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The Tenant from Staddle by Larner	9 Review(s)
Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 25 on 8/2/2007
Poor blinkered Barti. Delphinium could tell him, I suppose, but it wouldn't have the same effect. At least Frodo can appreciate the amount of Baggins in Barti's children. And Begonia's suspicions have been aroused about Fosco and Forsythia. Author Reply: Yes, Barti is far too limited by being who and what he is as a stereotypical Bracegirdle; and the twins are first seen by the Bracegirdle children. And all three of these Travelers recognize the Baggins in Delphinium and Bartolo's children. So glad of the feedback, Bodkin; and looking forward to something new from you! Heh!

Baggins Babe	Reviewed Chapter: 25 on 8/2/2007
Thank goodness the children take after their mother and have the Baggins sensitivity and intuition, unlike poor Barti who is so solidly and stolidly Bracegirdle. I hope Sam gives Barti a good talking-to soon but I'm glad Pip and Merry had their say to Frodo, and I'm so pleased that Merry recognises the children's good qualities. I just wish Frodo would stop feeling so much guilt. Author Reply: Actually, Sam gave Barti's his talking-to in the last chapter; part of this chapter is a bit out of sync. And once he's past his suspicions of the children as Barti's offspring Merry's able to appreciate that they are equally Delphinium's. As for Frodo--the PTSD is growing worse, and until he goes over the Sea he's not likely to get much better.

Antane	Reviewed Chapter: 25 on 8/1/2007
Oh, dear Sam, promising not to tell Bracegriddle that he's a ninnyhammer, but not promising he won't think it! I applaud Pippin's attempts to try to explain that his ever so stubborn cousin is not the complete failure he thinks he is. Most wonderful to hear Frodo laugh. Love second most the horror that Frodo feels at the thought of being without Sam. How hard it must have been to make the decision to leave, to realize that there was a greater force in his life than that incredible love and he had to leave to heal from that terrible wound. Namarie, God bless, Antane :) Author Reply: Sam's Sam, and fully honest, of course. And he'll see to it his Master's honor is defended, even from abrasive Bracegirdles. And of course Pippin and Merry are equally determined to the same purpose. As for Frodo--he is beginning to appreciate just how wounded he is at a deeper level, and is becoming aware that perhaps his dependence on Sam may not be the most healthy thing for either of them; but for now he does need it and cannot yet bear to be away from it. He and Sam are both meant to be whole, and unfortunately for him to be whole he must leave in the end; only to have the wholeness of Sam's companionship restored when it is right and proper for it, when it is no longer the dependence of illness but the proper companionship of those who are each whole in themselves.

Linda Hoyland	Reviewed Chapter: 25 on 7/31/2007
Being Mayor is a tough job for sensitive Frodo. I loved Begonia's vision. Author Reply: I think he must have made a wonderful deputy Mayor--there had to be a reason he didn't run on his own! And I suspect Begonia would have been as sensitive to the story as her sisters, at least! I tend to feel sorry for their dad, myself. Thanks for the feedback.

cookiefleck	Reviewed Chapter: 25 on 7/31/2007
Glad to see Sam playing a larger role in the story, and the situation. And good for Merry and Pippin, too. Frodo needs to face up to what happened and speak plainly, for his own sake and for the sake of the Shire, whose citizens should know the truth and honor its heroes. With a little help from his friends, perhaps that will happen. Author Reply: Yes, Sam has also grown; and the one who best appreciates it and wishes for the entire Shire to know is Frodo himself. Now, if only he would do the same for himself. Yes, with a little help from his friends.... Thank you so much for the feedback.

Kitty	Reviewed Chapter: 25 on 7/31/2007
Ah, so Bilbo’s story of running away without a handkerchief (shocking!) is the reason Sam is always carrying some with him? Odd side effect of the story grin Sam and the two cousins know Frodo very well, and it was good to watch how protective they are of him (not to mention Brendi and the Took lawyers at the end). I don’t doubt Sam will give Barti a piece of his mind, really! This chapter is showing how much Frodo needs them, as he’s panicking at the mere thought of living on his own. Do I need to tell you how much I enjoyed Merry and Pippin here? Mother Sam, indeed! And they didn’t allow Frodo to hide his fame the way he wanted and helped the Bracegirdle children to understand even more! beams Well, you know already how I think about this matter, and so you’ll probably understand why I am very satisfied with this chapter. Delphie proved very insightful about Frodo’s reaction to the matter of Saruman. And I am glad that she and her older children, even if not her husband, caught what Elrohir and Elladan were singing about. (Btw, it was nice to have this one detail here another time - I love the twins). Author Reply: Well, Bilbo's stories have to have had an effect on as malleable a child as Samwise Gamgee was, to the point he purposely packed things he was certain Frodo wouldn't think to take for himself, or so the Master tells us. Sam's always been the gardener and nurturer; now Frodo's facing up to the fact he's dependent on that nurturing nature to see him through life, and I suspect he both appreciates it and is becoming somewhat worried by it, not wishing his own dependency to draw Sam from actually living his own life as fully as possible. Yes, Mother Sam! And am so glad you appreciate how Merry and Pippin openly defy Frodo here to let at least Barti's children appreciate just what he did and how hard it must have been to do. And am so glad so many appear to appreciate the twins singing here. Thanks so much!

Pryderi	Reviewed Chapter: 25 on 7/31/2007
Another fine chapter Larner and a moving bardic interpolation. However I would have pedantic comments wouldn't I? I thought that the family met Glorinlas Gildorion on the way to Bree yet they remember meeting his father Gildor Inglorion. Was that your intention? Oh and "our King's ancestry Isildur" should perhaps be "ancestor"? Neither are important but at least the first one demonstrates my continuing interest in this tale! Thanks for a very enjoyable chapter. Pryderi. Author Reply: Oh, Pryderi, you can't imagine how glad you caught these! No matter how many times these are gone over, it appears there are always a couple of foolish errors per chapter that sneak by! Thank you so very much! And am so glad you found it enjoyable! Thanks again!

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 25 on 7/31/2007
I love the way you caught the post-Quest dynamic of the Travellers. Merry and Sam are still in a Conspiracy--this one to make sure that Frodo gets his due: “I’ll bet Frodo provoked him,” Merry muttered, looking off toward the door. Then he looked back at Sam and smiled slyly. “But even Frodo won’t think to tell off the Lord Perhael for speaking to him, you know.” Sam shrugged and glanced briefly in the direction of the town square. “I’ll sort him out,” Sam said with quiet determination. And I expect that he will be very well sorted indeed! As for Pippin, he's no longer quite the submissive baby cousin anymore: Pippin gave a very loud sigh. “Oh, so he’s found out your deep, dark secret, did he--that at the last moment you were taken by a force no mortal nor Elf nor Wizard could hope to withstand, and couldn’t finish it yourself--had to see someone else do it--fall into the fire so that you and Sam and the rest of Middle Earth could remain free and safe, so that Sauron could be defeated? Is that it, Frodo Baggins?” Frodo’s face had gone very white. “I don’t wish it spoken of, Peregrin Took,” he whispered. Pippin ignored him as he looked back to Persivo. He's not to be left out when it comes to taking care of Frodo! And I love the way he spills the beans so concisely and rebelliously--you can tell Pippin's had quite enough of Frodo trying to hide his own accomplishments! And then the bit with the children explaining how they figured it all out, LOL! No, these are not "blockheaded Bracegirdles" at all. It is, truly, a shame Frodo could not have at least finished out one term as Mayor--he would have been so good for the Shire. But I loved seeing that moment once more, of the Peredhil twins singing his praise at the Free Fair! That's one bit of your fanon I can never get enough of. I'd love to see it from either Elladan's or Elrohir's POV sometime, as well. Author Reply: Yes, the Conspiracy still lives, and precisely as you point out. Sam won't allow folks to say things about his Master! No way! And Pippin is now indeed the future Thain in the making, who won't see lights hidden under bushes--or self-blame. The three of Frodo's companions on the great journey are now insisting on him being accepted as the marvelous being he is. These children hold the best of their mixed Baggins and Bracegirdle ancestry, and their ability to analyze and synthesize information won't be held down. They, and particularly Petunia and Persivo, have the sensitivity their oh-so-Bracegirdle father doesn't have, and all of them are perfectly capable of putting puzzles together. As for Frodo himself--he may not have as yet realized just how fragile emotionally he's yet to become, much less the physical decline that goes along with the growing PTSD, but he's enough self-aware to realize he's not recovered fully enough to keep on with these weekly jaunts between Bag End and Michel Delving, and growing more aware of how much he now depends on Sam. He's been good for the Shire, but how much good will he do if he starts getting ill regularly? And am so glad that the visit of Elladan and Elrohir mean so much to you. As for their own point of view--I just might write that one day, you know! Heh!

harrowcat	Reviewed Chapter: 25 on 7/31/2007
Sam always manages to make me smile, even in the worst of situations. From his never-ending supply of handkerchiefs, (quite a signature trait in your tales,) to his disarming honesty, (I can't promise not to think it!) I provoked him, Sam, and he did not understand what I said.” I thought of Jesus on the cross with this - Father forgive them, they know not what they do! “But I want them to realize you are important, Sam.” “They will, Mr. Frodo, just you wait and see. But I’ll let ’em take their time gettin’ used to the idea, like.” Sam is a gardener and truly knows how to let things grow. Such wisdom in dealing with the 'ordinary' people. But then Frodo, and others recognise that! G You ARE getting my initial thoughts as I read and I am obviously following you correctly so far! “I’m with Gandalf and Aragorn and Gimli, Samwise Gamgee--the Gaffer definitely misnamed you, my beloved Lord Panthael.” Pressure on that part of your neck really would make you feel ill I would imagine. I am glad that Frodo realises just how much he needs his support network, especially Sam, and doesn't seek to retreat from that too. That way leads to self-neglect and suicide! You mean that Lotho’s had that stickpin all these years? I swear--every time I think I can’t learn anything that makes me think the worse of your father’s cousin I manage to do so anyway. He was such a loathsome thing--he and Timono truly deserved one another!” Lotho really is the antithesis of most hobbits. The more you learn the less you like! The more I hear about the Free Fair the more I want to go! My childhood memories include the Annual 'Mop' - the remains of a medievael hiring and firing fair held in Warwick. The highlight of the year. I am glad that Persivo finds Frodo early. Persivo straightened at the insult. “I’ll remind you,” he said with spirit, “that our mother’s a Baggins, and quite proud of it, really. And just because Dad has some grudge against her cousin he won’t tell doesn’t mean she’ll allow us to carry it, too.” Good for him! Good for Pippin too! Love the way that he stands by his Role rather than his relationship to Frodo. A little distance might have made it just a bit easier. And he can’t seem to appreciate that the Creator had found a way to get It away from him before It destroyed him utterly--better the loss of one finger than you and Sam and It, Frodo Baggins.” “If only it had been but the loss of one finger----” “Even had you done what you’d intended, he still would have died, Frodo. You know what he told Sam--that when It was gone he’d die, die into the dust. You know he was right.” And this is really the heart of this period of time isn't it! The salute of Meriadoc the Magnificant to the Bracegirdle children! Now there is a true accolade from one conspirator to others! Ha! You clear up this and then stir the pot with Begonia seeing the twins with Frodo! It was apparently a song of an Elven warrior who fought in a war in a place called Mordor, a warrior who at the end faced the Enemy himself alongside a great King of Men, and together they managed to bring him down, although the two of them died doing so. I love the recurring themes in Tolkien and history in general! Begonia cast a quick look at her brothers and sisters. Persi and Pet, she realized, had seen much the same images as she had, and Persivo was shining at the moment almost as much as had been Cousin Frodo himself. Then she saw her older brother exchange a glance with their mother, and knew that the two of them each saw the other shared the same understanding of what the song had been about. An understanding more of the heart but informed by the head I think! A brilliant chapter Larner. Now I'm off to help at home for a week; about as much as I can take in one go I afraid to say! Mum has her annual appointment with her MS Consultant. I can't wait to have my say to this woman but I promise to be more of a Baggins than a Bracegirdle I promise. Author Reply: I wrote a response earlier, and again Hughes appears to have eaten it or spat it out somewhere else. The handkerchiefs sort of grew out of the idea that Sam purposely packed the little things Frodo didn't think of or thought of as needless that he suspected would be necessary to bring out in triumph when needed; if he always seemed to try to anticipate Frodo's needs, wouldn't he do similarly with handkerchiefs, and couldn't it have been sparked by Bilbo's own tales? So, this slipped in. And the idea of the history of Middle Earth ending up being sung that night grew out of the thought that this would be a part of the way the four of them tried to prepare their people to think of themselves as part of the greater outer realm. When the Master himself made the story of Frodo and Sam a continuation of the tale of the theft of the Silmarils and the exploits of Beren and Luthien, that the Travelers would seek to pass on this appreciation to the folk of the Shire seemed likely. All three of Frodo's companions would have wished to see him properly honored, and I do think they'd work at trying to keep him from morbid imaginings and undeserved criticism from himself as well as from others. And Pippin's Pippin, but he's also the future Thain in the making who knows from grim experience that sometimes orders need to be overlooked when they work to the ill of the very ones issuing them. At first Merry's suspicious because the children are Bartolo's offspring; but when he realizes how much they are those of Delphie also and how much they've figured out on their own he appreciates it all and offers them the respect they deserve. Sam has the patience of his calling, and the caring of his nature. Frodo may not have begun openly failing as yet, but he's sufficiently self-aware to realize he's not getting better as he ought to do; and I suspect the decision not to accept election would have been a considered one on his part. One of the highlights of my year since 1955 has been going to the Puyallup Fair in September; and I'd suspect the Free Fair would be similar to a state fair without the rides--contests, games, food of all sorts, craftsmen presenting samples of their skills and taking orders, women showing off their handiwork and cooking and competing with one another, farmer showing off the most wonderful of their crops and stock for the last year and arranging sales and breeding deals, shepherds selling off the small items they've crafted during the quiet times when their flocks were behaving, flock masters comparing bales of wool, spinsters competing for the finest threads and yarns produced and the finest weavings and yarnwork and embroidery; candy apples and scones and doughnuts and pasties and the odd Dwarf vendor here and there selling kitchen and utility knives, buckles and hardware, axes and arrow tips, game sets carved of stone, fine tableware, sets of beads of malachite and amethyst and aventurine, finely carved boxes and pipes and steins.... I, too, would wish to go, and I'd love to go to the Mop, I think. Pressure on the spinal column can cause so many problems; and I know how my husband's minor strokes affecting the brain stem led to multiple problems, from suppressed breathing to problems with balance and occasionally orientation. When my neck is out I have more migraines and problems just sleeping. Now the Bracegirdle and Baggins children just begin to become aware of one another, and we see that the Baggins legacy isn't lost to the Shire when Frodo and Bilbo sail to Tol Eressea. The remarkable sensitivity and intelligence and common sense of the Bagginses is now wed to Bracegirdle directness, bringing out the best of both lines. And the children realize that they share something with their mother their father is incapable of appreciating, and grieve for that as they accept it as true. Thank you so much for the long review. And good luck with the MS consultant. One of my best friend's MS has been arrested basically for the past twenty years, while that of the mother of a friend has become progressively worse, tying her now to a wheelchair. It is such an odd disease. Glad you plan to be diplomatic in your discussions! Heh! And love to the folks and Jet. Author Reply: I wrote a response earlier, and again Hughes appears to have eaten it or spat it out somewhere else. The handkerchiefs sort of grew out of the idea that Sam purposely packed the little things Frodo didn't think of or thought of as needless that he suspected would be necessary to bring out in triumph when needed; if he always seemed to try to anticipate Frodo's needs, wouldn't he do similarly with handkerchiefs, and couldn't it have been sparked by Bilbo's own tales? So, this slipped in. And the idea of the history of Middle Earth ending up being sung that night grew out of the thought that this would be a part of the way the four of them tried to prepare their people to think of themselves as part of the greater outer realm. When the Master himself made the story of Frodo and Sam a continuation of the tale of the theft of the Silmarils and the exploits of Beren and Luthien, that the Travelers would seek to pass on this appreciation to the folk of the Shire seemed likely. All three of Frodo's companions would have wished to see him properly honored, and I do think they'd work at trying to keep him from morbid imaginings and undeserved criticism from himself as well as from others. And Pippin's Pippin, but he's also the future Thain in the making who knows from grim experience that sometimes orders need to be overlooked when they work to the ill of the very ones issuing them. At first Merry's suspicious because the children are Bartolo's offspring; but when he realizes how much they are those of Delphie also and how much they've figured out on their own he appreciates it all and offers them the respect they deserve. Sam has the patience of his calling, and the caring of his nature. Frodo may not have begun openly failing as yet, but he's sufficiently self-aware to realize he's not getting better as he ought to do; and I suspect the decision not to accept election would have been a considered one on his part. One of the highlights of my year since 1955 has been going to the Puyallup Fair in September; and I'd suspect the Free Fair would be similar to a state fair without the rides--contests, games, food of all sorts, craftsmen presenting samples of their skills and taking orders, women showing off their handiwork and cooking and competing with one another, farmer showing off the most wonderful of their crops and stock for the last year and arranging sales and breeding deals, shepherds selling off the small items they've crafted during the quiet times when their flocks were behaving, flock masters comparing bales of wool, spinsters competing for the finest threads and yarns produced and the finest weavings and yarnwork and embroidery; candy apples and scones and doughnuts and pasties and the odd Dwarf vendor here and there selling kitchen and utility knives, buckles and hardware, axes and arrow tips, game sets carved of stone, fine tableware, sets of beads of malachite and amethyst and aventurine, finely carved boxes and pipes and steins.... I, too, would wish to go, and I'd love to go to the Mop, I think. Pressure on the spinal column can cause so many problems; and I know how my husband's minor strokes affecting the brain stem led to multiple problems, from suppressed breathing to problems with balance and occasionally orientation. When my neck is out I have more migraines and problems just sleeping. Now the Bracegirdle and Baggins children just begin to become aware of one another, and we see that the Baggins legacy isn't lost to the Shire when Frodo and Bilbo sail to Tol Eressea. The remarkable sensitivity and intelligence and common sense of the Bagginses is now wed to Bracegirdle directness, bringing out the best of both lines. And the children realize that they share something with their mother their father is incapable of appreciating, and grieve for that as they accept it as true. Thank you so much for the long review. And good luck with the MS consultant. One of my best friend's MS has been arrested basically for the past twenty years, while that of the mother of a friend has become progressively worse, tying her now to a wheelchair. It is such an odd disease. Glad you plan to be diplomatic in your discussions! Heh! And love to the folks and Jet.

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