The Road to Edoras by Dreamflower
Larner · 12 June 2007 · Chapter 44: Chapter 44
A worthy punishment, and much as I would see Aragorn imposing as well. They are young, after all, and Cado is already more than halfway to redemption, I think. And he apparently appreciates he has hope and others have hope for him, I think. Clovis and the pots--going to be interesting. Now, to see what becomes of Clodio.
GamgeeFest · 12 June 2007 · Chapter 44: Chapter 44
A fair and just sentence. I think Cado will benefit from serving the man he had helped to injure. It should expand his world view if he can come to understand these people and their virtues. Clovis - this is the first time I've felt a teensy bit sorry for him. He probably didn't reckon on being separated from his brother and having to spend three months sleeping in the dungeon. If he stops being so darn stubborn, he might get some good out of this too. You will have to write a follow-up story telling us what happens to them during their sentence and afterwards. *nudges bunny at you*
Author's reply
I think Cado will benefit from serving the man he had helped to injure. It should expand his world view if he can come to understand these people and their virtues. Exactly! You will get to see, before the others leave Edoras, just what sort of family Cado finds himself a part of. Clovis? I'm not sure if he can stop being stubborn or not. He's not done well, so far, at learning his lesson from his mistakes. And you *will* get to see more of them during their sentences, at least! I've already got a Cado bunny in the back of my mind.
GamgeeFest · 8 June 2007 · Chapter 43: Chapter 43
What a lovely and fun evening everyone had. I very much enjoyed the interplay between Beri and Viola, and their adorable hand-holding. Mistress Poppy *could* have let Viola have a little bit more fun, but then, she is responsible for her well-being and so must be all proper about everything. *g*
Author's reply
Yes, I thought that a welcoming feast would be fun for all! And it was nice for Beri and Viola to be allowed to sit together! I think Mistress Poppy realized that Viola had had just about as much mead as would be good for her! LOL! And she does take seriously her duty to her apprentice, of whom she is quite fond.
Agape4Gondor · 7 June 2007 · Chapter 14: Chapter 14
An excellent chapter! Incredible telling from each person's perspective of their 'little' journey - you have each voice so distinct. I was most happy to see that Freddy wrote more than one letter - he defiitely is in charge of this expedition. Many thanks - will continue to try to catch up!
elanor winterflowers · 7 June 2007 · Chapter 43: Chapter 43
Oh! I am glad to know there is a Lay of Meriadoc; it's very impressive! I think Merry will like to hear it! Is it based in Anglo-Saxon poetry? I don't know a lot about these things: was it recited or sung? I liked all the little details you saw to, here. Viola's lovely dresses, and the way cultural perspective sometimes make a joke of things (ie. the hobbit 'menfolk'). And the idea of how to explain what the rest of the world looks like; now we would do it with pictures, but language was much richer once upon a time. Still, Freddy has his work cut out for him! The romance is proceeding with charming intensity and I like that the Wide World does not alter the steady Victorian pace of it, or Mistress Poppy's sense of Duty. I look forward to Beri and Viola's very unconventional courtship--the first conducted beyond the Bounds of the Shire. The world is changing, but hopefully not too quickly. :)
Author's reply
It is rather based on Anglo-Saxon alliterative verse, although I am not very good at keeping the proper scansion with it. (Strictly speaking, each line should have at least two alliterated accent syllables in each half-line. And the number of syllables in each line should be roughly the same.) And the general theory it that it was sort of half-sung, or chanted, to the accompaniment of a stringed instrument, which was strummed to emphasized the accents. I knew that Viola should have come away from the Shire with some nice dresses for court--and I'm afraid I do very much like describing the clothes once in a while, LOL! It seemed to me that the hobbits would be wondering how to convey all this strangeness to their fellow hobbits on their return home! A daunting task! "The steady Victorian pace of it"--yes! Thank you--that just does convey the sort of courtships I think common among hobbits. A careful getting-to-know-one-another, with physical touches and intimacies being rather rationed out. And both of these young people are respectable and well-brought up hobbits, who are content to know that at some point they will decide whether to commit their lives to one another. Beri does rather hope for a kiss soon, however! ;-)
harrowcat · 7 June 2007 · Chapter 43: Chapter 43
I love the blossoming love even aided a little by the mead! *g* And the epic poem is wonderful. Have you finished it because I would love to hear the rest!
Author's reply
Yes, it's probably as well that Mistress Poppy fetched Viola away when she did; I'm afraid the lass' inhibitions might have been loosened a little bit, LOL! I started that with a couple of lines that were in a letter from Eomer to Saradoc, in "When the King Comes Back (Brandy Hall)", and continued to add a bit to it in Ch. 30 of "A New Reckoning". I do hope to finish it at some point, but at this time, that's as far as I've gone, LOL!
Kitty · 7 June 2007 · Chapter 43: Chapter 43
This chapter got me thinking about the difficulties travellers in earlier ages had in describing their experiences and what they had seen. How do you explain, say, the Himalayas to someone who does only know a flat land with soft little hills? Or, in this case, Edoras and, even worse, Minas Tirith to someone who thinks of Hobbiton or Michel Delving as big? Today we have at least photos to help in giving the image, but before that? This alone will be quite a task for the embassy at their return, I think. Not to mention all the other experiences – Freddy and Beri explained it very well, I think, better than I could. “You will be meeting kings? What will you wear?” Do I hear my mother and aunt here? *grin* I don’t even want to imagine what they would say if *I* were in Viola’s place – they would drive me insane! Beri and Viola are so cute together, having eyes only for each other and holding hands during the song about Merry. I’m sure they will return betrothed to the Shire. And I am sure the hobbits are glad to know how much Merry is honoured in Edoras.
Author's reply
Yes, before photography, it must have been difficult to make people understand the differences between "here" and "there". Hmm... *snicker* Viola's aunt and sister really did have a point, though! They are adorable when they are in love, aren't they? They are very touched and proud of their Merry! And of course, Edoras is "his" place, as Minas Tirith is Pippin's.
Lindelea · 6 June 2007 · Chapter 43: Chapter 43
Read at top speed, and will have to come back with more leisure, but Chapter 5 of The Wheel on the School is waiting, in the clutches of impatient wee hobbits, and I must not delay. I do love the bard's tribute to Merry, did you write that? I'm seriously impressed. And Beri's so cute... and smitten... And yes, lavender in the bath, such a treat. (Wee hobbits got into my lavender bath salts and used them all up, I'm afraid, and also my lavender bath bubbles. *sigh* Guess I'm not the only one who likes lavender around here.) But really, Wheel on the School is growing most insistent and I fear it will begin to read itself aloud if I don't get over there, at least from the level of mounting excitement I am hearing amongst the wee hobbits. Yikes! (And here I sneaked the read because I thought I might learn Cado's fate...)
Author's reply
Yes--I've posted part of it before--in Ch. 30 of "A New Reckoning", but I added a bit to it. Parts of it also appeared in Eomer's letter to Saradoc, as well! Beri *is* smitten, isn't he? I love smitten hobbits! *grin* They're so cute when they're in love! (Cado's fate in the very *next* chapter, which will probably go up early next week!)
Grey Wonderer · 6 June 2007 · Chapter 43: Chapter 43
Awwww, Viola and Berilac were so sweet together. And now the romance really begins! Lovely chapter and the song about Merry was excellent.
Author's reply
They do make a cute couple, don't they? And I'm glad you liked the tribute to Merry. He deserves it.
Larner · 6 June 2007 · Chapter 43: Chapter 43
Hooray that there is now an ode to our beloved Merry, and the Hobbits of the Shire have heard it. And they are appreciating why the four have difficulties communicating where they've been and what they've done, and are seeing the difficulties these outsiders will have with news of their culture as well. Yes, it was well, well done to send these to Rohan and Gondor. The exchange is needed desperately.
Author's reply
Yes, part of that peice appeared before, in Ch. 30 of "A New Reckoning", but I have since added to it. It's true--it's not only the "bad stuff", the battles and the danger and the monsters, that the others in the Shire can't understand, it's also the "good stuff", like Rivendell, Lothlorien, Edoras and Minas Tirith, that other hobbits would have trouble conceiving of. These eight hobbits will return with a new appreciation of things, and maybe will be able to help spread the word about the rest of the world.
PIppinfan1988 · 6 June 2007 · Chapter 43: Chapter 43
LOL, poor Berilac and Viola can barely catch one minute alone! I hope he gets to kiss her at some point. ;-) He still has his revenge to give to the Elf for the first interruption. Oh, and the homesickness Viola was feeling...bless her heart. I can empathize with her, so I felt that scene in my heart. I am so enjoying their stay in Edoras, but eventually, other things must be dealt with, and I'm eager to see how that plays out as well. Very lovely chapter!
Author's reply
They will get a kiss sooner or later! (And trust me, he has not forgotten his revenge!) Yes, she does miss her sister and aunt! But at least they sent her away well clad! Eomer's judgement is in the very next chapter!
harrowcat · 28 May 2007 · Chapter 42: Chapter 42
This is a great description of the room for the hobbits. It sounds so comfortable and I can almost smell the food. And what a contrast to the prison no wonder he is cursing Lotho! Legolas may be fast friends but you show their differences well. Gimli is right however, banishment is too short-sighted a punishment now the Shire is part of the wider world. And I love the letter!
Author's reply
Yes, quite a contrast, isn't it? I am sneaking up on that theme. Sooner or later the Shire leaders will have to deal with the new reality! I'm glad you liked Merry's letter--it was a late addition to the chapter!
Grey Wonderer · 27 May 2007 · Chapter 42: Chapter 42
(“I liked it very much. But that does not mean I liked everything about it. They are going to have to change their ways of dealing with their wrong-doers. Turning them out of the Shire and pretending they do not exist is not going to work any more, if it ever did.”) I do think Legolas has a very good point here. They do just turn out their problem-hobbits and let others deal with them. I loved Merry's letter.
Author's reply
Yes, and this has been a theme running through several of my stories. It is not one that will be dealt with overnight, but it is one that has come to concern Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin a good deal, and they are in the process of convincing the Thain and Master that the system needs a major overhaul. *grin* I had so much fun with his letter; I had the majority of the chapter written long ago, but it seemed to short, so the letter was a late addition. And it turned out he had a lot more to say than I had thought he would! But I have some plans for Merry's correspondence with Eomer...
Grey Wonderer · 27 May 2007 · Chapter 41: Chapter 41
Poppy made a great showing in this chapter. I liked her no-nonsense way of dealing with everything and the fact that she didn't go weak in the knees before the king. I loved the introductions too! All of the first or second cousin once removed bit that Hobbits love. I got this mental picture of all of these little hobbits in this big hall among the big folk during that part which I enjoyed very much. Sounds like Eomer has things well in hand as far as the prisoners go.
Author's reply
Poppy has a brisk, no-nonsense way about her that speaks to her competence as a healer, I think. And while she might have been just a bit nervous of the king in normal circumstances, any emergency calling for her skills, and she is going to go straight into professional mode. To Hobbits that tie of kinship is very important, and it comes almost as second nature to include those things in an introduction. After all, Miss Dora says that should be one of the first things they learn when they get out of faunthood, LOL! I too, love the idea of the small hobbits standing there next to all the Big Folk--it's all reversed now from "A New Reckoning", where the Men were the odd ones out, a handful of Big Folk among all the little ones. You'll soon find out what Eomer has in mind. I hope everyone is surprised at his verdict.
PIppinfan1988 · 26 May 2007 · Chapter 42: Chapter 42
Hi! I'm back. :-) There was so much to enjoy about this chapter! From the hobbits accepting their gracious accommodations, to Poppy's speaking to Clodio, the king's deliberation with his men, and finally to Merry's letter. Merry's letters are always a nice read! He must have some of Dora Baggins' blood in his veins... I paid close attention to Legolas' remark about the Shire dealing with her criminals. His comment was definitely food for thought! The Shire is a small, closed community that doesn't exactly know how to handle criminal/malicious behaviour because she's rarely been faced with it before. The majority of her citizens follow The Rules. Other than travellers on the East Road, there really is nothing else that penetrates hobbit society for many hundreds of years. Every society has their own way of dealing with certain issues. With the Shire now out of her shell after the War, and World Heroes calling it home, her innocence in this matter (and others) will undoubtedly be lost. There will be influences introduced from other societies, including how best to deal with wrong-doers. With that said, and coupled with Poppy speaking specifically to Clodio, do I detect a bit of change in the air? This excellent story just keeps getting better and better. :-) PF
Author's reply
I'm very glad you liked this--they needed a chance to "settle in" so to speak. As a healer, Poppy will speak to her patient at need, but she is softening a bit, and saying more than is absolutely necessary. And I'm glad you liked Merry's letter, which was a late addition to the chapter, and great fun to write. Over the course of a number of my stories--this one, and "Reckoning" and "Reaping" and "An Unexpected Guest"--I have been sneaking up on the idea of reforming the punishments in the Shire. The Master and Thain are beginning to be convinced that the old "out of sight out of mind" is not going to function any longer. But there will be a while before they are able to come up with an effective substitute...
SurgicalSteel · 24 May 2007 · Chapter 42: Chapter 42
This was really nicely done - the fear of the prisoners and Clodio, and the lovely hospitality shown to the ambassadors. Beautifully done.
Author's reply
Thank you very much, dear!
Bodkin · 24 May 2007 · Chapter 42: Chapter 42
Good hobbits all put together to benefit from the general hobbity need for friends and family. Bad hobbits isolated. Although, considering that putting them together would have Cado in with the big bad guys, that's probably the better option. I'm with Legolas on this - the hobbits need to adapt. But they will! Very useful and informative letter from Merry. Lots there for the king to chew over.
Author's reply
Exactly. I really couldn't see putting Cado in with his brother and Dago. In the mood Clovis was in, he'd have taken it all out on his younger brother. Hobbits are slow to adapt, but they are very good at it when they do. And I hope Merry gave him a lot to think on. He had a lot more to say in that letter than I'd originally intended.
Bodkin · 24 May 2007 · Chapter 41: Chapter 41
Eomer coped with that very well! I can't help but feel sorry for the prisoners - who are caught between very different legal systems! So they could have paid off their crime in Rohan - except they can't because the Shire legal system has confiscated their property. And they've been banished and become non-persons. OK they deserve it ... well Dago and Clovis definitely do. Clodio is mainly guilty of stupidity and Cado of being easily led. But Eomer is listening to those who know them, so - hopefully - his decision will be sound!
Author's reply
Yes, the prisoners really are in a bind. But the Rohirrim are perfectly equipped to handle this sort of problem--much more flexible in their ways than the Gondorians, and less bound by insularity than the Shirefolk. Eomer will be handing down his decision very soon. I'm hoping my readers will be pleasantly surprised at his ingenuity.
Kitty · 24 May 2007 · Chapter 42: Chapter 42
The Rohirrim did truly everything they could to make the hobbits comfortable. Beds and tables with shortened legs, a room downstairs, foot at the table the moment they arrived ... Silently he called down every curse he could think of on Lotho Sackville-Baggins. Well, I think that was the most sensible thing Dago did in a very long time *grin* Interesting exchange between Gimli and Legolas. But Legolas is right - not only about throwing criminals out of the Shire, but about not talking about them any longer, at least not by name. It is a bit ridiculous, if I think about it - nobody vanishes only because you don't speak his name. It is about time they think of some other ways of punishment; here I trust the four travellers, the Thain and Master to find a solution. Was amused about the beginning of Merry's letter to the King, about the gifts. That was so *very* Merry! And to call the reparations 'a little joke' *lol* And of course he had to explain all relationships *shakes head* It's plain, also, that he still has not forgiven the Banks brothers. But at least he did admit the younger one is not as bad - coming from Merry, that's admirable, considering his own feelings about them. I will hope that Berilac keeps himself out of trouble while there; he can be quite as fiendish as Pippin sometimes, when it comes to jests. (While *I* of course would never indulge in such things! Well, perhaps not “never“.) *ROFL* Coming from someone who helped in the prank to make Bergil a honorary hobbit, that's too funny!
Author's reply
They do want them to be comfortable in their stay. I had a time imagining their quarters, until I got the idea of a solar--it would have been just the sort of thing a princess from Gondor would have had, if her Rohirric king indulged her. It would have been *more* sensible if he'd thought of it *before* he took up with Lotho, but then we'd have had no story, LOL! Legolas, if anyone, can see that "out of sight, out of mind" simply doesn't solve the underlying problems. It's a system that can't continue much longer. I had so much fun with Merry's letter; it was a late addition to the chapter, and he had far more to say than I'd first anticipated!
GamgeeFest · 23 May 2007 · Chapter 42: Chapter 42
Merry? Not be tedious? lol ;) I greatly enjoyed his letter to the King and how quickly he dispensed with the formalities to ream him out about sending all that coin! I also enjoyed the little tour of the hobbits' lodgings. It seems that the Rohorrim went to great lenghts to ensure their guests would be comfortable during their stay. Having food prepared and ready just goes to show how much they already know about hobbits!
Author's reply
*chuckle* Yes, I could just imagine him starting out all formal, and addressing the king, and the quickly getting that out of the way and becoming more familiar. I have great hopes for Merry's correspondence with Eomer. I think, having had hobbits among them during the return from the Quest, and also having heard from them since, the Court at Meduseld would go out of its way to make sure they felt welcomed! Yep--nothing says "hobbit love" like food!
Agape4Gondor · 23 May 2007 · Chapter 12: Chapter 12
Great chapter. Again, I believe one of your best talents is telling the everyday life of a Hobbit (even if it is on an adventure) with such ease that it makes me feel like I'm right with them. Bravo!
Author's reply
I'm very glad. One of my worries about this story was that it would get rather boring after a while: eat breakfast, ride, eat lunch, ride, camp, get up...etc. So in addition to the little adventures I had planned to be interspersed along the way, I also tried to include other details that would make it a little more interesting.
Agape4Gondor · 23 May 2007 · Chapter 11: Chapter 11
Wow! Good telling. And I'm glad Freddy was left 'pure' as a Hobbit should be!
Author's reply
The shock helped him realize that he really could not have done the sort of vengeance he had always imagined. And Freddy *was* a good hobbit, he just had to remember that. Compassion, pity and mercy are, according to JRRT, racial characteristics of the majority of hobbits. But Freddy had been pushed to the brink, and nearly forgotten himself for a while. Author Reply: By the way, if you haven't already read them, I have two other stories that kind of go along with these particular three chapters you just read. "An Unexpected Guest" deals with Mellor's efforts to find out more of what happened, and to find out about the ruffians who killed Ted. His quest leads him into Buckland... And "Reaping" tells of Sandyman's last days from his POV. *That* one, I have to tell you, is very violent and angsty--so much so that I put an "R" on it. It was very hard for me to write, but apparently I needed to do so.
Agape4Gondor · 23 May 2007 · Chapter 10: Chapter 10
OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS!!!!!!!!!
Author's reply
Yes. I am glad I was able to surprise you!
Agape4Gondor · 23 May 2007 · Chapter 9: Chapter 9
Great chapter - I'm loving all your characters! And good tension!
Author's reply
Thank you! I'm so glad you are still enjoying the story!
Larner · 23 May 2007 · Chapter 42: Chapter 42
Ah--arrived and made welcome, and three Bankses in the dungeons and the last a sickbed with proper care. Well and good. And mindful of Hobbit priorities, there are food and warm, comfortable beds prepared for them, and some privacy for Poppy and Viola. Yes! And the letter is wonderful--so VERY Merry. Love the reference to the trick played! Lovely throughout.
Author's reply
Yes, three prisoners in the dungeons--in solitary, yet. And I thought the Rohirrim would try their best to make their hobbity guests comfortable! And I'm glad you liked Merry's letter. It was a late addition to this chapter; I have plans for Merry's correspondence with Eomer.