Lovely tale - well written. I have loved Fatty since I read of his rescue in LOTR... good character. I especially liked the sense of urgency. I had not ever considered that the guards, having fled, left the prisoners in more dire straits than ever!
But you made me wonder - has anyone ever written an AU that has Pippin being left behind as Elrond had wanted? I'd sure like to see something like that... though what on earth would happen to the Quest????
Author's reply
From the stories that I have read, not too many authors include Fatty -- including me, sad to say, because I don't like him. Not at all; I don't include him enough only because I'm still nailing his character. I think of him as a cross between Merry and Frodo, a happy medium, if you will. :-P I do include him at times in my "fun" tales to develop his characterization, but again, not as much as I'd like.
As for the guards, that wasn't too difficult for me to deduce. To me, they're a bunch of cowards and bullies who, once faced with someone as big as they are, bolt as fast as they can without regard for the people they were responsible for. I don't have the "corner market" on fanfic ideas, so if anyone wants to have a crack at this one I'd love to see it. :-)
To answer your last comments...hmmm...that's a good question. I don't get to do as much reading as I used to anymore (Work owns me), so I can't really say if there is anything of the like out there, but that definitely *is* a very intersting concept. I think Pippin was *supposed* to be there; his role on the Quest was nearly equal to that of Frodo and Sam. He (and yes, unfortunately!) started the ripple affect in Moria for Gandalf to die and return as Gandalf the White. He also had a direct hand in Sauron exposing his plans before he wanted to. If Gandalf had not returned as the White Wizard, Gondor would have been utterly destroyed; no one to survive and surprise Sauron on his doorstep nor to withstand the Black Gate. Merry's role was just and honourable, but Pippin's was *crucial*.
Whether or not anyone else in the fandom has written that sort of tale about Pippin, your view would undoubtedly differ. They say in acting, there is a thousand ways to say "Thank you", and I believe it's the same with writing; there is a thousand ways to tell a tale. I say, go for it. :-)
Author Reply: including me, sad to say, because I don't like him.
Oy! I *meant*, NOT because I don't like him.... :-X
Btw...Thank you for reading!