Reviews (317)

Author's reply

Yep – Garan is Saruman’s lackey. You’re also right about the other seven and how they would react if they were aware of what had befallen Sam and Legolas. Frodo would most certainly be enraged, and Aragorn no less so. I’m still not sure whether it will be chapter 10 or 11 before we get back to the Fellowship; it depends on whether I want one more chapter from Sam before that point. I expect that I will, even though it wasn’t in my original outline.

Author's reply

Yeah. Wait until Legolas finds out where Garan is going and why he is wanted. Sam will be appropriately horrified once the picture comes together for him; right now he’s really got no reason to suspect that Elves and orcs have anything to do with each other. Garan’s words would have been clear as a bell for Legolas. I took no pleasure in having Garan strike Sam. I’m with Legolas when he says, in the upcoming chapter, that what Garan has done is like striking a child. Sam is not a child at all, but what chance did he have against someone so much bigger than him, and his own hands bound together? And Garan did more than harm Sam physically; he stole his dignity, too. I think it would be extremely humiliating to be treated in such a way and be denied the chance to defend oneself. As I mentioned in another response, it will get a little worse before it gets better, mostly because help has not yet come, and Garan will not let up now that he has begun. He would not be very convincing or effective if all he did was blow smoke; he’s got to put some of his menace into action. Not only would he not be convincing as a character, but empty threats would never suffice to hold Legolas in check. Ironically, the flip side of this (where Garan is concerned) is that too much harm done to Sam will eventually spur Legolas into motion, regardless of what the consequences are for him. There are some things that he would not be able to sit by and watch.

Author's reply

Perhaps I should call you “Eagle Eye” instead of “French Pony”. :-) You’re right – it would have been worth a go (trying to untie their bonds, that is). There were four things in this chapter that I wanted to fix before posting. For the life of me I could never remember the fourth thing and probably never would have had you not spotted it. I’m not planning to change the posted chapter, though; I’ll just leave it as it is. At least Legolas and Sam only had a few scant minutes before the guard stirred. If they had had hours and hadn’t fussed over their bonds… well, that would have been one heck of a gaffe. It’s kind of funny, really; there’s plenty of mention made of Sam’s and Legolas’ bonds in the next chapter and their attempts to undo them, including the following line in some way, shape or form: “Garan untied me quickly enough this morning. I think there’s some trick to the knot. If we can find out what it is….” That’s Sam speaking. It’s not actually worked into the chapter yet; it’s one of a few lonely lines at the end, waiting to be incorporated in the right way. I do that with points that I want to make sure get made, among other things. Anyway, unless I make a big change to the chapter, it will probably show up in the next posting.

Author's reply

Thanks, Tithen. :-) I think that Garan’s unpredictability is one of the things that makes him so dangerous. He doesn’t seem like he’s about to turn violent, and then he goes and pulls the rug out from beneath Sam. He knows when he’s had enough of Sam’s story, but Sam doesn’t, and Garan will want to keep both Sam and Legolas off-balance. Yes, it will get a little worse before it gets better, but not too much. As I’ve said so many times before, I’m no tormentor – but Garan can’t be all talk and no substance.

Author's reply

At one time I was concerned that some readers would think that Legolas pulling the Men up the cliff was over the top, but no one has said so. It wasn't easy, but he could manage it. I thought it was logical enough, seeing as Elves are very strong. Exactly how strong is left to some interpretation, but I think I have put some reasonable limits on it. (Reasonable for an Elf, that is.) Thank you so much for recommending this story, periantari! It means more to me than you can know. It's very, very exciting to know that people are enjoying the story that much. As for the rest of the Fellowship, well, they'll stay out of the spotlight for just a few more chapters. I have to get to a certain point in the story before I can bring them back in. If I bring them back now, they won't have much to say except "We're still looking", and that's not very interesting. I've done that with Aragorn and Gandalf already. :-)

Author's reply

I love the idea of Sam sitting on Legolas in an attempt to hold him down. :-) As for the rest - read on, GamgeeFest! I really enjoy reading your comments.

Author's reply

Yes! That was exactly what I was trying to convey - the Fellowship's difficulty in being warm and full of food while knowing that their companions had no such comfort. And I'm so pleased that you commented on Frodo and Sam's attitudes, how each feels the need to look after the other. We all know why Sam thinks Frodo needs it, but I imagine that Frodo feels responsible for all of the younger hobbits.

Author's reply

Bingo on the hypothermia. I’ve never been in a river like this one (thank goodness), but I’ve seen footage of swollen, flooded rivers, and they are truly something to behold.

Author's reply

Gasp! I thought your name looked familiar, so I looked you up…. You’re the author of To See a World, aren’t you? Golly. (I’d say something stronger, but I’ll restrain myself.) I can’t believe that you are reviewing me. Seriously, when I realized who you were, my jaw fairly hit the floor. I found your story not so very long ago, and while I’m not too far into it yet, it is an amazing piece of work. You’re not the only person who is overdue for a review from me. Between work, writing my story, and responding to my own reviews, I find myself at the keyboard quite a bit. I’m so glad that you’re enjoying the story, and that it meets with your approval. Those two things are related, but they are not one and the same. I can believe that you like elf-in-danger stories based on your own work; I think that people write the kinds of stories that they wish other people would write. Sam is the primary character in this story, but Legolas is right behind him. As for who I am, I’m a career woman who is still fairly young by most people’s standards. I have also been very happy to remain anonymous. :-) I’m not a part of any writing circles or livejournal communities or anything like that. I just like to read good fanfiction when I can find it, and when the idea for this story popped into my head, it kept on developing until I started writing it down. I thought it was turning out to be pretty good, so I started posting it, and the response has been overwhelming. So thank you for all your kind comments, Nightwing, and I hope to see you here again!

Author's reply

Welcome, RonaLena! Thanks for reviewing. A lot of people don’t, and I understand; I haven’t always been the best reviewer. But now that I’m an author I’ve learned how nice it is just to have people tell me, “Hey, I’m reading, and I like it! Keep it up!” Negative criticism is harder to take, but I like to think that I could handle it. There’s been enough positive feedback to serve as a buffer. And if you think that the characterization is Tolkienesque…. Wow. “Thank you” isn’t enough for a compliment like that.

Author's reply

And now you’re all caught up. :-) I’m glad you still like it. You capsized while white-water rafting?!? That sounds terrifying. Well, if you’ve got first-hand experience of something like this and you think that chapter 2 did it justice, I’m flattered. (Not that I’m glad that your boat capsized – ah, I think you know what I mean.) As for Frodo, I’m with you that he ought to be the most mature out of the four hobbits. I think that the movies sometimes cause people to forget how old he is in the books. He’d have to be the most mature; not only is he the eldest, but he’s got the Ring to carry, and by this time he knows full well what a dangerous burden it is.

Author's reply

Thanks, GamgeeFest, and welcome! Yes, exactly – this is one reason why the river is the stuff of Sam’s nightmares. I can vaguely imagine what it must be like to be caught in something like that, but I can swim, at least. If you read on, the question of what happened to Legolas is answered in chapter 4. Chapter 2 is mostly just action. I hope you'll enjoy the story; it's mostly about Sam, after all, and judging from your name, that's what you want.

Author's reply

Thanks for the compliments, Jay! Yes, Sam and Legolas are on one side of the river with the Men while the rest of the Fellowship is on the other side. A lot of people have mentioned the campfire thing. It’s certainly an indication that Garan is either arrogant or careless – perhaps both. What evidence the Fellowship sees and when depends on when they get to the place where Sam and Legolas are now. There will be a few more Sam/Legolas chapters before we get back to them, though.

Author's reply

Thank you, Bakoneko! I’ve never read a “Fellowship caught in a flood” story before, but then again, I don’t read a whole lot of fanfiction. I think I am finally starting to find some places where the quality of the work is consistently higher, though, so I’ve been reading a little more of late. At least you still think the story is unique even if you’ve seen the premise used before. And I’m very glad you approve of the characterization. Out-of-character players can scuttle a story. I think that all your questions will be eventually answered to your satisfaction.

Author's reply

Thanks for the “wow”, Etharei, and welcome! I think there is a dearth of good Fellowship stories out there, but maybe that’s because I’m not looking in the right places. I think I’ve heard of the story you mentioned – I’ve certainly heard of the author – but I’ll have to go back and take a look. And what’s this about becoming a Legolas fan again? I got the impression that once that began, it never stopped. :-)

Author's reply

The Fellowship will never see the dead body unless they walk past where Sam and Legolas are right now and the body has been caught on something. Sam and Legolas have been walking upriver; the Fellowship has been walking down, but they are still farther upriver than the missing pair, so the point where the body has been dumped in the river is downstream of the Fellowship. It will continue to float downstream, away from the seven searchers. I’m glad that you liked the ending of the chapter; a lot of people singled it out. I thought it was sweet and a little sad, too. Almost forgot to add - I heard that you recommended this story on your livejournal. THANK YOU!!! I'm more thrilled by that than you can know!

Author's reply

Ahh, another clever reader. Little most definitely does not equal victim; you’ve certainly picked up on the fact that Garan sees Legolas as the dangerous one. So far, Sam has only been good for a hostage in his eyes. Whether the Fellowship ever sees the evidence of the fight depends on the direction that the Men decide to take, and whether they see the fire or heard the fight depends on how close they are. You’re not the only person to wonder about the fire. :-)

Author's reply

Welcome, Melissa! I’m pleased that you think Legolas is well written. He’s got to have his strengths and weaknesses like everyone else; otherwise he’s not believable. Thank you so much for taking the time to review!

Author's reply

Legolas’ impression was that Garan already knew that there was a hobbit behind him – a denizen of the Shire, and nothing else (not a dwarf and not a child of any race). What I had meant to convey was that Legolas was right; perhaps I didn’t do that very well! The idea was that if the reader believes that Legolas’ reading of the situation was correct, then he/she now knows that Garan and his band of Men are exactly what Sam and Legolas feared. They were looking for hobbits at the very least, and perhaps the entire Fellowship, and if they were looking for hobbits, then they must have been sent by someone. (At this point in the story I don’t think I’ve given much indication of how many people the expected to find; this is something that Legolas has not been able to divine thus far.) Legolas told Garan outright that there was a hobbit behind him because Garan already knew there was a hobbit there; he thought that lying would only have worsened his troubles. He was trying to delay the onset of a fight that was probably inevitable unless he had left his defensible spot of his own volition (surrendered). When Garan acted surprised to learn that the person behind Legolas was a hobbit, he was faking it, and when Legolas told Garan that hobbits come from the Shire, he was telling Garan that he knew that Garan knew where hobbits are from. (I hope that sentence made some sort of sense!) It wasn’t necessary for Legolas to goad Garan, and it probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but he was letting Garan get under his skin a bit. I’m glad you continue to like Sam and Legolas together. Sam will definitely provide psychological support; that’s what he does so well for Frodo. Legolas does think that it is his responsibility to protect Sam, and that will make it tougher for him to find some way to escape. He won’t want to risk another head-on assault if it means that Sam could get his throat cut.

Author's reply

Welcome, SurgicalSteel, and thanks for leaving a review! I’m not a livejournaler myself, but I nosed around until I found said journals. I’m very pleased – and honored – that people are enjoying the story enough to recommend it. It’s a bit nervewracking, putting your work out in front of the whole world to be weighed and measured. I hope you continue to enjoy the story as it develops.

Author's reply

Thank you, daw! If you thought it was tense, then that’s good – exactly what I was going for. It wasn’t just tense, either – it was looooong. It’s very close to 10,000 words by itself. Giving the Men some personality was both interesting and challenging. These seven chapters have been written for a while, obviously; else how could I post them so quickly? But the story did stall out while I figured the specifics on the Men – how many there were, their goals, their names, their attitudes, their leader, etc. It was a long way from my original idea of a party of “bad news Men” to an actual set of characters. Thank goodness that’s all behind me.

Author's reply

Thanks, harrowcat! I’m excited that you thought the chapter warranted a “wow”. The more I write Sam and Legolas together, the more satisfying they are.

Author's reply

I think I’m finally getting the hang of your name: Feredir and not Federir. I’m very pleased that you continue to approve of things. Legolas did the best he could with the knowledge that he had, and yet it turns out that it might have been better if he had made another decision entirely. That’s one of the difficulties of being in a leadership position; you won’t always make the right choice even when you do your best. No gratuitous character torment!!! I’m so glad you mentioned this. Sam and Legolas can expect some ill treatment now, but I will never, ever make it gratuitous. Legolas is right to want to get away – the Men don’t have the compunctions that I have against how far they will go to get what they want – but I’m not going to let something really horrible happen to either Legolas or Sam. I don’t think I’m giving away the farm by saying so, either; I don’t know whether the story itself has made it obvious or not, but I’m not interested in pain for pain’s sake. If I had something awful happen to Sam and Legolas (like torture), then the point of this story would have utterly changed from what it actually is. This is not a story about how Sam and Legolas undergo great physical suffering and how they survive/cope with the mental scars afterwards. Sure, there’s survival, and some coping, but not with torture. Ick.

Author's reply

I was very concerned that some readers would see “Elf worship” in this chapter (as I have heard it aptly called). If you think everything was plausible, then that makes me feel much better. I did the best that I could to do keep everything realistic. My feeling is that Legolas can perform some seriously wicked feats when he’s pressed. If I recall correctly, Tolkien himself objected to Legolas being viewed as somehow effeminate, and he made a point of calling attention to the many abilities of the Elves, including great strength. I think the fact that this chapter was seen through Legolas’ eyes helped keep the romantic factor down (and by romantic, I don’t mean love – I mean overwrought and impractical). Legolas himself doesn’t see anything exceptional in what he does; he knows better than anyone else in the group what he is and is not capable of. Awe is left to Sam, who is so generous with his friendship and praise, and to the Men, who can only marvel at how much farther Legolas can stretch himself than they can. Legolas most certainly sees himself as Sam’s protector, at least in their present situation. (My apologies if I’ve said this before; I think that eventually my review responses will be crisscrossing all over themselves.) The interesting thing is that Sam sees himself as Legolas’ protector, after a fashion. Legolas is beginning to see this even if he doesn’t fully understand it. And I’m glad you liked the ending. A lot of people saw fit to comment on it, which is nice. Author Reply: Edited to Add: Word on the street is that you recommended this story on your livejournal. Thank you so much! The response to this story (and this chapter) has been incredible; you're only making it that much more wonderful.

Author's reply

Thank you, Larner! I am so glad that you continue to like the writing. And if I may say so, you don’t miss a thing. You’re right about Garan not being very cautious, but I’m not going to get back to the POV of the rest of the Fellowship quite yet.