O, my, O my, O my my my! I thought I could force my self to wait on this last review, but lo! it pours forth again! Horse crazy! I should say so- you are an expert! Who in the wide expanse of Arda is Walter Farley? (Nobody! He was on earth!) I printed this out and highlighted some of my favourite lines. I tried to be picky... but it was so hard! My Sharpie trembled in my hand! "It was almost amusing" --almost-- "the way six Elves ran into each other trying to get to the" --deseated-- "rider. Glorfindel, of course, was closest, but he was rudely shoved aside by the Lord of Imladris, who was nearly shoved aside by a Silvan Elf who caught himself just in time to prevent a war between Mirkwood and Rivendell." Boy, Elves must be touchy! O, it is so funny and heart-rending at the same time! Your second-*ever* fic? My good golly garsh, how by grace did you manage such?!?!?!?! I am impressed beyond thought! I can *almost* see a slightness of lack to your usual, fluid grace, but that is barely there- and that is something I could not do! My second fic was a nightmare! But I was also, say, elevenish years old. If that young. Though I would not be much older. So I guess years would help you- but whoa.  "It was not the pain of his body that caused his pillow to be soaked in the morning." O, sweet jarring of my heart, it is painfully satisfactory! You are fabulous, Pentangle, and yea, your words fall like silver rain; a rumble  of thunder above echoing across the sad stretch of grey sky of treacherous clouds.
   "If it was one of the twins, things would not go too badly. If Glorfindel- well, he would hope it was not Glorfindel.
   The door opened. Oh no! It was Erestor. He was doomed." Aiya! Humour and still not. You seem totally serious, and yet the hilarity of your words shines through with a light of gold! "A daunting prospect! You will have to protect me, mellon nin!"
    How can someone sleep too peacefully? And do you know what happened with the duck? I am demanding answers! Hehehehe... rope, table, a pair of shoes, and a duck? My, what a mind he holds! And the intellectual insight you litter so marvelously throughout the paragraphs... Alae! you are the greatest of the wonders I have come upon!

Hail! The mighty of old reign in Middle-earth again! Behold! Pentangle the Resplendent!

No galu govad gen,
Elemmire Star-Sheen, Star of Awakening

(Chapter 7, aka 6)I could sob. The will and courage of both are terrifying! Watch it, girl, or you're gonna get my hospital bill when I go in for a heartattck! This is flashingly wondrous! Power seeps through the words and drains into my throat, constricting it to pain. (My throat *does* hurt from reading this... you know, emotionally tightening) I trembled to hold the pages (I printed it out) as I rocked my baby brother who just woke from a nap. I was sweating. It is so sad that Estel lied so plainly to Legolas- I choked. But... wow. Bravo! The pace, the track, the words that Estel spoke----- I must be weeping. If anyone has doubts of you, this is the story to prove you ARE the most versitle, striking, fabulous author the Internet has ever known! Precious, you are beautiful! The race was startling- have you done it before? You *must* of copied it off of a trail you've seen, or ridden. If not, my face will mirror the 'O' our dear riders sported. I need to go find an Elven horse to fall off of. Please excuse me.

Wide eyed again,
Elemmire Star-Sheen

(Chapter 6, also known as 5) My ingenius lad! How wise a by of thirteen! What else to say besides I wish to run to the next chapter with all speed! You, master of words, are amazing, and seem more so with each story and chapter! I want to run to the next chapter- so you get a break from my words- even though a thousand bits of marvelous dialoge leap into my mind, and a cute muscle jumping in *someone's* cheek!

Elemmire Star-Sheen

Sheer beauty! Legolas is so beautiful through the eyes of a boy named Estel. I like *purr* Legolas when he is cross- and when he "smiles in such a way." ^_^! To the point, you are magenificent! How can you say so much while writing so little? I have put out my second chapter, and still I exhausted my vocabulary for flowery sentences- while you sit over here putting out simple yet elegant, short yet exquisite sentences, and you beat me in a heart-beat! Again I must add, may I make references to your stories in my own? Such as my next poem, I have the Ithilvir from "Ceremonial" made in reference, and I wished for your agreement. I will not post it without your consent, as I recieved with Aignor, yes! By the grace of the Valar, you are so wonderful! I love your writing! O, and put "Wrong" on here!

Elemmire Star-Sheen

Yea, this chapter was a marvel indeed, and a great ease for my heart! (Chapter 3) My face was nearly as this (type in arwen-undomieldotcom, then with no spaces do /sc/ttt/AsF/AsF046, yet I am not so beautiful!) when I read "Maybe I am a man for surely only a man's heart can hurt so much. A boy's is not big enough." Your Estel is so horribly pitiable! I could weep for him (though as of yet, I have not come to that point. Just close...)   "Peace! Oh mighty warrior, do not kill me!" I should say so! I can just hear that beloved (for myself and Estel) voice come ringing into the clearing. I love the picture of Legolas looking down seriously at the boy while pushing a certian horse off his shoulder.   "-I nearly cried all the way home!" And I do not blame him! He must of felt terrible, cursing himself the whole time! Fear not, Elrohir, though you may not be able to counterfiet the gifts of the Valar and Iluvatar, you can still wait for them to come in truth! Until he knows! *giggle* I love you, but I gotta go... sibling reasons.

Namarie,
Elemmire Star-Sheen 

Your words cut me like hot iron, and burn me like a spear of ice! By what devilery do you work such wonders? Surely this is Elven magic, if it is to be called that.
"For this is what your folk would call magic, I believe; though I do not understand clearly what they mean; and they seem to use the same word of deciets of the Enemy. But this, if you will, is the magic of Galadriel." --Galadriel, 2nd book of the Fellowship of the Ring
   If anything, you are a regal Lady with a crown of stars, you majestic hands born for the quill that rests in secret on your mighty fingers! (My greatest apologize if you be male... though I highly doubt it) Are you sure you are not a young teenager? You make me feel as if I read first from the eyes of youngling, than a matured adult, then a young adult yet to learn the meaning of "mature" and still... you have fire behind each word. Elladan and Elrohir are the perfect... "Estel, I know this is very difficult for you are at an age when men tend to over dramatize-" "I do believe that if you thought with both hands for a fortnight, you could not have come up with a more inflammatory thing to say. " ... at least almost perfect. But, say, ain't that what they're for? Thank you for blessing us with your brilliance! I almost came to tears at Estel's pleadings, the twins musings! They are so bitterly sweet in each! I can scarse imagine a more forlorn, heart broken face than Estel's must have been when the last horse fled back to the group! I would not have felt kindly to horses in general at the point. Ai, be careful not to counterfiet the blessings of the Valar. Eru still has the better plan. Did it not strike them odd that it worked every other time? Your colourful mind is tearing my heart to pieces! And cull our Sadoreth? My, the fools! But Estel, do not lose hope! It is still with you!

Bittersweeted,
Elemmire Star-Sheen

(I have the picture of Sadoreth on my English binder! Nice stuff! Can't wait to decorate it!) 

Hullo! I'm finally able to be back on here logged in! O, I love this story! Though it would be easier to read if it were seperated offically into chapters. I've read but the first, so expect me to be back here haunting you until all eight chapters have a review. Your humour is divine!  "Is there anything quite so terrifying as a young limb of Sauron, neat, pressed, and polite?"  Erestor murmered back "My blood is frozen in my viens." It has a sweet touch, and yet it brings me awefully close to needing medical help cuz' I can't breath! As I know what is going to happen, and what Chosen means, the mystery I can feel breathing down my neck as I read this was not there, and yet it riddled my mind to the point where I was ready to cry "What in Arda is going to happen?" Even as Sadoreth galloped across my mind... or the Black... or whatever Legolas and Estel used in reference to it before it was named. Yeah, I better back track, I'm getting ahead of the story.
   You have the right touch to bring me to my knees. I am pleading, begging, sobbing for more to review! Bring "Wrong" over here, so I can make an offical review on it. Pulease? Odd, you have a nephew who has trouble with lying- I have a brother. Possibly the same one? Hehehehe... if we were related I'd flip... *pause in consideration* Um, his name wouldn't start with a D, would it? Tell me to stop dreaming and smack me. That would be wierd... if you were my aunt... even stranger if you were on my Naneth's side. Then I would freak... I'd rather you on my Ada's side.

... Elemmire

I found this site a couple of days ago, and as soon as I realized it was dedicated to Aragorn and Legolas, I was ecstatic!  Your story of how Legolas and Aragorn meet for the first time is the first one I read, and though I didn't have time then, I am going back to review every one of those 6 chapters!   I read "Choosing" today and I have to tell you I cheered and cried and laughed all the way throughout this wonderful story.  I LOVE horses - I've never been blessed to have one, but I have always loved them.  I read each and every one of Walter Farley's stories growing up, as well as Marguerite Henry's and any other I could get my hands on.  When I discovered Lord of the Rings, I was so excited to find fanfiction continuing on where Prof. Tolkien left off.  And when I started writing, my inspiration came from the two or three sentences in THE TWO TOWERS when Legolas and Arod first meet each other.  My longest story involves Legolas and Arod and the special bond I feel like elves would have with their horses. 

So you see, I loved this story!  LOVED IT!  I loved the fact that you touched on the bitter disappointment that Aragorn had to face and learn to live with every time he came up a little bit short - or just wasn't quite good (elven) enough.  (My first  meeting of Legolas and Estel has Legolas teaching a young Estel to climb trees, because the other younger elves laughed at him and made him feel like a total failure and an outsider.) 

I certainly appreciate the fact that you feel like the elves would be chosen by their mounts, or have some sort of special connection to them.  Seems only right, doesn't it?  If they can talk to trees and hear them in turn, they should be able to communicate with something as important as the mounts that bear them. 

The very best part though, is Estel's growing up at the end and recognizing that just calling someone 'friend' is not enough; that there is so much more to being a friend.  He comes to realize just what he has done by damaging the trust that had developed between him and Legolas.  Then Legolas explaining the gigantic leap of faith he took by accepting Estel as a friend had me in tears.  I don't remember ever reading it put any better than you did in this story. 

The training scenes were so interesting - and the Black wasn't elvish, was he?  He had come from the Haradric herds, so it only stands to reason his training would be more hands on.  I think the fact he 'chose' Estel says a great deal for the boy himself - and I love the little chant he says to the horse - "Come, my beauty.  Come, my own.  Come, and I will love you.  Come, and we will fly together."  *sniff*  Lovely, just lovely. 

And sprinkled throughout are the little snippets of humor I am coming to appreciate so much in your stories..."a young limb of Sauron", Elrond's "what have you done with my son?", the diary (the honey - hey, I'd take a bite out of the elf, forget the honey!, the liniment for the poor elven backside *snicker*, Legolas' temper (...try not to shoot Glorfindel), Elrond's profanity *eep!*, the elven riders falling off their horses at the sight of Estel...*g*. 

And the race was superb - so tense, so exciting!  Anyway, now that this review has become a novel, I will stop drooling over the story and just say a very big WELL DONE, Pentangle.  Keep writing - and I for one, would love more stories about Aragron *snicker* and his Sadoreth.

Linda

My favorites lines : "Estel could not hear anything but his blood roaring in his ears and the Black’s drumming hooves. This was just as well for there was currently more profanity coming from the Lord of Imladris than any had heard since he commanded Gil-Galad’s armies."

Wonderful! I was laughing out loud.

Of course "He would not be brought into the bowl on a leading rein, in shame. The blood of kings stirred in him." was quite nice too.

Once again - marvellous story. Thank you for sharing.