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The Way Home  by Lindelea 3 Review(s)
KathyGReviewed Chapter: 81 on 7/31/2026
What on earth? Sam's actually receiving a hero's welcome! Is it because of his role in saving that man who was trapped in that previous chapter, or something else? At least the Voices are still there, keeping him steady. And now, his mother, too!

Oh, and yes, I got your email on Thursday, and sent you a reply.

Author Reply: (Thank you for your reply. I got derailed, or the Horse of Life threw me, and now I'm doing my best to get back in the saddle, that or whatever metaphor might best apply...)

The people of Bree are honoring Bill for several reasons: he fought bravely in the Battle of Bree; he took lifesaving supplies and a message of hope to the people of Archet through robber-infested country; and he was one of a group of rescuers who held a fallen tree in place long enough to dig the trapped Woodman free. Without the pony's strength and determination, the Woodman (and likely more than one rescuer along with him) would have been killed when one of the restraining ropes broke, for the remaining Men would not have been able to hold the tree back from rolling down the slope.

In this part of the story, the oppressive force of the Ring prevented the wizard's Voices from reaching Bill, similar to Gandalf's inability to "see" Frodo after "he was saved from a great peril" (I think that might be referring to incident where Frodo put on the Ring at the summit of Amon Hen, encountered the Eye, and heard a Voice – Gandalf's voice? – telling him to take off the Ring?). Specifically, Gandalf told Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas that he knew Frodo had decided to set out alone, yet he did not know that Sam had followed his master. I don't know if I'm thinking of the book or the film, but I seem to remember Gandalf saying somewhere that Frodo had passed beyond his sight or perception when he and Sam entered Mordor.

And yes, it has been wonderful to reunite Bill with his dam!

Thanks so much for reading and sharing your thoughts! I really appreciate it.

Lady ForlongReviewed Chapter: 81 on 7/28/2026
Some random thoughts…

He remembers “that marvelous valley…” again. A good sign.

Hm… that song sounds familiar.

Living in the present moment is good advice for anyone, not just for ponies.

Bill doesn’t realize that he’s a hero. I wonder if he's ever going to figure it out. "Only a pony" indeed!

Author Reply: I'm glad you noticed that once Bill was freed from the oppression of the Ring (while Sam was the Ring-bearer), his memories of Rivendell returned. That was intentional on my part. (Sometimes when the writing works, it's all the Muse's doing, meaning I didn't consciously realise how the pieces fit together at the time I was writing. At other times, I might put in a deliberate metaphor [or something like that; my brain feels like it's turning to mush, and I need a nap] that ends up falling flat, even as I'm afraid I'm belaboring the point. I find the writing process quite intriguing to contemplate.)

LOL on familiar songs. I think I read that JRRT's troll song was based on the tune to a nursery rhyme? Melodies persist though lyrics may change over time... and now I find myself wondering how many different lyrics have been sung to the tune of "It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring..."?

For some reason, contemplating Bill's understanding about being a hero (or lack thereof) brought to my mind that lovely conversation between Frodo and Sam as they walked... through Ithilien, was it? The movie did a good job with that scrap of dialogue, I think. 'But [said Frodo after laughing again] you've left out one of the chief characters: Samwise the stouthearted. “I want to hear more about Sam, dad. Why didn’t they put in more of his talk, dad? That’s what I like, it makes me laugh. And Frodo wouldn’t have got far without Sam, would he, dad?”'

For me, living in the present moment portends a nap, I think.

Thanks so much for taking the time to share your impressions. I quite appreciate it.

shireboundReviewed Chapter: 81 on 7/28/2026
What a glorious and well-deserved show of love and respect from the townsfolk! Bill's dam is very wise... all of us would do well to embrace the good times when they come and let the good feelings surround us.

Well done, indeed. My favorite scene in the films that Peter Jackson invented was the display of reverence and gratitude to the hobbits in Gondor. Many of us spent years writing fanfic that gave them the love, respect, and healing they all deserved.

Author Reply: Ah, yes, I love that scene. "My friends, you bow to no one." I love it so much that I've taken inspiration from the film in some of my stories, like when Merry and Sam lead the Shire-folk in bowing to Pippin to show their confidence in him as Thain, and when Elessar and Arwen and all of those travelling with them bow to the hobbits when they meet at the Brandywine Bridge.

Many of us spent years writing fanfic that gave them the love, respect, and healing they all deserved. So true! I think your stories were some of the first I read, that hooked me on the love, respect, and healing to be found in lovingly-crafted fanfic. (I need to go back and read your Cormallen piece. And another thought has been nagging at me lately... was that the one where Pippin was musing over Strider's many names, or was it another one?)

Thanks so much for your encouragement and food for thought, my friend. Embracing the present moment and looking for joy in it is so much more productive than borrowing trouble, I've come to realise.

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