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The River by Indigo Bunting	14 Review(s)
Grey Wonderer	Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 11/12/2005
Another wonderful chapter. I am guessing that Saruman has passed on a few tricks to Garan and I wonder if any are of the mind-reading quality. I also wonder just how far Legolas will be able to allow Garan to go with his torment of Sam before he is forced to say something? I know he can't tell these evil men about the ring and Frodo but I still wonder how he will have the strength to keep silent. I fear that Garan knows more from simply walking behind Sam all day than anyone suspects. I am sure that he must have caught some of Sam's glances to the other side of the river. My guess is that he is watching everything. I liked it when Sam attempted to cast his thoughts in Legolas's direction as a warning. This is excellant and I eagerly await more. Author Reply: Interesting guess about Garan! Although a part of me would love to tell you whether you’re right or wrong, I’ll have to let time – and the next chapter – reveal the answer. Very astute observations about Legolas, too. He’s going to have to surmount his fears for Sam and do something; if he does nothing, then Garan will win by default. Garan may know more from simply walking beside Sam than Sam believes, but I’ll just go ahead and say that at this point, Garan does not care whether Sam wants to talk to Legolas or not. He’ll even let them talk to each other, because he thinks that all they have to talk about is how they’re going to escape, and he doesn’t think that they can or will. Garan feels very secure in the knowledge that he has got the tricks Saruman has taught him – whatever they are – up his sleeve, and he intends to use them. He doesn’t know that Sam overheard his conversation with Dorlic. If he did, he would not want Sam to be able to tell Legolas. Once Legolas knows that Saruman is involved and that he has taught Garan a thing or two, it will spur him toward action.

Nightwing	Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 11/10/2005
Yes, "To See A World" is mine. It's turned into a monster too. I never intended it to become such a bloody great beast. I'd be delighted if you want to slog your way through it, but don't do it if it becomes too much. Stay at SOA for the best version, as I've done a bit of sprucing and typo fixing on this site but have not yet done so at FFN. But this review is for your new chapter, of course, and a fine one it was! Really, I am just thrilled with your portrayal of our brave hobbit and elf. You write beautifully, with just the right amount of restraint, and I found so many points of interest I hardly know how to go about ticking them off. First, I do hope we can hear the song Sam might one day compose about the heroic physical feats of the elf. Sam has talent with words... of course he does! But he is very modest, as when he thinks that the role of Legolas in Frodo's quest will be of more importance than his own. Oh, how wrong Sam is about his own value! I think we need to be concerned that Legolas fell asleep so quickly while Sam stayed awake to fret. I think if the elf were whole and unharmed he'd also have been awake and perhaps working on freeing himself and Sam. If Garan could pick Sam's bonds apart with his fingers, Legolas certainly could have done the same, unless his own bonds had made his hands go numb. Also you have made several references to the fact that Legolas' leg wound is being given no chance to heal. Potential for infection perhaps, or at least it will compromise the elf's ability to run and fight. And Garan keeps making him drag people around, so there are many reasons I worry that Legolas' endurance may begin to slip. Ah, and what "little tricks" did Saruman teach Garan? This does bode well for our captives. He is wrong, evil to the core, and the elf, being exceptionally perceptive about that sort of thing, knows his captor is unlikely to show any mercy to his prisoners. Unless the other members of the Fellowship are on the trail of the baddies, I fear we are about to see just how Garan will go about "winkling" (Hee! Loved that.. very British) information from Sam and Legolas. I wait with heart in mouth for more of this fantastic story! Author Reply: I hadn’t actually considered writing Sam’s song, but now that you mention it, that might be fun to do. I don’t think that Sam thinks of himself as invaluable; he simply sees great qualities in his fellows and spends more time thinking about them than himself. I didn’t want to give the impression that Sam goes around bemoaning his lack of importance. Really, he is being practical; I think it makes sense for him to believe that Frodo would more likely need a fighter than a friend in Mordor. He’s wrong, but he’s not illogical. Myself, I don’t have too much concern for Legolas’ cut or the fact that he fell asleep quickly. His wound will be looking better by the day, since he’s not having to take long, awkward steps on see-sawing rocks or climb up cliffs anymore. It’s meant to be more of a handicap than a real danger to him. As for falling asleep, well, you’re not the first person to point out that he didn’t take the time to try and get out of his bonds. That’s a gaffe on my part. Logically, he would have done that. I had meant to say something about Legolas at least fumbling at the knots and being unable to undo them and forgot to put it in. I’ve mentioned this in another response, but in the next chapter Sam has a line about the knots and how easily Garan undid them. Oh, well. If that’s the biggest mistake I make, I’ll be happy. Yes! The “little tricks” comment was meant to be significant. Sam doesn’t know what that meant, but he knew enough to be wary. And you are right about Legolas starting to understand that Garan won’t show any mercy. He hasn’t wanted to try and fight yet for fear of reprisals against Sam, but he’s going to have to do something sometime. If he doesn’t even try, then Garan will have his way. Inaction would surely be worse than action. And I’ll get back to the rest of the Fellowship soon. They’re very close by now, but I don’t want to give away whether they know what has happened to Sam and Legolas yet. (As for ‘winkling’, I believe I must have gotten that from the 1990s film version of Sense and Sensibility. It is wonderfully British and colloquial, and that means that I probably should have had Sam say it instead of Legolas!)

GamgeeFest	Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 11/9/2005
That Garan is a mean little muffa! Sam's holding his own so far, but it will be harder for him to see Legolas harmed than to be harmed himself. Though I'm sure Legolas would much rather be the one taking the beatings than to see Sam injured further. Sam's thoughts here are spot on, I can well imagine that this is exactly what he would be thinking in such a situation: Frodo's safety. He's wrong that his own role is unimportant, though he does not know that yet. Legolas seems to sense that Frodo will need Sam. And don't worry about updates being slower. So long as they keep coming, I'll be happy. :) Author Reply: You’re dead on about how Sam and Legolas see each other; neither wants to see the other being harmed, and for that they are each willing to bear the other’s sorrows. Legolas seems to understand that Garan will use them against each other because of this, but ridding Garan of that power would mean that one of them would have to be willing to let the other be hurt. That’s not an easy thing to do. And yes, I think that Frodo would be exactly what Sam would be thinking of in a situation like this. He wants to get free, yes, but if escaping means that Frodo is found, it can’t be done. His selflessness is admirable, and he doesn’t even recognize the trait in himself. But if he did, how could he truly be selfless? Ah! I think you may have missed a crucial word in the sentence where Sam thinks about his role in the Fellowship, that word being ‘hardly’. Here it is again: “Sam hardly* thought of his own role in the Fellowship as unimportant; Frodo needed daily looking after, especially with that Ring around his neck.”* I was afraid that this would be misread by somebody; I considered changing the sentence many times, but I couldn’t get it to come out right. What I was trying to say was that while Sam does think of himself as important to the Quest, he also thinks that Legolas is more important than he is. He’s definitely wrong about that, but I his thoughts aren’t illogical. He’s right to wonder how Frodo is going to get through Mordor. Well, GamgeeFest, you’ve gotten through all the chapters and pretty much reviewed them all. For that, I thank you. It’s not everyone who takes the time to review each chapter they read, especially when they’re behind and there are five more waiting to be looked at!

Jeodo Brandybuck	Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 11/7/2005
Very, very exciting. I like what you're doing with Legolas, (I think this is one of the better portrayals!) and Sam's voice is dead on! Fretting that Merry and Pippin might not take good enough care of his Mr. Frodo... well done! I'm looking forward to more! Jeodo Brandybuck Author Reply: Thanks, Jeodo, and welcome! Oh, I’m glad you like Sam’s and Legolas’ characterizations. I think that the main problem I see with Legolas is that he is often made to be too perfect. Simply giving him faults doesn’t work, either; he’s got to have reasons to do what he does and think what he thinks. As for Sam, he was a real challenge at the beginning. (I know I’ve mentioned this to other reviewers.) He’s gotten easier as I’ve gone on; I suppose I’ve become more familiar with him. I’m glad you singled out his thoughts about Merry and Pippin taking care of Frodo. I thought that was very Sammish, myself.

Lamiel	Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 11/7/2005
What a treat it is to see this story updated again! I'm thoroughly enjoying it, the pleasures of an exciting plot and clear, engaging prose. And oh, I shall enjoy seeing these evil Men get what's coming to them, eventually. Not just yet, though. The story is too good to end yet. Sam's story seems like a good one to me, but it won't hold off Garan. And while I'm very glad that you made it clear that Saruman cannot create Orcs as Morgoth did, no doubt he'd like the chance to try. Shudder. Garan is playing Sam and Legolas off each other, just as predicted, and so far he's been successful. Legolas' rage when Garan hit Sam was breathtaking -- and may I compliment you on the description of that blow from Sam's POV. It is very hard to write such a scene without breaking POV, but you pulled it off flawlessly. Wonderfully done. And now Legolas is forced to carry the injured Man, again a useful tactic for keeping him too tired to fight. Although, if Garan strikes Sam again, he might find that Elves are even tougher than he thinks. I wouldn't want to be in his shoes. Oh no. Somehow I think it unlikely that the group is walking close enough to the cliff edge to be spotted by the rest of the Fellowship, but I've been wrong before. I trust that they'll all meet up eventually, but again I'm in no hurry. We have Elf AND Hobbit angst ahead. What more could a girl want? Author Reply: It’s great to hear from you again, Lamiel! Thank you again; I’m so glad that you still think so highly of the story. It surely is not over yet, although I don’t know how long everyone is expecting it to be. Sam/Legolas and the rest of the Fellowship are walking toward each other and have been doing so for three days; both have been going slowly out of necessity, or they would have passed each other by now. They are now very close together. At this point I would say that we are at least halfway into the story. Garan doesn’t believe Sam’s story, but in the end it may not really matter. Garan is the sort who would enjoy breaking someone just for the challenge or fun of it, and he is suspicious enough that he wouldn’t believe the truth if he heard it. (Sam would be a fool to tell it, though. Garan hasn’t been told why Saruman is interested in hobbits, but if he heard of a Ring of Power…!) As for Saruman, I think we can all agree that he thinks far too much of himself. I think that the Men beneath Garan’s command can see this better than Garan can himself; Garan has gotten a taste for power, and he’s making some of Saruman’s own mistakes. Legolas is right in singling out overconfidence as one of Garan’s particular weaknesses. Now, if he could only find a way to exploit it! I’m glad you thought that the scene where Sam finds himself struck was effective. I thought it was important to show that Garan means business. It gave me no joy to write it, but it wasn’t too bad, either. I find that I am unwilling to delve too deeply into descriptions of either pain or of pain being caused. Encountering/dealing with/surviving physical pain isn’t the point of this story anyway. I think that Sam being struck suddenly on the side of his head – hard enough to knock him down – would be more bewildering and frightening for him than painful. But Garan isn’t finished, and rescue hasn’t come yet. Someone is going to feel Garan’s anger again, and it will have to be worse. (The reasons are obvious if one puts oneself into Garan’s head.) But I’m still avoiding most descriptions of any unpleasantness that the person on the receiving end will feel by having it seen through another’s eyes. Legolas has some decisions to make, and he starts making them in the next chapter. Thus far he’s been unwilling to risk trying to fight outright for fear of retribution against Sam. (Yes, Garan has been very successful in playing his prisoners off of one another!) But by now Legolas has to know that in Garan’s eyes, Sam is the more important of the two of them. Whatever Legolas did, Garan would not kill Sam, although he could certainly torment him. I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself, but Legolas is not afraid of dying if his death comes at the right price. At the same time, though, he wouldn’t be able to sit by and watch if Garan decided to really hurt Sam. The rest of the Fellowship will make an appearance soon. If they’re not in chapter 10, they’ll be in chapter 11, and then everyone will know what they’ve been doing and what, if anything, they’ve seen. Personally, I can’t wait to get there. The suspense is killing me, and I know what’s going to happen!

shirebound	Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 11/7/2005
Sam being hurt... nooooo! gives rescue party a map with Sam and Legolas' exact location Author Reply: I’m sorry I had to do it, and alas, the danger is not yet behind us. As I’ve mentioned in other responses to reviews, Garan can’t be all talk and no action even though it pains me to see harm done to Sam. Nothing will happen to him that he can’t mentally cope with, though. As I’ve said time and again, this won’t be a torture story. Hopefully that will help everyone take heart. And the Fellowship could sure use that map that you mentioned. Why are they dithering, anyway? Who’s writing this story?!?

harrowcat	Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 11/7/2005
Great stuff Indigo but it will be hard to wait for slower updates! Poor Sam and poor Legolas too. And Saruman! I didn't guess he was involved. Author Reply: Poor everybody! I could almost feel sorry for Garan when the rest of the Fellowship finds out that he exists and what he is doing, but not quite. He’s evil, after all, and deserves whatever is coming to him. He was fool enough to work for Saruman, after all. I will do my best to keep things rolling along. I always like to have at least a big chunk of the next chapter written before I publish one. It helps me to avoid making mistakes or writing myself into a corner.

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 11/7/2005
This is a truly wonderful chapter, as we see Sam working with Legolas on an equal footing, at least in regards to planning. Sam's wits are nimbler than he thinks, and the cover story is plausible, even though Garan doesn't believe it. The problem, of course, is that he would not believe it even if it were true. I love Sam's listening in on the conversation. These Bad Guys are making the classic Bad Guy Mistake #3, Underestimating Hobbits. (#1 is Working for the Wrong Boss, and #2 is Thinking Too Highly of Oneself, both of which they have also made.) My first thought is that Garan is one of Saruman's "half-Orcs", but now I am not quite so sure, though I still think it a strong possiblity. Our heroes, however, are in a cleft stick right now, as neither of them is willing to risk harm to the other. I am sure that their chance will come sooner or later, though! Author Reply: Thank you, Dreamflower. It’s been a pleasure for me to see Sam and Legolas behaving as peers as well. Sam is starting to admire Legolas more for who he is rather than what he is, and Legolas has begun to admire qualities in Sam that he had not thought to find there. They are both perfectly capable of plotting their defenses and escape. I love your “Classic Bad Guy Mistakes”; they made me laugh out loud. You are dead on about Garan making #3, and he is most certainly making #1 and #2 as well! One reason Gandalf is so different from Saruman is that he’s been able to avoid all three. Your thoughts on Garan are interesting. I don’t want to tell you whether you’re right or wrong, but I’m glad you’re thinking about it. And you’re the second reviewer to mention a “cleft stick”, though for a different reason. (The first reviewer was referring to Sam and what would happen to him if he changed/did not change his story.) Not too many people other than yourself have referenced the fact that Sam and Legolas are hamstrung by the unwillingness of each to risk harm to the other. Legolas muses on this very subject in the next chapter.

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 11/7/2005
That Garan is a nasty piece of work! Sam's ears might prove useful - together with his other attributes. They are seriously under-estimating him, which can only be a good thing. It might be that getting Legolas away will end up the key problem. So Legolas can smell the evil on Mr Nasty - not that working out he is a baddie is hard. Whacking Sam is not good. Working Legolas like a mule is not good. And Saruman - Mr Bad News. Sam is in a bit of a cleft stick. Sticking to his story won't be helpful - but then neither will be changing it. I hope the rest spot what's happening - Aragorn is a super-Ranger. And Gandalf is a wizard. Maybe they can do something without exposing Frodo to too much danger. Well, any more danger than he is in already, that is. Author Reply: Yes, yes – Garan and his Men are seriously underestimating Sam! You’re right to think that that is important, because it is. Whacking Sam and using Legolas are definitely not good, but they’re tactics that have served Garan well enough so far. Your words about Sam being in a cleft stick almost sound like they came from my own writing. If he changes his story, Garan will think he is cracking and increase the pressure. If he doesn’t change is story, Garan will think that ‘the truth’ needs to be dragged out of him and will increase the pressure. Aragorn is certainly a Super-Ranger, and Gandalf’s skills could come in handy, but you’ve touched on another important point regarding Frodo’s safety. I’ve already established Gandalf’s opinions on the relative importance of Sam and Legolas against Frodo and the Quest. However, it might be difficult for Gandalf to doom Sam and Legolas to pain and death if he were truly faced with making the choice. (If he never finds them, then he never has to make it.) He cares for them, after all, and especially for Sam. Sam is of such a gentle disposition; no one deserves such a fate less than he does.

daw the minstrel	Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 11/7/2005
Garan is one scary guy. Legolas is right. I suppose we'd call him psychotic, but for ME, evil is the right word. Sam's very valiant in this. His practicality and lack of imagination stand him in good stead here. He knows what he has to do and he does it. Author Reply: Hmm. I wouldn’t call Garan psychotic; that implies that he has a mental condition or is dissociated with reality in some way, which would partially let him off the hook as far as his responsibility for his actions is concerned. You were correct in your own assessment – Garan is strictly evil and knows exactly what he is doing. And I agree with your statement that Sam is valiant. That is a term that most people would reserve for the fighters: Aragorn, Boromir, Gimli, and Legolas. In my mind, Sam is like Gandalf. As you said (regarding Sam), he knows what he has to do and he does it. That is just what Gandalf does. Bravery doesn’t even seem to enter into it where Gandalf is concerned; he has a task to do and he does what he must to see it through. His is a quiet sort of valor, the kind that only really shines out at a crucial moment when the pressure is great. The Balrog comes to mind. Gandalf the Grey spends much of his time leading and being wise, not behaving ‘valiantly’. (Gandalf the White is somewhat different. Not totally different, but somewhat.) Anyway, I think that Sam is similar. He has valor, but he doesn’t spend a great deal of time showing it, and therefore ‘valiant’ is not the first word that comes to mind when Sam is thought of.

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