What I meant was that the orcs found Merry and Pippin and thought that they were Frodo and Sam, without Merry and Pippin the only two hobbits are Frodo and Sam. I figured that when they all run off to look for Frodo someone stays back with the gear (since Gollum has been following them and just because it is never a good idea to leave your stuff lying around). So, when Frodo (and then Sam) come down to leave there's someone there who stops them. Then the horn of Gondor is sounded and whoever is at the banks isn't going to leave Frodo and Sam.

But in the book no one stays behind to guard their gear. Anyway, Frodo had made up his mind to go alone so if someone had stayed behind to guard the boats he would have found another way across the River without alerting the ones who stayed behind (which would most likely cause Sam to be left behind as well), who would probably have left their post anyway at the sound of Boromir's horn.

I think the most notable change with the addition of three more people would be that Gollum was less trusted and maybe the presence of two elves might have helped Frodo fight the ring a little more.

I think you are very wrong. Adding one or more people to go with Frodo would change everything and is one of the greatest changes you can make to the books. The presence of two Elves would have done nothing to aid Frodo fight the ring – rather they would be a hindrance to his quest. The only reason Frodo and Sam had Gollum for company was because they needed him as a guide, if there are two Elves with them they have no need for Gollum, and everything he says or does in the book becomes invalid. So it is an even more vital character than either Merry or Pippin that you push out on the sidelines.

Besides it would be impossible for the Elves to disguise themselves as Orcs in Mordor, unless one of them was so powerful that he/she can use magic to disguise them the same way Finrod once did…

And how would Gollum sneak past two Elves and a dwarf to wrestle the Ring from Frodo in the Sammath Naur? Or do you have a completely different end in mind?

Besides, all they know is that Saruman is in league with Sauron so them thinking that Saruman would report that the Fellowship is going to Mordor seems logical to me.

But how would they know that the Fellowship is going to Mordor? They come across them on the western banks of the Anduin so why would they deduce that Mordor is the destination – especially when not even the Fellowship themselves had decided upon where to go yet?

I don't think the Fellowship would have needed to flee. The orcs are from three different companies, they don't like each other and orcs don't seem to be particularly brave. The Northeners don't owe alleigence to either Saruman or Sauron so they would have been the first to leave. But I think, once their leaders and the Uruk-hai (80 goes down to 13 each) were slain, they probably would have fled.

80 goes down just like that? Do they happen to have a machinegun among their gear? The Fellowship is outnumbered at least 30 to 1 – they would have been wiped out! The Orcs may generally have been cowards but cowards always find artificial courage when in superior numbers.

The information as to where the Fellowship are is valuable in itself.

No, information about the hobbits would be valuable, but with no Merry and Pippin there is no information since none of the Orcs spotted Frodo or Sam.

8/31/2010 #32 Report

Well, I will look forward to see how your story turns out then :)

9/4/2010 #34 Report

bump to save the thread

11/25/2010 #36 Report

I'm not sure if this is the right place or not, but I want to write a dark legomance (or haldirmance). I am reading the Rohan Pride Trilogy and I adore dark fics. I don't know about any plots though:(

1/25/2011 #38 Report

Here is a little plot bunny - It can go whatever way a person wants to, either in a canon compliant way or massively AU. A series of people discovering who Thorongil really is whilst Aragorn is still in Gondor... these people can either keep it secret, confront him, or whatever, but it would be interesting to see their points of view. I think that at least some people would discover the truth since he was there for such a long period of time.

2/10/2011 #40 Report

I guess I need to work on that one Haldirmance I started way back when...but I fear my muse is currently residing in Gondolin. And focusing on platonic friendship not romance. ;P

2/10/2011 #42 Report

That sounds like a good idea sassyfriend but what special thing would they do for him?

I like to write a mesh of memories and current in my stories but i cant think, other than Sam's song or making their own fireworks, how they would have done something special for him. If you have any idea for the special thing then i could try and write this for you.

4/11/2011 #44 Report

Sounds interesting! I'll try write that one. Thanks for the idea!

4/24/2011 #46 Report

Elrond's youth would make an interesting fic. Was Elrond ever disregarded by any other elves because he was raised by a kinslayer? How did he deal with his childhood when he grew older and how did that affect his relationship with Maglor? I've thought about that for a while, but I think I can't make it believable ;)

7/30/2011 #48 Report

I actually have plans to write several stories in my new series that deals a lot with Elrond's youth and younger years, but it will be some time before I get there as I'm currently working on several other stories set earlier and later and I have a few WIPs I want to finish too. So much to write, so little time!

7/30/2011 #50 Report

I'm glad I was able to help inspire! :)

8/6/2011 #52 Report

I think a oneshot about how Elrond accepts that the time of the elves in Middle Earth has ended and how he comes to that acceptance in the books. Maybe have an unseen conversation between Gandalf and Elrond in which Gandalf says that "Change is not always for the worst".

Any tips for writing a story where Aragorn (in his capacity as leader of the Dunedain) is accompanied on the Quest by 3 of his fellow Dunedain/Dunedan?

9/7/2011 #54 Report

I think a oneshot about how Elrond accepts that the time of the elves in Middle Earth has ended and how he comes to that acceptance in the books

Why would he struggle with accepting that? I would think that with his wife having sailed hundreds of years prior, the weight of having borne Vilya for so long, having his daughter choose mortality and his sons fate undecided that it would be an easy thing to accept, if not embrace eagerly.

Any tips for writing a story where Aragorn (in his capacity as leader of the Dunedain) is accompanied on the Quest by 3 of his fellow Dunedain/Dunedan?

The Dunedain (about 20 of them along with the sons of Elrond) DO join Aragorn on the quest, but not until after the Battle of Helm's Deep. They are present on the Paths of the Dead and at the Battle of the Pelanor Fields (Halbarad dies there) as well as at the Black Gate. I have seen some great gap filler stories written about them.

I'm afraid I'm not much of a fan of changing the existing plot. You change one element and you have to basically throw out the storyline and start over because a single change changes EVERYTHING. Something very few people consider when adding characters to the quest. :(

9/8/2011 #56 Report

Wouldn't it make more sense to have the Dunedain(20 of them) arrive when or before Gandalf shows up at Helms Deep?

9/9/2011 #58 Report

*twitches* The longer I'm in this fandom, the more I like the way Tolkien did it and have a hard time with AU What if fics. I've gotten so dang picky about what I read lately. *sigh* I miss enjoying fandom and reading everything... Not that I have time to read much anymore anyway. :(

9/11/2011 #60 Report