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| In Shadow Realm by Legolass | 13 Review(s) |
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| Wantanelf | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 12/15/2005 |
| Legolas's questioning of Sam was great. I could just picture him trying to remember exactly what the Lady said. I really didn't see it coming. "To keep hope alive." Ah hah!! That was nice. I thoroughly enjoyed For the Love of the Lord of the White Tree and am so glad you are writing another. I can't wait to read the next two chapters and will anxously await updates after that. Author Reply: Well hello again and welcome to this story! GLad you liked this chapter because I enjoyed writing poor Sam. :-) You may have caught up with the next two chapters by now - I hope to post the next before Christmas. Thank you for dropping in! | |
| RedSquirrel | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/8/2005 |
| Here's a very small rodent sadly biting his drooping tail. I certainly did not intend to make you want to mutilate your own story - it is perfect, exactly as it is. I thought you wrote the Phial in because you wanted it to be there and I think you still do (remembering the light falling on the features of Legolas, so do I - desperately). I rather suspect that if Tolkien had been able to continue his own tale, he would have changed that in a flash. Remember Gandalf's reappearance after his 'death' in Moria? Elrond's elaborate explanation why the Ring would not be safe with Bombadil! I think the only way you might become untrue to his tale would be if you changed your style a single bit. (Or, perhaps, if you made Legolas become hopelessly drunk and depraved ;-) So, please, please, don't change a single word, pretty please - need I repeat that it is perfect just as it is? *disappearing into a big pile of leaves* Author Reply: I just got home and fired up the pc - just in time to see a bushy tail disappearing into the pile of leaves! Come out, come out *tugging gently at the tail* :-) Please don't feel bad about bringing up the Glass, rodent - I'm grateful that you pointed it out to me; I was just annoyed at myself for having missed that. But I guess it happened for a reason. The story might not have changed drastically without the Phial, but I would have had to think of something else - and, yes, the chapter would have been missing 'that' scene which I loved writing, and that you love and other readers appreciate as well. I hadn't even planned to write it; the image just came and would not leave me. And now that it's there, I can't bear to remove it - I'd feel like I was killing something with life; I pour much of myself into creating certain scenes. *cuckoo cuckoo* So - I'll leave the Phial in and point out the 'slight' (as you call it) AU-ness to readers. Besides, how could I ignore such an impassioned plea from my favourite rodent? :-) The story is by no means perfect, mellon nin, but you're so sweet - bushy tail and all - to say so, lol. Okay - the tale remains the way it is. :-) Now, can we see that tail again? | |
| RedSquirrel | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/7/2005 |
| Now I rather regret having brought this up - you're right, of course, nowhere is stated explicitly that Frodo took the Phial with him. But when Frodo sails, this is the last that is seen before the ship disappears: the light of the glass of Galadriel - a beautiful image that stayed with me. (Sorry, can't cite it properly - don't have my well-worn copy with me.) But Sam must have mistaken the glimmer of the Lady's own golden head for the light of her glass - how could he have seen properly through his tears and over that distance, anyway, LOL! I only wish you could make a certain elf stay forever, too - *big, deep, never-ending heart-rending sigh* Author Reply: Rats, rats, rats! After reading what you wrote, I flew to my dog-eared copy - and lo and behold, you are right - that image you mentioned is right there! How I missed that I don't know but I am so mad at myself because I do prefer to stick to book-verse as far as possible.*mutter mutter*. Now *sigh* I'm glad I put up that AU warning, and I guess I will have to live with it (and make the disclaimer even more explicit) because it's too late to change it all, though I must say I was tempted for a fleeting moment to scrap everything, grrrr. Double sigh... Thanks for pointing it out to me, RS, even if it makes me want to kick myself for having missed it, but my leg can't reach my butt. >:-( | |
| eliza61 | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/2/2005 |
| Mae Govannen Legolass, I really have to get some thing beside "awesome writing" to say to you, you must be getting terrible bored with that. Very glad Aragorn realizes what a blessing he has in Legolas, your description on his insight was absolutely gorgeous. I enjoyed this chapter immensely. Did I thank you for letting Hamille stick around? I think he provides Legolas some foundation amongst a sea of mortals. Lastly, since my first borns (twins)are now full fledge evil teenagers and I dearly want you to remain my favorite author, I'll find some poor unsuspecting orc to pawn them off on. (LOL) Travel safely, Eliza Author Reply: Thank you, Eliza. I would NEVER be bored with sincere remarks from sincere readers, whatever they may be. :-) I am glad you share Aragorn's (and my) enchantment with what I imagine would have been a spellbinding vision of beauty when a light as magnificent as that of the Phial falls upon the countenance of an elf such as Legolas. Sigh... Your poor kids! Why don't you keep them around and offer me some well-cooked lembas or something, lol! Till next chapter -- lovely to hear from you. | |
| nessa | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/2/2005 |
| That was amazing, Legolass. Such a vision for Aragorn to see. Does he really know how lucky he is? He's a much stronger person than I to be able to stand on his own two feet after that. Now that Legolas knows the lady's message I'm sure his own affliction is barely a memory. Can't wait for more. Author Reply: Thanks very much, Nessa. I'm sure Aragorn appreciates what he has just a little more each day - and still there will be more to learn anew. I bet you're right about this: "Now that Legolas knows the lady's message I'm sure his own affliction is barely a memory." :-) The only thing he can think about now is what might befall Aragorn. See you next chapter, I hope. :-) | |
| RedSquirrel | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/2/2005 |
| The Phial! Ha, so this actually is AU - if only ever so slightly. (Grinning happily) It would have been such a pity, after all, if Frodo had really taken it with him - especially if Legolas is the one who will use it. I do so love the conversation between the three, the way that Sam's speech differs from Aragorn's differs from Legolas' is just perfect - that's what makes the characters so real to me. gasp - what a vision! Speech is a forgotten skill indeed. How you manage to do that, to write down what cannot be described by words, is beyond me. It is like trying to catch starlight in a glass phial - impossible, and yet... :-) Poor Sam. No, he would not - could not know, how important her exact words were. To keep hope alive, oh brilliant - just brilliant! You know, I believe the glass phial did just what Sam thought it was meant to do: the sea-longing is all but forgotten in the face of Aragorn's danger, the cry of the gulls unheeded. Ah, but how you manage to stir the yearning in the rest of us! I'm hopelessly lost to my tasks for the rest of the day... Author Reply: Hi, my favourtie rodent! Well, since I don't recall Frodo taking the Phial with him (though I may be wrong) - it may not really be AU, but I did put up the warning just in case. :-) That applies to other events to come as well: things that didn't happen in the books but which I have cooked up for this tale, without contradicting what Tolkien wrote. But the warning acts as a disclaimer, so readers know I mean no disrespect in case I overlook something. Re the vision of Legolas and the Phial: thank you for your kind appreciation. I imagine it would be totally spellbinding if we could witness that scene: a light as magnificent as that of the Phial falling upon the countenance of an elf as beautiful as Legolas... "You know, I believe the glass phial did just what Sam thought it was meant to do: the sea-longing is all but forgotten in the face of Aragorn's danger, the cry of the gulls unheeded." That's a great observation! Thank you for dropping in. Hope you're able to work again now - collecting acorns, building nests, or whatever it is cute, bushy-tailed rodents do. :-) | |
| Linda Hoyland | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/1/2005 |
| That was most unexpected ! Poor Sam faced with such intense questioning !This story has me on the edge of my chair ! Author Reply: Oh, good! Wish I could write faster to keep the momentum going. But I'll try my best. (and yes I had fun writing that scene with Sam.) :-) Thanks so much for your response. :-) | |
| harrowcat | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/1/2005 |
| Oh poor practical, down to earth Sam. It is very hard to be the bearer of such tidings. I am glad he got the message across properly in the end even though the implications seem dire! Author Reply: Yes, Sam got a double whammy there - first he has to hand the precious Phial over to someone else, and then he is told that the message he bears is more dire than he thought. It cannot be easy for him, as you say. Thanks for dropping in, Harrowcat. :-) | |
| Tinnuial | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/1/2005 |
| That was awesome... I could even hear the pin-drop silence at the end! I also loved your description of Legolas with the glow of the phial upon his fair features. It put this dreamy smile on my face and could probably qualify for a "fangirl moment" award. (hee hee hee...) Thanks for the new chapter... ;) Tinnuial...back to waiting (patiently...) Author Reply: Oooh - imagine if there were such an award to motivate the writing of lovely elf-worhsip scenes - lol! Seriously, that vision just painted itself in my mind and would not leave it till I had written about it. Sigh... Thanks for your kind words, Tinnuial - I enjoyed writing that chapter. :-) | |
| ArcherGal2932 | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/1/2005 |
| Oh my goodness... "But here, where but a single ray of the Light of Eärendil had been captured by one of the most powerful Eldar of all the Ages, even that single drop of starlight dispelled the gloom with its unrivalled radiance. And when the Phial – held delicately between the slender fingers of a Firstborn – cast its clear gleam on a wondrously fair face framed by a halo of gold, Aragorn felt he was watching, all at once, the magnificent rising of Anor, and the soft glow of Ithil, and the subtle glitter of all the stars in the night sky. Their beams were silken threads of pure light, woven into a fabric of soft brilliance. Here, before his eyes, was a vision of splendor revealed to him alone – a vision he was sure he would witness but few times in his life..." ^oh now that was truly beautiful. Now teach me; how do you do that??!! How do you learn to put to paper what cannot be described in words???? It truly is fantastic; keep going or...or...um....I'll...do....something! Yea! I'll do something! Ooooo! You should be scared! lol no I'm kidding. Just kidding. KIDDING! (nervous chuckle) lol Thanks for posting! -ArcherGal2932 Author Reply: *blush* Thank you, ArcherGal. :-) As I told another reviewer: that vision would not leave me alone till I had written about it. I only hope I did some justice to what I imagine would have been a breathtaking moment - such a Light on such a face... *sigh* I can't really tell you how I write such scenes - but I basically try to identify one central theme and build around it. It was light and radiance for this particular vision, and I imagined the most splendid 'light' scenes I could think of - and I described those. And I thought that the Phial PLUS a gorgeous elf should give off both a brilliant shine as well as a lovely warm, subtle glow ... so... that would be the sun, the moon, and the twinkling of stars (my own favourite). Hope that helps? Thanks so much for dropping in - hope to see you again soon. :-) | |