Stories of Arda - Lord of the Rings Fan-Fiction Archive


	About Us News Resources Login Become a member Help Search

The Golden Bell of Greenleaf by lwarren	11 Review(s)
Silivren Tinu	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 12/28/2006
HE WANTS TO GO TO THE SEA?! Well, I can't blame Aragorn for reacting the way he did - I'd like to grab Legolas and tie him up somewhere myself! sigh Well, he probably really needs this, but to have him riding to the sea of all places, ALONE, is somehow not very reassuring. I loved how you described Firien Wood and its mysterious song, and of course I loved Anna! "Pretty", indeed, lol! The scene where she and Legolas meet for the first time was so sweet (I wish I could be her!). I also liked her family very much. Legolas getting his revenge on Aragorn was great as well - the elf is probably a bit too recovered right now for Aragorn's taste! ;-) Anna forcing them to reconciliate was priceless. g I also liked Legolas telling Aragorn about his dream. I love the gentle way the two of them treat each other, and Aragorn's ability to understand his friend so well, even if he isn't able to hear Iluvatar's song. Aravir and Arod are obviously as happy about Legolas' decision as I am. pokes elf If he dares to run into problems, I will come after him, too! I liked Legolas' thought that Aragorn "sounds just like Adar sometimes". g Loved it! :) Author Reply: "HE WANTS TO GO TO THE SEA?" :-) My reaction exactly! But then, he is a stubborn elf! LOL I, too, fell in love with Anna! She was so much fun to write (and I think I would have reacted in the same way to the 'pretty' elf!) Again, my favorite part was getting back at the King for his teasing (can you say "look out below!"?) and the whole argument between the two friends...along with Anna's refereeing! Legolas finally told Aragorn about his dream - I think he thought this might help Aragorn understand his decision to take a short seaside vacation. HA! You and I are both as excited about this decision as Aravir and Aragorn. (Tell you what, you hold the elf down and I'll tie him up, ok?) Thanks again for taking the time to read and review, Tinu! Linda

Nieriel Raina	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 10/19/2006
I am enjoying this story so much! It is very well written and I love your portrayal of Legolas and your other characters, especially Legolas' interaction with the different new mortals he meets. The little girl, Anna was great! Oh...you misspelled elvellon...you have it evellon, it needs an 'l' after the 'e' grin Can't wait to read more!! NiRi Author Reply: Darn it! I'll go correct that asap...thanks NiRi! Wasn't Anna sweet? I had more fun with that little girl and her fascination with the 'pretty' elf! I am glad you are enjoying the story! (frowns at slow self Sorry this reply took so long.) Linda

Dot	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 4/4/2005
sigh Linda, I’m so sorry that it’s taking me so long to review this wonderful story. Between RL stuff, lack of time, losing our pope… And I thought I was nearly finished and then you went and updated again!! I hope all is well with you. Please don’t worry about trying to respond to every review. I love hearing from you but I know it takes time and I certainly don’t want you to feel like you have to get it all done. I’m glad you didn’t go deleting things to shorten this! What a really enjoyable chapter. You made me smile to see the high spirits of the group as they indulged in a horse race. Of course Legolas and the mare won!! It was so touching that Arod would try to reassure him so as not to dampen the joy his elf just felt. I’m still chuckling at the image of Legolas making them all wait on him :-) LOL at the two elves getting completely carried away at the thought of the trees. They’re lucky the men are so indulgent! I just loved their little sojourn at Oak Grove. I felt a little like I was in an Enid Blyton book there for a while, with this strange wood and interesting inhabitants ;-) Anna is just adorable. I really liked the suggestion that she had heard stories of the elves, knowing immediately what Legolas meant when he informed her of what he was. Legolas is pretty!! Just don’t tell him I said that! I thought Brandel was such a great character too. He’s a wonderful mixture of a good father and husband, a simple man who was deeply affected by what he saw in Minas Tirith, and a genuinely honest person. He’s also perceptive enough to know how Aragorn wishes to be treated. I thought it was a lovely moment when he expresses his gratitude for all that Aragorn and the Fellowship did for people like him. It was such fun to see Aragorn and Legolas tormenting each other. The image of Anna sleeping in Legolas’ arms was just so cute, and a beautiful moment of joy for him, and I had to laugh at her ensuring that two of her new friends behaved themselves and could get along! You know, one of my favourite parts of this chapter was Aravir calling Legolas “elfling.” I grow fonder of Aravir with each chapter and it’s so great to see him really loosening up and feeling at ease with his friendship with his prince. Ah. So Legolas finally told Aragorn about his experience. My heart went out to him because it seemed like a difficult thing for him to do. Aragorn’s compassion speaks volumes of how much he loves and understands Legolas. His happiness that Legolas has rediscovered some joy was so moving, as was the beautiful, rather poignant image of them sitting together under the stars, Legolas singing softly and Aragorn listening intently. Legolas is going WHERE?? To do WHAT?? Ack. I don’t blame those who love him for fearing for him so much. But I’ll trust you… for now… :-) Author Reply: Hello Dot! Do not apologize for taking a while to review - I totally understand. And I love responding to each review...it just kind of irks me when I can't do it in a timely manner. :-) I'm glad you think it was ok to leave the chapter as is. I was finished - I thought - and sat down to proof it once more...found a couple of places that needed a little more explanation, and lo and behold, Oak Grove, Anna and her parents were waiting to find their place. Things just kept jumping in, and I kept thinking "this is so long", but in the end, I couldn't cut anything and be happy with it. So I'm glad to hear it turned out all right. The race was fun to write...of course the mare would win over those big, overgrown war horses who think they are "all that"! vbg Legolas says to tell you he had a wonderful time bossing everyone around, especially Aragorn! ;-) Of course, the elves would be pining for trees after crossing the plains of Rohan. I think they were more than ready to leave the slow men behind! Anna turned out to be one of my favorite parts of this...I can just see her inching up until she's leaning on Legolas' arm and telling him he's pretty! (Shhhh...I think so, too, Dot!) I wanted Aragorn to have some time with some of his loyal subjects without the trappings of court. I would think he wouldn't be able to do that often, and he was surprised when Brandel recognized him. Brandel, I think, recognized the King was traveling incognito, but he still wanted to do something to show his gratitude. I figured if I was 17 or so and saw the coronation and marriage of a King, I would definitely keep it as as one of my most vivid, fond memories, much as Brandel has. I liked giving Aragorn some time with his appreciative people! As for Legolas and Aragorn tormenting each other, well, what are friends for? And Anna is a bossy little girl...her nana says no fighting, and that goes for these two new friends, too. So she sets them straight! LOL I had more fun with the water poured on Aragorn'a head...so did the elf! I'm so glad you're liking Aravir! I like him, too. He's really developed beyond what I had planned, but Legolas needs a good friend beside him in Ithilien when Aragorn isn't there. Aravir is MUCH older than Legolas, so I thought the "elfling" was appropriate, especially since the elfling had just dumped a waterskin full over the head of the King of Gondor! :-) Yes, Legolas had to tell Aragorn about his experience with Nienna and hope his friend would understand. He knows what he wants to do once they reach Minas Tirith, and going home to Ithilien is not in his immediate plans. So it's imperative that Aragorn be told. For all the good it did him! To the sea. I know, I know...not the smartest thing the elf could do! Bear with him...there are some things he feels need resolving! Thank you for taking the time to write such a long, lovely review, Dot! I love reading them! linda

Eruanneth_Luin	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 3/31/2005
Chapter 11 Once again you paint such complete mind pictures of the mad race across the plains, the mysterious wood, and my favorite part, little Anna and her fascination with the elf. How I envied her the innocent encounter with the beautiful Legolas. (huge sigh) Small wonder that Aragon is upset with his friend, but sometimes we must just let go those we love to follow their own paths, however much we wish to restrain them. I am truly enjoying this story and hope there are many more chapters. Author Reply: I must confess, Anna is my favorite here too. She's so sweet, inching up until she's leaning on Legolas' arm...staring at that ear and wondering what in the world? When he says "elf", she knows! She's heard the stories her mother and father have told her about the elves! And he is pretty...of course, that opens a whole can of worms with Aragorn, the tease! LOL Yes, Aragorn is thoroughly upset with the idea of Legolas going off to the sea alone. Letting him go was very hard for him to do. Thank you,eruanneth - more chapters!? This was originally only supposed to have seven - a tale that has grown in the telling! grin linda

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 3/11/2005
I love the healing offered by the child, the growing acceptance of the need to be in the moment and not in the future. Author Reply: Thank you for the kind review, Larner. Little Anna was one part of that chapter that practically wrote itself! I never thought of Anna's interaction with Legolas as a healing one, but her total trust and acceptance of him had to be balm for his spirit (not to mention she makes one heck of referee for his and Aragorn's little spat!) :-) linda

SouthWind	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 2/9/2005
You have finally forced me out of lurk mode. Although I have limited use of computer time to feed my LOTR fan fiction addiction and an even smaller window to actually comment I wanted to make sure to get at least one review to you. This is an absoutely wonderful story! I have been completely hooked since I first discovered it (about 4 or 5 chapters had been posted). I am torn by wanting the whole story right now and wishing it would never end. The first thing that caught my attention was how well it is written (not to mention that my favorite elf plays a major part). You have a wonderful way with words and how you string them all together. But, as with all stories are really well done, I soon got so caught up in the story and the wonderful characters (including the horses!) that I forgot to be amazed by the actual writing. The plot is delightfully wonderful! To link Legolas' struggle with the sea longing to his first pending loss of a mortal friend, a friendship that was forged while on the quest (and I absoutely love that you have given his bond with Arod - the bond elves have with their horses - its day in the sun) is brilliant! Obviously Legolas has lost four legged friends before. But with Arod's slow decline he is brought face to face with the bitter reality that he now, for the first time (we can assume) has accumulated a passel of mortal friends; humans, dwarves and hobbits. And then there is the sea longing, but he does not want to leave his mortal friends until they are forced to leave him. Sigh, such a nice anxt/brotherly love set up! And you handle it so well! You use Logolas struggle as an opportunity to give he and his mortal friends ample chances to demonstrate the depth of their feelings for each other. Double sigh! And I really like your Aragorn, Legolas, Eomer, Gimli, Elfwine and now Eolyn (sp?) and her daughter (I love that they mother Legolas and that he likes it!) just to mention a few. They are people I like, admire and care about. And although they all have character traits I strive for but often don't quite own, they all seem very real and believable. I know this review does not do justice to your story but I wanted to let you know that I am very impressed and, more importantly, just love your story to bits! Thank you SO much for sharing. If I do not find time for another review, please be assured that I am reading and loving (and printing for my files) every new chapter! Kudos! SouthWind Author Reply: Southwind, this review could not have come at a more opportune time and I thank you so much for taking the time to de-lurk, as it were! I have long been fascinated and saddened by Legolas' largely unwritten struggle with the sea and what would obviously be an additional battle in facing the mortality of his friends. He had to have loved Aragorn and the others a great deal to fight so to stay with them. And I can't imagine the pain an immortal elf would feel watching those he loved slide into old age. This story has evolved about three different times and taken roads I never expected, and introduced me to new characters also. Elfwine was a very pleasant surprise, but I guess my favorite has to be Eolyn and maybe, little Anna. But it all started with Arod..I do love that horse! :-)..and has gone on from there. I'm glad you like it...I struggle sometimes with what I call my "wordiness", but you have encouraged me! Thank you for reviewing...I'm not too sure when I will update next (I lost my husband last week) but I will finish, I promise! Thanks again for encouraging words in a rather dark moment! linda

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 1/27/2005
Yes, it must be rather pleasant to get out into the freedom of the open air again. (I'm never too sure about the sewers of Edoras. I suspect it could have a rather medieval pong.) I'm glad Legolas's beautiful golden mare showed those stallions how to run! and it was good to see the elf pushing the others around - he seems to feel able to be playful again. I should think the others were only too happy to see it, too. It's a good thing that his connection to the song has had a boost, but I'm not altogether certain about this trip to the seaside. Legolas's joy has a bit too much euphoria about it - that kind of exultation that is a relief of pressure rather than a complete healing. He should have taken Arod with him. The bond between them seems strong enough for the horse to be of more help than most people at this point. So the trees of Firien sing an exceedingly strange song? Should this be a cause for concern, or are they just being individualistic? I liked the family - and the little girl. I wonder if meeting people (as opposed to lords) reminds Aragorn of what he has lost as a part of gaining the throne. There must be few left who treat him as a person rather than a position. It's no wonder he clings to old friends. And Legolas is great with kids. (He'll have to have lots of his own one day!) Looking forward to more. Author Reply: Yes, one has to wonder about the sanitation in those early, early cities! I would imagine a Wood Elf like Legolas would be absolutely desperate for fresh air and open spaces after a time! :-) The mare was not about to let those big, uppity stallions win that race...and Legolas was definitely feeling very relaxed and renewed. About time, too! g As for the trip to Lebennin, he's rather "tunnel-visioned" about that - he must go, but he's stubborn about taking any company. We'll see, tho' - that stubbornness of his has not been to his benefit in the past. Firien is a strange little wood, isn't it? :-) Brandel and his family made their appearance one night in what was supposed to be a "brief" revising session...HA! Aragorn I think was just tickled to be treated half-way normally, no court, no advisors...he could be himself and so could everyone else. Quite a novelty for all concerned, and a rare treat for him. Yep, Legolas needs a herd of kids of his own, I think! The thought of him being forever alone just doesn't bear consideration! Thank you for the kind review, Bodkin! linda

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 1/26/2005
I am really enjoying this so far--even without hobbits. Very nice examination of what it meant to Legolas, not only the sea-longing, but his future grief at sooner or later losing his mortal friends. And this last chapter was an absolute delight, every word. I am glad you did not change it. Author Reply: Thank you, Dreamflower! I've read several of your stories (Up the Withywindle and Eucatastrophe), and for you to enjoy this hobbit-less story is very encouraging for me!!! :-) Legolas has just been hit from all sides in the story (from ch.1) with loss, which led to thinking about more loss and to top it all, the sea-longing was fast overwhelming him! But as he told Arod before he sent him on to Ithilien...things are better now! (Thank goodness - I hate to hurt the elf!!!!) This chapter was so funny - I had it done and sat down one night to add a "little", and five hours later I was going "Oh Lord, this is TOO long!" Then I couldn't bring myself to get rid of any thing, sooooo there you have it! I'm glad you liked it, though! Thanks for such a kind review! linda

Maid of Ithilien	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 1/25/2005
I haven't been reviewing like I should, but this is a wonderful story. I'm enjoying it immensely, especially the interaction between Legolas and the horses and his relationship with Aragorn. Your solution for how Legolas was able to endure the call of the sea is unique and I love how he has discovered that his is the song that brings harmony. Author Reply: Thank you, and I'm just glad you reviewed now (this chapter was kind of scary to post)! I love writing the friendships - between Legolas and Aragorn, of course...but I've really enjoyed Legolas and Arod! It's also encouraging to read that my view of Legolas and the sea-longing is working. I've read so much about MUSIC in Tolkien's works and I wanted the elf who sings quite a bit in LotR to have a close connection to the Great Song Tolkien wrote about. If that is coming across, then I am ecstatic!!!!! Thank you again! linda

daw the minstrel	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 1/25/2005
Parts of this (the parts you considered cutting?) reminded me of The Hobbit. The characters traveled and met the inhabitants and saw the land. I enjoyed the visit to Anna and her family especially. Aragorn needed that, I think. But then there's the thread of the song that runs throughout this, the song that Legolas has to explore and learn. He's very brave to go to the sea. I look forward to seeing how it comes out. Author Reply: Hello, daw! THE HOBBIT...I hadn't thought of that. I suppose it was kind of like that with them traveling and stopping and traveling and stopping (with everything in between). I really got caught up in putting the trip down mile for mile :-/ and it ended up so long...but I couldn't find any place that I felt like deleting. So, I just put it all in - and prayed! I'm glad you liked the visit with Anna; and you're right, Aragorn needed to meet some of his people without advisors and guards and the trappings of the court. He needed to see what his reign in accomplishing - happy, prosperous people who appreciate him! Yes, the song and the sea. Legolas has seen the sea in his "dream"...the reality of the sea...he's going to need his courage and his new found knowledge of the song to face the real thing. Thanks for the kind review! linda

First Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Last Page

Return to Chapter List