shirebound
· 17 April 2020
· Chapter 92: We endure disappointment for the sake of necessity
I think it is like the gambols of young colts, playing at fighting.
That's such a sweet image. :)
Author's reply
I love to drive (or preferably walk) down a rural lane in the springtime in horse country to see the young foals playing at being big, fierce, swift, formidable steeds. They are so cute, maybe partly because they are so earnest about it all!
Thanks for stopping to share your thoughts! I hope this finds you and yours well. (((hugs)))
sue
· 5 April 2020
· Chapter 91: Our plans change
How is dear Bill? It has been so long since you have reported news of his doings. Won't you please contact him and tell us how he fares?
Author's reply
Dear sue, I am actually working on this one again, and I hope to be posting regular updates. Thank you so much for checking in. By the way, for an "interim" dose of Bill, check out "Flower Fest" in the This and That collection of stories.
I hope this finds you and yours well. Stay safe.
Sue Cooke
· 16 November 2018
· Chapter 91: Our plans change
Oh, my Bill is back! He is worrying so. He will drop weight if
he goes on like that.
I've missed him.
Author's reply
Much-belated thanks for your encouragement. Spurred by the current stay-at-home situation and finally having some additional time just to sit and think (I might understand Bilbo much better now), I have been able to return to writing. Bill's story is next on the to-be-finished list, so I am chipping away.
I hope this finds you and yours well. Stay safe, and thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.
Oh sweet, sweet Bill. I have been wondering what has become
of you and so,here you are. I so enjoy Bill's adventures
and his outlook on the trials of the Fellowship.
I am glad to be on the trail with him once again!
Author's reply
Belated thanks for your stopping to leave a good word. I'm sorry I didn't answer this earlier. It is so good to know that Bill has people rooting for him.
Semi-retirement and this virus have collaborated (or do I mean cooperated? coincided?) to draw me back into reading and writing fanfic. I've just finished a new story and an old WIP, and Bill's story is next up in the list, so I just posted an update and am already written ahead several chapters.
So glad to hear from you. I hope this finds you and yours well.
Poor Bill doesn't know it, but his days with the Fellowship are numbered!
Author's reply
Alas, poor Bill!
Once we've reached Moria, I will have to motivate myself to keep going to the finish by knowing exactly when he will reunite with his Sam, even though there's some difficult storytelling to get through before getting there...
Thanks!
A pony's experience with gates is limited, and it is endearing to read his thoughts on the subject. Alas that we know he is soon to be parted with his Sam and the Master. At least his idea of preparing is most practical.
Author's reply
Thank you! I have noticed that the equines of my acquaintance were usually quite literal and straightforward in their thinking, unless it came to something that startled or frightened them. In such a case, they proved incredibly imaginative. (That blowing piece of paper is a monster! It's going to devour me!)
Larner
· 20 October 2018
· Chapter 90: Some thoughts on the hazards of quiet meadows
Hard to read of this. He knows of the reality of danger, and has memories passed on by his mam. And he knows how to hide in plain sight. Indeed a wise pony!
Author's reply
The next part I am really dreading is the wolves.
Thanks! Glad to hear from you.
Dreamflower
· 19 October 2018
· Chapter 90: Some thoughts on the hazards of quiet meadows
Ah! Clever, clever Bill! Stock still, the safest thing to do with a predator who hunts by sight!
Have you ever seen a possum actually "playing possum"? I have--years ago (I might have been as old as 12) my cousins and I were walking at night along the dusty dirt road that connected one cousin's home to another. This was in rural NW Florida, and my eldest cousin led the way with a flashlight, when we saw a movement at the side of the road. She turned the light at it, there was what looked like a baby possum laying perfectly still. We watched for ages, debating whether it was alive or not. My cousin moved the light away for a brief instant, and in that second of darkness, we heard it scurry, and by the time she swung the light back it was gone. Fascinating.
Author's reply
It is fascinating, indeed!
We had a possum in our back yard in the days of Jiffy (the original Alsatian writing partner, who would lie on my feet while I wrote, until she'd had enough and would get up and nudge me with her sharply pointed muzzle to tell me enough was enough and it was time to get outdoors, breathe fresh air, and play). I don't remember exactly how it came about, but what I do have is a clear memory of us all standing in a semi-circle in the dark, a "dead" possum lying there, partly under a bush.
It really did look dead, its eyes open and glazed, its mouth open in a frozen snarl. Jiffy jumped in and nudged it, hard, and it never moved. I grabbed her by the collar and dragged her out of the back yard. The children followed. In the morning, the possum was gone.
Thanks! It's lovely to be back.
KathyG
· 16 October 2018
· Chapter 90: Some thoughts on the hazards of quiet meadows
Scary! I sure hope that poor Bill won't have to remain frozen much longer.
Author's reply
The book says that Strider and Sam remained under the holly bush until the birds were gone. They came from the south and flew to north and west, so it sounds like they crossed over Hollin in their searching, but didn't keep circling, maybe because they didn't see anything as they passed over. Kind of like a prowling cat missing a motionless mouse and continuing on, perhaps. Luckily. Whew!
Thanks!
shirebound
· 16 October 2018
· Chapter 90: Some thoughts on the hazards of quiet meadows
this loud silence... Such a perfect description!
Author's reply
Thank you! Bill has a way with words...
Dreamflower
· 25 April 2018
· Chapter 89: We set the watch
Hey, Lin, sorry to use the review function like this, but I can't seem to find your email in my contacts any longer. Would you email me please? I have a question to ask you! Feel free to delete this.
((hugs))
Dreamflower
Author's reply
((hugs)) back.
I sent you an email to the address I had for you in my address book. Hopefully you'll get it!
Tari
· 6 February 2018
· Chapter 89: We set the watch
I am delighted to see my favorite pony back. He's so much fun to follow.
Author's reply
Thank you!
Dreamflower
· 29 January 2018
· Chapter 89: We set the watch
‘Come along to bed now, Pip,’ the Master says, having moved to join the pair and seizing his younger cousin by the arm, raising his face to bestow a nod upon Our Big Man. ‘It is Sam’s turn to take the first watch, but it will be your turn to relieve him at watch, soon enough…’
‘But I’m not sleepy!’ Youngest protests, and the Merry hobbit laughs softly at this, and I do believe I hear a quiet snort from the pile of blankets that marks the Dwarf’s resting place
.
Youngest ducks his head when Master tries to tousle his hair as if he were a much younger hobbit, saying, ‘When are you ever? Sleepy, that is!’
‘Never!’ Merry agrees from where he has laid his blankets, but I notice that he is keeping his voice very low indeed, and he slowly moves his head to look all about us, as if Our Big Man’s mention of watchfulness and fear have reminded him of the seriousness of our task. ‘Come now! You’re too big for bedtime stories!’ He pats the place beside himself.
I just love your skill at cousinly banter! *grin* This is so much fun.
But of course, you never lose sight of the growing danger and the seriousness of their journey. Great foreboding atmosphere and very skillful foreshadowing!
Author's reply
Thank you! I have been comfort-reading cousinly banter over the last few days, and the Muse awakened, yawned, and finally deigned to finish the chapter-in-progress. Whew. Now if she'll only remain in a good mood...
Larner
· 23 January 2018
· Chapter 89: We set the watch
I rejoice that there are now three competent guards for the camp!
Author's reply
Ponies make awfully good sentinels. Nearly so good as geese, someone told me once. (I can't imagine a goose as a Walker, though... )
Thanks!
KathyG
· 22 January 2018
· Chapter 89: We set the watch
Pippin's quite the chatterbox, isn't he? =)
And Bill is quite protective of his hobbits, and watchful himself.
Author's reply
Pip is definitely a chatterbox. Tooks love to talk, it seems, at least the majority of them do.
Thanks!
harrowcat
· 22 January 2018
· Chapter 89: We set the watch
A lovely new chapter to savour over lunch. This reminds me of walking in the woods near my home. The ground does indeed seem to be hollow underfoot. So many generations of leaf litter I suppose.
I hope your birthday was joyous and the coming year a happy one for you and yours.
Author's reply
Belated thanks. I cannot believe the year is already drawing to a close. Where has the time gone?
I love your description of walking in the woods near your home.
shirebound
· 22 January 2018
· Chapter 89: We set the watch
Bill is so vigilant and perceptive. It continues to be very interesting to experience the Fellowship through his many senses.
Author's reply
Thank you! It is interesting to see the journey from this differing angle.
Sue Cooke
· 29 December 2017
· Chapter 88: We take warning from our surroundings
Oh, please send us a Yule gift! What has Bill been doing? He is far and away my favorite character in fan-fiction. You must own horses to have such compassionate insight into their character. I will gladly make Bill a toasty blanket and a warn bran mash if he will tell more of his story. PLEASE!
Author's reply
Not quite in time for Yule; I had half the chapter done and meant to post it for the holidays, but I seem to keep getting sidetracked by life. Still, I have the best of intentions to keep updating on a more regular basis...
(And yes, not only did I grow up horse-crazy but I was a horse owner for a time. I do miss those daft equine creatures. They could be exasperating and endearing in one.)
Thanks for stopping by and taking time to leave a good word. Bill thanks you mightily for the warm bran mash, and I'm sure he'll appreciate the toasty blanket in the snows of Caradhras.
Dreamflower
· 14 August 2017
· Chapter 88: We take warning from our surroundings
Oh dear! *sigh*
Lovely writing, as usual I love Bill's "voice" in this.
Author's reply
Thank you!
Thank you, too, for the holiday card. I hope it is still there, somewhere in my email in box, as I am woefully behind in reading emails, along with everything else.
Noleme
· 14 August 2017
· Chapter 88: We take warning from our surroundings
Such a sad irony in the last sentence! Glad to read an update though, I can't believe it's now just a week remaining for them to get to Moria. It's going to be a rollercoaster of observations in the next chapters.
Author's reply
Definitely ironic. And definitely, quite a roller coaster is about to be set in motion...
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a good word.
Larner
· 12 August 2017
· Chapter 88: We take warning from our surroundings
Ah, but it IS that point in their journey, after all. At least with Aragorn and Bill both in the company they have two to watch for changes in the patterns of the world and to realize possible dangers are creeping up on them!
Am off as of the last week of this month, from Tuesday on. Hope to see you, either possibly on the way down or the way home.
Author's reply
It will be good to see you. I can't believe summer's end is almost upon us, but I won't miss the extreme heat.
It's amazing how alert equines can be to their surroundings. (And yet, they can also so easiy find the one little thing in a field that they can injure themselves on...)
KathyG
· 11 August 2017
· Chapter 88: We take warning from our surroundings
And next come the crebain!
Author's reply
Exactly!
demeter d
· 29 July 2017
· Chapter 87: We make good use of our rest
One more note. I very much enjoyed the drills, and recognized at once the inspiration from the "Crebain" scene from the movie. It reminded me of another scene inspired by that one. Go to Budgielover's decade old stpry "A Lesson on Hobbits", to Boromir's chapter. It fills in details of that sword drill scene set in the rocky enclosure on their journey. The same scene more from Boromir's point of view. And is not that what we all enjoy so much about our fan-fiction! Filling in the holes, looking at our favorite scenes from every possible angle!
Author's reply
Oh, I need to hunt up that old story and re-read it. What fun!
demeter d
· 29 July 2017
· Chapter 87: We make good use of our rest
So lovely to see you still journeying along. "Jump in, strike, jump back again" Do you suppose as Pippin lay buried under that mountain of troll, dead from his own strike, that he had Boromir's voice in his head reminding him that he DID NOT JUMP BACK? As always, Bill's speculations about the other's thoughts and feelings are quite insightful!
Author's reply
I very much think that Pippin heard Boromir's voice saying strike and step back... And doesn't it sound like something Strider would remind him of, while coaxing him back to life after Gimli found him under the troll?
Thanks!