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| Sacrifice Under Shadow by daw the minstrel | 27 Review(s) |
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| Tapetum Lucidum | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/12/2004 |
| Ok, it's been 150 + years since Sinnarn got into trouble. Is he still being punished? That would be the worst thing about immortality, some things would last forever. Finally! A posting to the Southern Patrol. Be careful what you wish for. I enjoyed Legolas' excitement about finally get the posting which he long sought. Eilian's mixed greeting was very appropriate - happy to see his younger sibling but saddened that he would be under the shadow. The "You are lucky to have me." comment had me laughing. His comment about Elian obeying Thranduil was great as well. The brothers' discussion upon the tree branch was very endearing. I was glad Eilian made a point to mention that he was not singling Legolas out with his warning. It was a point that all new warriors need to hear. Legolas' response with "Thank You," rather than a complaint was a good demonstration of his maturity. Once again you handled an orc battle well. Have you been training with the rangers again? I liked how Legolas minded Beliond and the two worked as a unit to dispatch the orcs. It looked like Eilian realized his brother was not in need of his protection. Legolas' feelings of loss were very sincere. Great start! Author Reply: I am not dealing with Sinnarn at all in this story. Eilian is enough of a handful. Eilian is approaching Legolas very carefully right now, I think. He knows that Legolas is likely to be touchy and that he himself is overprotective, but he also knows he needs to be Legolas's captain and tell him what to do. And I thought that after 200 years of fighting side by side, Legolas and Beliond would sure have a good idea of how to work together. I think Eilian and Legolas might be even better together, though. They have a sort of intuitive connection. Thanks for the kind words, Tapetum. | |
| Kalile | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/12/2004 |
| Hooray! A new story and Eilian's more prominently in it this time (I love Ithilden, but I have utmost sympathy for the middle child in the family. =D) I really enjoyed your take on Legolas' thought processes throughout this first chapter, from his mental note to compensate for Beliond building their snow den by doing clean up duty first to his reiteration that he would not quarrel with Eilian. BTW, any chance of a resolution between him and a certain settlement elf maiden any time soon? Poor Legolas, always seems to get what he wants right when he realizes maybe it wasn't what he wanted to begin with. Eilian's been like a mother to him, a balance to Thranduil in some respects, it'll be sad to see that relationship change. BTW, is there any particular reason for the repition of the word "shadow" in your titles recently? Just curious. As always, thanks for sharing your story with us. Author Reply: I'm a middle child too! And Eilian is a lot of fun to write about because he's kind of a bad boy. Not very bad, mind you, but bad enough to make life interesting. I think that Eilian and Celuwen will have to wait a little longer, I'm afraid. You are absolutely right that Eilian has been like a mother to Legolas. He loves the kid unconditionally and is intuitive about what he needs and what he feels. The relationship between the two will change (because it has to), but not go away. I have trouble thinking up titles actually. And "shadow" has occurred to me because Ithilden was near Dol Guldur in the last story and Eilian and Legolas are in this one. I guess it is becoming kind of a running theme. | |
| Jebb | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/12/2004 |
| A new story to look forward to and Legolas finally gets his wish to join the Southern Patrol but why do I get the feeling his expectations and reality are not going to coincide? Eilian as well!! That last little thought of Legolas' was wonderful Author Reply: Poor Legolas. Expectations and reality seldom do coincide for most of us, I guess. I am looking forward to writing more about Eilian this time. He is so charming, even when he's being a pain. | |
| JS | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/12/2004 |
| Yea! I'm so glad you're posting again so soon! When you're posting I know there's always going to be some good writing to help make it through a stressful day! Reading your stories are always such a delight. It's great to see the maturity in Legolas and fun to see him protect Beliond for a change. ;) I can't wait to see what you have in store for Legolas and Eilien's relationship. Can't wait for the next part! Hope you post soon. :) Author Reply: Glad I made you happy, JS! If my own boss would realize the importance of knowing what happens to Legolas and Eilian, I could do this even faster. But no, he expects me to keep showing up at meetings and stuff. Silly man. I had to keep reminding myself as I wrote this that Legolas was an adult now. I've been trying to grow him up over this series and it's a little tricky to gradually change his reactions. Now I'm working on a chapter to introduce the young Eilian part of the story. :-) | |
| ANA | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/11/2004 |
| I have been checking every day since I finished the last chapter of Fire and Shadow and finally seeing a new story from you is like hitting the jackpot. I note that I am not the only one suffering from withdrawals of your stories. You have created a beautiful winter scene - brings back childhood memories for me of when winters can last as long as six months. The orcs must be such a blight on the pristine winter woods. The title of your story is rather foreboding and I am not even going to try to guess what you might have in store for us. Eilian isn't the only one sad about a grown up Legolas. I also miss the young Legolas and the elfling Legolas. I hope you will write of young Legolas again some time in the future. That's one thing nice about stories, the timeline can shift back and forth; not like our children - once they're grown, there's no turning back other than our memories. Author Reply: I'm so glad you feel that way, ANA. The winter is beautiful but also *cold*. I can't imagine sleeping in a snow den. I'm much too big a sissy. I was thinking about an elfling Legolas story just today, but I really miss writing about "teenaged" Legolas. That's such an interesting (and painful) age. | |
| sofia | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/11/2004 |
| oh yay! another story by the lovely daw the minstrel. So legolas is finally on the southern partol. I feel bad for Eilian because he just realized that legolas isnt a little elf any more. Author Reply: Eilian has treasured his little brother for a long time now. Legolas loved him uncritically and he needed that I think. And in turn, he was unstintingly loving to the little elf. So it's a loss for him. | |
| Camp6311 | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/11/2004 |
| Yeah, a new story. The title sounds a bit ominous though, "Sacrifice Under Shadow". I am going to try to keep from making wild guesses this time, and just let the story unfold. I like stories that open with the characters in motion, it just seems to pull you right into the story. Your opening line "Legolas ducked his head under a snow covered branch and rode the last few feet into the camp of the Southern Patrol" not only has the characters in action, but sets the scene as well. One sentence, and I already know it's winter in Mirkwood and who the characters are. I have read more of this story than just the title and first sentence, and am looking forward to reading more. Author Reply: I'm glad you liked the opening. First chapters are hard, I think. You need to establish who everyone is and where they are and what's happening now. Now I need do a first chapter for the young Eilian part of the story and I'm underway. I'm all excited! | |
| naneth | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/11/2004 |
| I am so thankful that you are back with a new story. I have reread all of your older stories, and Nilmandra's, and was starting on old Mellon Chronicles stories. But a new story is much, much better! My, Legolas is so calm and mature in this story. He's accepting of Beliond's role in his life, very adult in his dealings with Eilian, and sure of his status as a warrior. The loss of that precious relationship he had shared with Eilian since his childhood was sad to me, but I'm sure it will be replaced with a mature, but equally wonderful, relationship between the two adult brothers. I don't really believe that Eilian will ever be able to completely not see Legolas as his little brother, though. You created such beautiful pictures with your snow scenes! It never snows like that here in the south where I live-heck, it never snows at all. You built such a realistic picture of a snow-covered forest that I had to go dig out a blanket to wrap up in to finish the story. Great job, as usual! Author Reply: You are funny, Naneth! But I know what you mean. I think I started writing my own stories because I ran out of ones I wanted to read. Legolas is doing well, isn't he? Of course, he's had a long time to learn in. And the loss of the relationship with Eilian is sad to me too. I have plans though. There will be something else. ;-) All I had to do to be inspired about snow was look out my window to the snow covered wasteland around here. Will it ever be spring, I wonder? Maybe this is the Long Winter? | |
| tigerlily713 | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/11/2004 |
| Great chapter! Your descriptions were clear and vivid as always, and your actions scenes were wonderfully constructed. Great dialogue too. Eagerly awaiting more! Lily Author Reply: Thank you, Lily. You are kind, as always. First chapters are always hard for me because I feel like I'm just setting things up but not much happened. I think next I need a chapter on young Eilian. | |
| LKK | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/11/2004 |
| While I read about elves in snow, the TV showed kids at play in a Hawaiian water park. This has nothing to do with your story, daw, but I thought it made an odd juxtaposition. LOL Legolas did well on his first day with the Southern Patrol. It seems like he managed to convince Eilian that he doesn't need looking after. Eilian, on the other hand, didn't seem to happy that he had been convinced. I can't help wondering if older brother is sad to realize that Legolas is almost grown up, if not wholly grown even. And maybe younger brother is sad to realize it, as well?? Author Reply: Good observation, LKK. Eilian is sad and Legolas is not wholly happy. His relationship with Eilian has been very important to him and now it's changing. He still needs it, I think, but he needs it to be different. ;-) | |