As if telling the story isn't hard enough, now they get interrupted and have to drop it for a later time. It's not going to be easy getting back into the telling of it. But then, they all could use a break and the girls can use the time to absorb what they've heard so far. I hope Rosamunda is adequately distracted at tea so she doesn't notice how high strung everyone is.
Author's reply
It's a long story. Even telling mostly only their own parts, and just hitting the high notes, it will take a long time. And you are right that they could use a break.
Rosamunda has a little bit on her mind right now, so maybe she won't notice *too* much.
Beruthiel
· 23 December 2004
· Chapter 25
Um, I think there's a typo somewhere. The chapter list goes straight from 24 to 26.
I feel sorry for the poor hobbits here. Good thing they're telling it all to Diamond and Estella right away, so they won't have to go through this again (at least, not until their kids get old enough to want the full story).
Keep up the excellent work, and have a merry Christmas! :)
Author's reply
Fixed it, thanks! The cursor must have slipped before I clicked the mouse.
I think that's one reason they are doing it: get it over with. They know the lasses won't give them any peace until they do. Maybe by the time the kids are old enough, they can just hand them the Red Book, and say "Have at it."
You have a Merry Christmas, too!
Kitty
· 23 December 2004
· Chapter 25
It is certainly not easy for Merry and Pippin to talk about their traumatic experiences. But I am glad they share this heavy burden with their future wives at last. It will help all of them, I think. And it is wise to tell both lasses together - so they have to do it only once, and Diamond and Estella are able to comfort each other, if necessary.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Author's reply
No, talking about it is never going to be easy, but it is sometimes necessary--face it, if they get married *without* telling them, what are their wives going to think when they wake up with screaming nightmares, or are felled by anniversary illnesses? And they might as well do it together. This, I think, is also going to help Diamond's and Estella's burgeoning friendship.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, to you as well!
Lindelea
· 23 December 2004
· Chapter 25
Very deftly done.
Pippin smiled. Her mention of Frodo helped remind them that their cousin *had* survived that danger.
Diamond has good instincts.
There is cold, and there is Caradhras-cold.
Nice turn of phrase.
Very believable. I think they'll make excellent "couples", don't you?
Author's reply
Thank you. It's always a fine line to walk when re-hashing the book.
I think that Diamond does have pretty good instincts. She's going to be a healer after all. And she thought she would just help them over the bump a bit.
Thank you. I can imagine every winter snow ever after would be compared in their minds to Caradhras.
I think they will. Obviously JRRT thought so, at least according to the family trees.
Bodkin
· 23 December 2004
· Chapter 25
It's a good thing Diamond has heard parts of the story before - it might turn out to be really helpful at those points when the two lads get stuck. Although maybe the telling will get easier as it goes on. Well - it probably will once they get back to Minas Tirith for the coronation.
Their reactions must be pretty intense, though, to put them off their food. I should think tea and conversation will be pretty hard for them to sustain - and if the Rosamunda distraction team doesn't stay on the job, she'll notice that Estella is upset, and probably get the wrong end of the stick and blame Merry. (Although, as he is such a catch matrimonially, she'll probably overlook most things.)
I'm sure that, between them, Pippin, Pearl and Eglantine will manage to inveigle Rosamunda out of the way to give the youngsters more time.
Author's reply
She was able to help just a bit. And the story is liable to get a lot harder before it gets any easier. She may want to be cautious about helping out later on--Merry still doesn't know the healers interrogated Frodo, and Pip wasn't too happy about it.
And they will have a few nice things to say about the White City.
Rosamunda is going to be very distracted trying to figure out how to finagle an invitation to Brandy Hall, LOL!
SharonB
· 23 December 2004
· Chapter 25
Well, we are snowed in today so it was great to see an update. Something to occupy my time, LOL and something that I like.
Those poor boys really are having a time with this story. And it is going to take a few meetings to get the whole story out. It will be harder on them when it comes to the time of the trip that they separated. For then the onus will be only on one of them at a time to tell that part of the story So far the lasses seem to be taking it as well as can be. They shall have to enlist Tina a bit more to get all the way through this story unless they want Rosamunda sitting in and being truely horrified. I wonder how she would feel about the engagement and marriage if she heard the full impact of Merry's story?
Author's reply
I don't know whether to commiserate or congratulate you on your snowed-in-ness. It's not something I've ever had to contend with, LOL! But I'm glad I can help you while away the time.
They are having a rough time of it. This story is never going to be easy for them to tell, and as Merry said, it only gets worse. But the lasses are determined, and they know it is needed.
Rosamunda will be dealt with, trust me.
Auntiemeesh
· 22 December 2004
· Chapter 24
I'm finally getting caught up on some of my reading! I do love this story. It is so hard to see Frodo slowly declining as he is, and even sadder to see how it affects Merry and Pippin. I'm looking forward to seeing how Diamond and Estella react to Merry and Pippin's story.
Author's reply
I'm so glad you like the story.
It is supposed to be mainly a Pippin/Diamond story, but you will notice that I can't keep away from the others, even so. I *do* so love them all together!
Frodo is coming down to his final decline, when he has the anniversary of his wounding by Shelob and his captivity in Cirith Ungol just before Elanor is born. It is then that he makes up his mind finally, to accept Arwen's gift of passage, according to JRRT.
Merry and Pippin will be left to grieve for him, and it is sad to know that it has to come to that.
Diamond and Estella are going to have a lot to think about when the lads have finished their tale.
pipspebble
· 21 December 2004
· Chapter 24
I love how you have Merry gleaning support from Pippin in his telling Estella of their ordeal. And that bossy old Rosamunda! Poor Merry! Does he know what he's in for, having her for an in-law? Wonderful story, still!
Author's reply
Merry needs a bit of encouragement to get through this again, and Pippin needed to tell Diamond, as well, so it only made sense.
*chuckle*I think he knows, but he's crazy enough about Estella to put up with her. It shouldn't be quite so bad once they are married and living in Buckland, as Estella is not too fond of Buckland. (Though you *will* notice that if the Thain and his Lady are going to be there she is more than willing to put up with it)
pipinheart
· 21 December 2004
· Chapter 23
Nice... Pippin is getting around better.. Frodo seems to want to rush sam into office,he seems to worry both merry and pippin... A letter from merry's Mum,she sends her love and concern for all. You can tell how close the family are...
a good story...
Author's reply
Yes, Pippin's moving about a bit--it has been a couple of weeks now since he first tried out the crutches.
Frodo has begun to realize he is not going to be around the Shire much longer, though he has not completely made his mind up to sail, he realizes that his health is rapidly deterioratin. He wants Sam to be safe, and to be able to inherit Bag End with all that means, without any hassle.
Yes, Esmeralda is concerned about her dear ones. I am glad the closeness shows. I think the deep love for family is a very important part of hobbit personality.
pipinheart
· 21 December 2004
· Chapter 24
Really nice!
Merry and Pippin finally get to tell thier story... It begings farther back than I would have guessed.
They got estella's mother away so they could all,talk.... Going very well, please update soon...
Author's reply
I really wanted to address the fact that Merry had been basically watching and planning for Frodo's departure *for seventeen years!* The conspiracy, at least in his mind, began with Bilbo's departure--Merry was 19, which in our years meant he was only about 12 years old in hobbit years. Yet even then he was wanting to keep track of his cousin! It is a very large piece in the puzzle of Merry's personality.
But I also felt that Merry would start out there as a way of kind of avoiding the actual journey--just a way of delaying the darker things he didn't want to talk about a little bit longer.
Yes, getting Rosamunda out of the way was essential. ;-)
Bodkin
· 20 December 2004
· Chapter 24
I just love the way they all deal with Rosamunda. So subtle. So adept. So effective. And she doesn't even realised she's being managed.
It is going to take Merry and Pippin quite a while to tell this story, though, especially if they are going to go into detail. They'll never get through it in one go.
Author's reply
Rosamunda is based on a couple of people I know, who are intelligent enough, but whose priorities are very shallow and materialistic. They seldom suspect anyone of deeper motives, because their own motives are so obvious: money, status and being "in" with the right people. She does love Estella and Freddy, but she can never really *understand* them.
I did not really expect that they would--I think *they* did, but once they get started, they will find themselves saying more than they meant to. Telling it together, while giving one another emotional support on the one hand, on the other is going to also make it a bit more harrowing. What one wants to skimp or gloss over, the other will not.
But by the time they do finish, Estella and Diamond will have a much greater understanding of the hobbits they love.
GamgeeFest
· 19 December 2004
· Chapter 24
Oh yeah, they finally started telling the story. I wonder how much of it we'll get to hear. Interesting that Rosamunda trusts Merry more than her own daughter but good ole Tina to give the kids, though technically Merry and Estella aren't kids, some privacy. Poor Diamond though, she just barely gets over being ill to have this landed on her. I hope it's not too overwhelming for her.
Author's reply
I don't want to go into a complete re-hash of the entire Quest; I will probably hit the highlights, and dwell more on their emotional reactions to what they are telling than to the actual events themselves.
Tina has more than one ace up her sleeve as far as Rosamunda is concerned.
Diamond's pretty tough. And this is something she *wants* to know, not only because of her attraction to Pippin, but also because of her need as a healer to understand his pain, and her need as a North-Took to have her curiousity assuaged.
SharonB
· 19 December 2004
· Chapter 24
Ah yes, Diamond gets to hear it all too. I imagine she may have a bit more understanding than Estella at what some of the events really mean to the boys. Her medical training will help her undestand those problems more so. But at the rate Merry and Pip are going it will take a lot longer than one afternoon to get the full story out.
Author's reply
Diamond is going to understand a lot more, probably than Estella will about some things. And Estella, having known all of them from childhood, will probably understand more than Diamond on others.
They are dragging the preliminaries out--perhaps in a vain hope of delaying the worst of it.
And it probably *will* take more than one day.
Pearl Took
· 18 December 2004
· Chapter 23
wonderful as always. Sorry I am later getting to it - Holiday stuff going on :)
Author's reply
Just glad you are having a chance to let me know you are reading! Thanks! and happy holidays to you!
SharonB
· 16 December 2004
· Chapter 23
Nice to see the tie in to your previous story. LOL, they all have it in for Sam. How much can he protest about being moved up in society when society seems to want to move him along. ;-)
And I take it Pip is going to finagle having Diamond hear the whole story while he helps Merry tell Estella about the whole adventure? You do tie all these things together well.
And you also add the foreshadowing of Frodo leaving. He wants to see Sam settled in society before he leaves.
Author's reply
Thanks. Sam's not really wanting to "move up", he's perfectly happy being Frodo's gardener. But Frodo is already beginning to be aware that time is running out for him in the Shire; he's not really made his mind up finally, but he knows even if he stays that he hasn't much time left. He wants Sam to be in a position where there will be no unpleasant repercussions to Sam's inheriting Bag End, just as you said--"settled in society".
Yes, Pip wants to include Diamond in the telling. After all, he doesn't want to have to go through it *again* at another time.
Bodkin
· 16 December 2004
· Chapter 23
Pippin is clearly serious if he is prepared to bring Diamond in on the revelations. Sensible, though. Better to get it out of the way now, at the beginning - and he can always invoke healer confidence if he needs to.
Estella is being sensible too - she really needs to know what she is getting into here. But keeping her mother at the biggest distance possible is doubtless a good idea.
Poor Frodo. He needs to get things settled for Sam as quickly as possible - but Merry knows something is up. If he is able to take his attention off Pippin (and Estella) for a few minutes, he will be able to see some of what is going on.
Love it. No hurry for the end.
Author's reply
Pippin is definitely serious. And yes, he is thinking get it out of the way now, as well as if he has to go through it for Merry, he might as well kill two birds with one stone.
Estella does need to know; she also realizes what made Merry agree to the delay in their betrothal: he's worried about subjecting her to his nightmares after they marry.
Poor Rosamunda, she gets no respect, LOL! but of course she brings it on herself. At least she's better than Hyacinth. Can you imagine having *her* as a mother-in-law?
Frodo is pushing Sam. Although he will not completely make up his mind to leave M-e until after Elanor's birth, it is already in the back of his mind, as is the realization that if he stays he may not live much longer. He does not mean to telegraph this to his cousins, but Merry's fairly sharp. As you said,however, he does have Pip and Estella on his mind right now.
I'm glad you are enjoying it. 8-D
Lavender Took
· 16 December 2004
· Chapter 23
Yay! Another chapter! I hope you write more *very* soon, I can't wait to find out what happens next! :D
Author's reply
Well, I have to go to work today, and this weekend; so it may be at least Monday before I can get to work on this. But I'll try sooner if I can.
Bodkin
· 15 December 2004
· Chapter 22
Ahh! What is it about being a care-giver that makes the object of desire even more adorable? There she is, all covered in little scabs, and he is still sweet on her.
I'm glad Lavender has accepted the situation and realised that a long, slow courtship will do neither of them any harm. (Especially not the impetuous Pippin, actually). And I can't imagine a more needful task for a healer than taking on the accident-prone Pippin.
Poor Merry. I'll bet he is wondering what drove him to agree to wait for Estella - he needs to get her on his own, away from her mother. I'm glad to see that all and sundry are conspiring to get them some privacy - up to and including the Thain himself.
Author's reply
*snort* LOL! You are so wicked! Now I can't get that image out of my mind!
Lavender is finally beginning to show a bit of objectivity herself. And yes, Pippin is a bit accident-prone, so Diamond will have her work cut out for her.
The two of them are very young for a serious courtship by hobbit standards (at least in my version of the Shire) but both of them are mature enough to handle a long courtship--Pippin by reason of what he had to go through on the Quest, and Diamond because of her calling as a healer. It's that very seriousness underneath that has attracted them to one another.
Merry agreed to wait for Estella for the very reason they need to have this long talk: he is afraid of what he may subject her to during some of his darker nights. Yes, Rosamunda is an irritant, and not only to the young lovers, which is also probably why Paladin and Pearl and others are so willing to thwart her.
LOL!
Pearl Took
· 14 December 2004
· Chapter 22
So many wonderful scenes!! Paladin keeping Rosamunda busy so Merry and Estella can talk. Pippin and his Mum calling Diamond "dear". Lavender willing to give Peregrin and Diamond a chance. I like Pip's comment about the troll :) Wonderful as usual!
Author's reply
Oh thank you! I thought Paladin might have a bit of sympathy for his nephew, LOL!
I'm so glad you are enjoying it. Thank you for reading and reviewing.
melilot hill
· 14 December 2004
· Chapter 22
Another great chapter :) I loved Diamond's talk with Lavender and of course Pip taking care of her.
Author's reply
Thanks! Diamond's talk with her mistress had been put off for the spotted fever, but now we get back to the main story! LOL!
Hai Took
· 14 December 2004
· Chapter 22
I'm certainly clad that Lavender is willing to help Diamond achieve possibly both of her realizations! I hope they are able to make it, but I guess we'll find out!
Ah, so Merry is going to try and speak to Estella about what happened on their journey. I'm looking forward to seeing how that goes. It only seems natural that he might need someone who experienced the same things to stand with him, so to say, while he recounts it!
I hope more is soon! Thank you!
Author's reply
Lavender was so focussed on her worry that she would lose her favorite pupil that she rather lost sight of the fact that it would be some time before she actually had to contend with that. And we really don't have to wait to find out--it's right there in the family tree.
Merry is having more difficuly adjusting to home than he thought he would. Telling all the hard parts of his experiences was very difficult for him when he told his father, and since then, anyone has only been told selected bits and pieces--and none of the worst of it. I think at this point, he really needs Pip's support to get it all out, and help him over some of the parts that he doesn't want to or can't, remember. And there is a bit more to it than that...
Working on it, but I'm working on a new challenge story, too.
pipinheart
· 14 December 2004
· Chapter 22
Really nice....
Diamond is getting better,aqnd pippin is there watching her with his mother. Merry is ready to tell Estella along with pippin of his journey. It seems Estella dosen't like pippin....
Will Diamond be able to practice the healing arts if she is married to pippin... She does love him,and he loves her, only time will tell...
Good job...
Author's reply
Yes, Pippin is watching and waiting.
It's not that Estella doesn't *like* Pippin. My Estella is quite fond of him, in fact, but she rather hoped that her conversation with Merry would be a private one--they don't get much time alone. Still, she knows that anything that will help Merry open up is important.
Yes, Pip and Diamond are truly in love, but they are still very young. It's going to be some time before Diamond will have to worry about combining career and home.
pipspebble
· 13 December 2004
· Chapter 22
Oh, dear sweet Pippin and his protective nature! What a lovely sight to wake up to. Very nice chapter, and so glad all that sickness is over and done. Could active courtship be far behind? ;-)
Author's reply
Our sweet Pippin is just as protective as Merry is his own way, isn't he? And Diamond got to wake up to his dear face, just as he woke up to hers.
Their courtship will have to be discreet, as technically they are still too young for such a thing, but yes, I think they will soon be an acknowledged "item".
SharonB
· 13 December 2004
· Chapter 22
Ah Diamond admits at last how attracted she is to Pip. And so does Lavender. She is right, it does seem ievetiable. But Diamond is probably wrong about continuing her profession. She would be able to treat those around the Smials but Lavender is quite right about the duties that the wife of the Thian will have to undertake. Both things could seriously crimp anyone's time by themselves, let alone trying to do both at the same time. Those Took are a stubborn lot are they not!
Author's reply
Diamond's been struggling with it for a while, not exactly denying her feelings so much as trying to overcome them (something that is usually pretty fruitless in my experience) but her defenses are down, and she's ready to come out in the open now. Lavender, too, has come to realize that these are serious attachments on Pippin's and Diamond's part, and not just the usual tweenage crushes.
Diamond has got several years yet before she really has to face that decision of having to give up her profession; it's not necessarily going to come easy to her.
GamgeeFest
· 13 December 2004
· Chapter 22
Awww, Comfort!Pippin. He's just irrestible. I'm glad to see Lavendar's come around and realized that attempting to stop Pip and Diamond from coming together would be fruitless. And Diamond's determination marks her as the perfect (future) wife for our impulsive Took.
Author's reply
Pip's very happy to be able to offer Diamond a bit of comfort. And let's face it, our Took and his charm are nigh on irresistable in any mode.
Lavender has finally come to realize that this is a deal more than a passing infatuation brought on by gratitude and a pretty face, which was of course her first thought. And she's been worried about losing her apprentice.
Well, Diamond is a (North)Took herself, so she must know a bit about stubborness--excuse me, determination, as you politely put it--herself. She'll need it to put up with Pip.