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Sacrifice Under Shadow  by daw the minstrel 19 Review(s)
pipinheartReviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/15/2005
Eilian was daring in his youth, but came to be a disaplined warrior, to an extent, still has some of that spirit...Nice to hear about his youth...

Author Reply: Eilian must have driven his father and the novice masters crazy. What a shock he'd be after young Ithilden!

NilmandraReviewed Chapter: 2 on 2/22/2004
Ok, I didn't admit this when beta reading this chapter, but when I was in college I crossed a very deep ravine over a fast flowing creek with lots of rocks in it, on a dead log. It isn't nearly so dangerous as flinging oneself across the river, but then, I have neither Eilian's grace nor strength. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Please don't tell my naneth?

I hope Beliond didn't hear anyone say 'valet'. I mean, 'nana' is cute, but 'valet' might get someone beat up.

Author Reply: I am not good with heights and cannot imagine crossing a ravine on anything than would allow me to see down. I would have to close my eyes and I don't think that would help.

Beliond is nobody's valet and would make that clear! He would be ticked off enough that Legolas laughed at the idea.

brynReviewed Chapter: 2 on 2/21/2004
I retract my previous statements about Celuwen giving Eilian a break. Good grief, if she's had to put up with his wooden-headedness and death wish behavior for so long, he DESERVES to suffer a bit. And no wonder he's so concerned over Sinnarn's mentality... The novice masters probably have a few grey hairs thanks to him--and they aren't even supposed to get them.

I really love your characterization of older Legolas. :) Wonder what Beliond would think if he heard the 'valet' comment?

Author Reply: Poor Celuwen. I think she's been a goner over Eilian since she was a kid, but she's too sensible to try to live with him until he's grown up a little. And he's slow to mature!

Beliond probably wouldn't like being "valet" any more than he liked being "nana." :-)

tigerlily713Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 2/17/2004
Great chapter! I love the flashbacks! ~Lily

Author Reply: Thank you, Lily. There will be more flashback in chapter 4.

LeraReviewed Chapter: 2 on 2/16/2004
I'm very sad. No story updates today. *sniff* Ok, seriously I have a question. Considering the outstanding quality of your work, I doubt you've ever gotten a negative review. But if you did, how would you react? Would it be crushing? I'm asking because authors are always saying "Please R&R, praise and criticism welcome." Well, I've given a couple of reviews lately that were more constructive(I thought) criticism, than overflowing with praise. It was always my honest oppinion. Is this what authors really want? Or would they rather the reader just not review at all? I have never written anything so I wouldn't know. Ok, your thoughts on this would be appreciated. Thanx:-)


Author Reply: There are some kinds of "criticism" that I am really grateful for getting. I like it when people point out typos or something like that, for instance, that I can easily fix. People have also sometimes pointed out canon errors (eg, when did the dwarves live in Erebor?), and done so in amazingly tactful ways, sometimes even offering ways I could fix the error and still salvage the story. Same with inconsistencies in my own work (eg, does a character speak a certain language or not?). In these cases, I always felt the reviewer had my good interests and those of the story at heart.

I have once or twice had someone really object to the way I've portrayed Legolas, but they have always told me so in very nice emails rather than in a public review, and I was grateful for that gesture toward privacy.

I think most authors are very sensitive about their work. None of us is certain of our own ability and a seemingly minor criticism can send us into a tail spin so we don't write for a while. I've seen that in very good authors. Once I started writing, I stopped saying anything negative about other people's stories. I thought it would hurt.

KarriReviewed Chapter: 2 on 2/15/2004
It would seem, astonishing though it sounds, that Eilian's behavior as actually improved with age. That's good. Poor Belond.....'valet'. Well, I suppose as long as Legolas doesn't escape him again, he probably won't mind terribly. As for Celuwen...don't like her. Eilian deserves better. *crosses fingers hoping Eilian finds a girl that better for him*

Author Reply: Hard as it is to believe, Eilian is much more responsible now. :-) He's less self-absorbed, more aware of the feelings of others. I think on some level he's aware of Celuwen's feelings here, actually, and when it occurs to him that she's upset, he's concerned because she is a friend. He's just unable to resist the pretty girls.

You don't like Celuwen. Sigh. Eilian finds lots of other girls, I think, but I'm not sure they're better for him.

Estel_Mi_OlorReviewed Chapter: 2 on 2/15/2004
That's also cute; Celuwen was concerned for Eilian. And she should be too. Leaping across rivers and such. Hmph. I am trying to pyscho analyze your story and figure out how you made Eilian and Ithilden. They were just names, yet through each fic you gave them a personality. Hmm... That's the rough outline of how you did it. But there's more, isn't there? And no I am not crazy...Hee. The title of your fic hints at impending danger and sacrifice (obiviously) for Legolas, I wonder? Hmm...keep writing!

Author Reply: I have been thinking about your question and I guess I don't know how I made them. I thought about them a lot and tried to make them different from one another. I wanted them good and strong but also flawed. I wanted them to change some in each story, to learn and to grow.

Sometimes, I have sat down and made a chart showing each character's relation to each other character in a given story as I was getting ready to write it. (How does Thranduil feel about each of his sons? How does each of his sons feel about him? About each other?)

And I try to keep from writing them in unrealistic ways. I ask myself if a person would really do such a thing in real life? Have I ever seen anyone do something like this? Of course, that doesn't always work, given that I've never seen a sword fight or lots of other parts of ME life. ;-)

nanethReviewed Chapter: 2 on 2/15/2004
I don't blame Legolas for wanting to stay under those blankets and avoid the cold. My electric blanket is my best friend when it's cold, but surely makes it hard to get up on cold mornings. To make myself get up I just keep repeating, "you *have* to go to school today, you're the principal!".

Gelmir still has a keen wit and is very comfortable treating Legolas as if he were a younger sibiling. Poor Beliond gets stuck with lots of unflattering nicknames!

Legolas has always enjoyed stories from his family. Wonder if that's due to his being the youngest?

Can't wait to read more!

Author Reply: If the students only knew how hard we adults find it to do the same things they do!

I figure Gelmir was around Legolas a lot with Eilian when Legolas was little. And then, that's just Gelmir too. He and Legolas seem not to be pretty easy with one another.

Eilian will continue that story soon. How clueless he was!

LeraReviewed Chapter: 2 on 2/15/2004
Happy Valentines Day! I don't like the cold and I have a warm house to be in. I also really love camping, but not in the winter. My dad used to climb mountains and one night during a blizzard he and his companions built a snow cave. However he decided he was more afraid of the snow cave than the blizzard, so he bedded down in his sleeping bag. During the night the snow cave collapsed on the guys in it, so my Dad and one other guy had to dig them out. Not to say that you're putting our favorite elves in danger. But I wouldn't want to sleep in a snow cave.

You wanted to see elf extreme sports? I think you wrote one into the story. It was really weird seeing an elf, especially Eilien not taking warrior training seriously. I'm used to Legolas and Ithiliden. I wonder what Ithilden and Eilien's relationship was like back then? Oh, and I didn't know Siondel was Eilien's age! It was good to see him again. *sniffle*



Author Reply: You know, I think you're right! That was an extreme Elf sport. And Eilian made it up! I don't know why Lomilad isn't proud of him.

That snow cave thing was scary. I don't plan to get in one any time soon.

I think of Siondel as like Annael, staying in the home guard and marrying soon after he comes of age. Tolkien says Elves married young anyway. So if Eilian and Siondel are 60 years older than Legolas and Annael, that would work (I think).

Tapetum LucidumReviewed Chapter: 2 on 2/15/2004
Brrrr.. It is sleeting outside and the snow den description did not help me warm up at all. Body heat? Do you need any volunteers? Beliond is very wise, for a valet. LOL! He would love that nickname almost as much as naneth.

Eilian was wild as an elfling. Poor Thranduil! I thought Legolas and Annael were bad. The middle son would age an immortal. Eilian was truly clueless about women. Good at flirting but he had no idea how much he upset poor Celuwen. Apparently she was just one of the guys at the time. Bad, bad idea.

I am enjoying Legolas' discovery of his older, favorite brother.

Author Reply: Tapetum, it is so generous of you to volunteer to share body heat with Legolas. The thought is a little warming, I have to admit.

Clueless!Eilian is funny. He has a long term relationship with Celuwen that means they know one another very well. And he's loyal to his friends. When he wakes up to the fact that she's female, he's going to be a true goner. (as we know)


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