Words beneath a dappled sky

Aragorn was right, they should have taken the train.

Title: Rivendell International Airport
Characters: The entire Fellowship including Bill the Pony
Wordcount: 5,667
Summary: A bit of humor considering what might have happened if the Fellowship had decided to take a plane instead of walking all that ways - would Anduril make it through security?

A/N: MEFA 2008 First Place for Humor, genre Elven Lands. Anyone who has ever gone through a modern airport can relate to the events. This piece is one of those that wrote itself rather rapidly one night and has gone on to be one of my most popular writings.

It can also be found at ff.net here: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4106468/1/Rivendell_International_Airport (though "Stories of Arda" considered the setting to make it too AU to accept for their guidelines.)

( 'I still think we should have taken the train,' said Aragorn. )

Formerly burgling hobbits are never trusted...

Title:: Stone of Erebor
Characters: Bilbo, Bombur, Nori, Dori, Gloin, Gimli, Dwalin, Bifur, Bofur, Dain Ironfoot, and a cameo of sorts for Thorin Oakenshield.
Wordcount: 70,776 (in 25 chapters)
Summary: Having left the Shire for good, Bilbo finally visits Lonely Mountain and his old friends, but Dain is suspicious of a non dwarf among them and when something goes missing, Bilbo finds himself drawn into ensuring its return.

2nd Place, MEFA 2007, General Mystery category

A/N: This is a gap-filler - I couldn't find any fic exploring my favorite hobbit's retirement trip and finally decided I would have to write it myself. My first attempt at anything like a mystery, and a fun exploration of how I imagine the Dwarves and their world to be. It has a companion piece added later for those wanting more Dwarves, the lighthearted "Bombur's Diet".

It being 25 chapters, I'll merely link to it:

Here at Stories of Arda: http://storiesofarda.com/chapterlistview.asp?SID=3903

Here at Fanfiction.net: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2456490/1/Stone_of_Erebor

All who saw it wondered what it meant

Title: The Passing of the Fellowship
Characters: the entire Fellowship
Wordcount: 776
Summary: The Fellowship passes by in a highly individual way.

A/N: This was a One Hour challenge piece, in which we were given a prompt from Tolkien's writings and then had one hour to chase the bouncing ball where ever it might go. Mine developed an unexpected bounce.

( Gandalf walked in front... )

How to hide the dirt now?

Title: Covering Up
Characters: Frodo, Rosie Cotton-Gamgee
Wordcount: 432
Summary: Alas for the fate of the Ringbearer when housecleaning is due!
( Frodo stared, aghast, at his right hand; he could see through it... )

Slightly chilling.

Title: Inheritance
Characters: Frodo, Merry, Otho and Lobelia Sackville-Baggins
Wordcount: 1273
Summary: A somewhat disturbing short story, musing on what might have happened if important papers had fallen in the wrong hands the night of the Birthday Party.
A/N: Honourable Mention, MEFA 2006

( The judge’s gavel fell with a final thump. )

But what if -

Title: Moth to a Flame
Characters: Frodo
Wordcount: 263
Summary: A vignette written in response to the challenge of 'what would happen if someone else took the Ring...' except with a small twist.

( The moth fluttered, strangely drawn... )

Let's make another toast

Title: The Birthday Guest
Wordcount: 417
Summary: Another short scene as the result of a challenge to spring off of a bit of Tolkien's own verse. In this case, the viewpoint of a guest at the next September's birthday party.

( Look at him over there, head of the table he is... )

Old friends who have fought battles before this one

Title: Approach
Characters: Elrond, Gandalf
Wordcount: 603
Summary: A vignette that takes a look at the thoughts of Elrond and Gandalf as they wait in Rivendell, knowing the Nazgul, and the Ring, are near.

A/N: An early work that resulted from a challenge that I no longer recall.

( Filled with foreboding Elrond lay down his pen... )

Because Tolkien tells us in the intervening years, 'nothing of note' happened.

Might as well kick off this listing with the behemoth that started it all (yes, I went from mostly just writing poetry to deciding to write a 'story' to it turning into a novel that took a year and a half to finish - I've since learned to yank on the Muse's reins a little better). This led to my discovery of ff.net and other jolly places for writers.

Title: Nothing of Note
Wordcount: 171,634 (or thereabouts)
Summary: Bilbo Baggins faces his 98th year with a local adventure that leads to his eventual selection and adoption of an heir.

At Stories of Arda:
http://storiesofarda.com/chapterlistview.asp?SID=3900

Or here it is at fanfiction.net, if you prefer:
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2405289/1/Nothing_of_Note

Like the later Stone of Erebor this was one of my "gapfiller" pet projects, a look at the process that led up to Bilbo deciding to make the (rather notable) step of choosing an heir, then following through with it. It is Bilbo-centric and includes an extended spring journey to the three Towers and back again, as well as an interlude in Buckland, a Dwarvish visit and other events, all within the bounds of the Shire.

I have intent to eventually go back through and provide some much-needed editing, but for now it has to wait. Fair warning, this is a whopping 70 chapters plus an Epilogue.