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| The Ranger and the Hobbit by Cairistiona | 13 Review(s) |
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| lisag | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 5/6/2010 |
| Just re-read this story...great stuff. I wanted to add another post because the end of the last chapter always makes me wonder what would happen if Aragorn visited Bree after becoming King and Butterbur finally realized who he had been insulting all these years! I would love to see the man bowing and scraping, which I'm sure Aragorn would tell him wasn't necessary. I just don't like that Butterbur treats all the Rangers with such disdain when they've never done anything destructive or rude or improper in his inn. That would sure put a dent in his inn's AAA rating! ;) Author Reply: Thanks for the re-read! I'm glad you like it well enough to give it another go. :) And yes, I imagine Butterbur and so many of the residents around Bree and Archet and the Shire in general, would have had quite a shock when Aragorn returns. Despite how cranky I have him in this story, I don't see Butterbur as being entirely cold toward Rangers. He's simply had a run of bad customers and as the Rangers are quiet and mysterious and a little scary, he lumps them in with the bad eggs and Aragorn bore the brunt of that particular burst of frustrated anger (maybe knowing that, because the Rangers do tend to be polite, that he can vent his spleen without fear of getting punched in the nose!). And too, I think in my tale, which is set quite some years before he helps Aragorn with the Hobbits in FOTR, he's probably a bit more prejudiced against Rangers. Perhaps he mellows a bit with the years, gaining some measure of tolerance and understanding--enough that he does end up helping out in the end and shows himself not to be all that bad (AAA rating intact! *g*). I like to think so, anyway. | |
| grumpy | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 11/28/2009 |
| Well thank heavens for the talent of hobbits that can throw stones and het their targets. Love your story, nothing better then my favorite rangers, with a hobbit thrown in. Author Reply: Isn't it great that hobbits are such good stone throwers? I'm so glad you enjoyed this story... thank you for the review! | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 11/28/2009 |
| I would still like to know who it was who sent these Southrons here after Aragorn, and how they knew what signs to seek to know him, for it is obvious he was their primary target. And an excellent introduction to the capabilities of Hobbits meeting Ferdinand had proved. Yes, I do believe it would be very wise for him to get himself back to the Tooklands! Heh! Wonderful story! Author Reply: Thanks, Larner! I'm glad you enjoyed the story... and I actually am with you in wishing to know who sent the spies, but at this time in the storyline, it's more than likely they never did find out who. It can be frustrating if this weren't a gapfiller fic... but as a gapfiller, where the reader does know how it all turns out, the tension of leaving the characters a bit in the dark to me is rather fascinating to play with. And yes, our Ferdinand needs to stay home where it's safe... although I do wonder how much to heart Ferdinand will take Aragorn's wise counsel! Thanks for the review! | |
| Lily Baggins | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 11/27/2009 |
| I must admit I was so pleasantly surprised by Ferdinand! Not that I would have expected any less from such a brave little soul. How darling that he assigned himself to the task of being Aragorn's bodyguard. :) Poor Denlad is going to be more haunted by the fact that the Southron could have killed Aragorn than by his own arrow wound, I'm sure. I'm so glad Denlad only suffered an arrow wound and nothing worse---I can't bear to think of him being killed off. What lovely banter between them all at the end! This was a wonderful chapter and I'm very sad to see that the story seems to be wrapping up. I'll miss Ferdinand terribly---and hope hope hope you have more stories on your plate featuring our favorite ranger and his cronies. Looking forward to the epilogue---and a little sad, too, of course, that it will be the last chapter. Author Reply: Thanks, Lily! It always makes me a little sad, too, when that last chapter is finished. But yes, there'll be more stories with our intrepid Rangers! And I can't really bear the thought of killing off Denlad either, so I hope it never happens. Aragorn's going to be bereft enough when Halbarad dies! But who knows what turns life takes. And yes, I do think Ferdinand likely did think he was doing his part to help guard Strider... although I think Aragorn was also partly right in that Ferdinand was cold. LOL I'm so glad you enjoyed this chapter... thanks for the review! | |
| Erulisse | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 11/25/2009 |
| This has been a very enjoyable exercise in differing characters under pressure. Ferdinand is a great character - I'm going to miss him when I read more "standard" hobbit stories. I have enjoyed every chapter and I'll be sorry to see this end. Author Reply: Thank you, Erulisse! Those are very kind words... I'm so glad you enjoyed this story. I think the best stories always have some sort of huge, almost insurmountable dilemma of some sort and I try to work that into my multi-chapter tales. I really did enjoy exploring what a "non-Fellowship" hobbit might do when he finds himself caught up in a smaller scale incident of the evils of Arda. I do think Ferdinand will appear again... he's too fun to leave behind completely. There's an epilogue yet to come--thank you for the review! | |
| Minerva Organa | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 11/25/2009 |
| Oh, you put in my favorite poem!! Yay!!! And just when they think they're all safe...they're totally not! I liked that in the end Ferdinand was the one who saved the day...not a sword or an arrow but a well placed stone =). I'm gonna miss that hobbit! Author Reply: Thanks, Minerva! So that one's your favorite, eh? Mine's still the one Bilbo wrote about Aragorn but this one fit the story perfectly and is also one I like a lot. And I definitely had to give Ferdinand one more chance to be the hero and that little detail about hobbits being dead shots with stones was something I just had to use. :) I doubt we've seen the last of Ferdinand! Epilogue will be coming soon. Thanks for the review! | |
| Estelcontar | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 11/25/2009 |
| I should have known that this being a story of yours, I should have expected something happening to our poor rangers. I imagine how guilty poor Denlad must have felt when he saw that southron showing up and threatening them so. It was a very tense and suspenseful and vivid scene indeed. I cheered Ferdinand and his stone throwing skills, and was very glad to see Aragorn on his two feet again, and able to take care of himself once more. I loved the beginning. It was very delightful to see Aragorn sandwiched between two such doughty protectors. The pint-sized bodyguard had me chuckling out loud. The ending was great to. I could just picture irrepressible Ferdinand banging a beat on his spider and singing that delicious hobbit song. Just lovely Hopefully nothing untoward is going to happen in the epilogue. Anyway, I'm keeping my fingers crossed to help their chances. *wide grin* Author Reply: Thanks, Estelcontar! Yes, it had to have been a sickening realization, knowing that the Southron was still alive. I imagine poor Denlad was in a bit of shock over that, to say the least. Good thing they had Ferdinand with them. :) I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter with all it's ups and downs... and yes, knowing me, it probably would help the Rangers to keep your fingers crossed. *g* Thanks for the review! | |
| Silivren Tinu | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 11/25/2009 |
| "One small hobbit likely cannot save the world, after all." If only he knew! *g* Having that Southron show up again really was mean! I'm glad he's truly and without a doubt dead now, thanks to a certain valiant hobbit. Perhaps it would have been a good idea to let hobbits guard rangers, instead of the other way around. :D Ferdinand definitely seems to be up to the job. Poor Denlad - you just had to let him get shot when no one expected any danger anymore, didn't you? *g* Well, at least it wasn't Aragorn - I don't think poor Halbarad had survived finding his chieftain half-dead for a second time. Those guys really need something like a portable House of Healing. I will really be sad when the time comes to say goodbye to Ferdinand - I guess I'm going to miss him whenever I read the books now. ;-) Author Reply: Thank you, Almut! I can think of no better compliment than when a reader says they'll miss a character of mine when they read the books! Wow! I'm glad Ferdinand left such an indelible impression... I know he has on me. :) I think he may have to show up again, somehow. And yeah, had to give Denlad a bit of a rough time, but it wasn't too bad. To my mind, the arrow just caught that big muscle on the top of the shoulder, so no major organs, just a lot of stiffness and bruising and of course the wound itself. He'll definitely live on to fight another day, and now two Rangers owe Ferdinand their lives. :) An epilogue to go and it will be finished. Thanks for the review! | |
| Dreamflower | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 11/25/2009 |
| *very huge grin* Oh, there are few things I enjoy more than a stone-throwing hobbit saving the day! It just tickles me pink! This story has been so fun to read-- I will keep your Ferdinand in my heart as one of my favorite OCs! Author Reply: Thank you, Dreamflower! I loved that part... and it almost didn't get added, until I remembered that technically we had never *seen* that last Southron die. Then an opportunity presented itself (much to Denlad's consternation... he's still unhappy with me for giving him an arrow wound just to show that a hobbit can throw stones. *g*) I'm glad you enjoyed this story... there's an epilogue still to come. And who knows, maybe Ferdinand will appear in some other story someday. :) | |
| Fantasia | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 11/25/2009 |
| What a great chapter! Good that help arrived; our friends really needed some support. I was so worry for them. Cairistione, you are so good with details, I liked when you explained how they burn the bandages to keep the camp clean, the wild is really a very septic place, my mother in law is a retired nurse and she always said that most of the time what complicates wounds is the septicemia provoked by the lack of cleanness and not too much for the lack of medicine. Love our Ferdinand-David, wonderful. I really, really like Denlad, and now he has foresight, he was so close to the true. Poor Halabarad, he can't leave them alone for one second, they got in trouble as soon he turns his back. Well, hope that they all get well and back to rangering, and of course to more problems. Happy Thanksgiving! Author Reply: Thank you, Fantasia! I'm so glad you liked all the details... I sometimes worry I don't put enough in. And yes, it really was a David vs. Goliath moment for Ferdinand, wasn't it! And like that King of old, Ferdinand came through. There's an epilogue still to come, then I'll have to get busy figuring out what new adventure to send my troop of Rangers on! Thanks for the review, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving! | |