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The Road to Edoras by Dreamflower	8 Review(s)
GamgeeFest	Reviewed Chapter: 43 on 6/8/2007
What a lovely and fun evening everyone had. I very much enjoyed the interplay between Beri and Viola, and their adorable hand-holding. Mistress Poppy could have let Viola have a little bit more fun, but then, she is responsible for her well-being and so must be all proper about everything. g Author Reply: Yes, I thought that a welcoming feast would be fun for all! And it was nice for Beri and Viola to be allowed to sit together! I think Mistress Poppy realized that Viola had had just about as much mead as would be good for her! LOL! And she does take seriously her duty to her apprentice, of whom she is quite fond.

elanor winterflowers	Reviewed Chapter: 43 on 6/7/2007
Oh! I am glad to know there is a Lay of Meriadoc; it's very impressive! I think Merry will like to hear it! Is it based in Anglo-Saxon poetry? I don't know a lot about these things: was it recited or sung? I liked all the little details you saw to, here. Viola's lovely dresses, and the way cultural perspective sometimes make a joke of things (ie. the hobbit 'menfolk'). And the idea of how to explain what the rest of the world looks like; now we would do it with pictures, but language was much richer once upon a time. Still, Freddy has his work cut out for him! The romance is proceeding with charming intensity and I like that the Wide World does not alter the steady Victorian pace of it, or Mistress Poppy's sense of Duty. I look forward to Beri and Viola's very unconventional courtship--the first conducted beyond the Bounds of the Shire. The world is changing, but hopefully not too quickly. :) Author Reply: It is rather based on Anglo-Saxon alliterative verse, although I am not very good at keeping the proper scansion with it. (Strictly speaking, each line should have at least two alliterated accent syllables in each half-line. And the number of syllables in each line should be roughly the same.) And the general theory it that it was sort of half-sung, or chanted, to the accompaniment of a stringed instrument, which was strummed to emphasized the accents. I knew that Viola should have come away from the Shire with some nice dresses for court--and I'm afraid I do very much like describing the clothes once in a while, LOL! It seemed to me that the hobbits would be wondering how to convey all this strangeness to their fellow hobbits on their return home! A daunting task! "The steady Victorian pace of it"--yes! Thank you--that just does convey the sort of courtships I think common among hobbits. A careful getting-to-know-one-another, with physical touches and intimacies being rather rationed out. And both of these young people are respectable and well-brought up hobbits, who are content to know that at some point they will decide whether to commit their lives to one another. Beri does rather hope for a kiss soon, however! ;-)

harrowcat	Reviewed Chapter: 43 on 6/7/2007
I love the blossoming love even aided a little by the mead! g And the epic poem is wonderful. Have you finished it because I would love to hear the rest! Author Reply: Yes, it's probably as well that Mistress Poppy fetched Viola away when she did; I'm afraid the lass' inhibitions might have been loosened a little bit, LOL! I started that with a couple of lines that were in a letter from Eomer to Saradoc, in "When the King Comes Back (Brandy Hall)", and continued to add a bit to it in Ch. 30 of "A New Reckoning". I do hope to finish it at some point, but at this time, that's as far as I've gone, LOL!

Kitty	Reviewed Chapter: 43 on 6/7/2007
This chapter got me thinking about the difficulties travellers in earlier ages had in describing their experiences and what they had seen. How do you explain, say, the Himalayas to someone who does only know a flat land with soft little hills? Or, in this case, Edoras and, even worse, Minas Tirith to someone who thinks of Hobbiton or Michel Delving as big? Today we have at least photos to help in giving the image, but before that? This alone will be quite a task for the embassy at their return, I think. Not to mention all the other experiences – Freddy and Beri explained it very well, I think, better than I could. “You will be meeting kings? What will you wear?” Do I hear my mother and aunt here? grin I don’t even want to imagine what they would say if I were in Viola’s place – they would drive me insane! Beri and Viola are so cute together, having eyes only for each other and holding hands during the song about Merry. I’m sure they will return betrothed to the Shire. And I am sure the hobbits are glad to know how much Merry is honoured in Edoras. Author Reply: Yes, before photography, it must have been difficult to make people understand the differences between "here" and "there". Hmm... snicker Viola's aunt and sister really did have a point, though! They are adorable when they are in love, aren't they? They are very touched and proud of their Merry! And of course, Edoras is "his" place, as Minas Tirith is Pippin's.

Lindelea	Reviewed Chapter: 43 on 6/6/2007
Read at top speed, and will have to come back with more leisure, but Chapter 5 of The Wheel on the School is waiting, in the clutches of impatient wee hobbits, and I must not delay. I do love the bard's tribute to Merry, did you write that? I'm seriously impressed. And Beri's so cute... and smitten... And yes, lavender in the bath, such a treat. (Wee hobbits got into my lavender bath salts and used them all up, I'm afraid, and also my lavender bath bubbles. sigh Guess I'm not the only one who likes lavender around here.) But really, Wheel on the School is growing most insistent and I fear it will begin to read itself aloud if I don't get over there, at least from the level of mounting excitement I am hearing amongst the wee hobbits. Yikes! (And here I sneaked the read because I thought I might learn Cado's fate...) Author Reply: Yes--I've posted part of it before--in Ch. 30 of "A New Reckoning", but I added a bit to it. Parts of it also appeared in Eomer's letter to Saradoc, as well! Beri is smitten, isn't he? I love smitten hobbits! grin They're so cute when they're in love! (Cado's fate in the very next chapter, which will probably go up early next week!)

Grey Wonderer	Reviewed Chapter: 43 on 6/6/2007
Awwww, Viola and Berilac were so sweet together. And now the romance really begins! Lovely chapter and the song about Merry was excellent. Author Reply: They do make a cute couple, don't they? And I'm glad you liked the tribute to Merry. He deserves it.

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 43 on 6/6/2007
Hooray that there is now an ode to our beloved Merry, and the Hobbits of the Shire have heard it. And they are appreciating why the four have difficulties communicating where they've been and what they've done, and are seeing the difficulties these outsiders will have with news of their culture as well. Yes, it was well, well done to send these to Rohan and Gondor. The exchange is needed desperately. Author Reply: Yes, part of that peice appeared before, in Ch. 30 of "A New Reckoning", but I have since added to it. It's true--it's not only the "bad stuff", the battles and the danger and the monsters, that the others in the Shire can't understand, it's also the "good stuff", like Rivendell, Lothlorien, Edoras and Minas Tirith, that other hobbits would have trouble conceiving of. These eight hobbits will return with a new appreciation of things, and maybe will be able to help spread the word about the rest of the world.

PIppinfan1988	Reviewed Chapter: 43 on 6/6/2007
LOL, poor Berilac and Viola can barely catch one minute alone! I hope he gets to kiss her at some point. ;-) He still has his revenge to give to the Elf for the first interruption. Oh, and the homesickness Viola was feeling...bless her heart. I can empathize with her, so I felt that scene in my heart. I am so enjoying their stay in Edoras, but eventually, other things must be dealt with, and I'm eager to see how that plays out as well. Very lovely chapter! Author Reply: They will get a kiss sooner or later! (And trust me, he has not forgotten his revenge!) Yes, she does miss her sister and aunt! But at least they sent her away well clad! Eomer's judgement is in the very next chapter!

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