Reviews (1,409)

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Getting Frodo to laugh does much of the real healing--Pippin is right in that Frodo can't be allowed to forget that; and Aragorn himself has told Frodo he needs to do this. As for cutting off locks of hair or stealing underwear--I still hold human nature can't have changed that much over the centuries--hero worship loves personal items known to be intimately connected with the object of devotion, and those two things are certainly in demand now! Thanks so much for the comments, Kitty; you know how much they mean.

Author's reply

I'm so glad so many appreciated this detail and Frodo laughing about it. It must seem a totally foreign idea to a Hobbit! As for rice--I can't tolerate it myself, unless it tastes nothing like rice! Rice Krispies and rice pudding and once in a LONG while Spanish Rice is about the only way I can eat the stuff.

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This insight came from a member of the Councilsofrivendell email discussion group from one of the members there; and that member has been very glad to see it incorporated now into fanfiction. We get our inspirations from so very many different sources! As for falling behind--I certainly can understand how that happens.

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I didn't want to speak of ulcers themselves, as in medieval times ulcers were unhealing sores, often found on limbs due to gout or excessive contact with items such as peg legs, bedsores, embedded material in wounds, and so on. So I chose to speak of "ulcerous sores in the stomach and bowels" of which Elrond might have become aware via autopsies or perhaps early surgery techniques--most likely autopsies; and I suspected whatever he had learned of the body would be passed on to Aragorn, who in my view of his training has been studying healing since early childhood. Nerves were a bit harder to decide on including in the story; but I know that phantom limb feeling must have been going on since the first person had his leg bitten off by a sabretooth tiger or whatever, and I couldn't resist putting in the references. (I've done a lot of personal study on sensory perception over the years--professional hazard, I guess.) Sorry about the jars, and I promise I'll try not to do too much of it. But the symptoms I write about are real ones, and many are ones I myself know due to my own tricky digestive tract. (I'm not quite a Mary Topper, but could become one if I tried, I suppose (for all you Thorne Smith fans out there--heh!).) Glad that Aragorn's caring and Sam's reactions and Frodo's frustration all seem to ring true in spite of the apparently modern medical awareness I put into the story.

Author's reply

"Tithen nin" means roughly "my small one." You'll often see it in fanfic between Elves and Hobbits or Aragorn and Hobbits, particularly Frodo. Glad you feel I am truly giving every character careful care--I do try. Thanks so much for the response. It's wonderful to know my efforts are appreciated by so many.

Author's reply

Sam, after all, saw the hand just after Gollum's attack and on the side of the volcano; and I think he'd be the first to appreciate just how nice it looked now compared to then. And those who are born with great amounts of personal responsibility do tend to be too hard on themselves. It's not an unusual occurance at all. That this chapter moved you so is an indication I wrote it as I intended to. Thank you for letting me know.

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Well, it seems to me that human nature doesn't change much, and there would be those who became as obsessed with the heroes of Middle Earth. Imagine--you're an impressionable young guy who may have been spared that orc thrust ONLY because just as the orc started for you Frodo claimed the Ring and Sauron's attention was ripped away from the battle to the Mountain. Now you are SO close to the one whose actions saved your life, and all you want to do is take a peep.... (And I just MIGHT have been partially inspired by Buddy in "The Incredibles.) Several years ago now we had the chance to drive along Hadrian's wall, which has lived in my imagination ever since I discovered the works of Rosemary Sutcliff. I found an archaeological dig of a former fortress and was just looking to see if they were using the grid plan I had learned about in my own archaeology classes and if it was laid out as Sutcliff described, got caught and chased away. I still don't regret that peep, though. As for the open-air ward--first there's the description of Sam waking up in a bed, looking up, and realizing there are trees over him; so I had to figure out why he and Frodo were given such odd treatment; and then again I was influenced by Sutcliff, who told of being in such a ward when she was a girl. She had juvenile rhumetoid arthritis, and was hospitalized there in England in a facility where they didn't at the time have the money to build all the wards they needed. As for the diet--I experience frequent bouts of IBS and have a sliding hernia, and know all about how food that goes down well can come back suddenly because of too much acid or too strong of the active ingredients of onions, peppers, curry, and so on. There are even days when I cannot tolerate oranges, which can be very frustrating. Many of Frodo's digestive problems are written from very close appreciation of how they express themselves. Thanks for the response!

Author's reply

Yes, the idea of panty raids on Hobbits could be quite humorous; but think of those women who fought over Elvis's handkerchiefs, which he took to throwing out into the audience, or who would give almost anything to have something intimately connected with the object of their obsession. Now, I'll admit I wouldn't mind Viggo's underware, particularly if I got to .... I think I'd better let this one go, or it will be forcefully removed by the admins.

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Now that Aragorn is not just wearing the Elessar stone but in a position to properly wield its power, and is able to fully function as a healer, I suspect he'd be a superb one and indeed the one everyone would wish to have treat their wounds and illnesses. So glad you appreciate the way I depict him. Thanks so much for the comments--I truly appreciate it.

Author's reply

In ROTK Frodo and Sam find themselves lying on beds below tree limbs, and so I wanted to explore WHY such an odd placement for beds for these two. Glad you appreciated it and the moments of caring between our favorite King and Hobbit. As Frodo had always been drawn to starlight in my version of his story, and as even Sam had found healing in the sight of the star above Mordor's veils, I thought perhaps this might be why their beds were open to the sky. Thanks so much for the response.

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After a visit to Dachau Concentration Camp with my children and husband when the two kids were thirteen, I became aware of such studies done both by the Allies and by the Nazis; and I began studying Holocaust survivor literature. In fact, much of the behavior and physical and emotional responses I describe is directly based on survivor stories. The body's whole metabolism is changed, all too often; and psychological responses could be dramatic. Certainly many told the tales of the mood swings, from euphoria to deep despair and back in seconds; the fear of not having food on hand; the terror of certain kinds of footsteps that during their times in the camp(s) indicated the approach of a particularly sadistic guard or the coming of the ones who did the selections, and so on. Many for years afterwards found themselves having to have a loaf of bread handy; others couldn't bear dark rooms, or needed to have their beds pushed against walls so as to have the assurance they were protected behind them. Frodo's own faint in Henneth Annun could have been partially induced by pre-starvation--already the Hobbits' rations had been dramatically reduced since the two of them left the rest of the company at Parth Galen, compounded by the terror of being discovered, the horrors of looking into the pools in the Dead Marshes followed by the total devastation before the Black Gate, then the fear of this new captivity just when things looked better and the final realization it is finally okay to properly react to all that has gone before. Just being in a safe place and being able to let the guard down finally, and the survivor can all too easily find himself going to pieces, a luxury he couldn't indulge in when he is having to be responsible for others and needs to keep aware or possibly perish. Glad you appreciated this, and that you also found validation for the experiences as I write them from real life. I'll have to check out info on this wreck myself, now. Sounds fascinating.

Author's reply

In my research on abberant vision I found a book on phantom limb experiences (Phantoms in the Brain by V.S. Ramachandran) by a psychologist/neurologist originally from India; a few weeks after I read the book he was featured on Sixty Minutes where they demonstrated some of the techniques he'd come up with to help trick the brain into allowing the nerves in such situations into relaxing so as to allow the amputee to know relief from real pain experienced by these often poorly protected nerve endings now leading to nothing. In time surrounding brain processing zones will often begin to preempt the regions formerly associated with the amputated limb, finger, toe, lost vision, and so on; and it can lead to some fascinating changes in the individual's sensory experiences, particularly with some regions close to areas that handle the sensory input of sexual experiences. I never realized that research into sensory analysis of amputations could lead to some odd observations on changing erotic zones. He also had a great deal of data on visual processing, and what can happen when the visual field is filled with blank spots, in which the brain tries to fill the blank spots usually by continuing data from elsewhere in the visual picture, or occasionally apparently randomly filling the blank spots with visual memories. One person saw cartoon characters in the blank spots; another had visual memories apparently from the mind's built-in encyclopedia of visual images appear there. His visual loss was in the lower half of his visual field, and he told Dr. Ramachandran he saw an active monkey in the doctor's lap. Brain research I find fascinating. I take it your mother lost her legs due to secondary infections from diabetic neuropathy? So glad you appreciated the chapter and the beginning of Frodo to returning to more normal reactions, and the caring he and Aragorn have for one another.

Author's reply

Yes, it's terribly easy to go astray, particularly as physically and emotionally fragile as Frodo was. Once the Ring became aware of the emotion of guilt, I think it would use it liberally, particularly in the case of two such individuals as Frodo and Aragorn who were born with such a strong tendency toward personal and social responsibility. Glad you appreciate the link to Fostering and my other stories. And, yes, Frodo is finally beginning to smile about pleasant memories and all. And he deserves to know pleasure again. Thanks so much for your comments, as they are deeply appreciated.

Author's reply

There was much healing Frodo received after the rescue by the Eagles and Gandalf, but some wounds go too deep indeed, and need more help than the lesser children of Iluvatar can offer. And I think Frodo would have begun to accept, intellectually at least, that he won through and did all he could do; but there in a corner of his heart was always the seed of guilt nurtured there by the Ring that if he didn't do it all by himself then he failed, and that from time to time weeds of self-recrimination would spring up from it and flourish during his worse times. At the time Frodo's eventually manifesting gift of foresight which allowed him to foresee some of Sam's coming children does not appear to have as yet made itself known. That Sam might be thinking of calling upon Merry and Pippin to put pressure on their fathers in Frodo's behalf to regain possession of Bag End would probably not have occurred to Frodo; but I suspect Sam was beginning to formulate such a plan early on.

Author's reply

Legolas might not have known that Boromir had tried to claim the Ring, but he was several thousand years old and had an understanding of psychology even of mortals, to a point, at least. I'm certain he noted the words spoken in the Council as much as Gandalf, Frodo, Elrond, and Aragorn did, and that he recognized the growing watchfulness of Boromir toward Frodo as they went down the Anduin. I'm certain he had an idea that the Ring was working quite hard on Boromir and that Boromir was close to cracking. And I truly think both Sam and Frodo would each think the other deserved all the glory for what was accomplished. Thanks so much for the comments.

Author's reply

The Ring was created to enhance domination of others, and that is what it would seek to bring out, I think, in its bearers. Physical and emotional love of the positive kind known among Hobbits in which the relationship is usually an equal partnership with love freely given and received would, I think, be repugnant to such as the Ring, and it would seek to spoil it in one manner or another, seeking the total submission or subsuming of the partner. Once it realized neither Bilbo nor Frodo was apt to rape or sadism and actively put aside such thoughts, and assured its will to dominate would always be opposed, I truly think that it would seek to shut down sexual awareness in its bearers as a punishment of sorts. Then it would allow some awareness of the process to slip through so that they realized something was wrong and evenly at times actively regretted it--until a likely lass came along at which it would again actively suppress the awareness again--or the bearer himself might unconsciously begin doing so as a means of avoiding the repugnant thoughts. Either way, the bearer of the Ring is left alone and emotionally isolated, which would be how the Ring would like it. Many people equate virginity and innocence, and probably Frodo had before he went on the quest and realized they were NOT the same thing at all. And I love to think that Aragorn felt that Frodo was his brother of the spirit. The free peoples of Middle Earth would have been lost and Gondor, Arnor, Rohan, and the Shire and other lands would have been overrun had Frodo failed to get the Ring to the Sammath Naur; and Aragorn's hope for his marriage to Arwen would have been totally lost. For no less person than the King of Gondor and Arnor reunited would Lord Elrond allow his daughter to remain in Middle Earth, sacrificing her immortality, after all. Thanks for the comments, and glad you enjoy the story so far.

Author's reply

Yes, Sam would have been quite a shock to such as Sauron's Ring, wouldn't he? But then Frodo had been able to dismiss it and keep himself from succumbing for quite a time; and the Ring had only had just over a day in Sam's possession to work directly on him. That Sam could have realized, once Frodo snatched it back from him, that he might not have been able to keep up the defenses against the Ring's constant barrage indefinitely is something we need to keep in mind. It is probable that once the Ring was focused primarily on Frodo again he began to realize just how tremendous a job Frodo was doing after all, for he was fighting it day and night, and had been for months at that point. And Frodo needed to become aware NOW that the Ring was working more actively on Aragorn and Legolas than he'd realized. I now wonder if the reason that so many of the Fellowship ended up Hobbits because with their general lack of ambition compared to Men as well as the fact they'd not been taken into account in the crafting of the Rings of Power made them less vulnerable, giving the Ring fewer to focus its wiles on who were more likely to fall to its wiles, such as Boromir.

Author's reply

I think he was relieved to know that Boromir was able to redeem himself and know forgiveness, but that there are so many issues seeking to take over recently vacated guilt that he will be a time giving it over completely. I'm truly glad you find his reactions believable. Thanks so much for the feedback, as I do appreciate it so much.

Author's reply

We will see what comes out, Linda. I, also love to see Aragorn in my stories, and hope to see Faramir come more actively into it, also. Gotta find out what sparks the gift of the blue mantle that eventually comes to Ruvemir, after all! And I think that Sam, Frodo, and Aragorn all three are happy to discuss Faramir, as he's had a positive impact already on all three, and all are looking forward to him becoming close with Aragorn in the future.

Author's reply

I've been wanting to take Aragorn home with ME for forty-two years now, you must remember. I have loved that man for SOOOOO long! Glad you agree about the forgiveness of Boromir and the depiction of Aragorn. As for Frodo, you aren't the only one wishing he'd stop feeling guilty. They'll be working on him the whole time he's in Gondor on that, and then when they get home and see what Saruman and Lotho have done to the Shire it just starts all over again. Thanks so much for the response.

Author's reply

No, I wouldn't put it past orcs, either; but I still believe the orders to those guarding the borders of Morder was that they were to bring in intruders alive and unspoiled, much as Saruman had insisted for those being brought to him. I suspect both Saruman and Sauron preferred to do their own nastiness and see how the degradation struck their prisoners.

Author's reply

Oh, Sam did do that indeed and went off to Crickhollow with Frodo; but I suspect he's having his own bit of foresight now, and that Frodo fears his memory may have been somewhat disturbed by what's happened to them. I suspect Sam intends to buy Bag End back from Lotho when he returns, perhaps with the help of leverage from the heirs of the Thain and the Master, so that Frodo can return there. It's the one place where he's ever been happy in the Shire since his parent's deaths, after all. Talking things out will help; and hearing the tales of the others will help as well. But we already know that he still wasn't fully recovered when he went back to the Shire, and eventually began to deteriorate. And recovering from PTSD is a very difficult task at the best of times, for those whose physical health was not broken.

Author's reply

Eventually Sam appears to have told Frodo of finding the bones, or perhaps that was an amendment he made to the Red Book afterwards. But for now I think he'd prefer to keep to the lighter moments (although I'll admit the bones have always distressed me as much as they did Sam). And Frodo is realizing that the entire Fellowship is watching out for him in his recovery. Frodo is beginning to realize that others were being lured by the Ring in spite of him carrying it to shield them from its evil, and he needs to know this, and that Aragorn realizes what it would have done to their relationship had he fallen to its lure. And I agree--there were a few places where PJ and Co. managed to improve even on the Master! Thanks for the comments--they are so much appreciated.

Author's reply

Yes, this is Frodo, one of the most empathic folk devised, who grieves for what others have suffered and will suffer. For Frodo's healing it will be a staggering road, a few steps forward, a few less backward, and on occasion a few more backward, until at last he accepts the final gift given him. Am so glad you appreciate this, TF. Thanks so much for the response.

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To truly understand requires feeling somewhat certain of yourself, which Frodo does not--not for his body or his mind. He has a good deal of healing still to do--and we already know how long that took to be complete. For him it will most likely be three steps forward and sometimes one or two back, and a few times four or five, as he struggles along the path of healing. Thanks so much for the feedback, Bodkin.