Reviews (46)

daw the minstrel · 25 June 2007 · Chapter 1: Chapter 1

review test This is a nice story and I wouldn't mind seeing more of it. :-)

firnsarnien · 11 March 2007 · Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Wow! What a story Nilmandra. I actually read it awhile back but I've been horribly remiss in leaving reviews lately. As always though, you rock my world! What a great story. I felt like I was right beside poor little Leggy feeling every bit of his terror. And Lathron, his fierce protectiveness of Leggy was so heartening to see. I think my favorite part had to be when poor little Leggy threw hiself over his friend. See, even when he was little, he was willing to sacrifice hiself to save others! :) Good grief, it's wonderful to be reading about these characters again. I've loved them for so long, I about rolled around my room in delight when I saw you had a new story with little Leggy in it again. *sigh* I can't wait until you continue this! I'll be here with bated breath, as always, when you write! :)

elliska · 10 March 2007 · Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Catching up on reading...this is great, Nilmandra! I love Legolas and the squirrel. Dumb squirrel, indeed, to not recognize a trade! ;-) And when the spider appears, the tension there is great! Well written. I love these characters and I hope you continue this soon.

perelleth · 1 March 2007 · Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Yay! SO good that you finally returned to Lasgalen! And with spiders! That was great. The tension brew up nicely form the merry beginning, so we remember again the evil times they are facing and how asy could be as well for an elf to lose his life. Poor Lathron, I hope he gets well... and I hope that lEgolas does not feel too bad. YOu get me waiting eagerly...

Calenlass Greenleaf · 27 February 2007 · Chapter 1: Chapter 1

I've been reading so many spider stories lately. What is it, Spider Month? :-) No matter. This is an interesting beginning. I look forward to more. I wonder what Thranduil will have to say to his son. "Stay away from abandoned flets!", perhaps? ~Calenlass

Gwynhyffar · 26 February 2007 · Chapter 1: Chapter 1

awww! I'm so glad they convinced you to visit with the Mirkwooders again. I really enjoyed reading this chapter and look forward to the next one. Legolas wondering if it hurt to die was a horrid moment!!! I liked his apology to Thranduil at the end - he really is a good guy despite not thinking about he's doing. typical! :)

The Karenator · 14 February 2007 · Chapter 1: Chapter 1

I love the white squirrel. The little rascal did not quite get the fair trade rule. The scene in the grove was well done. I could see all the red eyes popping up and turning Legolas and Emlin from the way they were trying to escape. The action was very visual. Poor Lathron. But he did not go down without a fight. And Legolas did a good job of managing his fear to go back and jump in the fray in an attempt to save his brother. That's even better warrior stuff than trying to hit Lathron with an acorn, which, by the way, I loved Tinánia snatching the little missile from the air before it hit Lathron. Now that Ada has Legolas and Legolas notes his father is rather angry, I can't wait to see what happens. I suspect he'll have a few words of caution for Legolas, but I don't think he'll be the one the king is going to be angry with. Okay, we're ready for the next chapter. When you're ready.... Good tale, Nilmandra. I enjoyed it a lot.

JS · 13 February 2007 · Chapter 1: Chapter 1

I am soooo happy to see you writing about Mirkwood folk again! I love storyline you've created with royal family. I can't wait to read more to this story!

Jay of Lasgalen · 13 February 2007 · Chapter 1: Chapter 1

As much as I love your twin stories, this return to young Legolas and his family is very welcome. It's good to see how he's grown into a brave and resourceful young elf, and I love the way he protects little Emlin. But poor Lathron! Please don't kill him - Thranduil has already suffered enough sorrow, and Legolas will surely blame himself. I have just one quibble about the story - bats (even when panicked) don't tangle in hair. They're far too smart. Jay

Dot · 12 February 2007 · Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Oh, Nilmandra. What a wonderful surprise this is. It has Lathron! And Legolas! And Bregolas! I saw the story alert in my e-mail first thing this morning and had to wait an agonising twelve hours to settle down and read it but wow, it was worth the wait. I was so delighted to see you back in Mirkwood. You had me smiling at the opening. Legolas has come a long way – even if he is still waiting for a sword! – but patience still seems beyond his grasp. I can relate to that… I laughed when Tinánia caught the acorn. (But don’t tell Legolas I did.) I love how some things are still the same – Legolas is still good-humoured, he’s still learning from Bregolas and is really close to Emlin – but he’s starting to grow up too. I knew he didn’t have a hope with that squirrel. Didn’t Elladan lose a hairclip to a Mirkwood squirrel? But I love that he felt bad enough for losing Emlin’s bead that he went after it. I really enjoyed the negotiation with the squirrel. Having said that, if I’d known what was going to happen I might not have been smiling so approvingly :-) I particularly liked this line: Legolas resumed the chase amidst the laughter of the trees. It suggests such joy and the idea of the trees laughing at the elfling’s predicament is such an elfy one. I’m sure I can’t have been the only one who wanted to yell at him not to go near that gloomy grove. The speed at which the squirrel raced out of there made me nervous. I think my heart might even have missed a beat when Emlin whispered “There is something alive in there.” Eep! But oh wow, I’m so impressed with Legolas. His first concern is for Emlin’s safety and he’s so calm about trying to get her out of there, even while we know that he’s shaking with fear. I actually felt worse for him than her when the other spider appeared because he just shouldn’t have to try and make such a decision as how to keep her safe. Emlin too does so well. I’d have been hysterical by now. It says a lot about the kind of place in which they live but since Legolas says he hasn’t actually seen spiders before, it says even more about the strength of these two young elves. I had that same horrible thought that something must have disturbed the bats just before Legolas did. For a moment there I was really wondering how they were going to get out of this. Such relief when Lathron and Tinánia arrived! I was so glad to see them. But no! It couldn’t be that easy! I did take time out from my worry to have a fangirly moment at the image of Lathron battling spiders… but when that spider pounced on him I nearly fell off my seat. Nilmandra! What have you done to him??? And I was so torn between cheering Legolas on in his bravery and wanting him to just get out of there. Thank heavens for Bregolas. He’s such a solid lump of comfort even when he must have been horrified at seeing his two brothers like that. The ending really startled me. Roll on the next chapter! I loved this. It’s such a delight to be re-acquainted with old friends, and you did an incredible job in showing the mixture of joy and darkness that is Mirkwood. And we get to see a glimpse of the type of person that Legolas is to become in this child who is just a child, but a courageous and selfless one who can act for others even when he is certain he faces death. Thank you so much, Nilmandra. You’ve made me so happy :-)

Bodkin · 12 February 2007 · Chapter 1: Chapter 1

It all started so delightfully - innocent children teasing adult siblings and romantically-linked adults strolling by the river. Beautiful woods and kleptomaniac white squirrels ... but it couldn't last! The dark grove and the ricketty flet were ominous enough on their own, but as soon as the red eyes began to appear, Legolas and Emlin were clearly in for trouble! It was such a relief to have Bregolas - and Sadron (I do like Sadron) - turn up to snatch his brothers from danger ... but I hope he didn't arrive just a few minutes too late. Spider bites can be nasty! I just hope Tinania managed to get Emlin to safety. Legolas is showing his (sorry) quality - he's too young, too inexperience and too ill-equipped to do a truly professional job of spider-fighting, but he's doing his best. I love the way he dives on Emlin to shield her - and turns back to defend Lathron. And his worry that Lathron will shout at him and his father be cross with him for doing it are just so typical of a child's reaction. (Actually, he should probably worry more about Tathiel. Mother-substitutes are the ones who flip when their nestlings put themselves in danger.) Gorgeous story. Loving it. These characters have such charm - and I'm thrilled to see them again.

Radbooks · 12 February 2007 · Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Oh, it was good to read another young Legolas story of yours again. It was thrilling to go from a nice innocent scene of him and Emlin playing in the trees, to chasing the squirrel, to suddenly being chased by spiders themselves! I'm trying to decide if that white squirrel deliberately drew them to that place since he left the bead and the white stone in such an obvious location and then ran away. Maybe he just got scared too. Legolas was very brave to run back and help Lathron... I hope neither of them are too badly injured but I imagine nightmares might be in store for Legolas at least. Can't wait for the next chapter!

erunyauve · 11 February 2007 · Chapter 1: Chapter 1

I'm so pleased to see you writing these characters again! It seems as if no one is writing anything but suffering-Frodo stories, so it's such a welcome surprise to see a well-written Mirkwood story pop up.

French Pony · 11 February 2007 · Chapter 1: Chapter 1

This shows wonderfully how dangerous Mirkwood is, how it can go in an instant from being a cheerful place full of courting Elves and thieving squirrels to a place of deadly danger. I love the image of Legolas chasing the squirrel through the trees. Squirrels are so funny and so evil at the same time, and so much fun to watch as they chase each other, that watching a young Elf chase a squirrel must be a sight to see. And the trees seem to be enjoying themselves, too. But those spiders! What a nasty surprise. At least Legolas did the right thing, running away to get help and warn others.

LOTRFaith · 11 February 2007 · Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Oh Horray! I am glad you are back with little Legolas... I have just reread your stories and was saddened when I finished them... But no longer :-D

runnerbeast · 11 February 2007 · Chapter 1: Chapter 1

That was fun, happy, exciting, scary and horrifying all at the same time. I loved it! I am so glad Lathron and Bregolas showed up. Whewwww, but I'm still at the edge of my seat waiting to see how Lathron and Legolas come out of this. This is a wonderful start. *grin*

Elflingimp · 11 February 2007 · Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Wow! That was really a good chapter, just what I love, I have followed all these stories and I welcome more of them with these characters, if fact I just can't seem to get enough of them. They are written just right.

meckinock · 11 February 2007 · Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Lathron is my hero. Assuming he lives (He lives, right?) Although Legolas was very brave, too - just a little on the young side :-) But I have to admit my favorite moment was when Legolas and NOT Emlin tripped on the root and fell down while trying to run away from the spiders (you know it's always the girl who does that - err, unless it's Frodo.) The transition from the playfulness in the beginning to the suspense and finally the terror was really nicely done. We were right in Legolas's head with him (shouting "no! Don't go in there!") the whole time. I was so relieved when Lathron and Tinania showed up, and then just when I got my breath, Round Two started. And now it looks like Legolas got bitten after all...

Ellie · 11 February 2007 · Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Wonderful! I forgot how much I missed this little series. Thanks for writing more!

Karri · 11 February 2007 · Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Ooooooh! *squeeeee* Absolutely wonderful so far! :-D Thank you!

daw the minstrel · 11 February 2007 · Chapter 1: Chapter 1

I was so glad to read about these characters again. I loved seeing Legolas's perspective on all this. He sees with the eyes of a child, but one who's brave and who tries to protect Emlin, Lathron, and Tinania. Emlin's adoration of him is so charming. She has utter confidence in him. So now what have you done to Lathron?