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In the Deep Places  by Lamiel 5 Review(s)
EruannaReviewed Chapter: 5 on 11/17/2004
My my my. Never set two men against each other in a discussion about hair. :)

I notice that Legolas seems to have a habit of randomly saying things that are directed to no one in particular. Any insights as to just why this is? :)

It must be so terrible for Legolas; trapped in a cave without the Song, and all the while feeling that what he dreads most is coming ever closer. "Phantom shadows brushed his mind. Flame licked his skin like the caress of a lover in the dark." That's just really creepy.

I liked the part where Gandalf encourages Legolas and tells him that Greenleaf is enough. Well done! :)

Author Reply: The Elf is going batty. Obviously. Randomly talking to thin air, having hallucinations... next thing you know, he'll be sliding down stairs on a shield. Sheer lunacy. Good thing he has that level-headed Dwarf there to straighten him out. (grin)

JastaElfReviewed Chapter: 5 on 11/16/2004
When this arrives at ff.net, I will of course leave a review there too! :-) But I just had to let you know, I think this a Very Estimable Chapter of a Very Fine Fic Indeed. The characterizations are superb; the dialogue and the subplot are marvels. Gimli and Legolas are both so true to themselves, it is a delight to read. And the situation for Legolas is just so compelling! You give us a sense of what it is like to BE Legolas, to understand what's going on all around him, and to feel almost helpless before it... very chilling!

The exchange about "I'm not Glorfindel..." "You are Greenleaf..." is so very touching and powerful.....

VERY well done, marvelous chapter! Thanks so much for sharing this tale with us!!

Author Reply: JastaElf? H'm, somehow that name does sound a little familiar, hang on, it'll come to me... Actually I am updating the version on FF.net with these slightly more polished chapters as I go along - tweaking a line here and there, fixing a few minor mistakes. Obsessive? Who me?

I'm still not entirely happy with the switches in POV in the first half of this chapter, but I don't know how to do it any better. Ah well. Just let it go and enjoy the Elf angst, I guess.

Thanks so much for the feedback - I'm glad it's worth another read.

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 5 on 11/15/2004
'I had not realized you needed so much hair to keep warm.'

Such a sweet discussion - they just don't understand each other at all - but at least they seem to have some appreciation of each other's fighting ability.

'Flame licked his skin like the caress of a lover in the dark.' - What an evocative line!

And Legolas's perception of Gandalf is amazing - not a conjurer of cheap tricks at all, but a power greater than that of the elves. What a lot Legolas is saying with the observation that he is not Glorfindel - and how wonderful is Gandalf's response that being Greenleaf is more than enough.

I just love the characters and the amount they manage to put over with so few words.

Author Reply: Ah, thank you Bodkin. Often I find that the characters are saying much more than just what is in their spoken words, and I'm so glad that you got that sense as well. Certainly I think that Legolas would have formed some connection with Gandalf before the Fellowship's quest, and that provides some depth to their conversation. There's a ways to go before he forms that sort of bond with Gimli, but I think it will come in time.

GalimerilReviewed Chapter: 5 on 11/15/2004
An excellent piece! The characters really seem to come alive. I especially like the battle sequence. Update soon! I want to see what this little chat is about!
Galimeril ;D


Author Reply: Thank you Galimeril! This story was written first and foremost as an exploration of character development, so I'm very glad that they seem real. Updates will come - the story is complete, I'm just polishing and archiving as time permits between writing chapters of my current fic.

elliskaReviewed Chapter: 5 on 11/14/2004
Great chapter. I liked the conversation between Gimli and Legolas about beards and braids and hair. It was great. But I loved this:

How long had Mithrandir guided them? Not just the Fellowship, but all of them, Elves and Men and Hobbits and Dwarves. Elven memory did not fade with time. It seemed to Legolas, as he thought back, that Mithrandir had always been there. Never overbearing, never intruding, but always there if needed. His had been a quiet voice of wisdom and comfort, even to the youngest Elf-child of Thranduil’s kingdom. A mortal might have mistaken him for a Man, withered and bent with age as he appeared. But no Elf would ever have made that mistake. Mithrandir’s wisdom ran deeper than the ages. He did not merely resonate with Ilúvatar’s Song, he was Song.

Perfect. Exactly right. I love this description. This is exactly how I see Gandalf's relationship with the elves/ME in general. And this is exactly why I think Gandalf would have seen Legolas as a valuable member of the Fellowship and why Legolas would have followed Gandalf. Loved it.

Author Reply: Thank you elliska. I've often thought that the Elves would be able to sense that there was more to the Istar than that perceived by mortals. Certainly there has to be a reason why Legolas followed Gandalf, and, for that matter, Aragorn. I'm glad you like this take on it.

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