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A Healer's Tale  by Lindelea 10 Review(s)
Hai TookReviewed Chapter: 44 on 8/29/2005
Oh! That was so wonderful! Between Merry and Pippin you had me in tears right along with them! Poor Diamond, and Farry, but they have held on extremely well! I liked Merry's description, "like a brick with the mortar crumbling around her", very poetic.

Also Sandy's hope in the way he laid out their tea was splendid! You write each character with so much depth! Thank you for the story, I'm still waiting for more although I can't seem to get around here as often as over the summer. Looking forward to more!


Author Reply: Thank you for hitting the high points!

Know what you mean about not getting around here as often... September is a busy month, and I still have lots of reviewing I want to do over at MEFA and so little time...

AndreaReviewed Chapter: 44 on 8/28/2005
'You know that even if we missed our final goodbye in this life, I'd be waiting for you, saving you a place right beside me at the Feast...'

The talk between Merry and Pippin was wonderfully done! Pippin knows his Merry so very well and he always succeeds in cheering him up or calming him down.
I wished Pippin had a chance to talk to Sam, to assure him that everything's well now!

Author Reply: Thank you! Pippin does know Merry well, and Merry knows Pippin equally well, and I find it wonderfully charming.

I do believe that Pippin will have a chance to talk to Sam. Yes, indeed.

Anso the HobbitReviewed Chapter: 44 on 8/28/2005
Eating is just as important as breathing to a hobbit, and Woodruff is right in feeding them all. Another way of the healers is to "aviod being seen if they wish" to quote Strider. (I`m tired today and therefore less coherent, lol).

Poor Merry! He is so weighed down with sorrow, grief and guilt, but Pippin - noble and because he loves Merry so much, sets him free of the pain.

Author Reply: LOL, I never thought of that! So perhaps being able to avoid being seen if he wishes is part of Strider's healing skills, rather than his Ranger skills! LOL

A nice summation of Merry and Pippin's interaction, thanks.

Pearl TookReviewed Chapter: 44 on 8/28/2005
Ah! *sigh* The joy of coming back to this story!!

How bright of Bilbo to credit the conjurer with restoring the tea pot and how clever of your muse to have it be one of many from that era. A nice thread running through your tale - cup and tea pot easily replaced and the knowledge that those we see ill in the tale are not.

And the scene with Merry and Pippin, these two who know each other so very well. Merry knowing that Pippin would do everything he could to hold his promise and Pippin seeing that was Merry's plan.

*sigh* MEWD Bravo!!

Author Reply: Yes, the message really hits home at the moment. Things can be replaced more easily than people.

Merry and Pippin know each other so well; it makes them a pleasure to write.

My goodness, such praise! (blushes)

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 44 on 8/27/2005
Oh dear. Perhaps Fennel needs to be shut out of earshot for a while. We really don't need Merry and Sam to be convinced that Pippin is just sleeping his way gently out of life.

Woodruff just seems to be waiting for him to bounce out of bed - I wonder if she is going to be got out of the way somehow. An obstetric emergency, perhaps.

I do look forward to seeing all the faces.

Author Reply: That's it! Where's that closet with the sticky latch? O wait, that's over at Bag End, in another story. Too bad.

Those handy obstetric emergencies...

No, am going to give Woodruff some satisfaction here, rather than bundling her out of the way. I'm sure Pippin can talk himself out of bed if he has to.

Oops, that's not too much of a spoiler, is it?

Grey WondererReviewed Chapter: 44 on 8/26/2005
I am so happy that Merry and Pippin finally got to talk. I am always happy when those two are together. Diamond has truly been the strongest of that lot throughout this. Pippin married well. I also love the way Woodruff knows that Pippin will heal thanks to her taste of the draught. Now if only Sam can be convinced before he guilts himself to death.

Author Reply: I am always happy when those two are together, myself. It can be difficult to arrange in their mature years, when one is Thain of one area and the other is Master of another! (No wonder they muse on how to move Tookland closer to Buckland, or vice versa.)

Poor Sam. He's got to see Pippin's healing with his own eyes, I'm afraid. But I have full confidence that fully-recovered Pippin, with his energy and sparkle, can talk the Mayor round.

Connie B.Reviewed Chapter: 44 on 8/26/2005
Yes! Pippin finally woke up; even if it was only for a couple of minutes.:)

This really was an interlude. Now we just have to get the loose ends tied up and life can go on for all of them.

Thanks for the update. Hope for more soon.

Connie B.

Author Reply: Updates will be a little slow this month as we are doing vacation-sorts of things once the public school children go back to school.

But the story will be finished by early October, even with updates that come weekly or even every-other week. Not many chapters left.

Thanks for taking time to respond!

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 44 on 8/26/2005
Bless them both, Thain and Master, missing one feast for the moment to face another, terrestial one in the here and now.

Author Reply: What a lovely image! Thank you!

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 44 on 8/26/2005
Duh...I *meant* in your *reply*!

Author Reply: Umm. My brain is funny that way. You wrote "review" meaning "reply" and I read "reply" even though I saw "review".

Happens in writing, too--I go back later to read something and find a word that I *know* I didn't mean to write; I distinctly remember writing something else but my fingers obviously took on a life of their own in typing...

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 44 on 8/26/2005
How perfectly well they know one another; Pip knew exactly what Merry was thinking, and Merry absolutely knew what would happen with Pip. And I am so glad Woodruff heard the conversation...

About what you answered in your review: maybe it could make a little story to itself? Hmmm....coax*coax*

Author Reply: Ah, that coaxing, it is indeed difficult to resist.

I am so glad to hear the news, that you and yours came safely through. I know the rebuilding will be slow... you are in our thoughts.

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