Larner
· 25 October 2025
· Chapter 32: A joyful reunion
I, too, recall that bit from The Hobbit, and laughed to see it echoed here. And the advice is also reminiscent of Gandalf admonishing Frodo that ours is to decide what we will do within the time that is given to us. Lovely to see Radagast and Gandalf are both honest Istari cast from the same mold.
Author's reply
I'm so glad that Radagast rings true to you! While I realize that Peter Jackson probably intended Radagast to serve as some sort of comical relief, the film version did not fit at all with the mental image I'd formed when I first read the book. (Actually, it felt more like Jackson had taken Saruman's derisive words about Radagast to heart rather than Gandalf's summation.)
Although it's been more than a decade since I read them, I was probably also influenced by JoDancingTree's thoughtful portrayal of Radagast in her stories. I'm looking forward to re-reading her brown wizard stories when I've finished posting this one, and I don't have to worry about her version blurring my own vision of the character.
Thanks!
Larner
· 25 October 2025
· Chapter 31: Wonders on wings
To be the author of comfort rather than the vessel receiving it is quite the turnabout, you must admit. Hooray! And I rejoice that the Eagle is chasing the louts back toward Rohan and possible justice rather than back to their plunder and the chance to go north to join the Big Men.
Author's reply
Bill has grown and is continuing to grow. Meanwhile, Shadowfax is having a learning experience. (It was interesting to look at the great horse as something more than a cardboard cutout and give him some character development opportunities...)
Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to share your thoughts and insights. I hope this also means your internet is finally behaving as it should!
Larner
· 25 October 2025
· Chapter 30: We are attacked; but help comes from an unexpected quarter
Not the pony to attack at this point in time. He has had time to learn to defend himself and others, and will not be easy to subdue. Just try! And one of the eagles has come to aid them? Definitely does nothing to aid these yoyos!
Author's reply
Bill's treatment by Ferny might have turned him vicious, but thankfully his later association with Hobbits saved him from having his temperament ruined. Then his travels with the Company taught him about battle strategy into the bargain. Thus, instead of being restricted to the instinctive rebellion of an abused beast, Bill is capable of intelligent resistance and inflicting harm to the greatest effect, at least from the pony's POV.
You're also right about the Eagle; as a force for Good, that powerhouse on wings is definitely *not* on the rogue Mens' side!
(Thanks!)
Larner
· 25 October 2025
· Chapter 29: I grasp the implications
Definitely a time of confusion for both our equines. And these intended Big Men need to be dealt with at a time when Shadowfax is at the nadir of his spiritual strength.
Author's reply
I kept thinking that if there were some connection between Gandalf and Shadowfax (how else would the horse know to come when the wizard needed him?), then Gandalf's death could have come as a terrible shock to the great horse.
It's a good thing Bill had a taste of solo combat after he parted from the Fellowship on top of his familiarity with Men like Bill Ferny. While it is a confusing time for Bill, what with the Voices deserting him, his experiences before this point have equipped him to deal with the current emergency. Whew.
(Thanks!)
Erulissé
· 25 October 2025
· Chapter 34: We trudge through the snow to a known – or unknown – destination
This chapter seems to embody the mission of life: the walk of life. On we must go, despite weariness, sorrow, toil and pain, despite hopelessness we must carry on. Foot by foot by foot by foot… No matter what comes. I love Bill’s patient and wise thoughts. He has indeed grown; he is no longer only a pony. (If indeed he ever was) How lovely! Thank you so much for the continued faithful updates!!!
Author's reply
You are quite welcome! I do think Bill is growing as wise as his old dam, though he would probably never believe it. His dam, after all, was quite a wise pony and was able to teach him a lot before he had to leave her.
The walk of life can be toilsome and difficult to trudge; but I like to remember that the sudden emergence of joy unexpected is always possible even in the middle of the darkest circumstances. Tolkien sums this thought up nicely in this passage:
Far above the Ephel Dúath in the West the night-sky was still dim and pale. There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.
(Thank you for your thoughtful review.)
shirebound
· 25 October 2025
· Chapter 34: We trudge through the snow to a known – or unknown – destination
Perhaps hobbits embody a similar magic that I am only now beginning to be able to recognise? They may present a surface appearance that hides what lies beneath from the casual observer – and, perhaps, even from themselves.
I love Bill's insight here.
"He may become like a glass filled with a clear light for eyes to see that can."
Not just Frodo, eh? So ponies and more-than-ponies can achieve this state as well. :)
Author's reply
Tolkien seemed to imply that everyone has the capacity to grow, though not everyone chooses wisely. (Sauron, Saruman and the Nine Kings come to mind... as well as Gollum)
Thanks for reading and stopping to share your thoughts! I'm glad you're enjoying Bill's journey.
Lady Forlong
· 24 October 2025
· Chapter 34: We trudge through the snow to a known – or unknown – destination
Hooray! He finally got over that "only a pony" stuff once and for all.
Author's reply
At last! Bill has learned so much in this short (but intense!) time.
Thanks!
Lady Forlong
· 22 October 2025
· Chapter 33: What happened after
foot by foot by foot by foot -- of course. A horse has 4 of them ;)
You were right -- I looked it up. It was almost a month from the time Gandalf fell off the bridge to the time Gwaihir picked him up off the mountain. What confused me was that it was three days that he was on the mountain alive but out of it, after he returned. I seem to remember him saying something about "three lonely days," but now I can't find it. So the fight and whatever time he spent on the "other side" took longer, and that's what would have mattered to the horses. BTW, I always thought that Whoever sent him back should have at least had the decency to fix his body or make him a new one.
I like the way you weave the quotes into your stories, especially the ones in this chapter. And I continue to love the way you describe Radagast. There wasn't enough of him in the books and there was too much of him in the movies, but that wouldn't have been the case if they hadn't made him so kooky. I like your version better. I always thought of him as a sort of St. Francis figure. And I might have said all this before, so forgive me if I did.
Author's reply
Yes! Exactly. Merrylegs adopted the hobbity expression to accommodate four-footed creatures.
Writing one of these gapfillers to fit seamlessly with the original narrative always enhances my appreciation for the intricacies of the original text. So many details, and really remarkably consistent overall considering the numerous plot threads, characters, and settings. Before I started outlining this Part 2, I had no idea that Gandalf's "fall" and battle with the Balrog lasted ten days! And that he was dead for twice that long before returning to life, according to the Tale of Years. (The brilliant part of those extended time frames was that I was able to include Shadowfax into this story and still have plenty of time for him to travel from Bree to Rohan to reunite with new-and-improved Gandalf as the main story continued on its merry way.)
St. Francis! I love that comparison. Though I hadn't thought of it in those terms before you mentioned it, I do believe I might have been influenced by old memories of Francis-centered stories when I was writing about Radagast in the draft of the story (heard at "Blessings of the Animals" celebrations over the years at our old Episcopal church).
Thanks!
KathyG
· 19 October 2025
· Chapter 33: What happened after
I'm glad that Radagast is there for Shadowfax, especially. Because, among other things, Bill still needs him. I suspect Radagast knows that.
Author's reply
Radagast *is* a wizard, after all, and it seems reasonable that a wizard ought to be wise, so... I would tend to agree with you here.
Thanks so much for reading and pausing to share your thoughts! I do appreciate it! (I'm looking forward to getting back to reading your story soon... I just have a few more chapters in the Farry-and-Ferdi-go-to-Gondor draft to finalize before I can do so since the hobbits are in the middle of retracing the journey of the Fellowship.)
shirebound
· 19 October 2025
· Chapter 33: What happened after
What an utterly lovely chapter, one of my favorites of all!
Begin again... Those words speak to my heart. Sometimes "endurance beyond hope" is all we have when what's needed is to take... one more step.
Beautiful, my friend. This chapter is poetry.
Author's reply
I'm so glad! Thank you, dear friend, for your heartening response.
"Begin again." Such a simple phrase, and yet not as easy as it may sound, not at all.
(((hugs to you and yours)))
Lady Forlong
· 14 October 2025
· Chapter 32: A joyful reunion
So Radagast didn't *send* the Eagle -- he *was* the Eagle. I'm surprised I didn't see that coming in the last chapter.
As I recall, in "The Hobbit," when the Dwarves asked Gandalf, "Where have you been?" he said "looking ahead." Then when they asked him what brought him back, he said, "Looking behind." LOL I love the way you put that in.
And Radagast seems to know that his "cousin" is not going to stay dead. I hope the "Voices" will come back when Gandalf comes back. It was only 3 days that he was on the mountain after he killed the balrog, if I remember correctly. Hurry back, Gandalf! Lots of people (and at least one horse and one pony) need you.
Author's reply
So Radagast didn't *send* the Eagle -- he *was* the Eagle. Yes! I was afraid I was being too subtle or taking too much for granted, and people wouldn't realise that Radagast *was* the Eagle! I even asked one of my beta readers if I should be more explicit, like having Bill observe his transformation between "man" form and "bird" form, when I was finalizing the chapter. I admit to having missed subtle clues in reading other fanfic authors' works...
I love connecting Radagast to The Hobbit for some reason. (Is it because the character, in Peter Jackson's works, only appears in The Hobbit film(s) and not in the LOTR film trilogy? I haven't a clue. Ironically, Radagast scores a passing mention in The Hobbit book, constituting mere hearsay, when Gandalf says to Beorn, "Perhaps you have heard of my good cousin Radagast who lives near the Southern borders of Mirkwood?" Whereas he appears and has an actual conversation with Gandalf in Tolkien's LOTR.)
Just a quick note: according to the Tale of Years, Gandalf "passes away" on January 25 and "returns to life" on February 15. (The details Tolkien provided in his "extra" materials were incredibly helpful in writing this gapfiller!) So our intrepid equines will have some days of travel without the help and support of the Voices. Luckily, as Radagast noted, it's a straight shot to Bree by way of the Road. Radagast can also see into their hearts, and he knows they are capable – even if they don't know it right now.
Author Reply: p.s. One of the "fun facts" I stumbled across while reading up on Radagast and Yavanna was the following (on the Tolkien Gateway website):
In the Song of the Ainur Yavanna sung of branches of great trees that would receive the rain of Manwë and Ulmo, and some trees sang to Ilúvatar. This is said to be the conception of the Shepherds of the Trees. Her thought also met with Manwë's, setting the arrival of the Great Eagles.
Thus, having Radagast take the form of a Great Eagle and then finding out later that Yavanna had a part in setting the arrival of the Great Eagles in Middle-earth quite tickled my fancy!
KathyG
· 13 October 2025
· Chapter 32: A joyful reunion
So, it was Radagast who sent the Eagle to save them! Nice. I'm so glad that Bill and Shadowfax get to see him again, though Shadowfax has yet to take any notice of him!
I hope Radagast can comfort Bill in his grief.
Author's reply
Forgive me for geeking out in this review reply. I got rather caught up in looking into the differences between the various Istari and, before I knew it, I had practically gathered enough information for an essay. Of course, Dreamflower's essays stand head-and-shoulders above my musings... I get distracted too easily, making it difficult to organise my thoughts into a coherent narrative.
So, it was Radagast who sent the Eagle to save them! The chapter could be read that way. However, my intent was actually to explore Tolkien's description of Radagast as a "master of shapes" by implying that he was the flying creature resembling a "shaggy brown sheepdog with the power of flight" that appeared to be an Eagle. I would also imagine that Radagast could make the Eagle's talons longer and sharper than usual to suit his purpose in this incident... Yikes. I would not want to be one of those bandits.
The chapter originally showed the wizard's transformation from giant bird to his man-form after the battle, but that scene didn't make the final cut.
Radagast (as I've envisioned him) is a wonder. Each of the wizards seems to have been sent to fill a different role. Specifically, Radagast was associated with the Vala Yavanna, who loved plants and had planted the seeds for plants in Arda, according to the Tolkien Gateway website, which also speculates about the blue wizards' connection to the Valar in this way: Manwë summons a council of the Valar. They decide to send emissaries to Middle-earth. Oromë chooses to send Alatar, and Alatar brings along his friend Pallando. Thus, Radagast reflects Yavanna's love of growing things, along with her healing and protective characteristics.
Saruman was associated with Aulë, who (again according to the Tolkien Gateway website) delighted in all works and crafts all of which he was master, from small works of skin to the forging of all lands and mountains and basins of the sea. He made the rocks, the gems and all minerals. He enjoyed devising and making new things, and being praised. In addition, he was husband to Yavanna. (I find this latter fact intriguing; specifically, Saruman's "sponsor" was Yavanna's husband, while Radagast's "sponsor" was Yavanna. Could Saruman's scorn for Radagast reflect something like sibling rivalry, I wonder?) Interestingly, the Tolkien Gateway website also notes the following connection: Several Maiar are associated with Aulë: Mairon, before being corrupted by Melkor and becoming Sauron; and Curumo, who later went to Middle-earth as an Istar to combat the darkness, only to be swayed by the willpower of Sauron. Aulë seems to have had some unusually bad luck involving the Maiar associated with him...
In closing, Radagast seems much less complex than Gandalf in Tolkien's scheme of things. According to a web search, Gandalf, originally known as Olórin, served Manwë, Varda, Irmo, and Nienna. While he was a Maia in the service of the Valar, he was particularly known for his association with the gardens of Irmo (Lórien) and for learning pity and patience from Nienna. Manwë, the chief of the Valar, chose him to be sent to Middle-earth as one of the Istari (Wizards). (Caution: I have not confirmed this information about Gandalf by cross-checking this claim against JRRT's writings. Since it is an AI-generated summary, apparently drawing from a post on Quora, it may have flaws. Nevertheless, comparing even Tolkien's brief portrayal of Radagast with that of Gandalf supports the idea that Gandalf has more "depth" due to his connection to multiple Valar. I'm not arguing that Radagast is "less", only that he is "different" and has a different focus than Gandalf based on Valar sponsorship.)
shirebound
· 13 October 2025
· Chapter 32: A joyful reunion
I toss my head, I whicker and snort, I rub my face on my Friend's arm, nibble at his sleeve and revel in the sound of his laughter.
That's so lovely!
Author's reply
Thank you! I must admit, a lot of the writing in this part of Bill's journey has constituted "comfort food" for me. I am deeply missing our dogs and young Ollie-cat lately. While the resident cats still compete for the privilege of napping on my lap, none of them is really "huggable" like Ollie and both of the Giant Schnauzers were.
There really isn't much more to go (in terms of the number of chapters) before the best reunion of all reunions (from Bill's perspective, at least)!
KathyG
· 11 October 2025
· Chapter 31: Wonders on wings
Thank goodness Bill and Shadowfax are safe from those men!
Wonder what the Eagle was herding them toward?
Author's reply
Things should become clearer in the next chapter. It's an eye-opener, and no mistake.
Thanks!
shirebound
· 11 October 2025
· Chapter 31: Wonders on wings
rather like a large, brown sheepdog with the power of flight
What a marvelous description of Bill's impression here!
And so Bill has evolved into a new sense of self -- as a comforting, deeply thinking, insightful companion. He's learned great lessons through his travels and friends and is becoming a mighty being in his own right.
Author's reply
I keep remembering Sam's observation about Bill, coming on the heels of the description that The stay in Rivendell had worked a great wonder of change on him: he was glossy and seemed to have the vigour of youth... ‘That animal can nearly talk,’ he said, ‘and would talk, if he stayed here much longer.
He had changed so much by the time the Fellowship set out from Rivendell... I can only imagine that his growth and transformation continued, travelling as he was in the company of a wizard, as well as his other companions. He has acquired more than a lifetime of experience in the span of a few short weeks.
Thanks so much for reading and pausing long enough to share your thoughts and impressions!
Lady Forlong
· 10 October 2025
· Chapter 31: Wonders on wings
Interesting reversal of roles -- Shadowfax was taking care of Bill, and now Bill is taking care of Shadowfax.
Author's reply
Truly what companionship is all about. Gandalf chose well, I think.
Thanks!
KathyG
· 5 October 2025
· Chapter 30: We are attacked; but help comes from an unexpected quarter
Whoa! One of the Great Eagles has actually come to Shadowfax and Bill's aid?
Author's reply
It certainly looks that way!
Thanks for reading and pausing to share your thoughts. I do appreciate it.
Lady Forlong
· 5 October 2025
· Chapter 30: We are attacked; but help comes from an unexpected quarter
Trust the Eagles to show up just when you need them.
Author's reply
If it was good for Tolkien, who am I to resist including the idea in Bill's story?
(Thanks!)
shirebound
· 5 October 2025
· Chapter 30: We are attacked; but help comes from an unexpected quarter
Eeee, from frightening to thrilling! You're making Bill's journey such a fascinating one.
Author's reply
Thank you! Bill has gained friends in high places...
KathyG
· 20 September 2025
· Chapter 29: I grasp the implications
Gandalf has fallen. But he will come back! Unfortunately, Shadowfax and Bill have no way of knowing that.
Author's reply
Poor creatures. I feel for them. Sigh.
Thanks so much for reading and pausing long enough to share your thoughts. And please give my best to DF if you wouldn't mind. I've been thinking of her often especially since a young couple moved in next door and I noticed an SCA sticker on the trailer in their driveway; we later talked at length over the backyard fence about the SCA, which they seem to be quite active in.
shirebound
· 20 September 2025
· Chapter 29: I grasp the implications
What tragic and horrifying news for both of our dear steeds! Imagining this event from Shadowfax's POV is something I never thought about before.
Author's reply
It is definitely awful, so much so that I had to take a break before tackling the next chapter. But I am back at the keyboard again, finally. Think good thoughts, if you don't mind?
Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to share your thoughts.
Larner
· 19 September 2025
· Chapter 28: Without warning, we are overtaken by disaster
The last battle between Gandalf and the Balrog? Bless Bill for trying to protect Shadowfax!
Author's reply
Excellent guess!
D'you know, I never realized that the battle between Gandalf and the Balrog went on for days until I began plotting this part of Bill's story!
(Thanks.)
Larner
· 19 September 2025
· Chapter 27: Speaking of hobbits and stories and ways to pass the miles...
A lovely way to spend the hours.
Author's reply
It's always good to have a bit of rest in between the more intense parts of the journey. (As you've anticipated, there's a heavy dose of angst coming up shortly.)
Thanks so much for reading and pausing to share your thoughts.
Larner
· 19 September 2025
· Chapter 26: Though parting is painful, we are on our way again
Shadowfax, Bill, and Radagast's horse are all so wise, and am glad that the four were able to share this fellowship, however short a time they had together. Now Bill and Shadowfax are back, going on with their own journey--until Gandalf dies and then comes back.
Fascinating.
Author's reply
I'm right with you; after I had combed the text for every clue I could find and then scrutinized the Tale of Years, I found myself fascinated at how the pieces fell into place.
Thanks!
Larner
· 19 September 2025
· Chapter 25: Some thoughts on wizards
Cool! The three wizards within Eriador are well compared! Again, the horses and Bill have managed to see the truth beyond the appearances of Radagast and Gandalf, compared to the destructive nature of Saruman.
Author's reply
Animals – at least some of them – seem to have an instinct for "good" versus "bad" people. We especially saw that talent in our Blue Heeler mix and our first Giant Schnauzer. If they acted suspicious of someone, we were wise to follow their lead.
I wonder what the blue wizards were like? They don't come into this story, though.
Thanks so much for reading and stopping to leave your thoughts.