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Good Neighbors by daw the minstrel	19 Review(s)
perelleth	Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/21/2004
Woa!!! such a quick update! That's a pleasure I tell you!!!! Mmm As I've said before, I'm not fully acquainted with your characters and settings (I've just decided that a cronological approach is the most sensible thing so I'm slowly catching up..) but there are some things I'm finding most... interesting in this story: First, it seems the king is wary of men: nothing to be surprised at, since he is Thranduil Oropherion... he was at Dagorlad and we can assume he even was in Doriath.. so.. no one would expect him to be fond of men (nor dwarves, nor noldorin or half noldorin elves by the way) What it is a surprise (in the good sense) is that none of his sons seem to be prejudiced about them: Ithilden is outraged by the whole affair and wants to help the men while clearing the forest, Eilian seems to be eager to make alliances and Legolas is.... about adopting a human child!!! I'm looking forward to seeing how this father/king confronts that situation!!!!!Good Thranduil!!! Second, I said before that I would not be in Maltanaur's shoes for anything but now I correct myself: it is Eilian I do pity... Everybody seems to be expecting chaos ensuing this mission.. I take it he's been a captain for a short time, and then putting him in command of these two unchained-unknown- mad-war machines is... well not an easy appointment. He seems to notice the twins are not going to follow his command if it doesn't suit their wills and that can be a deep blow for his pride and self esteem.. I hope he comes out of it with some feathers left. His own assessment of the situation shows him as more mature than what the rest credit him to be... so Go Eilian! I expect he'll learn a thing or two when this is over.. The kids! I'm mightily amusing myself with their part... so full of good intentions they're getting deeper and deeper into trouble without noticing, as it is common with kids... poor things, I cannot wait to see them, eyes open wide when everything comes out and the adults roar in panic at what could have happened... So, we have the raft attacked, orcs behaving a bit strangely, two bodies missing and a human child in uniform... I cannot imagine how all this is connected, so I´ll sit comfortably and enjoy the way your are feeding us with so many trails... I just would like to see the Men coming up with something useful and showing the wood elves they are valuable neighbours... Great job depicting the twins at this stage! there seems to be a cold breeze chilling everybody around them!!!! Greedily waiting for more ;) Author Reply: I'm an unnaturally fast updater. The next chapter is almost ready now. It's embarrassing, actually. Reading the stories in chronology by Legolas's age makes as much sense as anything, I guess, although I didn't write them in that order. Please forgive my earliest stories when you find them. I don't think you'll have any trouble at all recognizing them! This story is supposed to be about the relations of Thranduil and his family with Men. By the time of The Hobbit, the men of Esgaroth say that the Elvenking is their friends. So my question is how he got to be that way. I'm trying to show him softening up over time. I think his sons are without the weight of history that he bears, and that's a limitation but also an advantage. Eilian is doing quite well, given what he has on his hands. I'd have to go back and look up when he became a captain, but in Elven terms, it's not long, particularly given the experience of the twins. I think Thranduil in particular is quite prone to underestimating Eilian, which he finds painful. And the elflings are in so far over their heads they can't see daylight and don't know it yet. LOL. Good intentions matched with very limited experience and judgement. Thank you for your kind words. Experimenting with the twins is fun!

thechevin	Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/21/2004
A very powerful chapter that sort of crept up on me a bit like elves after orc. I found the whole episode of Eilian and the twins very unsettling which I am sure was the point. Maltanaur has his work cut out for him I think although Eilian is doing well as commander and can see how grief and a desire for vengeance in the twins has dulled their senses to the point where they could be a danger to themselves and others and he relates to that feeling very well and the elflings are having no better time of it all that responsibilty and no one to tell about it Excellent Author Reply: I'm smiling, Judy, because "unsettling" is indeed what I was after. I knew I could narrate the events. It's the emotional tone that's hard to catch. In my opinion, Eilian is doing quite well. I think the twins have been made selfish in their grief. I've seen that when someone is just overwhelmed with their own problems. But there's good stuff underneath. They'll right themselves eventually. The elflings are starting to notice that this boy is an even bigger problem than the mice were!

Brazgirl	Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/21/2004
Elladan sounds like trouble for me... he will do something impulsive, will he not? Eilian was doing so good so far! Until the twins felt the presence of the orcs. No,no, they should hear their commander! Very interesting the way you pointed out Eilian's thought, especially when he was surprised the twins did not hear the trees. Author Reply: The twins are interesting to me. I think they have hundreds of years of experience as warriors under Glorfindel, so they're well-trained and disciplined. But they're not themselves right now. So I have to decide which aspect of them comes to the fore: the underlying history or the current emotional state. It's tricky to decide which is more realistic.

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/20/2004
Thanks Dot and daw. My question now is - what happened to Mrs Earilas? Author Reply: Geez. I don't know. I think it's a surprise! Yes, that's it. We will all be surprised!

Dot	Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/20/2004
Curiouser and curiouser. Everyone is behaving in a decidedly odd manner and making me feel far too tense! Oh, before I forget… In quiet moments at work this morning I decided to flick through some of your old reviews – something I hardly ever do but which is actually quite fun! – and at some point Bodkin asked the name of Siondel’s adar. Maybe she found out afterwards ‘cos I didn’t get very far in reading through them, but it’s Eärilas anyway. In “One Year in Mirkwood” he and Eilian go to Esgaroth and Eilian introduces him as “Siondel Eärilasion”. Anyway, back to the matter at hand… Amdir knows Rodda is there?! Turgon seems very relaxed about it but I don’t know. Their mother seems very indulgent of her children so she could well accompany him there. Then again, she might just feel inclined to feed him if she discovered him… At least Legolas seems to be realising that what might have seemed logical at first may not actually be the best solution after all. And Annael doesn’t seem too thrilled with the situation either, even though he does seem happy enough to have someone to take care of. He should have had a younger sibling. I wonder what Thranduil would think if he knew Legolas thought he wouldn’t care how the men would react if he sent the boy back. I don’t think Thranduil is that dismissive of men, although I can see why Legolas would think so. I would have thought that while Rodda’s presence would certainly pose problems for Thranduil and Ithilden (and they’d be fairly displeased with Legolas), they’d be more likely to be appalled that he was being kept in that house and not cared for properly while in their realm. Granted, he’d then be sent back quick smart but not into trouble if they could help it. “I’ve done something bad. They would hang me.” Yikes! They’d hang him?? What on earth has he done? Hopefully something not as awful as he thinks. It’s rather a harsh lesson in the ways of the world for the elflings to hear too. The entire piece with Eilian and co. was just fascinating. It’s so interesting to watch Eilian figure out what to do. He seemed very aware, though, that there was only so far he could command Elladan and Elrohir before they decided to do things their own way. It’s amazing too all the little differences that emerge. I mean, Eilian is unsure of men in general and is still trying to suss out Elladan and Elrohir, the men are probably just uneasy around elves but unaware of the two very different races of elves standing in front of them, while the twins are likely gauging what the wood-elves would do and thought that they were used to men but have just realised that this lot are much different than the Rangers they know. And poor Maltanaur must be wondering what he ever did to Thranduil to end up with this job. Although, I bet he feels a teensy bit of satisfaction that Eilian has found himself in charge of not one but two headstrong and angry elves who are feeling a little bit reckless. I like that at least the twins know more about the customs of men and help Eilian realise how important it is to them to retrieve the bodies if at all possible. Legolas isn’t the only one learning about the ways of men. “Those two strike me as a very bad mix of you and Ithilden at your worst.” Blunt but right, as ever. It shows how far Eilian has come from his own period of grief that he can see it too. He really has a tough job here, leading all these different people. And it must be an absolute pain not being able to read the twins as easily as he’d need to. Plus he knows he can’t push them because he’s felt what they’re feeling now. Though it must be hard for Elladan and Elrohir too to try and work with a captain who’s used to leading warriors who fight from the trees. Yes, Ithilden is clever! Eilian should tell him that! I was wondering how good the twins would be in the trees. I suppose all elves would be comfortable in them to some degree but I do like that they aren’t as at home in them as wood-elves and can’t really hear their voices either. It’s a bit worrying that they come racing back when they think Eilian has found something. If they don’t hear the sounds of fighting I imagine there’s no need to rush recklessly through the trees, which makes me think that at least some of their training has been forgotten in their eagerness to dispose of the Orcs. Scary. Especially for their poor captain. It must have been so hard for Eilian not to attack the Orcs when they’re right there in front of him. Of all the elves in Arda to have to play this waiting game, these three are not the ones I’d have chosen. And the thing is, they’re all completely justified in wanting to kill the Orcs so I couldn’t really blame them if anyone snapped. But for now their training and common sense seems to be winning. The biggest problem could be if one of them breaks under the pressure. What would the others do then? The Orcs really are behaving strangely. Did Orcs work with the Balchoth at all? It’s just all a little odd. There’s such a sense of tension here. It’s like the Orcs and the men are checking each other out, waiting to see who’ll make the first move. But if these are scouts, why did they attack the patrol of men? I’m just hoping that it wasn’t Rodda’s fault somehow… This is all so exciting! I have to know what’s going on. And while I’m not normally very fond of battle scenes, I can’t wait to see this one! Ah, and Elladan has reached the end of what he can endure of humouring Eilian. I suppose what he says does make sense, though. And surely the twins have enough restraint to wait until the Orcs emerge from the cave… I guess I’ll just have to wait and see. But not too long, right…?! :-) Author Reply: Holy cow, Dot. I'd forgotten I'd ever named Siondel's father. I'll have to tell Bodkin. I think that Thranduil is fairly indifferent to what anyone thinks of him except as it affects the safety and well-being of his people. So I think he'd deal with Rodda as he sees best and say to Mordor with anyone who disagreed. But that caveat -- the well-being of his people -- could come into play here, I suppose. We'll see. :-) Your summary of things in the Eilian/twins/men alliance is a good one. They're all figuring one another out (and so am I!). This story is supposed to be about Thranduil's relations with Men, and all of Thranduil's sons are learning. Let's see if the Elvenking himself does. He needs to be friends with the Men by the time of The Hobbit. I'm still trying to figure out if the twins count as elves! Tolkien never calls them that. I'm really feeling my way along here. I just decided that whatever else they are, they're not wood-elves. And you're so right that these three are not cut out to watch Orcs all day and not attack. But they did it, which is a credit to their training, their sympathy with the Men, and their absolute confidence that the Orcs will be toast whenever they do decide to attack. Somewhere in the reading I did for this story, it says that the Orcs cooperated with the Balchoth, so I was thinking of that here. I thought they might have attacked the patrol just become one or more of them lost their heads and saw easy pickings. Sort of like what the twins are tempted to do!

elliska	Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/20/2004
The poor kids. They are so sweet and concerned about the boy they found. Legolas' reasoning for why not to tell adults really isn't too far off even from an adult perspective--the king and his troop commander really can't get involved with mannish deserters. But Thranduil and Ithilden might be sympathetic given that he's just a child. Hard to say but I imagine we'll find out because as Legolas observed, that boy is going to be an even harder pet to hide than the mice were. I really like that part of the story line though--I think it shows a really true part of Legolas' character. And poor Eilian with the men and the twins. I like seeing how much more familiar with mannish customs the twins are. They definitely would be. They spend more time with them and Eilian is very young in this story still. But Eilian does a good job. With the men. The twins just aren't going to obey him regardless. It is funny to see him getting a taste of what his keeper must endure. I'm sure Maltanaur would be enjoying it too if it weren't for how much he was worrying about they danger the twins represent. I also think you did a good job of showing the men of Esgaroth are different from the Rangers the twins are accustomed to. That was a cool point to make and clever to remember it. The tension is building. I'm very much looking forward to seeing how these two situations are going to resolve themselves. Gee, do you think everything will just go to plan? No? :) Author Reply: This story is supposed to be about Thranduil's relations with Men (with Imladris too, but mostly with Men), and you're supposed to see the theme in a minor way with Legolas and the boy. Actually, maybe you see it more there. Legolas's reaction is straightforward, uncomplicated by the weight of history that Thranduil knows -- the good and the bad that Thranduil has seen over the years and continues to see in the behavior of the Men of Esgaroth. I had to spend a fair amount of time thinking about the differences among this group of warriors and also who would know what about the others. I rewrote that stuff several times before I was reasonably satisfied. And it turned out that just as groups of Elves can differ, so can groups of Men. I was pleased when I thought of that too!

Brenda G.	Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/20/2004
Hi Daw. I'm enjoying your "Good Neighbors" story, although I have been quite tardy to review until now. I'm curious. Have you ever included the Elrond sons in any of your other stories? Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think so. "Walk softly and carry a big stick to beat Orcs to death with." That seems to be the theme of the twins. Maltaunar may wind up "keeping" more than just Eilian on this trip! I'm kind of anxious to see the three E's in action together. Another question: How old would Eilian be compared to the twins (which you indicate are a couple of thousand years old)? Rodda is a source of much compassion and worry for me. My heart goes out to the kid. I side with Legolas and his apparent unease for his newly acquired human acquaintance. What in the world could Rodda have done that was bad? I'm hoping Rodda only thinks he did something bad, and that others, knowing the full circumstances, will not have cause to agree with Rodda's estimation of his own behavior. Legolas is such a good kid. He's so young and yet already making himself responsible for others. Thranduil may not approve of what his youngest son is up to on the sly, but he surely cannot fault the driving force of that fiercely noble heart. There is a tender side to Turgon that crops up occasionally. I reread Prodial Sons recently and mourned his loss. I remember that once when Legolas was being punished by Thranduil in another one of your stories (when both he and Turgon were very young elflings), that Turgon walked up and put his arms around Legolas and hugged him big and hard right in front of everyone. He is a loveable rascal, and I miss him. Of course, Annael has always been a sweetheart, and I have always maintained that if I couldn't marry Legolas, then Annael would make a good second choice. I'm anxious to see how well Triple Trouble carry this thing with the human boy off and what the secret is that is making it hard for Rodda to keep his food down. Well, I am fully and completely immersed in this tale and am anxious for the next chapter. Great story so far. Thanks much. Happy Thanksgiving! Author Reply: The sons of Elrond make a brief appearance in "Question of Duty," where, unfortunately, I say they meet Legolas for the first time. That's why they catch only a glimpse of him here. The twins were born in 130 TA, and in my world, Eilian was born in 2420. The year here is 2510. So Eilian is 90 and the twins are 2380. (Legolas is 30 and Ithilden is 630.) I like to speculate on how Elves related to one another once they were adults. It's hard to pin down actually. Did age continue to make a difference? Were they adults with the simple passage of years or did they need responsiblities too? Rodda is a kid and at the moment, he's in need of real help of a kind the elflings can't give. They're doing their best but this is beyond them. When I killed of Turgon, I hadn't written about him much yet. If I had, I'd never have been able to do it. He tugs at my heartstrings and his parents are so clueless!

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/20/2004
Those orcs are behaving very oddly - could lead to unexpected complications. I wonder if they are in league with some of the bad men. It could turn out to be a very good thing for all and sundry that the blood lust of E2 compelled Ithilden to send out his SWAT team. You can see E2's age and experience with men here - but it's interesting to see that they are not as familiar with them as perhaps they thought. Rangers and Esgaroth men are not altogether the same, just as Wood Elves and those of Imladris are not the same. Eilian's familiarity with the forest and its ways is showing E2 that Ithilden has other reasons in addition to manipulation to put Eilian in charge - he does know his way round this kind of venture. Do you think Celeborn can converse with trees? (And I can't imagine a tree that would dare refuse to communicate with Galadriel if she wanted a chat.) I don't think it would come naturally to Elrond and definitely not Glorfindel, so it might not be something E2 have tried to do. I think - for no real reason at all - that Elrohir might have a touch more ability that way than Elladan. Although whether the trees of Mirkwood would even consider communing with them, except in direst need, I doubt. Probably be as sniffy about the Noldor as the natives. So it never crossed Lared's mind that Ithilden's request would be refused, eh? Why does that not surprise me? I just love Maltanaur. What an elf! And I love watching Maltanaur watching Eilian struggle with the idea of trying to control E2. I'm just waiting for him to point out that his own trials with Eilian have been worse. Not that he would say it. But his brain is ticking. Actually I hope (and I suspect I will not be disappointed) that this project will be less straightforward than it appears and that something happens that gets through E2's icy calm and control. They need a bit of emotional release - preferably not brought about simply by causing mass slaughter. Defending - rescuing - working for somebody's good rather than simply destroying. And the elflings! They were pretty shocked at the idea that Rodda might be hanged for whatever had caused him to run. It's the first time they have been pushed up against cultural differences, except possibly in lessons. It makes it pretty impossible for them not to continue their aid. Legolas is never going to get him to allow them to rope in their adults - not even Eilian who sometimes disappoints his brother by acting like a grown up and frequently disappoints his father by acting like a kid. Typical Turgon to deal with the problem of Amdir by shrugging off the risk and deciding that no-one would believe him anyway - and then letting him do what he wants. Turgon would make a good hippie. And Annael is gentle and nurturing. But they can't keep Rodda hidden for too long. Great chapter. Looking forward to finding out what happens next! Author Reply: Somewhere Tolkien says that the Orcs were cooperating with the Balchoth (although actually they were all cooperating with Sauron), so I'd say it's a good guess that that's what's up. I'm having a good time trying to figure out all the differences within this group and who would know what about whom. The battle scene should be interesting. Eilian has never commanded this mixed a group. The whole routine I usually use -- trees first, go to the ground when you're out of arrows -- is not workable with this group. What to do? I went back and forth about the twins and finally decided that Wood-elves had a connection to the trees that no-one else had and the twins are just not Silvan elves. Maltanaur is probably getting a certain grim pleasure in watching Eilian be the one responsible for two wild ones. LOL. You know he's thinkings, "Serves you right!" I love the elflings. They're acting out of the goodness of their hearts (and the sheet fun of what they're doing), but they just can't manage this. Author Reply: Hey, Bodkin. I just got this from Dot: "Oh, before I forget… In quiet moments at work this morning I decided to flick through some of your old reviews – something I hardly ever do but which is actually quite fun! – and at some point Bodkin asked the name of Siondel’s adar. Maybe she found out afterwards ‘cos I didn’t get very far in reading through them, but it’s Eärilas anyway. In “One Year in Mirkwood” he and Eilian go to Esgaroth and Eilian introduces him as “Siondel Eärilasion”." So now we know!

esamen	Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/19/2004
Hello -- another great chapter. Just the treat I needed at the end of the day. Some things that struck me as extraordinarily good: He found Maltanaur too watching the twins. “Take care, Eilian,” Maltanaur murmured. “Those two strike me as a very bad mix of you and Ithilden at your worst.” This so so wonderful. It paints an instant mind-picture of all four men! I think you are doing the twins extraordinarily well. They are deep, dangerous, gorgeous, compassionate, hurting, vulnerable. Awesome. ****** Then he leaned his head back against the beech trunk and briefly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his face had resumed the almost expressionless mask he usually wore. Across the fire, Eilian could see Elrohir watching them intently. “Very well.” Elladan rose and went off to sit near his brother. Not only is the suspense about what's going to happen really building--I have to say that you are really distilling the essence of twin-hood here. I have four-year-old twin grandsons and that special twin-hood connection is amazing. It's fascinating and special to see. I admire the way you are writing the Elven twins' connection into the plot. ********** Well, happy writing. You are such a lucky woman to have all these gorgeous hunks locked in your closet. Say hi for me next time you let them out to play. Esamen Author Reply: Wow, I really like that description of the twins: deep, dangerous, gorgeous, compassionate, hurting, vulnerable. All true. It's been interesting to write about them all from the outside like this. I decided I wouldn't get into their heads at all, just have others see them, and it's made them kind of mysterious. I think the twins together are interesting here. They support one another but they also egg one another on. I think Elrohir might go home if Elladan weren't so set on staying, for instance. And in my head, Elladan is having a harder time voicing his feelings. And can I also say that I want to be a grandma? I have pointed this out to my son and his girlfriend but they don't seem to get the point.

The Karenator	Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/19/2004
So Rodda's afraid of being greeted back in Esgaroth with a necktie party? He thinks he's running for his life. Even though he's a kid, he might have a point. Man has been known to do some pretty bizarre things and hanging kids might not be as farfetched as we would like to believe. I'd like to think that Rodda's overreacting a bit. The worst thing I can think of that he's done is being technically guilty of desertion. A kid running for his life is not exactly desertion in my book, but I, unfortunately, didn't write the Esgaroth Manuel of Military Conduct. Then again, desertion might not even be his problem. “Those two strike me as a very bad mix of you and Ithilden at your worst.” Great line. Very descriptive. And it's one of those Maltanaur zingers that cuts right to the heart of the matter. The twins are a bad mix right now. They're barely hanging on by a thread. I get the feeling that they are merely humoring Eilian, and Eilian, of course, knows this too. I groaned when I read this line:“You and Maltanaur move much more quickly through the trees,” Elladan said evenly. “And you would know how to manage the spiders too, should you and the Men come across them. We have no experience with them.” A little manipulative, are we? Elladan said evenly. Uh huh. Eilian didn't exactly fall for it, but recognizes that resistance is futile. The twins humoring Eilian seems at an end. Yep, the pot is ready to boil. Well, I'm set and ready to go. I know the twins won't get themselves killed, but I see something stupid coming on. Looking forward to the next chapter. Karen Author Reply: Poor Rodda. He's alone and frightened. He needs a good attorney! Maltanaur always amuses me. He (like Beliond) is not afraid to speak his mind. I'd say the twins are not at all intimdated by their "captain," although they're trying to do what the Men need done. I can't forget that even though they're devastated, they have 2500 years of experience as warriors. There has to be an underlying layer of discipline that can't be completely shed. I'm looking at writing a battle scene and groaning. You know how hard they are to do well. Too bad that the twins, Eilian, and probably the Men are all looking forward to kicking Orc butt.

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