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The River  by Indigo Bunting 19 Review(s)
GamgeeFestReviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/7/2005
They were so close to going undiscovered too! If only Garan hadn't looked over at the crevice, they would be in the clear. Now things don't look good at all. Unless the rest of the Fellowship find that man's body in the river and put two and two together, they would never know Legolas and Sam survived. You've got our heros in a very tigthly coiled plot here. Can't wait for more, but the next chapter will have to wait for another day. :)

Author Reply: It was very bad luck for Sam and Legolas that Garan happened to look over at them. So close and yet so far! As for the Fellowship seeing Paet’s body in the river, it won’t happen unless it gets caught on something and they have already walked by Sam and Legolas’ current position. Sam and Legolas are downstream of the Fellowship and are heading upstream, so the body will float away from them – and away from the Fellowship, too. Aragorn will have to look for a different sign, I suppose, and the sooner he finds it, the better. I'm glad you're enjoying the story!

periantariReviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/5/2005
The action was brilliant, the chapter was exciting, and i cannot wait for more~ =) I read it during work of all places and couldn't review properly before but i just want to say that it was quite amazing for Legolas to haul up all of those men up and this is indeed getting very interesting~
I hope for Sam's point of view in the next chapter though~ i love Sam and want to know what he had been thinking while all this had happened to them~ (as you gusesed before, i'm a hobbit person ...not even so much Aragorn. ;)
and also will we be knowing what's happening with the Fellowship as well soon?
Also in answering who recced this fic from livejournal-- Dreamflower, Grey Wonderer and Qinfinity all did (as did i;) so you're very loved over in Livejournal. ;)

more please soon! :)

Author Reply: At one time I was concerned that some readers would think that Legolas pulling the Men up the cliff was over the top, but no one has said so. It wasn't easy, but he could manage it. I thought it was logical enough, seeing as Elves are very strong. Exactly how strong is left to some interpretation, but I think I have put some reasonable limits on it. (Reasonable for an Elf, that is.)

Thank you so much for recommending this story, periantari! It means more to me than you can know. It's very, very exciting to know that people are enjoying the story that much. As for the rest of the Fellowship, well, they'll stay out of the spotlight for just a few more chapters. I have to get to a certain point in the story before I can bring them back in. If I bring them back now, they won't have much to say except "We're still looking", and that's not very interesting. I've done that with Aragorn and Gandalf already. :-)

NightwingReviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/4/2005
My goodness. I stumbled across this story last night and am absolutely enthralled! You write beautifully. Spot-on characterizations, wonderfully vivid details, and a knowledge of canon. Indigo Bunting, who are you?? This is a true gem amidst the rubble.

I am enjoying the Legolas-Sam pairing very much as well, and I'm a big sucker for elf-in-danger tales, so I'm hooked. Love it when our heroes are put to the test. I breathlessly await more.

Author Reply: Gasp! I thought your name looked familiar, so I looked you up…. You’re the author of To See a World, aren’t you? Golly. (I’d say something stronger, but I’ll restrain myself.) I can’t believe that you are reviewing me. Seriously, when I realized who you were, my jaw fairly hit the floor. I found your story not so very long ago, and while I’m not too far into it yet, it is an amazing piece of work. You’re not the only person who is overdue for a review from me. Between work, writing my story, and responding to my own reviews, I find myself at the keyboard quite a bit.

I’m so glad that you’re enjoying the story, and that it meets with your approval. Those two things are related, but they are not one and the same. I can believe that you like elf-in-danger stories based on your own work; I think that people write the kinds of stories that they wish other people would write. Sam is the primary character in this story, but Legolas is right behind him. As for who I am, I’m a career woman who is still fairly young by most people’s standards. I have also been very happy to remain anonymous. :-) I’m not a part of any writing circles or livejournal communities or anything like that. I just like to read good fanfiction when I can find it, and when the idea for this story popped into my head, it kept on developing until I started writing it down. I thought it was turning out to be pretty good, so I started posting it, and the response has been overwhelming. So thank you for all your kind comments, Nightwing, and I hope to see you here again!

RonaLenaReviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/4/2005
This is a great story. It is unique in that it is centered around Legolas and Sam. Your portrayal of the elf and the hobbit is wonderful to read, very Tolkien-esk. Please update soon. :)

Author Reply: Welcome, RonaLena! Thanks for reviewing. A lot of people don’t, and I understand; I haven’t always been the best reviewer. But now that I’m an author I’ve learned how nice it is just to have people tell me, “Hey, I’m reading, and I like it! Keep it up!” Negative criticism is harder to take, but I like to think that I could handle it. There’s been enough positive feedback to serve as a buffer. And if you think that the characterization is Tolkienesque…. Wow. “Thank you” isn’t enough for a compliment like that.

EthareiReviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/4/2005
Bravo to a very exciting tale! Poor Legolas, made to do all the hard work. I especially liked the interaction between Elf and Hobbit. I've actually had some experience with being swept into rapids (my boat capsized during white-water rafting a few years ago) and it felt as if I was experiencing it all over again when I read your story. I feel very sorry for the Fellowship, and I liked how you made Frodo seem like the most mature of the Hobbits. Your characterization is very convincing, and the narrative suitably gripping. I cannot wait for the next chapter!

Author Reply: And now you’re all caught up. :-) I’m glad you still like it. You capsized while white-water rafting?!? That sounds terrifying. Well, if you’ve got first-hand experience of something like this and you think that chapter 2 did it justice, I’m flattered. (Not that I’m glad that your boat capsized – ah, I think you know what I mean.) As for Frodo, I’m with you that he ought to be the most mature out of the four hobbits. I think that the movies sometimes cause people to forget how old he is in the books. He’d have to be the most mature; not only is he the eldest, but he’s got the Ring to carry, and by this time he knows full well what a dangerous burden it is.

Jay of LasgalenReviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/3/2005
This is another wonderful chapter. I love the verbal game of cat-and-mouse that Legolas plays with the leader - neither trusting or believing the other - and the incredible strength Legolas displays in first climbing the cliff, and then hauling the men up it.

Legolas and Sam are on the other side of the river to the rest of the fellowship, yes? Yet Aragorn should surely be able to see the signs that several men have been pulled up the cliff face. And they've lit a fire at the cliff top - I hope that's a signal the whole of the fellowship can see!

I loved seeing this from Legolas's POV, and especially the ending when Sam holds his hand. Who's comforting who??

Author Reply: Thanks for the compliments, Jay! Yes, Sam and Legolas are on one side of the river with the Men while the rest of the Fellowship is on the other side. A lot of people have mentioned the campfire thing. It’s certainly an indication that Garan is either arrogant or careless – perhaps both. What evidence the Fellowship sees and when depends on when they get to the place where Sam and Legolas are now. There will be a few more Sam/Legolas chapters before we get back to them, though.

BakonekoReviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/3/2005
I'm really enjoying this story! The interactions between Sam and Legolas as well as the other members of the Fellowship are great, and I like that some of the Men also have very distinct personalities. It feels like you really have a good solid understanding of everyone you're writing for. And of course the story is great. Not the first "Fellowship caught in a flood" story I've ever read, but it's a very different take than I've seen before on that theme. I can't wait to read about the further adventures of Legolas and Sam versus the Men. =) What will the rest of the Fellowship do when they realize that Legolas and Sam have been taken out of the gorge? How will Legolas and Sam outwit the cruel and villainous Men? How does Garan know so much about Elves? I'm excited to find out!

Thanks for sharing the story with us! I hope you keep writing!

>^^<

Author Reply: Thank you, Bakoneko! I’ve never read a “Fellowship caught in a flood” story before, but then again, I don’t read a whole lot of fanfiction. I think I am finally starting to find some places where the quality of the work is consistently higher, though, so I’ve been reading a little more of late. At least you still think the story is unique even if you’ve seen the premise used before. And I’m very glad you approve of the characterization. Out-of-character players can scuttle a story. I think that all your questions will be eventually answered to your satisfaction.

Grey WondererReviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/3/2005
The men were far worse than I was expecting. I was glad to see that Legolas was able to injure them a bit and kill the one but he and Sam are still in desperate trouble and I wonder if the company will see them now that they have been forced away from the river. The fire the men built and the dead body may help but I do wonder if they will be able to be of any help from their side of the river. This part seems to stay with me and says so much about the newly formed bond between Sam and Legolas:

(“What are we going to do?” Sam whispered suddenly. Legolas blinked at the feel of a smaller hand groping blindly for his. He reached back, and his long fingers found Sam’s hand without causing any strain on his bonds.)

I hope the next chapter is coming soon! Can't wait for more of this wonderful story!

Author Reply: The Fellowship will never see the dead body unless they walk past where Sam and Legolas are right now and the body has been caught on something. Sam and Legolas have been walking upriver; the Fellowship has been walking down, but they are still farther upriver than the missing pair, so the point where the body has been dumped in the river is downstream of the Fellowship. It will continue to float downstream, away from the seven searchers.

I’m glad that you liked the ending of the chapter; a lot of people singled it out. I thought it was sweet and a little sad, too.

Almost forgot to add - I heard that you recommended this story on your livejournal. THANK YOU!!! I'm more thrilled by that than you can know!

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/3/2005
Scary stuff. I hope Sam manages to prove that little doesn't equal victim. That nasty man clearly doesn't underestimate Legolas's strength and skill, but he might well have underestimated the hobbit.

And the evidence of the fight must surely make the remaining Fellowship realise that Legolas and Sam survived the river - it must have been loud enough and the business of lifting people up the cliff must have taken long enough for there to be a fair chance it was observed.

Very good chapter - looking forward to the next!

Author Reply: Ahh, another clever reader. Little most definitely does not equal victim; you’ve certainly picked up on the fact that Garan sees Legolas as the dangerous one. So far, Sam has only been good for a hostage in his eyes.

Whether the Fellowship ever sees the evidence of the fight depends on the direction that the Men decide to take, and whether they see the fire or heard the fight depends on how close they are. You’re not the only person to wonder about the fire. :-)

MelissaReviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/2/2005
Well-written Legolas is such a treat!

Author Reply: Welcome, Melissa! I’m pleased that you think Legolas is well written. He’s got to have his strengths and weaknesses like everyone else; otherwise he’s not believable. Thank you so much for taking the time to review!

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