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| Jewels by Lindelea | 177 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Leithian | Reviewed Chapter: 44 on 4/2/2025 |
| Poor things can't just catch a break. I can see how dangerous the situation is; fields and crops, and homesteads threatened by the swelling river. The question is: is this unusual for the Brandywine (I think it is the Brandywine, but I may be wrong) to flood in this way? Here, in our country, we usually plant rice fields in lands adjacent to rivers that usually flood (i.e. seasonal flooding), so it is part of the agriculture. Flash floods and urban flooding are generally more dangerous, though. 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯'𝘴 𝘦𝘺𝘦. '𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴,' 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥. '𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘤 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘣𝘢𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘭.' Wow, Merimac is up and about again, he is really a sturdy hobbit. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥. '𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦.' 𝘏𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥'𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵. '𝘐'𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘵. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘛𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥'𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴; 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥.' 𝘏𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘬, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦'𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘗𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘳. '𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵.' Too true. Thain Paladin was too harsh on his son, and refused to understand him, and now, he has lost him. And here, Pippin has learnt to be a responsible hobbit, and a leader, under the much gentler hands and guidance of Saradoc and Caradoc. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘺 𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦'𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘴𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳. I also wonder how the Paladin of "Pearl of great price" somehow turned into this, whatever he is. Maybe it was the pressure of his position, but then, Saradoc did not worsen after becoming Master of Buckland. For some reason, I like the Brandybucks way more than the Tooks. This is very strange for me, because, although Merry is my favourite hobbit, I was very interested in the Tooks in the original LOTR. They are the ones suspected of having faery blood, they don't suffer invaders, and gave Lotho, and Co. a hard time. But now that I know the Brandybucks better, they seem to be more pleasant, lighter, and more forgiving. For all their adventurous nature, the Tooks seem to be very rigid, and judgmental, e.g. the Talk. Anyway, I have rambled enough. '𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦, 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘬.' Ouch, that hurts! Thank goodness for Pip's quick thinking to get Merry out of the food. That was truly close! 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘯𝘰𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘥. '𝘚𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘣𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘶𝘱𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮, 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳. 𝘐𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘢 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘯-𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥; 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘣𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘫𝘶𝘮𝘱 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦.' Ah good idea here. And I really like your characterisation in this passage. Merry was (in my view) the most practical of the Travellers, he had a lot of street smarts and could quickly analyse the situation to find solutions to problems. Here too, he devises a simple, practical solution to ensure some safety for the volunteers working at the Bridge. '𝘐𝘴 𝘖𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴?' 𝘗𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘋𝘪𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘥. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘣𝘣𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳, 𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴. Oh no. No, no, no. Poor Estella, so sorry for her. And Merry, too... I am just so sorry for these two. Author Reply: I hate to say it, but the angst in this chapter is an important building block for some future scenes that have more to do with loving relationships and less to do with angst. So, yeah. Deliberate, character-developing and/or plot-driven angst hurts just as much as gratuitous angst. Even so, I can't do angst for the sake of angst. I always have to be working towards the "comfort" in the "hurt/comfort" formulation, or I don't see any point in writing further. I like the Brandybucks better, too. I don't know why my subconscious originally saw Pippin's relationship with Paladin as strained and Merry's with his father as warm and close (maybe an echo of Denethor and Théoden and the hobbits' interactions with them?). In fact, Paladin in his younger years is extremely likable in my "verse": As tweens, he and Saradoc and Ferdinand and Merimac were inseparable and wandered around the Shire together, having adventures (shhh, don't tell anyone), making mischief, and getting into and out of scrapes. In my original vision of the Shire, Paladin never anticipated becoming Thain. His grandfather withdrew from the Succession, but the letter he wrote was either lost (or deliberately destroyed; I haven't quite worked that part out yet – that part of Thain has two alternative paths I need to choose between before posting the rest of the story) when Ferumbras grew old and had no heirs. When Ferumbras died suddenly, Paladin was stuck with the Thainship, with no training, no preparation, and no resources (because Ferumbras hid the treasury without telling anyone; he wasn't expecting to die quite so soon as he did). Before I had to stop writing due to RL time constraints, I actually sketched out and started writing on an alternate timeline where Ferdi's family's stable fire never happened and Paladin remained a kind, contented, jolly farmer even after he became Thain. (See The Farmer's Son, another WIP in line to be completed after The Long Winter according to the current plan.) He is Paladin as Paladin ought to have been, probably. (Setting my original impressions based on Denethor and Théoden aside, of course.) Unfortunately for my favorite hobbits, I was still learning to write fiction when I wrote this story, and my mentors emphasized *conflict* in its various forms (man-vs-man, man-vs-others, man-vs-the environment, etc.) as essential to drive the plot along. So there's an awful lot of angst in this story. I began to understand that there could be too much of a "good" thing (if you can call not being able to catch a break a good thing) when people who were reading in 2003 protested Pippin breaking his leg in a later chapter. Frankly, I breathed a sigh of relief. (There is such a thing as too much angst! I thought so, but what did I know as a novice fiction writer in a writers' group that included published authors? Whew.) Of course, my long-time proofreader who rode into adventure by my side for several years, in a manner of speaking, called herself (and probably was, LOL) a bad influence, for she seemed to thrive on angst. Her attitude was basically: Pile it on! The deeper, the better! We originally became friends through our mutual appreciation for cliffhangers! She pushed me way beyond my comfort zone over the years, which was probably good for me, at least in terms of developing my writing muscles. Her challenges stretched me as a writer. We still talk occasionally, though her interest has moved on to another fandom. She keeps nagging me to dip my toes in and "challenge" her favorite characters over there. I keep telling her that hobbits have captured me and imprisoned me in their cleverly disguised dungeon called The Shire. Escape seems unlikely, at least at the current time. I have WIPs to finish! Anyhow, I wrote a lot of Merry-angst in this story. When I couldn't take it anymore (he is my favorite hobbit, after all), I turned to writing Pippin-angst. When I wore out my welcome there, it became Ferdi's turn... until my brain rebelled, and all I wanted to imagine for him was to see him and Nell cuddled cosily together on a couch in front of a cheerful fire. Satisfying, perhaps, but probably not enough conflict there to drive a plot, as my writing group mentors and peers would have said. Recently, Tolly has stepped up (but I must say, exploring his character in the latest WIP has been fascinating). And... the coffee is finally kicking in! So I will conclude this rather lengthy and perhaps rambling reply and wander off to do RL things now. Thanks for listening. | |
| Mirkwoodmaiden | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 4/1/2025 |
| Lindelea! Powerful Chapter! Glad they have been to keep Saradoc in bed. Having fun figuring where we are in their Travels, "Then Boromir came and slew many. He blew his great horn, but no help came...' 'Only more Orcs,' Pippin added. 'Then a black-feathered arrow...' Merry faltered and swallowed hard. Pippin tried to speak, but couldn't. Saradoc looked from son to nephew. Both had that faraway look in their eyes that he had come to associate with long silences and sleepless nights." Ouch! Boromir's death. *sob* his death from their traumatized memories was well handled. Ossilan is right. 'The barb's being drawn, and now the poison can come out.' well most of it at least. the healing can at least begin. "'Very uncouth fellows they were,' Pippin added. He had come out of his own trance. 'No conception of hospitality.' " Massive understatement. I can just hear Pippin's voice, as he tries for lightness in the face of the brutal treatment they received. Wonderful! Thank you! (((hugs))) MM Author Reply: MM! (And Saradoc isn't even a Took! Though his wife is. So you'd think he'd have the sense to stay in bed. I suppose any excuse for storytelling is a good excuse, though.) I'm so glad to hear from you! I appreciate your taking the time to read and share your thoughts during these busy times. (((hugs))) Lin | |
| Periantari | Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 3/30/2025 |
| awww what a sad chapter, yes canonical but sad nevertheless. I wonder if they had more conversations though before Frodo left. I did write a fic about Frodo and the cousins speaking a bit more before he decided. Frodo's departure will be one to have to be handled by Sam, Merry and PIppin in subsequent chapters. :*( Author Reply: Frodo's departure almost spoiled the book for me, the first time I read it. And it still makes me sad every time I re-read the work! It bothered me so much that I wrote a long story to try and explain it to myself. Why did he have to go? It seemed logical to me that there was some worsening physical malady that drove his decision. So I started with a fairly healthy Frodo, releasing the prisoners from the Lockholes, and followed his gradual deterioration from hope to coming to terms with death and loss – and then the sudden saving grace of sailing with the Elves! And then I stumbled across Tolkien's letter where he described Frodo's leaving as the result of spiritual (or maybe mental? It's been a long time since I read that letter), not physical problems. And so that story I'd so carefully crafted turned out to be AU after all. But I still find it more satisfying than the original version, though that may sound awfully egotistical of me. It's possible I just can't follow Tolkien's thought well enough to understand his intent in that aspect of his epic work. The name of that story, by the way, is A Small and Passing Thing. It's rather long, but I've been told it's worth reading by a few of my favourite authors, so I'll take their word for it. Thanks for reading and taking the time to share your thoughts! I do appreciate it. | |
| Periantari | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 3/30/2025 |
| It's so interesting that you mentioned the foreshadowing of Frodo not being as involved with activities as times before. And the Merry and Frodo conversation was so on point- "keep up the fight" and keep seeing the light. Such great advice. It'll be interesting to read how you handle Frodo's eventual departure of Middle-earth and how the cousins react. Author Reply: I was trying to be as true to the original as possible. If I'm remembering right, this chapter reflected JRRT's description of Frodo as quietly dropping out of all the doings of the Shire. And yet, I'm equally sure his love of his cousins and of Sam never dimmed. Thanks for reading. I also really appreciate your taking the time to leave a good word. If I'm remembering right, Frodo's departure takes place in the next chapter. | |
| Periantari | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 3/30/2025 |
| It's good to see a cheerful Frodo and i like the conversation he had with Pippin about strategy and then lightened the mood with a race to the river. Author Reply: I love (and have loved) writing a cheerful Frodo! From some of the feedback I received when I first published this story, I got the feeling that a lot of fanfic in the early 2000s portrayed a sick, depressed, morose Frodo, but I chose to see him as relieved, even happy, once the Quest had been achieved. At least until his anniversary illnesses made him realise that Saruman's prediction was true and not just malice. Shirebound's lovely "Quarantined"-verse stories, in which Frodo did not sail West, are very well done, if you haven't come across them yet. Since I've been away from fanfic for more than a decade due to real-life constraints, I'm not sure how fanfic authors currently portray him during the time between the ending of the Quest and his sailing to the West. Thanks for reading and pausing to leave a comment! | |
| Mirkwoodmaiden | Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 3/27/2025 |
| Lindelea! A lovely day out and then Oh No! Poor Saradoc has been through a lot. But you and I both know that after the stress lets up quite often the body says "Stress released....well then, don't if I give out just a little. "'Don't try to talk, Bahbah. Save your strength.' Bahbah. The old name that had fallen so sweetly from a small son's lips. 'You are my strength,' he gasped. 'My strong right arm.' He fought for another breath. 'I thought I'd lost you...'" *heart pang* Poor Saradoc. Love Merry's response. "Harder to lose than you think" Casts my mind back to everything he has been and how much he has been forced to change. "He took a small flask from his bag and poured out a small cupful of clear liquid. 'Willow bark tea,' he said shortly. 'I have sweetened it with some honey, but it will be bitter.'" One of the many things I love about reading and writing LOTR fanfiction is figuring how they might have done things. Such as healing, armor construction etc. Not only the Traveling Four have been through the ringer, but those on the homefront as well. Thoroughly enjoying this Story! Must dash to work! (((hugs))) MM Author Reply: MM! (((hugs))) I'm so glad to hear from you and to read that you're enjoying the story! I can so relate – many were the times I groaned my way out of bed a little early just so I could sneak onto the computer and read a chapter or two on SoA before diving into the demands of the day! Thanks so much for taking time to share your thoughts. I love seeing the characters from your perspective. I share your enthusiasm for the little details that take time and research and thought! Once upon a time, I calculated that I did ten hours of research to be able to write one chapter involving a whitewater rescue! Finding a plausible treatment for burn injuries took a similar effort but made for a stronger story, I think. As a reader, I notice and appreciate an author's efforts to maintain authenticity and a note of reality (believability?) into the narrative, either because they're already familiar with a subject or take time to study it. Well-crafted fanfiction (in my opinion) rivals or even surpasses many of the books I've bought over the years. Long may fanfiction authors live and write and post the fruit of their labors. (As I used to horribly pun at my writing students: Write on!) And now, a few more (((hugs))), and I hope this note finds you well. Now that I've settled into a schedule of writing for a few hours every day, both fanfic and original work (isn't retirement grand?), I'm trying to get into the habit of posting fanfic regularly on Tuesdays and Fridays, whatever chapters happen to be ready on those days. With that goal in mind, I'm going to use the rest of my free afternoon to polish the chapters that I intend to post tomorrow. (And then I plan to devote tomorrow to reading! What a pleasant prospect!) | |
| Leithian | Reviewed Chapter: 41 on 3/25/2025 |
| Nice to know that there a few losses and they're beginning to rebuild again. And thank goodness for Merimac, I was so worried for him. Author Reply: I was worried for Merimac, too. He's a solid and dependable fellow, and I'm glad not to have to say goodbye to him as of yet. Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to share your thoughts! | |
| PSW | Reviewed Chapter: 41 on 3/23/2025 |
| Yay!! Merimac lives! This was a cute little chapter - glad everyone is feeling well enough to enjoy being doted on by their fiancées! And it’s wonderful to see all the Hobbits of the area come together to rebuild. ❤️ Author Reply: Yay! I really like Merimac. He's such an interesting character; spy, guerrilla fighter, engineer (the term I use for delvers of tunnels and mines and smials), mentor, and more. I was sad that JRRT included his death date in the Family Trees, even though it saved my bacon as I was writing one of my stories that he appeared in. (I almost wrote myself into a corner, actually. Maybe my brain had noted that death date before I even began writing that story? I can't account for it.) You've mentioned a couple of the reasons in my long list of why I love hobbits... Thanks for reading and stopping to share your thoughts! (I'll be returning to your young Estel story in a day or two; I had to get over the elder Dorhaur's death. You've made him so real to me!) | |
| Mirkwoodmaiden | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 3/21/2025 |
| Lindelea! The Shire was definitely suffering hardship! It is good the four Travelers did not know, but the thought of the Shire untouched and that they were protecting the Shire is what kept them going. "The sharing out of the gatherings had kept the wolf from many a door, but the Master of Buckland had refused Deputy Mayor Frodo's offer of help, saying that Buckland had not suffered so much as the rest of the Shire, and that it was only right for the Bucklanders to tighten their belts, a bit, as their part of helping the Shire-folk get back on their feet." Very community spirited of Saradoc! "'Fine! The ponies are saddled, a picnic is packed, let us go and see what we can catch for the supper table!' Pippin sang. Ponies saddled already? He must start being stricter with the rascal; Peregrin seemed to think he had his uncle wrapped neatly around his little finger. All right, then, he would start on the morrow. But today, he intended to enjoy himself." True, but Pippin is so dear. I am glad that Saradoc has decided to go fishing. Little spots of joy are necessary in times of stress, upheaval. It is all part of the healing process and a return of more normal times. Thank you for chapter...and the warning of angst to come. I will soldier forward, so warned! (((hugs))) MM Author Reply: MM! Oops! I belatedly remembered that the next chapter, the fishing chapter, is angsty, but I can assure you that it all comes out right. In my Shire, the Brandybucks have a motto: people first, then supplies, then the clearing up. So the idea appears in several of my stories. You're so right about the absolute necessity of little spots of joy! I hope this reply finds you well. (((hugs))) dear friend. Lin | |
| Mirkwoodmaiden | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 3/20/2025 |
| Lindelea! What a wonderful idea for a story! Never thought what might the Master of Buckland and the Thain of Great Smials might have felt at the disappearance of their offspring. " When his son stood before him, at first he had not recognized him, clad in shining mail and green cloak, taller than he remembered, more grim." A sobering thought and telling about how much Merry had changed. "Yet he had not come back, not the Merry who had left. Saradoc thought of the long solitary rides, the dark moods, the times he caught his son staring at nothing. He thought of the countless nights he found Meriadoc pacing the floor, unable to sleep. He missed his son's voice raised in song. And though Esmeralda tempted him with all his favorite foods, the lad was too thin." Of course Saradoc would worry. His son has came back from war. It changes you. Frodo a bad influence! LOL. Love the different perspective of a father. A lovely bit of realistic writing. Not everyone is going to have the same opinion and good writing understands! Yay! "because young Peregrin had come too. That was a relief, for Merry seldom fell into one of his silences with young Took along. The rascal had a gift for pulling Merry out of himself." NEWSFLASH: Pippin is finally recognized for his qualities. Again Yay! "He stood a long time gazing into the face of his sleeping son." Of course he did. :-)) Wonderful depiction of what those on the home front suffered! Love it! Must dash off to work. thanks for the chapter! (((hugs))) MM Author Reply: MM! Your reviews always bring a smile, and this one is no exception. How I love revisiting a story through a reader's eyes! From my earliest fanfic days, it made sense to me that Merry and Pippin didn't simply go back to "normal life" after returning to the Shire. I think even Tolkien would have admitted as such from his own experiences (and from how he decided that Frodo was too damaged to remain in the Shire but had to sail into the West to find healing). And though JRRT gave us almost no glimpses into the home front, I often find myself pondering the hobbits who were left behind, both during the year the Travellers were gone and their thoughts and feelings after the Travellers returned. Did friends and family members experience pure relief and joy? Were they inexplicably angry? Did any of the Travellers' loved ones yell at them and burst into tears and then hug them as if they'd never let them go again? How are things with you, by the way? I'm remembering that you were avoiding angst, so I must warn you that the story is a little angsty in Chapters 13 and 14 (when Frodo begins to fail and eventually sails from the Havens) and then, after a joyful stretch of narrative, the story falls off a cliff in Chapters 19 and 20, followed by gradually resolving angst (with a few ups and downs) until Chapter 34 or so, when Merry *finally* realizes what Estella means to him. I can add an "angst warning" to the story summary when I post a new chapter, but I don't think it's not possible for the chapters that are already there. Thanks for reading and for pausing to share your thoughts so generously! (((hugs))) Hope this finds you well, Lin | |