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Land of Light and Shadows by Thundera Tiger	30 Review(s)
Nightwing	Reviewed Chapter: 38 on 4/7/2005
Ah, that elf is magnificent. Whenever I start making my Legolas wimp out too much, I must remember to come over here and take another good look at your Legolas. This is just the way he should be; strong, resourceful, cunning, resiliant, unpredictable and dangerous as hell. I enjoyed following his lonely trek in search of a place to hide Gimli. In addition to all those potentially scary attributes, to his friends he is steadfast and loyal, and would lay down his life for them. He is sick and hurt himself, but protecting the dwarf comes first. The elf's love for his friends is absolutely fierce, if that is not too odd a description. Describing Gimli's final call to Legolas as being "like a whisper borne on a dying wind" was perfect. Time is running out for Legolas' friend, and the elf knows it, though he is trying to force the truth of mortality back by refusing to acknowledge it and by shushing Gimli's words. Your efforts to make Legolas' elvish behaviors different from men are excellent, and yet how very human that particular reaction was. Don't think it, don't speak it, and it won't happen. During moments of great crisis we all act like that sometimes. Clarify this for me if you will: is the arrow wound in Legolas' left shoulder in the front or in the back? I had been thinking it was in the back, since it happened while he was fleeing on horseback, but the elf's clutching the arrow and "drawing it forth" sounds more as if it is a front wound. The ending was fantastic. The way Legolas drew Dashnir in until he was able to strike him down was terribly exciting. But it was not surprising, and I do wish it had been. I saw it coming, and I'll tell you how I knew. There were two particular sentences earlier during Dashnir's observations of his captive that clued me into the elf's deception. "The resulting pain seemed to steal whatever strength had kept him upright...", was the first. On it's own, I might have skipped right past it. But a bit later came this one: "Seemingly unable to control himself, he sank forward..." The instant I read that sentence I said "Ah ha! Legolas is playing it up." If that first section of the sentence had been omitted so that it simply began "He sank forward..." I never would have had a clue that the elf was working it, and the tension would have been tremendous. I'd have been truly terrified for Legolas instead of just excitedly waiting for him to make his move. You gave it away a little bit. Do you see what I mean? I love the unique way you have incorporated the sea-longing into this story. It is very skillfully done and feels just right. The longing is a major aspect of Legolas' life, something he lives with every minute, and yet is is a good indicator of his inner strength that he is able to harness some of its impact for his own use instead of being helplessly under its control all the time. I know you are working on many other stories, but you simply must concentrate on this one! I and many others have been in absolute agony over the fate of Legolas and Gimli in this story, and now you have left us with a very tense situation indeed. One monumental cliffie. He may have eliminated Dashnir, but there is no way the elf can take on the rest of these guys. He was acting it up a bit for full effect in order to draw his foe in, but I have no doubt he truly is close to complete collapse. Even such an elf as Legolas has a breaking point. And I sure don't think Gimli will be charging to the rescue, much as he might wish he could. Please please get the next chapter out as quickly as possible (focusing once again on our two friends in need), and ease our worried minds! Author Reply: Great googly moogly, she wrote an epistle! Wow. I'm...very amazed. Very taken aback. Huge thanks! Holy cow, look at the size of that thing! When it showed up in my inbox, you turned me into this blubbering mess of shock and swelling ego. Wow. Speechlessness... It's amazing. Right, er, let me see if I can form a coherent response to it! (Speaking of responses, I owe YOU a review, too. I'll work on getting to that!) Okay, first of all, I've never known your Legolas to be a wimp. Overcome and traumatized, sure, but you pull it off believably so that he never becomes a wimp to me. But I do thank you for the compliment. I'm quite fond of my hale elven warrior. I just hope I don't push it too far one of these days. He does have limits, which we'll see next chapter. As for his loyalty to Gimli, someone else decided to call it ruthlessly efficient, which I like very much. So I also like your description of "fierce," because I think that's what it is. Legolas becomes so fierce and ruthless that nothing else seems to matter anymore. The don't-speak-about-it-and-it-won't-happen reaction is a very human reaction, but a lot of the elves in LotR have it, too. Gildor and his band, for instance, all but refuse to talk about Black Riders or anything else that might be happening in Arda because if they ignore it, it won't affect them. That's part of where I'm drawing Legolas's denial from. The other part is that he's almost out of his mind with fear and exhaustion. He can't handle anything else. The morning's arrow hit Legolas in the back of the shoulder and lodged just behind the scapula, left side. If he reaches back with his right hand, he can touch it. He could probably touch it with his left hand, too, but he's informed me that he'd rather not use that arm right now. That was clearer in one of the earlier drafts, but for some reason, it became muddled in the final. I'll see if I can work with it... Okay, about the tension in the ending... Maybe you can help me with this. I debated about giving too much away because I couldn't decide if I wanted readers to be waiting for the elf to act or worried that the elf couldn't act. I went for the former. In other words, you were supposed to pick up on the acting. (It's amazing how many still didn't.) But I can see your point about building more suspense... I think I like your idea better than what I went with. The fact that Legolas happened to be hit in the exact same place he was hit earlier should rouse suspicions in alert readers, and the rest can pick up on it at the end. Right. I'll mark that down for edits. As for updating this story before anything else...I'm seriously considering it. We ARE getting close to the end, and I did leave you with a rather nasty cliffie. Oooo, no promises but I'l definitely think about it. And you're right. Legolas IS close to collapse. He doesn't have much left. And if it makes you feel any better, the next chapter will have lots of Legolas and Dashnir once again. Everyone else is either traveling, preparing, or planning. We'll get to them eventually.

Frodo3791	Reviewed Chapter: 38 on 4/5/2005
Hey, glad to see you updated. The long waits are always worth it. I have to work on some homework, so I'll keep this short. I enjoyed the chapter as always. Legolas' desperation and tiredness was well written. He keeps pushing himself so much, thinking that he can rely on some of that elven stamina. Doesn't work in the desert... and under these circumstances. I like how you also write from the "bad guys" point of view and give him some decent reasoning behind his thoughts. I love layers in characters, and you definitly got it down with Dashnir. I have one question though. Why did Dashnir say to kill Legolas? Maybe this was addressed in the earlier chapters and I forgot, but I thought that they wanted Legolas alive so that they could hand him over to Umbar. Thanks for keeping this story going and continuing to make it interesting. I love your stuff. I've kind of losing my interest with fanfiction as time goes by, but I always find your stories a pleasure to write. I think you definitly do a good job of keeping the realism and historical factors in this story while staying true to Middle Earth. Great work, as always. -Frodo Author Reply: Hey there! It's always a pleasure to see what you have to say because you've got such great insights. Such as Legolas. You're absolutely right. That elven stamina is about to give. The Haradrim might be underestimating him, but Legolas is doing a bit of overestimating on his part. He doesn't have much time left. As for why Dashnir didn't kill Legolas, that was something he and Asbad discussed last chapter. They decided that the elf was simply too dangerous to have around, with or without u-glir. Remember that before this all took place, there were other plans underway. When it was discovered that two of those coming to Haradhur would be an elf and a dwarf, the plans changed, and at this point, we're somewhere around Plan C or D. The two kind of meshed. What Asbad wants to do is go back to Plan A as far as the elf is concerned, which meant that Umbar was going to find its own elf. Asbad doesn't trust his men around Legolas for extended periods of time anymore, and rightly so (as Dashnir just discovered). Gimli, on the other hand, is not viewed as a substantial threat because of his injury, so they feel that they can take him alive. Which might prove harder than it sounds, but that's for a later chapter.

Elenora	Reviewed Chapter: 38 on 4/5/2005
Absolutely excellent chapter!! I've been waiting on pins and needles for an update concerning Legolas and Gimli, so this was definitely much appreciated. I have thoroughly enjoyed this story all along, and I have found it intriguing what you are doing with Legolas - the whole "u-glir" (sp???) thing - and then when he used the sea longing to affect an escape from the enemy camp - left me nearly shivering with the thought of it! And now, using the same sea longing to distract and mesmerize Dashnir...well, that was really a brilliant idea, and one I've not run across in any other fan fiction. It is a very compelling and intriguing idea. I also loved that little bit where Legolas lets out a "keening cry" that not only frightens the men, but disturbs the horses, too. These subtle "differences" that you incorporate into Legolas's character are wonderful at continuing to remind us that while Legolas was one of the Nine, friend and "brother" to Aragorn and Gimli, and very often in the company of men, he is not a man, but something a bit more....complex, and mysterious at times, as well. With his close friendships with Aragorn and Gimli, one can lose Legolas's "elven-ness" too easily as he interacts with these mortals. Such little touches as what you are having him do with his sea longing, and the looks he bestows on his enemies that have them seeing strange and disturbing things in his eyes, remind us all that yes, Legolas often seems so very human, but he is not. I await with eager anticipation the next chapter to this riveting story! Thanks for not giving up on it! Elenora voxstellarum9@aol.com Author Reply: I love to write Legolas and I love to write from his POV, but he scares me for the simple reason that he is NOT a man. He's an elf. And as an elf, he's different. As a result, it makes me very happy to hear you note the differences. I don't know if they always come across, but I've tried to keep Legolas somewhat separated from Aragorn, Eomer, and Gimli. And I'm glad you're liking the many uses of sea-longing. It's not canon, but by the same token, I don't think it's that far removed from canon, either. Tolkien has described Legolas's people as being very powerful in song and that it's part of how they defend themselves. So I didn't think it was too far removed to employ it as a weapon, especially when you have a power as dangerous as the sea-longing to unleash. For what it's worth, that's my reasoning, anyway. Glad you're enjoying it! I'm having fun.

	Reviewed Chapter: 38 on 4/5/2005
Excellent chapter, but if you don't mind me sayng so, it's about time! It's been a while since you last updated and I've been dying to see how this goes. Don't get me wrong, I know it's hard work to write stories like this, and life getsin the way, but update sooner, I can't wait for the next chapter, And please understand, I'm not critizizing you, I just really hate waiting for a good fic to be updated! I wish you speedy writing, and the best of luck! Author Reply: No, criticism accepted and deserved. I don't update often enough. I wish I could do something about that, but in all honesty, there's not much I can do. It's hard for me to scale down the number of fics I work on because then I burn out on them, and real life likes to get in the way, too. But I'll do my best to update faster in the future. Promise!

Eruvyweth	Reviewed Chapter: 38 on 4/5/2005
OHHHHHHHHHHH, YOU UPDATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU A THOUSAND TIMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wonderful chapter! Every word of yours I read makes me more your adoring fan!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Author Reply: You're very very welcome, and thank YOU! Sorry to make you wait so long, though! But I'm glad you liked the chapter.

Elemmíre	Reviewed Chapter: 38 on 4/5/2005
Oooh, very nice. Yay Legolas! :), Elemmíre Author Reply: waves flag and adds to cheering section

Eliza61	Reviewed Chapter: 38 on 4/5/2005
Great chapter, great story. I like your character development for your original characters. Your villians are excellent. I knew my boy leggy would pull through. Gorgeous & devious, gotta love that elf Author Reply: I'm so glad you like the OCs. I'm always nervous about them myself, especially when they're playing such prominent roles, so it thrills me to no end when people say they enjoy them. Thank you so much! As for your boy leggy, he still has some work to do, but I'm optimistic about his chances. In the long run. ;)

Lindelea	Reviewed Chapter: 38 on 4/5/2005
Whew! I'm not sure I breathed at all during the reading. And yet, even as my heart is in my throat, a note of levity springs from the page: Sitting back, Legolas made use of a rather inventive Rohirric curse and mulled over his decision to leave. Masterfully done, as always! Author Reply: I get edgy if there isn't at least a bit of humor mixed in somewhere, even if it's just a quirk in the narrative. And I'm very grateful that you appreciated it. It makes it feel less superflous to me. Many thanks!

French Pony	Reviewed Chapter: 38 on 4/5/2005
For someone dangling at the frayed end of his rope, Legolas is doing a fantastic job here. When it's all over, he ought to be rewarded with a nice soft bed in a sunny room with enough food and company and entertainment that he does not have to leave for at least a full month. I'm glad that he seems to have found a way to inflict some of his sea-longing on the Haradrim. He's spent so much of the story being psychically abused by them that it seems only fair that he should get some of his own back. On the other hand, it does speak of an Elf in dire distress, that he should resort to something like that. Even Haradrim ought to know better than to get close to a wounded Elf before it's completely incapacitated. Don't they know that wounded animals strike out all the more viciously because they have less to lose? Dashnir has paid for his stupidity, but Legolas will probably wind up with even more problems. After all, despite his taking out of Dashnir, there's only one of him and still a whole bunch of Haradrim who watched what he did to Dashnir. And they'll no doubt be mad. . . Author Reply: Well, Legolas is going to get some serious sleep in the near future. So much so that he probably wouldn't notice food, company, and entertainment, but I'll be sure to pass your suggestion along. Legolas would probably appreciate the thought. :) As for winding up with more problems, you're right in many ways. But your analogy about wounded animals holds, and I'd like to add that this particular wounded animal is cornered, so he's even more dangerous. But then again, the Haradrim are definitely upset...

fadagaski	Reviewed Chapter: 38 on 4/5/2005
Brilliant! My God, Legolas is absolutely the coolest thing EVER in this story. :D The whole first part made me exhausted just reading it - the poor elf is just absolutely shattered, and its very well conveyed. The end half was just ... wow. You make the reader absolutely CERTAIN that Dashnir is going to give Legolas a one way ticket to Mandos' Halls, and then the elf spins it all on its head. Very Aragorish, and just oh-so-cool. A chapter worthy of the wait. And I haven't forgotten about the other chapters. :P Author Reply: I'm so relieved to hear you say all that! I'm quite nervous about this chapter, actually, because I'm trying to keep things largely in the open while still adding tension. For example, we all know that Legolas already has a shoulder wound, so it's a reasonable assumption that he's faking a second wound (which Dashnir doesn't know). What I tried to do (especially with the first half) is establish the fact that our elf is not in perfect working condition, which hopefully feeds into second half doubts about whether or not he'll be able to pull anything off. Anyway, I'm so gald you thought the first half was exhausting. As for the second, many thanks for the compliments! I still wonder if I've made it too rough, but I'm definitely glad you liked it!

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