic!

Kitty	Reviewed Chapter: 34 on 6/7/2007
“Where am I, and what is the time?” he asked. That seems to be a bad hobbit habit to ask this question every time they’re waking up grin Anyway, lovely piece. Tolkien rather glossed over the aftereffects of the battle, so you filled the gap. It was only to be expected that Bilbo had at least a light concussion after being hit so hard on the head. Quite the honour to be in the tent of the King! And it was so typical of Bilbo not to see why he was the hero. I particularly enjoyed the interaction between Thranduil and Bilbo. And if I remember correctly, Bilbo gave him a piece of jewelry as a parting gift (it has been years since I’ve read it); this story would explain that much better than the book itself. After he got to know Bilbo a bit, I suppose Thranduil could understand well why his son later became so good friends with the Travellers. And now we know when Bilbo decided to learn elvish :-) Author Reply: I think it is a "hobbit habit". Frodo says it when he wakes; when Merry wakes, he says "I am hungry. What is the time?" And Sam also wants to know, and asks "Noon? Noon of what day?" when he wakes up (though it's not his first words.) My theory is that hobbits have a very regular "bio-rhythm", but that being uncoscious messes it up. So the first thing they need to do on waking is to "re-set" it! And I was tempted to have Gandalf say "the twenty-fourth of October", since the Battle of Five Armies was sometime in October, but I thought that would be a touch OTT. JRRT did tend to gloss over the aftereffects of battle, and to not confront them directly--though in Frodo's case, he confronted them indirectly. I think it may have been due to his own PTSD from his time in the trenches in WWI. I think he could not quite bring himself to open his own psychic wounds. And of course, helm or no helm, if Bilbo was knocked unconscious, it seems likely he would have had a mild concussion. You are quite right about Bilbo's gift. And I think that Thraduil would have respected the little person very much after his actions with the Arkenstone, seeing his courage and integrity--and his resistence to Dragon-spawned greed! You know, you could be quite right about that! Well, it must have added to his problems, to be wandering around in those caverns, and not really able to understand what was being said most of the time! Plus, I'm sure the sound of it really appealed to him.

Lindelea	Reviewed Chapter: 34 on 6/6/2007
Read this grinning the whole way through. Ah, lovely Bilbo, we just don't see enough of him! Mushroom soup! Yum! And what a nice suggestion as to how Bilbo became interested in learning Elvish. And there were a few other comments I had but absolute pandemonium is raging here as the inhabitants devour the rare and expensive Dove ice cream bars bought as eldest's price for house- and dog-sitting last week whilst the rest of us were pursuing Oceanography studies at the Coast. sigh At least she shared! O just remembered, also loved Bilbo's humility, and the others' recognition of it, and amazement, and Beorn's visit too. Lovely! Author Reply: I'm so glad it made you grin! There really are not enough Bilbo stories, and very few gapfillers for The Hobbit. (Speaking of Bilbo--I am really looking forward to more of "When Winter Fell", hint-hint) Mushroom soup would always go over well with hobbits, I think! Well, he spent a good deal of time there, not able, really to do anything but lurk and listen--he must have really wished he knew what they were saying! (Mmmmmm....Dove Ice Cream bars....drools on keyboard) I think that his humility and modesty really was one of the things that commended himself to the other races. I'm happy you enjoyed it!

Grey Wonderer	Reviewed Chapter: 34 on 6/6/2007
I enjoyed this double because I am currently re-reading "The Hobbit" and so this hit home for me. And then I do love Bilbo! Author Reply: Isn't The Hobbit lovely? It's such a perfect story. I love Bilbo too, and there just aren't enough Bilbo fics!

demeter d	Reviewed Chapter: 34 on 6/6/2007
Delightful! It feels very much like walking around inside "The Hobbit" a bit. The characters ring true to canon. I especially enjoyed your portrayal of Thranduil and your OC, the healer. Tolkien wrote that Bilbo decided to make a stand with the forces around the Elf-King. And afterword, Bilbo gifted Thranduil with a necklace from Smaug's horde. Bilbo came to respect the elves, and they him. You have shown this well. I also enjoyed the visit from Beorn. Author Reply: Oh thank you! What a kind thing to say! I do think that the time Bilbo spent among Elves, both in Rivendell and in Mirkwood colored his attitude towards the Elves. He saw for himself what noble creatures they were, rather than allowing the Dwarves' prejudice to inflluence his feelings towards them. I think Thranduil would have held this little "burglar" in much respect, especially when he came to know the truth of the Dwarves' escape, and also after Bilbo's brave and selfless actions regarding the Arkenstone. He was a hobbit who had truly learned that it is better to give than receive! grin I had to have Beorn extend his invitation, as I did once write a little gap-filler about Bilbo's Yuletide visit with him!

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 34 on 6/6/2007
Ah, yes--dealing with that nasty knock to his head and getting over it. Then, to have a blow by blow complete with measuring the blood and gore? Yeecchhhh! Poor Bilbo! But he's a game soul, he is. Dear, delightful Bilbo! Author Reply: I was so pleased that I didn't have to knock anyone over the head for this challenge! I always prefer, when I can to use canon events for h/c. And this is such a nice gap! The "blow by blow" comes from observing fighters I know--they really do seem to want to re-hash each round, complete with gestures! It's one thing when it's sport, but when it is real life, it could be quite gory! And I'm extrapolating from Gimli's behavior after Helm's Deep, that Dwarves might have that sort of attitude to their fighting. Bilbo really was game, wasn't he? Very much braver than he gave himself credit for!

harrowcat	Reviewed Chapter: 34 on 6/6/2007
Ouch, poor Bilbo. Loved the echoes to Frodo's awakenings. And the family heritage of both guilt and humbleness. Author Reply: grin I'm glad you noticed the similarities to Frodo's awakenings. I actually thought at one point of having Gandalf give the date, and it being the same--but I thought that would be a little over the top (though possible, since the Battle of Five Armies was in October as well). Yes, guilt--that does seem to be a Baggins thing, doesn't it? But I think humility is general to most hobbits--all five of our hobbits seem to exhibit humility and modesty, in spite of their achievements.

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