Stories of Arda - Lord of the Rings Fan-Fiction Archive


	About Us News Resources Login Become a member Help Search

A Long Expected Departure by Dreamflower	8 Review(s)
Dana	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/1/2006
I like Rory here. I think this might be the first thing I ever read with him, you know, really in it, and it was a very nice look. Also, I like Merry, too, and was rather delighted when he popped up. Rory shook his head; those three were closer than brothers, despite the age differences. And that made me quite happy. Author Reply: I think Rory is very underused. It's amazing to me the number of fics where they have Saradoc being Master of Buckland when Frodo moves to Bag End. All it takes is a little care with the ToY and the family trees, you know. But Rory is lovely, I think. He's one of the few family members to even get any lines in the book. It makes me happy, too. Thank you!

Primsong	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 12/29/2005
Now this is an interesting thought, to see it from Rory's view - and for him to not be surprised at it is even more unusual! Nicely done short story looking at the party through other eyes. Author Reply: I just thought that Rory might be a very close friend to Bilbo--who, after all left him some Old Winyards, so the friendship must have been one he valued. And in which case, he would know the old hobbit well enough to sense something was up. I've always loved the little hint that JRRT gave us about him in the Party scene--one of the few on the family trees to get speaking lines!

Gryffinjack	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/18/2005
What a refreshing change, to have this story of two of the more minor characters in the books. I do so like your Esmerelda and Rory (and Saradoc, too). They are such splendid characters. "She smiled. 'I don’t believe it for a minute. Merry--he might, but Pippin has a way even with the wizard.'" Esmerelda's got that right. She's been very observant to notice that. Rory is quite perceptive as to Bilbo's intentions. He's protective of Frodo and correctly fears that Bilbo is going to leave now. It's quite understandabler that both Rory and Esmerelda would be upset with Bilbo for leaving Frodo just now when he reaches the age of majority. But continuing to live at Brandy Hall was not really an option for Frodo. I was always bothered by Bilbo's behaviour as reflected by Tolkien during the birthday party. He completely overshadows Frodo on Frodo's very special birthday, the birthday when he becomes an adult. That stunt of Bilbo's with the ring completely took all of the emphasis away from Frodo, although the emphasis seemed to be on Bilbo from the start. It wasn't fair or right, even though reaching the age of eleventy-one is quite an accomplishment. This provided an excellent alternative viewpoint of that party. Author Reply: I'm glad you like my Rory and Esme. chuckle Esme is observant, but it doesn't take much to realize that the youngest Took can wrap most folks around his little finger... No, staying at Brandy Hall was not doing Frodo any good. Still, it's clear that they still are very fond of him and protective, even though he has not lived under their roof for some time. They would naturally be angry at Bilbo for his abandonment of Frodo just now. I too have always thought Bilbo was being unusually callous on this occasion. Very often JRRT does things that seem OOC for the characters as he has written them--I think for plot purposes, story-externally of course it was completely necessary. Story-internally, it is up to us as readers to come up with explanations. In this case, I think it is in what Bilbo told Gandalf about "feeling old". The Ring was awake now and beginning to get Its hooks into him. I think he was feeling desperate to escape from what he was beginning to perceive as a captivity of sorts. Of course, he thought it was from the constraints of living in the Shire, and had no idea of the real reason. This made him act rather selfishly, I'm afraid. That's my rationalization, anyway.

Betty	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/8/2004
I'm rarely inspired to review, but this fic was just cute. I loved the interplay between Rory and Esmeralda. I just loved all the chatting and noticing what the SBs, for example, were doing. Also enjoyed getting to see into a bit of one of the often overlooked hobbits, namely Rory . Author Reply: Why thank you! I am so glad you thought this little story worthy of a comment!

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/7/2004
Good tale. Esmeralda would feel indignant for Frodo, I think, that Bilbo had decided to disappear in such a way. It's nice to see a sensible Rory, suggesting that Frodo and Bilbo were meant to be. But I love the way Esmeralda sends Merry to look after Frodo. A glimpse of the future. Author Reply: Yes, Merry comes by his protective streak honestly. She would indeed not be happy with Bilbo for taking off and leaving Frodo like that. Rory knew, as did Saradoc, that Frodo could not safely continue to live near the Brandywine. And he knew that Frodo and Bilbo needed one another. A little glimpse, if brief.

GamgeeFest	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/7/2004
Yes, it was pretty rotten of Bilbo to leave Frodo like that. If not for his need to get away from the Ring, I would say he could have stayed a few more years at least. I enjoyed the conversation between Esmeralda and Rory. It's easy to see they're fond of each other. Author Reply: I really think that it was in fact, a need to escape the Ring, although of course no one realized it yet. I think at this point the Ring was beginning to wake up. This would have disquieted Bilbo no end. I think the fondness is there, just in the way he addresses her as "my dear." I just built it up a little.

SharonB	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/7/2004
Ah, you've done it again, filled in a bit of the gap in canon. And so nicely. It is good to see that Frodo had so many who did care about him and watch over him. I'm sure it's that way with most hobbits since they have such extended families and take care to note just who is in their family. Not bing in LOTR much Rory is not the usual hobbit to be in the center of a story. Nice to see him there since he was a contemporary of Bilbo's. Author Reply: I think Frodo had a great many people care about him, but his own perceptions were skewed by his depression; it took him a long time to realize how much he really was loved. I thought of Rory almost as soon as I saw the challenge. He was obviously a great friend of Bilbo, and he would have been fond of Frodo, who was in fact his nephew. I figured him for a shrewd old bird.

Grey Wonderer	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/7/2004
Reviewed it on the LJ, but it seems worth repeating as I have now read it again. Loved the conversation between Rory and Esmeralda. I always enjoy Esmeralda in stories and I have not read too much with Rory so he was a nice surprise. Author Reply: Thank you, GW! I am touched that you think it is worth two reviews! blushes I've seen a very few fics with Rory, but in most of them he is only a minor and distant figure. Then there are a couple where he is downright harsh and unfeeling. But he didn't come across that way to me. In just a few sentences JRRT shows him to be shrewd, fond of his daughter-in-law, a good sense of humor, likes his food, and was a dear enough friend to Bilbo to recieve the Old Winyards. LOL! I just expanded on that.

Return to Chapter List