Stories of Arda Home Page
About Us News Resources Login Become a member Help Search

A Rocky Beginning to the New Year  by Grey Wonderer 23 Review(s)
cookiefleckReviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/1/2008
That was very sweet, and funny. I thought I had it figured out that Pippin had found a M-e cowpie (wargpie?)! Glad it was just a larger stone. :o)

Author Reply: Oh, now the Middle earth wargpie never occured to me! I really should have thought of that! Pippin is probably glad that I didn't. Glad you enjoyed this and Happy New Year to you!

AndreaReviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/1/2008
“You might want to make a smaller wish next new year,” Merry snorted.

“Or find a bigger boot,” Frodo offered between laughs.

“Well that’s no help at all now,” Pippin said sounding very put out with all of them.


Poor Pippin! Why do they always have to tease him?
I believe him that he really did not think about the size of the boot. He was just too occupied with his *big* wish ;-)

And I loved Boromir's wish for Frodo! That's what I would have wished for him, too!

Happy New Year to you and your family!


Author Reply: I could see Pippin putting all of his efforts into his very big wish and completely forgetting the boot size. After all, Hobbits are not used to boots and shoes. And the wishes for Boromir and for Frodo were real ones of mine that I put into the story. I do wish that both of them had got what they really deserved. Happy New Year to you and your family also!

AndreaReviewed Chapter: Prologue on 1/1/2008
First New Year's resolution: Never forget to comment on G.W.'s disclaimers ;-)
So far, so good...

I love your disclaimers!

So, this is legal English? It sounds like the stuff we have to place at the end of our e-mails at work (in German AND English). But yours is much more entertaining :)

Author Reply: I too work for a company that is very big on disclaimers. So far we only have to put them in English but I do think a recording of the disclaimer in Spanish plays on our phone system! It's a great thing. You can lie all you want because you've been covered by a disclaimer!(that is the New Year's first sarcasim!)

Thank you for reading the prologue and I shall resolve not to let you down with a boring prologue in 2008!

shireboundReviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/1/2008
“But we don’t make wishes with shoes in Minas Tirith,” Boromir objected.

“You aren’t in Minas Tirith,” Pippin grinned. “Ask Merry and he’ll tell you. You’re on the way to Hollin

“At some point on this journey Gandalf just may forget that Pippin is rather important to Frodo and Pippin may be sorry about that,” Merry said with a long-suffering sigh.


Oh GW, I have a big New Year's grin on my face because of you. May all *your* wishes come true this year, you wacky, wonderful girl. Long may your hobbits continue to delight us.

Author Reply: Awww, I wish I were there to see that New Year's grin! Thank you for reading and for always leaving a wonderful review! That puts a wacky grin on my face! May we all write lots of hobbits in the New Year!

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/1/2008
GW, this was perfectly lovely! You did not "step in any canon", it's just right, and could very easily have happened just that way.

I love Pippin's logic (?) about "the middle of nowhere", and the way he acted stunned at the thought that Merry might not miss him at once if he fell off the path, and Merry relenting at once--if they'd been at home, he might have teased a little longer, but they aren't and he knows Pip's feeling a bit vulnerable, so he doesn't. And I loved how Pippin was openly admiring of Merry telling him where they were, and his explanations for why *he* paid no attention to maps, LOL!

I loved Boromir's reactions to things, and the way you have him single-mindedly focussed on getting to Minas Tirith--that, I think, is very true to canon-Boromir!

I love the talk of the various customs, and of Pippin's instantly latching on to them--even though hobbits don't wear shoes. Only Pippin could have persuaded the other members of the party to part with their footgear, LOL! And I loved how mischievous Legolas and Frodo were about Pippin's ambitious stone, er, rock. (And your Legolas was very Legolas, also, so you needn't have been nervous about him--he was splendid!)

I love all the tiny, yet important, hints of foreshadowing, some of them sad and some not. (“I wish that the White City of Minas Tirith would welcome Boromir home in the new year as a hero and they would shower him with gifts and wealth.” *sniff* Poor Boromir!) And I have a hunch that Pippin's big wish was for them to succeed on the Quest, and find themselves safely home again--I'm sure that was at the back of all their minds when it came to wishing.

Most of all, I love that you had it in Sam's POV. It was just right to see all this through Sam's eyes, as we see his affection not just for Frodo, but for Frodo's cousins, and his growing affection for all these other curious folks among whom he'd found himself. It was beautiful, and you had Sam's voice just right.

I don't know if one of your New Year's Resolutions was to write more Quest fic or not, but if it is, I hope you keep it, because this is really wonderful!

Happy New Year, GW!!


Author Reply: As you know I do worry about stepping in canon so I am glad to know that I didn't this time!

Pippin's speech came to me before I know what the story was actually about and it nearly ending with Merry putting his arm around Pippin as they walked on. Funny how it just kept going after that.

I have always wanted to write more Boromir but since I mostly avoid canon he hasn't been able to turn up in most of my fiction. I'm very glad you enjoyed him.

I like a sneaky Elf and so I did enjoy giving Legolas and Frodo a bit of a secret in this story. I don't know why but I seem to be writing some elves lately. First the twins and now this! You just never know!

The wish for Boromir was, to some extent, actually mine. I do wish that Tolkien hadn't killed him. I know he had to kill someone and I can't imagine him killing any of the others but I still wish Boromir had made it to his White City in the end.

Sam and I have taken a very long time to become comfortable with one another. It's a recent thing. I'm glad you enjoyed his voice in this.

I didn't make any resolutions because I never really keep them but I am considering a couple more if they turn out in my mind. We shall see!

Happy New Year and thank you for reading!

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: Prologue on 1/1/2008
*grin* This is a marvelous set of warnings and disclaimers!! Have you been watching legal shows? *giggle* This was done strictly for amusement and if you should fail to be amused we apologize in advance but you have been warned. (See the section above.)

*snerk*



Author Reply: Boston Legal and I work for a company that is obsessed with disclaimers and legal stuff!

ziggyReviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/1/2008
That was a nice New Year treat- made me laugh. Thanks.You don't need all the disclaimers etc- it worked well

Author Reply: Glad you enjoyed it and I do love it when these make people laugh! As to the disclaimers, I kinda enjoy writing them for some odd reason. Thanks for the review and Happy New Year!

EstellaBReviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/1/2008
"Sam shook his head as if trying to clear it properly. He wasn’t certain exactly how to reply to whatever it was that Mr. Pippin had just said."

--This is a common reaction to Pippin :D This story is lovely. I love Pippin, and the ever-practical Merry. It wa also lovely to see Frodo not being angsty during the quest, but happy instead (except for after the bit about his marriage). Happy New Year!

Author Reply: Thank you! That one line of Pippin's about the middle of nowhere was actually the only thing I had for this story when I started it!

I am not at all good at writing angst of any kind and I do hate to see Frodo suffer so. I thought that no further along than they were at that point and with Pippin up to his crazy antics that Frodo might be allowed a chuckle or two. Happy New Year!

PIppinfan1988Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/1/2008
“I plan to make a big wish and so I thought I’d need a very big stone,” Mr. Pippin explained.

LOL! Only Pippin would think like that. This is a wonderful tale of the Fellowship making the best of their situation and learning about each other's customs at the same time. I also liked how it all was from Sam's pov. We rarely get to see a glimpse of what's on his mind during the Quest. An excellent New Year's story -- very well done!

Author Reply: I am getting fond of Sam's POV for some reason. I used to write mostly from Merry's POV but I do like being able to get Sam's reactions to both Pippin and Merry's activities with a look at Frodo as well. I adore Pip but for some reason his POV is the hardest for me. Gamgeefest has helped me with Sam over the years and now I think he and I get on fairly well. Glad you enjoyed this and thanks so much for reading and for your friendship over the past few years!

PIppinfan1988Reviewed Chapter: Prologue on 1/1/2008
ROTFL!!! I do love your Prologues! I wish I was as creative about them, but...well, see your own section 1 above. :-D

Author Reply: I'm into these prologue things in a big way now. Don't know why but I consider it my mission to dress them up and take them out. Glad you enjoyed this one.

First Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Last Page

Return to Chapter List