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The River by Indigo Bunting	17 Review(s)
Anso the Hobbit	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/17/2006
I do love this story! For one thing, Sam isn't the one people usually sweep down a river and that is nice to see! Yes, I'm evil, I know, lol. Also, it's very nice to see the hobbits boss Aragorn around, lol! Another thing is that Frodo isn't sick from his "bath" in the river. I do like it when people go off the traditional path in stories and write something new. :D

Ariel	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/27/2006
I wanted to tell you how much fun this fic is to read. It's got long chapters but doesn't repeat itself and is full of action and interesting detail. I love long stories that I can settle down with in the sofa and really enjoy. Thank you for this one! Author Reply: Wow, thanks, Ariel. I like long chapters, myself. I tend to like stories more that have long chapters; it takes effort and time to write them. I know exactly what you mean about having a story that you can settle down on the couch with. I hope that you get as sucked into this story as I am!

GamgeeFest	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 11/5/2005
Such a hard yet necessary decision to make, to seek shelter and look for their friends later. I can very well imagine they all had trouble sleeping and their silence during their meal shows how troubled and sorrow they all are. I love that in the previous chapter, Sam keeps his strength by remembering that Frodo needs looking after, and here, Frodo is desperate find Sam because Sam needs looking after. That is, of course, the crux of their relationship - they both look out for each other and would do anything to see the other safe. Finding Sam's pack and Legolas's bow has taken the little hope that remained from all of them it seems. Let's hope they still remain attentive enough to look for signs and not pass any up. Author Reply: Yes! That was exactly what I was trying to convey - the Fellowship's difficulty in being warm and full of food while knowing that their companions had no such comfort. And I'm so pleased that you commented on Frodo and Sam's attitudes, how each feels the need to look after the other. We all know why Sam thinks Frodo needs it, but I imagine that Frodo feels responsible for all of the younger hobbits.

babzee	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 11/1/2005
I'm really enjoying your story so far. You've done a great job of capturing the characters of each member of the Fellowship. They're each unique and 'right'. And you've got me worried about Sam and Legolas. Author Reply: Thanks, babzee, and welcome! I’m grateful for the time you’ve taken to leave some feedback, and I’m really glad you think that the characters work. That’s the big hurdle, especially since Tolkien left us so much room to play with some of them. It sure is easier being the author on a story like this (as opposed to being a reader). I’m going to do my best not to leave any cliffhangers up for a long period of time. At present there are eight chapters fully written, and I’m halfway through nine and ten each. After chapter eight the posting pace will have to decrease, but I’ve got chunks of most of the chapters written even after ten, so hopefully it won’t be too bad. I’m dangling on resolutions for several stories myself, and it’s frustrating when the wait drags out for months at a time.

Periantari	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/31/2005
You are beyond awesome~ I've been waiting for a good action/adventure story for quite a while and yours is just the one to make me very very very excited~!! My favorite parts so far is... haha.. where to begin? I just love the fact that it is Sam in jeopardy since he's one of my favorite characters (aloing with Frodo). YOu had me so on the edge of my seat from the first chapter~ and because of like 3 reccomendations from livejournal.com, i had to run over here pronto because i love action/adventure and especially focus on Sam. :) I have so much to praise~ but other reviews have touched upon your in-character description and writing of all the characters~ i really like your Legolas and like your Frodo and also Aragorn and everything is just so credible~ :) I am so anxious for more so will continue on~ FOr finding things left behind-- what does it all mean? O_o Keep up the good work! I am continuing now. :D Author Reply: Wow, thanks, Periantari! Welcome to the story, and thanks so much for taking the time to review! You say you heard of this story through a LJ recommendation? Who? Where? I’d love to know. I’m glad you used the word “credible” to describe the characters. It means a lot that you – and others – seem to think so.

French Pony	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/26/2005
You've taken one of the most difficult forms of writing -- telling a story about a natural force -- and done it excellently. The river, the focus of the story, is an inanimate thing with no agency of its own, so the story must be about the characters and their reactions to the river. And the character interaction works brilliantly here. I love the way that Aragorn and Boromir's discussions of Legolas and Sam's chances segue into conversations about their own backgrounds, as they get to know each other a little better. I like the realistic look at the missing ones' chances -- despite appearances, Legolas isn't a superhero, and can very well be brought down by natural forces. And I love the way that the remaining Company interprets the flotsam and jetsam left behind through the personalities of their owners to think about what might have become of them. Author Reply: Yes, yes! You’re the first person to really latch on to the title and its significance. You are right – the story isn’t really about the river, but it is at all times a central “figure”. It’s not as if it just made an appearance in chapters 1 and 2 and then vanished; it continues to play a role now and in future chapters. I think that that role with its many facets will become more clear as time goes on. You’re very right about Legolas not being a superhero, though he’s capable of quite a bit when pressed. He’s not done acting the strongarm, either, in part because of the role he has assumed for himself – that of Sam’s protector – and in part because he won’t have much choice. Eh; you’ll see what I mean soon enough.

Grey Wonderer	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/23/2005
(“Hope often lingers while the sun is shining, only to flee in the dead of night.) I was struck instantly by this line of Boromir's and I enjoyed the dialogue between Boromir and Aragorn in this chapter very much. I also enjoyed Pippin telling Aragorn to hurry because they would not wait for him. Again, I do have to tell you that I am enjoying this story very much. Hope there will be more soon! Author Reply: I think Boromir too often gets the short end of the stick. Despite the fact that he momentarily succumbed to the pull of the Ring, he wasn’t a bad man; he was a good man who was under a good deal of pressure. I enjoyed developing a bit of camaraderie between him and Aragorn in this chapter. And I’m glad you picked out that line of Pippin’s. It seemed to be like him – to tell Aragorn that they wouldn’t wait (even though they really need him to track Sam and Legolas). And there is more – right now. You do know that chapter 4 is up, right?

ziggy	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/22/2005
I really liked this- the story is gripping and the characters are totally convincing and true to canon. Poor old Sam- I am a bit worried about him, and even more for Legolas. I liked the bit where he stopped himself from goading Gimli- although it would have been worth writing for comic value- great idea. Gimli WOULD stagger back with full chain mail through a raging river. I still wonder though- what was Legolas doing that he didnt realise it was going to rain, and why did he wander off so far- hope you are going to tell us- but not going doesnt get in the way of a good story either. Please update soon- Author Reply: Interesting how you, like Aragorn, are more concerned about Legolas than about Sam. I stopped Legolas from dunking Gimli because while it’s important to establish their mutual dislike for each other, they’re not children. Legolas ought to have felt somewhat abashed when he realized how his sniping was affecting Frodo. To be fair to Gimli, the river wasn’t exactly raging yet when he came back to tell Frodo, Sam, and Legolas of the location of the campsite, but yes, he’s both brave and (sometimes) brash. As long as the water didn’t go past his nose, he’d probably think nothing of trying to ford across the river while wearing all his mail. As far as what Legolas should have expected regarding the river.... My thought was that he had no more expectation of a flash flood happening than Frodo or Sam did. That’s why flash floods can be so dangerous; they can happen even when it’s not raining at the location of the flood. In one of my responses to a previous review, I mentioned that the heavy rain upstream was what eventually caused the sudden rush of water. And yes, in the next chapter the reason for Legolas’ tardiness in returning will be given. If he didn’t have one, it would severely weaken both the story and my credibility as an author. Skimping on the setup would be a dead giveaway that all I wanted was to do was get to the action.

Mordaen	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/21/2005
This is so good. You are very adept at cliffhangers, and I'm dying to read what happens next. Author Reply: Oh, thank you very much, Mordaen! And welcome to the story, too. Your interest is really palpable; I’m glad you’ve found the story to be so involving.

daw the minstrel	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/21/2005
I like the image of all of them tracking the lost two. But I have to admit my heart stopped when they found Legolas's bow. The elf wouldn't be without it. No wonder Aragorn was so upset. Author Reply: Like I said in my reply to harrowcat, it was tough for me to write the loss of the bow into the story. Most members of the Fellowship seem to have some kind of iconic item that they carry. Gimli has his axe, Gandalf has his hat and his staff, Aragorn has Andúril, Boromir has his horn, and Frodo has the Ring, among other things. Sam’s got his pots and various homey items, and Legolas, of course, has his bow. Or he had it, at least. As far as Aragorn goes, I’ve obviously chosen to say outright that he and Legolas knew each other before the Quest. I don’t know whether Tolkien ever made their pre-Quest relationship very clear, but it seems to me that there’s not enough canonical evidence to say one way or the other. Personally, I like the idea that they might have been friends, which seems like a logical enough assumption for the reasons that I stated in this chapter. Aragorn was raised in Rivendell by Lord Elrond, and he’s also a Ranger – so he certainly could have crossed paths with Legolas before the Council of Elrond. Anyway, since I’m assuming that he already knew and valued Legolas, then that adds weight to his feelings when he sees the broken bow. And Boromir was right to observe that the hobbits aren’t as worried about Legolas as they are about Sam. It’s my thought that everyone in the Fellowship with the exception of Aragorn is going to worry more about Sam than about Legolas, in part because Aragorn has done such a good job in extolling the abilities of the Elves. Aragorn’s feelings of friendship make it difficult to take the same comfort from his knowledge. As a matter of fact, just who is worried about who – and why – is sort of a running theme in this story. It’s not a theme of Deep Meaning, but it keeps popping up in different ways.

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