Without Frodo or Merry around, I don't think Pippin is happy unless he is getting into trouble. Disobeying his parents and running out to get a half at the pub - not a bright idea, although quite Tookish.
However, I did notice that although Pippin is now twenty-five years old and allowed to buy drinks all by himself in Tuckborough, he only wanted to buy a half. As usual with Pippin, he has learnt from his past mistakes and is going to honour his promise with Merry not to get drunk without him. So in this regard, the lad has matured.
It's wonderful the way you captured young siblings - not taking any notice of what the others are going through. I also like how Eglantine overlooked Pippin's use of a mild oath, making allowances for her son. Did she know what was in Merry's letter? I wouldn't be surprised if Saradoc or Esme had written to let Paladin and Eglantine know what was happening.
Poor Merry is not finding being an adult all that it is cracked up to be. With privilege comes responsibilities that cut into playtime. However, Merry is a most responsible hobbit and wouldn't dream of letting someone else complete a task assigned to him. He's far too stubborn and practical to allow that. To borrow from Sam, it just wouldn't be *proper*. The letter from Merry was great - the tone and familiarity was just right for a letter to his favourite cousin.
Menelcar - is he your own creation or was he a minor character in canon? Either way, I look forward to finding out more about him. It looks like he and Pippin will meet up at The Leaping Hare and like we will all be entertained with some lively music. Does Pippin really think he can escape his future responsibilities to run off and become a bard?
"He rolled over and reached under the bed for his fiddle in its case, and took it out. He began to play a mournful song to go along with his bleak mood."
I know I've said it before, but I love the way you have Pippin express himself through his music. He has such a passion for life and feels things so deeply, that I am sure that his heart aches and that he feels quite frustrated with not being able to express all of what he feels inside him. I really do think his musivc is his most effective outlet for being able to actually express himself completely so that he can rest.
Author's reply
Well, a bored Pip is a dangerous Pip. (I believe I've mentioned before that Pippin's tweenage troubles were slightly inspired by my own son, who when bored would find the most apalling ways to entertain himself. He wasn't *bad*, it's just that as soon as he had an idea, he'd act on it without thinking it through.) And without his best cousins there to anchor him, he's quite adrift in a sea of boredom...
No, Merry is finding the increased responsibilities a bit of a trial; but you are right about how he would handle it. He's far too dutiful to give less than his best effort to a job, and too stubborn to give up on it.
Menelcar is an OC. I am going to have to make a slight adjustment in his backstory, due to a sequel I have in beta with Marigold--we found a timeline problem, so he's only been out of Minas Tirith 25 years instead of 30. I just haven't edited it yet. And yes, he and Pip will be meeting at the inn...
I am so glad you like my characterization of Pippin, especially his love for music. It just seems to *fit* him somehow. There are, to me at least, many hints in canon--his singing in the Shire when they camp in "Three's Company", his bath song in "A Conspiracy Unmasked", he just seems meant to make music. But of course, I was also greatly influenced by Billy Boyd's beautiful singing.
Lindelea
· 29 September 2005
· Chapter 11
I catch my breath at a glimpse of Folco, and wonder if the story of Paladin's becoming Thain has been written and posted yet?
Author's reply
Yes, I try to get a bit of Folco into pre-Quest fics if I can.
Not as such; I've given a few hints here and there, as in this story and in my recent "To Lead His People". A little of the backstory to it will be in my new story for PippinHealers (aren't you on that list?). But the whole of it has not been written yet.
longcleeve
· 6 January 2005
· Chapter 12
oh what a great story! i love all the pippity goodness! :D i have really been enjoying your stories lately thank you so much :)
Author's reply
I just came across your review, sorry for taking so long to respond. I am glad that you liked the story!
Hai Took
· 29 October 2004
· Chapter 12
I have been a bit neglectful in reading your stoires. But now of course I have a lot to explore and will be able to take my time reading them, although I probably won't, take my time that is.
I love the way you worked all the different songs in! That you used some of Lindelea's songs was great, it makes the fanfic world not seem to seperate when you can find some of the same thing in different stories!
Frodo certainly seems to know just what to do with wayward cousins! I'm glad that he got wind of Pippin's plans and all. I think that was best for Pippin as well, that way someone listened to him.
It was nice that Gandalf's room was put to use! I like that you mentioned it in this story! Of coursen' Gandalf hasn't been to visit in a while so I doubt he would even know!
Also I wanted to mention that the scene you wrote in the kitchen for elevenses was very hobbity and well done! That both Frodo and Pippin deferred to Sam on what was to be done was great! That the knew what needed to be done with out asking and all, it seemed to fit very well!
Thank you for the story I only wish I had kept up better with it! It was lots of fun!
Author's reply
I understand. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with longer fics, and sometimes it's easy to get absorbed in the story and forget to review, at least for me, anyway. But I always love your reviews, they are so detailed.
I wanted to work in as many songs as were practical. Lindelea was kind enough to offer some of hers, and I took her up on it--I'm so glad I did! I agree, it kind of helps tie the different fanfic worlds together.
Frodo knows his cousins pretty well; he's had a lot of practce at being the wise older cousin, and he not only listened to Pippin, but Pip was willing to listen to him.
This story is 3 years before the Quest. JRRT says that at the time of the Quest it had been 9 years since Gandalf had been to the Shire. And I'm sure he would not mind, even if he did know.
I like to show hobbits in the kitchen. I think that is probably the part of the home where they are at their most comfortable. We are told that young hobbits are taught early on how to cook--I can see them easily learning how to work together, and following the direction of the most experienced cook as a matter of course.
I'm glad you had fun reading the story. I had a lot of fun writing it!
mariposa
· 20 October 2004
· Chapter 12
Oh, I loved this whole story--it was lovely, lovely. All the music was like food and drink to me, and reading about Pippin's talented singing and playing--ah. Just... Ah. Thank you!
Author's reply
I'm so glad you liked it! I wondered a bit about including that many songs; many people I know who otherwise love JRRT complain about the songs and poems, which I love. They say they skip over them! I wish more fanfics included them.
Thanks for the review!
Anso the Hobbit
· 15 October 2004
· Chapter 12
I´ve been terribly behind on stories I`m reading lately, but now I finally got to finish this. I love it! Not only because you write so well and are an excellent storyteler, but also because we get to see all those lovely songs and rhymes that either Bilbo made or belongs in the Shire.
Thank you!
Author's reply
I am so glad that you enjoyed it. I had a lot of fun finding just the right songs to put into the story. I think it's a shame more people don't put songs and stories into their fics the way JRRT did. It's actually true to life for that type of culture--no CDs or MP3s for them. If they wanted music they made it for themselves. I've been gratified by the response to that in this story. Thanks for the nice review!
Marion
· 11 October 2004
· Chapter 12
This is not the last chapter, is it? Isss it? Nooo precious, it can't be, no...
Author's reply
Yesss, yes it is. I'm sorry, I guess...but it had to come to an end sometime, didn't it?
Elenar
· 10 October 2004
· Chapter 12
Very nice! I'm happy to see that Paladin understands Pippin more now and you did a great job creating Menelcar.
Author's reply
Thank you very much.
Paladin does begin to understand a bit better. And I am glad you liked Menelcar; I grew rather fond of him during this story.
Bodkin
· 10 October 2004
· Chapter 12
Pippin needs Merry - but Merry needs Pippin, too. Together they make a good combination and it's a shame that Paladin doesn't see it. Mind you, they do lead each other into places they would not otherwise go. It's interesting to speculate how Menelcar might have stimulated Pippin's interest in the world outside the Shire.
Author's reply
Paladin sometimes does not really understand; like many, he tends to judge others by his own experiences. He honestly felt that since Merry had become an adult, he might find Pippin a bit of a distraction. Too often, one would assume that in such a relationship, the younger might need the older, but not vice-versa. We know better, 8-D !
It's quite possible that Menelcar would have increased Pippin's interest in Outside--he would certainly have shown him that not all Big Folk were to be avoided.
SharonB
· 9 October 2004
· Chapter 12
Ah great songs, so sad to see the story end. It was great fun. And I see you've tied in the gift from Bilbo to Esmeralda from Ho Ho Lads. You do a great job of tying things all together for us.
Author's reply
I'm so glad you enjoyed the story. It was great fun to write. I do like to keep my fics tied together; it makes them easier, somehow.
GamgeeFest
· 9 October 2004
· Chapter 12
But, a bat isn't a bird, it's a mammal. ;)
Aw, so sad to see him go. I really liked Menelcar. I'm glad to see Merry's lightened up on the ferry. Pippin was exactly the distraction he needed. Very true observation Menelcar made about hobbits. Pippin would not have lasted long on the road without his cousins. He would have gotten tired of the life of a bard very quickly, especially when he doesn't get to eat every two hours.
Author's reply
I know, but in the *song* it's a bird. I guess for the same specious reasoning medieval people classified beaver as a fish--because it lived in the water. A bat flies, so it must be a bird, LOL!
I think everyone was sad to see Menelcar finally leave. I know I was.
Yes, Merry needed Pip, as Frodo well knew.
Menelcar was an astute observer. I think he came to realize this.
Thanks for your lovely reviews!
Pearl Took
· 9 October 2004
· Chapter 12
This was absolutely charming!!! And all the work you put in on finding appropriate songs is amazing as well. A wonderful, wonderful story, Dreamflower!!!
Author's reply
Thank you so much for your kind words! I had a good time searching out the songs; I do wish more fic would include songs the way JRRT did.
I'm so glad you liked the story.
shirebound
· 9 October 2004
· Chapter 12
Congratulations on a wonderful story. It certainly brings more poignancy to the question, years later, "Can you sing, master hobbit?"
Author's reply
Thank you, that means a lot coming from you.
Yes, that irony was not lost on me, either; Denethor had no idea.
good_one_pip
· 9 October 2004
· Chapter 12
I loved the last song! Good-byes are so bitter-sweet. I plan to learn that song for when a time comes when partings are inevitable. A wonderful story! Very very hobbitish. You were right. Pippin has a different destiny. (nice foreshadowing about having an adventure with Merry and Frodo.) I think sometime in the near future you should make another story where Menelcar revisits the Shire. That would be fun!
Author's reply
The last song was a translation by Tolkien in "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", which I adapted. All I really did was to take out the religious references, since M-e is pre-Christian. It is certainly a beautiful peice of work.
I hope I was not too heavy-handed with the foreshadowing; we may know their destiny, but they do not.
I really lliked Menelcar, and I will keep your idea in mind.
pipspebble
· 8 October 2004
· Chapter 11
“Come *on*, Menelcar! I want you to meet my Merry!”
*happy sigh* This was so utterly perfect. Thank you for another remarkable chapter. When you deliver, oh, how you deliver! :-)
Author's reply
*Blushes* Thank you.
Grey Wonderer
· 8 October 2004
· Chapter 11
So true often times that those closest to us don't understand what we're thinking or what their words do to us. I am glad that Frodo was able to tell Paladin what Pippin could not. I am also pleased that Pippin will be spending time with his Merry. If ever two understood one another, it was those two. Lovely story.
Author's reply
Too often people assume that they *do* know what someone else is thinking when they are as about as far from the truth as it can be. That's when a third party can help. Frodo was glad to be able to do that.
And Pippin and Merry definitely need and understand one another, as Frodo could have told Paladin from the start.
GamgeeFest
· 8 October 2004
· Chapter 11
By far the best line was: "Menelcar blinked. They had just finished eating, and Frodo was planning to start cooking lunch already?" That had me rolling.
Well, Paladin took it a lot better than I thought he would. And I'm glad he stayed to hear his son play. And now that he knows the truth of what's bothering Pippin, he should be able to better handle his son in the future, especially after they have a good, long talk.
I'm going to be sad when Menelcar finally has to leave. It's interesting, after finishing "A New Reckoning" to see how hobbits received Men before the war, so open and trusting and curious.
Author's reply
Well, it fascinates me that hobbits basically have a meal every two hours. It can be really frustrating when you're writing along nicely, and you suddenly realize it's time for the characters to stop and eat--*again*! LOL! So this time I thought I'd have a bit of fun with it.
I do think that Pip and his father will be able to communicate a little better now; they have both been making some assumptions about one another that are not quite right.
I'm very sad that Menelcar has to leave, too. I've grown very fond of this character, and will be sorry when he has to depart.
Bodkin
· 8 October 2004
· Chapter 11
I love Menelcar's viewpoint on the difference between hobbit gentry and Gondorian nobles.
It's probably very good for Paladin to see Pippin in a role that suits him, while his son does not know he is there - it will give him a moment to muse on the pressures he is putting on his son. Mind you - all parents put pressures on their children to conform to their own ideal of behaviour, and fathers and sons do seem to have an extra problem. It must be truly galling for Paladin to know that Frodo is probably more successful at influencing and guiding his son than he is.
Author's reply
I thought it would be fun to see hobbits through his POV. Of course, hobbits in the kitchen are a different matter altogether than hobbits in the parlor.
I did want Paladin to have a chance to see Pippin sing, and see how happy it made him. And it gave me a chance to have Frodo quietly let him know what was going on.
I think at this point in time, though it does stick a bit in his craw and pinch his pride, he is simply grateful to have Frodo's help. But imagine how betrayed he is going to feel in three years, when after all this, it seems that *Frodo* is the one who has spirited his son away.
SharonB
· 8 October 2004
· Chapter 11
Ah, Frodo has good insight. Finally he has gotten the root of the problem to Paladin. Now hopefully those two Tooks can come to some terms over the responsibility issues they have. Although, as we know, in three years time Pip will do something that seem quite irresponsibile to Paladin again. But that always seems to be an issue between most fathers and sons. It is hard to let them go and grow in their own direction. Even harder when you live in a time of direct inheritance of positions of power like the Thainship.
Author's reply
Yes, I'm finding a little bit of delicious irony in this story, as Frodo is doing his best to keep Pippin from running off, when we know what is coming up the road, and how he will allow Pip (and Merry) to run off with him! But of course the matter of the Ring is a bit more dire.
Yes, the inheritance of position must have been very problematic for many youths in the past. I'm sure that there were more than a few who felt trapped or constrained by their destiny.
shirebound
· 8 October 2004
· Chapter 11
I'm just loving the details, and seeing hobbits (and meals) through Menelcar's eyes. What a great story!
Author's reply
Thanks. That means a lot coming from you!
Nothing more hobbity than mealtime! 8-D I liked the idea of Menelcar observing them and noting the differences between hobbits and Men.
Grey Wonderer
· 7 October 2004
· Chapter 10
Way to go, Frodo! I love it when Frodo comes to the rescue of one of his cousins. Poor Pippin has a lot on his mind and far too many doubts about his own abilities. I am very glad that Frodo is stepping in and taking Pip to see Merry. Lovely chapter!
Author's reply
Frodo would do anything for his younger cousins, he loves them very much. And he knows, if Paladin doesn't seem to, that Pip and Merry need each other.
GamgeeFest
· 7 October 2004
· Chapter 10
Frodo is the best person to deal with this. He has the fortune of not having to raise Pippin and live with him everyday. I know how hard it is to keep perspective when you're under the same roof with someone. I still feel sorry for Paladin, even if Frodo doesn't. :)
Author's reply
Yes, not only living with him, but holding the ultimate responsibility. For no matter how well Frodo, or Merry, or his Aunt Esme and Uncle Sara, look out for him, when push comes to shove, the decisions about what to do with the lad belong to Paladin and Tina.
Frodo still feels sorry for him, but it did anger him that after all these years, Paladin still does not seem to understand the cousins' relationships, that he would not realize how much Merry would miss Pip in spite of his new responsibilities, and that he would try to undermine Pip's confidence in Merry's love and friendship for him.
SharonB
· 7 October 2004
· Chapter 10
Wow, I had a few to catch up on here having been out on vacation. Poor Pip, the jig is up. Lucky for him that it was Frodo who caught him out. I can see how Paladin has mixed feelings know that Frodo can probably handle this better than he can. That is grating for parents when the kids get to that age.
Sounds like Menelcar has hit the jackpot at Frodo's with all of Bilbo's old songs. And he can learn the tunes while there, Pip can help him with that a little bit. That should smooth things over for Pippin to.
Author's reply
This is not the first time my Frodo has made himself a buffer between Paladin and his younger cousins, it's something that started when Pip hit his tweens. Paladin is smart enough to know that in certain circumstances Pip is going to listen to Frodo, when he can't seem to hear his own father. It's hard on Paladin's pride, but he wants what's best for his son.
Yes, I'm sure that Menelcar did not realize when he set out to track down Bilbo's songs that he would find such a treasure trove. It may make his disappointment at losing Pip's company a little less hard.
Bodkin
· 7 October 2004
· Chapter 10
I wonder if one of the reasons for Pippin's scattiness is because he has so many, spread-out parent figures. Eglantine and Paladin, of course - but they mostly provide discipline and disapproval. Frodo for caring, involved, gentle direction and understanding, Merry for love and fun - and a bit of laddish guidance, Sam providing an illustration of work and duty (that one didn't catch on for a long time!) and Esmeralda and Saradoc for the uncle and aunting kind of parenting that involves the better aspects without ever having to be too harsh (because you send them home for that). In some ways he seems to behave like a child that has grown up in a complicated web of step-families - and he is very good at playing them off against each other. When fed-up with his parents, he runs off to Merry or Frodo for some alternative care.
Anyway, I'm glad Menalcar didn't get caught 'hobbitnapping' the Thain's son - although it would really be the Thain's son 'bardnapping'.
Author's reply
You know, I had not really thought of it that way, but you could well be right; Pippin is the baby of the family, and has many adults taking care of him, all of whom would have different ways of dealing with him. Of course, I see this as a natural development of the way hobbit society works. ( the old "It takes a village" cliche is something I would think hobbits would believe in ) In particular, the large clans of the Tooks and Brandybucks would result in this kind of thing happening. The main difference, as you said, is that in Pip's case, his various caregivers are scattered over the Shire, and he takes turns spending time with them, kind of like a modern child of divorce who is in joint custody. Perhaps the reason that Frodo is able to be such a good buffer is that he has an entirely different experience himself of being raised, from the loneliness of not really belonging as an orphan, to only belonging to one person, as the ward of Bilbo, who lived *alone*. Hmmm...
Yes, I'm glad you spotted that! Pip was very quick to take possession of Menelcar, wasn't he? But I doubt me that Paladin would have seen it that way!
Thank you for a very thoughtful review.
pipspebble
· 7 October 2004
· Chapter 10
I love the relationship you've written between Frodo and Pippin. It is so hard to be stern with someone you love so much, but you've managed to make Frodo both discipliner and confidant, and comforter all rolled into one. So glad Pippin will be going to Buckland after all. Can't wait for the next chapter! :-)
Author's reply
I'm glad that you like it. I see Frodo's relationship with Pippin as quite different than that of Pip and Merry, a result of the large age gap. Frodo has more perspective on things than Paladin is able to have, since he is not Pip's father,( and also since he does not have a Tookish temper, LOL!)
Frodo is able to be stern without being harsh, and disapproving without being angry. He's not going to let this behavior pass, but he also is trying to get to the bottom of it, in the hopes of making things better in the future. And Pip can confide his fear precisely *because* Frodo is *not* his father, and will understand.