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A Creature of Fire by daw the minstrel	321 Review(s)
White Wolf	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 4/25/2005
I think this story, more than many of the others you've done, revealed just how Legolas came to be the elf we know and love. Losing Tuilinn was a sad experience for him but one that will eventually strengthen him. I love the last scene in the garden. The shared memory of Legolas's naneth was wonderful. I could easily picture Legolas looking up at her after innocently destroying the vines and happily saying, "I help." And in my opinion, dear Eilian is the best brother Legolas could have. As usual, it was an excellent tale. Author Reply: One of the pleasures of writing about young Legolas is the opportunity to suggest how he grew into Legolas of the Fellowship. I think it's easy to look at a hero and admire them and forget that there were many experiences and other people who contributed to that person's strength and character. Since I love Eilian, I can't find a thing wrong with your reasoning!

Manderly	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 4/25/2005
What a wonderful ending to a wonderful story! You really outdid yourself on this one, Daw. It was a total pleasure to read from beginning to end (not to mention the fact that you stirred up every emotion there was to stir up). Legolas' grief and the way he handled it was very real. I remember going through the same myriad of emotios that he did when I lost my mother years ago. I suppose for Legolas the feelings go even deeper on a different level. Thranduil was wonderful, as always. Legolas is so lucky to have such an understanding Adar! And Beliond was delightfully grouchy - just what Legolas needed too. Legolas may have lost the one that he loved, but he is surrounded by many who love him. Thank you very much for this wonderful story, Daw! Author Reply: Thank you, Manderly. Legolas is indeed lucky to have these people who love him be there to support him when he needs it. We all should be so lucky!

sofia	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 4/25/2005
Go Beliond! Of course he would know what Legolas would need after he lost his loved ones. Already Legolas seems to be taking the whole situation well. Why did you have to kill her though? Loved the story- but a story that makes you cry, in my opinion, is ten times better. Can't wait for the next story. -sofia Author Reply: I'm glad you liked it, Sofia. Beliond was very generous to share his private spot in the woods with Legolas. He knew it helped him to be there, and he thought it would help Legolas too. Tuilinn needed to die because Legolas looks single to me in Tolkien's description of the Quest. He feels free to run around ME with Gimli, for instance. And yet Tolkien says that marriage is the natural state for an Elf. So I needed an explanation for why he'd be single. And a lost love was the best I could come up with.

Brazgirl	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 4/25/2005
Lovely end for your fic. Trully lovely. You started the fic well, had a nice and heartwrenching middle with all Legolas' misery, and a lovely end. I like you ended the fic with Legolas' visit to Naran's family. That was nice because it was something that was bothering him for a long time. I love when Beliond boss him and when he put some fear or I don't know, reluctance?, towards him. Thranduil was particulary special in this!!! Wonderful story, Daw. Author Reply: As I was writing this last chapter, it seemed to me that the close of this story was circling around to the beginning and picking up the same themes. Only Legolas has been changed by his experience. He's deeper and more sympathetic to others, and that's a good thing. Thranduil is my kingly hero. I love him!

Dot	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 4/25/2005
This chapter was absolutely perfect in every way. I was half afraid that because it was Legolas’ POV, we wouldn’t really get to see Thranduil’s feelings or thoughts but you managed it all so wonderfully well. I couldn’t ask for anything more. Legolas’ worries and fears always affect his dreams. How hard for him not to even be able to find some peace in sleep. I just loved his vague recollections of his arrival home. There’s something quite heartbreaking about him falling asleep and being helped home and practically carried into his room by his father, even while at the same time it’s a relief to know that in Thranduil’s presence he could finally give in to his exhaustion. And it’s good to see Thranduil appear in his room, knowing exactly what Legolas needed. I thought the fire was a lovely touch. The thought that Legolas is so cold in his grief and tiredness gives an extra, and very touching, sense of vulnerability to him. I like the way Thranduil immediately recognises the depth of Legolas’ grief. He understands the connection between elves that can happen in an instant and doesn’t doubt for a second that this is what Legolas experienced, even though it must have been a bit of a shock to him. I’m glad it was in his arms that Legolas was able to weep for his loss. It was a nice moment too when Legolas suddenly realises what Thranduil must have gone through when Lorellin died. But my heart went out to Thranduil. He’s so good at providing comfort to his sons but he never had anyone to just hold him, to share his grief or to reassure him that he would survive. He had to rely on his own strength, his duty as a king and father, and his hope that he’d be able to feel their connection again. Sometimes I think there’s something very lonely about Thranduil, for all his strength and power. But I like the way he can take comfort from the fact that it is a temporary separation from his wife, no matter how long it lasts, because they will meet again some day. “Come, love,” he added. “Kiss me good bye.” I love that! I’d been missing Ithilden in this. I also really enjoyed naughty Eilian teasing Alfirin. I was wondering what had happened Celuwen. Beliond!! He’s so great. Alfirin never seems too thrilled to have him turn up but he’s exactly what Legolas needs. I’m still laughing at the way he just orders Legolas to follow him, fully expecting that he will, and Legolas surprises them all by enthusiastically doing as he’s told. I was thrilled that we finally get to see Beliond relaxing in the forest. He turns into such a wood-elf. In some ways I think that Legolas’ suffering has made Beliond look at his own losses and think about how he deals with it. He’s opened up a lot just by sharing this place with Legolas and of all of them, he’s the one who could provide what Legolas needed most. Thranduil was never able to just take refuge in the forest to help him through his grief because he had his family and realm to deal with and even still he can’t take Legolas off, but Beliond can. I’m wondering if there’s more to this place than just beauty and comfort for Beliond, if perhaps he has memories here. But whatever the reason, he’s providing great comfort for Legolas. He’s still hilarious, though. “Then perhaps we will just enjoy the moment. In silence.” LOL. “Why should Sinnarn take responsibility when you are so eager to take it all on yourself, big brother?” Didn’t Sinnarn himself say something similar? Sinnarn just needs time and space to learn his own strengths and Ithilden needs to take a step back and appreciate his son for what he is. It’s good that Sinnarn is doing well. Elorfin sounds like a good captain to learn from too. I loved the little detail of Thranduil watching Legolas and seeing his difficulty in being around such happiness between husband and wife. Of course, Thranduil knows very well what that’s like. I remember him not being able to watch the absolute joy and love between Celuwen and Eilian on their wedding day. The easy presence of Annael and the even more uncomplicated presence of a horse seem to be good for Legolas. It’s great to see the two friends have fun together like that. I had thought about Elowen and wondered if he’d go and see her. I love the way you’re pacing Legolas’ healing, by the way – the guilt at sleeping, the difficulty at being around people’s happiness and the slow awareness of others in the way he tries to please Alfirin by eating and realising that he is surrounded by people who have experienced loss and who know what it is like and have come through it to find happiness again. Eilian tried to explain that to him in the camp but he needed to see it himself. Even by going to see Naran’s parents, he’s moved away from guilt and questioning to just being there, listening to them and sharing their grief. It’ll probably do him good too to know that while he and Naran’s parents are still experiencing fresh grief, one day they’ll get to where Annael, Elowen, Beliond and Thranduil are. The scene with Galelas was done so well. I love the fact that Eilian was already there! It’s also really sweet that Vanduil writes to him. Of course Galelas’ mother is as tactless and clueless as ever. “Nothing worse” indeed. Galelas is probably embarrassed but at least Legolas can see now what Eilian sees and in turn Galelas has learned a little of Legolas. It was good of Legolas to praise Galelas, and the best thing is that he really means it. “Celuwen has learned that I was training some of the settlement Elves in combat and that that was what we were doing when we saw the flames on the mountain.” Well… he does kind of deserve her annoyance! He’s right, though, that the settlers do need to know how to defend themselves. She’ll come around. Her resourceful wood-elf warrior will win her over again. The last scene was one of my favourites out of all your stories. I imagine Legolas’ loss would indeed have brought back memories of his wife for Thranduil. And Legolas should be well used to his father knowing exactly what he’s thinking and feeling! I just loved the story of little Legolas “helping”. And after getting through nearly all of this chapter, the line “She laughed,” he breathed. “And she said, ‘That is enough help for now, my heart’” brought tears to my eyes! How wonderful for him to have a memory of her, and such a lovely one too (I went to look something up that puzzled me about this and discovered you’d changed it!). “Loss can break us, Legolas, or it can make us stronger, more compassionate, more aware of what is important and what is simply trivia. I know how strong a person you are. I have faith that you will weather this well and be happy again.” Thranduil, of course, is wise as always. While others can tell Legolas that he’ll get through this, he knows that Thranduil speaks from experience and from his heart. I think Thranduil needed Legolas’ words about following his example too. He’s opened himself up to memories and shared a very personal experience with his son so it’s good to see that Legolas appreciates it and can reassure Thranduil that he’s taken it to heart. And Legolas can laugh again so we can be reassured that he’s on the way to healing. I’m so sorry to see this one end (btw, it still says ‘in progress’ on SoA). I really enjoyed being in Legolas’ head for a while, even when his world wasn’t a happy one. It’s amazing how much I feel I’ve learned even of the people around him just by seeing the world though his eyes. Another triumph, daw! :-) Author Reply: I had to think about how Thranduil would deal with this, and I finally decided he needed to both open and close the chapter. He's the person in the family who knows best what Legolas is feeling, and he takes charge at the start to give his grieving son some privacy and a listening ear. And at that point, Legolas is still concentrated on his own grief. But wanting to please Alfirin and feeling a moment of sympathy for his father are both tiny signs that he can come out of himself a little for the sake of those he loves. Then by the end, Thranduil knows that Legolas is ready to listen and he offers him good advice. And Legolas understands his father in a way he hadn't before. He sees him as a husband who has lost his wife. I think when Lorellin died, Legolas would have been too little to be aware of others' grief. But as an adult, he can process all this better. I think this second death has helped him heal a little better from the first one. And so he gets that memory back. (And yes, I edited "Tangled Web"! Sometimes writing these stories out of order is a pain.) And Beliond did a very generous thing by sharing his time and place in the woods with Legolas. He knows that it comforts him to be there, and he thinks it might comfort Legolas too. In doing that, he's letting Legolas see something he normally keeps very private. Of course, he's not going to be all sympathy and tea about it though! And he and Alfirin are just not on the same wave length at all! LOL At one point, I had decided that this story should have been organized differently because the opening was too slow, but I did appreciate the fact that when I came to this ending, Legolas could go to all the people he had seen in the start, revisit some of those themes, and see how he had changed. He's more open to the pain of others, I think, and maybe more willing to just live a little bit in the moment because he knows how fleeting it is now. Her resourceful wood-elf warrior -- That made me laugh! Celuwen loves him and will probably concede that the settlers needed to learn what Eilian had to teach. He's not backing down about it, so she might as well. He usually gives way to her, I think, so when he doesn't, she knows it's important. Thank you so much for this lovely review, Dot. I went and changed the story's status on SoA. Thank you for reminding me.

French Pony	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 4/25/2005
How neat to find this upon coming home from the family seder! It's especially interesting because, right before we began, Cousin Milt stood up and gave the little speech introducing all the distant relatives from two branches of a rather large extended family. Apparently, the father of one of the cousins-in-law died this past week. The cousin-in-law herself wasn't there, but several members of her immediate family were. Milt stressed that, even as we were to mourn for the one who had died, a holiday was a holiday, and we were not to let the death of one halt the celebration of Passover completely. Even after death, life keeps on going, and Passover keeps coming, and the seder goes on as planned. Sounds like Legolas could use a little visit with Cousin Milt right now, or with Uncle Bernie, who's buried three wives (and it's probably a good thing that Elves never have to go through doing that). Failing that, he has Thranduil and Beliond and Elowen and Annael, and all the other wonderful, loving people in his life. I think it's probably a testament to their love for him and their willingness to get involved with his problems that prevented him from turning into a bitter shell. If Galelas had been the one to lose a girlfriend, I can't imagine his family being half so supportive, and he'd probably end up a muttering old hermit out in the woods throwing rocks at women and children to keep them away. It's also instructive to see, as Legolas makes his rounds, just how many of your cast of supporting characters have lost a close relative. Death may be an unnatural experience for Elves in general, but it's all too familiar to the Elves in this particular community. They're nearly as practiced at dealing with it as humans are, which says something sad about the state their lives are in. Thranduil, of course, is in fine form. But we expected that. He's an absolute master of knowing the right thing to do, especially with Legolas. I guess he's better with Legolas than with the other two because he raised that kid with no help. I was half expecting him to quote my mother and say that a kid is never be too big to sit in its parent's lap and be comforted. And then I remembered that you don't know my mother, so you wouldn't know she'd said that. But Thranduil came close enough anyway. The pruning shears story, by the way, smells suspiciously of being something that you've experienced from the naneth's point of view. And I see that you've decided to give Legolas a little reward for all the tsuris you put him through this story, and he gets a little memory of his mother back. I suppose the question is whether it was worth the pain. But he had to have something, and that was a nice thing to give him. So, now that the story's over, what prompted the Fickle Finger of Fate to point in Tuilinn's general direction? Were you looking for a big bat to smack Legolas with? Author Reply: It's so odd to think of Elves having to figure out how to go on with life after the death of a loved one when that's not the way they were meant to be at all. Arda is marred indeed, and Mirkwood in particular is a hard place to live, I think. Legolas is very lucky to have this loving family, and I'm thinking that his loss makes him more understanding of others who have suffered in similar ways. He eventually gets to the point where he can see that he's not the only one who has suffered. That took him a while, but he got there! I do agree with you that Thranduil probably has an easier time knowing how to care for Legolas than he does the older two. He's had more practice as a single parent, and what's more, in this case, he and Legolas share a loss that the other two can only sympathize with. So I think that makes an added bond between them. I'm deeply gardening deficient, so if my kid ever picked up pruning shears, he found them at a neighbor's house. But "I help" is pretty common! Yes indeed. Helping with the dishes = spot washing the kitchen floor. Tuilinn bought it because it seems to me that Legolas was single by the time of Quest. He looks single, feeling free to run around ME with Gimli, for instance. So I had to have an explanation for that because Tolkien says that marriage is the natural state for Elves. So a lost love seemed to me to be a good way to go.

moonshine44(ff.n)	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 4/25/2005
Well Daw, I am most unhappy to see this story come to an end. It was great! The ending was especially good. The memory of Legolas and his mother added the perfect touch to the story. It was so sweet! I do still feel bad for Legolas, though. It must be hard for him to watch his brothers be so happy and know that he won`t have the same happiness for a long time. He is lucky to have Thranduil to help ease his pain a little, or at least confide in him when he wants. I`m glad to know that it will all work out for him : ) I have so many questions I could ask. Like are there many more stories in the future? Or what`s the next story about and when is it coming? Are these hints to vague? lol. Not to be pushy or anything : p Ok one more thing. On ff.n, where you list the order of your fanfiction stories, I think you may have forgotten to list Time`s Turning. Just thought I`d point that out in case you wanted to know. Well, I can`t wait to read the next story(if you write one which I hope you do!) so good luck writing! Author Reply: Before I forget, thank you for telling me about "Time's Turning" not being on the list at ff.net. I think when I posted it, ff.net wouldn't let me get to my settings, but I can't remember. Anyway, I fixed it. I was happy to start and end this chapter with Legolas and his father. Thranduil knows what Legolas is feeling and is willing to listen and then, after a while, offer good advice. He shares himself with his son, and Legolas sees him in a way he hadn't before, I think. And the memory of Naneth was a startling gift for Legolas. Naneth's death and Tuilinn's have sort of merged for him, I think, but I hope this time he's an adult and will be able to make sense of death in a way he couldn't as a child. I think of the recovered memory as a sign of that. I don't know what I'll write next. Maybe Legolas as an elfing, or maybe Eiliand and Celuwen having elflings! There are lots of possibilities. I need a little break, but not too long of one!

sheraiah	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 4/25/2005
Just re-read this and remembered something I left out of my original review! The bit about little!Legolas 'helping' with the roses just about slayed me. I've been 'helped' like that a lot lately by my almost 3 year old son. They're so impossibly cute when they 'help' that you can't even fuss at them for destroying things with their 'help. Great addition, and also so very true to life! Hugs, sheraiah Author Reply: I think your son and Legolas must have been at equivalent ages when the roses incident took place! I could just picture little Legolas beaming up at his mother, so pleased with the "help" he was giving. Sounds like your son is doing the same thing. daw

Alison H	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 4/25/2005
Thank you, Daw for this wonderful, heartbreaking, but heartwarming story.I think all your reviewers want to hug Legolas into oblivion! Poor, poor elf but he has the love of his family and friends to help him recover. I just love Thranduil when he shows just what a caring father he is.When he said that Legolas was more important than his officail duties I smiled at the joy Legolas felt from that simple statement.Such a tender moment. You weave such a realistic portrait of the lives of these elves that they always seem to be living, breathing people--and so this story was often very hard to read because I adore them all so much.I am definitely addicted to this family and I hope you always write about them and share your tales with us. Now go and have a nice, long rest and I look forward to your next story. Hugs, Ali. Author Reply: Thank you, Ali. I appreciate your kind words throughout this story. Thranduil is the best. When the chips are down, his kids are the most important thing in his life and they need to know it. How hard it must be for him to send his sons into danger. This story was hard to write too. I tried to stay inside of Legolas's head and that wasn't always a happy place. But I learned a lot doing it. I'm glad you liked it.

sheraiah	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 4/25/2005
Daw, I think that of all your fantastic stories, and I do love them all, this one is my favorite. I love stories that make me cry to begin with, but this one is special on several levels. One, it's a completely plausible explanation as to why Legolas is single at the time of the Quest even though he's long past the age when elves traditionally marry. Two, his reactions and emotions are so in keeping with Tolkien's ideals and also so true to human experience that the average reader can relate to them. And third, the reactions of his friends and family are so well handled, particularly Thranduil's. Of course, since he's my all-time favorite of Tolkien's characters it's not surprising that I think that. ;-) And while I would dearly love to see you do a story where Legolas reunites with both Tuillin and his naneth in Valinor, I can understand completely why you would be reluctant to do it. Of course, if I manage to sic any plot bunnies on you, so much the better. But, I'm evil anyway and it'd be payback for the two or three I've had bite me because of reading your stories. Loved it, Daw, and I can't wait to see what you do next. Hugs, sheraiah Author Reply: Thank you so much, Sheraiah. I'm so glad you found this story to be plausible, true to Tolkien, and tear worthy! That's all very high praise. And Thranduil is wonderful. I do adore him. He was just the right person to comfort Legolas here. He knew what his son was going through, so he listened and sheltered Legolas from too many questions, and waited until Legolas was ready to hear before he gave any advice. Who could ask for more? I'm also glad to hear you've had plot bunnies from reading my stories! Plot bunnies are good. As the fandom gradually shrinks with the dying down of the movie frenzy, we need more people thinking up good plots.

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