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Sacrifice Under Shadow by daw the minstrel	21 Review(s)
Dot	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 2/21/2004
I’m really loving this story. This chapter was particularly great – what more could I want than Legolas and Eilian alone together with no other characters to interrupt their conversation?! Legolas is doing a tremendous job. He might feel frantic and despairing but he’s being remarkably clear-headed in his actions. At least he was able to take a second to realise that the Shadow was worsening his fear. To know that and to be able to think clearly about where to go, whether to light a fire and to be able to judge their distance from the Orcs shows a measure of control that he probably doesn’t even realise he has. Years of warrior training, I guess. I really like the little piece about the rune of protection, though. In some ways it looks as though he’ll try anything to save Eilian, but I just like the idea of him feeling that there really is magic that might protect his brother – it seems to make the situation a little less lonely or something. That’s an incredible image, of Legolas battling through the blizzard with Eilian cradled in is arms. Images like that really make me wish I could draw…! Ironic, isn’t it, that the Orcs’ fire might just save Eilian after one of their swords had almost killed him…grin “He knew how the story would end, for in Eilian’s stories, the baby animals were always gathered into someone’s loving keeping.” For someone such as Eilian, who seems to so often feel at odds with the world, to spin such wonderful stories for his baby brother is really touching. I get the impression that he really wanted Legolas to feel that the world is a safe place, with loving arms always waiting at the end of an adventure. It’s good to know that even in this terrible situation, Eilian himself has loving arms wrapped around him. In some ways it’s an absolute joy to watch Eilian with his mother. He clearly worshipped her. He even sees immediately when she is troubled and wants to soothe her, while it takes much more for him to realise that his father or brother are worried and might need comfort. But it’s so heart breaking to think that he doesn’t have his mother anymore. They really seem such kindred spirits – to me Eilian is so much like his mother, while Ithilden always seems very much his father’s son. Lorellin is very perceptive, isn’t she?! I’d say she knew immediately what the problem was between her son and Celuwen. She just had to let him figure it out himself. “Eilian thought he deserved credit for hiding his nervousness.” You were right, of course, when you said that I should be able to see some of the qualities that show how Eilian would become such a good captain, if he would just focus on those strengths a bit more. He may have problems with his family but he is always willing to give credit to others where it’s due. It reminds me of the encouragement he goes on to give to Galelas. I can’t believe Eilian did that!! I suspect that if it were any other warrior except Ithilden there is no way even Eilian would have done that… It’s scary, though, to think that he genuinely never even considered that not only was it dangerous but that he might frighten his brother, who loves him, and his novice master, who is responsible for him. I don’t want to call him selfish but I think one of his problems is that he has never stopped to think of the reactions of others when he is feeling particularly reckless. I feel bad for poor Ithilden, but at least his reaction startled Eilian into realising that all is not well in his father’s realm and his family are weighed down by worry. It’s such a pity that he never got to speak to Ithilden afterwards. It just struck me that none of Thranduil’s sons really grow up with their siblings. Ithilden grew up as an only child and was already an adult when Eilian was growing up. Then Legolas only ever knew his brothers as adults. Interesting… I suppose that’s why the elder ones are so fiercely protective and the younger often a little resentful of this. I’d love to see more of Ithilden and Eilian’s relationship with each other, to know how they really got on with each other before Legolas was born…;) He’s going to lead the Orcs away from the cave?? How is going to do that without getting himself killed?? You are getting far too fond of cliff-hangers! Teasing readers is becoming a nasty habit of yours…:) Author Reply: Legolas is doing very well indeed. I too liked the idea of the rune having magic, especially since in my head I knew it was the one their father gave Eilian. I think Thranduil did have magic. And I thought Eilian deserved to have Legolas's arms wrapped lovingly around him. He had cared for his little brother for a long time with a kind of unselfish love that paradoxically comes easily for him once he's decided to give it. He may be self-absorbed as a youngster but he's also generous. I agree that Eilian is like his mother. I've always thought that. And she understood him in a way that his father does not, although Thranduil plainly loves him and fears for him. You will certainly see some more of Eilian and Ithilden, although I'd like to write even more about them than I have planned here. Great and generous review, Dot. Thank you.

Karri	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 2/21/2004
Legolas is quite the field medic. :-) But, oi!, Maltanaur better hurry along to gather up his charge..... Thranduil and Ithilden aren't going to be pleased at all by this turn of event. Author Reply: My beta and some of my reviewers gave me medical advice. Put snow on it! Get pressure on it! I just passed it along to Legolas. I assume that Maltanaur is frantic by now and mad as hell. If he manages to retrieve his charge in one piece, he will probably take him apart himself.

bryn	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 2/21/2004
Oh Legolas, you are a hero!!! Eilian may be good at commanding, and Ithilden may be good at politics, but Legolas is displaying all the prowess of a future ruler. Great thinking on his part to jump-start Eilian's older brother emotions. "“Wake up, Eilian,” he crooned. When there was no response, he shook Eilian slightly. “Wake up now. I need you to tell me a story, so I will not be so afraid.”"---He's completely concerned over Eilian's welfare and giving no thought to how it makes himself appear. What an excellent contrast between the Legolas we've seen in your previous stories--the one always struggling to prove he is an adult. It's a true mark of maturity. lol "Mother always knows best." The last paragraph really struck me. I know Legolas isn't going to die, but it still made me teary eyed... Author Reply: Isn't our boy doing well? I am very proud of him. He's very focused on what Eilian needs all the way around. Even the Orc firewood seems to him to have been an inadvertant gift for Eilian, not the two of them. And Naneth was a great loss for them all. She understood Eilian and if she were still alive, I'll bet he and Celuwen would be bonded by now. Celuwen's father would be putty in her hands.

sofia	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 2/21/2004
I am confident that Legolas will lead the orcs away, but i wouldnt be surprised if Eilian tried to get up and help him. I can just imagine Ithilden all scared to death by Eilian's little stunt. Hope the next chapter is soon! Author Reply: I expect that Eilian scared the wits out of his family on an almost daily basis. And I have often thought that Naneth was the one Eilian got that reckless streak from. She died because she couldn't wait for an escort to arrive to take her home and rode boldly out into danger. :(

Jebb	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 2/21/2004
Another cliff hanger almost literally since we had Eilian diving off a cliff into the water that was a lovely little interlude and it was good to see Eilian's mother as well but the wound and the cave and the orcs now that is a real horror story Love the depth that you put into your stories the descriptions, the use and naming of herbs and their uses and of course the real affection that is so obvious between the three brothers they are real people (well elves!) thank you Author Reply: I like writing about their mother. She's a dim memory for Legolas but they all really lost something in her. I think she understood Eilian in a way that no one else does. If she had lived, maybe he and Celuwen would already be bonded. :-)

Jay of Lasgalen	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 2/21/2004
What a wonderfully tense chapter - I love to see Legolas caring for his brother so competently. But I still want to see how the patrol are going to react! The last part was great - Legolas leading the orcs off, but worrying about Eilian as he did so: 'he doubted that Eilian would be able to defend himself, but that could be all the more reason for his brother to have his sword to hand' - it's what you don't say here that makes it so powerful! Jay Author Reply: Legolas is competent, isn't he? That makes me feel good too. He's a grown up and all the effort that his family and teachers put into him is paying off. I think Legolas must feel like many working mothers do: there are so many pressing things to be done right now and you can't do them all at once and not doing any one of them could cause very bad results.

LOTRFaith	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 2/20/2004
You're scaring me Daw~!... lol. I am very glad to see that Eilian woke up, but Legolas going to face the orcs? Yikes! (shiver) It just snowed here, quite a bit actually and I was just outside so the snow in your story is very real, and gave me shivers;-) Great chapter! Author Reply: If I've scared you, then my work is done! ;-) I hate cold and I can't imagine living outside in the snow like these guys are doing. Legolas is hoping he doesn't actually have to 'face' the orcs so much as lead them away from his injured brother, but we'll see how that comes out.

erunyauve	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 2/20/2004
I suppose I should be glad that there are people like Eilian who thrive on crisis situations, since I'm quite happy to be safe at home while the Eilians of the world put out the fires. Still, it's rather telling that not only did the return of evil to Mirkwood make a better elf of Eilian, but he couldn't be satisfied with the less dangerous border patrols - he had to be right in the middle of the worst of it. There are some parts of Eilian's story with which Legolas must be able to sympathize - he also felt left out and frustrated when his older brothers and father hid things from him at home. But Legolas must be a little scandalized at Eilian's torment of Ithilden. Even if he was responsible for giving Ithilden plenty of scares himself, he never did it intentionally and I think he's a little more awed by his oldest brother than Eilian was. Eilian's resentment of comparisons with Ithilden is also interesting. Being much closer in age, you would think that Legolas would suffer most from comparison with Eilian. I think anyone following Ithilden would have had to endure comparisons, but Legolas has a bit of luck in that his elders' memories of Eilian's youth are not entirely fond. As we've seen before, if anything, he has suffered preconceptions that he will be just as irresponsible and reckless as his brother. I'd never thought of it before, but the same situation must have driven Sinnarn crazy. He and Legolas are closer in age than elven siblings would be and Sinnarn would not find following Legolas an easy task. Author Reply: I am also so much the opposite of Eilian that it's not funny. You have it right though - what Eilian needs is real responsibility, real trouble to fight against so he doesn't have to make his own. It will make him a better person, as you say. I hadn't thought about Sinnarn in regard to Legolas. I picture Sinnarn as being a lot like Eilian which must have made the novice masters turn pale. I think that Eilian admires Ithilden but also finds him a little stodgy. And he is actually jealous that Mirkwood was at war when Ithilden was a novice. Well, I am afraid he is about to find out what that reality is like.

Tapetum Lucidum	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 2/20/2004
AACK! A Cliffhanger! or a cave-hanger... You are so mean. It is not your usual method. Legolas did have a little medical training and he was worried about the orcs smelling the blood. Your descriptions of his wound care were excellent. We have a saying at work - all bleeding stops eventually. You may not like why it stops but it will stop. Your comments that Legolas felt safer in the trees than the cave were clever. Most elves must feel the same way. Orc offal? I think I would be ill too. We had a skunky patient today and that was bad enough. What bone did he see...? Or do I even want to know. Finding dry firewood was certainly a stroke of luck. It was good to see him keep his head and his training and gather arrows for his empty quiver. It is funny to see him as the sensible one "They do not need you dead." had me grinning. Both Maltanaur and Beliond are going to take turns killing them. Good thing they heal so well. Eilian's flashbacks are a good way to break the tension. Diving into the pool to splash water on your older brother must seem very petty compared to their current situation. Apparently it took Eilian quite a while to reach maturity while Legolas was always studious. Ithilden and Legolas could stand to take a few silliness lessons from Eilian but not too many. Both Legolas and Eilian need a Maiden Handbook - I don't know who is more clueless. I guess you can overlook their ineptness due to their looks (grin). I love seeing Legolas look out for Eilian! The captain is probably going to die of a heart attack thinking of his baby brother out there with the orcs! Master of Fanfiction.net - none of the "buttons" work when I go there - I can't advance chapters, leave a review or do a search. Any suggestions? Thanks! Author Reply: When fanfiction.net ceases to work for me, I just go away for a while and let it heal itself. :-) I know I don't usually write cliffhangers, but this story lends itself to them. And besides, it's fun to watch readers jump around and tear their hair out. ;-0 Our dog got skunked once in the very early morning. My husband let her back in the house and she ran up the stairs and into our bedroom, waking me up with a jolt just from the smell. A woman at my aerobics class had recently told me that her vet had said that Massengil douche would take the smell out, but of course we had none. So I pointed at my husband and said "You! Go to the all night WalMart and buy douche." So he took off on an emergency run for douche while I shut the dog in the bathroom because she was running around rubbing herself against every soft surface. When he got back, we put her in the tub and hosed her down, which she did not like. It mostly worked but it was a day or two before she just smelled doggy again. Anyway. Long story of little relevance. Sorry.

naneth	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 2/20/2004
I'm proud of Legolas. He's handling things very well under difficult circumstances. He's learning some important leadership skills for later in his life. But the scene with the fire and the bone...ugghhh! Hate to say this, but you have a small glitch in the first paragraph. It's the sentence that begins, "Even in his unconscious state...". Sorry :-( Another exciting and wonderful chapter! As always, I can't wait for more. Author Reply: Thank you for telling me about the screwed up sentence. I fixed it. At least I think I did. Even after you told me, it took me several readings to see that word 'anythin' in there! Legolas is doing well, isn't he? He's an adult at last, which is a good thing because he is not too many years away from saving Middle-earth. And the fire and bone just show what ME needs saving from! Thank you, Naneth. (And did you see that your namesake was in this chapter?)

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