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Good Neighbors by daw the minstrel	31 Review(s)
esamen	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 12/5/2004
Hello! I'm working my way through the last two chapters. Here's a few moments I really enjoyed: A story lay here, Ithilden thought and wondered what chance he had of getting it out of Eilian. Asking Maltanaur would be pointless. He never talked about what he saw while guarding Eilian. I always like bits about the keepers. Cudry took an involuntary step backwards only to find himself up against the substantial chest of Ithilden. Chuckle. Oh, sweet. Lovely scene. Don't even think about getting out of this one, Cudry! Go Thranduil1 Author Reply: Now that I look at that line, I wonder if Eilian would tell Ithilden about what happened, and if Ithilden would tolerate not being told. I'll be Eilian is good at wiggling out of what he doesn't want to tell. And I do love Maltanaur, right down to his discretion about his sometimes wayward charge. Thranduil and Ithilden double teaming Cudry. Yeah!

Firnsarnien	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 11/30/2004
"Legolas realized with a start that Rodda must be walking a dream path." This line right here really caught my eye! You stayed so true to the way Elves talk with this one. True, nightmare does seem out of place when you utter it in a story, but it is so hard to come up with a better word. This line did it beautifully! Bravo! :) Holy moly! When Rodda was confessing to Legolas what had happened, I stopped worrying about Leggy getting in too much trouble. Surely they'd see that his heart was in the right place and he wasn't being intentionally deceptive. And that chance meeting with Mithrandir was just what he needed. Leave it to the old wizard to be just at the right place at the right time. :) Thranduil's handling of that horrid crook was great. Only he could be so menacing that he would get a confession out of the man just by looks alone. Whew, impressive I tell ya, no wonder he's king! LOL And this last part. Oh my holy jacamole! I thought Thranduil had boo booed big time and Legolas was going to lose his nerve and NOT tell him what was going on. I was even holding my breath. Thank the Valar Leggy tells him, at least I think he does. I'm off to read the next chappy. Catch ya there! :) Author Reply: See, you judge Legolas's actions more or less as Thranduil does! You see how awful things have been for poor Rodda and how good Legolas's heart is. I tried to think how I would feel if my 12-year-old son told me he had been hiding a runaway who might be hanged and I have to say it was a scary thought. And speaking of scary, Thranduil does that so well. If I were Cudry, I'd be whimpering in a corner somewhere. Thank goodness Thranduil saw the Legolas needed him and made the change from scary king to tender father.

sofia	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 11/28/2004
Cudry sure is sure of himself. That must of been a surprise to him to see that the elves knew of his plan. -sofia Author Reply: Cudry got what was coming to him! Thranduil is no one to fool around with and I fervently hope that Cudry is cowering a corner somewhere, whimpering to himself.

Rose Sared	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 11/27/2004
Ahh, there is something to be said for missing a month of updates. I get to read a whole arc of a story in one go. Most enjoyable! Gosh, isn't Legolas brave to go to Thrandy, I think I would have gone to Ithilden, but good on him - how else would he explain the dissapearence of his arrows? Nice to see Eilian growing a bit in contrast to the truly mucked-up twins. Lovely stuff, thanks Rose Author Reply: Legolas is very brave indeed. But I think he's also young enough that he thinks his father can fix anything. Is there anyone more powerful in his world? No. And he's seen his father at his most tender. So when he has to put his trust in someone, it's Thranduil he chooses. And Eilian is doing very well. The twins need time. And they need to go home! I hope your month hiatus was to do something fun and not, for instance, to deal with massive computer problems.

perelleth	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 11/27/2004
I must say that while all your OCs are wonderfully depicted (and I’m still trying to discern which of them I like more!) your Thranduil seems Oh so accurate to me! I see him like a great King Lion, deceptively calm and so difficult to rein in once he is “awake” and feels the need to release a powerful roar… just to make sure everybody remembers who and why is the king… He is wroth with the merchant and has every reason to be, but then I think he also enjoys showing off his teeth. A force of nature on his own, and so transparent when it comes to his loved ones! even enraged he is able to turn into a loving Adar and notice “his heart’s” trouble!! I simply bow before this king of the woodland realm!! I’ve loved such a long chapter…. And all the more ‘cause I found it after a long- ugly- exhausting week… you are truly a fast updater!!!! The part when Rodda explains, and Amdir greets the birds, and Legolas holds to the child’s foot wow! It struck me so real, that feeling of unreality one sometimes has when dealing with bad news, when you notice small unimportant details while trying to ease away from the grief...wonderfullly wrapped up! And then, such a detail: “he grasped Rodda’s ankle, as much to have something to hold on to as to sympathize.” You got it. He is a kid too. What comfort he has to share he is freely offering to the human boy, but he is also overwhelmed!!! Glad he is finally telling Ada! (and thanks to Mithrandir!) The whole scene in the Great Hall is so funny.. it is like a complete double-entendre: they all know each other thoroughly so there’s no point in trying to hide anything but for formality’s sake… so undercurrents and understanding keep flowing around the Hall while the twins stand in the middle just like a couple of freezers someone left open… What did Mithrandir exactly say he was doing in Mirkwood by the way? ;-) Author Reply: I love Thranduil. Your phrase, "a force of nature," seems just right to me. I think his connection to his woods is the source of his magic, which I'm not sure he always has complete control over. Amdir amuses me. And hearing him outside, so cheery, would be just unreal while horror is being narrated inside the cottage. Poor Rodda. Poor Legolas too. This is just too much for him. Both of these kids need an adult to help, and Legolas has gone to the one who, in his experience, can fix everything. Writing that Great Hall scene was challenging because I wanted it from Ithilden's point of view but I wanted to show what everyone else was thinking too. It was fun! Mithrandir never said what brought him. He seems to have spent his time wandering anyway and he just popped up.

meckinock	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 11/26/2004
Amazing how just being around Gandalf makes you want to do the right thing. Actually I guess Legolas always wanted to do the right thing; he just couldn't sort out what the right thing was. That was very brave of him to go charging into the cottage with his knife drawn when he heard Rodda cry out. I'm glad he decided to tell Thranduil about Rodda before the kid got halfway through Mirkwood by himself. I'm a little worried about E2. They are starting to look a bit psychotic. I hope Gandalf has them on his therapy calendar. But Thranduil...how splendidly, deliciously dangerous he was with Cudry. Wow. Circling like a hungry tiger toying with his prey; slicing off a little bit here, a little bit there. I liked it when he lost it and slipped back into the singular voice to talk about his sheep-shearing plans. What a vision! Ithilden seems to have thought so, too. I hope that Ithilden does get Eilian to talk about the orc hunt. Author Reply: Legolas is still (just barely) young enough to believe that his father can fix everything, and once he got the go-ahead from Mithrandir, he knew where to go. I think E2 are going to need time, but I'll see what I can do to bring them out of themselves a little. Many readers seem to enjoy the picture of scary!Thranduil, as long as he's mad at someone else. I actually could picture Thranduil shearing sheep, but I could not picture him weaving. Ithilden had trouble with both things, I think.

Brazgirl	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 11/25/2004
This chapter was awsome! How can you make your characters so believable? I love your Thranduil, how mean he was the human and how persuasive he can be. Poor Rodda! He really had a sad story to tell. And Legolas? That was though for him to hear... And now he was about to tell his father what is going on... I am willing to read it. It seems Eilian finally gave his brother the vengeance Ithilden needed... ahaha. Have I told you I love this name? Ithilden? It is a beautiful name. All of the three sons of Thranduil have good names. Eilian sounds nice too. Author Reply: Thank you, Brazgirl. Thranduil is scary when he's angry, isn't he? Poor Rodda indeed. Legolas has finally decided to tell the person who, in his experience, is the most powerful person around and someone who can fix anything. Thank goodness. I'm glad you like my characters' names. "Eilian" is the Sindarin word for rainbow, and "Ithil" means moon. I think that Thranduil and his wife conceived all of their children in the woods and their names reflect the way things looked when they made them.

caz-baz	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 11/25/2004
That was very good. I love how intimidating Thranduil can be in your stories and Ithilden's part in it too was very satisfing. Caz - Baz Can't wait for the next chapter. Author Reply: Glad you liked it, Caz-Baz. Thranduil is scary when he's mad. Ithilden enjoyed the whole show, I think. He's like Thranduil's apprentice and likes to learn how to be intimidating too.

elliska	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 11/25/2004
I got up early before I had to start cooking and boy am I glad. So much fun reading to enjoy. Iloved Legolas and the boy. You have had some sweet little Legolas moments in many of your stories but this was the best. Legolas is just absolutely adorable comforting the scaried little mortal child. That just seems so perfectly in character to me. And Amdir in the background of all this grief with his "Mae govennan, birdies." Also dear but so sad. So much tragedy comes to his life and his parents are just oblivious. Wonderful. I got a big kick out of all the interaction when Eilian made his return. You got absolutely everything possible out of that without missing any of it's potential. Ithilden's relief amused me. He really doesn't contradict Thranduil too many times that we've seen and this was certainly one way that could have ended much worse. I loved how Ithilden and Thranduil could see Eilian's not quite right attitude. But the best part was Maltanaur's reaction to Eilian's reaction. Yes, he got a little vindication in this whole thing. So Legolas thinks he can be cautious with Mithrandir and learn something. Well he did but I seriously doubt Mithrandir missed much. I really enjoy young Legolas' interaction with Mithrandir. Gandalf is the one member of the Fellowship that can look back on Legolas' youth while Legolas looks at the youth of everyone else. There is so much potential there. As you've said before, Mithrandir's interest in Legolas must just make Thranduil itch. But this little conversation was great. Legolas learns what he needs to know to make him comfortable trusting his family to help. And he learns some scary things about the way others live and how lucky he is. I wonder if it hits him that no matter how badly he behaves he need never fear a beating from his father (look how stupid he has to be to earn one light swat on the behind!) whereas this child is worrying about hangings and real beatings. Now, to what I will admit was my favorite part--I just get the biggest kick out of Angry!Thranduil. From the safety of the other side of my computer screen I giggled gleefully all the way through this. I love watching Thranduil calmly destroy lies and expose treachery. Too perfect. Thranduil's punishment was just perfect--hit him where it really hurt. I imagine the Master of Lake Town will probably add something to it even less pleasant. He would not Lake Town's reputation damaged by one bad egg. I loved: "I will shear the sheep and weave the cloth myself if I have to before I will deal with the likes of you again!” That was great! Scary, but great! And Legolas' interruption. That was so well done. Thranduil shifts from furious king to caring ada so well. Great job! One of my Thanksgiving blessings is such wonderful fanfiction. Thanks! Author Reply: It's great to have a reviewer who appreciates the entire House of Oropher. :-) I felt bad for Rodda when I was writing about him, and bad for Legolas listening in horror and not knowing what to do. I was exceedingly relieved to send him off to Thranduil at the end. He wavered for a moment as Thranduil struggled to make that transition back to Adar, but in the end, he knew who he trusted to fix almost anything. One of the most interesting problems I've struggled with in learning to write is point of view. That scene in the Great Hall was an example. I was most interested in Ithilden's reaction, which is why we see from his pov, but then I had to figure out how to convey what the others were thinking or feeling too. That's the kind of thing that makes me stare at the screen for a while, but when I'm done, it's so satisfying. It's like solving a puzzle. Like the rest of his family, Legolas is sorting out his feelings about men. He sees Rodda as just a kid who needs help. But he hears that Rodda comes from a group of people who hang people and beat children. That has to take a while to process. I can imagine Thranduil shearing sheep, but sitting still and patiently weaving cloth? That one's hard!

Lamiel	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 11/25/2004
Ooh, we likes the Elven king with his temper up, oh yes we does precious! At least, when it isn't directed at us. But mmm, using the royal "we", and stalking around the merchant like that, ohhh, now that was a truly lovely sight. Too rarely do we get to see Thranduil exercise that famous temper, and seeing him in all his glory here... oh, that was a wonderful treat. Thank you! Really I must compliment you on a lot of things in this chapter. I particularly noticed the bit when Legolas was with Rodda in the cabin, trying to get him to speak, and the narrative paused for a moment to describe the outside sounds, Turgon's brother greeting the birds and so on. That was very cute, by the way. It was a wonderfully effective way of showing Rodda's hesitation and reluctance to speak, by making the reader slow down and wait as well, rather than just saying "time passed." Nicely done. I'm also pleased to see Legolas interact with Mithrandir a bit more, and very glad that he's decided to trust Thranduil enough to tell him what's going on. Interesting that he stuck to that decision even after seeing his father rip the merchant a new one. Anyway. Great chapter, great story, as always. Pity FF.net is being such a pain right now, but I am glad to have the chance to read it here instead. I only wish my current fic met the rating standards of SoA - I could post my new chapter here and save myself a lot of stress. Author Reply: Glad you liked Angry!Thranduil. He's fun to write too. If I were the merchant, I'd be whimpering in a corner somewhere. Lamiel, you think like a writer and I'm so flattered. I drafted that scene between Legolas and Rodda, and then I thought "It needs to be slowed down." And that's when I wrote the bit about Amdir greeting the birds and stuck it in. So I was thinking in exactly the terms you used. :-) Legolas wavered for just a second after watching Thranduil tear into the merchant, but in the long run, he decided to trust that his father would appear, not the king. He wants the person who would never allow a child to suffer and calls him "my heart." I'm looking forward to your next chapter. I've been thinking about your story and wondering what you're going to do with it, and I assume I'm not the only one!

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