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What's left behind  by perelleth 9 Review(s)
elliskaReviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/15/2005
I am going to love this. I like Legolas with a wife and child and it really will make some of his actions more complicated. And the characters in this are wonderful as is everything you have set up in the forest. I really enjoyed this and I am looking forward to reading it again when I'm a little more alert and reading more as you post.

Author Reply: I'm glad that you find the setting appealing :-) Kind a heresy it seemed to me, so it's been sleeping in my computer for some months now! Each of us has built her own backstory, it seems, and this of married Legolas has been with me for many a year now! :-)

when I'm a little more alert and reading more as you post. Are you not feeling well, elliska? Hope you get better soon. I'll be posting as I can...but the closing of the year is quite busy... this is the first story that I'm writing while posting, although it's wholly drafted...

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/10/2005
This is lovely, Perelleth. The initial assumption that Legolas is long married and the father of an adult daughter is so different and delightful - and I must say I like his taste in wives! Laerîniel is a very good illustration of the reasons why elves could remain happily married for thousands of years - and her response to Legolas's letter is just . . . very understandable! (I wonder what she will think of the Ithilien idea. And his friendship with Aragorn. Interesting times!)

And then - the whole set-up of the Wood in the wake of the battles is just so beautifully drawn. Everything! The burning trees, the injuries, the roaming orcs, the grief for those lost, food shortages - it's all there. Complex webs of emotion and action. I am very glad that the lost prince - Borgil - died before the beginning of the story, but the effects of his death on the remaining family are interesting - and heart-rending. I hope his mother manages to find a way to deal with her loss.

The characters, too, are intriguing - and I am looking forward to learning more of their lives. This is most enjoyable.

Author Reply: Well, thanks for double reviewing, bodkin! I was still smiling at your super- mega delightful! :-)

The elleth just appeared out of thin air, yet I kind of guesss that had Legolas been actually married, she would be a match to him, as I see it, at least! :-) We´ll see how she takes the rest of the things, the move and his new buddies, once she overcomes the shock of his letter...

I am very glad that the lost prince - Borgil - died before the beginning of the story Me too! :-) I began this story back in February, and then I had the cheek to berate daw soundly when she "killed" Sinnarn! LOL! Sincerely, I doubt I could have gone through that painful writing process... yet I agree that Thranduil´s family would not have very likely escaped unscathed of such terrible ending of the age... It was sheer loss for everybody, and it is very painful to thnk about that, I think...

I'm glad that you liked the characters. It took me long to round them, this is quite a new process to me, yet I enjoyed it a lot, too!

I'm truly glad that you liked the setting, bodkin, I had to place the warning, because of the uncommon situation, so I'm happy that you made it through it, as now I'm looking forward to your insightful reviews! Thanks!

BellaReviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/9/2005
I like this - although, I must admit, initially I was like, "oh, not another Mary-Sue story!". That's probably something I get from crawling through ff.net looking for decent writing. A few quibbles:

Laeriniel, speaking to Thranduil, says, "your grandson, Lord Mallereg..."
Thranduil would know that Mallereg is his grandson, so the first part of the sentence is a bit redundant, if expositionary.

I think you overuse the phrase 'fair face' a bit.

You refer to Laeriniel as a maiden...but aren't maidens only those who are not married ie, have never had sex? I'm probably wrong...

And, you write how relieved Laeriniel is when she finds that Legolas isn't dead...but wouldn't she know whether or not he had died due to their bond? Again, could be wrong. Sometimes it's difficult to sort fanon from canon!

This isn't meant harshly, just some concrit! I'm looking forward to reading more.
Bella

Author Reply: Well...let me return you the favour. In archaic and/or literary use, maiden is used as young lady, regardless of her marital status or sexual experience. Thanks for your interest, anyway.

NilmandraReviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/8/2005
You know what? I love the idea that Legolas had a wife and daughter to go home to, and apparently a grandchild, soon, too. It adds a greater dimension to the upheaval his request to go off to Ithilien would have caused, and it really does bring the fight in Mirkwood home when we consider that he had loved ones there missing him while fighting their own battles.

I also like that Legolas's wife is a spirited and competent female, who obviously is trusted to help in the running of the realm. I do feel back that they have lost family in these trying days, but I like it for the sake of the story, for I have always found in Tolkien's writings that he did not spare the leaders and their families - they tended to lead from the front lines.

I'm glad you've started another story already!

Author Reply: Sorry that it took so long to answer, but I've ben out of town for most of the week!

I'm glad that you liked the setting, Nilmandra! We know little of what happened in Mirkwood, while the Prince was away, yet it could not have been a happy time... To me Legolas' was not a happy ending in the usual sense, and that's what I wanted to explore, for, as you say, his request to go to Ithilien must have been kind of earthquake back home! :-)

I'm glad you've started another story already And I'm thrilled to see
another chapter of HLIII! That I'm printing out for this weekend!

The first part of this year was very calm for me, and I took advantage of a forced inactivity and low activity to get definitely hooked on ffiction and began writing. So it can be said that I've been posting on "savings":-) This story was begun in February, but now I'm faced with updating it while working full time, and I don't know how good I am at that! :-) Thanks again.

RedheredhReviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/7/2005
You fiend! You've roped me into reading a Legolas story! But of course, only because of the wonderful characters in the spotlight this first chapter. Please don't send this great cast to the background when Leggy finally makes it on stage. ;)

The story so far is beautiful, full of emotion and sentiment. Your scenes alway appeal to my taste for heightened reality rather than regulaton fantasy. I like your choice of time and place and how you unfold the backstory. Also, Laeriniel's romantic feelings. Saelleth is the perfect lady and friend in the classical sense. You've created a beautiful family here. I really like them all. Can't wait to see what effect splitting up that family will have on it. Maybe what's already happened will have prepared them for it.

And on top of all this, you write and tell the story so well. There will be more of Brethil's observations, I hope. I just love your sense of humor - and your sensitivity.

OK, so we have different views on alot of things in ME. This time its not his having a wife, but Legolas' age. I sit with those who think Legolas is still rather young, less then 600 years old. But, your setting is just too appealing to quibble about that. He could become a grandfather even at 500 years. And you very sensible gave him an elder brother thus the permission to found his own realm elsewhere.

I really like your cast of characters! I cannot wait to get better aquainted with their troupe and see who makes the journey to Ithilien.


Author Reply: Welcome Redheredh! an be at ease, cause this is *not exactly* a Legolas story. (so I suppose it won't have many readers that shall read past "he's been a husband for over two thousand years",LOL!)

To the age. Well. When crossing the ucorn's forest in "The Road to Isengard", Legolas says more or less that he has seen many an oak growing from acorn to its "ruinous age"...and that those trees are different to what he has seen until now. The ruinous age of an oak can be placed around 400 years or more, so I believe that he must be quite older than that, to have seen "many an oak " growing to its ruinous age... And when in Rohan, as Aragorn tells the story of the mounds, he adds " five hundred times have the leaves fallen in my wood, and yet it seems but a whisper for us" More or les again, cause I am citing by heart, but the thing is that, while I agree that Legolas may have been young, in elvish reckoning, yet it is with the range of the age that I must disagree. To say that 500 years is a whisper, you must have "whispered" a number of times, mustn't you? :-) YEt it is always a pleasure to "disagree" with you :-)

I'm so glad, and thankful, that you decided to give this story a chance, despite the summary! :-) I am ashamed, because I used to run from stories with lots of OCC in it, and now look at me! right in the middle of one!

Many, many thanks

daw the minstrelReviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/7/2005
This is a fun read, Perelleth. I've never thought of Legolas as married, but you give him a very convincing wife and family here. It sounds as if they're all struggling with grief and loss after the Battle Under the Trees. They had the victory but it was at such a cost and then things wouldn't have instantly been better. I wonder how they'll all react when Legolas breaks the news about his intention to go to Ithilien.

Author Reply: I'm so glad that you decided to give it a chance, daw!
It was fun to try and guess how they were coping with the aftermath of it all in Mirkwood, with no new King, and no wedding and all, and picking up the pieces...

I wonder how they'll all react when Legolas breaks the news about his intention to go to Ithilien ...well, the story will lead us there! :-)

Vicki_TurnerReviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/7/2005
I was a little heistant when you said that in this story Legolas had a wife, but i decided to give it a try anyways. So far, i'm liking it. I'll be watching for the next chapter.

Author Reply: Well, I'm glad that you decided to give it a chance.. yet I decided to place the warning because I thought it's quite an unconventional approach.. I hope that you enjoy the rest of the story! :-)

French PonyReviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/7/2005
Oh, this looks good. It seems that the Battle Beneath The Trees isn't quite over yet -- it's basically won, but there's still those little burping hiccups as large events fade away. I like this efficient, businesslike princess -- all the royal family, in fact. They seem like a very hands-on crew, right there in the thick of things, commanding from the ground. They know what's going on at all times, and they know when they have time for feelings and when feelings must be put aside for business matters.

Author Reply: there's still those little burping hiccups Good way of putting it! :-)Yet you're right, I believe. It's been about three months, and things *do not* get that fast back to normalcy, not after such ard fought battle, not in Mirkwood, not in GOndor or in ROhan... so it was kind of fun to guess how they were coping with the aftermath, while Gondor celebrated..:-)

I'm so glad that you like the princess...I was a bit afraid, but the story has been sleeping in my hard disk for some time now and it was pushing its way out...

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/7/2005
Oh, delightful. Super-mega-delightful.

I will get back to you when I have a moment to read it again. Lovely, lovely, lovely.

Author Reply: LOL! I'm glad that you found it so!

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