The Best Laid Plans..... by DADGAD
Baggins Babe · 13 July 2008 · Chapter 10: '...gang aft agley'
Of course Manwe might have strengthened the wind a little......... Everyone playing their part and confounding the plans of Sauron, and giving Yavanna's children the opportunity to do what had to be done. A wonderful set of stories.
Larner · 10 July 2008 · Chapter 10: '...gang aft agley'
Yes, Manwe--send your winds their way. And love the oblique reference to Yavanna's small children--not as deep-dwelling as her consort's creations, of course, closer to Men and Elves in nature; but in their way as enduring as the Dwarves--and many times less expected! Love this one, Dadgad! Glad you finally got this chapter posted so I could find the story and read it! Thank you!
Larner · 10 July 2008 · Chapter 9: One Old White Dwarf
Again, that's what THEY think! Heh! One old dwarf who has more experience--and tricks under his cloak--than all of them together!
Larner · 10 July 2008 · Chapter 8: Tinder and Spark
Even the skinchangers will get involved once they finally realize their lands, too, are under attack. Love the poem! So orcish!
Larner · 10 July 2008 · Chapter 7: Hungry, Hungry, Hungry
And when the Ring is destroyed, then what will support them as they are? Large spiders such as they are will not be able to hide from those whose hope has been restored, particularly as the evil will that allows them to continue to breed is no longer potent enough to help them. In this case their less malevolent little cousins will survive and mostly work to the good, for they can hide.
Larner · 10 July 2008 · Chapter 6: Can’t See the Wood for the Trees
"Last one through's a Tark!" And they just committed that last little offense that confirms that they are all dead meat! Heh! Love this one. "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature"--or to cut any more trees or branches within Fangorn. Naughty, naughty! Heh!
Author's reply
This was the first of these ficlets and probably the most fun to write. Poor orcs!
Larner · 10 July 2008 · Chapter 5: Famous Last Words
Except for the son of one whose people work the fields east of the Baranduin, and a living woman.... Heh!
Larner · 10 July 2008 · Chapter 4: Stay in the Woods
"Lose" the battle so as to win the war might have been an effective strategy--if they'd known what other defenders they faced. After all, they aren't taking Fangorn and the Ents into their reckoning, aren't realizing the different Elves might cooperate for once, that Elves, Dwarves, and Men are once again working together, and that other creatures are ready to do their bit as well, including the wary little farmers from the northwest....
Author's reply
I think that getting the orcs past Lorien to invade Rohan was an important part of Sauron's strategy. So the Ents more than did their bit in the war.
Larner · 10 July 2008 · Chapter 3: Order and Discipline
Ah--attends to orders and can't consider consequences of having been seen. So, there they sit while the Riders go around them on the old road through the forest. Stupid gits!
Author's reply
Thanks Larner. One of the things Tolkien was suspicious of was an excessive attachment to 'order'. So it seemed reasonable to make at least some of his forces authoritarian rather than simply 'evil'. I wouldn't say they're necessarily stupid, its just that in authoritarian societies independent thinking is discouraged.....
Larner · 10 July 2008 · Chapter 2: No Light in the Darkness
Oh, I agree--FAMOUS LAST WORDS FOR CERTAIN!
Larner · 10 July 2008 · Chapter 1: Dead Unlucky
Oh, I LOVE the irony of that statement! Superb!
Larner · 10 July 2008 · Chapter 0: 'The best laid plans...'
They did TRY, at least. And in the end they came very close to accomplishing them--except for one plan the Dark Lord had no idea would ever be constructed against him and his policies....
Dreamflower · 9 July 2008 · Chapter 10: '...gang aft agley'
Just a little breeze, certainly. And a few little things happening here or there, "chance, if chance you call it" there in Middle-earth. This is a wonderful set of ficlets--each one a bit of a gem in its own right, but adding them up, one after another, and you came up with a cracking good exploration of the theme of "oft evil will evil mars". I can think of lots more little gaps you could fill that way. Saruman sending so many off to Helm's Deep, because, of course, Orthanc is impregnable; the Southrons not worrying about an ambush in Ithilien, because, of course, they have mumakil, and who could stand against them; the Nazgul in Minas Morgul deciding that there couldn't possibly be anything trying to get *into* Mordor; Shelob gloating over her little snack, before Sam shows up; Those orcs rounding up those little "deserters"... But I do love the ones you picked!
Author's reply
Oh no! just when I thought I'd finished....I wanted to get across the idea of Sauron's far reaching war plans, and how they went astray, which is why I didn't have a Shelob vignette. But I'll have to think about the others. And you're right, I was thinking of that 'chance, if you call it that' phrase when I wrote this. Manwe's plans are a bit more subtle but rather more robust than Sauron's, because he has better people to carry them out.
Dreamflower · 9 July 2008 · Chapter 9: One Old White Dwarf
Nothing, eh? Once again it's chicken-counting time... This one's kind of sad, in a way, yet not--a Dwarf would much rather go in battle, I think!
Author's reply
Ah, but he lives on in legend... See http://ca.games-workshop.com/news/cn/Announcements/ask_DS/DS_articles/WhiteDwarfRules.pdf and http://uk.games-workshop.com/whitedwarf/who-are/images/the-white-dwarf.jpg
Dreamflower · 9 July 2008 · Chapter 8: Tinder and Spark
Oh, this is my very favorite so far! It sounds just like the "goblin-song" in The Hobbit! Beautifully done, absolutely perfect!
Dreamflower · 9 July 2008 · Chapter 7: Hungry, Hungry, Hungry
ALMOST I can feel sorry for the spiders--they really can't help their nature, can they? But they are doomed.
Dreamflower · 9 July 2008 · Chapter 6: Can’t See the Wood for the Trees
"just trees"? Ah, yes, certainly, certainly...
Author's reply
Yes, I do think this was a missed opportunity in the movies. Show: Theoden riding through Rohan to get to Minas Tirith. Cut to Orcs charging across the Wold to intercept them. Dramatic music as it looks like the orcs will 'cut them off at the pass'. Release of tension as lead orc gets tapped on the shoulder by irate Treebeard... Perhaps it will be there in the extended-extended edition.
Dreamflower · 9 July 2008 · Chapter 5: Famous Last Words
Ah! Now THIS one is definitely aptly named! A friend of mine once wrote this couplet: No living man may hinder me! What's that throbbing in my knee? Go, Merry and Eowyn!
Dreamflower · 9 July 2008 · Chapter 4: Stay in the Woods
And of course, this one could also be called "counting chickens". It's exactly the kind of gloating that just cries out for Murphy's attention. But I don't think bad guys ever believe that Murphy applies to them...
Dreamflower · 9 July 2008 · Chapter 3: Order and Discipline
I'm beginning to think that another name for this series could be: "Famous Last Words"?
Dreamflower · 9 July 2008 · Chapter 2: No Light in the Darkness
Why is it that evil Dark Lords never learn not to say "never"? *tsk-tsk*
Dreamflower · 9 July 2008 · Chapter 1: Dead Unlucky
Ha! Oh the irony!
Raksha The Demon · 9 July 2008 · Chapter 4: Stay in the Woods
They're soon going to find that the Elves can do more than sing. Pity the poor Mordor-spawn when Galadriel and Celeborn really get hot and bothered, not to mention Thranduil, and all their folk...
Raksha The Demon · 9 July 2008 · Chapter 7: Hungry, Hungry, Hungry
I almost feel sorry for the spiders here. Almost. Loved the reference to their revered ancestress.
Raksha The Demon · 9 July 2008 · Chapter 8: Tinder and Spark
Excellent (and totally creepy) Goblin-rhyming here! Love the bear at the end.