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A New Reckoning by Dreamflower	8 Review(s)
Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 9/27/2006
Yes, on the wings of Eagles were Sam and Frodo lifted up.... Lovely way to work one of the most haunting songs of the movie into the story. Well, well done. Author Reply: To me, the strongest points of the movies were the visual imagery and the gorgeous movie score. And, as you said, that one was one of the most haunting. In "my" universe, Legolas sings that to Frodo and Sam while they are in their healing sleep, and Pippin listens in.

AspenJules	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 7/3/2006
Wow, I'm liking this so far, Dream! I wanted to read Road to Edoras, but just couldn't yet when I realized it was a sequel... you know how that goes, but I hesitated when I saw this was 73 chapters! LOL... So it's going to be my motivation/reward for getting work done this week... read one chapter, do a load of laundry... read another chapter, go get my dishes done.... etc. So... WHO are the visitors? Luckily I don't have to wait to find out! WHEEE!! On to the next chapter (I was right at the end of this chapter when I got interrupted, so it doesn't count as a chapter, hehehe!) Author Reply: How delightful to be thought of as a reward! And better for you than candy! grin

Gryffinjack	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 12/30/2005
Ah, so now the rest of the Shire is going to get to meet the men of Gondor and Rohan! Excellent! After all, Aragorn is the High King of the Shire, too. The reaction that Berilac has is spot on - after the horrible experience the had with Saruman and his ruffians, they would be most wary of any Man. Fortunately, these Men are quite different. You know, every time I see him, I like your Saradoc more and more. He is so kind, wise, and understanding. It is good that he recalled the significance of the day. Your characterisations of Merry and Pippin are brilliant as usual. ""You know, Merry, it would have saved a great deal of trouble if we had just left this stuff at Bag End to begin with,” said Pippin. He was impatient with the slow pace of the journey by cart." While I agree with Pippin and understand what he means, Merry is right that the result would have been more loss of Frodo's things. I do wonder at Merry's reference to "Sharkey." Would he have said "Sharkey" or would he have said "Saruman," since that was what the wizard was called during all of his experiences with him? At any rate, I love your Merry here - the way he says, "Oh, yes, Pip. Brilliant." and the way he frets over how upset Sam will be when he finds out about Frodo's illness. “Sam will be really upset when he finds out Frodo’s been ill while he was gone.” “He should be. He’d been warned by Lord Elrond, just like I had about you. He should have remembered.” Pippin was still angry at Sam over this. “Don’t,” said Merry. “What do you mean ‘don’t’?” asked Pippin, although he knew perfectly well. “Don’t give him a hard time over it. He’s harder on himself than either of us would ever be on him. Also, Frodo would be really upset if he realized you were angry at Sam, and why. We‘re not even supposed to know that Frodo was sick.” “I suppose.” Pippin sat back, quietly. Merry began to count in his head--one, two, three, four, five--his cousin’s foot start to twitch. He suppressed a smile. “Sing for me, Pip.” Pippin brightened up. “Oh! All right, then!” He thought for a moment, and then started in. Merry's counting to five was brilliant! I loved how he was just waiting for Pippin's foot to start twitching with restlessness again, and then smiled as he told Pippin to sing for him. Two things Merry is an expert on - Pippin and Frodo. Of course, it doesn't hurt that Merry himself is soothed by Pippin's singing and enjoys it so. As for Pippin, your characterisation of him is always constant throughout your stories. He gets impatient, fidgety, is a ball of energy, yet sweet, open, and loving to sing. And as we saw in one of your other stories, although he knows when Merry is managing him by asking him to sing, he is quite happy to do so. It really does help calm him down and take his mind off of things. Your attention to detail is once again fantastic. The way both of the cousins sing Bilbo's "The Road Goes Ever On," how Pippin sings not only the song about Tom Bombadil, but also the Elvish one that Legolas taught him. One of the things that always excites me when I read your stories is when I catch a reference to one of your prior stories. It's like a little gem waiting to be discovered. "Merry chuckled. “Yes. Well. He’s an Elf.”" lol! Another great line that made me chuckle. Do you know what I think I have failed to comment to you about in all of my prior 183 reviews of your stories? I don't think I have mentioned how easy your stories are to read. The language you use and the construction of your sentences just flows so smoothly and seamlessly that it is a joy to read. And it does not matter which point of view you are writing from or whether you are writing a Hobbit or a Man of Rohan or Gondor. Your writing style is so gentle and kind that it has become like a familiar friend that I am always delighted to greet. Author Reply: After the year they've had, it is certainly going to startle them to have a troop of Men ride up to the Bridge and ask to come in the Shire! But fortunately, Saradoc has a level head on his shoulders. (Of course he does, he's a Brandybuck.) Pip's being a bit of a tween here. He really does know that it would not have been good to have left stuff at Bag End--but he is really getting bored riding in that cart. Merry, of course, never loses sight of the actualities. I think Merry, Pippin and Sam might have picked up on the "Sharkey" from the others in the Shire. And I can see Merry and Pippin, especially, using it with relish--as a term of contempt. They, after all, suffered at Saruman's hands more than Frodo and Sam did, and have a bit of a personal grudge with him. On the other hand, I don't believe Frodo would ever lose sight of who Saruman was originally, and I can't see him using the term at all. Rather like the term "Lotho Pimple". Frodo is going to give even his enemies dignity. I'm glad you liked the bit with Merry's counting. I could just see him sitting there, watching Pip out of the corner of his eye, and knowing precisely how long it would take his cousin to get twitchy again, LOL! I try very hard for consistency in my characterizations, and I am glad you think that I achieve it with these two. What's funny here is that "Kingly Gifts" had not been written when I wrote this chapter. So, once more, it is the earlier story that had to be fit into the later one chronologically speaking. The more stories I write, the more complicated it gets, LOL! 183 reviews? Whoa. gulp Thank you. blushes

Lindelea	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 11/4/2005
Ah, yes, I love the little clues you stick in, so quietly, that explore the characters: Merry - knowing Pippin so well. (one, two, three, four, five) - understanding Sam, that he'd be harder on himself than anyone - that they weren't supposed to know Frodo had been ill Pippin - angry on Frodo's behalf, but quick to understand Merry's point - quick to pick up a song, even when he didn't understand the words (we have that experience in our Swiss choir, singing in five languages, only two-and-a-half of which I know) - impatient, restless, full of energy Saradoc - wise and insightful - we can see where Merry gets a lot of his good qualities I am looking forward to the Travellers meeting with the Men in livery! Who are they, I wonder? g Author Reply: Thank you; the bit with Merry counting to himself as to when Pip would start to fidget was a favorite of mine. I am glad you see the clues to their characters. I try to show it, for to me characterization is the heart of the story. I know when reading, that no matter how well a plot is constructed, if the characters fall flat I lose interest. I am glad to know that you think I do well with that part of the writing.

PIppinfan1988	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 6/24/2005
Merry began to count in his head--one, two, three, four, five--his cousin’s foot start to twitch. He suppressed a smile. “Sing for me, Pip.” LOL--that is so like best friends! I really liked that moment--and the one of them singing a bawdry tavern song! Too cool. Pippinfan Author Reply: Long ago, when Pippin was still little, Merry learned the trick to calm his fidgets was to get him to sing (or when he grew older, and when available, to play an instrument) and since Merry always loved to listen to him sing, it was a win-win situation, LOL!

Lindelea	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 7/7/2004
Ah, Merry knows Pippin so well... I love the way he counts, expecting the fidgeting to recommence by the time he counts to... yes, there it is. Nice pacing, and the poetry fits well. A suggestion, if you have been as frustrated by line spacing as I have, when including poetry in a story. If you delete the [enter] at the end of each line, replacing it with a code you generate by holding down the [shift] key while you press [enter], you'll have some sort of line space code which will make the lines of poetry single spaced instead of double spaced. If you look at the code within the chapter itself, the double space looks like (less than sign) (slash) p (greater than sign) (less than sign) p (greater than sign) and the single space looks kind of like (less than sign) (slash) b (greater than sign) Have you ever looked at the html code (at least I think that's what you call it)in the chapter editor? Fascinating stuff. If, however, this has never bothered you, simply disregard all that follows "A suggestion". Author Reply: I've often had fits with poetry line spacing and italics; but I really am so computer illiterate. About html. code "I know nussing, nussing." I thank you for your effort to educate me though.

Pervinca	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 4/23/2004
Yay! Another story from you! I really liked that you had Merry suffering on the anniversary of the Pellanor Battle (not that I enjoy seeing Merry suffer, it was just a very good aspect of your story :P). I can't imagine that Frodo was the only one to experience old wounds being rekindled. This looks to be an interesting story, and I'm looking forward to more. (P.S. My parents tried your mushroom and bacon recipe from Missus Maggot's Mushrooms, and thoroughly enjoyed it :D) Author Reply: I think that having been wounded by the Witch King, it would have had somewhat of the same effect as Frodo's wounding--something that would never quite go away, and would return to plague Merry on a regular basis. I'm glad they liked the mushrooms! I'm going to have to fix myself another batch sometime soon!

Grey Wonderer	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 4/23/2004
I love this so far. You description of how both Merry and Pippin looked when Merry's parents and Pearl entered their house was so moving and so sad. It felt completely right, though. I am also enjoying how well they read one another. Pippin knowing Merry wouldn't want his parents to see him in that state, Merry knowing how Pippin needed something to do in the wagon and so he suggests that he sing. I also believe that Merry's thoughts would have been with Frodo. You are off to another wonderful start. Can't wait to see which of the "big folk" have come to see Merry and Pippin. Author Reply: Thank you for your kind encouragement. I think that the month of Rethe was hard on all four of the hobbits. I'm glad you liked the way I described them. I think I'm going to have fun with this one; it won't be as hard work as "Conspiracy" was, since I don't have as strict a framework to fit it in.

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