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Evensong  by Rose Sared 6 Review(s)
TithenFeredirReviewed Chapter: 13 on 7/26/2005
"His ancestors had wakened these trees with joyous song. He was of royal blood and his duty now was to save them from evil. Digging even deeper he stepped forward.
His trance-like song trailed green in his wake."

The magic of this passage was lovely, the image of a lone elf in the moonlight singing the forest awake with an ent and wizard following, and the wind stirring in the trees.
********
I like it that the horses felt the approaching orcs first, and that Gimli's infirmity fell away with the anticipation of battle. That seems so characteristic of him, as did Aragorn's reckless efforts to muster the camp.

"Sire, you live?” Duilin’s lips curved up in a travesty of a smile. “I did not fail you?"

That bit really pricked the heart. Poor fellow.

I guess now I can join those who are clamoring for the next chapter! ~TF






Author Reply: Thank you TF, the next chapter is somewhere in cyberspace struggling to get Betad, I will post asap. Usually I post sorta weekly, but sometimes it stretches out when RL has a go at me. I so appreciate all your reviews.
Rose

ziggyReviewed Chapter: 13 on 7/19/2005
Guilty conscience here becasue scrolling through the reviews, I realised i have not reviewed since chapter 10- grovelling aplogoes becasue i know it takes time and energy to write and the least we can do is review.

So- a nice short one then.

Great. Thanks.


No seriously for a minute - everything is precise and accurate. The details in the setting are so carefully written. I loved the way Gimli is the focus for this chapter in the beginnig - and listens for Legolas. It had me really anxious, hearing the horses and not hearing Legolas. I think your timing is spot on with this- becasue I realised it at the same time as Gimli, but thought initially that something had befallen Legolas.

Oh- and Narvi- how wonderful is she! The grooves from where her fingers have traced a path... I loved that. Ah- and now I am beginnig to see the big picture, with Celebrimbor making something- the mouthpiece is all that's left - so that is improtnat- a mouthpiece - some sort of armour, or a device to speak with.. I dont know- but a wonderful concept. And Celebrimbor seems so fragile. Still not worked out quite the relationship between the forest being detroyed (ah- the wasps! Superb) and Narvi, but LOVE the ideas and the very holistic feel of this stroy- I mean, the way it is developing together, the threads are woven lossely and getting tighter as the stroy comes together.

You do write Legolas so beautifully- that he is (pardon this awful pun) dwarfed by the task ahead of him, but does it anyway- that's the warrior in him - becasue he doesnt really do the magic thing much . I really like the sense that he has this in him but chooses to use it when necessary.

I haven't said much about Duilin becaue I need to go back and read your other fics - I cant really remember him from them, but obviously, from this story, he has a past. It will make it that much more poignant to read , knowing that he has saved Aragorn.(Sorry- I only hoped it wasnt Earnulf!)

Author Reply: Sigh, and you are quite right, I check for reviews but lets face it,they have to be deserved. Not getting them is almost as much a spur to write the next chapter as getting them - Luckily my hit rate tells me whether i am actually losing readers so I try to remember that it is the middle of summer for most folk and not feel sad for my baby ( the story) that people are busy.
Duilin has a bit part in Ch 2 Adagio where his back story is explained, and I pushed him a bit in earlier chapters of this story. Poor duck, I didn't actually know then that he was not going to survive the story, sniff.
I am glad you like my take on the elves. They are hard to write - mostly because they are not human - not at all - really. At least the dwarves are mortal.
Thank you for your very kind words - much appreciated
Rose

ImrahoilReviewed Chapter: 13 on 7/19/2005
Rooooose, *low growl* do you really take me for an idiot?! Watch out what you are going to answer *wuff*. Of course I've read the last sentence of ch.12, I'm an expert skimmer, expert skimmers don't miss first sentences of chapters, last sentences of chapters, important clues everywhere in chapters ... But somehow I have missed the reference - infer(r?)ed or explicit - that those orcs are stragglers from the main group and that is absolutely permissible when you're skimming. Thanks for the answer nevertheless. And, Rose, never fear, you're not going to get me off your back before this story is over and done with. *skips away into a week without internet-access hoping the author feels poked enough to update regularly otherwise it's going to be painful for the author when the reviewer is back again and there are no updates* ;-)

Author Reply: I hope you have a lovely break, and I promise now I have finished reading the new HP that i will bend all my efforts to writing the next chapter - can't have you dissappointed when you get back!
Rose

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 13 on 7/19/2005
Oh no! Poor Duilin. Well - I suppose at least he died knowing that he had sacrificed himself for his king, and that since that has been the focus of his life for so long, he would far rather that than see Aragorn injured. But poor Aragorn. It must be very hard to live with being the focus of such sacrifice - and so many of those in his life must have died by now.

It's probably a good thing that Gimli was restless - and he's right - as you get older you do need less sleep. But yearning to keep company with the moon, (lovely phrase), he's clearly been keeping company with the elf for too long. I love the increasing tension and subtle threat in the night song - and the general confusion of unexpected battle and not-entirely clothed warriors.

The sheer power Legolas shows in his redemption of the trees - and his courage in persisting, when he feels so alone! His trance-like song trailed green in his wake. Wow! What an image. Good thing he has Radagast and Quickbeam there, even if they can't offer elven support. I like to picture the more shady of the trees being put back to sleep. And Treebeard’s song had joined in harmony with Quickbeam’s. Legolas’ song, soaring in glorious descant knitted agony into peace. Beautiful. The whole episode is just great.

More please. Soon. This is a very powerful chapter.





Author Reply: Alas, poor Duilin, not a happy life and a fate he devoutely sought. I shed a tear for him as I wrote his end. sniff. Still at least my fav king is motivated to find out what is going on and freed to do some slightly more unkingly things. Us authors are nasty.
Glad you liked the elf, he does not enjoy being shoehorned into the rather more arcane aspects of his nature, I might have to let him shoot at some things soon.
Thank you for your very kind words
Rose

ImrahoilReviewed Chapter: 13 on 7/18/2005
Rose, no cliff hanger at the end, thank you so much. :-> (supposed to mean "bitingly sarcastic", let's hope it really does). Oh my, poor Duilin, tears sprang unbidden to my eyes as well, but I suppose he is/was/would have been quite happy about having given his life for his king, dutch comfort for the rest of us. I just hope the body count will be not as gruesome as the first impression suggests. Please! Nice tree/ent/elf part, looking forward to seeing Treebeard wading in at last, hrooom hroom. Next chapter, please!

And could you please tell me where this orc group was springing from? It's not the prior one with the cave trolls, is it? Were they mentioned before? I'm sorry if it's a dumb question, I'm still just skimming, always trying to wait for the end of a story before really reading.

Author Reply: Now, now, it is all your fault for skimming - the last sentence of the last chapter read.

"The orcs, driven by Elfwine’s approaching reinforcements and finding the camp in their way, attacked at the third hour before dawn."

More about what the stragglers were doing in the next chapter.

I truly, truly try to keep the body count down, but I also really dislike violence that implies no-one gets really hurt or killed. I don't like battles and swords and things ( I lie a lot) well at least I feel guilty about enjoying the thrill of a battle, and I want to show the accumulating effect of all that sorrow on our favorite King.

Miss you when you are not around to poke me with a long stick
Rose

daw the minstrelReviewed Chapter: 13 on 7/17/2005
Oh this was gorgeous and, in the end, sad. You evoke this moon washed battle so well. I feel for the aging Gimli, who can't sleep! But I liked the way you let us hear the nervous horses before we saw the orcs.

I loved the idea of Legolas having a green song.

Author Reply: Thank you daw, it is nice to think someone is reading this and even enjoying it a bit, apart from me that is LOL! (the story that ate my life)
I do appreciate your loyalty
Rose

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