GamgeeFest
· 31 July 2009
· Chapter 6: Chip the Glasses and Smash the Plates!
LOL! Bilbo is devious! Though considering she's their 10000000th-times great-grandmother, a bit of attraction is hardly scandalous. ;) I understand Frodo's eagerness to learn more but he will have to be patient. The Valar don't exactly share our sense of urgency about such things.
Author's reply
Well, hardly scandalous, but I'm sure that Bilbo and Frodo would keep in mind they were in direct line of descent.
Yes, Frodo is going to have to be a little patient. But not for too long!
Celeritas
· 31 July 2009
· Chapter 5: The Wizard's Confession, part 2
Ah, the famed hobbit fertility!
And I find very interesting the additional tidbit that she's now one of Nienna's. Somehow I'm not surprised, poor dear.
Author's reply
This was one of my ideas from the start: after all, Gerontius had 12, and Sam had 13!
She returned in grief, a widow. It seemed only natural that Nienna would take her in.
Andrea
· 30 July 2009
· Chapter 5: The Wizard's Confession, part 2
So, although Gandalf forgot a lot of what Mirimë had told him, he came back to her with the best answers possible: two of the descendants of her children!
If that isn't luck!
Taking into account that the Shire is a rather small country and that the hobbits normally only marry among themselves, there might be a large number of those descendants still around.
Author's reply
Indeed he did! And not an answer she would ever have expected! (But you and I both know that "luck" is something quite different in M-e!)
Yes, there *are* quite a few of her descendants around...
GamgeeFest
· 29 July 2009
· Chapter 5: The Wizard's Confession, part 2
Interesting. Did leaving ME and losing her love cause her to be so glum? Her Tuk wouldn't have wanted that for her. Hopefully, with Bilbo and Frodo there, she can get back some of her merriment.
Author's reply
Well, I think when she first returned, she was still grieving for Tuk's loss. The Lady Nienna would have been of great service to her. And you must consider that she's immortal. An age won't have been all that long to her.
But I do think that the chance to meet her "grandchildren" *will* help her to be happy and merry once more.
Virtuella
· 29 July 2009
· Chapter 5: The Wizard's Confession, part 2
Aha! A very convincing explanation for Gandalf's particular interest in hobbits!
Author's reply
Yes, because although he forgot in one sense of the word, he "remembered" in a deeper sense of the word.
SurgicalSteel
· 7 July 2009
· Chapter 4: The Wizard's Confession, part 1
Now, that's just plain mean to leave us hanging like that! ;)
Author's reply
Well, we have two more chapters now! *grin*
Celeritas
· 6 July 2009
· Chapter 4: The Wizard's Confession, part 1
*grin*
You've updated this!
Gandalf is very suitably Gandalfian, even with all of his memories back. The explanation makes sense on a logical and on a Tolkienian level.
And thank goodness for pipeweed! Did they bring tea as well, or can special Valinorean blends be found natively?
Author's reply
Canon Gandalf is my favorite non-hobbit character. His wisdom, his faith, and his clear love for those he has come to M-e to succor just make him shine, and yet his irascible character of "grumpy old man" is also on the one hand, a flaw, and yet on the other hand, endearing. Yet at the same time, there are points in the story where he irritates and annoys me by his characteristic "closeness". While the exigencies of the story-external needs of plot are often behind his failure to mention this or that, his story-internal reasons often seemed to me to be just a little thin. At any rate, you could say this is my little bit of gentle revenge on the hobbits' behalf! Now they can insist on their answers, and he can squirm just the littlest bit.
Well, as to tea, there can be many kinds of teas! Perhaps it even originated in the West, like the mellyrn. *grin*
Larner
· 6 July 2009
· Chapter 4: The Wizard's Confession, part 1
Ah--now we know how Gandalf knew! Heh!
Author's reply
Indeed! *grin*
Kitty
· 5 July 2009
· Chapter 4: The Wizard's Confession, part 1
What Gandalf said about forgetting much when he took the form he had in Middle-earth makes sense.
Anyway, it seems he's the one being interrogated now, instead of Mirimë.
Author's reply
It did seem that he tended to forget himself when he went through these transformations.
And yes, *he's* the one at the mercy of hobbit curiosity now!
Kitty
· 5 July 2009
· Chapter 3: The Tookish Inquisition
*grin* The chapter title seems quite apt, you know ;)
Um ... has Mirimë taken up this interest in genealogy from her husband or vice versa? To want to know the family trees all the way through seems a very hobbity trait.
Though it was not nice of her to simply leave after that, instead of answering questions herself now. I am sure next time she will not get off that easily.
Author's reply
Well, actually, I think it is simply the curiosity of a "grandmother" about her "grandchildren", LOL! But I think as well, her taking on of a hobbity appearance extended as well to her nature-- by taking on a hobbit form, she also took on the hobbit interest in knowing all about family!
No, she has quite a tale to tell to her "grandsons"!
Baggins Babe
· 5 July 2009
· Chapter 4: The Wizard's Confession, part 1
Good for Frodo - determined not to be distracted, even by the talk of pipeweed.
Gandalf may be one of the wise but he isn't going to get away lightly in this inquisition!
Wonderful, Dreamflower. Can't wait for the next one.
Author's reply
No, he won't get off that easily!
Antane
· 4 July 2009
· Chapter 4: The Wizard's Confession, part 1
What a wonderful gift Sam gave! I knew that he was looking after his master *every day* and that 60+ year gap was only a physical one, not anything else. And he gifted Bilbo and Gandalf with it too - how cool. *hugs him*
Namarie, God bless, Antane :)
Author's reply
Sam certainly would not have let Frodo go off without such a comfort from home, even if he thought Frodo was only going as far as Rivendell! And I am sure that he knew it would be appreciated by Bilbo and Gandalf as well.
Soledad
· 4 July 2009
· Chapter 4: The Wizard's Confession, part 1
That'd right, Frodo! Don't let that sneaky wizard distract you!
Author's reply
Sneaky wizard, all right! But Frodo and Bilbo will be quite persistent this time!
Soledad
· 4 July 2009
· Chapter 3: The Tookish Inquisition
Frodo soon found his own well of genealogical knowledge running dry when he had scarcely gone back to Isumbras IV. Bilbo however was made of sterner stuff, and was able to go all the way back to Marcho and Blanco and the beginning of the Shire.
*rolls on the floor, laughing* Oh, Bilbo, my Bilbo! Not only has he faced Dwarves and Dragons and whatnot, he even managed to deal with Grandma dearest. Now, that's a hobbit of my own liking.
Author's reply
Bilbo's been around a long, long, long time. I don't think there is much left in the world to fash him anymore!
Soledad
· 4 July 2009
· Chapter 2: Tea with Grandmother
Quite right! If Melian could fall for Thingol, whose first reaction was, let's face it, to stand petrified and stupidly for half an age or so, why couldn't have another Maia fall for a handsome - and doubtlessly a lot more responsive - Hobbit?
*looks at monster sentence. scratches head*
Anyway, we all know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?
Soledad
· 4 July 2009
· Chapter 1: A Meeting on Tol Eressëa
Yay! I always hoped someone would pick up that 'fairy wife' comment and do something with it. This is a very neat solution.
Author's reply
Thanks! Most of the explanations I have seen left me feeling they weren't quite right. I couldn't see an Elf/hobbit union, which tends to be one explanation, and I didn't really feel that the injection of RL fairy tale meythology quite fits M-e either. I hope this does the trick.
curiouswombat
· 4 July 2009
· Chapter 4: The Wizard's Confession, part 1
Oh how wonderful! I am so looking forward to reading more of this history of hobbits.
Author's reply
Thank you!
Andrea
· 4 July 2009
· Chapter 4: The Wizard's Confession, part 1
LOL!!! That's the famous Baggins' stubbornness!
Not even speaking about pipeweed works as a distraction.
But I loved the idea that Sam gave Gandalf some seeds as a parting gift.
And now I would really like to know that story ;-)
Author's reply
Yes, indeed, and he's got *two* of them at once to deal with!
I'm sure he did!
Soon as I can!
Garnet Took
· 4 July 2009
· Chapter 4: The Wizard's Confession, part 1
So glad to see an update to this. Now I can't wait to see what she told Gandalf. This could be very enlightening. Please don't leave us hanging too long.
Author's reply
I will try not to! It's all down to getting the info into the 300 word segments. Not as easy as it sounds.
GamgeeFest
· 4 July 2009
· Chapter 4: The Wizard's Confession, part 1
Yes, what did she say? Nice attempt at distraction, but these are two hobbits not easily fooled. This should be interesting.
Author's reply
Yes, well, they aren't going to let Gandalf get away with being "close" anymore, now that the world is safe and all, and no reason for secrecy.
Virtuella
· 4 July 2009
· Chapter 4: The Wizard's Confession, part 1
Hehehe, Gandalf is being evasive - just as he likes to be!
That's a very fitting description of half remembered things.
Author's reply
Yes, that's Gandalf for you.
We do know that his powers and his memories were limited by the Valar when they sent the Istari on their errand. But of course, they did not take the memories away altogether-- just made them less accessible.
shirebound
· 4 July 2009
· Chapter 4: The Wizard's Confession, part 1
I just love this unique story. :)
Author's reply
Thank you dear! I am very much enjoying it!
Grey Wonderer
· 4 July 2009
· Chapter 4: The Wizard's Confession, part 1
Good of Frodo to come to the point of it all. Now, if only Gandalf decides to answer. I loved his attempt to change the subject. LOL
Author's reply
Yes, well, he wouldn't be Gandalf if he came clean all at once, would he? But he's going to find Bilbo and Frodo less patient with his excuses now that the fate of the Free World doesn't lie in the balance!
GamgeeFest
· 25 May 2009
· Chapter 3: The Tookish Inquisition
Tea didn't exactly go as they hoped, but there will be time enough for them to ask their own questions. Gandalf held back a lot of secrets, it seems.
Author's reply
There will be another visit, yes. And you will notice, she left Gandalf in Bilbo's and Frodo's clutches. Do you think *he* will get away as easily as she did? LOL!
Grey Wonderer
· 23 May 2009
· Chapter 3: The Tookish Inquisition
I'm stunned and dismayed too! She needs to come back and let them have a turn at the questions. We know the Took family tree, it is she who is the mystery. Great way to stretch out the suspense. This is such a wonderful story. Can't wait for more.
Author's reply
It is a way to stretch things out. But really, I just thought "ladies first". She was their g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-great-grandmother after all, I'm sure she wanted to know how the kids turned out!
And she'll be back, I assure you!