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Good Neighbors by daw the minstrel	27 Review(s)
Tapetum Lucidum	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 12/25/2004
Hi! I am still alive but my PC was not. I got a cool laptop for Christmas! Using it with my wireless cable modem is Great! My husband just wanted to see me more so now I can read fanfiction while he watches TV. What could be better? A new story and a half from Daw! This is starting off very sweet so far. I love how young Legolas covets his time with his father. My rugrats ran off as soon as their friends next door invited them over. Not that I am complaining... The men of Esgaroth better get their act together or they are going to lose some good customers. The Woodland king should be irate - he depends on them to keep his people safe and they are obviously not doing a good job. I am looking forward to see how you relate the twins' grief to that of the Thranduilion(s) - How do you make that plural? It seems they will all handle it differently. I was glad Thranduil could tell the twins apart - nice touch. Poor Eilian got stuck with babysitting duty. I would think he and the twins would make a dangerous combination. I kind of feel sorry for any orcs nearby. I also kind of feel sorry for Turgon - his house seems very chaotic. His parents inattentive, and his younger brother a challenge. His arrows sound very distinctive. I am glad Legolas also gets some quality time from Eilian - he is definitely his hero. Betting on horses? That was cute. Legolas should definitely be grateful for his family. Great start! Author Reply: Wow, TL. I thought you might have gotten tired of these stories. Or busy. That had occurred to me too. You do seem to have a full life. And I don't want to sound like I'm nagging. Review are always a gift, and no one owes them. Anyway, glad to hear from you and it sounds as if you got a great gift. Legolas does crave the attention of his family, especially his very busy father. I looked up lots of stuff about arrows for this story and then enjoyed using it. Making the twins appear was also fun but tricky. I wanted to respect their dignity as 2500 year old elven warriors. I wanted to show they were now, but also suggest that that wasn't how they usually were. And I wanted to show the subtle differences between Rivendell and Mirkwood. So it was challenge. I feel terribly sorry for Turgon. His parents are unloving. They accept his "different" aesthetic sense, for instance. They are just on another planet.

meckinock	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 11/12/2004
Look what happens when I leave town for a few days. Mayhem breaks out; I'm, what - five chapters behind on your story? Not that I'm complaining. And her queenliness attributes all manner of base appetites to me on Live Journal. She knows me too well. Speaking of appetites: thanks for the cameo by Sweaty Eilian. And yes, it is true that I would be most pleased to see Angsty Elrohir and Elladan take a few swings at some orc on their little outing. Which is already promising to be an interesting experiment. I don't think anyone's ever told Ithilden to pound sand before. I'm trying to imagine who would prevail in a battle of wills between Eilian and two very purposeful and single-minded sons of Elrond. Eilian shrugged again. “It sounds rather boring to me. I would like to meet Glorfindel, but I think that everyone should come to the Woodland Realm.” He grinned again, but Legolas rather suspected he was only half joking. Eilian liked excitement, but he tended to see most other places in Arda as irrelevant to his concerns. What a fascinating insight into Eilian's personality. I hadn't considered it before, but it fits. What a typical guy. He seems like a lot of cops and firefighters - brave and daring, loving and gentle to their families, and fiercely protective of their loved ones and their neighborhoods or towns; but completely incurious of anything happening in the outside world. Happy to hang around with their high-school buddies and man the dunk tank at the parish festival and knock back Old Style at the corner tap every Friday night. While Legolas...I love it when you plant pointed little reminders of the future he can't yet imagine; like his bewilderment at the notion of sea-longing and inability to comprehend leaving the forest. Author Reply: I hope you had some fun on your trip, even if it was mostly work. We missed you though. I'm looking forward to writing E3 on an orc hunt, because I think it will be challenging. I'm making notes for it now, and it turns out to be complicated by a number of things. Thranduil is right that a mixed bag of warriors is hard to manage. It was odd when I thought of it, but I could see Eilian a someone who was happy to get his excitement in the woods at home. And he's a wood elf, his mother's true child. He can't think of a better place to be. He's tied to the woods in an almost organic way.

Caro	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 11/3/2004
I read and RE-read all of your stories, DAW...."When Shadow Touches Home" being one of my all-time favorites. Here is how I count how good a day has been.....first of all, back home in one piece...secondly, if I've received cheques in the mail, and finally if DAW has updated one of her stories. I actually savour the stories....making myself wait to 'treat' myself to reading new chapters. The richness and depth with which you write the characters is the finest example of fanfiction. I hesitate to even call your stories fanfic, since they are so far above so much of the dreck out there, they are in a class all their own. I have a PalmPilot (Zire 72) and I convert your stories to a format which works on my Palm and have them available to read when I am out and about. The number of hours I've spent reading your stories, I can't tell you. This latest story, "Good Neighbours" is already testing my ability to be patient waiting for updates. Please know that your work touches me deeply. I am pleased to see a writer who enhances canon in such a manner. Thank you. Author Reply: Oh my goodness, Caro. This is exceedingly generous of you, and I thank you for taking the time to tell me. I had never written fiction at all before I started writing these Legolas stories, and it took me a while to get up the courage to post, so I still find it hard to believe that people enjoy them. Anyway,I started chapter 3 of "Good Neighbors" last night. I only wrote a page because this has been a busy week at work and the election took a lot out of everyone, I think. But it was fun to get swept up trying to figure out how Ithilden would react to the men from Esgaroth. If what I do enhances canon for you, then I am deeply flattered.

Antje	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 11/3/2004
How can one grow tired of your stories. Not possible!! I´m in awe about your talent and can hardly wait for updates. It´s usually the first thing in the morning to check if you´ve updated your stories. Your charactes are so real, you can feel their emotions, worries and it´s great to be able to join them on their struggle through life. Please keep up your great work! Your fan from Iceland. Antje Author Reply: Thank you, Antje. I got all excited about getting a review from Iceland and went and told the guy in the office next door to mine (although then I had to pretend I intended to work!). If my characters feel real to you, then I am delighted beyond belief, especially if you feel their emotions. I had never written fiction at all before I started writing these Legolas stories and didn't know if I could to it. So I've been learning the craft slowly. You've made me feel very good by telling me that I seem to be succeeding.

Scarlett	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 11/2/2004
Hi DAW! OMG!! I just want to reach out and hug Turgon, and never let him go - the poor little elfling!! Especially given what we know to be his destiny. sigh Something about the thought of Turgon needing help with his arrows, but not getting the guidance that he needs from his parents struck such a chord with me that it actually made me cry - it seems like a metaphor for his life. (Of course, I'm sure that was what you were trying to convey, and I think I should get a gold star for picking up on it! g) I'm just glad I decided to wait until I was at home to read this, as I would be hard-pressed to explain the tears rolling down my face at the office! (Hee!) Mind you, this is not the first time I've had such a viceral reaction to one of your stories - something about the way you depict your characters in their everyday struggles is so true-to-life (even though they're immortal beings!) that I find myself reacting to them on a very emotional basis. Poor Turgon is trying so hard in this chapter and not having very much success - I'm glad he has friends like Legolas and Annael, maybe Legolas can get Eilian to help Turgon too! Although, it does make a great deal of sense to me that Turgon would be very artistically gifted, but not practically so - it's seems a very "Turgon-ish" way to be!! g Author Reply: You and I think alike. I feel really bad for Turgon. He's trying so hard here, but he need help, for pity's sake! And Legolas and Annael aren't old enough to give it. His parents aren't unloving, but they don't seem to see what he needs. In contrast, the busy king makes sure someone will help Legolas when he can't. Sigh. I think Turgon is very creative. If his world had been a safer place, he'd have done all right, but of course, his world isn't safe at all. In a sick kind of way, I'm glad I made you cry. :-)

Firnsarnien	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 11/2/2004
Ah! A new story from you! :) I didn't see an author alert over at Fanfic.net so I'm really glad I found this here! And it's turning out so beautifully! It has a young Leggy and a pre-Celuwen (not sure if I spelled that one right) Eilian and even a pre-Alfirin Ithilden! LOL Yay! I like it best when they were single 'cause it seems Leggy got more attention from them before they became hitched! LOL Ooooh, and Elrond and Elrohir are even in this story. Gosh, can things get any better? Especially with Thranduil worrying that the twins grief might remind Eilian and Leggy of their own when their naneth was killed! And holy moly, Turgon's back again! Yay! I felt so sorry for him though. He had no one to help him with his arrows! What a loser his father is! He almost reminds me of an alcoholic in some ways. Especially when he slammed through the door to tell them to be quiet! And Amdir, my goodness, he sure must have been a brat. It seems Leggy has had a calming influence on him when he's older despite his family's say in things. And that's definitely a good thing! I can't wait to see what happens when Eilian and Leggy finally do meet up with the twins (if they do). And what on earth do you have planned for this camping trip? Hmmmm? Elrohir, Elladan, Leggy on camping trip, Mithrandir's presence, men attacking Elves, hmmmmmmm, yup, definitely gonna be a lot of excitement coming up, me thinks! ;) Can't wait for it! :) Hurry, will ya? LOL Author Reply: Thank you, Firnsarnien. I like seeing the brothers together too. And you're right: Legolas does get more attention from them when they're single. Of course, as he grows older, he needs less attention from them too, but still, I really like the way they nurtured him after his mother died. He was lucky in a lot of way, compared to Turgon, say, or even to the twins, who have a loving family but have distanced themselves a bit at the moment. I feel bad for Turgon too. That comparison of his father to an alcoholic is interesting. He's not one, but he does let himself get absorbed in his own concerns. He helped his son paint the arrows and let Turgon know it was fine to have a different aesthetic if he wanted to, but then inspiration struck and he wandered off to leave the poor kid struggling. You list all the things I have going so far! Good. I just hope I can keep them all straight long enough to work them out. :-)

Alice	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 11/2/2004
Ooh, plot twist! My intrest in this this story has just really shot up. Elladan and Elrohir visiting present endless possibilities. Will Thranduil offer unwanted advice? Will they upset Legolas (because we all so know that Thranduil's thoughts of keeping Legolas away from them being entirely possible are famous last words)? And what's mithrandir's role in this tale? Oh the possibilities. And it's going to be fun to see Ithilden relate to people as a friend instead of brother/commander/flustered suitor/upstanding citizen. I can't wait for the next chapter. I also wanted to comment on the nice comparisons you've got going. Ithilden is son of a ruler just like the Peredhil boys yet they all react differently to a similar tragedy. Also, nice touch with showing the inadequacy of Turgon's parents by having his Dad leave him on his own to make arrows and having Thranduil make sure that someone would be able to help Legolas. An adult needs to adopt Turgon. He's clearly not being adequately parented. I have friends with parents similar to Turgon's. The fall out isn't pretty. I think a capable adult definitely needs to "adopt" Turgon. Or someone needs to give his parents a talking to. I'm really looking forward to the next chapter. Please update soon. Author Reply: Yes, plot twist. :-) I was excited when I realized that I might be able to incorporate the twins into this story. I do think I'll have to keep Legolas more or less away from them because in "Question of Duty" I have him meet them for the first time. Believe me, I cursed that out when I realized it! But there are no limits on them meeting the rest of the family. Thank you for the compliment about the comparisons. Yes, you're supposed to see all these sets of parent/child relationships. You're a very perceptive reader, Alice. Poor Turgon. I feel so sorry for him.

Dot	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 11/2/2004
Yeah, I was actually getting a bit tired of these stories… LOL. You nutter. What a great surprise there was in this chapter! And I just loved Thranduil in it too. Galivion always makes me smile. I can’t imagine having to deal with both Ithilden and Thranduil when they’re both feeling particularly determined about something. I like the thought of Ithilden having to march off to Esgaroth himself. I can just picture the locals fleeing in terror before him… I really was surprised to see Mithrandir, Elladan and Elrohir arrive. What a striking image they make too. I always feel a little bemused at how enthusiastically Thranduil greets Mithrandir. Maybe he just enjoys seeing how nervous his presence makes his advisors! Well done to Thranduil for correctly identifying each of the twins! How mortifying if he hadn’t. That entire scene in Thranduil’s office was just so painful. The moment Thranduil realised that the twins’ manner reminded him of someone, I figured it had to be Eilian. Their grief is obvious but more than that they seem to be very tightly strung beneath any outward calm, clearly wanting to be doing anything other than sitting still and feigning politeness. Actually, they kind of remind me too of Elrond in ‘The Tide of Times’ (?) when Thranduil goes to Imladris for another White Council meeting and he’s utterly preoccupied by whatever his sons are up to as well as still coping with the departure of Celebrían. “They graciously agreed to accompany me […]” Hmm, yeah I’ll bet they did. I can just imagine the conversation. I must say, I do like how very sympathetic Mithrandir is. I suppose he’s taken it upon himself to try to pull the twins out of that relentless drive for revenge if they won’t agree to go home. I really feel for them. The fact that there are two of them makes it easier for them to leave home even if it does mean that they end up isolating themselves from the rest of their family. In some ways it’s a good thing that Thranduil’s eldest sons were needed in Mirkwood because it meant that there was no way they could gallivant off for personal reasons. And even when Ithilden and Eilian did have problems, they were surrounded by people who understood and wanted to help. By ‘people’, I guess I mostly mean Maltanaur!! I hope we’ll see more of the sons of Elrond, actually. I thought you depicted them really well. You gave the impression that their natural warmth and openness has been lost amid grief and anger and the pleasure they take in killing Orcs is very understandable, as is their almost desperate need to do it. They haven’t said much so far but I thought they were still very real and not just two lunatics off on a killing spree, which is how they have appeared in some stories. As I said, I absolutely love Thranduil here. I cringed when he realised that Orcs were responsible for Celebrían’s sailing. But you know, I really liked the fact that his first thought was for how Elrond must be feeling. God, as bad as it was for Thranduil’s family to lose Lorellin, can you even begin to imagine what it must have been like for Elrond’s to watch Celebrían suffer until she just could not take it anymore? “Then he shoved thoughts of Lorellin’s last moments into the dark corner of his mind.” Oh, ouch. I hadn’t really thought about that before but it’s something that must really plague him in his darker moments. To me, Thranduil appears the closest to panic that I’ve ever seen him when he thinks about how hard his sons found dealing with their own grief and then hurries into action to prevent old wounds being reopened. It’s just fascinating. It’s almost as though someone with a terrible illness landed on his doorstep and he’s trying to quarantine his family. I guess he’s trying to protect the walls he’s built up himself too, whether he realises it or not. Do Mithrandir and the twins know about Lorellin? Oh, and is there any chance we’ll get to see a conversation between Ithilden, Elladan and Elrohir? Pretty please??! So Legolas & co. are off on a camping trip? That sounds like something that’ll go smoothly… What can I say about the glimpse into Turgon’s home life? I really feel for him. Ah, so his father is a minstrel? Turgon himself seems quite artistic. I wonder why on earth Turgon decided to become a warrior. I loved the idea that the crest he used was so colourful. At first I thought maybe his father had chosen the design and Turgon had to go along with it so that his father would help him but as I recall, Turgon loved vivid colours even as a young child. Lord knows what Penntalion will think of them, though! There’s something very poignant about the way he seems to wait and see what Legolas thinks. And even though his father helped him with the crest, he’s been left to fend for himself with the more practical parts. “Legolas could not imagine what it would be like to be drawn inexorably away from the woods.” sob This chapter is just full of sad little moments. Maybe I’ll just pretend that I don’t know what the future holds for Legolas… LOL at Amdir. I get the impression that his presence usually signifies chaos. He’s so cute, though! I thought I’d feel annoyed at Turgon’s parents but I don’t, really. I mean, his father helped him a little and seems to have some concept of Turgon’s work being important, he just gets carried away when inspiration strikes. And his mother comes across as quite loving towards her children, just not quite on the same planet as everyone else. I wouldn’t say that they shouldn’t have children, they just need someone to show them that discipline is necessary. I can see why Thranduil and Ithilden always appear more frustrated than angry with them. The worst thing is that Turgon appears to have no interest in his ‘homework’ generally, but here it’s painfully obvious that he’s actually trying to do it but no one could get anything done in such bedlam. “I am sure you will be pleased to hear that I am going to help you finish your arrows tonight, while everyone else goes to the boring old feast.” I’m feeling quite sorry for Elladan and Elrohir at having to sit through a feast in their honour. It seems like the last thing they’d want to do, especially if it involves the usual music and dancing. But who knows, maybe it’ll be good for them. And I think I see one of your potential problems. Legolas and the twins didn’t meet until he went to Imladris, right? Oh well, Thranduil might succeed at keeping them apart and if not we can just ignore things as you wish! Whatever about Legolas, it’d be great to see Eilian meet Elrond’s sons. He’s likely to get very suspicious if he realises that he’s being kept away from them. Plus Thranduil’s sons never end up doing what he intended them to do! Who knew Eilian would be perfectly happy to stay in his own realm?! I think there’s a little bit of his father in him there, thinking that there’s nowhere better than Mirkwood - spiders, Orcs and all! And he did win the feathers in a bet ;-) This story appears to have taken a different path than where it seemed to be headed. But I do like surprises! I’m intrigued now and am looking forward to more. :-) Author Reply: All right. I won't worry about people getting tired. It just seemed to me I've written so much that folks might get bored! :-) Any sane bad guy in Esgaroth would just tie himself up and present himself to Ithilden as a prisoner. It would save him a lot of pain and aggravation. And you're right about Galivion! Poor guy. Thranduil and Ithilden in combination would be just too much for anyone except possibly Galadriel. (Now that's something I'd like to see) I thought that Mithrandir might be Thranduil's strongest ally from elsewhere in Middle-earth. Who else does he have really? But Mithrandir seems to treat the Elvenking as a friend in The Hobbit and he and Aragorn take Gollum to Thranduil. So I think there must have been a certain amount of trust there. I hae to admit I did enjoy producing the twins. :-) That note in HoMe was very welcome. That's a good connection to Elrond in "The Tide of Times." That takes place in about 20 years. In this story, Celebrian has just left and they watched her suffer for a year. That must have been unbelievably disturbing. I figure Mithrandir found them (he was looking for them at Elrond's behest) and told them he needed them to protect him. Ha! I like your analysis of them relying on one another and being able to leave home. Actually, Thranduil's sons could go after Orcs in their own backyard. That doesn't normally seem like an advantage, but maybe it was in this case. Elladan and Elrohir will be around for a little while. I'm still treading carefully in showing them. It's tricky to remember that they're noble and yet at the same time show their rage. I do think that Thranduil is a little panicked. He'll have to see how his sons do with the twins and then maybe confront some of his own feelings too. We'll see. I'd say that Turgon's parents are VERY impractical. If he'd been raised in safer times, he might have been okay, but the danger needs to be dealt with practically. Sigh. I was very disappointed that I had tied myself down in "Question of Duty." Sometimes I curse the fact that I have these stories set later. And shoot! I meant to give you credit for the wager idea! Thank you. It struck me as just right.

sofia	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 11/2/2004
Nice Chapter. The part with Mithrandir and Elrohir and Elladan-- it was a surprise. But a good one. i felt bad for Turgon when they all left and he was stuck making arrows all by himself. more soon please. With a cherry on top, too. -sofia Author Reply: I thought the visitors might be a surprise. :-) Especially the twins. I had Mithrandir show up in "Tide of Times," but I never thought I'd get the twins to Mirkwood until I read that bit in HoMe. I felt bad for Turgon too. There's such potential wasted there. I think Namo was kind to him in the Halls of Mandos and he and Legolas met again in Valinor. That thought makes me smile. I might be a little slow on the next chapter. It's election day and I have to go to another meeting tonight too, so I won't get started for a while. And I have to work, darn it! What is my boss thinking? Where are his priorities?

White Wolf	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 11/2/2004
It was very interesting getting a glimpse into Turgon's home. Having his type of daredevil personality combined with that kind of home life is a recipe for exactly what happened to him in the end. It was also interesting to see the twins in less than a happy-go-lucky scenario, which is how most writers portray them (often even me!) Author Reply: I knew I wanted to write about Turgon's home in this story, but I really had to think about it. What kind of parents would he have to produce him and yet be believable as elves? I thought this kind of abstracted absorption in their own lives might be possible. And it is a bad situation, as you say. I'm having a hard time writing about the twins in this situation. It was part of their lives but in order to write about it, I have to forget almost everything in fanfiction. And Tolkien doesn't give us a whole lot else!

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