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| To Rescue a Damsel by Lindelea | 46 Review(s) |
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| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 15 on 2/28/2025 |
| He brightened at the fairly recent memory of being asked to sample various tea sandwiches and savouries, as well as biscuits and teacakes that the cooks had turned out, and give his carefully considered opinion of each. How delightful. Oh my, what a very suspenseful and grown-up experience this is for the children. Author Reply: Very suspenseful! But hopefully it'll turn out to be more educational than traumatizing. It was so much fun to think up "tasks" that Pippin and Diamond would set for their son, at his young age, as part of the long and painstaking preparation process on his journey to adulthood! Thanks for reading and stopping to leave your encouragement. Only two chapters to go! (And I just posted the next chapter after this one, so technically there's only one chapter to go. I missed my goal of posting the entire story in February by just one day. But the final chapter is ALL fluff, so that counts for something. I think.) | |
| Lindelea | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/27/2025 |
| PLEASE NOTE that the mystery "reviewer" attacked this story today. I've left the bogus reviews in place for the site admins to take a look at, just in case this is a symptom of an attempted hack. Author Reply: Update: The plethora of false reviews have been removed. | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 2/27/2025 |
| his mother's face was suddenly close, and her lips gently blessed his forehead. 'My brave little lad,' she said. *happy sigh* What a loving, comforting, gentle chapter. You know I love it. Author Reply: I do know! I have enjoyed many similar moments in reading your stories, as well. I think the best part of h/c is absolutely the "c" part. If one can manage lots of "c" with hardly any "h" (or none at all), it's a bonus. I've been writing loads of fluff since Ollie left us, and it has helped somehow. Thank you, my friend, for your encouragement. | |
| Leithian | Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 2/27/2025 |
| This chapter is fluff overloaded, and I didn't know how badly I needed this. The description of events through Farry's drowsy eyes somehow made it feel very comfortable and cosy. And Farry and Goldi are so cute together. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯, 𝘍𝘦𝘳𝘥𝘪 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘣𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘍𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬. 𝘏𝘦'𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦... What a beautiful turn of the phrase. And I feel that such people are few and far in between and they are utterly charming. Did I mention that Ferdi is my favourite character? BTW what is the relation between Rudi and Ferdi? I thought that Rudi is Ferdi's son, but then he was also the Bolger. I haven't read most of your older stories yet, so I'm confused. Studies are fine, I have to revise for tomorrow's test. But all is well when there are strawberries to go with it. Author Reply: Everything goes better with fresh strawberries, I should think. Even frozen strawberries, in a pinch, especially if they have been dipped in chocolate. (We have some of those in the freezer, actually.) I'm so glad the fluff is helping. In a nutshell (at least, my best attempt at a nutshell): Ferdibrand is on JRRT's genealogy as a direct descendant of The Old Took, making him gentry by blood. In my version of things, his father Ferdinand married the daughter (one of my OCs) of Odovacar Bolger, the head of one of the Great Families in the Shire. However, Ferdinand was a gifted pony trainer, making him one of the "working gentry" – sort of a hybrid status. Thus, Ferdi grew up mingling with both the gentry and working-class hobbits and learned to move in both social circles as someone belonging wherever he found himself. Ferdi and Pippin's sister Pimpernel (Nell) were childhood sweethearts. However, Ferdi's father lost everything in a fire, reducing him to living on the "Thain's charity". Ferdi eventually became a hunter. Later, his skills were valuable in keeping ruffians out of the Tookland during Lotho's time ("the Troubles") and made him a "hero of the Tookland". He suffered severe injuries at the Battle of Bywater and withdrew from society. Thain Paladin then arranged for Pimpernel to marry Odovacar Bolger's brother, Rudivacar (another of my OCs), who died shortly after Pippin became Thain, probably of appendicitis, leaving Pimpernel with five children and one on the way. Though second marriages were almost unheard-of in the Shire, Pippin and Odovacar were instrumental in bringing Ferdi and Nell together. When they married, Ferdi adopted Nell's Bolger children; however, the eldest, Rudi, had to remain a Bolger since he was the heir to the Bolger name and fortune. (Freddy ["Fatty" Bolger], Odo's son, who should have inherited, never completely recovered from the Lockholes and removed himself from the succession, making Rudivacar the Bolger heir before his death, and his son became the legal heir after the older "Rudi" died.) I hope that helps? (And hopefully, I didn't confuse you further with this "short" version!) Author Reply: p.s. I'm so glad to hear you're a fan of Ferdi! I'm quite fond of the hobbit, though between me and my editor-friend (since moved on to a different fandom) who used to proofread my chapters and occasionally suggested ways to insert more chaos and conflict, we have put him through an awful lot of, um, character-building experiences, to put it mildly. Author Reply: Oops, sorry, I mistyped something in the "nutshell" above. Ferdinand, Ferdibrand's father, married the SISTER of Odovacar Bolger, not his daughter. | |
| Leithian | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 2/26/2025 |
| Oh this is so sweet. And I never expected that Rudi and Laurel would become a couple. 𝘏𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭, 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘴. ‘𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺-𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦? 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘱?’ I second that, please. Take care Author Reply: I'd so glad you enjoyed this brief interruption to the main story! In part, this story was written in response to a reader's request to see how Rudi and Laurel came to be a couple. They were originally introduced as a married couple in my stories at a point on the timeline when Farry and Goldi are newlyweds and Rudi and Laurel have been married about a decade or so. Of course, this story is set about twenty years before that happens! (I hope this explanation makes sense; I have a cat circling my chair like a shark and periodically biting my leg to remind me that it's past feeding time.) It's difficult to resist a clowning head of escort, especially when someone seconds him! Thanks so much for reading and stopping to leave an encouraging thought! I hope the studies are going well. (((hugs))) | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 2/25/2025 |
| ‘To fairy-tale endings!’ Yes indeed! :) Author Reply: I simply adore a happy ending! (This story partly came about because Dinossiel wanted to know how Rudi and Laurel met in the first place. I'm hoping it fits the role of a Valentine's story by featuring the early days of two future couples!) | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 2/24/2025 |
| I just love Petunia and Laurel! Author Reply: They have been a lot of fun to take tea with! (((hugs))) | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 2/23/2025 |
| The gammer’s fierce look dissolved into a laugh, and she wagged the rolling pin at both tweens. ‘I know how much there is i’ the pantry – and how much there isn’t! There are delightful conspiracies within conspiracies! Rudi must be so relieved to know where the children are. Author Reply: I'm sure he was immensely relieved! I know I would be... (((hugs))) | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 2/22/2025 |
| Thank goodness someone has 'found' the young ones, and can be of help (or at least comfort). Author Reply: Whew! And since this story is intended to offer more fluff than angst, the comfort is just beginning... Thanks for reading and stopping to share your thoughts! | |
| Leithian | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 2/22/2025 |
| Dear Lindelea! I've finally started reading this story (was putting it off due to the tests) and it is really interesting. I feel as if I have been dropped right into the middle of the Great Smials. As someone who did not get into a lot of trouble as a child, rather watched on the sidelines, I find it all really entertaining. It is so much of a hard work isn't it, to get into trouble? Anyway, I like Farry's eye for planning and the way he and his friends are working to avoid the worst. I wonder what will happen when Goldi realises that Farry had planned for them to be found all along. I've also started reading some of your older works. "Answering machines of Middle Earth" was a lot of fun and now a certified headcanon of mine. Frodo's secret on the other hand was really sad. I never thought of Frodo's illness as being physical along with psychological, but now it does make sense. Reading through the older stories (they are even older than me) was quite an experience. It was interesting to see how this website Stories of Arda has evolved over the time. I could also see your great interest in Hobbits, it all seems a lot of fun. Honestly, I'm more of an Elf person, and while I absolutely adore the LoTR, I'm more at home in the Silmarillion. But your stories have also made me interested in the Hobbits, especially, with the rich cast of OCs as well as the characters that JRRT just named and left it at it. Someday I'll try to read them all. Thanks for your reply on my review on the last chapter of "A horse for Bandobras". I'll definitely check out "Beginnings" as soon as possible (I've only gained a very temporary respite from tests and assignments). BTW I adore your Author replies. They're almost as good as another chapter. Take care Author Reply: Oh my, tests and assignments. I remember how much effort and time investment is involved in studies. I'm glad if my stories can offer a respite of sorts. Best wishes for your studies! Your observation about the amount of work it takes to get in trouble is interesting to contemplate! I hadn't thought about it in just that way before, although I have sometimes thought that if criminals were to put the same amount of effort into doing something constructive as they put into committing crime, they might come out better. Your wondering about Goldi's reaction is interesting, too. I'm still thinking about that. You're right about Frodo's illness being psychological (or spiritual?) rather than physical, but as that idea never made sense to me, I wrote in several stories about his leaving being the result of physical symptoms. One of my first stories ("Jewels", not yet posted in full on SoA but it's on my to-do list) devotes only two or three chapters to the idea, but one of my longer stories, "A Small and Passing Thing", explores the time between releasing the prisoners from the Lock-holes and Frodo's sailing in detail. However, after finishing "Small and Passing Thing", I read one of JRRT's letters and realized that my story should properly be categorized as "AU" because Tolkien emphasizes that Frodo's malady is not physical. Ah, well. I don't feel any desire to rewrite that story to bring it in line with canon. It'll just have to stay as it is. One of my earlier stories (another long one, but at least the chapters are short) that sort of serves as the backbone of many of my Shire stories is "At the End of His Rope". Amazingly (to me, anyhow), the characters and plot devices and cultural characteristics introduced in that story (along with "Jewels" before it) have not required much adjustment as I've expanded my list of fanfics over the years. So I guess something in the back of my brain had a clear picture all through the process. I'm relieved to hear you enjoy my replies to reviews. Sometimes they seem long-winded to me, but they're a reflection of how much I enjoy contemplating this world and these characters that JRRT originated and shared with us. | |