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Fear No Darkness by Thundera Tiger	10 Review(s)
TithenFeredir	Reviewed Chapter: 28 on 3/20/2005
I think this chapter had great tension to it, but of a different sort than previous ones. Everyone is still on edge as before, but now it seems overshadowed by pre-battle anxiety. They have found their objective and have a plan, but they are also very aware of the danger they face. It's like the quiet before the storm. I really liked Gimli's comment to the hobbits that they had the best assignment, relatively out of harm's way. That seems like something an experienced warrior would really say. This was good. On to the battle... TF Author Reply: I'm glad the tension evolved somewhat. I dragged far too much out during the last few chapters, and the only saving grace was my hope that the tension didn't stay constant. I wanted it to mutate into different forms of fear. So your comments were very reassuring. I still need to do some drastic revisions, but that probably won't happen for a while. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the battle. It does get underway, though it's also a bit drawn out.

Rochwen	Reviewed Chapter: 28 on 8/31/2004
Odd how the smallest and least important sentences can most attract your attention. "The woods filled with shouts as other elves began their charge. Surprise flashed across the faces of the Orcs, but surprise quickly gave way to rage. Upon seeing their mortal enemy, the foul creatures increased their pace, and in turn, Elrohir increased his." (second to last paragraph) Mortal enemy: a deadly enemy(n); or a person you wish slain(n) Immortal enemy: oxymoron moron: your's truly

pipinheart	Reviewed Chapter: 28 on 6/13/2004
Really love this story,real nice.... I hope merry and Legolas are saved from the darkness in thier mind. Please update soon!!! Author Reply: Thank you for your comments, and I'll try to get updates out as soon as I can.

Estel_Mi_Olor	Reviewed Chapter: 28 on 6/3/2004
Elbereth Gilthoniel! That was fantastic! You cannot imagine how happy I was to see your update! And what an update! Here we go: Celeborn had mad a mistake, if that is indeed possible. You do not leave hobbits behind knowing that they are nuisances. Tawar is going to have a heart attack. But honestly, Sam! The entire plan could have gone awry if the hobbits had been spotted before Elrohir attacked! I just hope Celeborn doesn't kill anyone. I liked your description of the fact that he is more formidable angry than Thranduil or Orophor. Somehow you would expect that of him. Don't ask me. As to Elrohir's attack, spectacular! He obviously enjoyed that. I don't know if you have read any of Daw the Minstrel's stuff, but Elrohir's position and enjoyment of the attack reminded me of Eilian. He is one that would surely relish commencing a lone attack on a party of orcs. The orc's confusion at the beginning was very comical. I can just imagine the stupid look on their faces as they absorb the challenge. If I was an Elf I would have laughed, and I bet if the situation was not so grim, many would have. Now Haldir and Orophin worry me. They are going to do something wrong and mess up the Plan. They are Marchwardens though, so we must credit them with some measure of intelligence... (And yes I know! I am quoting you to yourself...but ever since I read that rebuttal in Land of Light and Shadows, I have been using it everywhere. It's just so funny.) But I guess the brothers must go to account for the unexpected interference by Pippin and Sam. Someone has to protect them, and Celeborn will have a heart attack if he ever sees them in the caves. He will, or he'll probably learn of it later. But something tells me that the hobbits have a part to play, yet and perhaps it will prove to be crucial. We will wait and see... Thanks again for this update and I look forward to more great work from you! Keep writing! Author Reply: Give it up for Celeborn, even if he has underestimated the hobbits a bit. I think Gimli, had he given it much thought, could have warned against it. But he's too anxious to get this whole thing underway. Ah well. It might work out for the best. Then again, it might not... They do have a part to play, as do Haldir and Orophin. Who seem to have everyone worried. I'd be more concerned about the hobbits, thinking that Marchwardens could take care of themselves. We'll see what happens.

Marnie	Reviewed Chapter: 28 on 6/3/2004
Oh Hurray! A new chapter! Fantastic :) It's been a long time, but I know how it is, and this was worth waiting for. I love your Celeborn, as I think I've said before, but I loved him even more in this chapter - he has good and sufficient reasons for everything he's doing, but no one can accuse him of being overly polite. I really liked the comparison with Thranduil and Oropher - it's a Sindarin thing ;) I really like the fact that the battle plan sounds like it's been well thought out and carefully executed - after millenia of fighting against a force far stronger than they are, the elves must have learned to rely on doing things right. But on the other hand, I liked Elrohir's fey 'if Fingolfin can do it, so can I' decision to take on the whole fortress by himself. And I like too the elements of uncertainty that are in there, introduced by the two forces who are acting on their own - Haldir and Orophin, and Sam + Pippin. Oddly, it's Haldir + Orophin I worry about most. I know that Sam + Pippin can keep their heads in a tight spot, but Orophin seems like a bit of a loose cannon. Can't wait to see how it goes! More please :) Author Reply: See, I always thought that Elrond sending the Fellowship off with members being what they were was Elrond channeling his inner-Fingolfin, so I figured that his son could do it, too. Made sense to me, anyway. As for Celeborn, he's been pleading with me to let him cut loose, so I'm doing it by degrees. He'll have an opportunity to get down and dirty with the best of them. Ah yes, it's definitely a Sindarin thing! ;) How can you not love them?

Periantari	Reviewed Chapter: 28 on 6/1/2004
ahhhh~!!!! YESSSSSSSS~!!!! THE BATTLE HAS BEGUN!!! i literally was jumping when i saw in my email that this story has been updated :D so very much appreciated :D:D i loooove your scheming wise Sam..i can't wait to see what happens to him and Pippin when they also enter the cave :-0 I'm glad that the hobbits also are trying to venture in and be part of the rescue mission and i'm glad that at first they were forbidden... but i do not know how wise it would be for them to go to... (since from the beginning MoS has wanted their heads as well :p ) Very cool characterization of Celeborn, Orophin and Haldir. And i really like Elrohir, Elladan, and Thranduil as well throughout the story. and very detailed and good description of how everyone was positioned in battle. Thanks sooo much for updating =) you just made my day! :D As always, I am anticipating the next chapter very very very very much. :D Author Reply: I'm rather fond of scheming Sam. He's got a lot more going on in his head than most people would give him credit for. He might not be the sharpest nail in the box, but he knows it and that helps quite a bit. He knows his weaknesses and he's willing to work around them. Also, I'm glad you like all the detail about the battle. It probably wasn't strictly necessary, but I'm a stickler for things like that. It seems important to me, so I have to put it in and then I fight to keep it in. I'm rather obsessive that way. Anyway, you are very welcome for updating, and I thank you very much for the review. I'll try to have more chapters out soon!

	Reviewed Chapter: 28 on 6/1/2004
that was a very good chapter. i enjoyed it. what took you so long. anyway keep posting Author Reply: I'm glad you enjoyed it. As for what took so long, real life, health issues, travel, and various other calamities popped up. I'll try to improve in the future!

Jay of Lasgalen	Reviewed Chapter: 28 on 6/1/2004
Oh, dear. I knew Elrohir was going to do something rash, especially when I learned that he was going to lead the charge. Please don't hurt him too much! And Elladan is heading into the caves - I hope he really is immune to the shadow now as everyone seems to think. Shadow is certainly affecting everyone else - did Celeborn and Gimli really expect the hobbits to stay out of the way and be 'looked after'? The poor elf in charge of them didn't have a clue of what he was taking on. I sincerely hope the next update won't be such a long wait! Jay Author Reply: Elrohir and Elladan will both live through this adventure, and that's all I'm going to say on the subject. As for Celeborn and Gimli...well, Celeborn's ignorance might be excused as he doesn't have nearly as much experience with hobbits as the rest of them, but I think Gimli really dropped the ball. Of course, they might have been expecting the Mirkwood gang to keep a better eye on the hobbits. That would be understandable. And once again, ignorance gets in the way. Still, a bit of indoctrination was probably in order, and everyone failed magnificently at that.

fadagaski	Reviewed Chapter: 28 on 6/1/2004
Hooray for new chapters! I can't really remember what's happening in the story (brain like a sieve, and all that), but I still know this was a great step forward. Currently, I severely dislike Celeborn. I understand his reasoning, and I understand that the shadow is perhaps affecting him greatly, but the hobbits deserve far better treatment than that! I hope they get to kill their fair share - they fought in the War of the Ring, for chrissakes! Sam went to MORDOR and back! Grrrargh. But what's this thing about a Gollum effect, eh preciousss? Sounds intriguing ... Oh, I loved your little foray into the hearts of the Mirkwood elves. That was truly beautiful, and utterly in the spirit of LOTR. Battling Evil is the Good Fight, but Everyone Must Suffer a Heavy Price. Including the capitals. Hehe. I'm also mildly worried about Orophin and Haldir. They're elves, so they're not going to mess things up of course, but they could dramatically change the entire battle. Are they at a different cave entrance, or the main one where Elrohir is standing? How do you do it? How do you write so beautifully? Author Reply: Hooray for reviewers!!! I seriously doubt your brain is like a sieve. In fact, I suspect that the loss of memory might be due to a very long time between updates. Can't imagine who would let a story sit like that for so long, though... whistles innocently Anyway... Yes, Sam went to Mordor and back, but how much of that was skill and how much of that was a combination of stubbornness and dumb luck? Celeborn doesn't want to bank on dumb luck here. It's never really favored him and he'd rather resort to strategy, so he needs the hobbits out of the way. I agree that he could have been more polite about it, but it's been a long night, they're standing in shadow, Pippin is being difficult, and they're on a schedule. That's my reasoning for Celeborn's behavior, anyway. That and the fact that he no longer has to set a good example for Thranduil. ;) Loved your capital letters, btw. And I'm glad you enjoyed that bit of introspection into Mirkwood. It was actually my favorite part of the chapter, followed closely by Haldir and Orophin. Yes, those two are at a different cave entrance. If you read carefully, you'll notice that they're facing a sheer cliff while everyone else is surrounding a hill. That's somewhat important. Not terribly important, but it is a plot point. Author Reply: Hooray for reviewers!!! I seriously doubt your brain is like a sieve. In fact, I suspect that the loss of memory might be due to a very long time between updates. Can't imagine who would let a story sit like that for so long, though... whistles innocently Anyway... Yes, Sam went to Mordor and back, but how much of that was skill and how much of that was a combination of stubbornness and dumb luck? Celeborn doesn't want to bank on dumb luck here. It's never really favored him and he'd rather resort to strategy, so he needs the hobbits out of the way. I agree that he could have been more polite about it, but it's been a long night, they're standing in shadow, Pippin is being difficult, and they're on a schedule. That's my reasoning for Celeborn's behavior, anyway. That and the fact that he no longer has to set a good example for Thranduil. ;) Loved your capital letters, btw. And I'm glad you enjoyed that bit of introspection into Mirkwood. It was actually my favorite part of the chapter, followed closely by Haldir and Orophin. Yes, those two are at a different cave entrance. If you read carefully, you'll notice that they're facing a sheer cliff while everyone else is surrounding a hill. That's somewhat important. Not terribly important, but it is a plot point.

Lyta Padfoot	Reviewed Chapter: 28 on 6/1/2004
Thank you for the new chapter! So Sam and Pippin are missing, were they captured? I have a hard time imagining Sam letting Pippin do anything rash. I loved your depiction of the Mirkwood elves view of dawn, it was disturbing in its way. Author Reply: Captured? No, I'll tell you that much. Sam and Pippin are fine for the moment. Like you, I'm trusting Sam to keep Pippin in line, but the question remains as to who will keep Sam in line. Hmmm... As for the Mirkwood elves and dawn, that was actually my favorite part, but then I'm a sucker for the tragically dramatic and bittersweet as well as all the unsung heroes. Which, in my mind, includes almost the entire population of Mirkwood. But that's me.

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