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Okay, NOW Panic! by Boz4PM	14 Review(s)
Yanic	Reviewed Chapter: 49 on 9/26/2007
Loved it, and I'm also loving the evolving relationship between Halladan and Penny, just great! Author Reply: Thank you. :D Hoping the next chapter should not be too long in coming (perhaps a couple of weeks at the most)

Pryderi	Reviewed Chapter: 49 on 9/19/2007
Well I continue to enjoy this tale. I really believe that it is very fine writing. I take your point about Halladan and await developments. Well a couple of points I noticed in this chapter and it is not necessary to respond to this new character. Whatever you may have been told. A PEDANT WRITES: Why does the party move East before moving North along the banks of Isen?In my copy of Unfinished Tales, The Battles of the Fords of Isen, it says: "The Isen came down swiftly......but..... it became slow before it turned West.......Just above this westward bend were the Fords of Isen." Now is Gandalf an "advisor" or an "adviser". I had assumed the former was American but my copy of Chambers (the latest) advises(!) that they are alternative spellings without indicating that either is American. On the other hand my (more elderly but still quite recent) Shorter OED does not mention "advisor" at all. Ho Hum the world changes but I challenge fan fiction to find Tolkien himself using the "o" letter rather than the "e". THE PEDANT retreats. I really look forward to your postings so I am not sure whether I hope you update more frequently or not. I want to know what happens but I like having another chapter to look forward to. Good Luck, Pryderi. Author Reply: Thanks for the comment - glad you enjoyed the chapter. :D "Well a couple of points I noticed in this chapter and it is not necessary to respond to this new character. Whatever you may have been told." Sorry, I wasn't sure what you meant by this. :) As for your points: I am not quite sure why it says that the fords are above the bend in UT, but that seems to contradict both LOTR and the maps. The maps has the river bend, as it says, but has the fords BELOW the bend. So too in TTT the road and the river north of the fords head east for a while and only then head north: "There was an ancient highway that ran down from Isengard to the crossings. For some way it took its course beside the river, bending with it east and then north; but then at the last it turned away and went straight towards the gates of Isengard;..." (In 'The Road to Isengard' ("The Two Towers"), just after they have crossed the river and passed the burial mound) That's where I took my details from. :) In case of any discrepancies between versions I take LOTR first, then The Silmarillion and/or UT, and then HoME in that order, though in this case I was not even aware that UT said something different about the position of the fords in relation to the bend in the river. As for adviser/advisor - either is equally valid. I am not sure why '-er' should feel odd to me when I'm describing someone in an official capacity but it does for some reason. However, since, on checking, I find it listed as 'the alternate and in brackets', I shall change it to '-er'. I was honestly not aware I had spelt it one way or the other. Thank you. :) My OED does say '-or' is "the disupted form" (lol!) and has come into regular usage likely due to influence from 'advisory' which makes sense.

Eilenach	Reviewed Chapter: 49 on 9/18/2007
Once again, you've done a great job of showing Penny's anguish at having both foreknowledge and the realization that some good will come out of the trauma that will occur in the Shire. Plus it helps that Gandalf does let Saruman go! I love this set of lines: “I do not know, and I know it is ridiculous, but… does it not make you feel strange to see a tree walking about?” Halladan shrugged. “No stranger than seeing the ghosts of the dead fight, and far less unnerving.” Fair point. Author Reply: Thank you for reading and letting me know you enjoyed it. :D Yeah, Penny's in something of a quandry - there's pros and cons on both sides. Having someone else to thrash it all through with should help... perhaps. ;)

Miss	Reviewed Chapter: 49 on 9/17/2007
OH an update!! Well, good for you, you're fine! I was truley becoming worried. Great chapter tough. I can't put the line right together. It's one o clock in the moring. My bed is calling me.... Till the next iupdate!! Author Reply: Sorry I worried you! :\ Yeah, just RL going even more nuts than usual and this chapter being particularly bolshy. ;) Glad you enjoyed the chapter. :D

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 49 on 9/15/2007
Oh, I liked the bit at breakfast with the tea; clearly they've had some time with her--but she still seems to be being reluctant to having a lot of conversation with them--I recall in Rivendell, Frodo was helping her a good deal with her language lessons, for example. I'm somewhat thrown by your comment re. Frodo having foresight re.Sam. I can't think which bits you're referring to. is intrigued now At the Grey Havens, when he tells Sam farewell, he not only tells him that he is his heir, but predicts the names and genders of five of Sam's children, and hints that there will be more than that. He also predicts that Sam will be Mayor for a good long time, and that he will be a famous gardener. (I made a mistake in mentioning "the others"--that's fanon, though I've always thought it logical, that if he had foresight regarding Sam, it would extend to Merry and Pippin as well.) But he definitely had foresight regarding Sam--and rather specific detailed foresight! Author Reply: I had entirely forgotten that. Thank you. :D

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 49 on 9/15/2007
Oh wow! I'm so glad she told Halladan; I think that he will decide to keep his mouth shut, but if not, the only safe one I can think to tell would be Gandalf--who seems to already know a good deal anyway. You have grappled so well with the conflicting feelings that Penny's had to deal with here. But I couldn't help but notice that the ones she's been avoiding most are the hobbits--it's going to be a lot harder to do that once they move on. The Company's only going to get smaller as they return to Rivendell. On the other hand, Frodo, too, has an amazing amount of foresight about Sam and the others...could it all have come from dreams? Author Reply: Well, she's not been avoiding the hobbits completely - they have breakfast together every morning and they are around and about in the evenings, indeed they decamped to the Dunedain fire while the elves were at their gravest. She sees a lot of them, but there is not much interaction (but then part of that is due to language constraints given only Frodo speaks Sindarin and her Westron is very limited), or at least there is not much interaction of direct relevence to the plot. It's there, but limited. I'm somewhat thrown by your comment re. Frodo having foresight re.Sam. I can't think which bits you're referring to. is intrigued now Glad you enjoyed the chapter, and thanks for reading and taking time to comment. :)

Kitty	Reviewed Chapter: 49 on 9/15/2007
All the farewells in the books left me in tears every time I read it, and here it is even worse, because you did take the time to describe them properly. Well done, even if it was sad. I loved particularly the one with Legolas; he’s so perceptive, and I was glad he told Penny to confide in someone. Penny’s feelings around Orthanc are understandable, considering what she knows, and I thinky you caught it very well how she has to think and feel in this difficult situation. And she told Halladan finally! I am so glad – it must be easier for her to share this heavy burden, to have someone know about it. Now he can appreciate better how she’s feeling, knowing what is to come and not been allowed to talk about it. And I think Halladan is in a position to steer any decisions made by the leaders in the right direction, so everything is playing out as in the books, maybe even without telling anyone. I look forward to know if he keeps silence about this or not. On the other hand – Gandalf knew the Hobbits had to get through a gate ... hm. You know, there are some parts of LotR where I get the feeling they could truly have someone like Penny with them instead of foresight - it is fitting perfectly with canon. Halladan’s quick change of mind about Saruman was fascinating to watch. To understand how deep his treachery ran and how far back in history has to be quite a shock, hasn’t it? And of course, I loved the weasel incident :) Lindir is such a good friend, always having a good story when Penny needs distraction. Great chapter, Boz, as always, and well worth the wait! Author Reply: it is fitting perfectly with canon Which is the great battle with this part of the fic and why this chapter ended up being so problematic - my first idea didn't work so I had to do a complete rethink. I have to stick to canon, but I also have to keep everyone in character and make everything seem reasonable and realistic. I'm glad you think it's working so far. Thank you. :D

Daynawayna	Reviewed Chapter: 49 on 9/15/2007
This just keeps getting better and better Boz! Im very glad Penny was forced to share what she knows... I just pray Haladan doesn't spill the beans too soon! I what will we do when Penny finally finds peace? Oh, wait, she won't because she'll have to worry about learning stuff and fitting in and... ::giggles::: Your chapters are always worth the wait, my dear. We all wish they were more frequent, but you can't rush a good thing, can you? :) Author Reply: Thank you for thinking that. :) Glad you enjoyed it and felt it was worth waiting for in the end. what will we do when Penny finally finds peace? Oh, wait, she won't because she'll have to worry about learning stuff and fitting in and... ::giggles:: cackles Exactly! ;D

Lindelea	Reviewed Chapter: 49 on 9/15/2007
Marvellously done, and well worth the wait. It is the little details like this, so obviously carefully-thought-out, that breathe life into the characters and the writing: She looked down at the bowl, as if absent-mindedly checking it were still in her grasp before glancing back up and not quite looking him in the eye. I loved the practical joke "battle"--brings back memories of brothers engaged in similar shenanigans... Halladan's help here reminds me of an old Shire proverb: Sorrows shared are divided; shared joys are multiplied. (Ok, well, the Shirefolk might've cribbed it from some other peoples...) Author Reply: Thank you. :D And, I'm so glad the Lindir/Elladan battle reminded you of brotherly goings on - it was meant to have exactly that sort of feel. :D

Abra Ahab	Reviewed Chapter: 49 on 9/15/2007
As always, worth the wait! It really must have been heartbreaking for Penny to listen to Halladan and Aragorn go on about how much the loved the North, knowing what was happening. I can't imagine keeping such a huge thing inside and pretending that everything is normal - though this seems to be a common theme for both Penny and Halladan! I am glad that she told Halladan, though I honestly hope that he keeps her secret. The Scouring of the Shire was so important to the hobbits - especially the four who were part of the Fellowship. Thanks for another great chapter! Author Reply: I think in some ways it's as hard as when she was in Imladris, or perhaps worse. Last time the events were truly horrendous, BUT she had the sure knowledge that Sauron would fall at the end of it, which was a massive plus point to keeping her mouth shut as both Gandalf and Elrond pointed out. This time, the scouring of the Shire is minor in comparison to everything that's been, BUT the fall of Saruman is not nearly as 'life or death' as the fall of Sauron. It's a harder call for her, not nearly so clear cut. Glad you enjoyed it - thanks for reading. :)

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