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Glorious Summer by daw the minstrel	17 Review(s)
Antigone Q	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 10/10/2004
Loced Celuwen's speech: “ Do you think Eilian and Legolas want to spend their lives as warriors? Do you think that they would not like the chance to live among healthy trees in harmony with the song of Arda?” And Thranduil ought to thank the Valar that he chose Celuwen to negotiate with the settlers. I don't think anyone else would have been able to accomplish so much. I wish Eilian's Adar weren't always so hard on him. Sigh. Author Reply: I wish that too, so I decided to make things a little better. :-) The settlers respect Celuwen as one of their own, but it didn't take more than a few weeks of sitting on Thranduil's council for her to see things a little differently. Her father had no chance against her!

esamen	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 10/10/2004
Legolas had opened his mouth to reply and then found he was uncertain of the answer. “I just knew,” he said, shrugging his shoulders helplessly. Oh -- I had to review again -- the sentence above seems to suggest that the brothers share a kind of kinship with each other similar to the relationship they share with the woods? Hmmm. I loved the aspect of Eilian still getting in trouble with Thranduil and Ithilden. It's so comforting that some things never change. And I really liked the concluding scene of Legolas and Eilian in the woods together. They seemed, for the moment, close to equals in each other's eyes. Now, I want to write out my wish list for double heapings of Legolas and / or Eilian h/c soon, please! I just love to comfort my heros. They're so sweet when they're groggy. There should be plenty enough danger still around for another such plot, I hope! Before Legolas rides off to the Quest, perhaps he'll need some more practice in deliberately making the decision to sacrifice his own life for the greater cause? And maybe his family will need some more practice in watching him do it? Happy typing, esamen Author Reply: I thought that Legolas might have been able to tell just from the shape of the body in front of him etc. I thought he might respond to very small cues that would be unnoticeable to anyone else. But there could be a sort of bond. :-) And Legolas and Eilian are working their way to being equals. I think that's important. I think by the time they get to "Tangled Web," they mostly are equals. I think there will be plenty of occasions for Legolas and/or Eilian to be in danger. What's an author for?

White Wolf	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 10/10/2004
Good chapter title. Celuwen's arguments to her father were quite good and obviously convinced him of the wisdom of her plan. I love the private conversations between Legolas and Eilian, rate though they are, and this one was no exception. Legolas will always be his 'little brother', but he is now seeing first hand how good an officer he has become. Having Beliond order Legolas to bed was great and so was the fact he sat down next to him, prepared to stay with him while he slept. Eilian facing Thranduil will be explosive I fear. Author Reply: All it took was a few weeks sitting on Thranduil's council for Celuwen to see things differently. And Solith had gotten on her last nerve. And I enjoyed writing about Eilian's pride in Legolas and Beliond's solicitude for him. Beliond might bark orders at Legolas, but he is genuinely fond of him.

esamen	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 10/9/2004
“But my leave will be here soon, and I will see you then, always assuming that Adar and Ithilden have left you in one piece.” Ah, lovely. Thranduil's family is just the greatest thing. Wonderful story. Am I a real pyscho to keep wanting more trouble for them, just to enjoy the TLC that comes afterwards? On to the next adventure! Can't wait for your next gift! Author Reply: LOL. I don't think that's psycho. Thank goodness that they can offer comfort to one another and that you enjoy reading about it. :-) I do like writing about family dynamics. I think it's my favorite part of these stories.

Dot	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 10/9/2004
sigh Believe it or not, this is my seventh attempt to sit down and write this since last night. And in the meantime I’ve lost total track of my thoughts… Anyway, there was something very poignant about this chapter. It was just wonderful. I guess in the bittersweet aftermath they all see both themselves and others in a new light. Go Celuwen! She’s just said everything that Thranduil has probably been bursting to say to those settlers for years. I must say, I’m very impressed at how aware she’s become of the reality of the realm’s situation. Those council meetings have paid off. But it’s quite sad too how the information she would have been told has now been driven home so violently. I can see why Sólith would not be happy that the settlers will have to be trained as warriors when they all chose such a very different life. But Celuwen is right, not all Mirkwood’s warriors would have wanted such a life but it’s necessary because of the world in which they live. Plus, Sólith’s neighbours did seem very willing to help defend their home and protect their people against the Men. Isiwen appears to agree with her daughter… I imagine if Celuwen hadn’t lost her temper, she’d have had a fine go at her husband later. Maltanaur seems to be a very obedient patient! I’m glad he’s doing well. I loved the scene with Eilian and Gelmir. I think Eilian is lucky to have someone who knows him so well. “How sharp did it have to be to make sure that no danger ever touched Celuwen again?” Oh, that’s so heartbreaking. It’s been hard enough for him at times to know that his little brother is in dangerous situations but how awful to realise that danger can and will touch his wife and no matter how hard he tries or how prepared he is, he might not be able to prevent it. The easy banter between Gelmir and Eilian always makes me smile. And Gelmir deserves a nice maiden for himself! I really like how genuinely happy for his friend Gelmir is. I get the impression they’ve never really talked about Eilian and Celuwen’s relationship properly before – but then again, it was a fairly sore topic for Eilian until he finally threw caution to the wind and they bonded. It seems that Gelmir had been waiting along with the rest of us for them to come to their senses ;-) Eilian’s definitely become a lot more self-aware. Even admitting that his father might be right shows that he is looking at himself in a new light. He’s already done a lot of growing up, I think. I mean, he still craves the excitement of the south but at least he’s realised how it affects those he loves and acknowledges that maybe he’ll have to reconsider the life he’s used to. Even by thinking of it as a dilemma is a big step up from thinking that everything else has to fit in around his life in the south. I imagine there’ll have to be an interesting conversation or two between him and Celuwen before he does go back. Actually, it’ll be a great pity now if Thranduil is very angry with Eilian, from the point of view that Eilian’s really doing well and doesn’t need to be made feel bad about himself. Having said that, he really should have at least brought more members of the patrol with him… But surely that’s the worst of his sins? And I know that it’s a totally different situation because it was completely unexpected but Thranduil and especially Ithilden spent so long accepting that it wouldn’t have made a difference if they had sent more guards to meet Lorellin or the patrol had gone earlier or whatever and then Eilian acts on nothing but an instinct and is proved right… Well, lets hope they don’t think of that. That image of Isiwen weeping in Sólith’s arms was so touching. She’s such a strong character but must have been frightened out of her wits underneath and she needs to be able to release that. For all that I dislike about Sólith, I will admit that he genuinely loves his family. “I keep reliving the moment when I threw that knife at Susta and it landed in his chest, and all I feel is glee.” Ah. That must have been a tough admission. I guess she’s just realised what it’s like to destroy that which threatens her loved ones. Actually, in a way it might help her to understand a bit more about what drives Eilian. I found the part at Félas’ funeral quite sad. I think part of it is that even though we’ve heard of trouble at the settlements before, this is the bit we don’t really see. I loved that bit about Beliond sending Legolas off to rest. As with his father, Legolas is needing his keeper less as he grows into his role and finds confidence but sometimes still just needs him to be there. That’s interesting, that Legolas’ sword was already in motion when they entered the cottage. Legolas has always had more or less tunnel vision when it comes to those he loves, maybe he still needs to work on that. Like he says, he was right this time, but he could easily have been wrong. Khi has to face Thranduil?? Ouch. He was better off unconscious. Legolas’ realisation that he probably should have left Khi’s fate to Eilian really brought home how very competent Legolas has become. He obviously took immediate control of the situation and did it extremely well, no matter how strange it felt to him. And it’s definitely a good sign that his protective brother didn’t jump in and try to help him. It always makes me smile to see how happy Legolas is when one of his family praises him. LOL at the thought of Ithilden kicking the guards back to Celuwen! She did promise Eilian that she wouldn’t be careless but I suppose she did consider the settlement to be completely safe. There’s definitely some of that odd settlement-elf mentality in her. She suggests to them that they be trained as warriors, yet she feels safe enough there to dismiss the guards. I don’t know how she thought she’d get back to the palace – with a bit of luck the guards are safely hiding in the forest until it’s time for her to leave and Ithilden won’t have to add their names to the increasingly long list of incompetent guards hanging out at the palace… I wouldn’t mind seeing him give Celuwen a bit of a rollicking, though! I’m so glad that Gelmir is going home with Eilian for a while. Both of them need their best friend for a bit, I think. Although, Gelmir might want to loiter in the vicinity of the settlement a bit longer ;-) And good, Riolith is getting his leave. Are we going to see any more of Sórion? Lovely ending to this chapter with the brothers clinging to a bit more time with each other. But Eilian has to go home sometime – and I’m just dying to know what happens!! :-) Author Reply: It may have taken you seven attempts to get around to writing this review, Dot, but from my point of view, it was worth the wait. :-) In this story, I've been trying to show Eilian, Celuwen, and Legolas all trying to adjust to positions that were new for them, and I wanted that to come through in this aftermath chapter. Legolas is a competent officer, and begins to feel that way partly through his own actions and partly through having his brother's respect for him be clearly apparent. Celuwen has been adjusting to life in the palace and has concluded that it's home now. All it took was a few weeks on Thranduil's council for her to start seeing things completely differently, and thus to make her less patient with her father. And Eilian is struggling with his desires for adventure and his wife. He hasn't resolved that one quite, but he's at least acknowledged it and is making progress. I've really enjoyed writing about Gelmir, as I also enjoy writing about Annael and Turgon. I think that I get to know Eilian and Legolas better by seeing them with their friends and letting them talk to them. And of course, in Gelmir's case, he's been the third member of this trio, so he knows both Eilian and Celuwen quite well. The other characters who are useful to me are the keepers. I love Beliond and Maltanaur. And Beliond is keeping a close eye on Legolas in what must have been an unbelievably stressful situation. So he orders him to bed, but then he sits next to him too. :-) In the next chapter, I plan to show Eilian arriving home and Legolas arriving back at his patrol. I've just gotten slower in the last couple of weeks. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed at work.

Duchess	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 10/9/2004
I am soooooo GLAD you didn't let anything permanently bad happen to Celuwen or her family... sorry about Felas though. Thank you for Maltanaur surviving. g LOVED how Celuwen came up with the idea of training the settlements to defend themselves and then handled her stubborn father. chuckling I really hope Ithilden and Thranduil will understand Eilian's instincts concerning his wife's safety were valid and will pay closer attention to that in the future instead of dismissing them out of hand like they did. Thranduil has the excuse of his wife being gone for some time now to have forgotten such things, but Ithilden has none. glowering Legolas is turning out to be a wonderful officer and I'm truly loving this story. :):):) Author Reply: You know, I had the thought that if I were writing a real novel instead of fanfic, I'd have to let Celuwen die and have the brothers spend the rest of the novel dealing with the aftermath. But I didn't have the heart to do it. Celuwen did very well with her father. I'd say she knows him well and is not at all intimidated by his manner. Now I have to go write about Eilian's return home and Legolas's return to his patrol. :-)

Jebb	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 10/9/2004
This was a lovely contemplative chapter after all the tension of the previous few. Everyone had an opportunity to begin to come to terms with the changes in their lives and to see themselves as others see them I was pleased that Solith has come to his senses over the guards, Celuwen's comment about the king's sons and their lack of choice was very telling Also Eilian and Legolas they make a great combination. Although I think Eilian will forever call Legolas 'Brat'he has come to accept that his youngest brother is now a competent leader in his own right. Beliond and Maltanaur however will probably never see their two charges as anything more than wayward elflings! I think Legolas is quite right about returning south even there he may hear the explosions when Eilan and company return home! Author Reply: I was a little worried that this chapter would seem like a letdown after the previous ones. But they all needed time to recover. Celuwen seems to have decided that "home" is in the palace now, which is good. She sees things differently after having lived there even for a short time. And Eilian and Legolas are both accepting Legolas's position as an adult who is more or less Eilian's equal, despite the fact that Eilian might always feel a bit protective of him. The keepers always amuse me! Thranduil did such a good job of choosing them.

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 10/8/2004
What a deeply satisfying chapter, (well, except for Felas and Khi, presumably). Deep sighs all round. It's funny to think of Khi being taken to Thranduil for interrogation and disposal - 'Just what happened in the settlement, evil Easterner?' 'I was unconscious the whole time and have no knowledge whatsoever of the assault on the elves.' It will be very frustrating for the interrogator. And depending on how soon Maltanaur got him, he might not even know much about the time before they arrived in the cottage. I remember when Eilian bonded so precipitately, Legolas felt a sensation of loss - his precious brother had moved on. Well, in a way, this is the good side of that, because Legolas has been allowed to grow up. Eilian now perceived him as adult, competent and mature in a way that he probably wouldn't had Celuwen not become part of his life. Good to see that Celuwen knows how to deal with Solith: first whack him on the head so that his brains are sending off little sparks of agony, and then shout at him. In a way, the settlement elves will not be doing very much differently. They were up there in the trees with their bows when it counted, after all. They will just be doing it all more competently - and then extending the co-operation that settlers show each other to let the central authorities know what is happening. I love the picture of highly incensed Ithilden booting the guards back - can you imagine being a guard caught between Ithilden and Celuwen? Not a role I would fancy. I think I would have hidden in the woods near the settlement - except the settlement elves would have known. Poor Eilian is so deeply in trouble over this. I don't think even being right is going to save him. His main consolation will be that it did help save Celuwen. If all those Easterners had invaded the settlement without the damage inflicted by Maltanaur, it would have been a more dangerous situation. Maybe Maltanaur will have to do a Beliond and accost Thranduil and Ithilden and demand they take his point of view into account. I can certainly see Celuwen going against all protocol and walking in on the unpleasant interview to come. And maybe that would be the most effective way for Ithilden to get her to accept the need for guards. I am glad Gelmir is going home with them - I like seeing Gelmir with Eilian and Celuwen. I love Annael, too. In fact, all your characters. Maybe Ithilden did have a good friend when he was younger - he is old enough for time, duty etc to have divided them. I don't like to think of Ithilden as having been a lonely child. Good chapter. Glad there will be another. Wouldn't want to be Eilian in it though. Author Reply: Poor Khi! Imagine Thranduil holding you responsible for what happened in the settlement when you were unconscious! "You were the Men's captain. Of course I am holding you to account." LOL I thought your insight about the effect of Celuwen on Legolas's relationship with Eilian was interesting and probably right on. He lets Eilian go a little, and in the course of that is forced to stand on his own feet. And he finds he can do it, a little to his own surprise. Celuwen is a force to be reckoned with. All it took was a few months of sitting on Thranduil's council for her to see the flaws in her father's reasoning. Now she just needs to accept the need for guards. It really isn't fair for her to reject them. And your idea that Ithilden can use Eilian's problem to get her to accept the guards is a good one. Maybe Ithilden did have a friend. I'll have to think about it.

Manderly	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 10/8/2004
That was a wonderful chapter. Every one of your characters came through so clearly that one could not help but identify with them in some way. First of all, Celuwen was great! I can see Solith cowering before her as she blasted him, and he deserved every word of it. I wonder how he has managed to survive all these years living with such strong females in the household. I don't imagine Isiwen is any less fearful when she is angry. The scene between Eilian and Gelmir was very nice, and entertaining too. Gelmir is a very loyal friend. The final scene between Legolas and Eilian was very touching. Seeing them interacting with each as adult warriors has made me realize that they have come a long way. I can still remember Legolas grabbing onto Eilian's braid as he cried himself to sleep in his brother's arms. It must be hard for Eilian to let go of Legolas as his baby brother and recognize him as a responsible and capable commander. Author Reply: Thank you, Manderly. I'm so glad you liked it. For some reason, this chapter was hard to write. I tore out several scenes and redid others from different characters' points of view and finally just decided to go with what I had. So you're making me feel good by saying that it worked. I think it's to Solith's credit that he married Isiwen, who is a strong characters. She's quiet enough to defer to him most of the time, but that's her choice. And you can see where Celuwen gets her stubborness and backbone from. Gelmir is a loyal friend and I'm glad Eilian has him. And you made me smile reminding me of Legolas clutching Eilian's braid. In a way, it's a wonder that any of these elves can see the younger ones as adults, but Eilian seems to be managing that with Legolas, something that almost startles Legolas.

meckinock	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 10/8/2004
Eilian regarded the blade, in his mind’s eye seeing it once again sailing through the air to lodge in Zalan’s throat. Was it sharp enough? How sharp did it have to be to make sure that no danger ever touched Celuwen again? I love this line. But what I really love about this chapter is that most of the rest of it is so relaxing! Reading this chapter was like curling up in a beanbag chair with a puppy. It was really wonderful how everyone settled down and just enjoyed the comfort of one another's company (except for Solith, of course!) I especially loved seeing Legolas and Eilian settling into a comfortable relationship as adults. Legolas no longer needs to idolize Eilian or worry about his troubled relationship with their father. He's fully come into his own identity and can psychologically distance himself from Eilian's self-imposed predicaments. Like the one he's in now... There were so many great moments in this chapter -- understated insights into these wonderful characters' personalities and relationships, like Celuwen's disclosure that she felt glee at the memory of killing, and Eilian's response: He tightened his arms around her but could not think what to say. Then there's Legolas's delightful, shocked realization that Eilian thinks he's competent: Eilian grinned at him. “You are doing well enough on your own, Legolas, and I have enough sense as a captain to let any competent lieutenant who wanders my way do as much work as he likes.” Legolas felt a warm flush of pleasure. Eilian thought he was doing a good job. He thought that Legolas was competent. And best of all, the easy warmth of their relationship: “I am too.” Legolas felt the truth of the simple words. “But my leave will be here soon, and I will see you then, always assuming that Adar and Ithilden have left you in one piece.” “Yes,” Eilian agreed, “always assuming that.” Legolas knew he should go and ready his patrol for departure, but he could not bring himself to go just yet. A few more minutes in these green woods with his brother were surely not too great a self-indulgence. Nice. Author Reply: I actually had a hard time writing this chapter because it seemed so flat after the tension of the previous chapters. I'm glad you found it comforting, Meckinock. The characters needed time to comfort one another. Legolas, Eilian, and Celuwen are all in new roles in this story and have not been entirely comfortable in them. I wanted to show them growing a little, and I think Legolas is doing well. It's a shock to him to realize that he can run things in the settlement, and Eilian is happy to let him. I think that might be a shock to Eilian too!

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