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


	About Us News Resources Login Become a member Help Search

When the King Comes Back ( Brandy Hall ) by Dreamflower	52 Review(s)
Gryffinjack	Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 12/26/2005
You have such a lovely style and way of distinguishing the letters from these different races of Men! Eomer's letter sounds much like poetry or a verbal history that would have been handed down from generation to generation, as was the custom of his people. OT - how do you get the accent mark to print when writing Eomer's name? Aragorn's letter is completely different in tone and style. It is that of a man writing about a friend. I do wonder that he has so many more accolades to say about Merry than he does about Pippin. For not only was Pippin in service to Aragorn as his knight, but he also saved Faramir's life and slew a troll. And while the slaying of a troll is not nearly as important as helping to slay the Witch King, it is still quite a feat for one so young and small. I also wonder at Aragorn's saying that he found Merry to be the most observant of all of the Hobbits. In what way? For while Merry and Aragorn travelled together, Merry felt quite useless and did not really do much other than support Frodo, as they all did. True, he went out for a walk in Bree on his own and encountered the Black Breath, but that I do not see as a good thing. Merry also questioned what the Elvish word for "friend" was while they were at Moria, which was one of his more observant times. Still, I find Frodo to have been much more observant than Merry during their travels together with Aragorn. It was Frodo who realised that Boromir's behaviour was disturbing at times. It was Frodo who trusted Aragorn from the start and who recognised that he was the one who needed to take the Ring to Mordor. Frodo it is who also recognised that his path on the journey could not continue to be the same as the rest of the members of the Company. So how did Merry show himself to be more observant than Frodo? I also wonder as to why Aragorn did not include something similar to what he wrote in "Great Smials" in his letter to Paladin regarding Pippin: "I know that you will at some point come to hear of the horrors and hardships so bravely faced by your son and his companions. Believe me when I say that such things cannot but scar the spirit, and weigh upon the heart from time to time. I hope that at such times, he can rely upon the love and support of his family." It seems to me that writing as a friend, it would be important to Aragorn that Saradoc know of the troubles his son was likely to incur, albeit that his son had come of age and was not a child as Pippin was still considered to be. Perhaps he thought that Eomer would have included such a thing in his letter to Saradoc. Aside from these issues, both letters were beautifully worded and sounded as if they were written by the king who penned them, particularly Aragorn's. His letter was indeed written with the voice of Aragorn and with all of the love, understanding, and heart that characterises Aragorn and makes him a great king. You write letters so well! Every single one I have read that you have written has sounded precisely like the character who wrote it. I also like how you have set up future stories with this chapter, particularly the events in "A New Reckoning." Merry is indeed a very rich Hobbit! Author Reply: grin I love compliments like that! And I'm glad that you think the letter from Eomer sounds like poetry--there is a reason for that, you will find out a bit later. When I'm working in my document, there is a pulldown called "Insert". I select "Special Character", and then have to find the letter with the accent or the umlaut or whatever mark is needed, click on it, and then click "insert". It's a real pain, for the spellchecker does not recognize the character, and always treats the rest of the word as a misspelling, and when I cut and paste it into the site, it leaves a space between the special character and the next part of the word, which I then have to fix manually. But once I have the name, I can highlight it and copy it a few times, so then I can just paste the whole name in later. I wish there were a simpler way. Well, we know from Merry's characterization in "A Conspiracy Unmasked" how observant he is, and I don't think the signs of that will have escaped Aragorn's notice over months of travel together, even if it is not always shown in canon. But there is one occasion, between Bree and Weathertop, when he takes both Frodo and Merry scouting with him, and almost all the questions and observations then are from Merry. I am sure he also noticed the time Merry spent with the maps in Rivendell. Many of Frodo's observations had a bearing directly upon his own role as Ringbearer, and also he had his senses heightened by his experience with the Morgul-wound and the Ring. Still, it may have been a slight exaggeration to think Merry was much more observant. I think some of the differences in tone in the letters was due to the information Aragorn had been able to glean about their recipients: remember that he consulted Frodo on the documents he sent, and I am sure that he also questioned Gandalf a bit. And he may perhaps have overheard the cousins talking of their fathers' probable reactions. To Paladin, he emphasized Pippin's growth in maturity, and downplayed the physical dangers his son would have been in; knowing or guessing that Paladin had a temper, and also knowing that Pippin was underage, he included the appeal for understanding and support. On the other hand, I think that he may have heard enough about Saradoc to realize that a bit of bragging about his son would not be taken amiss. So he indulged in a bit of praise there. (And I do think that too much bragging about Pippin might not have gone down well with Paladin if he had still been in the first flush of his anger when he received it.) But, again, I think anyone as wise and canny as Aragorn would have learned as much as he could about the ones he was writing to. Saradoc would have needed no plea for understanding--he'd already be giving it. I am so glad that you like the different "voices" I give to the letters. I truly enjoy putting letters into stories--it's one way to get a bit of first person POV in without switching out of omniscient or limited omniscient POV. I just really did not think that Eomer would allow Merry to get away with rejecting his generosity, LOL! To a Saxon culture such as JRRT modeled the Rohirrim on, gift-giving was a major function of kings and leaders. So he got a bit sneaky and went over Merry's head to his clan-leader, Saradoc.

Gryffinjack	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/26/2005
One thing I forgot to mention - should it not be "Eomer King" instead of "King Eomer"? As I recall, it was always "Theoden King" in canon. Am I wrong? You've certainly read the books and studied them way more than I have. Nitpicking, I know, but that's because it's such a great story and I know you care so much, that I want it to reach its full potential. Author Reply: Yes, that was the way it was said in Rohan. I had Merry put it that way in talking to Estella, as it would sound more natural to hobbits, I thought. But on reflection, I think perhaps he would have still used the Rohirric form in spite of that, as he was so proud of his standing as a Rider of Rohan. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!

Gryffinjack	Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 12/26/2005
That's our Merry! Always protecting Pippin and in this case, Frodo, and defending their good names when need be. Foolish of that Chubb to make such a comment, especially in Brandy Hall under the roof where Frodo grew up. And all the more so with Merry there to protect one of his dearest cousins. "Those who knew Merry were shocked to see him lose his temper; those who knew him well were not." Excellent line! Merry would do anything to protect his dear cousin or his name. But more than that, he loathes that Frodo is not appreciated for himself and for all that he did for the Shire and all of Middle Earth. It must be so frustrating for him to know what Frodo endured and gave up for others and how the world outside the Shire appreciates that, but how Frodo's own people, those he grew up with and who should know and appreciate him best of all, do not. Yet, that is part of the thing with Hobbits - they have been so protected by Gandalf and the Rangers all these many years that they know little of the dangers that existed in the world around them. Chubb is an ignorant, judgmental Hobbit in the first place for making such comments about Frodo or any other person, but he cannot be blamed for not knowing the importance that Frodo had in saving his world. Even so, it would be a huge sore spot with any of those that accompanied Frodo on his journey and Merry would not be timid about correcting the uninformed Hobbit's impressions. I expect that the reason that Frodo's being the last of the Baggins line hit Merry so hard is because he realised another of the sacrifices that Frodo had made in order to save Middle Earth. True, it seemed that Frodo was unlikely to marry and have children before the journey, but now, Merry knows that it will never happen. Frodo has already given up on a part of his life and has already started to live vicariously. Of all of the Hobbits who accompanied Frodo, including Sam, Merry would be the first to recognise this. As you said, Merry had made a study of Frodo during his first seven years. However, I doubt that such a study ever ended; I think Merry continued that study from the time he was born until the day Frodo set sail for the Undying Lands. Author Reply: This was a scene I had in my head right from the very start--in fact it popped into my head when I was writing Great Smials, and I had to leave it out, as it was not Pippin-centric. There is no way Merry would allow a remark about Frodo to pass, especially that kind of remark, and especially now. Before the Quest, however, he might not have been so direct in his rebuke, perhaps turning it aside with a joke at Chubb's expense, or even waiting and playing a prank on him later. But not the Merry who has seen what Frodo's been through and what it cost him. Now he's simply going to call the offender on it then and there. It's a far more mature approach--Pippin is not the only one who grew in maturity on the Quest. Chubb's an ignorant loud-mouth. And of course he's no idea of what he's been protected from. But Merry is not going to allow such ignorance to continue, as far as Frodo is concerned. I think that Merry and Pippin both would often have been more offended on Frodo's behalf than Frodo himself would ever have been, at the lack of appreciation their cousin recieved. Yes, this is another of Frodo's sacrifices, one that Merry had not fully appreciated before. I don't think it was lack of knowledge--like any hobbit, he knows the family trees intimately. But it was a bit of a blind spot, in that he had not previously connected it to Frodo's life--probably something he didn't want to know, really, and now he's had his nose shoved in it, and can't ignore the obvious conclusion anymore: no more Bagginses in the Shire. And yes, Merry has already noticed the signs, though he will make every effort to deny them to himself when he can--it would be unbearable to have to admit now, after all they've been through to get home, that he is going to lose Frodo anyway. So for the next year or so, he's going to sometimes find himself turning a blind eye to things that once would have alerted him to Frodo's true state of mind. And yet, in many ways, his connections to Frodo are stronger than ever. Rather a paradox, and not a comfortable one. And you are quite right--it didn't end when Frodo left Buckland, it was just suspended for a while when Frodo wasn't in his actual presence. And I am not sure it even ends when Frodo leaves...

Gryffinjack	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 12/25/2005
My first comment to this chapter is not toward the story itself, but to your opening comment. You mean there really is such a thing as "healing touch" and it works? Do they use amulets that hang from their necks such as Poppy used on Pippin? How accurate is it? "“Now, Pippin, get out of that gear. I want you down to your smallclothes.” “Poppy!” the wail of protest sounded much the same as it had when he was seven and had just about the same effect. She turned a stern eye upon him, and grumbling, he began to undress." I do so adore your Healers! Poppy is fantastic, the way she brooks no nonsense from her Took patients or their family members. Poor Pimmie! Even though she had heard Pippin's tale of what had happened, he had left the worst parts out. Added to this was his recent injuries at the hands of the ruffians. It must have come as quite a shock to her to see any hobbit, especially her dear younger brother in such a state. I am afraid that there is another slight inconsistency between this story and one of your others, this time "When the King Comes Back (Great Smials)." In the Great Smial version, Poppy tells Paladin, "It’s a wonder he didn’t die. He must have had an excellent healer, for I doubt that I could have kept him alive with such grievous wounds." Yet, here in the Brandy Hall version, Poppy tells Pippin, "Young fellow, in a little more than seven months, you have healed well from injuries that most would take a year or more to recover from." Now, unless Poppy was just making light of Pippin's past injuries so as not to worry him (which I doubt, given Poppy's directness), or was making more of them to Paladin in the Great Smials version to get him to understand all that Pippin had gone through (which I also doubt, since Poppy is honest and forthright), this is an inconsistency caused by dealing with such wonderfully complex stories. "I was checking a detail in one of these the other day, and noticed a "gotten" and an "Esmerelda" I had missed. sigh Should have fixed it right away, not sure I can find them again." I'm sorry. I noticed those slips and meant to tell you about them. The "Esmerelda" misspelling is in chapter 4 of this story, where Estella says, "“That sounds lovely.” She hesitated. “Merry, Esmerelda said not to press you about all the horrid things that happened to you, but -- well, weren’t there some pleasant things you could talk about?”" I'll let you now if I come across the "gotten" one again. You know, your errors really are minor when you consider what wonderful stories you give us to read! Author Reply: Yes, indeed there is such a thing, and yes, it does work. My husband recently passed his Level 5 Certification in fact. If you are interested in more info, check out http://www.healingtouch.net/hti.shtml which is the site for Healing Touch International. My husband uses a buffalo tooth on a leather thong as his pendulum. For hobbits, I tend to use it mostly as a diagnostic tool, as I have seen that at work. My husband on more than one occasion has caught a particular condition in a patient, and advised them to get it checked by a doctor, and his diagnosis was correct. He's also caught the early stages of a pregnancy, and the baby's gender a couple of times. But there is much more to it than that. Healing Touch is not a cure, but it can and does alleviate pain and other symptoms. He always advises it in conjunction with regular medical practices. I think of "the hands of the King" as JRRT describes it as a form of Healing Touch and of energy work. It's not really an inconsistency. In the one, she is advising Pippin's parents of what his injuries were like when they happened: she has caught the signs of previous broken bones and other injuries, and knows that they must have brought him close to death to have left such traces behind. (Just the signs of the many broken ribs would have told her that--a crushed ribcage is massive trauma.) But in the other, she is advising Pippin of how far he has come. She is assuming that he knows how close he came to dying, and wants to assure him that he is more than well on the way to recovery now. In other words, she is letting each party know something they didn't know before: to Pippin's parents, just how bad it was, and to Pippin, just how well it is going now--Pippin's trusted Aragorn's healing, but after all his years of healers "tutting" over his weaknesses, it must be reassuring to know that even someone who has known him from childhood can see a difference. Because Aragorn's healing and the Ent-draughts have indeed given him a boost in his overall health, but even they could not erase the traces of the physical trauma he endured 100%. It's why I had him keep his "trick knee", for I felt that there should be at least one physical reminder of all he went through. I'll try and get in there and fix the "Esmerelda" today! In my early stories, apparently I had accidentally entered the incorrect spelling into my spellchecker, so that it was automatically changing the correct spelling to the wrong one. I must have posted about seven or eight stories before Marigold brought it to my attention, and I went back to dig them out. I'm constantly finding ones I missed. sigh

Gryffinjack	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 12/25/2005
It is so strange - this was written before "A Different Kind of Quest," yes? Yet, in chronological order, I have already read about the gifts Merry gave his parents and the stories behind them from having read "A Different Kind of Quest." lol! Although it is amazing how seamlessly you weave earlier and later written stories together, I think you do have a slight problem in this one. In this chapter, Merry says: "But the funny part was when we went to get them, and tried to pay for them. It was the opposite of haggling. The merchants tried to give them to us. We explained that they were gifts and we really wanted to pay for them. So Gimli suggested a price--what he thought that they were worth, and the merchant came back with a token price. It was so funny! After we finally got what seemed like a real price, and paid for everything, Gimli grumbled for days." However, in chapter 2 of "A Different Kind of Quest," you have written: “Oh, Sir Meriadoc! I would not dream of charging you! You are one of the Heroes of the War! Please, I would wish that you and Sir Peregrin accept these from me without charge!” After all, thought Girion, once word got out that they had patronized him, it would more than pay the cost of the items. Merry and Pippin looked at one another in dismay. Aragorn had told them to allow the people of the City to show their gratitude for all the hobbits had done, and so they had taken their share of free ale, and of food, and the occasional trinket from a grateful wife or mother, glad that her loved one had come home in one piece. But this was another matter altogether. “But these are to be gifts!” cried Pippin, distressed. “Please, Master Girion, we really should pay for these!” added Merry. Girion was taken aback. Truly these pheriannath were strange ones! One would think they would be glad to get such wonderful items for free! He did not understand. But he could charge them a token price. “Perhaps two silver pence apiece?” Unfortunately, this resulted in both his potential customers looking offended. Now he was dismayed, unsure what he had done wrong, and fearful of their leaving without their purchases. A hint of panic showed on his kindly face. Gimli sighed. “Meriadoc, Peregrin, perhaps you would allow me to help you negotiate a fair price?” The two hobbits nodded in relief. While they wanted to pay a fair price for the gifts they were buying, they were unsure of the value of things in this strange land. Gimli knew what Girion had in mind, and didn’t blame him as a merchant, but he knew his hobbit friends would not understand, and they truly wished to pay for the gifts they were giving to their loved ones. He also understood that the value of these things would be high, but not nearly as high as they would have been before the War, when they would have been in more demand. In the end, he negotiated a price of twelve silver pennies for Merry’s spyglass, and thirty for Pippin’s choices, for both the toy and the pocketwatch. Master Girion took out his handkerchief and mopped his brow in relief as they gave him a partial payment, agreeing to the rest when they picked up their purchases in three days. So in other words, they had been offerred the gifts for free and Gimli had negotiated a price the first time they went to the shops (the same thing occurred when they went to the jewelers) rather than when they picked their gifts up, as Merry states in this chapter. I think it would be easier to change this story to reflect the chronology of events as indicated in "A Different Kind of Quest." I'm sorry, dear. You handle so many different details over such a vast number of stories, that it is remarkable you don't have even more inconsistencies than you do. I really did enjoy seeing Saradoc's reaction to getting the spyglass. I still love the inscription Merry had Gimli write on it for Saradoc. It's the ultimate compliment a son could give a father, and one that describes Merry's and Saradoc's relationship perfectly. Author Reply: You know, you're right! I hadn't noticed that. I will have to get around to fixing that soon! (And I'm reminded that I need to check up on "Circle of Joy" and see if I fixed the mistake you found there.) Of course, part of the trouble is that none of these were written chronologically, so of course inconsistencies will creep in. I worry less, however, about messing up my stuff than I do about making sure I keep canon straight. I was checking a detail in one of these the other day, and noticed a "gotten" and an "Esmerelda" I had missed. sigh Should have fixed it right away, not sure I can find them again. I don't know why I thought of a spyglass for Saradoc. But for some reason it just seemed the perfect thing for Merry to give him.

Gryffinjack	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/25/2005
Oh, that Merry! He's quite the romancer! He should make sure to send a "thank you" note to Faramir, Eowyn, Aragorn, and Arwen. It's so lovely to see Merry's and Estella's romance blossom and bloom. I had to laugh when Estella got jealous of Eowyn and Merry crossed his arms with a smirk and enjoyed informing her that Eowyn was betrothed. Very humourous, yet realistic. Yes, Sam has become much more confident and is doing well. I think seeing Sam, Merry, and Pippin doing so well in the few years since their return from destroying the Ring plays a great part in Frodo's decision to leave Middle Earth. Although Frodo's constant pain and the lingering darkness was a major reason, it made it much easier for him to leave knowing that his dearest loved ones, Sam, Merry, and Pippin, would be fine without him. Author Reply: Merry's been of age four years. He's also, I think, pretty smooth for a hobbit. I'm sure he could tell how Estella's interest was piqued by his mention of Eowyn and the betrothal. And, well, there weren't any movies. A nice romantic story would be a good substitute for a chick flick, don't you think? grin I agree. Frodo needed to know that his dear ones would be all right without him; I am quite sure that was one reason he truly did need to return to the Shire for a while. I don't think he would have take Arwen's offer any sooner, not without assurances that Sam, Merry and Pippin were thriving.

Gryffinjack	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 12/24/2005
I really am enjoying how you keep showing what the different hobbits are doing at the same moment. The Brandybucks are a practical lot, dealing with the logistics of feeding so many mouths with winter coming on. I find it very interesting to see how all of the Brandybucks do seem to have common personality traits, such as this one. They really do seem like one large family and the cousins do seem like cousins. And the relationship between Merry and his parents is spectacular! The way Saradoc lauds so much praise on Merry in front of others is every kid's dream come true. Very nice establishment of the continuing problems our Travellers face with the way Pippin feels crowded at the Great Smials. I am sure Merry will also feel awkward under so many staring eyes and of course Frodo and Sam want none of the attention in the first place. Your attention to canon is wonderful. Pippin and Merry certainly would continue to go around armed and not afraid to use their weapons, especially while some of the ruffians might still be about. "Pippin sat breathing heavily for a moment, shaken. Then he looked at his sword. The blood was red, not black. He turned his face away and vomited. He wished Merry were here." While Pippin undoubtedly saw red blood on swords before, and might have even killed some of Sauron's men before and not just Orc's, this statement is extremely powerful. You really are setting up very nicely how Merry and Pippin continue to need each other and must be together. Author Reply: Merry was an only child, although of course, he'd had Frodo in his early years, and I think that made his relationship with his parents more stable than that of Pippin, who had three big sisters. Saradoc is a very good father, isn't he? They do have to adjust to all the attention. It's quite different from the attention and acclaim they recieved in Gondor--this is from people who knew them as children, and may have trouble reconciling that knowledge with what they are like now. Yes, that is canon, for JRRT described them as riding about in their splendid armor and livery. I'm sure that Pippin had seen red blood on swords, but am not so sure he would have killed any Men before. We know he killed orcs and a troll; Merry did slay one of the Ruffians in the Battle of Bywater, but we've no indication Pippin did. And in times of emotional stress, Pip's always going to wish for Merry's presence. Merry Christmas!

Gryffinjack	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 12/24/2005
Very interesting, between the Great Smials version and this chapter of the Brandy Hall version, how you have all four of our hobbits telling what happened on the Quest almost immediately. And in such different styles! Of course, the one where we really get to relive the entire tale is Pippin's telling of it to his entire immediate family in the Great Smails version of this story, where we re-live so much of what he went through and feel his pain in the sections he purposely omits or glosses over. And now in here, we have Merry telling his father, but choosing not to tell his mother and let her find out from his father. Whereas Pippin omitted many things in front of his mother and sisters and told them to his father privately, Merry told his mother nothing and his father everything. While Pippin did not have a choice but to tell the tale in front of the entire family, Merry did. Judging by the reactions of the women in Pippin's family, Merry was right that it would have been extremely harrowing for his mum to hear, but it is something she needs to know about the world and about her son and so it is good that she will learn it from her husband. Then there is Sam. Sam, who although he tells of the events to his father, purposely leaves out how brave and vital his role was in the mission. Sam's omissions to his father seem to be not so much out of pain but out of discomfort at his own importance. This makes complete sense, given the Gamgee's social status and the way that Sam was raised. I am sure Sam left even more out when he told Rosie what happened. I loved how Frodo could tell Sam was talking about Elves by the lightness in Sam's voice. Lastly, we have Frodo. Frodo, who like Sam, despises telling of his own self-importance on the mission. Instead, and since he has no immediate family of his own, he makes sure that the Gaffer knows how brave and important his son was to the mission. Not only does this speak to Frodo's humility, but also to his generosity of spirit. "‘Dear Mother and Father, I’m off on an adventure with Frodo and Merry. I don’t know where we’re going or how long we’ll be gone. Give my love to the girls. Love, Pippin’." This note sounded just like one that the tweenage Pippin would have written! Thankfully, Pippin realised this note would never work and tossed it in the waste bin. Unfortunately, the Tooks are intelligent people and Paladin knew enough to look in his son's waste bin. That note sounded just like Pippin was being irresponsible and just running off on a jolly adventure without permission again instead of saying how important and different this time was. As if Paladin did not have enough cause to be extremely upset and distraught, this certainly added fuel to the fire, albeit unintentionally on Pippin's part. This was a very interesting chapter of comparisons. Well done! Author Reply: Here we see the beginnings of my fascination, my obsession, with the connections between these four. I wanted very much to show them having parallel experiences--not identical, but similar. As to the telling of their tale: it seemed to me that Merry and Pippin at least, would feel obliged to let their parents know what happened and why. I am afraid that I do not see the logic in fanfics where neither of them ever tell anyone, including close family, about what happened to them, or has them doing so only years later or under extreme duress. Some of these stories are good, but I am afraid that they call for a bit more suspension of disbelief than I have to normally put forth. But Frodo would have been more reticent about himself--not so much about Sam. And Sam would have wanted to tell Frodo's part in the story, knowing that Frodo would not. Yes, I'm afraid Pip's not the best letter writer in the world, and he should have been more careful of the contents of his wastebasket.

Gryffinjack	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 12/24/2005
One of the things that makes all of your stories so wonderful to read and so like canon is your attention to detail, careful research, and grasp of LotR terminology. For example, you constantly use the hobbit names of the months and days of the weeks and use them correctly, your application of geography to the Shire, including directions, and the various characters. I am so glad that Merry got to keep Stybba! One of the visuals from the movie that sticks with me is of Merry kicking Stybba repeatedly and jostling the rains to try and get the pony to move. lol! "Still, Merry was a little embarrassed. Frodo and Pippin both thought him overprotective, and were sometimes irritated at his regard. Sam never noticed. He was too busy doing the same thing." Oh, but that's perfect! Merry and Sam certainly are the practical, overprotective ones and think alike. "“No. It wouldn’t be practical. I need to be close by to oversee the repairs; also, thanks to your meddling, I have to be available to act as ‘Deputy Mayor’. I cannot believe I let you get me into this.” Laughing, Merry exchanged a grin with Pippin and Sam. He was rather proud of the idea himself. Frodo needed to be kept busy, and as Mayor (Deputy or not) the rest of the Shire would have to show Frodo some respect. He had made up his mind that he would never let a “Mad Baggins” comment pass unrebuked ever again." So the conspiracy has not ended, eh? Those three are going to manage Frodo until the day he leaves for the Undying Lands. I love this paragraph about Merry. He has been protective of Frodo since the day he was born and made a study of his older cousin. Good for Frodo, putting one over on Merry and Pippin! I so enjoy seeing Frodo happy and laughing smugly to himself. He really has a great sense of humour, although it is masked and coloured all too frequently by the effects of the Ring. "It was a measure of how far down Pippin was that he did not even pretend to misunderstand. “I think so. Father’s still angry, but he didn’t tell me not to come back. Mother and Pervinca were glad to see me, at any rate. It’s just--dead, Merry. He said I was dead.” Pippin’s eyes glittered with moisture, but he quickly blinked it away. “I know, Pip. If you need me, send for me. And you are always welcome in Buckland.” Merry’s own eyes glittered, but with anger." Poor Pippin! The anguish and pain that must have caused him to find out that his father had declared him dead. Especially since he still was not of age, for a parent to give up all hope on him ... it must have been incomprehensible to Pippin, especially as sensitive as he is. And Merry... sigh. He is our constant, stalwart Merry, always looking after his cousins, always offering them all he has, and always ready and willing to defend and protect them. "Pippin did laugh then. “My fierce Merry." Loved that line, too. Berilac is a most welcome sight in this story! I first came to really appreciate him in On the Road to Edoras. Since then, through my readings of your stories in chronological order, I have grown fonder and fonder of this particular level-headed hobbit. Well, Berilac and Freddy, actually. But I'm so glad Berilac is here! Aside from Frodo or Pippin, he is the cousin closest to Merry and most like a brother to him. It really is enjoyable to read how Merry and Berilac speak with enough respect for each other that they speak honestly and do not hold much back, especially Merry, with all that he has gone through. This is a fine start! I'm so excited to finally be reading these stories again! Author Reply: I do try very hard to stay as true to canon as I can. The use of hobbit months is actually not quite true to JRRT's style, as he always "translated" them to our modern months; however, I found that the deviations in his calendar made that difficult for me, so I stuck to the hobbit names, so that I could easily consult his calendar. As to distances, I was hard put to it with Merry's trip to Buckland, which should have taken a couple of days in normal travel. However, I was reassured by those in the know that on ponyback and cross-country, it was in fact doable in one. I guess that you can see here the seeds of how I would develop Merry's and Sam's personalities. Chronologically, of course, this story is rather far down the time line, but it was written second, so it pleases me to see that previous developments enhanced rather than contradicted this story. It is so neat to be seeing all this through your eyes, as you read the stories in this fashion! Frodo's sense of humor and happiness were muted by his experiences with the Ring, but at this point in time, he is hopeful that he will be able to pick up the pieces. He knows that he still has far too many "bad days", but he is looking for them to decrease. He has yet to realize they will only get worse with time. And too, his joy has always been in others rather than himself. Yes, poor Pippin. His encounter with his Father was much influenced by the story by Lulleny that inspired all of this--to have been presumed dead had to hurt him horribly. And, yes, overprotective Merry. This was my first use of Berilac, and I had a good time figuring him out!

Hai Took	Reviewed Chapter: 16 on 6/3/2004
That was all very delightful! I liked how Merry defended Frodo to that Chubb lad in Brandy Hall! Merry doesn't seem like one who would allow his family to be spoken to like that, especially after everything Frodo did! Merry's cousins sure did find him to be intriguing! I like your Berliac, that name crops up quite a lot in post and pre-Quest stories but I like the way you have written him. Especially is awe for Merry! Esmerelda taking the time to talk to Frodo at the Cotton's home was beautiful! That Frodo had not thought of himself as being missed is so sweet! I'm glad that Esmerelda and Saradoc are helping him to see that he was missed! The bit about the nightmares and that they seemed to be better if Gandalf or Legolas watched them sleep was very fitting! Legolas offering to watch them sleep for the rest of their lives was very good! The apology from Paladin to Saradoc was great! I'm glad that they were able to make up and be friends again! It is good for Merry and Pippin as well! If your families aren't getting along then it certainly becomes difficult to remain friends! You ended it wonderfully, with Aragorn gettin the letter from the Shire! I wanted to know what everyone else had to say to the King though! Now I feel more adequately prepared for Reckoning! Thank you for sharing such wonderful stories! Author Reply: I'm glad that you enjoyed it so much. Do you know you are the only one who picked up on the bit about Legolas offering to watch them sleep? It was a little thing that came to me, that the Elf or Gandalf might be able to banish their nightmares. Of course, Gandalf would realize right away that the hobbits could not depend on that forever, but I could see Legolas, upset at their distress, willing to do whatever it would take to help; after all, what would sixty or seventy years mean to an Elf? And not quite realize the other inconveniences it would cause for the hobbits. So now you know what was in all the official correspondence, it does make it easier to keep up with Reckoning.

First Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Last Page

Return to Chapter List