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 | 9 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Ellie | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 5/31/2005 |
| I'm enjoying this story very much! The inner struggle of Elrohir is very well protrayed and Aragorn's selfish attitude is well done too. I think I'd be afraid of Elladan as well after he got as angry as he did. Can't wait for more! Author Reply: So glad you're enjoying it. I'd be afraid of Elladan, too, if he was that angry at me. I almost feel sorry for Estel, except that he deserves what he gets. He may have been disappointed, but it really didn't excuse his mean behavior. More coming either today or tomorrow! | |
| Kitty | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 5/28/2005 |
| What an awful outcome after being so reasonable! Poor little Elrohir! No wonder he could never forget this! He was so little then, and rat bites even in the face *shudders* Although this is only the first part of the story, I'm already feeling quite sick. Probably I can't think about rats or see one without thinking about this for a long time. I wonder how long the poor little guy is trapped there? It must be very traumatic - trapped in the dark, the fear, hunger and thirst, the pain from his ankle ... hopefully the others are going to miss him soon and start the search. I wonder if at least Belmandren will have a bad conscience if Elrohir doesn't emerge anywhere and Elrond starts a search and tells his lord what he and Johir have done? They both wouldn't let him suffer for days, wouldn't they? Or maybe Elladan is able to sense something through his bond with Elrohir? Please update soon, I'm dying to know more! Author Reply: Poor fellow is right! You think you're being good, then get all excited when the "big" boys ask you to play, and then you end up being stuck in the dark, hurt, and terrified that you're going to be eaten. Not exactly a good day! The next chapter is going to show the others' reaction when they find him missing, and yes, Belmandren does feel guilty. So does Johir, but Belmandren, as you guessed, is the more sympathetic character. And Elladan will feel something through the bond, but it's kind of new and he wont' realize right away what it means. Update is coming soon! | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 5/28/2005 |
| Poor Elrohir. Well, if there's one lesson he's learned from this (apart from large quantities of rats in dark places are icky), it's - don't try to behave yourself. It only ends up in worse trouble. Follow your brother and friend headlong into disaster, whether you approve or not; it will lead to fewer problems in the end. How unfair that his common sense led directly to his being left alone to fall into the hands of a nasty pair of elfling tormentors. If Elrond had to make a point that Elladan and Legolas were being punished and Elrohir wasn't, he should have made sure that someone was entertaining son number 2 within earshot of son number 1. Because I see Elrohir's point totally! I loved Elladan's authoritative lordly manner - even when flat out with broken bones and general feeling awful. He must have done it very well, to get brattish Estel to turn automatically and do his bidding. (I think the only reason I'm not itching to slap said Estel at the moment is that he featured very little in this chapter. Elrond must be showing inordinate self-control in his dealings with his foster-son at the moment. Elven patience must come in useful.) The thought of lying on the ground in a pitch dark cavern, with a broken ankle and large quantities of rats running over me is totally cringe-worthy. I'm glad I didn't find this chapter last night. It is definitely better read in daylight. More please. Author Reply: I think you have Elrohir's reaction pegged. I've gone back and forth on how I want this to affect him (disregarding his aversion to rats). One option is to have him do what you said...follow Elladan's lead regardless of his own thoughts. A second one, though, would be to make him not follow anyone and become disobedient and angry. I'm leading toward option 'a,' but am not quite sure yet. Yeah, I like Elladan's 'lord' act as well. Elrohir for some reason has always been my favorite, but the more I write of Elladan, the more I like him. Maybe I should do a story that focuses on him. Hmmm... | |
| Creashuns | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 5/28/2005 |
| WOW! Great Chapter! I'm glad that you updated so quickly! Creashuns Author Reply: Thanks! Glad you liked it! I'll get the next one up fairly soon, too, although the following ones will take longer (barely outlined at this point). | |
| Tigger | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 5/27/2005 |
| GASP!! Oh NO!! The poor wee thing. No wonder he's as terrified of rats as he is. You can't just leave him there. Post the next chapter and soon!! Author Reply: Indeed, he has good reason to be afraid of the rats. I sure would be. You'd never get me back into a cave. (Actually, I enjoy caves, so I guess I should be grateful I've never encountered any rats in them!) I'll get the next chapter up soon...I promise! | |
| Elena Tiriel | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 5/27/2005 |
| Oh, dear. Did I happen to mention that I'm claustrophobic? This was... intense. And difficult to read, in the sense that it roused a lot of, er, rather unpleasant emotion... I definitely empathize with Elrohir... so, in other words, it is evocative and well-written. Ack! Ack! Ack! And I *knew* you were going to leave us with a cliff-hanger, but I read it anyway! Ack! - Barbara, a glutton for your brand of angst... ;-D Author Reply: Oh dear! At least I didn't make Elrohir claustrophobic...that would have been awful for him. (Uh, not that what happened wasn't awful as well.) Sorry about that cliff hanger. I'm not trying to be intentionally suspenseful--it was just a natural place to cut off the chapter. The next one will be up soon, though. Either tonight or tomorrow, I hope. So glad you like my brand of angst!! ;) | |
| perelleth | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 5/27/2005 |
| ICk! I'm with poor Elrohir! I'd hate rats forever (and mischievous elves, btw) had something even remotely like that ever happened to me! Gosh, it's awful, the poor creature! He seems to have bad luck with people, doesn't he? If Estel doesn't come to his senses with this tale, then I vote that he's served the same treatment, blinded, bounded and gagged, in attention to his "older" age! My! no wonder Elladan was so enraged! They must have been so frightened when they noticed that he wasn't around! Go on! You cannot possibly let the poor child lying there for a long time! ;-) Author Reply: Yeah, I think I'd be a little suspicious of the older boys for awhile myself. It's really a shame, though, that he's learning to trust his instincts the hard way. Elladan, in time, will come to learn everything that Elrohir went through, so he does have good reason to be angry at Estel. He knows what it meant for Elrohir to be in that cave. Sorry I have to leave Elrohir trapped for awhile longer. Help will be on the way soon, though! | |
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 5/27/2005 |
| OK. This was so horrible that I have to admit that I skimmed the last few paragraphs. You got me! Ick,ick,ick. I felt so sorry for the little guy. Somebody has to come and get him NOW!!! Author Reply: Oh dear, I didn't mean to make it that horrible. I skimmed over a lot of the icky part, I thought, and didn't give a lot of graphic details. Ah well, the whole point was to show why he has a legitimate reason for his later reaction. Uhm, no one's coming quite yet to get him. They will soon, but the way the chapters are set up, it will still be a while. I guess the good thing is that he is unconscious at the moment, so he isn't aware of the passing of time. | |
| Jay of Lasgalen | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 5/27/2005 |
| Ai, poor Elrohir! How terrified he is. You do a good job of writing the argument with Elladan - it starts out a very minor disagreement, but rapidly escalates out of control. Neither of them want this, but neither can back down. Then Elrohir falls in with the older elves - he's still sensible, and can see the flaws in their story, but doesn't want to seem a baby ;( The rats are horrible (even though they're panicked as well, and just want to get away from the elfling treading on them!) and I don't wonder that Elrohir is so terrified. I just hope Elladan hears his terror, or Elrond does. Author Reply: Unfortunately, I drew from my own experience for the argument. It's so easy to start out with a minor conflict and then it escalates before you know it. I guess that's a good thing about not being a five-year-old--you actually can realize when things are going off-track! I do feel sorry for Elrohir being tricked by the older boys. I felt very mean making him feel so happy that they wanted him with them, knowing that they were just stringing him along. Rotten boys! They'll feel suitably contrite later, but I'm not sure Elrohir will appreciate that. Elladan does hear Elrohir's terror, but I figure that the twins didn't understand their bond that well when they were very small, so Elladan doesn't realize at first why he's feeling uneasy (part of the next chapter). Oh...and I DID read your "death" story, but didn't review because I didn't quite know what to say. As always, the writing was excellent, but I simply don't like death fics. I don't mind an angsty story (obviously), but in the end I want that happy ending. I guess I read about enough sad and tragic things in the news. So, I prefer to think of the twins sailing off eventually to join their parents. Anyway, sorry, next time I'll review anyway. I do love your writing. | |