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Fire and Shadow by daw the minstrel	25 Review(s)
pipinheart	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 10/15/2005
Now that he remembers he may wish he hadn't...He tried to save the dwarf family but a situation occured he didn't know how to handel...His anger with Eilian mad him go off himself... Author Reply: Exactly. He wishes he didn't know what happened now. He saw a terrible thing.

The Karenator	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 1/28/2004
Ahem...The Karenator shifts her eyes around looking for the Professor of Minstrelism with a look that is...well..shifty. Finding the minstrel busily scribbling in a small book, she approaches cautiously. "Excuse me, your scribbleness, but may I make an important inquiry that the Ranger Meckinock and I are concerned about?" Her Dawness nods. "You see," The Karenator says nervously, "we were wondering, with all this talk about credit and half-credit, if we are being graded on our reviews and if it would affect our permanent records?" Author Reply: Daw raises an eyebrow. "Surely you know that EVERYTHING goes on your permanent record?"

meckinock	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 1/28/2004
I surrender. You write faster than I read. It's that GED from Eriador South... I was almost wondering; if Karen mentioned me in her review do I get, like, half-credit or something? I hope you've recovered from the dwarf-kabob incident. That was indeed daring, even by my standards! Poor Legolas. I have to wonder what Sinnarn and Amdir are experiencing- surely they saw the same thing? Legolas is turning out to be a very well-balanced individual. The tension between him and Eilian is very realistic but something's got to give. I liked Beliond's head-dunk solution but the kid will get tired of soaking his head eventually, won't he? I have to go along with one of your other reviews which suggested that Eilian might need a little-brother-rescue to get him over his over-protectiveness. That, I would like to see! Great chapter! Author Reply: I am feeling better about the dwarves because I've been writing the dialogue for people who are trying to make Legolas feel better. Sinnarn was farther from the cave than Legolas was, and Amdir was farthest away of all. So they didn't see the mama and the baby get burned. (I can hardly stand to type that) They did see the daddy. I think a little brother rescue is an excellent idea. I'll have to see what I can do in a different story. I'd like to see Legolas telling Eilian not to be so careless! You do indeed get partial credit for appearing in Karen's review. ;-)

The Karenator	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 1/27/2004
The peasants are all gathered at the base of the very tall tower where Daw the minstrel has taken refuge. Angry shouts echo through the eerily quiet night. All beast have gone to ground...well, except for the angry horde. Their torches sputter and hiss as black oily smoke snakes its way into the starless sky. They pound their pitchforks into the hard packed earth in rhythm. The sharp smell of tar whiffs through the air and I can see little tiny white feathers drift ever so slightly on the scant wind. I make my way to the balcony carrying a cheerleader's megaphone I lifted from a frat party in 1973 (TA). "Hear ye! Hear ye!" I shout. The crowd continues to mutter and pound their farming equipment. "I said!" I scream, "Hear ye! Hear ye!" Quiet falls as all eyes turn to the strange person that does not look like a cheerleader. "As we are all aware, an unwritten law of the land has been broken..a very serious law. In keeping with my job as law abiding...er, overseer, I have come to make clear a few things." The crowd rumbles again in restless anticipation. "It is true a child was harmed in the making of this story..." The crowd burst into angry shouts. I wave my hand up and down as if patting the head of a particularly large cow. "It must be noted that the author did not do any actual harming of any child nor animal." I turned swiftly to look upon the Ranger Meckinock and whisper, "Is a dragon an animal?" The Ranger looks at me as if I have suddenly donned a cheerleader uniform and mutters something that I suppose is akin to an answer in the Eriador Public School System where she got her GED. "See what you can find out, will ya?" I say. In the blink of an eye, she draws her sword, Emily, and charges back to ask the minstrel since she is the only one with any discernable knowledge among us. "Dont hurt her," I yell after the retreating form, "just ask politely." I turn back to the crowd, "As I was saying...the author did not cause any harm; it was the fell dragon. So it is the summary decision of this law abiding...overseer that the one so called, Daw the minstrel, be spared and the tar be used to repair potholes in the Main Street of Minas Confusedus." The crowd considers this with a great deal of noise. A small figure steps forth and bows ever so politely. Good breeding. I can tell. Since this small one is so polite, I acknowledge her. She says in a most cultured and obviously educated diction, "We are in agreement with this decree, O'law abiding overseer, for should harm come to the most beloved Daw the minstrel we would be sorely sorry and grieved. Those of us who know her, know she would never, nay never, bring harm to the innocent....though the guilty are at considerable risk. She is merely the recorder of said events." She shakes her sweet little head, "This chapter brought much anguish and sleeplessness to the dear Daw. Her nails will never be the same. Lee Press-Ons won't even stay on. You are correct, your law abidingness, it was, indeed, the dragon that was the bad guy." She shrugs as delicately as a blossoming flower, "Besides, it was a wonderfully written chapter, full of action, heartrending sorrow and the warmth of a loving family." "So young and beautiful," I say, "and yet so wise. What name shall we call you, child?" She blushes as is the way of those brought up properly and responds, "Nilmandra, your overseership. I am the beta." The crowd gasped in awe and wonder. I smile for my heart is fairly doing a jig. "Then no more shall we ponder this and all shall love and adore our wonderful minstrel for she is ours and we are stingy." I raise my arms in wide 'V' and shout to all, "Let us all wait in great and adoring anticipation for Chapter Seven!" The peasants rejoice. I wipe my brow and turn to go back in the tower, "Now where did that ranger get to?" Author Reply: LOL. Karen, you knock me out! Thank you for the acquittal. I felt really awful about the Dwarves, I have to admit. But indeed, it was the dragon! And I confess something else: I was a cheerleader in high school. That was a million years ago (and besides the wench is dead). Did I see something in Orophin's Dotter's story about one that will appear soon from you? (hint, hint)

JS	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 1/27/2004
Wow! Thanks for posting so quickly!! Sorry for the later review... I'm back at school and of course pesky assignments take up so much time! ;) But reading your stories is so much more fun. :) Another fabulously wrtten chapter. I can almost see what happened to the dwarfs, and that gives the part so much depth because we really feel for them. I think a lot of times bad things happen in fanfic and stories in general, but we don't always get it. But I think you pulled it off in a tactful way, while still touching the emotions of the reader. Also, I love to see the continual development of family relationships, especially between Thranduil and his sons. I'm really looking forward to the encounter with Eilian, but I wondering if things will be so easily solved. It can't be easy for Eilian to let go somewhat of his protectiveness. But if he can't, he could actually hinder Legolas in his growth as a warrior, and of course, he doesn't want that either. I also look forward to the reunion between Legolas and Beliond. If he's well enough to drive the healers crazy to get out of there, I'll bet he's anxious to see for himself that his charge is indeed okay, or at least on the way to getting there. I wonder how much the healers kept him in the dark about Legolas' condition as the other's were somewhat reluctant to Legolas of Beliond. Again, another great chapter. I hope to see part 7 soon! P.S. How do you pronounce Eilian's name? At first I pronounced it Eh-lay-en, now I'm kind of leaning towards Eel-lee-an... am I at all close? :) Author Reply: Sad to say, I'm not actually sure how to pronounce the name. It's the Sindarin word for 'rainbow.' I've looked at the pronunciation guide that's in the appendix to ROTK, but still can't really be sure. I will tell you that in my universe each of Thranduil's sons is named for the circumstances in which he was conceived. 'Ithil' means moon and of course 'Legolas' is green leaf. I felt very bad about the dwarves. I was depressed after I finally posted the chapter in which they died because then I couldn't change it any more even if I wanted to. I think that Legolas's grief would take a long time to heal but I also think that now that he's acknowledged it, it can at least start to get better. Eilian is unlikely to change overnight, either, but he can also at least realize that he's wrong. Not to worry! Someone has already told him that. :-) Author Reply: Sad to say, I'm not actually sure how to pronounce the name. It's the Sindarin word for 'rainbow.' I've looked at the pronunciation guide that's in the appendix to ROTK, but still can't really be sure. I will tell you that in my universe each of Thranduil's sons is named for the circumstances in which he was conceived. 'Ithil' means moon and of course 'Legolas' is green leaf. I felt very bad about the dwarves. I was depressed after I finally posted the chapter in which they died because then I couldn't change it any more even if I wanted to. I think that Legolas's grief would take a long time to heal but I also think that now that he's acknowledged it, it can at least start to get better. Eilian is unlikely to change overnight, either, but he can also at least realize that he's wrong. Not to worry! Someone has already told him that. :-)

LOTRFaith	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 1/26/2004
Hey Daw... Me again... You can probably delete this review afterwards.. I won't care;-) I was reading it again, when I saw this line... Legolas grimaced. “I was afraid you would not allow me back on duty.” “No more would I have!” Thranduil exclaimed. Is that line that Legolas says supposed to be "I was afraid Eilian would not allow me back on duty?" To which Thranduil would respond with "Not more would I have!" :-) (ok, so maybe I am being a bit cheeky here:-) Just curious... LOTRFaith Author Reply: Good question! I think I mean this to be the way it is. In my mind, nobody outranks Thranduil and if he decides that Legolas is not going anywhere, then he's not. And I think that concerned Ada would have come to the fore here and made sure that Legolas did not budge so long as his memory was shaky.

LOTRFaith	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 1/26/2004
Well... Was I ever surprised to see chapter 6 up so quick! :-) Poor Legolas... If seems as though he gets plenty of angst between just you and I! :-) Exellent chapter, am finally glad to see what really happen come out... Though it was terrible about the dwarven family... (sigh) So sad... But... Until next chapter!... Author Reply: Legolas must be the most angst-ridden elf in the history of Arda, because you and I are not the only ones who lay it on him, poor guy! I felt sad about the dwarven family myself. As a matter of fact, I was so depressed after I posted it, that I stopped writing for the day and went off to do other things. I think I'll write a little about Ithilden today, but I probably should also do some of the work I get paid for.

Estel_Mi_Olor	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 1/26/2004
That's so sad!!! The father dwarf died. But honestly what was Legolas thinking!! He didn't act too badly under the circumstances though. And yes, I was a little too hard on Sinnarn and Amdir in my last review. I offer my healing aid to any or all of them, but I think Legolas needs it more at this time. Please don't be too hard on them. Thanks for updating!!! Cheers. Author Reply: Well, it made me sad. I thought Legolas did all right, given his inexperience and the unexpectedness of the situation. He signaled his patrol at the waterfall and the only thing he could have done differently was tell Eilian immediately when he noticed that Sinnarn and Amdir were missing. I will offer your help to Legolas, who, I am sure, will be glad to get it!

mer	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 1/26/2004
I was pleasantly surprised to see the next chapter posted this morning. Thank you so much! I also want to thank Nilmandra for making it possible as well. As you indicated, Legolas and Eilian will see each other in this story--I am looking forward to it. Well, a couple of ideas came to me this morning. First, in an earlier story, you tell us Legolas came up to one of his brother's chins. I think it would be interesting to mention (whenever it fits) how tall he is as an adult (just to add a physical image). Second, I would like to read a story or part of a story in which Legolas successfully protects one or both of his big brothers. I'm sure it doesn't seem like it but I really do feel uncomfortable giving suggestions to authors--some may not like it. But I love your stories (they're the best) and that is why you're the only one I've given suggestions to. I love the way you write, your characters and I hope that there is much more to come. Author Reply: Ah, Legolas protecting a big brother! Wouldn't that be great? I'll have to think about that. I've always assumed that Legolas is about 6 feet tall, which I think is the same as Eilian but shorter than Ithilden or Thranduil. And he's lean, like Eilian, as opposed to his broad chested father and oldest brother. I'll have to see if I can work that in.

caz - baz	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 1/26/2004
awww, i feel really sorry for him now. Stupid Dwarf! oh well least everything sort of works out in a way. Well, i'm going to go off to the school nurse and get my shoulder seen too else all i'll get is grieve from my friends untill i do. Author Reply: Legolas still has some grief and guilt to work through, I'm afraid. I hope your shoulder is OK.

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