News Resources
Login
Become a member
Help
Search
|
|
| About Us News Resources
Login
Become a member
Help
Search
|
|
|
| The True Face of Courage by FirstMate | 107 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Kitty | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 4/20/2005 |
| Welcome back! I'm so happy you're finally able to post again! Hope you have not so much stress now. Poor Elrohir, there must have been a very bad experience for him to fear caves and rats so much. I don't love this beasts, either, and so it was quite a disgusting image how the rats ran over him. Probably I would've freaked out even without bad memories from a former incident. Now I look forward to know more about the reasons for his anxiety, and I'm glad Legolas is there and so understanding as well. Maybe he knows why Elrohir fears this? And Estel ... well, he's in a difficult age, and his hero-worshipping view at his brother doesn't fit with what he has witnessed now. It's understandable he came to the wrong conclusion. But I think he will come to see this different very soon and learn an important lesson from this. Can't wait for more - I hope you will be able to update soon! It's a very promising start! Author Reply: Hey Kitty! So nice to hear from you! No, life's not too stressful at the moment. It's wonderful to be home and I'm definitely enjoying being part of the Internet again. Legolas does know part of why Elrohir hates rats and he, along with Elladan, will try to explain things to Estel, who will eventually see his brother in a different light. It'll be a few chapters from now, though, so have patience with him...he will learn his lesson before the end. fm | |
| Faith | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 4/20/2005 |
| awwww poor ro...its okay ro i dont like rats either....here have a free cone from free cone day at ben and jerrys:D Faith, the slightly obsesssed fangirl Author Reply: Seems to be a running theme in reviews...no one likes rats. I have to admit, I don't either. I guess that's why I picked them to be the star performers in Elrohir's nightmares. I'm sure your ice cream cone would have been greatly appreciated, though! fm | |
| The Karenator | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 4/20/2005 |
| Oh my! Rats! I had visions of Indiana Jones in The Last Crusade and kept hoping Elrohir would find a nice casket to shelter under. Unfortunately, not! I'm properly freaked out. Estel, the teenager. Yep, that's an age when they're sure that they know far more than anyone else. I hated to see his 'view' of Elrohir shattered, but in the long run, this could be a very good lesson in learning to overcome fear and a lesson in just what real courage is. You got a great set up going here and I look forward to seeing where this goes. I know...into a dark, rat-infested cave, but you know what I mean. :>) Glad to see you back. Karen Author Reply: Hmm, I'd forgotten that Indiana Jones scene. Poor Elrohir didn't have a convenient casket to hide under, though...too bad. Yeah, Estel's image of his brother is not what it used to be at the moment, but before I'm done with the story, he'll have a better understanding and will have gained some wisdom, too. And you're right, the story is going to end up in a dark, rat-infested cave! :) Thanks for the review! fm | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 4/20/2005 |
| **&#$%$* teenagers! How old / experienced do they need to be before they grasp the difference between fearless and brave? Probably, I'm glad to say, not much older than the lovely Estel is at the moment. This is a lovely portrayal of the future king in his most irritating and unpleasant phase. I think here 'his lip curling in disgust' is the point where I really felt like rearranging his facial features. I look forward to watching him undergo a learning process that, hopefully, has him turnging to jelly at the prospect of some previously unsuspected terror. And I hope Elladan is retrieved soon. And that Elrond sends Glorfindel to go and extract some painful penalties from a group of men who are clearly several elements short of functioning brainpower. I look forward to finding out. And I'm glad you're back. Author Reply: Oh dear. I hope you don't think too badly about Estel, especially after the next chapter when he behaves even worse. He IS a teenager and as much as I think they can be great, in the end they are still very young and have a lot to learn. I don't envision making him fear something specific in this story (except maybe asking for his brother's forgiveness), but what he will do is learn a valuable lesson that he keeps for the rest of his life. It's okay to be afraid--it's how you deal with the fear that is important. Anyway, I'm very glad to be back too...thanks for your review! fm | |
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 4/20/2005 |
| Ok. I'm reading along here, enjoying the descriptions of (almost) fearless Elven warrior Elrohir and touchy teenager Estel. And I'm feeling kind of smug about Elrohir's fear of rats. And then you gave me that scene where they swarm out and run between his legs and crawlng on him and biting him. Ick! Ick! Ick! Ick! I've had to go back and correct about ten typos in the previous sentence because I'm so freaked out. Welcome back! Author Reply: Your review made me laugh! Yeah, it's hard to imagine not reacting if one were actually part of a similar scene. Yuck! Pitch dark, falling on rocks (ouch) and then have nasty little rodents running all over you and biting you. Double yuck! I don't blame the poor fellow for reacting badly, even if he hadn't already been afraid of them. I hope he didn't come across as a total wuss, though. That wasn't what I was going for. I wanted him to show fear so Estel could initally be scornful, but then later come to understand how facing your fears shows more courage than simply not being afraid in the first place. Anyway, it's great to be back...I missed writing and hearing from folks. (And now I have a lot of reading/reviewing to do, too. Don't know if I'll ever catch up, but I'll try). fm | |
| Jay of Lasgalen | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 4/20/2005 |
| Welcome back! It's great to see a new story from you. What, I wonder, is the cause of Elrohir's terror of dark places and rats? That's another back story you'll have to write! Estel's reaction was very natural for a boy of his age - I think he would initially feel scorn for a heroic older brother, utterly terrified by a few rats. His illusions have been shattered. Poor Estel - poor Elrohir. No doubt Estel will soon change his opinion, though. Just one niggle - I would have liked to see more of the lead up to this event, where the trade negotiations began to go wrong, and the men snatched Elladan (and how did they manage that??) Great story, though. Jay Author Reply: Hey Jay! Great to hear from you! The backstory on Elrohir's fear of caves/rats is a large part of this story, actually. There will be about 10 chapters or so total (10 is the plan, but judging from my last story, sometimes it takes me in directions that I haven't foreseen), and over half of them occur in the past, as Estel learns what caused Elrohir's fear. I agree with your comment on the lead up that it does leave several questions. I did consider adding more in the beginning on when the men took Elladan, but I find that I have to fight a tendency to put in more detail than I need, so I'd decided to leave what happened to him a mystery until later in the story when he tells his companions how he was taken. It won't be a long scene (er...at least I'm not planning it that way right now), but it will explain how they managed to take him. Thanks for your review...it's great hearing from you again! fm | |
| lwarren | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 4/19/2005 |
| Well, there's absolutely nothing like a teenager for jumping to conclusions! And Estel seems to have made a huge leap based on what he's seen...and of course doesn't understand! I hope the dear boy isn't in for a guilty time of it when the truth behind Elrohir's reaction comes out, tho' I foresee a lesson in the future! :-) Are those townspeople stupid, or what - taking Elrond's son hostage? And RATS - ick! I'm with Elrohir...they make my skin crawl! I dearly love the twins, Estel, and Legolas getting together for some new adventure! Thank you for sharing! linda Author Reply: Yeah, Estel did really jump to conclusions this time. He just hasn't learned yet that you can be afraid of something, but still be courageous. In fact, that pressing forward in spite of your fears can be even more courageous. Ah...he'll learn (I'll see to it) ;). He will have to go through feeling guilty, though. More from his reaction in the next chapter than his thoughts in this one. He behaves rather bratty and isn't very nice to his brother. But again, he'll learn and be a better person when it's all said and done. Well, thank you so much for your review (the first one for this story!) I'm glad you enjoyed it so far. fm | |