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Halflings  by Elemmírë 3 Review(s)
Pearl TookReviewed Chapter: 4 on 5/23/2006
This is beautiful, Elemmire. Beautiful.

Author Reply: Thank you very much, Pearl Took, for reading & reviewing. I'm glad you enjoyed.

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 4 on 5/22/2006
Oh, I am so glad that Merry now cares for the grave and gravestone. How this must have torn at him, at the same time it helped him feel at one with his beloved cousin/brother, so far away.

Very beautiful.

(Check the initials, though.)

Author Reply: You're exactly right.


After Frodo sailed into the West & his parents' siblings were passing on, I wondered who would be left to care for Drogo & Primula's final resting place. Since they died in Buckland, it's only logical that they were burried there as well (although I've a little bunny nibbling my toes on that matter). I think the task would have eventually been handed down to Merry due his close relationship with Frodo & also as Master. Merry would find it a hard task to bear, yet one that will also help his own healing of never seeing Frodo again. Merry can no longer take care of Frodo in any way, shape, or form, but he _can_ still take care of Frodo's beloved parents, as it may be. Perhaps when he & Pippin left for Rohan & Gondor in their final years, the tending of the grave was passed down to Merry's child(ren).

Thank you so much for catching my little error!!! I was horrifed when I looked back & saw those initials! I had a lot of trouble posting in HTML code with this particular story & must have edited it at least ten times to get it right before publishing it. I think that mistype happened when I was editing that particular section & it got overlooked once I had my original errors fixed. I have since fixed Drogo's initials. Computers, sigh.

Thanks for the read & review, Larner!

Queen GaladrielReviewed Chapter: 4 on 5/22/2006
Oh, you've got me crying now. This is so...words fail me. Yes, Merry, dear, loyal Merry, would be the one to take over the care of the grave when no one else could.

Your descriptions of the surroundings are vivid and lyrical. I think of all the little fics in this collection, this is my favourite so far, sad as it is. *wipes eyes*
God bless,
Galadriel

Author Reply: I'm so glad you enjoyed. It is a very sad glimpse of life, isn't it. When Frodo left Middle-earth forever, whomever was left of his parents' siblings would themselves have been very old & not up to the task of climbing up the hill to tend the grave. Drogo & Primula's deaths would have affected many more hobbits than just their son. I questioned who would care for their final resting place after their immediate family had passed on. Merry & his parents seemed the logical choice. Merry would not let the grave fall into ruin even though he never knew his aunt & uncle Baggins. He would do it for Frodo & in a way find healing himself in his beloved cousin's absence.

I wanted to write this story in a way that the reader would initially think of Frodo being the one to tend his parents' grave & not really know at what point of time the story was taking place. I wanted the reader to see & feel what a well-trodden journey this path up the hill had become & that the oak tree was symbolic of the many important events in Drogo & Primula's life together, including their death. However, at the end I chose to reveal that instead of Frodo making this annual journey & ritual, it was a very old Merry who had taken up the task in his beloved cousin's stead.

As always, thank you for reading & reviewing, Queen Galadriel. May God light your way.

~Julie~

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