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For the Love of the Lord of the White Tree  by Legolass 12 Review(s)
NurayyReviewed Chapter: 36 on 8/13/2021
The healing scene was wonderful. It moved me deeply; all these feelings of gratitude and love, but always Aragorn's fear of demanding or losing too much.
Eldarion was too sweet and amusing, but then the last lines really hit with despair and sadness again.


Author Reply: Yes it was a bittersweet experience for Aragorn: healing one he loves, yet knowing he will lose that person soon (that is his assumption), giving without asking though he knows his plea would be answered if he were to ask. Such a conflict. Only a strong man could have come through it so stoically. Thank you for going through it with him. :-)

TinnuialReviewed Chapter: 36 on 5/30/2005
It was wonderful to return home after a month away to find so many new chapters for this story waiting to be read! And I, starved for a good story after so long, devoured them in one sitting!
There were times my heart stopped and my eyes welled up... You write so beautifully, it's as if I were truly inside the story, feeling every little bit of emotion and seeing every detail, rather than just looking in from the outside.
Thank you for such a wonderful homecoming present! Tomorrow after I sleep off the rest of the jet lag I shall be sure to read the new chapters all over again to savour them as they should be!
:)

Author Reply:
Well, Tinnuial - it is good to have you back, too - welcome back! I was so hoping you had not left my story *sheepsih grin* because your name is going to appear again (I believe I mentioned it once) before I close the book on this story (on the site - not in my heart, because this first fan fic of mine will live on there). Why will your name appear...? Well, just wait and see. :-)

Thank you so much for letting me know how the new chapters made you feel. I know you told me you were going to be away for two months or so - so I wonder how much you missed. Anyway - by the time you read this, I guess you would have slept off the jet lag (where did you go, by the way, if it's not too personal?) - so, enjoy your slow and leisurely reunion with our beloved characters. :-)

jgalReviewed Chapter: 36 on 5/30/2005
i have just finished your complete story and ejoyed it very much. i just hope you do not have plans for legolas to leave middle earth too soon. i think there may be one or two more adventures left for him!

Author Reply:
Jgal - thank you for dropping in! Glad you enjoyed the story. As I said - the end draws nigh - just a few more chapters to go, so ... perhaps no adventures left in this story - but we still have to wait and see what happens to the two friends. Hope you stick around to find out. :-)

RedSquirrelReviewed Chapter: 36 on 5/30/2005
These last two chapters have kept me on edge since you posted. Again, you conveyed the emotions of elf and man so vividly that I can’t help feeling the same sort of despair as Aragorn at the end of the last chapter. Now in addition to being scared about Legolas’ leaving for the Havens, I also feel guilty about it. That’s most unfair. I was especially struck by Thranduil’s argument that Men in time will fear the Elves and even fight against them. Thranduil obviously is a very wise king and understands human nature very well. Although there is hope that Legolas’ spirit will be freed from the Shadow at least (the healing scene was so beautifully written) and his last words to Eldarion are decidedly ambiguous and hopefully do not mean what Aragorn fears at all, I begin to realize that this story can never have a „lived happily ever after to the end of his days“ ending, because Elves and Men will ultimately be separated for ever. I have felt the same after finishing „The Return of the King“, and every time I have to immediately restart reading „The Fellowship“ or „The Hobbit“, just to lift my mood out of this depressing melancholy. Well, whatever you have in store for us, I am prepared. „The Hobbit“ is already waiting next to several boxes of tissues. (Bangs head on the keyboard and resolves to remain there until the next update.)

Author Reply: Hi Red Squirrel! So you have migrated here :-) I actually do like the option of responding to individual reviews, though the other site is a very pleasant one too. Anyway - welcome here.

I completely empathise with the depression that comes with reading the ending of ROTK - it brings me down as well, and like you, I have to cheer myself up with something. Sigh... we torture ourselves.

You are right - elves and men will be separated in the end - our Legolas and Aragorn will be too. It's a matter of when, and whether it wil be sooner or later in my story... keep your tissues handy in any case.

Alwyas nice to hear from you. :-)

OphiumReviewed Chapter: 36 on 5/26/2005
I have a silly smile on my face, and your writting put it there *g*
Very good chapters and I must say I loved these little insights of what they've been feeling...
The last part of this chapter was very well thought, with the soft banter leading us into an almost safe feeling, only to have all the problems brought back by the most innocent of creatures, a child.
Keep it up ;)


Author Reply:
"I have a silly smile on my face" -- well, hope it remains there for the rest of the story, Ophium - cos most of my readers are complaining that they've run out of tissues, lol!

Thank you for your compliments - yes, the last part with Eldarion was deliberate - but I love how YOU described what I did. :-)

ArcherGal2932Reviewed Chapter: 36 on 5/25/2005
yes i read chapter 35.....maybe some people didn't read it because they don't have it bookmarked (which i do!), so they open up at the main page of Stories of Arda and scroll down the list until they've found that For the Love of the Lord of the White Tree has been updated, and then they click on it and go to the bottom of the chapter list and to the last chapter because they don't think you've added TWO chapters instead of ONE, so they don't click on the second to last because they *think* they've read it already....just a thought. ;) hope that helps, that is, if you haven't figured it out why people haven't read 35.
~ArcherGal2932

Author Reply:

Ah, that explains it - thank you. A pity - because 35 is important to me. :-(

EnvinyatarReviewed Chapter: 36 on 5/25/2005
Wow, your speed in responding to reviews is incredible.

Another great chapter here, the healing scene was very moving. I particularly liked your description of the struggle with whatever remained of Sarambaq.

Nice touch of humour with Gimli, too. I never understand why people complain about movie-Gimli making jokes, he has some pretty good ones in the book. My favourite is the one about the forgotten people not having forgotten how to fight, else he sees not why they should trouble them. Or words to that effect, I don't have the exact quote handy. Your title is one of my favourite quotes, too.

Eldarion's intervention was beautifuly done - I loved that reference to Aragorn's stance, and it was a nicely-observed portrayal of a child's approach to slow-on-the-uptake parents. The final remark was pure evil, but I think you know that!

Looking forward to reading more.

Author Reply:
Lol - i just happen to be at the comp at the moment!

I too think there is nothing wrong with Gimli making jokes -- I realise, however, that some fans feel that the movie has portrayed his joking as the only thing he is good at. I disagree with them though.

You're not the first one to find Eldarion's line (or minem rather) pure evil. :-)

Thank you for your kind reviews!

ArcherGal2932Reviewed Chapter: 36 on 5/25/2005
Beautiful, beautiful scene in the last chapter with the healing. And this chapter, with Eldarion.....ah, the innocence of a child. And I thought this piece would end when Sarambaq died, and everybody would live happily ever after. I could never be more wrong could I. Then again, Legolass you might be able to redeem yourself and make everybody happy, although out of the ordinary fics where the main character dies in the end or somethin and nobody's happy ever again and the world exploded into little pieces after Jamaica took over France and....

okay, going to stop thinking and finish this review. I'll write about France pleading for global help after Jamaica invades someplace else. This probably isn't the best site for it, huh? ;) Keep writing, I love this very much!!!! Although I know what happens to Legolas with sailing and all in the end due to the appendices of Return of the King(unless you change it to fit your requirements), its still hurts to see Aragorn & Co. struggle to figure out what's gonna happen to our preciousss, preciousss elf...

yes I am turning into Gollum. lol. I'm going to a LOTR movie marathon Friday so I'm getting into Middle-earth mode, and am very hyper/excited for it to finally happen. Yep. I know I'm crazy - get used to it. ;)

~ArcherGal2932

Author Reply:

HI, Archer Gal - no Jamaica will no take over France in this sotry, but will Legolas sail in an AU...? Hmmmm remain tuned.

Thanks for the review and enjoy your marathon. BTW - I just wonder - did you notice there was a Chap 35 before 36? :-) The stats tell me that 35 was read by half the number of readers 36 had! Strange! Anyway, the two chaps are important.

unplugged32Reviewed Chapter: 36 on 5/25/2005
What a heartbreaking chapter!! So much sadness but beautifully written! Bravo!

Author Reply:
Thank you! BTW - I just wonder - did you notice there was a Chap 35 before 36? :-) The stats tell me that 35 was read by half the number of readers 36 had! Strange!

Alison HReviewed Chapter: 36 on 5/25/2005
Ahhhh, what a way to end the chapter! Poor Aragorn--he was in good spirits until Eldarion's innocent words sent his hopes plummeting.

I enjoyed Aragorn's healing of Legolas and his hidden dilemma of whether to let Legolas go.The wording of his struggle was very hard to read--I felt like weeping along with Aragorn!

I bookmarked this story because of the title, as it's my favourite quote from the book.I knew that the story would be one that I would enjoy but, Legolass, you have written one of the most compelling and heartwarming(and heartbreaking) stories on any fan fiction site.You truly are gifted!


I'm a sucker for happy endings and I look forward to the next chapter--even if you decide that Legolas must leave Aragorn.I'll probably cry buckets if that happens but I'll survive(somehow!) :D


Take care and update soon.



Ali.

Author Reply:
Hi, Ali - you are ALi64 at the other site, right? Glad you get to keep your preferred name here. :-)

Thank you for your appreciation of the story and the writing, Ali. It's very gratifying to know that because it takes a lot of thought and work on my part to write a story that - I think - does the characters justice. And I love these two in particular.

Glad you like the quote too - it is one of my favourites as well, and I had planned to write it in right from the beginning. Well, 35 chpaters later... it's here. :-)

Happy ending or not...? Umm... guess it's still a wait. But is anything in Tolkien ever totally happy? I will say no more, for I will either give you too manu clues - or mislead you.

See you in the next chapter!


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