Reviews (138)

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There is good and bad to everything and the bad is finally being balanced by the good. Everyone will come away from this experience wiser for it. Frodo has a way of bringing out the best in people (S-Bs not included, lol). While he doesn't really change too much over the years - he becomes wiser and more confident but everything else remains more or less the same - the people around him are greatly affected by his influence. How else can it be explained that he had so many fiercely loyal friends? Thanks for reading this and for your reviews! I appreciate them all. :)

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Gil has quite gotten over his need for praise from his peers. He craved the attention and admiration after his return from Pincup, but he's seen now that such things must be earned, and that true courage doesn't boast. Edon needs to find himself again, and the only way he can truly do that is to return home. He's never really thought of Buckland as "home" and he's always felt more than a bit adrift there. But perhaps his return home will only be a temporary one itself. There is Piper to consider, after all. Time truly will be the determining factor here. It so often happens with children, that they can hear their parents/guardians tell them something a hundred times and pay it no heed, yet as soon as one of their peers tells them the same thing, suddenly the advice is taken to heart. Sometimes, it does just take someone else closer to a child's age to tell them what they need to hear. Gil reaffirming what Saradoc and Esmeralda (and Frodo's parents) said will help to solidify that for Frodo. Thanks so much for reading and for all your wonderful reviews! I enjoyed them all. :)

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Gil has always been quite popular amongst his family, the Hall's "Golden Child" as Edon called him. It was very hard on him to then be displaced and have everyone think so ill of him - for something he didn't even do. He has his own courage, to be able to return to that environment and not let his feelings of bitterness keep him from proving to everyone that he was indeed a trustworthy lad. He couldn't keep those feeling hidden when it came to Edon though, and understandably so. In that way, Frodo was able to help Gil just as much as Gil was able to help Frodo. Frodo's easy forgiveness made quite an impression. A beautiful friendship indeed. Edon and Gil's friendship will likely be all the stronger now, if they can manage to get past the trust issues. It seems they will be able to accomplish that without too many problems, though it will take time. Edon has learned a lot himself these past couple of weeks, including how to take responsibility for his own actions. Menegilda's punishment for him will be a very humbling experience for him (Gil wasn't the only one suffering from a large head, lol). Thanks for reading and for your many wonderful comments. :)

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Amazing, isn't it, what a little honesty - and the willingness to forgive - can do. Thanks so much for following this. Your reviews have been wonderful to read. :)

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LOL, I hoped you would enjoy that. Not exactly a reunion, but it was the best I could do with what this chapter needed to accomplish. ^_^ Gil and Frodo both had lessons to learn, which they could have only learned from each other. Gil has been the subject of scorn and mistrust, as well as abandonment and betrayal. While that may be a bit above what Frodo has experienced in some ways, and below it in others, those experiences made Gil the most likely to understand where Frodo was coming from. And since they were both coming from relatively similar places, Frodo's insights rang just as true for Gil as Gil's did for Frodo. Gil is just a story teller, lol. Another trait that will help bond Frodo and him in friendship. Frodo's parting words certainly had a lot to do with it. No doubt, Gil was repeating them to himself over and over again as he and Edon were walking out to that tree, if only to keep himself from snapping at him again. Gil had a part in the break up of the friendship, though an unconscious one. His popularity, while being one of the traits that appealed to Edon, is also what caused Edon to feel so uncertain of himself. If Gil had been able to realize this before it became a problem, things *might* have gone differently from the get-go. Now that everything is out in the open, or will be soon, they can wipe the slate clean and start over fresh. (And it also helps that Fuchsia is out of the way too. ~_^ ) Only two more updates to come. Thanks for reading this and again for all your wonderful reviews. They've helped me to keep on ticking with this, even when I was in doubt. :)

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Gil's learned a lot over the last couple of weeks. He has siblings of his own and so understands from that the way children Frodo's age can sometimes interpret things. He also has some wisdom for having gone through his own troubles and betrayals, and subsequent feelings of abandonment when he was temporarily banished to Pincup. There couldn't have been a better person to help Frodo, and he too was in need of hearing what Frodo had to say as well. Frodo is just that forgiving. It's one of his many qualities that made him such a good Ringbearer. Thanks for reading!

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Now Frodo's mind can be at ease, at least until he finds something else to worry about, lol. Though he won't truly ever stop worrying about these things, they will no long dominate his thoughts and instead become those pesky little whispers in the back of his mind. Knowing that Sara and Esme have taking measures in case something should happen to them will allow him to slowly let go of that fear. Hobbits are so good at taking care of each other! We should all have hobbits to take care of us.

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Or they worry about things when it isn't their job to worry about it. Frodo needs to learn when to let the adults take care of things, or at least realize that the adults have the sense to take such things into consideration. This talk with Esme and Sara will help him to realize that.

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His parents death certainly made Frodo more aware of the dangers that can occur in life. That would have matured him quite a bit, at least past the level of the other children his age. This is why he feels more comfortable around older children; his peers simply don't understand that. At the same time, their deaths also put him back quite a few years. His feeling of security, so crucial to a child's healthy development, were ripped away from him, not to mention his feelings of abandoment and his anger - though he may never admit that his angry with his parents, or even realize that that is why he rebels and acts out at times. LOL, that plot bunny has not only bitten already, but its already written. In fact, I finished that story before I finished this one. I'm simply waiting to finish posting this one before I post the next one, which is titled "The Usual Suspects". ^_^ But the answer to your question, for now, is that not all promises can be kept, or even should be kept. I'm sure that everyone will come to visit him at some point while he recovers, to help keep him from getting bored, but I won't be addressing that here. It would get redunant after awhile, and there are more pressing matters to get to. The opinions he cares about most are Esme and Sara's and he's already seen how much they care for him. Any one else would just be icing on the cake. :) It's time for Gil and Frodo to have a good long chat. Thanks for reading and for your many reviews.

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A lot of good has come from one bad comment. Frodo could have continued to evade his guardians indefinetly if not his misadventure in the Old Forest. Now he sees that he's not alone with his worries, and sharing that burden will help to ease his mind considerably. They never will suspect the truth behind Frodo's dream. Rae explained it away as a fever dream, and though they seem to realize there's a bit more to it than that, they will not linger over it too long. The signifance of the dress being red Gil's going to rue his reputation among his friends, I imagine. He's realized that all his boasting is just a way of hiding his own fears, and after seeing the damage that his boasting has caused, he'll be more down to earth after this. He's also learned what true courage is, and he's realized that he's a long way from possessing that quality. Author Reply: LOL, I stopped my reply mid sentence! Anyway, as I was saying, the signifance of the dress being red will likely go right over their heads. They would simply see it as a compliment and nothing more. Yet red is a color that dominates most of Frodo's dreams. It symbolizes life and love, as well as what he has lost.

Author's reply

Sara and Esme couldn't have handled it any better. They've known for a time that Frodo was worrying himself over things, but they didn't know what. Now that Frodo knows he isn't alone with his worries, they will, as Esme said, begin to let go. Likewise, they will be able to worry a little less about Frodo. I managed to squeeze in a teensy bit of Frodo/Merry time in the next chapter, just for you. ^_^ And we'll find out what is going to happen with Edon and Gil, as well as what Edon's punishment is going to be. Everything is starting to wrap up, but there is one more thing Frodo needs to do before he can start to truly heal.

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Kids often make the mistake of thinking they're the only ones to worry about things. They also look up to the adults in their life and don't realize that, even though they're grown up, they too have their fears; they've just learned how to live with them. Frodo has a lot to think about, and plenty of time to do it in. He is no longer alone with his fears, and knowing that Saradoc and Esmeralda share his same worries will help to ease them. That weight that he put upon himself to carry will slowly begin to dissolve. There's just one other thing he has to do before he can begin to truly heal.

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Edon's in for a world of punishment, but Menegilda is fair. She'll see to it that he learns his lesson. Tom to the rescue! Good thing he showed up when he did, and that Frodo was able to get himself into the open. Thank you for reading!

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Frodo is safe and sound, and on his way to recovery. It will still be some time before he's back to par though. Frodo's dreams will not be scary, but there will always be the occasional strange one that stands above the others, especially when it comes to the Sea. All part of being a future Ringbearer.

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Menegilda is rather stern when it comes to trouble-makers. Edon will be kept quite busy with his punishment, you can be assured of that. He'll also be eating his humble pie, whether he wants to or not. She is a force to be reckoned with. She knew exactly how to play Edon to get him to spill his guts. Perhaps now it can be better understood why Gil always loses his temper and common sense around Edon. He was betrayed by someone who was supposed to be his best friend, and for a misdeed Gil didn't even commit. There is a great amount of animosity between them. Hopefully, they've both learned enough from this experience to bury the hatchet. Thank you so much! That is the greatest compliment I can hope to receive. Gil and Edon have made themselves quite at home in this universe, as have the other OCs. I'm glad they've earned your nod of approval. :)

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Frodo is found, and will soon be out of the Forest, if not completely out of danger. They will need to hurry to get him back to Brandy Hall and the hands of the healers. Good ole Tom, showing up to save the day, but not sticking around for the credit. Edon will accept the punishments, and that is very much to his advantage. He's confessed at last to his wrongdoings and he has been through enough guilt in the past few days over Frodo's disappearance to not shirk his responsibilities again. This will be a humbling experience for him, and if Gil can learn to humble himself also, they might just be able to put this behind them. Thanks for reading!

Author's reply

Oh, Menegilda has had to interrogate her fair share of tweens during her years as Mistress of the Hall. Edon wasn't prepared for her and that helped her to win out in the end. Edon let his insecurities get the better of him, and Gil got the short end of the stick. After that, Gil retaliated, as can only be expected, and the problems only grew from there. They will both have to humble themselves before they can be able to move on. Tom is the Master and the trees could only do his bidding. They're weren't happy about giving up their play toy, but at least they did get a little bit of play out it, while it lasted. That should keep them content for a while. :) Frodo will come out of this with a slightly altered look on things, which will help. But he still has a lot of healing to do. This can only be a starting off point for him to do just that. Thanks for much for reading, and for all your wonderful reviews! :)

Author's reply

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. :) Edon's been carrying this secret around for well over a year. He was going to make himself ill if he kept quiet any longer. If anything good came of this, at least Edon has learned to step up and own his actions. Those trees weren't too happy to see their master come and take their toy away, lol. But they gave in, as it was their only option, and they will contend themselves with remembering their little game in the years to come. :) Rory at least had a hope that Tom might show up and save them all. Saradoc was likely too worried about Frodo to give Tom much thought. Rufus and Del had Frodo for the worst of his melancholy. It wasn't easy for them to see Frodo so torn and despondent, and not be able to help him. No matter what they tried, nothing worked and it would seem to them that it even got worse after Frodo's attempted suicide. They knew they were doing more harm than good, even if it wasn't their fault, and they knew the only way to help him was to let someone else take care of him. By reminding Gil of this, Rufus hoped to show Gil that there was truly no blame in this. The healers couldn't go into the Forest themselves, as they were needed at the Hall, but they knew that if Frodo was hurt, that he would need care immediately. Dodi must have been rehearsing their instructions the entire time they were in the forest. :) Good thing too, as Frodo now stands a chance to make it back to the Hall, where he can be cared for adequately. There is hope for Edon and Gil, if both lads are willing to meet halfways. Thanks so much for reading!

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Oh, I suppose I could amp up the angst and suspense and really make Frodo suffer before he recovers, but that would serve little purpose. ~_^ Rest assured, he's out of danger, physically. His emotional state however... (Sorry, couldn't resist that) Menaical-Psychofreak!Tom doesn't quite fit in in this universe, lol. But notice that his "appearance" was very small and he actually never really appeared. ;) In a sense, it was about the girl. At least, on the surface. This is the typical Yoko-factor. There were problems and tensions already between Edon and Gil, and Fuchsia just gave those problems a convenient outlet. Most of those problems were Edon's own insecurities and self-doubts. Even if Gil didn't do anything out right to Edon, he would have felt the animosity that Edon held toward him and that would have affected the way he acted around Edon. No doubt, he started pulling away a bit after a time, which would have just compounded the problems. Fuchsia came in at the end of it all. She was, as Edon said, the "last straw". Edon and Gil will have to work extremely hard to put all this behind them once and for all - if both lads are willing to do so. Certainly the fact that Edon has confessed will help Gil at least be civil to him, and now that Edon has nothing to hide, he won't be so defensive anymore himself.

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I figured Frodo was far enough gone at this point that he would be able to "hear" his parents speaking to him. If he hadn't been able to hear them, he would have given up, and likewise wouldn't have crawled out in the open where he could be found. Aw, yes, Frodo's protector. It will be a long time before Frodo realizes who it is. ;)

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LOL, I don't know! Relax! All is well. ^_^

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Well, the real reason Tom doesn't appear is because I really can't stand him for too long. lol But yes, Tom wouldn't make himself be known at any rate and he certainly wouldn't want to be hampered by all these hobbits asking endless questions, as you know some hobbits are known to do. ;) And of course, Frodo can't remember anything that happens with Tom, or it'll ruin their "first" meeting later on the Quest. My Frodo is very much mirrored after your Frodo. There are some differences - I think mine is more of rascal than yours - but I didn't have a clear understanding of Frodo until I started reading your fics. So thanks! Fear of abandonment is huge here. Even if Frodo can allow himself to believe that his cousins really do love him, he'll still be living with the fear that they might not always be there for him. You're right that Menegilda is formidable. If Edon could have just waited another day, then he would have been in the clear. But Frodo and Gil couldn't be the only ones learning something. :) The hints are pretty obvious once you know the truth. The hand was always pointing at Edon, even from the start, even before Gil appeared in the story. It will take a lot of work on both lads' parts to repair that friendship, if they decide to do so. That Edon has confessed all will help, and if Edon is truly sincere about paying his dues, that'll help even more. Of course, Edon isn't the only one who needs to humble himself. Gil will have to learn to forgiveness before anything of the sort can happen.

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"When One Door Closes" is just a short vignette, but it did rather come in handy for this chapter. Frodo's parents hardly abandoned him. They wanted to ensure he would be looked after, and they were more than satisified with the answer. Exactly! Frodo has a much darker road than this to travel, and remembering that he made it through this will help him when it comes time for the Quest. Knowing that his protector, chosen for him by his parents, is there with him will help tremendously also. It is Tom indeed. He always seems to show up just in the nick of time, doesn't he? lol Thank you so much for following this story. :)

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It's explained, if only in hints. ;) The next chapter should pinpoint it a little more. I *have* seen The Good Son, a long time ago. Don't remember anything about it, lol. :) You must have this forest confused with some benevolent place like Lothlorien, lol. The forest doesn't want Frodo to leave, period. It really couldn't care if anyone learns anything. Yet, despite its most evil of intentions, they *are* going to learn something and grow from this experience. ^_^ That is perhaps the *only* reason Frodo agrees to go into the Forest again later for the Quest - because this experience ended well.

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Frodo will survive it, and he will remember a good deal of it. It may take some time for him to make sense of it, but he will come out of this a bit wiser than he was before. Brandy Hall is at a low point. Half the Brandybuck line lost in the forest, on what can only be considered a fruitless mission, can only cause everyone to worry about what will happen if they are never seen again. There is protocol for such an event occuring, but as something like this would have never happened before, no one will be entirely sure of the rules, other than the Master himself. He asked Saradas and Merimac to stay behind for just this reason. Thank you for reading! :)