Reviews (156)

Author's reply

Thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying it! :D

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Done at last - and just in the nick of time. There were some close calls there, but they managed to pull it off. Frodo and Sam again bear the brunt of the trauma, poor guys. I should write them a fluffy story next. :D Hehe, this was supposed to be the final chapter, this climax originally taking place in chapter 18, but the story keeps getting stretched out. It doesn't seem to want to end. I have at least 2 more chapters but I see this easily going for three chapters. There's a lot left to tie up and we still have to get our heroes back to Gondor. So maybe three chapters and an epilogue? I'm not sure at this point and I'm hesitant to post any more until I have it all written, at least in rough draft form. Thanks for reading! I'm glad you're enjoying the story! :)

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Thank you sweetie! Frodo's battle was quite intense for him and he had to use every drop of enery and determination he could muster to fight the wizards as long as he did. It occured to me that Sauron hasn't been in possession of a ring of power for well over 3000 years now. He did have some of the dwarf rings but there's no indication that he ever would have used them, being made for much lesser beings. Considering that he made his Ring using much of his own being, then it likewise would have been necessary for him to make the wizards' rings in a very similar fashion (they being Maia also and just as powerful as him in many respects). So the wizards' rings, while inferior, also held a part of Sauron's former evilness and even though are not as powerful as the One, the two of them together would have momentarily overwhelmed him. He would have mastered them with time though, just as he mastered his own Ring (or, if you will, formed a symbiotic existence with it, one equally dependent on the other to live). So to answer your question (or at least I hope I'm answering it), I think that yes, Sauron did need his ring back just as much as Gollum, if not more so, for the ring contained a piece of himself and without it, he could not be whole. But, as it *did* contain a part of himself, once he had it, it would not have commanded him or possessed him as it did the other Ring-bearers. An interesting discussion! I'm glad you caught on to that as I wasn't sure if anyone would. Thanks for reading and for giving much food for thought. :D

Author's reply

Shifting scenes was the best (and most complicated!) way of keeping the momentum going. Coordinating everyone's whereabouts and actions and making them sync with everyone else's was quite a wild ride for me as well! I wasn't sure if I could pull it off but it seems to have worked quite nicely. :) The hobbits came very close to the end there, but divine intervention arrived in the form of Rick. :D There's still the shock to work through and much work to be done before they go home, but they're at least whole and sound. Thanks for reading and all your wonderful reviews!

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The best? Oh my! Thank you Andrea! This chapter was a bit of a whirlwind to write and edit, trying to figure out where everyone was related to everyone else and trying to keep the momentum going. Frodo is going to immortalized as the "little" shaman in the legends of Khand now. If he thought being made a legend in Gondor and Rohan was overwhelming, he really hasn't seen anything yet! ;) Sauron might not realize it yet, but it was *his* affection for Rick that helped him overcome the temptation of the rings in time to complete his task. Being their maker, he would have gathered his wits back together eventually, but he couldn't afford to linger. Sauron's just had his first lesson in the power of love and it's a lesson he'll need again and again. Rick might have missed the action, but he was right where he needed to be. His was a crucial role and he played it perfectly. :D Thanks for reading and going along for the ride!

Author's reply

Indeed. It just wouldn't be me if the bad guys won, though I guess I *could* have gone that route. ;) I couldn't have the resolution be *too* smooth though, so I added Sauron's temptation somewhat late in the game. I figured it's been long enough since he last held a Ring of Power (over 3000 years now?) and being as the wizards are also Maia and so their rings would have been almost as powerful as his own and that they were also created by him, that there would have been a moment of temptation. He would have been able to master it sooner or later, but there wasn't time to wait for later! He was cutting it close as it was. Frodo did what he needed to do and he's bested the wizards with the help of his friends, but that's not to say he didn't suffer from his encounter. If Sam's brief contact with them was as intense as it was, it's fair to say that Frodo's would have been equally so, and it lasted much longer. *hugs Frodo* I think Eru has the last word on things, whether the wizards are brought to Valinor or killed in Khand. Now, to see what Sauron will make of it... Thanks for reading!!

Author's reply

It's do or die time and Frodo has already determined that he's not going to die. :D Those poor unsuspecting wizards...

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hehehe Can you tell I've watched way too much Buffy, Angel and Xena? ;) The fight scenes were much easier to write than I feared they would be, but I'm glad they're over now. They're fun to watch and read, but to write - not so much. :D Oh, Rick just got his heart crushed here, didn't he? Poor guy, carrying such a torch all this time only to have it doused with chilling cold ice water. But he's resilient; he'll bounce back. ;) That stubborn Baggins streak is going to be crucial here. The Wizards really have no clue who they're dealing with. They think they've learned from Sauron's mistakes, but they don't understand that Sauron's biggest mistake was his cockiness. And a good thing too! :D

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It's not often I get attacked by a plot bunny as fierce and adventerous as this one, and thank goodness! This is exhausting! But also a lot of fun. :) Frodo's reputation as shaman will soon exceed his 'little' stature once this story starts circulating. They'll be singing his praises in the East as well as the West! Sooner or later, Sauron would have been able to put the rings down, but he really didn't have time to wait for 'later'. Rick showed up just in time, to both save the hobbits and remind Sauron why he was doing what he was doing. Thanks for reading! I'm glad you've enjoyed the story, odd though it may be. :D

Author's reply

Rick really played his part here well. He might have missed most of the action, but things would have gone much worse had he not been there to created those distractions. And Sauron, though he might not quite realize it, is finally beginning to understand the power of love. :) The wizards really were much more depraved than I envisioned them when I first starting writing this story last year. They did fall far from the tree and sank rather deeply into the worst of the worst. I think they might have even topped Sauron on some counts. Sauron's fate is far from over. He has much evil left to undo. Thanks for reading and sticking with this odd little story! :D

Author's reply

I don't usually write fight scenes, the main reason they have been non-existant up to now. I tire of them easily and just generally don't like violence, but there was no getting out of this one without encountering some conflict. It seems that I am making up for lost time! ;) The Haradrim are in a rather tight spot and don't have the time they need to thoroughly think out this plan. If they did, they might realize that the wizards have more important things to deal with at the moment. With the fortress locked against them, they are rather dependent on someone letting them inside, otherwise they will just have to stay where they are and the possibility of a surprise attack after sunset will be gone. Well, yes, *something* will happen. Let's just hope it's a good something. ;)

Author's reply

Generally, I don't like writing fight scenes, which is why there haven't been any until now. There was certainly plenty of opportunities for this to go astray while the gang was marching through Harad (all those orcs rumored to be living in the mountains still, for starters) but I knew all this was coming up and didn't want to tire myself out before I got here! ;) I'm glad you enjoyed it though, and Sauron is undoing much more of his evil deeds on this trip than he thought he would be! Those Variags were quite a surprise for him and they are, unfortunately, doing their job well. Poor Rick. After everything else he's learned, that was the last thing he wanted to hear. But it doesn't stop him from caring about her, even knowing she's not available. Of course, he would check the bonds! He couldn't have her being scarred or hurt! ;) But he still hasn't learned his lesson about being "weak" in the eyes of the Haradrim - offering to die willingly to allow another to live. Semira seems to have learned it though, if not to adopt it for herself then at least to ensure that nothing happens to Rick! In movie-verse, Sauron was just an eye. Per canon, he was embodied at the time of the War of the Ring, and most likely when Gandalf extracted him from Mirkwood. This story is based more off the books than the movies, despite its inspiration and the presence of Brego the Horse. :D But would Sauron have sunk to such depths? An interesting question. Frodo and Sam are in for quite a fight and they will need every ounce of nerve that they possess to get through it. Frodo does have a plan, but its very much dependent on overcoming the wizards quickly.

Author's reply

Well, the story won't be over right away but it is nearing its conclusion. Except more tension and action, but be prepared for the inevitable. ;) Frodo is just as protective of Sam as Sam is of Frodo. Neither of them would allow the other to be molested in any way if they can prevent it. If the wizards thought that meant Frodo would become a weak kitten and give them whatever they want, they are in for a rude awakening. Sam's steadfastness and bravery in LOTR, most especially ROTK, were very much dependent on the fact that he *had* to be those things, that Frodo no longer could be due to the torment of the Ring, and that it was largely Sam's sole duty to see the Quest accomplished. As such, Sam was also the one making all the plans, when to stop, when to hike and for how long. He simply didn't have time to think about anything else, much as Frodo finds himself doing now. Also, he's never been in the position of being tortured before, and that would be quite a shock to him. Once Sam can get in on the action, we'll be seeing his usual steadfastness come to the fore. I'm glad you're enjoying the ride! :)

Author's reply

Sauron really had better act quickly or this plan is going to implode in four minutes! Semira's plan isn't very well thought out, but they're in a rather tight spot and have to act quickly. I'm sure she'll be reminding Amros that her original idea to capture Sauron in Harad was much better (even though it wasn't, as he was anticipating just such a thing happening). Her intervention now could very well be what makes or breaks everything. Frodo right now is on survival mode. He's not thinking about anything other than getting out of there, which can give the appearance of calm. Much as Sam always appeared to calm through Cirith Ungol and the march through Mordor. By narrowing in on that one thing that must be done, he can ignore everything else. The shock will come later.

Author's reply

Right now, I think he's just banking on getting out of there as quickly as possible! Skills and powers he may have, but they won't be an equal match to the wizards for very long. Rick and the Haradrim are walking a rather fine line. If they act too soon or too late, it could be disasterous to everyone, including themselves. And their plan is not exactly fool-proof. There will be no one there to open the gate, and even if they do manage to get anyone's attention, the wizards have far more important things to worry about just now.

Author's reply

Frodo does have some power, but he will have to put it work quickly before he tires out completely. The surprise has already worn off and the wizards won't be playing nicely. Eek! Yes, the wizards are quite a good deal more despicable than I intended them to be. They take 'falling from grace' to whole new level. They have much to answer for.

Author's reply

Thank you Althea! The plot lines are getting more and more tangled with each new twist. Some are happy accidents and some have been in the works for quite a long time. I'm glad you're enjoying the story so much and having fun trying to figure it all out. :D

Author's reply

Frodo and that poor little girl have much in common. Indeed, most of the servants and guards in the fortress are in the same exact position as that girl, just not quite as literally as she is at the moment. Well, Sauron *could* have killed those men much more quickly than he spent in disarming them. That doesn't earn him a couple of points at least? ;) Satan, maybe, but Sauron isn't the ME equivalent of Satan. That would be Melkor, who was sent to the Void as he should have been, after tossing away his second chance. Will Sauron toss his away? We shall see very soon. :D Something up my sleeves? *checks sleeves* Ah! That's where I put that! ;) Thanks for reading! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story!

Author's reply

Semira's story wasn't revealed to me all at once, but I knew as soon as she stepped onto the page that she was going to play a much larger role than I had intended for her originally. She has much to hate Sauron for and very valid reasons to doubt his conversion to the good guy's team. The others will be even less willing to accept anything Rick might say. Don't feel too bad for Rick. Everyone has their part to play and even if he thought his part was going to be something different doesn't mean he isn't exactly where he needs to be. Let's just hope his promise doesn't get everyone into more trouble! By his own creations, that he trained, no less! Sauron is neck-deep on it and the sun just keeps sinking. Frodo does have a plan, but it's very reliant on the actions of the Wizards, and it will all be pointless if Sauron can't carry out his part. Thanks so much for reading!

Author's reply

Yep, Rick put his foot in it. If the hobbits have even a spot of blood or a hint of a bruise, he pretty much agreed to let the Haradrim have Sauron. However, he didn't promise that *Sauron* will allow himself to be taken. ;) Still, it is quite a condundrum, and you can bet it won't be resolved quickly. :D

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Well, Sauron was sent back to undo as much of the evil he had done that he can. There are some things that he simply cannot rectify, but he's sooner or later going to have to face those creations of his that still remain in ME. He just wasn't counting on encountering the Variags quite so soon. ;) He will have a bit of an advantage since he did have a hand in creating and training them, but they have advantages also, ironically, that they were created and training by Sauron, among other things. I can see evil!Sauron as being very much a Hilter type: seducing those of like mind to him and just running over everyone else, turing Harad and Khand into totalitarian states where those who would protest would be quickly disposed of by those in power. And while he might very well have been capable of seducing *everyone*, I find it more believable that there were some who were able to see past his lies to the truth, much the same as the Elves and Men of the Last Alliance. Otherwise, I don't think Tolkien would have put in that passage of Sam standing over the dead Southron's body and wondering if he wouldn't have just rather stayed home with his family. Thanks for reading and for such a wonderful review! :)

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Well, it took so long to get here, it would be a shame to have it end too soon. ;) Everyone thinks they know what everyone else is plotting, and it does make for a rather tangled web. All will be revealed soon enough. ;) *cranks ride into hyperdrive* Thanks for the lovely review!

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Now, things will start to come together, or at least I should hope so. More answers, more action, more cliff hangers. :D The child is real enough, the wizards wouldn't attempt to trick Frodo with an illusion when they have the real thing handy. They're such wicked devils. It would be safe to assume that Frodo and Rick both know the same amount, but there is still much more that they don't know. Poor Sam - being left out of the grand scheme really didn't help the trust, did it? ;) Thanks for reading! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story!!

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Sam had a vague idea of what was coming but to say he was surprised by the end result would be an understatement. He had much to learn in a very short time, as did Frodo. It was a necessity, but that doesn't make it any easier for any of them to bear. And it led to more hobbity comforting, so it can't be all that bad. ;)

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Indeed. Love will always be stronger than hate. Hate cannot understand love, but love can understand hate and therefore resist it, and Sam is the very embodiment of that love.