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The River  by Indigo Bunting 13 Review(s)
Glory UnderhillReviewed Chapter: 2 on 6/25/2006
I have to thank Dreamflower for recommending this story. Thrilling! I'm on the edge of my seat! Excellent writing! Well done. I'm off to read more.

Author Reply: Welcome, Glory! I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the story so far, and hope you continue to enjoy the rest of it. Thanks for the kind compliments!

Anso the HobbitReviewed Chapter: 2 on 3/17/2006
Poor Sam! What a dreadful thing to be swept away by the river when he can't swim. Thank goodness Legolas was there and that they reached the bank in the end. I hope they're not too far from the rest of the company and will find them fast so they can find shelter and warmth. Great story!

GamgeeFestReviewed Chapter: 2 on 11/5/2005
You were right about action! Poor Sam and Legolas, getting so thrashed on those rocks, and Sam is about to become hypothermic if he stays in the cold too much longer. Even elves have their limits but it seems Legolas is at least coherent enough to get them out of the rain. *crosses fingers*

Author Reply: Bingo on the hypothermia. I’ve never been in a river like this one (thank goodness), but I’ve seen footage of swollen, flooded rivers, and they are truly something to behold.

EthareiReviewed Chapter: 2 on 11/3/2005
WOW. Really, that's all I can say for now: WOW.

I've noticed your story on the main page for some time, and am now sorry that it's taken me so long to get around to reading it. It's absolutely amazing! I haven't gotten so excited about a Fellowship story in a very long time, possibly since Thundera Tiger's 'While the Ring Went South' (coincidentally also featuring a river adventure ^_^). Still on Chapter 2, but decided to give a big thumbs-up anyway. I'm sure the rest will be just as wonderfully written.

PS- You've suddenly made me into a Leggy-fan again *g*

Author Reply: Thanks for the “wow”, Etharei, and welcome! I think there is a dearth of good Fellowship stories out there, but maybe that’s because I’m not looking in the right places. I think I’ve heard of the story you mentioned – I’ve certainly heard of the author – but I’ll have to go back and take a look. And what’s this about becoming a Legolas fan again? I got the impression that once that began, it never stopped. :-)

Grey WondererReviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/23/2005
Whew! Now that was far too close for comfort. Very exciting indeed! I just wonder if they will survive the cold that they must be feeling about now? Poor Sam. He really was very brave in spite of it all. This is a wonderful story!

Author Reply: Thanks, Grey Wonderer! You’re so right about Sam being brave in this chapter. I thought that the situation he found himself in – being sucked along by a raging river – would be just the sort of thing that he would have feared from even a gentle river, as he’s not able to swim. Come to think of it, I don’t know if Tolkien ever specifically stated that Sam couldn’t swim, but we know that most hobbits could not.

TithenFeredirReviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/20/2005
I've lurked through two chapters now. This is a good adventure tale! You did an excellent job of putting the reader right in the river with Sam. Looking forward to reading more! ~TF

Author Reply: If you’ve reviewed chapter 2, then I suppose that means you’ve only lurked through one chapter. I understand! Sometimes it takes a while before I know that I want to stick with a story. I’m getting much better about reviewing, myself. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to leave your comments! I’m so glad you found yourself there with Sam. Every writer has their strengths, and I think that one of mine happens to be description. I usually get myself in a tizzy all over again after re-reading this chapter.

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/20/2005
Oh my. This started so pleasantly - loved the fishing spears and the discussions over fire and food. But Sam and Legolas! They cannot have escaped from this without being badly hurt. I hope the cavalry arrives soon - they need help. Legolas is driving himself hard.


Author Reply: Yeah… it did start out nicely enough, but it didn’t last. As I mentioned in my reply to Dreamflower, Legolas ended up being Sam’s companion on the river mostly because he could push himself and still come out alive. And as the next chapter points out, most of the other members of the Fellowship take a good deal of comfort from that.

daw the minstrelReviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/19/2005
That was pretty scary. Oddly enough, what really made me cringe was how cold the water was. But the rapids, rocks, etc. were pretty scary too!

Author Reply: I’m glad you could feel Sam’s fear, daw. Not that I wanted to freak anybody out, but I did want to clearly convey what he experienced. Before I wrote this chapter I spent a long time thinking about what it would feel like to be caught by that kind of unappeasable force – something that almost can’t be fought, it’s so strong. ‘Terrifying’ would be a good way to describe it.

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/19/2005
This was a utterly *AMAZING* chapter! So much suspense and so much angst! I could *see* every single bit of it in my head, and I found myself wincing each time either Legolas or Sam hit the rocks.

I had wondered last chapter which of the Big Folk had grabbed them, but of course it would have had to be Legolas. I do not believe that any of the mortals, even Aragorn, would have had the strength and endurance to hold on through such a wild ride.

This was just *brilliant* and I am so looking forward to more!!!

Author Reply: Thank you, Dreamflower! Your excitement is contagious, and your reviews put a big smile on my face. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the story. As I’ve told some of the other reviewers, I am very pleased with this chapter.

You make an astute observation regarding Legolas being Sam and Frodo’s anchor. When I first started putting this story together in my mind, I did not know that Legolas would end up going down the river with Sam. But as the plot took shape, I realized that Legolas would surely be the best person to try to swim the river, because he’d be the most likely to survive it. If it hadn’t been wintertime, then I think that either Aragorn or Boromir could potentially have done it, but to fight both the current and the cold seemed to require greater stamina than the mortals of the Fellowship have. Yes, you’ve hit the nail right on the head.

Starfire_MoonlightReviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/19/2005
I'm never going swimming in a river ever again, lol. That was very exciting chaper. Was on the edge of my seat all the way through.

Author Reply: Just don’t go swimming in any flooding rivers. :-) Some of my favorite treasures when I was little were the Little House on the Prairie books, and I’ll never forget that chapter in On the Banks of Plum Creek when Laura disobeys her father and nearly drowns in the swollen stream. That’s not where I got the inspiration for this story from, but I took from it the clear understanding that floods are not to be trifled with.

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