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| The Archives Incident by Dreamflower | 35 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/28/2007 |
| How wonderful that the two of them were able to protect themselves, and what a couple of finds they found! The poem is indeed awful, and I love the idea of how hard you must have worked to write it! Love to think how Aragorn will cringe when that is sung to him. And love how Frodo managed to deal with that particular scroll. I'd wondered if he'd find that. So, it hadn't managed to get pulled away in the last two years? Heh! Author Reply: I think that our lads had enough ingenuity to take care of themselves in the short term. It really *is* harder to write something deliberately bad, than it is to at least *try* to write something moderately good, LOL! I had to rewrite some lines so they *wouldn't* scan! *grin* I thought it quite likely that Gandalf had been the last real visitor to the lower Archives--after all, it was only very shortly after that, that the War began to heat up, and probably there were not many people who would be looking to do that kind of research as life in the City grew worse. In one way, it was a good thing for Frodo that their situation came up. He did not have time to brood over his find, as his mind had to be taken up with getting *out*, and with taking care of and protecting Pippin. | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/27/2007 |
| Get Menelcar singing that! Although it might be best if it's at a private gathering. Poor Frodo - trapped in a library. Halfway between horror and euphoria. But without food and with rats. Yes, it's a good job they were rescued when they were! Author Reply: Uh--yeah! Probably it would not be good if its first performance was at the wedding, LOL! When I was a kid "trapped in a library" was one of my favorite fantasies! But the lack of food and the presence of rats did rather take the shine off! | |
| GamgeeFest | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/27/2007 |
| Oh, those poor rats! They finally get rescued, only to have things thrown at them! LOL What an exciting little adventure for Pippin and Frodo, though it may not seem that exciting to them at the moment. I imagine that Merry and Sam will be extra protective of Frodo and Pippin after this, for awhile at least. And I do hope that Pippin gets to show that poem to Meneclar! That would be a hoot if Meneclar actually sang it! :D Author Reply: *snerk!* I hadn't thought of it from the rats' POV, LOL! Well, not exciting in a good way, certainly. And yeah, I can see Merry and Sam doing a bit of extra hovering for a while. I think it's inevitable that we see more of the poem--I just have to wait for the bunnny to get large enough... | |
| Fiondil | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/26/2007 |
| Oh but you have to do a sequel Dreamflower! I had the same terrible thought as Tigger — that "Thorongil" himself wrote the poem in retaliation for all the other poems and songs being written about him at the time. LOL Lovely story. Author Reply: I'm glad you liked it. And I already have a tiny idea as to the poenm's provenance. It just needs to grow a little first. | |
| Andrea | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/25/2007 |
| Great story, Dreamflower! I like Frodo's protective side. Even if Pippin is now taller than his cousin and regarded as a hero, he's still very young and there are times when he needs his older cousin. I agree with all the others that this story needs a sequel, with Menelcar performing the "Thorongil Song" if he agrees to vocalise real bad (but funny) poetry, that is ;-) Author Reply: Thank you! I love to see Frodo being protective, and being the caregiver for once--I just like the "turnabout" aspect of it. And I think Frodo being protective of Pippin would always remain--if Frodo had stayed and lived in the Shire, he'd have been trying to protect Merry and Pippin even after they were all old gaffers! It looks very likely as though there will be a follow-up to this--everyone's clamoring! | |
| Althea | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/24/2007 |
| I very much enjoyed reading this story. I love stories about the hobbits' adventures in Minas Tirith. This one was was refreshing in its originality. The whole rats thing kind of made my skin crawl, but that served to emphasize the gravity of situation. I liked how you added the extra complications of Frodo's finding Isildur's writings and Pippin's memories of being lost as a child. Author Reply: Rats rather make my skin crawl as well. But they were certainly a ubiquitous part of life back then, especially in places where it would be dark and somewhat undisturbed. When Dana asked for this, I thought right away of Pippin's earlier misadventure. And as soon as I thought of the Archives as a place where something similar could happen, I also knew that Frodo would have to come across Isildur's account. | |
| Tigger | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/24/2007 |
| What a fantastic story!! Had a bit of everything, but especially hobbit comfort. That mental image of the four of them all snuggled up in the bed...Sigh!! What a perfect ending!! I loved this though... **** It had been an exhausting afternoon spent placating various nobles and wealthy merchants who had returned to Minas Tirith. They were unhappy with the pace of restoration to the City, more specifically to the upper levels where their own homes and shops were, homes and shops that had suffered far less damage than the lower levels where most of the work was being done. Now the king wished to put Elessar aside, and simply be Aragorn once more. He had retreated to a small room that he had set aside for himself as a private office, taking his Steward and his Court Bard with him. ***** We don't see too much of those first days of Aragorn's reign and it had to be a very tough and tight bit of rope walking for him. Not only was there now a King, but he was a King that actually cared about *all* his subjects. Quite a change from Denethor and would be tough for the nobles used to the old regime to adjust to. I thought you did an excellent job there. I also loved Aragorn and Faramir talking about Gandalf and his talents to creating smoke images. The ship Gandalf blew "flying" through Bilbo's smoke ring is one of my very favourite visual scenes from FOTR. Although seeing smoke rings all colours of the rainbow would have been interesting. ;oD Poor Frodo and Pippin though. What an ordeal on so many levels for them. From Pip's flashbacks to Frodo finding *that* scroll to the rats...Not to mention missing two meals, which is an ordeal for any hobbit, the poor dears. I'm sure Aragorn will see to the overhaul of the archives. While not a librarian, I adore books and have a keen sense of history. Rats and mice ate away quite a bit of recorded history over the Ages. After this, I'm certain Aragorn would see to a sweeping extermination of that particular rodent problem tout suit!! I also loved the Thorongil poem. What would be really funny was if it was actually Aragorn who wrote the thing. *snicker* Can't you imagine that scene!?! Menelcar announcing he had a new song, partly inspired by his dear friends the hobbits and before Aragorn knew what was happening.... His face could match his regal Court wardrobe if he was wearing red that day. :oD This was a thoroughly delightful read. Looking forward to the sequel when it comes!! :o) Author Reply: Sometimes I put everything but the kitchen sink in a story, LOL! But I do like a good mixture of emotions and events. I like to picture Aragorn able to unwind with his Steward, and maybe one or two close friends, after a trying day of dealing with the problems of being King--especially in those early days before Arwen arrived. So many people in the City were just not going to *get* what having a King instead of a Steward meant. It was somewhat of an ordeal. In a way, it was good that Frodo had to worry about taking care of Pippin--it got his mind off Isildur's scroll pretty quickly, and so he did not have time to brood much over it. And poor Pip, he'd been so brave all through the Quest, but now these circumstances were so much like that of his childhood peril, he could not help remembering. I'm kind of getting a few ideas about that poem--they are just not yet big enough for a story yet. | |
| harrowcat | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/24/2007 |
| Urgh, rats, I hate rats! But I want to see Aragorn's face when he hears that song! *g* Author Reply: Me too! Rats are not one of my favorite things at all--and they are certainly not high on Pippin's list either! And, really, rats would be far more dangerous to hobbits, who are small. So does everyone else. So it will probably happen one of these days! | |
| Kitty | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/24/2007 |
| Loved that! Of course Frodo would visit the archives, bookworm that he is. And I loved the song Pippin found about the Captain Thorongil. Maybe you'll tell us what Aragorn said when they showed it to him? *grin* Only a pity they got locked up. But well, it wouldn't be our hobbits if nothing had happened. Though maybe they should have remained in the upper rooms. Poor Pippin, tunnels and rats ... :-( I'm glad Faramir remembered the archives and they were found before they ended up in the dark. But now I think Aragorn needs *badly* to do something about the rats! Can't bear the thought of them gnawing at the scrolls and books. I'm a librarian, after all! Author Reply: That's what everyone wants to know, LOL! So it's likely to happen sooner or later. Yes, well, the evil Author just *had* to let *something* bad happen! But of course they had to be found soon--I didn't want to traumatize them too badly. He will definitely be putting "get rid of rats" on his to-do list! | |
| Elemmírë | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/23/2007 |
| This was absolutely wonderful, Dreamflower, and so very rich with details! I truly felt like I was walking along the Archives with Frodo and Pippin, experiencing the dank, musty rooms, etc. And you captured Sam and Merry's growing worry so very well. This tale had it all: the angst, the love, the suspense, awful poetry, h/c, humor, hobbity sweetness, a happy ending--this had everything!!!! Frodo made a non-committal noise. Already his brow was furrowed as he tried to decipher the archaic hand. Pippin glanced over, and seeing that one of the boxes was only half-filled, he emptied the scrolls into another, and went over to the bench. “Frodo.” No response. LOL! Like Frodo, I too get totally absorbed when I'm reading .... especially when it's about hobbits! I also liked how you were able to incorporate the entire Fellowship and also tie this story in with 'The Brandy Hall Incident.' You wrote Frodo as the wise and older cousin (and clever and curious) so very well here! Ok, I have to ask: will you continue this at all? Will we get to see Aragorn's reaction to the Thorongil poem? And what does Gandalf do with the scroll bearing the Ring's inscription? And does Frodo suffer any further ill effects from reading Isildur's hand? :D (please?) ~Elemmírë~ Author Reply: I'm so glad that you liked all the mix of elements--those are the kinds of things I like as well: I like to see angst and fluff, humor and suspense, all mixed together. I'm pretty bad about getting absorbed myself, when I read, so I knew just how Frodo would be. I'm getting a lot of requests to continue this. We will have to see if my tiny bunny will grow enough to make another story to go with it. But those are excellent questions to feed it... | |